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NOTES AND QUERIES. [2- s. N n., MA*. 15. *56.

NOTES ON BOOKS, ETC.

It may readily be conceived that from the small space devoted to this portion of our Journal, we often feel our- selves unable to do justice in our notices to works of great learning and importance ; being compelled to dismiss in a few lines books which it would take as many pages to characterise fully and clearly. Two or three publications of this character are now before us ; and we have only the alternative of recording scarcely more than their title-pages, or of passing them by in silence. The first of these is The Languages of the Seat of War in the East, with a Survey of the Three Families of Language, Semitic, Arian, and Tauranian, by Dr. Max Mtiller. Compiled at the suggestion of Sir Charles Trevelyan, with the specific object of aiding the officers of the army and commis- sariat in their intercourse among people of almost un- known tongues, this work gives a clear and succinct ac- count of the nature of the eastern languages, and their philological and geographical connection ; and as such will be found useful to all students and they are an increasing class of Comparative Philology. Another is upon that most interesting subject, a universal lan- guage, and it well merits the attention of all who re- cognise the great results which would flow from the establishment of a language which should be understood from Indus to Peru. But its title, which well describes the nature and object of the work the subject of which has engaged the author's attention for more than forty years on which he has lately been employed from five in the morning till ten at night for the production of which he has had a fount of type cast expressly is all that we can give, A Universal Alphabet, Grammar, and Language, comprising a Scientific Classification of the Sci- entific Elements of Discourse, and Illustrative Translations from the Holy Scriptures and the principal British Classics ; to which is added a Dictionary of the Language. By George Edmonds. A third volume is one by Mr. Hyde Clarke, a gentleman whose name has frequently appeared in our columns. It is a New and Comprehensive Grammar and Dictionary of the Enylisli Language as spoken and written ; and when we add that the writer is a follower of Home Tooke and Latham, our readers will feel that the work has been undertaken by one who knew well how to set about his self-appointed task. The dictionar}', small as it seems, contains more than one hundred thousand words !

Mr. John Timbs, the well-known author of the Cu- riosities of iMndon, and some score of other useful and amusing volumes, in which sound knowledge is conveyed in a popular form, has just published a little book under the title of Things not generally known, familiarly explained, a Book for Old and Young, in which he has collected from a variety of sources a number of illustrative explanations of those points of science, of curiosities in natural history, of peculiarities in popular superstitions, &c. &c., which often form the subject of after dinner and fireside chit-chat. The volume is a very amusing one, and we should be doing it injustice if we did not add that it is as instructive as it is amusing.

Collectors of the early English drama have now an op- portunity which seldom occurs, of purchasing a large number of old plays of the seventeenth century. They were originally part of the dramatic collection of the late well-known John Thelwall, formed with much trouble and expense: 130 are originals, or very early editions, and are enriched with manuscript annotations by that eminent critic. The others are original or early editions of Killigrew, Davenant, Beaumont and Fletcher, Dryden, &c., in all about 300 plays. Of these many are not in the

British Museum or University libraries. Altogether they would form a noble groundwork for a series of the plays of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It is wished not to separate the collection, which may be seen at Boyle's Court Guide Office, 120. Pall Mall.

BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES

WANTED TO PURCHASE.

ROGER ASCHAM'S SCHOLEMASTER. 1571. THOMPSON'S PASTORALIA.

WIT AND MIRTH, OK PILLS TO FORGE MELANCHOLY. By D'Urfey. Vol. III. 12mo. 1719.

sent to MESSRS. BELL & DALDV, Publishers of "NOTKS AMI) UUEKiKS," 186. Fleet Street.
 * Letters, stating particulars and lowest price, carriage free, to be

Particulars of Price, &c. of the following Books to be sent direct to the gentlemen by whom they are required, and whose names and ad- dre<c.j are given tor that purpose :

BET. C. B. TAYLEB'S THANKFULNESS. 6s. 6d. Edition.

Wanted by Charles F. Blackburn, Bookseller, Leamington.

A GERMAN DICTIONARY. By N. Bailey. With a Portrait of N. Bailer, tiXoXoyot in a large wig. Or the Portrait separately.

Wanted by Sev. Kdw. Gillelt, Vicarage, Runham, near Filby, Norfolk.

LAW'S REMARKS ON THE FABLE OF THE BEES. 8vo. LAW'S CASE op REASON. Svo.

The above two works primed by Innes or Richardson, about 1780. WHITE'S EPHEMERIS FOR 1781, 1800 & 1808.

Wanted by Thomas Jepps, Bookseller, Queen's Head Passage, Pater- noster Kow.

to

NOTES ON THE FLECR BE Lrs, fyc., unavoidably postponed until next week.

D. R. M.'s Query shall be answered in our next.

SARTOR trill find a -Vote on the composition of Bonny Clabber, which appears to have been a mixture of beer and milk, in our Gtli Vol. p. 318.

A SynscRiBER (Liverpool). Simuel is not the name of a saint, but of species ofcakemiuh' from ft IK flour, and is so called from the old French Simenel. llerrick sings "I'll to thee a simnel bring.

ETIOLATE. Two or three Coi-respondents have recently addressed Queriex to us onthe meaning of this word. Thai will find it treated of in our 12th Volume, pp. 18ti. 231. 373.

Q. V. Q, is referred to our 5th Vol., pp. 78. 165. 237. for tlie derivation of donkey.

J. L. PHELPS. The Creed of St. A thanaxius is only read upon the days named in the iitbrick, for the reasons given lii/ Jli.ilmji Xptirrow, namely, In t:uxxi those dai/s are most proper for thi* cutiftssiiui of the, faith, ichicit < if all others is the most express concerning the Trinity; alia partly, that so it might be said once a mouth at least.

W. T. For notices of the author o/Drunken Barnaby's Journal, see our 1st S. iii. 287. 403. ; ix. 163. The best account of Richard Brathwait is that b>i Joffph /lanli'wood. y/v/?.ir</ tn Barnubte Itiuerarium,6u< most bioyrajiitical dictionaries contain some notices of him.

G. W. J. The. Key to Chrysal, or the Adventures of a Guinea will lie found in William IJavis's Olio of Bibliographical and Literary Anec- dotes, pp. 13-21.

"NOTES AXB QUERIES" i published at noon on Friday, so that the Country Booksellers may receive Copies in that night's parcels, and deliver them to their Subscribers on the Saturday.

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'.aidcntin the country or abroad, who may be desirous of receiving the eekly Xwnbers, may have stamped copies forwardtd direct from the 1'iiblix/ier. The subscription for the stamped edition of "NOTES AND QUERIES " (.including a very copious Iiuhjci is eleven ihillings and four- pence for six months, which may be paid by Post-Office Order, drawn in favour of the Publisher, MR. GEOROB BULL, No. 186. Fleet Street.