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-

though it reappears in another Arabian version,
viz., the 'Story of the Fisherman's Son,' in the
Wortley Montagu MS. of 'The Nights '*-a
second talisman was necessary to the hero for two
purposes: (1) to enable him to escape from the
cave by means of the slave of the ring; and (2) to
further his efforts to recover the magic palace and
his royal bride, carried away by order of the
magician as soon as he had exchanged "new lamps

Hart-Great Seal of Katherine Parr-Monte Video-Bishops for old " very advantageously. The slave of the
of Norwich-Longitude and Marriage, 7-"A cool hundred "
-Polydore Vergil - Death Warrant of Charles I.-Cross
Tree-The Sorbonne-" A laity with a strong backbone".
Soapstone Figures - Medal Portraits - Water-marks-W.
Fielding, 8-Betham-Altar Inscriptions-Vertue-Mill's
Logic-Capt. Marryat-Beveridge-Baptist May-Authors

Wanted, 9.

REPLIES:-Wetherby, 9-Egyptian Hierograms, 10-Dr.
Guillotin-Charlemagne - -"Bring" and "Take"-Friar's
Lanthorn-Belgian Custom, 11-Sir M. Livesey-Chartist-
G. Borrow's First Publication-Book on Bank-note Issue
New English Dictionary-Constable's Pictures-Pits

hanger, 12-Kirk-Grims, 13-Quarles-Anonymous Poem-

Children-Buonaparte's Habeas Corpus, 14-Amsterdam

Bourse-Agincourt: Davy Gam-Herrick, 15-Beans in Leap

Year-Lord Lisle's Assassination - Rolling a Ball-West-

minster Library-Hammonds-Poison-Aston's Brief Sup-

plement, 16-Nightcap Stratagem-Curiosities of Cata-

loguing-Pendulum Clocks-Swift's 'Polite Conversation'-

Bombastes Furioso-Chaucer's Balade of Gentilnesse,' 17

-Brussels Gazette '-" Our Father"-Arbuthnot, 18.

NOTES ON BOOKS:- Foster's 'Alumni Oxonienses'.
Loftie's Kensington, Picturesque and Historical.'

Notices to Correspondents, &c.

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But there is an Indian story, in Mrs. Meer

Hasan Ali's 'Observations on the Mussulmans of

India' (London, 1832), vol. ii. p. 324 ff., in which
a lighted lamp has the same property: Shaykh
Saddú, a hypocritical devotee, wandering into a
neighbouring jungle one day, finds a copper cup,
he could not with all his learning decipher. He
whereon were engraved certain characters which
he could not with all his learning decipher. He
takes it to his retreat, and at nightfall, being just
then in want of a good-sized lamp, he puts oil and
a wick into the cup, and the instant it was lighted
"figure resembling a human being" stood before
him. "Who art thou," demanded the shaykh,
of a hermit?" The figure replied: "I come at
"that dost thus intrude at this hour on the privacy
the summons of your lamp. The possessor of that
vessel has four slaves, one of whom you see before
you. We are genii, and can only be summoned by
the lighting up of this vessel. The number of your
slaves will be in due attendance according to the
number of the wicks that it may please you to
light. Demand our attendance at any hour you

In by far the greater number of versions, variants,
and analogues of the story, both Asiatic and
European, the wonder-working thing is a magical
gem or ring, commonly obtained by the hero from
a serpent," for services rendered"; and the hero
having befriended certain animals, generally a dog
and a cat, when his precious talisman is stolen
these grateful animals recover it for him.
elsewhere pointed out that this is probably the
original form of the story; and, if so, then it is cer-
tainly of Buddhist invention. But in the tale of
Aladdin the young hero has two talismans, namely,
the ring, which the magician gives him for his pro-
tection before he descends into the cave, and the
lamp, of which he becomes possessed through the
magician foolishly shutting him in the cave-to
perish, as he vainly believed. As the element of
the grateful animals is omitted in the story-supposed.

plate x., which, as is well known, has for years been an enigma to connoisseurs.

