9. s. vm. AUG. s, 1901.] NOTES AND QUERIES.
115
of which work MR. WHALE may be referred
for a use of the phrase, as French, earlier
than the date he names. Is it worth while
noting, for the same ' Supplement,' that in
1856 a book was published entitled ' Gleanings
after "Grand Tour "-ists,' by R. 1
O. O. H.
An earlier reference to the " Grand Tour " may be found in the preface to Richard Lassel's 'Voyage of Italy, 1670, where he says :
" No man understands Livy and Caesar, Guiccar- din and Montluc, like him who hath made exactly the Grand Tour of France and the Giro of Italy."
J. F. FEY.
RURAL DEANERIES (9 th S. viii. 64). MR. HUSSEY appears to have overlooked the pre- vious communications to * N. & Q.' on this matter. In 2 nd S. ii. 89 he will find a some- what similar question, and a reply at p. 120, stating that a report was issued by the Com- missioners appointed to inquire into the Ecclesiastical Revenues of England and Wales, which was presented to both Houses of Parliament on 16 June, 1835. References to other works bearing on the subject in 5 th S. i. 269, 392, give much valuable informa- tion, and iii. 44, 94, the arms of the deaneries.
EVERARD HOME COLEMAN. 71, Brecknock Road.
'THE SYNAGOGUE' (9 th S. viii. 44). MR. D. SMITH may be interested to know that there is an illustrated article on Christopher Harvey, vicar of Clif ton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire, author of 'The Synagogue,' in the Rugby Magazine for January. In 'The Complete Angler' (ch. v.) Walton alludes to Harvey as " a reverend and learned Divine " and as " a friend of mine," and quotes one of his poems, to which he appends the author's name. In all subsequent editions of ' The Synagogue ' Harvey's name appears on the title-page. It is to be regretted that no memorial stone marks Harvey's grave at Clifton. According to the register he was buried there on 4 April, 1663. JOHN T. PAGE.
West Haddon, Northamptonshire.
NOTES Oft BOOKS, &o.
An English Commentary on Dante's Divine Comedy. By the Rev. H. F. Tozer, M.A. (Oxford, Claren- don Press.)
IF no royal road to the knowledge of Dante is provided the English scholar, it is not for want of effort on the part of critics. Apart from the voluminous commentaries of Lombardi, Landino,
Figino, Velutello, and others of the ancients, in
whose editions "a neat rivulet of text" meanders
" through a meadow of " explanation, modern
writers English, Italian, and German have
rendered important service in supplying a trust-
worthy text and helpful illustration. Oxford
scholars have been exemplarily diligent in the
matter of textual criticism, and the writings of
Dr. E. Moore and the * Dictionary ' of Mr. Paget
Toynbee have received merited recognition at our
hands. The publication by the Clarendon Press
in a convenient volume of all the works of Dante
was a boon to scholarship, and its appearance has
greatly facilitated the task Mr. Tozer has accom-
plished. The work, as we have proven, is eminently
helpful. An "argument" is prefixed to each canto,
and a prefatory note to each of the three main
divisions and to other portions of the work ; the
significance of difficult words is explained from
the poet's own works, and much pains have been
spent on investigating the authorities on whom
Dante, who had no Greek, relied. This is a
specially important feature, since writers such
as Orosius to whom Dante, in common with
mediaeval thinkers, turned have now lost all
authority. The commentary is the same size as the
edition of ' Tutte le Opere,' and the two volumes
will stand side by side on the shelves of all lovers
of Dante. Where passages offering some difficulty
are reached Mr. Tozer is generally in accord with
Mr. Toynbee and Dr. Moore. This is but natural,
the three men working in close association. An
example of how closely they agree is furnished in a
note on ' Inferno,' xxviii. 1. 135, on " Re giovane,"
which reading is adopted instead of "Re Gio-
vanni," in favour of which MS. authority is very
strong.
The Cathedral Church of Ely. By the Rev. W. D Sweeting, M. A. The Cathedral Church of Bristol By H. J. L. Masse, M.A. The Abbey Churches of Bath and Malmesbury and the Church of Saint Lawrence, Bradford -on -Avon. Bv the Rev T Perkins, M.A. (Bell & Sons.)
To Bell's admirable "Cathedral Series" and the supplementary series of "Great Churches" three important additions have been made. First and most important is Mr. Sweeting's excellent account of Ely, which contests with Wells and Lichfield supremacy in loveliness, and is held by its latest historian to be, in regard to situation, surpassed "only, if at all, in England by Durham and Lincoln." Ely can be quite well seen, Mr. Sweet- ing tells us, from the tower of Peterborough which as the crow flies is about thirty-five miles distant. It can, however, be best seen close at hand ; and a glorious and an inspiriting object when thus seen it is. The view from the south which supplies the frontispiece, is exquisite, and both the octagon and the lady chapel may rank as dreams. Scarcely less impressive is the view from the east of the choir. Mr. Sweeting's his- torical account of the church, the monastery and the see is excellent in all respects.
An impression of massiveness is conveyed bv Bristol Cathedral, the exterior appearance of which however, does not assign it a prominent place among English cathedrals. Much of the edifice is new. Mr. Masse, who is also responsible for the account of Gloucester Cathedral, furnishes a full description of the edifice and its history. Two of the bells in the tower are of pre-Restoration date
