Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/464

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310 NOTICES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS. consideration of the evidently honest strain in which the author speaks of the glories of mediaeval Poetry and Architecture, still we can only stop to inform our readers that they have now an opportunity of comparing the remarks on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre with the work just published by Professor Willis on the same highly interesting subject. Having so far treated of every style of architecture that ever existed, or was ever heard of, including Pelasgian, Celtic, Hindoo, Central American, Egyptian, Grecian, Roman, Piomanesque, and Saracenic, Mr. Freeman next proceeds to the contemplation of that familiarly known as Gothic, with all its numerous combinations, and various subdivisions ; and here most heartily do we join him in his condemnation of those soulless " men of taste," who could stigmatise our Gothic cathedrals as " dull, heavy, monkish piles, without any just proportion, use, or beauty.'" We fancy we discover in the course of reading through the seven con- cluding chapters, that our author betrays a very decided predilection in favour of the Perpendicular style ; and we confess we are not much at issue with him on this point, as there are but few architects, amateurs or profes- sional, who have not a bias in favour of some particular style, or period of art, and if the author avows his partiaHty for this one, he at least endea- vours to show good reasons for it. In spite of all exceptions that may be taken to it, however, it must be allowed that Mr. Freeman has produced a work decidedly calculated to promote the end he has in view, viz. " That of traciny the art of architecture from the earliest periods, and to illustrate, with as little technicality as possible, the general principles of the successive styles, and the connection of each with the general history of the nation and epoch to which it belongs. LEICESTERSHIRE WORDS, PHRASES, AND PROVERBS. By A. B. Evans, D.D. London : Pickering. 1848. This small volume belongs to an unambitious but useful class of literature which deserves encouragement ; and there are none who enjoy greater facilities for contributing to it, or are likely to bring to the work a greater amount of intelligence and discrimination, than the clergy. Their education and habits, their wide dispersion over every part of the country, and their relations of intimacy with all ranks of society, qualify them, in a very remark- able degree, for the task of collecting and recording local peculiarities of language. The task, too, is one which does not demand any labour, or any appreciable sacrifice of time. It requires only that the attention and curiosity of the observer should be awakened to the subject, and that his note-book, like the village pound, should be continually open for the recep- tion of all the lost and stray words which the general lexicographer refuses to admit into his fold. Nor can it be reasonably expected that the com- piler should exercise any very scrupulous vigilance in examining the strict title of each particular word or phrase to be treated as exclusively provin- cial. The most careful collector can hardly escape error in this respect ;