Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 6.djvu/338

 280 NOTES AND QUERIES. p* s. vi. OCT. e, of things, could not long endure. It was impossible for Constantino to prohibit a creed of which unti recently he had been a head. After dealing witl the humane legislation of Constantino, M. Allan shows how, in the last years of that emperor, the liberty of pagan worship was in the way of being abridged. Three years after his death, under hii successors, sacrifices were prohibited. Following this part of the work come chapters on the state of paganism in various parts of the empire —Italy, Spain, Africa, Gaul, England, Asia— with others showing the manner in which, in the great cities of East and West, the most energetic portion of the population rallied to the new creed. We have next a valuable study of society in the middle of the fourth cen- tury, exhibiting the social and political position ol the Christian clergy, the first monastic establish- ments, the Christian and pagan aristocracy, the decay of the middle class, the growth of the working class, and the situation of the slaves. Many 01 these subjects have not before been adequately treated; that of the conversion to Christianity of many of the oldest Roman families is of deep interest. Not less valuable is the account of the spread of the new doctrine among the working classes. A few pages are devoted to the explana- tion and the hold on the public of theatrical exhi- bitions. We are half way through the volume before we begin the life and early education of Julian, and almost two-thirds before we arrive at the beginning of the reign. The remainder of the volume is occupied with Julian's campaigns, and we are near the close before we hear of the usurpa- tion. To some extent the whole of the present volume may be regarded as preparatory. So far as it has progressed it is a noble work, and the world will wait with impatience for its completion. Biblical Chronology. By J. H. Selwyn. (Bagster & s,,n- ) WHENEVER gallant officers who have retired from Her Majestjps service devote themselves to the study of divinity, we confess that, taught by our past experience, we take up their lucubrations with a certain amount of fear and misgiving. We have so often found them to betray the hand of the " crank." Admiral Selwyn's little volume, we regret to say. only confirms us in our reprehensible prejudice. Dates being, of course, a highly con- troversial subject, he treats chronology from the standpoint of a sound, uncompromising Protestant, and indulges in many side raps at the idolatries of so-called Christians, especially Roman Catholics. lie has but a poor opinion of Egyptologists, and foresees in the immediate future "a terrible crash of reputations." He can give play, however, to some pretty imaginings of his own about the mummy of Thothmes I. It would be impossible for us to follow the bellicose admiral through all the facts and figures on which he builds his con- clusions; but he sums them up for us himself in the following nutshell formula:— To three, nine, five, and eight Add the current A.D. date, The sum of these does clearly state The years since God did man create. Then he tells us that if to 3958 we add 1899 we shall obtain for the years since creation 5859 (*tc). It is perhaps characteristic^ certainly a nemesis, that Stones Rolled Away, by Henry Drummond, F.R.8. (master & .Sons), is a somewhat fantastic title for a series of occasional addresses to young men and lads delivered by the late Prof. Drummond during a tour in America. Their evangelistic earnestness and plain conversational tone, which must have rendered them highly effective when spoken, are no d2,"?btJ08t to a 8reat extent in the printed page. 'The Three Elements of a Complete Life,' which is the last of the seven addresses, pleases us most. It is a thoughtful and suggestive essay, which every young fellow would be the better for reading. In his laudable desire to become all things to afl men the speaker sometimes assumes the American dic- tion of the students he has to deal with, with the result that they are adjured onoe and again " to live in the top flat" (pp. 63, 131), which seems to be the newest equivalent for St. Paul's " walk in the spirit." The introduction further assures us that through these stimulating addresses " many a life was led into the top flat. When the savage is said to be, " above all, characteristic of selfishness " (p. 58), is this also American for "characterized by," or merely a misprint, like " vis a fronto" (p. 111)? WE have received the Antiquary for August and September, but the numbers contain little that is worthy of note. The most interesting contribution m them is a reprint of the Ordinances of the Gild of Barber-Surgeons of Norwich. This is full of varied information, and should be read by all who take interest in sixteenth and seventeenth century documents of the kind. We mutt call special attention to the following notices:— ON all communications must be written the name ind address of the sender, not necessarily for pub- lication, but as a guarantee of good faith. WE cannot undertake to answer queries privately. To secure insertion of communications corre- spondents must observe the following rules. Let each note, query, or reply be written on a separate slip of paper, with the signature of the writer and mch address as he wishes to appear. When answer- ng queries, or making notes with regard to previous entries in the paper, contributors are requested to jut in parentheses, immediately after the exact leading, the series, volume, and page or pages to which they refer. Correspondents who repeat queries are requested to head the second com- munication " Duplicate." J. M. STONE (" Reference Sought").—An account of Booty's ghost will be found in ' N. &, 6 ' 5th S
 * . 508; 6th S. v. 105, 158.

W. P. —The hymn beginning "The spacious irmament on high, which appears in the Spectator s by Addison, not Marvell. f/OTlCK. Editorial Communications should be addressed to The Editor of ' Notes and Queries' "—Advertise- ments and Business Letters to "The Publisher"— at the Office, Bream's Buildings, Chancery Lane, E.C. We beg leave to state that we decline to return 3ommunicatious which, for any reason, we do not the last figure given in his book should be an error. | print; and to this rule we can make no excepti.