Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 12.djvu/67

 9*s. xii. JULY is, 1903.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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Edward of Caernarvon, the first Prince of Wales. It has, however, I believe, been sug- gested, if not proved, that his foundation was an " aula regalis," from which oriel would be derived. The consideration of the phonetic connexion between aula and hall, often used to translate it, is perhaps beside the ques- tion. The use of aula in the neo-Latin lan- guages would open a wide examination probably. Aula in Italian means " king's palace, royal house, royal hall," and in Por- tuguese and Castilian is used in the sense of class-room, and even class, in a college or university, and of "court or palace of a sovereign." Aulam and haula may perhaps mean " church " in an inscription found in an ancient chapel at Oviedo in 1898, and de- scribed on p. 115 of * Inscriptionum Hispanise Christianarum Supplementum,' by Dr. Emil Hiibner (Berlin, 1900). E. S. DODGSON.

MOTTOES (9 th S. xii. 16). "From Caf to Caf" is a common Arabian periphrasis for the whole earth. Caf (Kdf or Kahf) is the name given to the circular chain of moun- tains supposed to encompass the world in Arabian cosmogony. Perhaps Lane's 'Thousand and One Nights' is the easiest accessible book to refer to on the subject.

W. F. KIRBY.

NOTES ON BOOKS, &c.

The Poetical Works of John Milton. Edited by William Aldis Wright. (Cambridge, University Press.)

THE Vice-Master of Trinity is responsible for a trustworthy and scholarly edition of Milton's poetry, which appears in a handsome shape and at a modest price from the Cambridge University Press. It is but fitting that the sane and sound scholar to whom we owe the generally accepted edition of Shakespeare should be no less intimately associated with Milton. Editions of the great poet are numerous, and some, like that of the Rev. H. C. Beeching, edited from the original text, and that now issued, take up at once positions of authority. The chief claims of the latest edition are found in a pure text and in short, comprehensive, and valuable notes. In respect to the text regard is generally manifested for the early editions, various readings being inserted in the notes. A claim to novelty is furnished by the use that has been made of the priceless MSS. preserved in the library of Trinity College. In addition to the MS. of ' Comus,' mainly in Milton's own hand, which exists in the library mentioned, that belonging to the Earl of Ellesmere in Bridgwater House has also been consulted. Three new readings have been adopted on the strength of Milton's own writing. Line 10 of
 * Lycidas ' now appears

Who would not sing for Lycidas ? He well knew, instead of " he knew," Milton having twice written the line as it now appears, and in a copy of the first

printed edition having in his own hand inserted 11 well." In Sonnet xiii., addressed to Mr. H. Lawes, line 9, "verse must lend her wing" is substituted for the "send her wing" of the first edition ; and in Sonnet xiv., to the Christian memory of Mrs. Catherine Thomson, line 12,

And spake the truth of thee in glorious themes replaces " on glorious themes." In each of these cases the emendation is insisted upon by Milton, and, though seemingly of no great significance, its acceptance involves no difficulty.

In the speech of Belial in the Infernal Council ('Par. Lost,' ii. 146-7) the first edition has

for who would loose.

Though full of pain, this intellectual being ? This Mr. Aldis Wrigh t, in common with most editors, alters to "who would lose?" This is obviously correct. A simple misapprehension of sound has been made by the amanuensis. There is no question of purposely loosing or casting off existence. In the Trinity MS. of * Comus ' are fifteen or more lines, obviously of Milton, which do not appear in most printed editions, though they are given by Todd, and are quoted, presumably by Charles Lamb, in the Miscellany, 1822 (see Lamb's ' Works,' ed. Lucas, vol. i. p. 377). They are now supplied in a note. Many different readings in * Comus ' are given in the various MSS. or printed editions. One of the most important of these is the alteration in the edition of 1673, in the errata, of " here " into "hear " in the line

And hearken, if I may, her business here.

Ample information is supplied by Mr. Wright on bibliographical points, and the preface and notes will repay close study. A chronological arrange* ment is, so for as possible, observed.

The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb. Edited by E. V. Lucas. Vol. V. Poems and Plays. (Methuen & Co.)

DEPARTING from chronological order, Mr. Lucas, in this best of many competing editions of Lamb, follows up the first volume with the fifth. This contains the poems and the plays, an indispensable portion of any edition of the Lambs, but not the best part of their literary equipment. Several

goems, chiefly acrostics, are now printed for the rst time. Lamb seems to have had faith in his own capacity for dramatic workmanship, and in this matter to have taken himself more seriously than was his wont. Five plays and eight pro- logues or epilogues appear in the present volume. Ut the latter three are for the first time included m Lamb's collected works. These are bright enough, but in such compositions Lamb has known superiors. The notes, which occupy a hundred pages, constitute the most agreeable portion of the volume. They are drawn from various sources, including his correspondence with Manning. Many of Lamb's quotations are traced to their sources. They are not conspicuous for accuracy. It is pos- sible that some of these e.gr.,

Of summer days and of delightful years- are inexact enough to put the searcher off the scent. In many cases the information supplied concerning a poem is elaborate. Take, for instance the note (p. 277) on the sonnet " Was it some sweet device of Faery ? " It might be noted that the line

If from my lips some angry accents fall, on p. 283, written by Lamb in his " prison house "