20
NOTES AND QUERIES. [n s. vii. JAN. 4. 1913.
the classical works remaining to us in a fresh and
fruitful manner. From this point of view what
as left to us of Varro is of a value almost unique.
We trust the time will come when to set a boy
to read the ' Georgics ' without his having first read
the ' Rerum Rusticarum ' will seem an absurdity.
Yet to plough through this mass of Varrpnian
Latin would be but an absurdity of another kind
would be prolonging the old mistake of language
(first and subject-matter second. It is here that
the use of a version will come in ; and we
congratulate Mr. Storr-Best on having pro-
duced one which should admirably serve all
purposes. It is as pleasant to read as an original,
while the close and careful notes perform, in a
very satisfactory way, so much as is necessary
of the functions of pure scholarship. More than
that, the writer has dealt originally and success-
fully with more than one " crux," and, in par-
ticular, we think he has proved his point with
regard to the place of the dialogue in the second
book and to the occasion, viz., the Palilia, being
celebrated in Epirus. For " Palibus " in the
archetype Mr. Storr-Best makes the brilliant
suggestion of Pali bis ; and he has also, we think,
rightly explained the meaning of the '*Seian"
house. He gives an ingenious reconstruction of
the aviary at Casinum.
This is a book which should find lodgment on many shelves. For, in noticing the excellence of the editor's work, we must not forget that the original in and for itself has much to offer, not only in the way of curious or antiquarian infor- mation, but also homely, practical counsel, and in illustration of methods still in use.
THE literary articles of the January Fortnightly Review are of unusual interest. Prof. Geroth- -wohl has a brilliant study of Alfred de Vigny in relation to ' Genius and Woman,' which is both more keen-sighted in its discrimination, and more choice and lively in style, than such other studies from his pen as we have seen. Mr. Maurice Hewlett's * The Windows ' is at least good reading, though the contribution he makes to the reader's imaginative wealth proves in the end slight. Andre Lafon, as we know, has been awarded the first Grand Prix de Litterature by the Academic Franchise for his ' Eleve Gilles,' -and Lady Theodora Davidson gives a welcome .and sympathetic account of him and his book. Mr. F. G. Aflalo in ' Winter Travel ' surveys the habitable regions of the world from the point of view of escape from England. Sir Hubert von Herkomer's ' Hints on Sketching from Nature ' should be useful, not only as furnishing technical " tips," but also as elucidating some of the broader principles often forgotten by the student in his pursuit of the fashion of the moment. Another paper which deserves attention is Mr. P. P. Howe's on ' St. John Hankin and his Comedy of Recognition.' The War and kindred subjects naturally fill many pages, and we may mention Mr. Henry Baerlein's article on ' The Masters of the Southern Slav.'
The Cornhill Magazine for this month has a table of contents more than usually various. Judge Parry gives us some more scenes with John Honorius seen presiding over the keeping of Christmas. Miss Edith Sellers, not without her rather pleasant occasional acridity, gives us ' A Question of Good Manners ' (the giving up
a seat to a lady), as discussed in a Finnish debating
Society. Mr. Stanley J. Weyman's brief tribute
to James Beresford Atlay is charming, sympa-
thetic, and conspicuously well-considered. The
sombre glamour of the East is represented by
Sir E. C. Cox's ' Devilry of Ghoolam Rasool ' ;
and another side of Indian life and affairs by
Major G. F. MacMunn's ' Maharajpore and
Punniar.' The story of the origin of the Ada
Lewis Home, the home for women on the prin-
ciples of a Rowton House, which was made
possible by Mrs. Lewis's legacy of 50,0001. for
that purpose, is related by Sir Algernon West.
' Found An Actor,' by Miss Emily Buckingham,
is a lively paper on the " discovery " of Edmund
Kean ; and ' Riders of the Plains,' by Miss
Agnes Deans Cameron, is a description of the
hardy, courageous life of the Mounted Police of
North-West Canada. Mr. E. F. Benson begins
a serial, ' Thorley Weir ' ; and Mrs. Henry de la
Pasture's ' Michael Ferrys ' is continued.
The Nineteenth Century is also 'stronger than usual on the literary side. Prof. Tyrrell's ' Style in English Literature ' brings us to no definite conclusion, but the instances quoted, and the amusing criticism of Stevenson's extravagances, and the mere method of the considerations, at least make for better insight into the problem. Mr. M. H. Spielmann's study of ' The Portraiture of George Frederic Watts ' is a thoroughly interesting piece of work. Mrs. Frederic Harrison has ' Some Thoughts about the Novel ' which are rather disjointed, and seem to us to prove but little. Among the most arresting of the articles we should reckon Mr. G. R. S. Mead's ' Mystical Experiments on the Frontiers of Early Christendom ' and Mr. M. A. R. Tuker's ' The Gospel according to Prisca.' The latter goes through the evidence which might be held to justify the attribution of the Epistle to the Hebrews to Prisca's household : the former deals with those names of mystery and romance Hermes Trismegistos and lamblichu s, and with the so-called ' Hymn of Jesus ' from tue latest discovered fragments of, the ' Acts of John.' We may notice briefly Mr. Walter Sichel's ' Dis- raeli : the Second Phase,' and Mr. T. Jamieson's paper on ' The Small Holdings Problem.'
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.
WE beg leave to state that we decline to return communications which, for any reason, we do not print, and to this rule we can make no exception.
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.
H. H. C. Forwarded.
A. B. ("On that hard Pagan world disgust")- Matthew Arnold, 'Obermann Once More,' st. 24.
CORRIGENDUM. In our last number, p 517, col. 2, the translation of the sonnet by Felix Arvers should have been signed C. C. B., not " B. C. C."
