9- s. vm. A. 24, 1901.) NOTES AND QUERIES.
175
interesting and important of beings, and his history,
it may be said with little fear of exaggeration, is
more important than that of any people. In favour
of the literature which gave us the Old Testament,
with all its unparalleled glories, what is to be said ?
What is there that should be said? We are not
advancing as important statements which are neces-
sarily commonplace. We are but affirming that the
interest of this noble work extends to non-Jewish
readers, and that no student of the problems lite-
rary, social, .philological, or theological by which
the world is most stirred can help profiting by
its possession, or can fail to find himself under
grievous disqualification if he be denied oppor-
tunities of access. In every public library of
importance it is bound to find a place. One branch
of study wholly non-political will appeal directly
to a large number of our readers. Or the explora-
tions in Palestine and in the matters of Assyriplogy,
Egyptology, and the like, which are in highest
favour, the 'Encyclopaedia' gives the latest and
most interesting results. The connexion between
Hellenistic and Hebrew literature, the texts of the
Septuagint of Aquila and Theodotion, the works
of Philo Judseus, and other matters are dealt with
in critical studies which English scholarship will
not dream of neglecting. Some of these are, indeed,
matters in which English compilations supposed to
be authoritative are most behindhand. The Tal-
mud and Rabbinical literature constitute a world
in themselves. The important histories of Jewish
literature, but little known in England, of German
writers from Zunz to Winter and W^iinsche, the
authors (or compilers, rather) of ' Jiidische Litera-
tur,' have been carefully studied. The Jewish reli-
gious philosophy of mediaeval times and the ethical
teaching of Raobinical Judaism are for the first
time dealt with consistently and thoroughly. Illus-
trations have been abundantly employed, the
frontispiece consisting of a beautifully coloured
design of the Ark of the Law. A coloured plate
of the animals of the Bible is also given, as are
many views from photographs and reproductions
of engravings from works of established authority,
facsimiles, and the like.
The first article of primary importance is ' Aaron,' among bearers of the name who are dealt with being Aaron of Lincoln, whose well-known house in Lincoln, supposed to be the oldest stone resi- dence in England the date of which can be fixed, is depicted. Curious proof of the minute provisions of the Talmudic law may be found under ' Abduc- tion,' 'Abetment,' 'Ablution,' and other headings. An important essay on ' Abraham ' is by Prof. Toy, of Harvard University ; and one on ' Accent ' by Dr. Margolis, who declares the accents in the ordinary editions of the Bible " to be too frequently 'unreliable,'" a base word which, coming from an American, may be passed. Accompanying ' Adam ' we find a fine design (or perhaps designs) 01 our first parents from the ' Sarajevo Haggadah ' of the four- teenth century. The various papers on Adam constitute a mine of curious information. Under ' Adam Kadmon ' is explained Philo's mystical conception of the original man. Under ' Adonai ' interesting information is furnished. Mr. Joseph Jacobs writes on ' ^sop's Fables.' Rabbi S. Ivahii deals with 'African Jews,' a subject concerning which little is known. 'Agriculture' and 'Agri- cultural Colonies' are among the most important >nd edifying contents of the volume. The matter connected with Ahasuerus, otherwise Xerxes, will
probably be more fully treated under Esther or
Ishtar and Mordecai. The present article seems
reticent. Much more ample is the treatment of
the Ahikar legend and of Ahriman. References to
anti-Semitism are frequent. They occur under
'Apion'(the MO^OOQ of Suidas), the Greek gram-
marian and bitter enemy of Josephus, under
'Alsace (the Persecution in),' and under 'Anti-
Semitism.' A full history of recent demonstrations
is supplied. Anti-Semitism, it is stated, does not
exist in either England or the United States,
though a feeling against the Jews is said to mani-
fest itself in " social discriminations." Some excel-
lent illustrations of ' Altars ' are supplied. The
articles on ' Apocalypse ' and ' Apocalyptic Litera-
ture' repay close study. Concerning Apella in
Horace's satire " Credat Judaeus Apella," it is stated
that Apella, as this very credulous person is called,
does not seem to be a Jewish name at all. It may be
worth while to give the names of those who, signing
the preface, are presumably responsible for this
laudable and magnificent undertaking. They are,
in addition to Isidore Singer, Cyrus Adler, Gott-
hard Deutsch, Louis Ginzberg, Richard Gottheil,
Joseph Jacobs, Marcus J astro w, Morris Jastrow,
Jun., Kaufmann Kohler, Frederick de Sola Mendes.
and Crawford H. Toy. It is not to be doubted
that the response will be adequate to the merits of
the undertaking.
The Complete Works of John Gower. Edited by G. C. Maoaulay. Vols. II. and III. The English Works. (Oxford, Clarendon Press.) UPON the appearance of the first volume of ' The Complete W orks of John Gower ' we drew attention to the character and aims of the edition and the circumstances attendant upon its publication (see 9 th S. v. 58). The second and third volumes con- tain ' Confessio Amantis,' the best-known and most important of Gower's works, and a short poem, ' To King Henry the Fourth in Praise of Peace,' together with an historical preface, notes, and a glossary and index of proper names. A fourth volume, com- pleting the work, will consist presumably of the ' Vox Clamantis,' to the character of which we have previously referred, with probably its con- tinuation, the ' Chronica Tripartite' By' the ' Con- fessio Amantis ' Gower has been and will continue to be known. It has won a recognition in advance of its poetical merits, but it will stand comparison with similar collections of stories in verse or prose of its own or a subsequent date. Gower indeed, although Lowell says that he raised "tediousness to the precision of a science," was a good story-teller, and versifies with some spirit in his eight books narratives from the Bible, 'Gesta Romanorum,' Josephus, Ovid, and the classical writers popular in mediaeval times. We cannot, of course, occupy our space with analysis or criticism of a work which, however few its readers may now be, is in a sense a classic. " Moral Gower" is a phrase due to Chaucer, his whilom friend, and was probably given in allusion to the mpralizings with which Gower accompanied his stories, sometimes passably licen- tious. According to English ideas of to-day, and to the signification now attached to the word, the term "moral" applied to Gower is not much more appropriate than it is in the 'Contes Moraux' of Marmontel. Edifying are no doubt the reflections with which the confessor sent by Venus con- soles the hero lover, but the stories themselves, those especially of the eighth book, deal tenderly
