Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 9.djvu/185

 ii s. ix. FEB. 28, i9i4.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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the tongue of all the world from the farm -bailiff to the mitred saint, and thus comes into his own.

It is only quite recently that scholars have begun to suspect the full measure of the debt our language owes to the music of mediaeval Latin, but there can be no doubt that the number of its students has been steadily growing during the past half-century or so, concurrently with the publication of the immense stores of history and general literature which had up to that time remained in manuscript. Still, in spite of its glorious rhythm, the ease with which it can be learnt its simplicity, its directness, its strength there can be no doubt that all of us understand it a little less perfectly than the language we were bred in, and there is every reason to be grateful to those who provide us with good and accurate translations of books we are likely to need.

Sir Herbert Maxwell has given us in this very handsome volume a translation of the portion of the Lanercost Chronicle between 1272 and 1346, prefaced by an inquiry into the authorship of the Chronicle by the Rev. James Wilson, who writes an account of the manuscript. It seems a pity that he was not led by the curious arrangement of its early pages to enter on some discussion of the manuscripts from which it was derived, since obviously the breaks would give a fair indication of the size of the leaves from which it was copied. The illustrations, most of them topographical, are excellent. We have nothing but praise for the translation itself ; it is at once accurate and readable, preserving the simplicity and force of its original.

The principal interest of the work lies in its account of the Border troubles during this period, which includes that of the great struggle for Scottish independence ; but readers of wider interests will find it full of anecdotes and legends which well repay perusal, many of them derived from the exempla of wandering Franciscans. A number of origins have bene traced put by the editor, but more still await annotation. One in particular is of great interest as a possible survival of part of the Beowulf story in popular folk-lore the story of a sort of Grendel who came in the dark into a manor hall in Clydesdale and slew his son. To this Sir Herbert appends the following note, which makes for edification, no doubt, but does not help much : " It is not so easy to understand how Christianity retained its ascendancy among reasonable beings, when its doctrines were enforced by such gross and unscrupulous falsehoods as those with which this chronicle abounds."

One of the things which make the Lanercost Chronicle interesting to mediaeval students is the mention of a Franciscan, brother to Herebert, to whom we owe a debt of gratitude as the pre- server of a number of our best manuscripts of Roger Bacon. He is represented as an eye- witness of the miracle of the Blessed Sacrament wounded by a Jew at Paris in 1290 a fact not without its bearing on the question of the nation- ality of Bacon, and the place in which he spent his last years. It is easy to see, however, that the translator's chief interest lies at home ; his notes, excellent so far as they go, are concerned with the identification of Border heroes, places, and dates on which he is an acknowledged authority and with little beyond. There is a very good index of persons and places.

We have derived much pleasure from a renewed perusal of the Chronicle in this form, which will, we think, be found indispensable in every library (public or private) on the Border. The edition is strictly limited to 300 copies, 100 of them being: printed on special hand-made paper.

Chats on Old Coins. By Fred. W. Burgess. (Fisher Unwin, 5s. net.)

WHO does not love a chat on old coins, and where is there a house in which there is not some collec- tion, however small ? Mr. Burgess is an old collector, and here we have the results of his experience. " Numismatic literature has hitherto been prepared for the specialist," he says, and " few attempts have been made to provide, in a condensed form, a book dealing with the obsolete- currencies which have throughout the world's history been used by its most prominent nations."

The story of the coinage of Great Britain is unfolded step by step, as well as that of her dependencies. Prominence, too, is given to American currencies.

The standard of gold coins in England shortly after Mary's accession was raised to 23 carats 3 grains pure gold. This sovereign, of which an illustration is given, shows a striking similarity to that of Henry VII. The silver coinage under Mary was, however, debased. The type of the shilling of the period is of interest, as it is the only tim& when the coinage had the joint sovereigns repre- sented face to face. This peculiarity gave rise to. the humorous lines :

Still amorous, fond and billing, Like Philip and Mary on a shilling.

A few chapters are devoted to the subject of" tokens, the illustrations of these being selected from a fine collection formed nearly a hundred years ago.

The popularity of Greek coins has been steadily growing for some years past, and their col- lection "is no longer the exclusive hobby of wealthy men, nor is it confined to those learned in dead languages." Pleasure is to be found in the study of the commoner and less expensive types, which were issued in large numbers in ancient Greece ; and while there are rare varieties, there are many really good coins procurable for a moderate outlay.

Among the 258 illustrations is the token of Allen & Co., booksellers, "the cheapest book- sellers in the world." On the face is a portrait of J. Lackingtpn, 1794. Mr. Burgess refers to the very extensive collection of early leaden tokens now on view in the Guildhall Museum, and these " Chats " may increase the number of visitors inspecting them.

The author has produced not only " a practical guide for the collector," but a handy book of reference for all. The volume is wonderfully cheap.

Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archceo- logical Society. New Series. Vol. II. Part IV. (Bishopsgate Institute.)

WE congratulate the Society on the increasing interest of the subjects treated in its Transactions. Mr. R. R. C. Gregory, the author of 'The Story of Royal Eltham,' supplies some notes on Eltham history ; and Mr. Arthur Bonner, the editor, writes