456
NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. vin. NOV. so, 1901.
Barnaby Rudge. By Charles Dickens. 2 vols
(Methuen & Co.)
THESE volumes begin apparently a new and desir able edition of the works of Dickens, to be calle the " Rochester Edition." When the writings of classic, such as Dickens must now be considered pass out of the copyright stage and become subjec to general competition, some advance in type graphical attractions and comfort is to be expected The masterpieces can scarcely be read under con ditions pleasanter than are here realized. The type is excellent, the illustrations by Miss Beatric Alcock reproduce faithfully the London of th epoch, and Mr. Kitten's notes are few and ser viceable. Mr. Gissing supplies a discriminating preface, in which he uses terms of eulogy warmei in some respects than we might ourselves employ It enhances, however, the pleasure of the reader and the book deserves most that can be said abon it. We fail to trace in Barnaby any suggestion of Madge Wildfire beyond the peacocks' feathers which he wears, and we look upon the reformation of Mrs Varden as an anticipation of the overflowing benevolence of the coming Christmas volumes. Women such as Mrs. Varden never improve. The characters generally are in Dickens's best vein, anc the description of the riot is admirable. What a character for stage presentation by " Dicky" Suett would have been John Willet ! It is a pity to find Dickens countenancing such heresies as "bye" for by and "from whence" for whence^ but his style is not now to be criticized afresh.
Notes for a Bibliography of Edward FitzGerald.
By Col. W. F. Prideaux, C.S.I. (Rollings.) IN their original shape these notes for a biblio- graphy appeared, as our readers are aware, in our columns (see 9 th S. v. 201, 221, 241 ; vi. 61). With additions and with a reproduction of Charles Keene's clever and characteristic back view of FitzGerald, they have been issued in book form. They do not claim finality. It is difficult, however, to exaggerate their interest for lovers of the poet, and they are, apart from any other claims upon attention, models of discriminating, appreciative, and pleasant criticism. No lover of FitzGerald will dream of being without this delightful volume.
Goethe : Hermann und Dorothea. Edited by C. A.
Buchheim and Emma S. Buchheim. (Oxford,
Clarendon Press.)
WE need only say that this edition reaches the level of its predecessors, which will be ample praise to those who know the late Prof. Buchheim's editions of the German classics. Deeply do we regret that a life so industrious and so well spent in bringing the treasures of a great language and literature before us is finished, while we hope that his mantle of interpretation and scholarship may fall upon his daughter, who has finished this edition There is a sympathetic sketch of Dr. Buchheim by Prof. Dowden.
Chivalry .By F. Warre Cornish, M.A. (Sonnen-
schein Co.)
THIS work of Mr. Cornish is the latest addition to that ' Social England Series" which has alreadv given us books such as Mr. S. 0. Addv's excellent ^, lu Vm n of the E "K lis h House' and Mr. Inder- wicks 'The King's Peace.' It is written with much spirit, capitally illustrated, and constitutes agreeable reading. Quite optimistic is it as regards
its treatment of chivalry, and it is to a certain
extent a defence of that institution against the
attacks of Freeman and other recent critics. As
such it is welcome. One may not dismiss in a few
glib phrases an institution such as chivalry; and
while it is true that the time of the Crusades is one
of the saddest and most sterile in history, when
war was the breath of life and the shedding of
blood the only occupation worthy of a gentleman,
the romantic sentiment and refined idealism which
sprang out of such a state of affairs have influenced
greatly and beneficially our later civilization. Like
all works on chivalry, the book owes much to the
writings of Curne de Sainte Palaye, but it could
not have a better source. It is a work to be kept
near at hand for constant reference.
Apropos of the discussion on ' Painted and En-
graved Portraits,' begun by MR. MASON 9 th S. vii.
341, and continued 9 th S. vii. 438, 470, 512 ; viii. 231,
MR. DUNCAN, of the "Britannia," Whitefield,
Govan, Glasgow, has sent us a singularly interest-
ing and effective portrait of Scott, to which he
alludes at the last reference. It is modelled from
the Chantrey bust and "coloured" from the best
existing portraits, and is very lifelike.
UNUSUAL advantages are offered those who now subscribe to the admirable ' English Dialect Dic- tionary ' of Dr. Joseph Wright. The preparation of the work has taken over a quarter of a century. Four of the six volumes have been printed, and the whole will be in the subscribers' hands in 1905. Those anxious to understand the nature of this exemplary work and the terms on which it can now be obtained should write to Prof. Joseph Wright, Langdale House, Park Town, Oxford.
We must call special attention to the following
notices :
ON all communications must be written the name and address of the sender, not necessarily for pub- 'ication, but as a guarantee of goodfaith.
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 such address as he wishes to appear. When answer- "ng queries, or making notes with regard to previous intries in the paper, contributors are requested to nit in parentheses, immediately after the exact leading, the series, volume, and page or pages to vhich they refer. Correspondents who repeat jueries are requested to head the second com- minication " Duplicate."
M. JACOMB HOOD ("Author Wanted "). Shall ippear next week.
0. A. E. (" Phrase in Letter"). This is certainly autological.
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