Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 9.djvu/109

 ii s. ix. FEB. 7, i9i4.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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yet another bust of Galileo. It is a modern work of plaster of Paris by Fantacchiotti, and accompanied a collection of old scientific instruments M 7 hich was sent to the Special Loan Collection of 1876 by the Istituto di Studi Superiori, Florence, and afterwards presented to the old South Kensington Museum in 1877. It represents Galileo in old age, and shows (too exaggeratedly, I think) the wart on the left cheek, which is a characteristic of all genuine portraits of the great philosopher. Three sides of the pedestal are fittingly adorned with greatly enlarged photographic views from the Tribuna di Galileo, Florence. That in front shows the inner semicircular recess with Galileo's statue in the centre ; that on the left shows one side of the central hall and (in lunette) a fresco, Galileo conducting public experiments on the inclined plane at Pisa ; and that on the right, the opposite side of the hall and corresponding fresco, in which Viviani, Redi, and other disciples of Galileo are seen performing the experi- ment of " the reflection of cold," as was then thought to be a fact.

Medals. In the British Museum (Depart- ment of Coins and Medals) there are five examples out of eleven which are known to Prof. Favaro. Several of these were struck in the lifetime of Galileo, and others on various occasions after his death in 1642. One is in silver, but all those in the British Museum are in copper or bronze.

Gems. Mr. Oatway of Old Burlington Street, W., has a fine specimen of the work of James Tassie, known as " Tassie gems," or simply " Tassies." It bears a fairly good portrait of Galileo, and inscription " Galileus." It would be interesting to know from what original Tassie worked.

J. J. FAHIE.

Chesham Bois Common, Bucks.

DRYDEN'S 'CHARACTER POLYBIUS.'

OF

A RECENT reading of Dryden's essay on Polybius in the original edition it was prefixed to Sir H[emy] S[heere's] trans- lation of Polybius in two volumes, London, 1693, with imprimatur dated 25 Nov., 1692 has furnished new proofs of the textual inaccuracy of the Scott-Saintsbury edition of Dryden's works. The spelling is, of course, modernized : 'tis becomes it is, and there is perhaps no reason to complain that throughly becomes thoroughly (S.-S., xviii. p. 37, 1. 7

from foot). The punctuation is altogether- altered, generally, it must be confessed,, for the better. Even the division into paragraphs is not Dryden's, but identical with that of Malone's edition of ' Dryden's Prose Works' (1800). The modern editor is, of course, entitled, if not bound, to correct obvious misprints in the original, and this has been done silently in four cases (Achians altered to Achaians, ib. p. 28 ; the to brink altered to to the brink, p. 33 ; statutes cor- rected to statues, p. 35 ; a fam'd Writers to a famed writer, p. 38). But the following list of errata will show that the current text of Dryden's minor prose writings is as greatly in need of revision as was that of his poetry before the labours of Christie, Noyes, and Sargeaunt. I give first in italics the readings of the Scott-Saintsbury edition (vol. xviii. pp. 23-53, London, 1893), and then in ordinary type the readings of the editio princeps. (M.) is added when Malone's text agrees with Dryden's, except perhaps in spelling ; in other cases it must be under- stood that Malone's text agrees with that of Scott-Saintsbury : 31, 1. 13, beholden beholding (M.).

33, 1. 2, but Tacitus, ivho is equal with him but only Tacitus,* who is equal to him.

34, 1. 5 from foot, misfortunes misfortune.

35, 1. 4 from foot, the interest only the only/ interest (M.).

38, 1. 15, has told me has told us. 38, 1. 18, to hand it us to hand it to us. 40, 1. 4, praise I praise (M.). 4U, 1. 9, was the chief was chief.

40, 1. 11, and ZZ and in all.

41, 1.3, exquisite exquisitely.

42, 11. 4, 27, Ptolomij Ptolemy.

42, 1. 16, afterwards returns^, and gives account afterward returns, and gives an account.

43, 1. 13, this veracity his veracity.

44, 1. 15, draining the watei draining the Waters.

45, 1. 11, solemn judgment, solid Judgment (M.).

45, 1. 3 from foot, he yet yet he.

46, 1. 14 from foot, at Cannce, wherein at Cannae,* where.

46, 1. 11 from foot, the strength of the foreign horse the strength of foreign Horse.

47, 1.2, indeed, are his words. It is a are his words. Indeed 'Tis a.

47, 1. 19, a bare assertion, without proof a, bare as- sertion neither without proof (M., with note and parallel passage).

48, 1. 17, review read. 50, 1. 6, might must.

50, 1. 13, are collected were collected.

51, 1.18, Monta[i]gne Montaign* (M. has "Mon- tagne").

52, 1. 7, would destroy shou'd destroy (M.).

Two misprints on pp. 33 and 41 are not noted above because they are corrected on p. 322 of the same volume.

Italics in original.