Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 2.djvu/348

 340

NOTES AND QUERIES.

[9 th S. II. OCT. 22,

land numbered Hqbbes. Miss Foxcroft uses it once at second hand with regard to Savile, with a note in which she says that it probably means " sceptical." This conjecture is happy enough. When, however, the rise of Halifax into favour with Charles II. is attributed to his "lively and libertine conversa- tion," libertine means ireethinking. Defending himself from the charge of being a libertine (see Li vet, ' Lexique de la Langue de Moliere'), Moliere writes, " C'est etre libertin que d'avoir de bons yeux" ('Tart.,' I. vi.). On this subject Burnet caustically says that he knew Savile in a fit of sickness " very much touched with a sense of

religion He seemed full of good purposes; but

they went off with his sickness." An apter illus- tration of the well-known lines beginning " When the devil was sick " is not to be hoped. His variable- ness, on which also, and naturally, Burnet insists, was a part of his philosophical system. In what is, in fact, an apology for him, Macaulay, who grew enthusiastic in his support, says, " Those intel- lectual peculiarities which make his writings valu- able frequently impeded him in the contests of active life. For he always saw passing events, not in the point of view in which they commonly appear to one who bears a part in them, but in the point of view in which, after the lapse of many years, they appear to the philosophic historian ('History, i. 116, ed. 18&4). It is no less true that, while greedy of social distinctions and advantages, and grasping them eagerly, he affected to treat them with indifference. Of his son, Lord Eland, who shared a fair measure of his father's ability, it was said,

Eland, whose pen as nimbly glides As his good father changes sides. As a writer Savile is entitled to rank as a classic. He is, however, a classic whom few read. No one ever inserted him in the list of the best hundred or thousand books. His writings are none the less readable, witty, thoughtful, and delightful. Bacon's apothegms alone take rank with his, while, books such as ' The Character of a Trimmer,' ' The Character of Charles II.,' and the 'Advice to a Daughter ' will always be a delight to the cultivated reader. Many of his views were far in advance of his age, and nis sayings those especially on the importance to us of command of the sea may even now be studied with advantage. Were we attempt- ing an estimate of Savile, we could quote such passages in abundance. For this we have no space. We cannot even do justice to Miss Fox- croft's book, since every part of it challenges dis- cussion. We can, however, at least speak of it as a careful, philosophical, and important work, which students of history will feel bound to take into account. An admirably comprehensive index adds greatly to the value of a book which we warmly commend to our readers.

The Holy Bible. Printed for the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. (Oxford, University Press.)

A PUBLIC requirement is satisfied in the appearance for the first time of the Revised Version of the Holy Bible with revised marginal references. Some delay has attended the publication of these, owing to the hesitation of the revisers as to whether their ver- sion would be accepted, since, until that was estab- lished, it was premature to furnish it with marginal references. Doubt on this subject was not long

permitted. For the New Testament an elaborate series of marginal references were prepared by Dr. Moulton, whose regretted death has taken place this year, and Dr. Scrivener, who predeceased by some years his colleague. Not until 1895 did the combined presses undertake to meet the demand existing, both in England and America, for a com- plete edition of the Revised Version with marginal references. A committee was then appointed, com- prising the Master of Pembroke, the Archdeacon of Oxford, the Vice-Master of Trinity College, Cam- bridge, and the Cambridge Regius Professor of Hebrew. On the death of Archdeacon Palmer his place was filled by Dr. Ince, Regius Professor of Divinity, Oxford. The general editorship was en- trusted to Dr. Stokoe, of Lincoln College, and many eminent Biblical scholars were associated with him in preparing the references for the Old lestament and the Apocrypha. The result of their combined labours is seen in the volume under notice, one of various forms in which the work is set before the public. So far as possible, the marginal refer- ences given in the original edition of the Authorized Version of 1611 have been retained. The basis of the work is found in Dr. Scrivener's Paragraph Bible. A full explanation of the system adopted and the modes of indication is given in the preface. This eminently serviceable edition, destined to general use, is issued in minion type, in cloth boards with red edges, and in various other forms. A few maps, such as appear in the Teacher's Bible and other of the Oxford Bibles, are appended.

AT the moment of going to press we hear with much regret of the sudden death, on the 18th inst., of Mr. Robert Roberts, of Boston, Lincolnshire, a specially well-informed contributor, generally under the signature of R. R. Mr. Roberts edited and published many books of high interest to anti- quaries, and was a great collector of early Bibles and fifteenth and sixteenth century works.

ta (tomprttlbmts.

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ON all communications must be writteji the name and address of the sender, not necessarily for pub- lication, but as a guarantee of good faith.

WE cannot undertake to answer queries privately.

CORRIGENDA. P. 282, col. 1, 1. 18, for "Preen" read Treen. P. 287, col. 2, 1. 7, for "of" read to.-P. 295, col. 2, 1. 13 from bottom, for " Tombigsby" read Tombigbee, and 1. 12 from bottom, for "Massa- chusetts" read Alalmma.P. 317, col. 2, 1. 16, for "Porte-Royal" read Port-Royal.

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