220
NOTES AND QUERIES. [io s. vm. SEPT. u, 1907.
Blennerhassett writes on ' National Purblindness,'
and "A Radical Stalwart" on ' The Fatal Dominance
of the Whigs,' the last term being considered applic-
able to men like Mr. Asquith, Mr. Haldane, Lord
Elgin, and Mr. Herbert Gladstone, who are credited
with "sublime indifference to the needs of the
people." Prof. Pelham Edgar has a discriminating
article on 'George Meredith,' and Mrs. Alfred
Lyttelton an ingenious dialogue on 'Aspasia's
Statue,' dealing with the rival claims of the ideal
and the real woman. Dr. Cunningham writes with
admirable sense on ' The Clergy and Party Politics ' ;
and Mr. A. C. Benson groans over the public school
system iu ' Education and Common Sense.'
The International Genealogical Directory, 1907, which bears the imprint of "Chas. A. Bernau, Pendeen, Bowes Road, Walton-on- Thames, Eng- land," and is due to his energy, is an excellent idea well carried out. Part I. contains the addresses of nearly 1,400 genealogists, both amateur and profes- sional, in alphabetical order, no name being included without written permission, and specialities of research being added to many, Part II. comprises an alphabetical list of the surnames of nearly 4,500 families about which those named in Part I. either possess or desire information, an ingenious arrange- ment of symbols explaining wants in each case. Part III. consists of 'Genealogical Queries' and 'Memoranda.' Part IV. begins lists of societies of interest to genealogists, and of the officers of arms for the United Kingdom. Part V. is " an author s exchange " of surplus copies, &c. ; and the final part makes a note of numerous family histories, pedigrees, &c., which have been printed for private circulation since 1904.
The author's preliminary letter to his publication, which is not without its humours, explains the pur- poses and uses of it. He says that it has cost nim seven months' continuous hard work ; but he ought to be well repaid for work which is so practical and businesslike as his. The 'Directory' should prevent a good deal of overlapping by two inde- pendent workers who are attacking one pedigree, and it should be of substantial service in bringing families across the seas nearer to the old stock. Its aid in helping students to likely means towards com- pletine a deficient record is obvious, and we have little doubt that many working genealogists who have not heard of it will desire to have their names recorded in next year's edition. So far as we have been able to test the work in detail, it maintains a laudable level of accuracy. Some considerations which will occur to any thoughtful critic of such a scheme will be found sensibly dealt with in the author's letter to which attention has already been called.
Pedigree Work, by W. P. W. Phillimore (Philli more & Co.), is a brief but decidedly practical book let, the consultation of which will give the novice a good idea how to set about making a family history Mastery of what the Germans call Quellen is hal the battle, and Mr. Phillimore, with all his expe rience, may be trusted to inform the reader of thi best means to secure accurate information. A section on ' Chronology ' at the end will save som time in computation, and indicate a possible sourc of error which often surprises the new hand.
IN the excellent " York Library " (Bell) the lates issues are Waterloo, by George Hooper ; transla tions of Ebers's novel An Egyptian Princess
oltaire's Zadig, and other Stories ; and Lectures and
Votes on Shakespeare, and other English Poets, by
Coleridge. These four volumes, though sufficiently
aried in their claims, are all of them attractive to
he reader of any intelligence, and are sufficiently
>ff the trodden path of "popular classics" to offer
lew light to the ordinary man. Books of such nice
ype and light weight tempt one by their external
drtues, and brilliance is marked in the case of Vol-
aire and Coleridge. Those who have read only
Rasselas ' will be surprised at the delights of ' Can-
lide'; and Coleridge s flashes of insight are com-
nended by the heavy rechauffes of somebody else's
riews which commonly pass for modern criticism of
loetry. When we first read ' An Egyptian Princess '
n German, it seemed to us rather a solid perform-
ance ; but, after all, it has the merit of being founded
in unusual knowledge, and it does not lack good
icenes concerning some great " world figures." Mr.
looper's ' Waterloo ' is more than its brief title
night imply, beginning with Napoleon's return from
51ba, and going through the campaign which cul-
minated with Wellington's victory. This book was
irst issued in 1862, but is by no means superseded
>y later literature on the subject. There are some
maps at the end, and there is an index.
MB. J. R. BOYLE, who died at Hull on 3 Septem- ser, was a contributor to ' N. & Q.' down to 9 S. ix. There is a short notice of him in The Times, 6 Sept.
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- lication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
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- ing queries, or making notes with regard to previous entries in the paper, contributors are requested to put in parentheses, immediately after the exact neading, 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. H., W. H., AND OTHEBS. We cannot afford space for the correction of all the casual etymologies which appear in the daily press.
S. W. SMART. This French original of Wolfe's poem was a fraud. See The Athencnum, 11 August, 1906.
CORRIGENDA. Ante, p. Ill, col. 1, 1. 7 from foot, for " Best " read Best. P. 195, col. 2, 1. 3 from foot, for " mixtus " read mixtas.
NOTICE.
Editorial communications should be addressed to "The Editor of 'Notes and Queries'" Adver- tisements and Business Letters to " The Pub- lishers" at the Office, Bream's Buildings, Chancery Lane, E.C.
We beg leave to state that we decline to return communications which, for any reason, we dp not print, and to this rule we can make no exception.
