Page:Notes and Queries - Series 2 - Volume 1.djvu/452

 444

NOTES AND QUEKIES.

[2 - s. N. 22., MAT si. '56.

NOTES ON BOOKS, ETC.

If another Sir Thomas Browne should arise up among us, to discourse of the Vulgar and Common Errors of our own days, he would certainly devote a chapter to the exposure of that fallacy on which witlings delight to exercise themselves, namely, that the writings of Shak- speare have been injured by the labours of the Commen- tators. A grosser perversion of the truth has never been put forward. Great as was the genius of Shakspeare, who wrote not for his own age, but for all time, his writ- ings are so marked by the characteristics of his own age, by allusions to the manners, customs, habits, mode of thinking, of those by whom he was surrounded, that it would require a genius as great as his own to appreciate those writings, unassisted by the labours of the men whom these false critics venture to denounce.' These re- marks have been drawn from us by two admirable volumes: Shaksneare's England, or, Sketches of our Social History in the Reign of Elizabeth, by G. W. Thornbury, in which the author has, in " a series of elaborated groups carefully studied from old plays and forgotten pamphlets, and illustrated by nearly all existing contemporary literature," endeavoured to " lead his readers a long, ram- bling, gossiping walk through Ludgate, up Cheap, and into Paul's ; then away to the Beargarden in South wark, and the ' Globe,' where As You Like It is acting ; and back to make a night of it at the ' Devil Tavern,' where the players and poets meet, just under the chimes of Saint Dunstan:" and this "in the days of gilt rapiers and roses on the shoes, of ruff and fardingale, of peaked starched beards and slashed hose when forks were a novelty, and tobacco-smoking the last caprice of fashion." The task which he has thus undertaken, Mr. Thornbury has certainly accomplished, and most effectually; and in his two volumes presents us with a most instructive com- ment on the manners of the people whom Shakspeare painted. In his compilation, Mr. Thornbury appears to have ransacked the literature of the time with great industry ; and to have put together with great ability and exquisite word-painting the materials so accumu- lated. As a pleasant and most graphic introduction to the study of Shakspenre, these volumes are clearly destined to fill a foremost place on the shelves of every student of the great dramatist. While to those, if there be any such, who care not to devoie themselves to this study, but yet would fain know how the world wagged in England when Elizabeth that lion-hearted woman, and English-souled sat on the throne; and what was the social condition of the nation at that eventful period of our history, we can promise that they will find the information they desire told in a most instructive manner in these two pleasant volumes.

Mr. Bohn has just issued two volume?, which must be all but indispensable to the library table of every reading man. The first is a Dictionary of Latin Quotations, Pro- verbs, Maxima, and Mottos, Classical arid Mediaeval, in- cluding Law Terms and Phrases, with a Selection of Greek Quotations, edited by H. T. Riley, B.A., which we have no doubt will be found what it professes to be, namely, " more copious, correct, and complete than any yet pub- lished." We have in some cases tested its correctness ; and as to its copiousness, that is shown by the fact that the number of Latin Quotations given in previous col- lections has in this edition been quadrupled, while the Greek Quotations have been extended from about twenty- live to upwards of five hundred ; the whole together amounting to upwards of eight thousand.

The second work to which we have referred to is, how- ever, of still higher utility. It is a double volume of

Bohn's Scientific Library, and although professedly a new- edition of a well-known work, Blair's Chronological Tables, all that remains of that original is the general outline. In the present work, which is entitled Blair's Chronological Tables, Revised and Enlarged, comprehending the Chronology and History of the World from the Earliest Times to the Russian Treaty of Peace, April, 1856, by J. Willoughby Kosse, the editor has consulted, ex- amined, and tested the labours of preceding chronologists; and certainly he exhibits in his preface such a series of blunders and misstatements in their writings, as com- pletely justify the charges of want of accuracy which he brings against them. That Mr. Rosse himself may- have nodded we shall be quite prepared to learn, because looking to the thousands of facts and dates which he has collected together, we believe it to be impossible that errors should not have crept in among them ; but a perusal of his preface will show the conscientious zeal with which he has undertaken his task, and we believe an examina- tion of the volumes will show that his general accuracy has equalled his zeal. The book is certainly a very useful one, and will as certainly be rendered most com- plete when accompanied by the'proposed Index of Dates.

BjOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES

WANTED TO PURCHASE.

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- dresses are given for that purpose :

LLOYD'S TREATISE ON LIGHT AND VISION. 8vo. MACKINTOSH'S ETHICAL PHILOSOPHY, WITH WHEWELL'S PREFACE. IHE PLATES ILLUSTRATING CHARLEROIX'S HISTOIRE BE L'!LE ESFAO- ISOLI ou DE S. DOMINIQUE.

Wanted by W. B. Kelly, 8. Grafton Street, Dublin.

DANIEL'S VOYAGE ROUND GREAT BRITAIN. 1818. Folio. First Vol.

wanted.

ASIATIC JOURNAL FOR 1838. TURNER'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND DURING THE REIG.V OF HENRY VIII.

8vo. 1828. 1 irst Vol. Wanted. ANNUAL REGISTER FUR 18:!6, 7. 9, 31. 51.

Wanted by Thos. Millard, ;0. Newgate Street, City.

td

ANDREW HAY (Lerwick). The inscription on the Russian medal is thus translated: "To THE CONQUEROR. PEACE CONCLUDED WITH TUB PORTE, JULY, 1774." It was doubtless struck to commemorate the Treaty signed at JKttHitik Kainanlji, .July 21, 1774.

C. MANSFIELD INGI.KBY. The French envelope, kindly fcnwnnl: >l by our correspondent is one of a form well known to the manufacturers of this country, but nut conxidi-red by them IK ciiliurly secure, ll'e are in- formed by irhut is probably the bi.fl authority on this subji-rt that a per- fectly n'cure i net /:,(< has yet to be discovered. Toe greatest security al present attainable is by the use of a well made adhesive envelope, care- fully closed, and that sealed with the best wax.

STAMFORD BULL RUNNIMI. We hare a copy of the song asked for by EIN i HAGER. How can we forward it f

MR. BAKNKS' DRY COLLODION PROCESS. The lenrjth of the photoi/rnphii; article i,i the present JVo. has compelled us to postpone our notic: .- "t't/i is process, and of the tiro admirable pictures produced by it, which have been seat to us by the author.

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