180
NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. XL FEB. 28, ma
more as to the relative motions of many of the
" other suns " than the old astronomers did of those
of the planets of our own system. Perhaps no more
forcible example can be given than the foregoing
of the extreme rashness of the persons who make
up their minds to reject those things of which they
are ignorant, and determine that no key can be
found to unlock the secret chambers to which they
have nob access by men who are wiser or more
fortunately situated than themselves. Double and
even quadruple star systems are now demonstrated
to exist in great numbers. It is not improbable,
indeed, that a solitary sun, such as our own, may
be a rarer object than those which form members
of complex systems. It has been shown, too,
that there are dark suns, circulating in com-
panionship with their luminous brethren. Have
these cooled down, or may we assume that they
are in preparation for a time when they shall flash
forth into radiant splendour? It has often been
assumed that because our central luminary is
attended by a family of planets, therefore the other
bright bodies we see on a starlight night have a
like companionship. What light, we would fain
know, does modern astronomy throw on this specu-
lation ? If the same law of gravitation pervades all
space, as we have very strong reasons for believing
that it does, would not the attendants on the
several members of the grouped stars be deflected
and distorted in a manner of which we have no
example in our own portion of the universe ? ' The
Progress of Medicine since 1803' is a remarkable
paper, which can only have been produced by a
specialist who has made the history of his own
branch of science a subject of long study. We are
quite unable to criticize it effectively, but are bound
to say that it leaves on our mind the impression of
great knowledge excellently expounded. Hardly
one of the discoveries which have so greatly im-
proved the art of healing has been passed over in
silence. We would especially direct attention to
what is said of anaesthetics and vivisection. In
years gone by, as we well remember, a certain class
of people found constant entertainment in jeering
at those of their acquaintance who studied the
lower forms of life. Entomologists were the most
favourite victims. The utter uselessness of their
pursuit was an especial object of sarcasm. If any
auch obscurantists are still with us, they might
possibly be benefited by what we are told here of
the connexion between the mosquito and malaria.
The paper on ' The Novels of Mr. Henry James ' is
a critical estimate of a series of tales much admired
in America, and, to a somewhat less extent, in this
country. Great care has been taken, and no pre-
judice is manifest; but we feel that the mass of
literature Mr. James has produced somewhere
near a hundred volumes is far too great to be dealt
with satisfactorily in the pages the Edinburgh had
at the disposal of the writer. ' Emile Zola : " Les
irois Villes, is a study of works which, whatever
we may think of them, undoubtedly show great
power. We need not discuss the oft-debated ques-
tion as to whether novels with a purpose are or are
not good as works of art. The arguments on both
sides have been exhausted. It is but fair how-
ever, to point out that those who are as far away
LS possible from each other in their social and
religious convictions write and encourage literature
this kind. It is of the reviewer, not of the
author, we are speaking when we say that, ad-
mitting Zola's deadly earnestness to be all he
feels it to have been, he fails to see how the author
imagined that by observations made for a very
limited time he could have fitted himself for probing
some of the deepest mysteries of human life. The
gossiping paper on Madame de Lieven is pleasant
reading. Those who survive who knew her will be
glad to have old memories refreshed, but we doubt
whether moderns, to whom she is but a tradition,
will value the description of her social charms,
picturesque as was her career. Her name, how-
ever, can never fade entirely, for did she not intro-
duce into this country the waltz in the year after
the battle of Waterloo?
' THE LIFE AND WORKS or JOHN HOPPNER, R. A.,' are to form the subject of an exhaustive monograph by Mr. William McKay and Mr. W. Roberts. This work will be the first attempt to represent Hoppner and his work adequately, will contain a great deal of new material, will be illustrated with about sixty large photogravure plates, and will be published jointly by Messrs. P. & D. Colnaghi & Co. and Messrs. George Bell & Sons.
MESSRS. BELL & SONS announce the forthcoming appearance of 'Art- Prices Current,' a companion series to ' Book-Prices Current,' edited, like that useful work, by Mr. J. H. Slater.
AMONG the announcements of the Clarendon Press we note 'The Mediaeval Stage,' by E. K. Chambers ; a third series of ' Studies in Dante,' by Edward Moore, D.D. ; 'Elizabethan Critical Essays,' by G. Gregory Smith, M.A. ; and ' Asser's Life of King Alfred, with the Annals of St. Neots,' edited by W. H. Stevenson, M.A.
t0 C0rr.es jrcmtottia.
We must call special attention to the following notices :
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- ing queries, or making notes with regard to previous entries in the paper, contributors are requested to put in parentheses, immediately after the exact heading, the series, volume, and page or pages to which they refer. Correspondents who repeat queries are requested to head the second com- munication " Duplicate."
MR. STRONACH writes : " In my statement, ante, p. 150, that Francis Bacon 'for his education was mainly indebted to the watchful eyes of his father, Elizabeth's Lord Keeper, Edward VI. 's tutor, and " eminent in the whole circle of arts and learning," the phrase 'and his grandfather' should have been inserted between 'Keeper' and 'Edward.' Sir Anthony Cooke, to whom the words refer, was not the father, but the grandfather, of Francis Bacon."
ERRATUM. Ante, p. 146, col. 1, 1. 2 from foot, for " wheelad " read wheelas.
XOTICE.
Editorial communications should be addressed to " The Editor of 'Notes and Queries '"Adver- tisements and Business Letters to "The Pub- lisher" at the Office, Bream's Buildings, Chancery Lane, E.C.
