Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 1.djvu/147

 9 th S. I. FEU.

12,

NOTES AND QUERIES.

139

Blickling flats, Aylsham fliers, Marsham peewits, and Hevingham liars. vtr Hooper favours the conjecture that horkey. pelt by Wright and Halliwell hawkey, is derived rom the hack-cart, quoting Herrick :

The harvest swains and wenches bound For joy to see the hack-cart crown'd. Assays also appear on "The Babes in the Wood," vhich, not for the first time, is claimed as a Norfolk egend, so far as regards, at least, its English form ; m "Eugene Aram at Lynn"; and on " Cowper's Last Days," by Mr. John T. Page. An abundant iterature exists on Norfolk and its antiquities. There is, however, room for Mr. Andrews's popular ind entertaining volume.

THOUGH published only for a trade purpose, the Royal Hotel Guide to Norwich, by Mr. James Hooper, is a work of solid historical and anti- quarian interest, as well as a pleasant illustrated guide to the antiquities and features generally of one of the most interesting and picturesque of cities.

THE January number of the Edinburgh Review is rather dull; but the articles are instructive, if somewhat commonplace. 'The Harley Papers' contains much that is new, and gives a brighter and, as we think, a more correct picture of Robert, Earl of Oxford, than that which historians have furnished. We are glad to meet, if only in passing, with Brilliana, Lady Harley (born Conway) whom the writer truly describes as "an admirable woman." Many of her letters were published by the Camden Society some five - and - torty years ago. These, coupled with the others now brought to light, fur- nish a most pleasing picture. We should like to see them united in a properly annotated edition. 'The Birds of London' tells us of many of our feathered friends visiting London who confined themselves entirely, we had, in our ignorance, imagined, to rural places. ' The Annals of a Publish- ing House' is devoted to the late Mrs. Oliphant's account of the Blackwoods. It is evidently the work of one whose knowledge of the literary his- tory of the earlier years of the century is wide and accurate. We fear the admirers of Mr. Rudyard Kipling's verse will think scant justice has been dealt out to him in the article which bears his name.

IN the Fortnightly Mr. Sidney Lee, writing on Shakspeare and the Earl of Pembroke, finally dismisses the theory that the Mr. W. H., "the onlie-begetter of these ensuing sonnets," indicates the Earl. The first argument of Mr. Lee is that the Earl never was or could have been Mr. W. H., seeing that when he was born, on 9 April, 1580, he was Lord Herbert, by which name only he was known until he became Earl of Pembroke. That Thorpe would speak of this young nobleman as Mr. W. Hi Mr. Lee holds to be inconceivable. The sonnets " offer no internal indication that the Earl of Pembroke anc Shakspeare ever saw one another," and the traits that are common to Pembroke and Shakspeare's friend are "wholly indistinctive." With the dis appearance of the Earl disappears Mary Fitton whose only claim to be the dark lady rests on th( assumption that her lover Pembroke was commemo rated in the sonnets. Perhaps the best part of Mr Lee's brilliantly sustained argument is that concernec with the word " Will." We heartily commend this paper to our readers as a fine piece of criticism

Vtr. Frederick Gale's ' Forty Years in the Lobby of he House of Commons ' is a very amusing contribu- ion, written from a point of view that would have lelighted Col. Newdegate, with whom, incident- ally, it deals. It pays a touching tribute to John Jright. Mr. Ford Madox Hueffer writes on ' The Vtillais and Rossetti Exhibitions,' awarding a pre- erence to the Rossetti pictures. Mr. John A. Steuart writes on ' Authors, Publishers, and Book- ellers,' Mr. William Johnstone describes a journey From Canton to Mandalay,' Mr. E. H. Parker deals with ' The Corea,' and there is an anonymous paper on M. Hanotaux. The Nineteenth (jentury >pens with ' Barking Hall : a Year After,' a poem )y Mr. Swinburne, intended as a sequel to the verses published a year and a hall ago, and ' written for the birthday of the author's mother." The lines have Mr. Swinburne's fervour and perfec- s Mr. Michael MacDonagh's ' Quaint Side of Parlia- ment,' in which a humorous account is given of the numerous pitfalls that beset the new member, and sometimes harass those even of most experience. Vtr. W. Fraser Rae communicates 'More about sheridan,' and supplies documents of interest pre- viously unprinted, including a correspondence Detween Sheridan, Fox, and the Duke of Bedford. Proof is afforded of the customary injustice and .ngratitude of the Whigs. Nothing was done for Sheridan by the Prince Regent, Mr. Fraser Rae nsists, and he speaks of many fictions from " august ips." Sheridan, according to Mr. Gladstone, quoted by Mr. Rae, was "a true, brave, and also wise politician." " He was," adds his latest biographer, "a patriot whose only price was his country's
 * ion of workmanship. Very amusing to outsiders

welfare devoid alike of selfish greed and personal

claims." Miss I. A. Taylor tells in full the story of the unfortunate Lord Edward Fitzgerald. The Count de Calonne gives some striking details of 'French Officialism,' a thing that does more than almost any other to sap the manhood of France, and has perhaps more to do with the instability of French affairs and the frequency with which the red spectre stalks than is generally understood or believed. Mr. D. R. Fearon, C.B., has a thoughtful article 011 ' Dante and Paganism.' The frontispiece to the Century consists of a pleasing portrait of Ruskin in middle life. It is followed by a record of conspicuous valour, under the title ' Heroes who Fight Fire.' This is very inspiriting to read, and the pictures with which it is accompanied strike dismay into the mind of the weak-hearted or weak-headed. An illustrated account is supplied of the ' Great Exposi- tion at Omaha.' A thoroughly up-to-date article follows in 'The Steerage of To-day,' furnishing curious and lamentable proof how soon, in a steerage passage, the yoke of civilization is thrown off, and both sexes, without shame, show the animal sides of their natures. A facsimile of the MS. of Burns' s 'Auld Lang Syne' is given. An account is furnished of ' The United States Revenue Cutter Service,' further particulars of Bedouin life are printed, Mr. Brander Matthews supplies an account of Thomas Raynesford Lounsbury under the title ' An American Scholar,' and there is a whimsicality by the author of 'The Cat and the Cherub.' Scribner's is this month very military and very patriotic. The frontispiece consists of a picture of ' The Battle of Bunker Hill.' Mr. Henry Cabot Lodge begins ' The Story of the Revolution,' which is to last through the year, and Capt. Mahan tells very vigorously the story of ' The Naval Campaign