choose, and we are bound to obey." This wicked shaykh gives the four genii of his lamp many tasks to perform, most of them such as were repugnant It may be well first to observe that the famous to them (for it appears these were very scru- original, purchased by the British Museum in 1872 pulous" genii, such as would not have suited Alad- for upwards of 1,000l., is a block-book, executed, din's pretended uncle, the Maghrabí), and one of in the opinion of the Keeper of the Printed Books, the tasks at once recalls Aladdin and the Princess"in the best style of art prevalent at the time of Badr-ul-Badúr. He caused them to convey the king's its production," and consists of but twelve separate daughter to him," and she was his unwilling com- sheets, of two leaves each, printed on the inner panion" in his retreat. But there was soon to be side only. There are eleven illustrations, each an end of his wickedness; for when the genii, by occupying a whole page, opposite each of which is his order, were beginning to raise a remarkable given an explanatory letterpress. The Holbein mosque, situated at a considerable distance, in Society's reproduction of this small and unique order to carry it to the place where the shaykh volume has the great advantage of an introduction, dwelt, the devotee who had his abode therein in which the writer, Mr. George Bullen, F.S.A., a man of undoubted sanctity-sent them off" with besides giving much interesting bibliographical ina flea in their ear," in this wise: "Begone," said formation, describes the various plates, and exthe pious man, in a tone of authority that deprived plains their often recondite meaning. them of their strength. "A moment's delay, and I will pray that you be consumed with fire. Would Shaykh Saddú add to his crimes by forcing the house of God from its foundation? Away this moment! else fire shall consume you on the spot." They fled in haste to their profane master, whose rage was unbounded at their disobedience, as he termed their return without the mosque. He raved, stormed, and reviled them in bitter language, while they, heartily tired of their servitude, caught up the copper vessel, and in his struggle to resist them he was thrown with violence on the ground, and his wicked soul was suddenly separated from his impure body.

Here we have the lamp of Aladdin, but put to its proper use-lighted-in order to summon the genii; we have also the princess being conveyed to Aladdin, as I have before remarked, and a reflection of Maghrabi's causing the palace to be removed to a far distant place. It would be interesting to ascertain the source whence Mrs. Meer Hasan Ali derived this singular story, which bears out, I think, my opinion that the author of the tale of Aladdin has greatly blundered in representing the lamp as requiring to be rubbed, and not lighted. The appearance of one or more of the four attendant genii of the wicked shaykh's lamp, according to the number of wicks that were lighted, has its parallel in another Asiatic story; but this note is already too long. W. A. CLOUSTON.

233, Cambridge Street, Glasgow.

THE 'ARS MORIENDI' BLOCK-BOOK (1450),
PLATE THE TENTH.

While examining not long ago a reproduction of Caxton's 'Trayttye abredged of the Arte to Lerne well to Dye' (1490), for comparison with it I took down the Holbein Society's marvellous facsimile, by Mr. F. C. Price, of the Ars Moriendi' named at the head of this paper. I was thus led to consider again this fine work, pausing especially at

without

Having myself examined a good deal of this literature in preparing my 'Christian Care of the Dying and the Dead,' I hope I may say, presumption, that the introduction seems to me to be admirable, one explanation only, that of plate x., being excepted. It begins on p. 15 thus:

angel who comes to support and console the dying man, "Following this is an engraving [No. 10] of the good while thus tempted to endanger his salvation through indulging in the sin of avarice; the accompanying letterpress being headed' Bona inspiracio ang'li contra avaricia"." In this engraving the guardian angel stands, as before, in front of the dying man, with his right hand raised in exhortation, and with a scroll on the right of the picture bearing the words, 'Non sis auarus.' Above the canopy of the bedstead, on the right, is a representation of (f) the Blessed Virgin, and next to this, on the left, is a fulllength figure of the Holy Jesus stretched on the cross (g). Next to this on the left, somewhat lower down, are three figures of sheep, shown principally by their heads. Next to these, on the left, are three figures, namely, of a man and two women (c); just below the second woman is the figure of a maiden (b), and above her, on the extreme left, is the head of a man (d). What this group of figures is intended to symbolize it would be difficult to conjecture. The man (e), standing as he does next to the sheep, and with a staff in his hand, is perhaps a representation of a good shepherd. They all of them, however, appear to look towards the dying man with feelings of compassion. Below this group is the figure of an angel, with a scroll bearing the words, Ne intendas amicis (Do not concern thyself for thy friends). This angel holds with both hands an outspread curtain, intended to conceal from the dying man's view (a) two full-length figures, one of a woman on the right and the other of a man on the left; both possibly being disappointed expectants of sharing in the dying man's wealth; or else the female figure representing his wife and the male figure that of his physician. The latter appears to be exhorting his female companion to depart from the scene. At the foot of the picture, on the right, is the figure of an ugly demon with a scroll bearing the words Quid faciam."

I beg to offer the following as a new interpretation of the plate above described by Mr. Bullen. On reference to the work itself it will be found that the preceding letterpress contains Satan's temptation to avarice, with a plate (ix.) represent

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ing various forms of self-seeking. Plate x. is a for picture of self-renunciation, as appears from the "Bona Inspiracio" of the angel, which faces it, hand of which a short account must now be given.

