480 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2°dS.N<>76„JuNEl3.'67. 



NOTES ON BOOKS, ETC. 



As the question, " Who wrote the Waverley Novels ? " 

 which has recently been discussed, was originally pro- 

 mulgated in " N. & Q.," we feel bound to insert the fol- 

 lowing letter which appeared in The Times of Friday, 

 June 5th : — 



" Sir, — As the daughters of the late Mr. and Mrs. 

 Thomas Scott, we desire to offer to the public, through 

 your journal, our full and entire contradiction of a report 

 which has been circulated, and which claims for our 

 parents some participation, less or more, in the author- 

 ship of the ' Waverley Novels.' We shall be greatly 

 obliged by your giving publicity to our declaration that 

 these surmises are entirely false. — We have the honour 

 to be. Sir, your obedient servants, Jessie Huxley, Anne 

 EuTHEKFORD ScoTT, Eliza C. Peat. June 3." 



It need scarcely be added by us, that this Letter con- 

 firms in every i-espect the opinion which we gave upon 

 the subject ; and which induced us to bring to a close 

 the discussion of this question in our columns. 



We need scarcely remind such of the readers of " N. & 

 Q." as "have music in their souls," that the Grand Festi- 

 val at the Crystal Palace, when, to use the words of an 

 enthusiastic writer on the subject, " Handel in His 

 Giant Majesty will have a worthy offering paid to his 

 genius," will be celebrated by the performance on Mon- 

 day next of The Messiah, on Wednesday of Judas Mac- 

 cabeus, and on Friday of Israel in Egypt. What effects 

 may be looked for — from an orchestra consisting of 2000 

 chorus singers, being 500 to each of the four vocal parts — 

 with a band comprising 400 performers, viz. 160 violins, 

 50 each of violas, violoncellos, and double basses, and 

 quadruple wind-instruments, thus forming with principal 

 singers an entire orchestra of nearly 2500 performers, 

 with an organ of extraordinary power — when such cho- 

 ruses as " Worth}' is the Lamb " and " Hallelujah," or 

 " He trusted in God," of The Messiah — the " Hailstone," 

 the "Horse and his Rider," or the "Thick Darkness," 

 choruses of Israel in Egypt — the "Fallen is the Foe," 

 " Hear us, O God," " O Father," or " We worship God," 

 with the Hallelujah of Judas Maccabeus — are given forth 

 in that enormous fabric on this stupendous and unpre- 

 cedented scale. Such volumes of sweet sound maj' well, 

 as Milton says — 



" Dissolve one into ecstacies. 

 And bring all heaven before our ej'es." 



This mention of the Handel Festival reminds us of a 

 little volume which may on this occasion be most appro- 

 priately brought under the notice of our readers. It is 

 entitled Music, the Voice of Harmony in Creation; se« 

 lected and arranged by Mary Jane Estcourt. It is a selec- 

 tion of passages from our -best writers in prose and verse, 

 undertaken for the purpose of showing " how wonderful 

 and incomprehensible music is ; and j'et that the nearer 

 it is traced to its sources, the better it will be understood 

 and the more it will be appreciated, as a link connecting 

 this earth and heaven." Taken simply as a selection 

 of beautiful passages, to show how music and sweet 

 poetry agree, it is a delightful little book for a drawing- 

 room table ; but to the drawing-room of a lover of music, 

 it will be a very treasure. 



Those who have taken an interest in the literary his- 

 tory of that popular story-book, Reynard the Fox, a book 

 which in its day had probably as many readers as Pil- 

 grim's Progress or liohinson Crusoe, will be aware that one 

 of the most rare of the many rave editions of it has been 

 Soltau's English metrical version. It is a literary cu- 

 riosity, being a translation into English doggrel by a 

 German ; but, from some reason or other, was apparently 

 withdrawn from circulation soon after its first publica- 



tion. The lovers of Reynardine story have, however, to 

 thank Messrs. Williams & Norgate for unearthing this 

 old Fox ; and we would recommend those who are col- 

 lectors of Reynards, as we believe only a few copies have 

 been discovered, to lose no time in securing Reynard the 

 Fox — a burlesque Poem of the Fifteenth Century, trans- 

 lated from the Low- German Original, by D. W. Soltau. 



