Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 5.djvu/292

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io* s. v. MARCH 21, igoe.


enriches his pages with the best utterances of lite rature. His opening chapter is in praise of hawk- ing in regard to which generally neglected sport he is an enthusiast. By the aid of a little special pleading, his favourite occupation is defended from the charge of exceptional cruelty, and a much- needed protest is lodged against the treatment accorded to hawks, falcons, and the like by game- keepers. The disappearance of the kite in the opinion of a Gloucestershire naturalist, " the finest native bird that we possess" is the subject of a special lament. Among non-domestic subjects which are treated is ' Hunting with the Cheefca,' a species of sport all but unknown in England. Of more -frequent occurrence are essays or descriptions such .as *A Marsh Walk in May,' ' A Wet Day on the Hill,' and 'Bird Life on the Broads'; while others have an antiquarian flavour, such being 'Some Seventeenth-Century Decoys ' and ' The Oldest Book on Fishing,' the latter of which deprives Dame .Juliana Berners of some of the honours previously -accorded her. A special feature in the book con- sists of the illustrations, which are over fourscore in number and all excellent. They are drawn from many sources. To the student of nature the work offers unending attractions.

1 'The Edinburgh Review, January, 1906. (Longmans

&Co.)

'THE paper on the Catalogue of Printed Books in the Library of the British Museum is of high excel- lence It will convey much information to not a few of our readers. On one point only do we dis- .agree with the writer. Surely it would be most unwise to dispose of the duplicates the library -contains, not only because it is often almost im- possible to distinguish in what a true duplicate -consists, but also because three or four persons may require the same book at the same time an occur- -rence we have known to happen not infrequently. U'he paper on Nathaniel Hawthorne is a sound Apiece of literary criticism, which gives a good picture of the man as he appeared to his friends, though perhaps there is too much shadow in the portrait. We fully agree with the reviewer in his 'blame of those who have dwelt in detail on Haw- thorne's home life, as this was, we understand, -contrary to what must be regarded as his express prohibition.' The Visionary Art of William Blake ' is instructive from several points of view, as the writer does not shrink from showing sympathy for one who was far removed from the thoughts and aspirations of the world around him. 'Novels with a Philosophy' is interesting, but in some ways not easy to fathom. The writer dwells upon cases where marriage takes place between two people " whose natures are so unlike that trouble is bound to result." He ought, in our opinion, to have pointed out the fact that these unhappy results commonly arise from the follies of the weaker and more cowardly party to the contract.

Bausteine, edited by Leon Kellner, continues to provide a wealth of examples of English word- usage which is of permanent value to all students of our language. Vol.1., Part 4, which is before us contains an important study of the words "sentiment" and "sentimental," which pervaded the literature of the eighteenth century. Dr. Anna Wiistner, of Vienna, is to be commended for the width of her research, but we think that she re- fines on meanings too much. We differ from her as


to some of the nuances of expression which form her sections, and we do not think it probable that any one not English born is likely to reach perfect accuracy in going into verbal minutiae. She has had the advantages of consulting the treasures of the Oxford {Scriptorium for her examples. We notice, further, in the number a bibliography of contribu- tions to English lexicography in 1903, which would be improved by brief indications of the worth of some of the items ; and notes by the editor on the words "aggressive" and "baffle,* 1 and on a phrase or two in Mr. Wells's ' Kipps.' Here and elsewhere the versatility of English slang supplies good sport for the foreigner. We had rather play Rugby football than put its details into German. But has not this been done already in a German edition of 'Tom Brown,' which, if studied, might explain the reference to Sir Canon Doyle's passage here the subject of inquiry? Bausteine is issued by the Langenscheidtsche Verlagsbuchhandluug of Berlin.


PETER JOHN FRANCIS GANTILLOX, M.A., who died at Hawthornden, Cheltenham, on 2 March, aged seventy-six, contributed to ' N. & Q.' regularly, chiefly on classical subjects, from a very early volume down to 10 th S. ii.


10

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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."

AILSA CRATCJ ("Hail, beauteous stranger of the grove"). The authorship of the 'Ode to the Cuckoo' has been discussed at great length in ' N. & Q.' See the many articles on the subject in 9 th S. viii., ix., x., xi.

M. C. L., New York (' De Tribus Impostoribus ').

The late CHANCELLOR CHRISTIE and MR. J. ELIOT HODOKIN contributed important articles on this book at 7 th S. viii. 449. These will probably supply all the information you desire.

E. W. SMYTH (" Parish Constables' 1 ). Full in- formation will be found under the heading Heacham Parish Officers,' 10 th S. ii. 247, 325, 371, 431 : iii. 37.

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