"Turn thine ears [saith the angel] away from the Te deadly suggestions of the devil...... Put wholly behind thee all temporal things, the recollection of which cannot at all help thy salvation...... Be mindful of the words of the Lord to them who cling to such things: Nisi quis renunciaverit omnibus quæ possidet non potest meus esse discipulus' (St. Luke xiv. 33)."

e

The artist illustrates this principle by selecting some of the examples mentioned in the verse immediately afterwards quoted by the angel, who saith:"And again, 'Si quis venit ad Me et non odit patrem suum et matrem, et uxorem, et filios, et fratres, et sorores, adhuc non potest meus esse discipulus' (St. Luke xiv. 26)." The artist places in the forefront of his picture an angel saying, "Do not concern thyself for thy friends," and holding up, with both hands, a curtain (a) between the dying man and an elderly couple-his father and mother-to whom the sick man, to their own sorrow, has already bidden, it seems, a glad farewell. I see no medical emblems with or near the man that would lead me to sup pose him to be intended for the physician. Next (b), above the foreground, is represented his wife, like himself young, who looks at him with piteous gaze, her hair being dishevelled-the usual sign of female mourning-anticipating the near approach of widowhood. I do not think that dishevelled hair is a form of mourning ever exclusively used by a maiden."

Besides (as the angel continues), the Lord saith to them who have renounced those things :

"Et omnis qui relinquiret domum vel fratres, vel sorores, aut patrem, aut matrem, aut uxorem, aut filios, aut agros, propter nomen meum, centuplum accipiet, et vitam eternam possidebit" (St. Matthew xix. 29). From this verse the masterly engraver enriches his plate with fresh instances of self-renunciation, namely, (c) two sisters, with braided hair, standing a little behind the wife; and yet further back (d) the dying man's brother, the expression of whose countenance is very beautiful, of all of whom the sufferer has to take his leave. Children are not supposed to be born of so young a wife; none are represented. But the dying man has to take leave of his lands, "aut agros." And these (e) are represented by their occupants-sheep that graze them and a bailiff who, staff in hand, shepherds the flock-perhaps so placed by the artist not without a mystic allusion to the shepherd who in the deserts of the East has sometimes to give his life for his sheep (St. John x. 11).

all transitory things wholly away like poison, and turn his heart's affection to voluntary poverty, &c. From this part of the angel's address the artist completes his plate with a picture of the Eternal Son giving up (f) the ever-blessed mother that bare Him-that Son of Man who for us men fathomed the greatest depths of poverty, voluntarily renouncing upon the cross (g) all things that were His own, not retaining even dear life.

As illustrating the foregoing view it is interesting to read in Caxton's 'Arte to Lerne well to Dye,' p. 8, that

"the fyfthe temptacyon that most troubleth the seculers and worldly men, is the overgrete ocupacyon of outwarde thinges and temporall, as towarde his wyf his chyldren & his frendes carnall / towarde his rychesses or towarde other thynges/which he hath moost loved in his lyf/ And therfore whosomever wyll' well' & surely deye he ought to set symply and all' from hym all'e outwarde god fully." thynges & temporell' and oughte all'e to commytte to

with the 'Ars Moriendi' can, I should think, Those of my readers who are not yet acquainted than by making its acquaintance with the help of scarcely give themselves a greater literary treat the apparatus criticus provided in the edition I

have used.

Yaxley Vicarage, Suffolk.

W. H. SEWELL.

DID CHARLES DICKENS CONTRIBUTE TO 'FIGARO IN LONDON'?-In the elaborate and exhaustive Dickens Catalogue' (pp. 38), compiled and published by Messrs. J. W. Jarvis & Son, 28, King William Street, Strand, 1884, is a notice of Figaro in London, with this remark :

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"This was the precursor of Punch, and is full of chatty, racy anecdotes and jokes, said to be written by Charles Dickens and Gilbert à Beckett."-P. 23. No mention of this is made in the list of "Publications to which Dickens contributed only a portion" (pp. 32-3), in Mr. James Cook's very valuable Bibliography of the Writings of Charles Dickens' (London, Frank Kerslake, 22, Coventry Street, Haymarket, 1879, pp. 88). I may remark, in passing, that the excellent woodcut on Mr. Cook's title-page, giving a most spirited likeness-bust of Dickens, was drawn by M. Faustin, and originally appeared in Figaro (Mr. James Mortimer's London Figaro, on the staff of which I remained for upwards of five years) on Sept. 27, 1873. The mention of this is suggested by the coincidence of Dickens and the two London Figaros.

