Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 3.djvu/380

 374

NOTES AND QUERIES. 112 s. in. JULY, 1917.

offered by Messrs. Heffer, such as a complete set of the Ballad Society's publications (13 vols., 18684)7, 221.) ; Child"'s ' English and Scottish Popular Ballads ' (5 vols., Boston, Riverside Press, 1882-4, 121. 12s.) ; and, under the subsection Bibliography, Arber's ' Transcript of the Sta- tioners' Registers, 1550-1640 ' (5 vols., 1875-94, 30Z.), works issued by the Grolier Club, and Hain's ' Repertorium ' (fine-paper copy, 2 vols., 1826-38, HZ. 10s.). There is a complete set of the " Fuller Worthies' Library," edited by Dr. Grosart (38 vols., 22L), besides separate copies of various authors included in that Library. Other important entries occiir under Sir Thomas Browne, Dickens, English Historical Review, Kelmscott Press, Kipling, Meredith, Roxburghe Club, Shakespeareana, Stevenson, Thackeray, and Tudor Translations.

MESSRS. H. R. HILL & SON include many interesting books in their Catalogue 128. The Ashburnham copy of Roger Ascham's ' Schole- master,' 1579, ' Toxophilus,' 1571, and ' Report and Discourse of the Affaires and State of Ger- many,' 1570, in 1 vol., is 221. 10s. Lovers of the drama may choose the 13 vols. of J. S. Farmer's collection of ' Early English Dramatists ' (51. 15s.); Fleay's ' Biographical Chronicle of the English Drama, 1559-1642,' 2 vols., 1891 (21. 2s.) ; Mrs. Inchbald's ' British Theatre,' complete set, 42 vols. (21. 18s. 6d.) ; or Boydell's ' Shakespeare,' 9 vols. (6L 15s.). The Edition de Luxe of Tenny- son, 12 vols., 1898, is offered for 6L 15s. ; and that of Thackeray, 26 vols., 1878, for 121. 12s. Many of the books are very cheap, those grouped under Ana ranging from Is. to 15s. 6d.

As booksellers are not now permitted to send their catalogues by post unless written application has been made for them, we propose from time to time to mention any special features of the books advertised in the current issue of ' N. & Q.' Messrs. J. & J. Leighton, for example, offer several important early works relating to music, including one of the fifteenth century by Franchinus Gafurius or Gafori, ' Theorica Musicae ' (Milan, 1492, 361.). This has on the title-page a large cut showing a man playing an organ. Two English works are also included : Sir W. Davenant's ' First Day's Entertainment at Rutland House ' (1657, 4:21.), and Purcell's ' Vocal and Instrumental Musick of the Prophetess, or the History of Dioclesian ' (1691, 40Z.), a presentation copy from the author to Jacob Talbot.

WILLIAM DOUGLAS.

WE regret to have to record the death, on May 28, of our old and esteemed contributor Mr. William Douglas.

Born in London on June 7, 1834, he developed at an early age a taste for the drama, and as an enthusiastic amateur supported the Wilson Street Company for several seasons. Between 1867 and 1874 he provided dramatic entertainments at the Birkbeck Institution, St. George's Hall, and similar halls in the suburbs, Mr. (now Sir) Arthur Wing Pinero being on occasions of the company.

As clerk to the last of the Doctors' Commons Proctors (Frederick Scipio Clarkson), William Douglas had sufficient leisure to pursue a hobby

associated with his first ambition, and at an early age collected books, playbills, &c., illus- trating the history of the English stage and the lives of actors, principally those of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Both in method and intention Mr. Douglas proved a worthy successor to James Winston, the manager of Drury Lane Theatre, whose vast collections were unfortunately dispersed. The mass of valuable data brought) together by Mr. Douglas has not been utilized, although it is more exact and comprehensive than anything else available, and it is hoped that an effort to secure its preservation at the British Museum as a memorial of our contributor's scholarly industry will be successful.

At the Aldis, Daniel, Price, and other dis- persals of this class of literature, Mr. Douglas secured many items of the greatest interest, and his collections have for some years been of real importance. Only a few of his many treasures can be mentioned. Thus he has left over fifty playbills of David Garrick's greatest triumphs ; Tate Wilkinson's huge collection of playbills issued at the early provincial theatres ; Winston's collection (greatly extended by Mr. Douglas) to illustrate the life of Edmund Kean, including bills of his first appearance at Drury Lane and of Moses Kean's entertainments at Hickford's Great Room ; and a fine collection of letters of dramatic celebrities. The highest values of this remarkable library are, however, probably represented in the engravings. Among these are many of the delightful mezzotint portrait groups of incidents in eighteenth-century plays ; portraits after Zoffany, Wageman, De Wilde, &c., and, best of all, a coloured copy of Bartolozzi's ' Miss Farren ' after Lawrence. The books, MSS., and tokens are of merit and distinction, but deserving special mention is an ivory pass issued by Grimaldi for a box at Sadler's Wells Theatre.

By the many friends whose privilege it was to know this library, and be of those favoured to consult its owner on dramatic-historic perplexities such as he delighted to unravel, its possible dispersal is greatly regretted. But for these friends each book, almost each playbill, will for ever be associated with the memory of a pains- taking, exact student and a charming personality.

A. A.

JJcttrts ia

CORRESPONDENTS who send letters to be forwarded to other contributors should put on the top left- hand corner of their envelopes the number of the page of ' N. & Q.' to which their letters refer, so that the contributor may be readily identified.

EDITORIAL communications should be addressed to "The Editor of ' Notes and Queries' " Adver- tisements and Business Letters to " The Pub- lishers " at the Office, Bream's Buildings, Chancery Lane, E.C.4.

PRYCE WILLIAMS. Forwarded.

W. F. CRAFTS ("Wall Street, New York"). Anticipated ante, p. 259, by another American correspondent.

C. E. H. (" Genius "). Carlyle says in ' Fre- derick the Great,' book iv. chap. iii. : " Genius, which means the transcendent capacity of taking trouble, first of all."