Books Received. — The Metaphysicians, being a Me- 

 moir of Franz Carvel, Brushmaker, written by himself: and 

 of Harold Fremdling, Esquire, written and now republished 

 by Francis Drake, Esq., loith Discussions and Revelations 

 relating to Speculative Philosophy, Morals, and Social 

 Progress. These two stories, albeit they are metaphysical 

 stories, well deserve perusal. Much wit, much wisdom, 

 and much right feeling and sound morality, will be found 

 embodied in two narratives which are certainly of a very 

 original character. 



The Barefooted Maiden. A Tale, by Berthold Auer- 

 bach, illustrated by Edward H. Wehnert. Beautifully 

 got up ; this little tale, which is very characteristic of 

 Auerbach, is well calculated to increase the reputation of 

 its amiable author. 



Xenophon's Minor Works, comprising the Agesilaus, 

 Tliero, ^conomicus, Banquet, Apology of Socrates, The 

 Treatises on the Lacedcemonian and Athenian Governments, 

 on Revenues of Athens, on Horsemanship, on the Duties of 

 a Cavalry Officer, and on Hunting. Literally translated 

 from the Greek, with Notes and Illustrations, by the Rev. 

 J. S. Watson, M.A., M.R.S.L., forms this month's issue of 

 Bohn's Classical Library, and completes the translation of 

 Xenophon's works in that most useful series. 



BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES 



WANTED TO PURCHASE. 



Dr. Edward Yoono's Poeticai, Works. 2 Vols. 1762. 



*** Letters, stating particulars and lowest price, carriage free, to be 

 sent to Messrs. Bell & Daldy, Publishers of " NOTES AND 

 QUERIES," 186. Fleet Street. 



Particulars of Price, &c., of the following Books to be sent direct to 

 the gentlemen by whom they are required, and wliose names and ad- 

 dresses are given for that purpose : 



The Examination Papers of thb Sooiett op Arts fob 1856. 



Wanted by E. Qreenwood, 1. Cornwall Terrace, Stratford, Essex. 



Tales by a Barrister. Second Edition. Vol. I. 0. Edmands, 151. 

 Strand. 

 Wanted by Eev. John G. Jackson, 17. Sutton Place, Lower Clapton. 



Zeillebi Topoobaphi« Gallic. 4 Vols. Folio. Vellum, Frankfort, 

 1605, &c. Containing Parts 2, 3, & 4. Vol. 11. 



AVanted by John Wilson, Berwick. 



fiaHtti to €aKxti'^Q\xtitxxti»' 



The length of our Notes on Recent Book Sales must he our apology 

 for the sliortness qf the Notes on Books in our present No. We are glad 

 to find that our intention to notify the sale of rare volumes is so univer- 

 sally approved. 



W. T. The lines quoted by Sir James Graham — 



" Men's evil manners live in brass ; their virtues 

 Are writ in water," — 

 are from Shahspeare's Henry VIII., Act iv. Sc. 2. 



A. Ker. Any second-hand bookseller would supply a copy of The 

 Whole Duty of Man. Bespecting its authorship, see the General Index 

 to 1st S. of " N. & Q.," p. 7., art. Anonymous Works. 



A. B. For the etymology o/ Handicap, see our 1st S. xi. 131. 491. 



Errata. _2nd S. iii. 437. col.2. 1. 3. from bottom, /or " Tarsanah '* ,j 

 read " Tarsanah ; " p. 438. col. 1. 1. 2.,/or " makanal " read "makanat." 



"Notes and Quebies" is published at noon on Friday, and is also 

 issued in Monthlv Parts. The subscription for Stamped Copies for 

 &1X Months forwarded direct from the Publishers (including the Half- 

 yearly Index) is Us. Id., which may be paid by Post Office Order in 

 favour q/' Messrs. Bell and Daldy, 186. Fleet Street, E.G.; to whom 

 also all Commdnioations for xhb Editor should be, addressed. 



I 