I possess an original copy of "Figaro in London. Vol. I. For the Year 1832" (William Strange, 21, Paternoster Row). It consists of fifty-six Remember also (adds the angel) the poverty of weekly issues, commencing with that for Dec. 10, Christ hanging for thee upon the cross, most freely 1831. There was a second volume, which, from giving up for thy salvation His most dearly loved Aug. 16, 1834, to the close, was illustrated by mother and His best beloved disciples. The angel Isaac Robert Cruikshank in place of Robert Seybegs the dying man to imprint on his mind these mour, whose remarkably clever political caricatures things and the examples of the saints, and to put-coarsely engraved, and often at Seymour's own

expense-had been the mainstay of à Beckett's serial. It was continued under the editorship of H. Mayhew, with Seymour once again as its artist; and I believe (query) that two volumes were thus published If such is the case, Figaro in London had an existence of four years, which included the period of the 'Sketches by Boz' and the wondrous rise of Pickwick,' with Seymour as its artist.

On Jan. 1, 1833, Gilbert à Beckett started Figaro's Monthly Newspaper, price threepence, and also edited the Comic Magazine (1832-4), to the earlier numbers of which Seymour contributed numerous designs. It seems quite possible that Charles Dickens may have been a contributor to Figaro in London. Is there any proof of this? If such was the case, it would be not a little interesting to find that he and Seymour were engaged on the same publication while as yet Mr. Pickwick was unborn. CUTHBERT BEDE.

NOTES ON EPICTETUS.-Mr. T. W. Rolleston, in his admirable introduction to the recent volume of the "Camelot Series," entitled "The Teaching of Epictetus,' has enumerated two previous English renderings of the Helot sage, the " one [he says] by Mrs. Carter, published in the last century, the other by the late George Long, M.A. (Bohn Series)." It may not be amiss to add that the translation of Mrs. Carter was first published_in 1758, and that many years anterior to this Dr. George Stanhope, Dean of Canterbury, born 1660, died 1728, a voluminous author and translator, a prominent member of the Established Church, dis- | tinguished alike for the strength of his intellect and the refinement of his imagination, published a work bearing the following title: "Epictetus his Morals, with Simplicius his Comment. Made English from the Greek by George Stanhope, 1694." Another edition of this, with a 'Life of Epictetus,' followed in 1700, 8vo.

The translation of Stanhope is clearly the work of a purist, but of a purist who, with all his elegance of phrase and delicate turn of expression, does not lose sight of the real end of literature.

Anent the doctrines of the Pyrrhonists, which in the introduction of Mr. Rolleston are stated with clearness, brevity, and precision, we shall make no apology for inserting the excellent remark of Plato :

"When you say all things are incomprehensible, do you comprehend or conceive that they are thus incomprehensible, or do you not? If you do, then something is comprehensible; if you do not, there is no reason we should believe you, since you do not comprehend your own assertions."

Armley.

C. C. DOVE.

QUEENIE AS A PET NAME.-Of late years the fashion has been somewhat prevalent of giving to little or young girls, instead of their own Christian name, the pet name of "Queenie." This practice

is not new, however, for in a book of dialogues (in Italian and English) between an Italian master and his English young lady pupil, written by Joseph Baretti (London, 1775), I find, in p. 168, the young lady, whose real Christian name is supposed to be Esther, called "Queeney" (sic) by her master, who says to her,

"Reginuccia mia, a che state voi pensando?"

"My dear Queeney, what are you thinking about 1" It will be observed that the book is written by an Italian, and that the Italian in this case precedes the English which is intended to be a translation of it. The question arises, therefore, Did Mr. Baretti use "Queeney" because he had heard it used in England, or did he use it because in similar cases "Reginuccia" was then used in Italy? have some ground for supposing that he did fina "Queeney" in use in England, for I once met with it in an English book of somewhere about the same besides which, it is scarcely probable that an Italian time, but, unfortunately, I did not take a note of it; writer should have introduced the use of an English word into England. But "Reginuccia" may, for all that, have been used similarly in Italy.

Sydenham Hill.

F. CHANCE.

COLT, COLTES.-A recently published 'History of Walsall' gives obscure details of some local colts, by which it appears that a shilelagh, or club, is personified as a warrior. This seems to suggest a reference to " a good thrashing," which I have heard termed "a colting," but do not see it so defined in Bailey, Halliwell, Skeat, or Stormonth. We read that the excesses of the above colts became a Star Chamber matter; that at one time their number amounted to a thousand; but they became extinct in 1870. A. HALL.

[In the Encyclopædic Dictionary a rope's end knotted and used for punishment is given as a figurative meaning of colt.]

tions be of use to Dr. Murray if he lives to get to REVEREND AND REVERENT.-Will these quota

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