Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 9.djvu/365

 ii s. ix. MAY 2, i9i4.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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The second division of the volume is, perhaps, the one which is the more likely to appeal to the general reader, as being somewhat less technical, and affording as a whole a lively idea of the social conditions of the time. We are glad to express yet again our conviction that, when the outline of facts is once known, the study of a small body of well-selected " sources " is both more instructive and more entertaining, even for the non-professional student, than the reading of histories. Thus, to give one more example, the documents included here relating to Sebastian and John Cabot, and the discovery of Newfound- land, are incomparably more " telling " than what biographers and historians make of them.

The third volume contains " originals " relat- ing to (1) Foreign Relations, (2) the Church, and (3) Ireland. Marriage treaties that for the marriage between Arthur and Catherine of Aragon, and that for the Scotch marriage occupy many pages in the first of these divisions. There is also the text of the treaty of alliance between England and Spain, 1499, from Bymer ; and Charles VIII. 's ratification of the treaty of Staples, 1492. The ecclesiastical documents chiefly illustrate the incidence of ecclesiastical discipline directed from Rome as it affected the Crown and the English Church mainly in regard to money payments for different purposes, and to the extirpation of heresy.

Of the Irish section the hero is the Earl of-Kil- dare, and Prof. Pollard has, of course, included among the narrative extracts the delightful account from the ' Book of Howth ' of Kildare's attack on the Bishop of Meath and his coming to England and the famous interview with Henry.

Fellowship Books. Edited by Mary Stratton.

(Batsford, 2s. net each.)

WE have received from Mr. Batsford three of these delightful little books, each being " a new contribution by various writers toward the expression of the Human Ideal and Artistic Faith of our own day."

Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch writes on Poetry, and states that he has refrained purposely from technical talk, and from defining the difference between Epic, Dramatic, Lyric Poetry between the Ode and the Sonnet, the Satire and the Epigram. His sole intent has been to give a clear notion of what poetry is, and of what by natxire it aims to do. This is to reveal the poet as a helper of man's spiritual need, and therefore as a member most honourable in any commonwealth. " Non c' e in mondo," said Torquato Tasso proudly, " chi merita nome di creatore, se non Iddio ed il Poeta " (" Two beings only deserve the name of Creator : God and the Poet ").

Mr. W. L. Courtney treats on The Meaning of Life. This volume is full of that suggestiveness and gravity of thought which we should expect from the writer. There is not the shadow of a hint of dogmatism, but manly helps from a fellow- traveller on life's road, seeking to be " one with God, seeing eye to eye with him, working towards the same great End."

Mr. J. Foord gives a somewhat exuberant talk on Flowers, "For everyone a wondrous joy": " Joy in the violets in the grass, and lilac fresh with dew in the garden's hedge," as well as " the pale silver of the white clover in the green springing grass." These are "an arresting vision

for us all." The writer puts in a plea for old English names of flowers in place of the Latin horticultural or botanical names more and more used, and he gives us a little familiar flower-lore linked on to names of religious origin, like- those in honour of the Virgin. Cowslips were " Our Ladie's bunch of keys " ; campanula,. " Ladie's looking-glass." The Star of Bethlehem and the lily of the valley were both " the tears- of Mary." After the Reformation many of these came under the ban of all things " popish," and were altered and called after Venus. Pansy,, the English rendering of the old French " pense"e," had a whole list of names, and one old story says that it was once as sweet-scented as the violet. The author takes us back to the days of Nicholas- Lete, who first brought a double yellow rose from Constantinople, " but ifc perished quickly " ; how- ever, another London merchant, Master John de Franqueville, later succeeded in growing it. Due reference is also made to Turner's ' Herbal,' published in 1551, and followed by those of Gerard ^ who had a garden in Holborn, and John Parkinson,, whose garden in Long Acre was well stocked with rarities.

The Cathedral Church of Glasgow. By P. Mac-

gregor Chalmers. (Bell & Sons, Is. 6d. net.) VISITORS to this "brave kirk," that will "stand as lang as the warld, keep hands and gunpowther aff it," will do well to provide themselves with this handy little book, and afterwards to place it on their shelves for reference. Care has been be- stowed on its compilation, and the best authorities have been consulted. A chronological list of the- Bishops, Archbishops, and ministers is given, and there are forty illustrations.

WE have received from Mr. Henry Guppy, the- Librarian, The John Rylands Library, Manchester: a Brief Historical Description of the Library and its Contents, illustrated with thirty-seven views and facsimiles. The price is only sixpence, and the- book will no doubt be sought for by bibliophiles, as well as by the visitors for whom it is primarily intended.

While the work has been passing through the press the Library has come into possession of a manuscript of the original of the Syriac version of the so-called ' Odes of Solomon,' from which Dr. Rendel Harris edited the editio princeps. "Jn this little book," says Dr. Harris, " if my judgment is correct, we have for the first time recovered a book of hymns of the early Christian community. They constitute a key to primitive Christian ex- perience, much in the same way as the rediscovery

of the Olney hymns or of St. Bernard's Latin,

hymns."

THE April Edinburgh Review has a valuable and timely article by Prof. Hoops on the ' N.E.D.' ' The Oxford Dictionary.' Long before its completion the great dictionary has gathered round it the traditions, respect, and confidence which belong to a well-established institution, and it is very acceptable to have put before us again the history of its inception and earlier progress. Perhaps few realize that it was begun thirty-five years ago. To recall that fact is to recognize afresh what English-speaking people owe to Sir James Murray. Prof. Hoops is in- clined to wish that words which became obsolete