Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 10.djvu/246

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200 NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s.x. MAK.H.UM. making this long-past oppression as vivid to us as an event of yesterday related in the newspaper. The more technical aspects of the subject gain greatly by this for example, the explanations of the deodand, of sanctuary, and of the proof of Englishry ; the survey of the position and duties of the Sheriff; the account of the functions of the unfortunate dozens, and that of the relation of these roving Commissions to the private jurisdictions of the lords of land. On Bills of Eyre Mr. Bolland gives us some most interesting pages, in which the threatening and thunder of the Court are somewhat mitigated. It is pleasant that he should have invented this name, and then found that it was the very name by which medieval lawyers knew them. Outside the scope of these lectures are wider fields of study connected with the Eyres which do not, perhaps, compare in profound human interest with this of their actual functioning, but are important as setting them in their place in the history of the development of administra- tion in Europe. Such are their relation to similar commissions of itinerant justices on the Con- tinent, and their relation to other methods of providing revenue for the Government. For any work on these and like subjects, which Mr. Bolland has very reasonably not touched on, these lectures form an excellent introduction. The Eyres disappear in the first half of Edward III.'s reign, their judicial functions being taken over mainly by the Justices of Assize. A Volume of Oriental Studies. Presented to Professor Edward G. Browne on his 60th Birthday. Edited by T. W. Arnold and Reynold A. Nicholson. (Cambridge University Press.) ORIENTAL studies have made great progress during the last generation. The culture of Islam has always fascinated some small number of minds in the West ; its literature and art have been explored by the curious ; its ethos savoured by the hardier and more adventurous students. But the rather sporadic interest of old days has long since developed into systematic study, and this again into the formation of a body of learning, ripe now for utilization among lovers of learning in general. To no single scholar of our own day can more of this last advance be imputed than to the Pro- fessor of Arabic at Cambridge. To knowledge he adds enthusiasm and to enthusiasm, the power of directing and inspiring other minds to a singular degree. The peculiarly graceful tribute of a collection of essays by distinguished fellow- workers in his own subject is thus most appro- priately offered to him, and the response to the suggestion has come from a very wide circle. The forty-three papers composing the book were contributed by Orientalists of no fewer .than eleven nationalities. We believe this to be the first English work since the war in which German savants have collaborated. The topics dealt with present an abundant variety lexicography and bibliography ; exegesis and grammar ; the relations between Christianity and Islam ; ethical and religious conceptions in Islam and in Zoi oastrianism ; accounts of Arabic and Persian MSS. ; folk-lore and survivals of ancient customs and ideas ; literary criticism ; architecture ; genealogy ; the discussion of historical problems these by no means exhaust the aspects under which Oriental thought, life and art are here presented. For more definite indication of the diversity in the contents of this rich collection of treasure we may mention Dr. Palacios Asin's ' Influencias evangelicas en la Literatura religiosa del Islam ' ; Dr. E. Edwards's list of rare and important Arabic and Persian MSS. from the collections of Hajjl 'Abdu'J-MajId Belshah ; Dr. Carra de Vaux's ' Notice sur un Calendrier Turc ' ; Dr. Horten's ' Die Entwicklungsfahigkeit des Islam auf ethischem Gebiete ' ; Dr. Jackson's ' Visit to the Tomb of Baba Tahir at Hamadan' and Dr. Margoliouth's ' The Sense of the Title Khalifah.' Dr. Muhammad Shafi of Lahore contributes ' A Description of the Two Sanctu- aries of Islam,' by Ibn ' Abd Rabbihi. Dr. Nallirio discusses ' Tracce di opere greche giunte agli Arabi per trafila Pehlevica.' Mr. Nicholson's contribution is an essay on Pir Jamal illuminated by several of those graceful translations which he has taught admirers of his work to expect from him. CASANOVA. WE are glad to call our readers' attention to the appearance of the new centenary edition of the ' Memoires de Jacques Casanova de Seingalt ' of which the first volume was published on March 1. It is a reproduction of the editio princeps of 1826-1838 the text of Laforgue to which are added the variants in the von Schutz (1822-1828) and Rozez (1860) editions. It contains introductions, notes, both critical and historical, unpublished papers from the MSS. of Casanova and numerous illustrations. M. Raoul Veze is the editor ; and he here draws together the work of numerous collaborators, among them our valued contributors Mr. Horace Bleackley, Dr. Tage Bull and Mr. Francis Steuart. Casanovists among our readers will hardly need to be told that to Mr. Bleackley in particular the new edition acknowledges great indebtedness. It is proposed to issue the whole in twelve volumes, of which from four to six will appear each year. Particulars may be obtained from La Sirene, 29, Boulevard Malesherbes, Paris (8e). ENGLISH ARMY SLANG AS USED IN THE GREAT WAR. We propose to insert three or four new lists of words in our number for March 18. They are chiefly from India and the East. CORRIGENDUM. At ante, p. 163, col. ii., last line but one of second paragraph, for " Carmichael " read Macmichael. to Corregponbente. EDITORIAL communications should be addressed to " The Editor of ' Notes and Queries ' " Adver- tisements and Business Letters to " The Pub- lisher " at the Office, Printing House Square, London, E.C.4 ; corrected proofs to The Editor, ' N. & Q..' Printing House Square, London, E.C.4. ALL communications intended for insertion in our columns should bear the name and address of the sender not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.