10 s. vm. OCT. 5, 1907.] NOTES AND QUERIES.
279
The Legends of the Saints. By H. Delehaye.
Translated from the French by V. M. Crauford.
(Longmans & Co.)
PEKE DELEHAYE'S book is not only valuable in itself as a contribution to a more enlightened hagio- graphy, but is also remarkable as coming from the pen of a Jesuit priest, and being published by authority as one of the Westminster series of manuals intended for Roman Catholic priests and students. It is a frank admission that a consider- able proportion of the saints who have long passed current in the Roman community as deserving the veneration of the faithful are imaginary beings who owe their canonization to a popular blunder or the
I mere misreading of an inscription, and are no better than phantoms of myth or legend.
The perfect candour with which the learned Bollandist investigates the claims of these doubtful saints and lays bare their -weakness deserves the hearty recognition of every lover of truth. The results are as amusing as they are interesting and instructive. One notable instance of this down- ward evolution is the story of St. Procppius, which has an historical nucleus of fact. His ' Acts,' as rirst recorded by Eusebius, are simple and natural
j enough; but in'process of time they are gradually expanded and amplified by succeeding writers till they lost all resemblance to their primitive type. Pere Delehaye's admirable book ought to be read
' in connexion with M. Saintyves's more recent work ' Les Saints Successeurs des Dieux,' which supple- ments it with much curious learning. Both books will yield matter of interest to the folk-lorist quite as much as to the student of religious developments.
BOOKSELLERS' CATALOGUES. OCTOBER.
BOOK-COLLECTORS have now plenty of Catalogues from which to choose additions to their cherished stores.
Mr Thomas Baker still keeps us well supplied with Theology. No. 515 of his Catalogues is devoted to Catholic Theology. The items include a set of The Month from its commencement, 1864-190o, 24 vols 14J. A rare book is ' Salmeronis Com- mentarii in Evangelicam Historian!,' 1612, 16 vols. in 8, Ul. Cardinal de Lugo's 'Opera Omma, 1/51, 7 vols., folio, is 61. 6s. : Quetef and Echard's Scrip- tores Ordinis Prsedicatorum,' 1719, a very fine copy, exceedingly rare, 131. 15s.; the Bollandists 'Acta Sanctorum,' " editio nova, curante J . Carnandet, 1863-1902, 65 vols. (as far as published), folio, a magnificent copy, newly bound in best half green morocco, 1201. ; and a set of Migne, 222 vols. bound in 215, at the same price. There are many items of interest under Newman, Gasquet, Kenelm Digby, Dollinger, and others.
Mr P M. Barnard, of Tunbridge Wells, sends his sixteenth Catalogue. It contains some interesting Missals and manuscripts, 1463, 14/6, 1632, &c. Among the books is a rare Cicero, Milan 1498-9, 3 vols in 2, folio, old red morocco, 24J. This is a magnificent copy of the first collected edition, and Mr. Barnard states that no copy has been through the London sale rooms . except this since 1887. Dibdin describes it as " in a typographical point of
view one of the noblest monuments of the
fifteenth century." A complete set of The Tudor Translations," 40 vols. , is priced 331. A large clean copy of 'Anthologia Epigrammatum Grjecorum,
cusa Jo. Lascaris,' first edition, 1494, is 10?.; and a
copy of Lydgates 'Cronicle of the Warres be-
twixte the Grecians and the Troyans,' folio, block-
letter, 1555, 51. 5s. There are many other rare and
curious items.
Mr. Harold Brown, who has started business in. Wimpole Street, sends us his first Catalogue, de- voted to general literature. We note under Art. ' George Engleheart,' by Williamson and H. L. W, Engleheart, including 10 hand-painted illustrations, 61. 6s. Under Louis Blanc is his 'Histoire de la Revolution Francaise,' presentation copy, 12 vols., II. 5s. Freeman's 'Norman Conquest,'6vols., is 61. 10.; but the first four volumes of Macaulay's ' History' only 10s. Hawkesworth's edition of Swift in 23 vols., old calf gilt, 1768, is 21. 15s. Under Thackeray is the Library Edition in 24 vols., half calf, 12/.; while a set of Pope, 9 vols., old tree calf, 1770, may be had for 18s.
Mr. Francis Edwards's Catalogue 292 contains the Topographical and Antiqxiarian Library of the late E. S. Wilson, F.S.A. Under American War is David Hartley's ' Letters on the War,' 4to, boards, 1778, 21. 5s. Ihe author of these letters was M.P. for Hull, and the son of the philosopher and physician after whom Coleridge named his son. The member for Hull was a strenuous opponent of the American War and of the slave trade, and to. him and Franklin belongs the honour of having, drawn up and signed the treaty of 1783 between^ Great Britain and the United States. Other items, inchide Ames and Dibdin's 'Topographical Anti- quities,' 4 vols., 4to, 1810-19, 51. 10s.; Archadogia,,. 1770-1905, 30/. ; Bewick's ' Fables,' with the thumb- mark receipt, 1823, II. 5s. ; also the first edition,, 1820, II. 15s. ; Bibliographical Society, 23 vols. in 21,. 1895-1905, Wl. 10s. ; " Bohii's Antiquarian Library," 10 vols., 20s. ; and Boydell's ' River Thames,' 2 vols., folio, original full red morocco, 1794-6, 14/. Under Broadsides is a collection of 17, 1629-99, 21. ; whila another collection issued in the eighteenth century is 21. 5s. A collection of Civil War Tracts, 5 vols., vellum, 1641-60, is 181. Under Costume is Miller's splendid series, beautifully coloured, 9 vols., folio,. 201. A magnificent copy of Brayley and Britton,. the 5 vols extended to 7 by the inclusion of 1,500 additional illustrations, the whole bound in full purple levant morocco by Wright, 1841-8, is 60. Mr. Wilson was twenty years collecting the illus- trations, and the careful mounting and inlaying and. binding alone cost 50/. Among books of views are; Daniell's ' Windsor and Eton,' folio, 1820, 11. 10s. ; and Havell's ' Thames,' 1818, 261. It is impossible; to give an adequate idea of this delightful collec- tion just such a one as readers of ' N. & Q.' would revel in. Of course there is a complete set of our- publication, the price including all the General Indexes, in half calf, being 34/. We cannot resist giving a portion of Mr. Edwards's foot-note to this :.
When all is said and done, ' N. & Q.' stands in front of all publications which open their doors to- those countless items of historical and antiquarian, biographical and literary information which other- wise would be lost, and which are not so much to- be dubbed foot-notes to history as winnowed and
tested elements out of which it is made
' N. & Q.' seems to be indispensable to all."
Mr. John Hitchman, of Birmingham, has in his- List 456 Hartshorne's 'Glass Drinking Vessels.' II. 18s. 6d. (out of print) ; Madame D'Arblay's.
