260
NOTES AND QUERIES. [9*s.ix MARCH 29, 1902.
cott's inevitable shortcomings. No temptation exists
to deal afresh with a book that has been ifl the
possession of readers for more than half a century,
Those anxious to judge of the good faith and im
partiality of the historian and of the narrative
gifts of the chronicler will naturally turn to the
account of the assassination of Pizarro, which wil 1
be found vol. ii. pp. 160-88. We are glad to see an
nounced in the same " Library " the ' Ferdinand and
Isabella ' of Prescott, his earliest work, which first
attracted to him the attention of readers. Though
more arrie're than its author's subsequent writings,
this work has not lost its attraction for students
of Spanish history.
Westminster Abbey. By Charles ~H.ia.tt. The Cathe- dral Church of Chichester. By Hubert C. Corlette, A.R.I.B.A. Amiens : its Cathedraland Churches. By the Rev. Thomas Perkins. (Bell & Sons.) THESE three volumes constitute the latest additions to the delightful "Cathedral Series" of Messrs. Bell and to cognate series. Mr. Hiatt's 'West- minster Abbey' may claim to be one of the best written of the series. In the matter of the illus- trations, which constitute a special attraction, a uniform standard of excellence is preserved. In the case of Westminster, however, matter is super- abundant, and the task of choosing from authorities early and late has offered little difficulty to a prac- tised writer. The history of Westminster is, more- over, itself of exceptional interest, the building being, as Mr. Hiatt says, more than any other edifice " representative of the history and genius of the English race." Like many other noble fanes, and more than most, it has suffered from the restorer. The destruction of exquisite details by Wren and his successors is a matter of unending regret. The pre-eminence of Westminster as a Campo Santo has done something to lower the popular estimate of it as a cathedral church. As such, however, it is pronounced the equal of Lin- coln, Ely, Salisbury, Peterborough, Durham, and Canterbury. Its situation and the vicinage of other buildings do something to prevent full recognition of its external majesty.
With its magnificent situation Chichester con- stitutes a lovely landmark, and its campanile and its environments generally are delightful. In spite of the ravages of fire and of storm and the con- sequent restoration, it remains a building of singular interest and beauty, while its proximity to Brighton renders it an object of frequent pilgrimage The
J l ? Wer is the only one of its kind in England and the central tower and spire, modern as they are, reproduce faithfully the features of the old
It is astonishing to think how few of the thou- sands of Englishmen who hurry through to Paris remain to see the noble shrine of Amiens. The same is true of Abbeville and of many cities of interest in the Isle de France. Amiens, however is one of the noblest religious edifices in France and a visit to it to the lover of ecclesiastical archi-
tot^r* 8 I w ch a dut i y as 1 a . n annual excursion to ^hartres We can only advise one who has not made the pi grimage recently to slip into his pocket this useful little volume and go there this foster Should he take our advice, we are certain of earning hie gratitude. Books on Amiens are abun
THE most important article in this month's
Antiquary is the one in which Mr. Neilson under-
takes to show that, although Huchown's ' Morte
Arthure' was "centrally concerned with the King
Arthur of Geoffrey of Monmouth," yet it "drew
largely for its amplifications of detail upon the
circumstances of its own time"; so that the chief figure may be considered a blend of the traditionary hero of romance and Edward III.
THE Giornale di Erudizione still gives us a very useful biographical bulletin in addition to its notes, queries, and answers. In one of the later numbers there is a question as to a passage in the 'Hep- tameron' in which the phrase "Car le feu aupres des estoupes n'est point seur" occurs. It would be interesting to know when the comparison of the love of man and woman to fire and tow was first made use of in literature.
THE discussion of that vexed question, the jus primes, noctis, still continues in the Intermddiaire, and the evidence given suggests that certain over- lords may have imagined themselves to possess the right, but this abuse of feudal power is scarcely to be regarded as a recognized institution. It is not unlikely that the payment of marriage-fees to the lord of a manor when a girl wedded outside its bounds, and thus brought about the loss of services due from her on his estate, led to the assumption that he had theoretically a more personal claim on her than ancient custom and law in reality allowed.
10
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NEMO. (" Oil on Troubled Waters. ")-See 6 th S. x. 351, 360, 460, arid innumerable other references.
CORRIGENDA. P. 60, col. 1, 1. 9, for " J. Rawson Lumley " read J. Raivson Lumby ; p. 218, col. 2, 1. 11, For " Fate" read Kate.
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