358 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2'^d S. X. Nov. 3. 'GO. 



ders and benefactors of the University ; the for- 

 mer, as its name also implies, that at which 

 something is done. The principal practical effect 

 of the Act is, that at that period a form is gone 

 through by which all Masters of Arts who have 

 graduated as such since the last Act, are admitted 

 to the Regency or right of voting. 



A Eesident M.A. 



Your correspondent's Query requiring some ex- 

 planation of the above term has not yet, I believe, 

 been noticed. The Oxford Act is the first Tuesday 

 in July, the preceding Sunday being also called Aci 

 Sunday ; and has its origin in the exeixises so called 

 performed at this time by students previous to their 

 admission to degrees in the superior foculties. The 

 time when Masters and Doctors present themselves 

 for their degrees, called at Oxford the Act, coin- 

 cides with the Cambridge "Commencement." 



If I maybe allowed to append a few Queries to 

 my reply, What constitutes the distinction, if any 

 exists, between the Oxford, Cambridge, and Dub- 

 lin Acts ? I use this not as a terminal phrase, 

 but as denoting the exercise itself; are these 

 academical disputations delivered at both the lat- 

 ter Universities in Latin ? And in what form are 

 they conducted ? In law, for instance, are the 

 qualifications, or tests of proficiency required of 

 students, written treatises, or extemporaneous dis- 

 cussions ? And is Latin composition the invari- 

 able rule for all degrees in law and physic ? 



F. Phillott. 



NOTES ON BOOKS. 



Arcliaologia Cantiana ; being Transactions of the Kent 

 ArchcBohgical Society. Vol. II. (Printed for the Society.) 



We congratulate the men of Kent on the fact that, 

 high as was the standard both for materials and form in 

 which they should be produced, fixed by the appear- 

 ance of the first volume of their Transactions, this second 

 volume comes quite up to it. We shall not occupy our 

 limited space by notices either of the valuable Papers or 

 fitting Illustrations it contains, but content ourselves 

 with two words to the Subscribers, — one of warning, 

 that they will do justice neither to themselves nor to 

 their Secretary, if in future volumes they leave solely to 

 him the duty of finding materials for that most interesting 

 division of the book, the Miscellanea, — the other, a word 

 of hope that they will remember the great importance of 

 the Pedes Finium and Inquisitiones post Mortem, and 

 continue to be well pleased to see so large a portion of 

 their Transactions devoted to what is really of great his- 

 torical value, but which may perhaps, to many whose 

 zeal for archaeology exceeds their knowledge, appear to 

 possess too little general interest. 



Introduction to the History of French Literature. By 

 Gustave Masson, B.A., M.R.S.L., Assistant Master at Har- 

 row School, vtc (A. & C. Black.) 



This is an excellent text- book on the Historj- of French 

 Literature, and as such well adapted for the use of public 

 schools and universities. Thoroughly master of his sub- 

 ject, and, as our readers know, thoroughly master of our 

 language, M. Masson has peculiar fitness for the task he 



has undertaken. He gives in a few neat words the cha- 

 racteristics of the different epochs, and of the most emi- 

 nent writers in each ; and then, in order that those wh» 

 desire to know more upon any particular point may have 

 no difficulty in procuring such information, he winds up 

 each chapter with a List of Books of Reference and of best 

 editions. So that, with the addition of a capital Index, 

 the work is a model of completeness. 



Anecdote Biography. Second Series. By John Timbs 

 I F.S.A. (Bentley.) 



I This Second Series is well calculated to sustain, or even 



j increase, the popularityof Mr. Timbs's excellent and well- 



I carried-out idea of an Anecdote Biography — in uhich, by 



a series of well-chosen anecdotes told in order of time, the 



points of character and incidents in the lives of the indi- 



; viduals may be attractively illustrated. In the present 



j volume Mr. Tirabs thus furnishes us with pleasant sketches 



of the six greatest painters of the English School, namelj% 



I Hogarth, Rej'nolds, Gainsborough, Fuseli, Lawrence, and 



I Turner — and a most amusing and instructive little vo- 



I lume it is. 



' Bilder aus Alt-England (^Pictures from Old England'). 

 ! Von Reinhold Pauli. (Williams & Norgate.) 

 i The learned editor of Gower's Confessio Amantis, §'c., 

 ! has here produced a series of sketches from Old English 

 I History, which our antiquarian friends will read with 

 ' much delight. When we say that these papers relate to 

 such subjects as Canterbury in the Olden Time — Parlia- 

 ment in the Fourteenth Century; England's Earliest dela- 

 tions with Austria and Prussia ; Louis IV. and Edward 

 III. ; the Hans Steelyard in London ; Henry V. and 

 Sigismund ; the Maid of Orleans; Duke Humphrey ; Goiver; 

 \ Chaucer ; Wichliff; and London in the Middle Ages ; we 

 have said quite sufficient to direct attention to Dr. Pauli's 

 interesting volume. 



Messrs. De La Rue & Co. have just issued in a great 

 variety of forms, sizes, and prices their Improved In- 

 delible Diary and Memorandum Book for 1861. Edited 

 by Norman Poulson, F.K.A.S., Director of the Harfwell 

 Observatory, Aylesbury. We have so repeatedly called 

 attention to the mass of useful information condensed inta 

 De La Rue's Diaries and Bed Letter Calendars, and to 

 the great taste displayed in their getting up, that we 

 need on this occasion only advert to the novel garb in 

 which the smaller one for the use of ladies presents itself; 

 and which would make it a fitting Diary forTitania's self 

 to use. 



BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES^;' 



WAKTED TO PUUCIIASB. 



Particulars of Price, &c.,of the followinpr Book to be sent direct to 

 tlie gentleman by wliom it is required, Eud wliose name and address 

 are given below. 

 Lodoe's Poutbaits and Memoirs op Illustriocs Person.vges. Srd 



Edition. Parts 50 to the end. 



Wanted by Itcv. )('. /J.vie, Jesus College, Oxford. 



^.aiitti tfl Cflrrj^j30ntfcnt^. 



Ve are compelled hi/ the vast amount of materials pressing for inser- 

 tion to omit many iiiterestina Papers, and many of our Notes on BooUs, 

 including tliose on Mr. MacCabe's Agnes Arnold ; Mr. Keightley's Manse 

 of Mastland, and several other moi-fcs of Fiction. 



Answers to Correspondents in our next. 



EHiiATA._2nd S. X. p. 312. col. i. l."4. /or " readings " rea'^'readi- 

 ness ;" p. 336. col. ii. 1. 10. o/Ver "mortales " insert " mentem." 



" NoTKs AND QoBHiis" IS published at noon on Friday, and is also 

 issued in Monthly Parts. Jhe subscription for Stamped Copies Pir 

 .'•ix Montlts forwarded direct from the Publishers (includin/i the llaU- 

 yarly Index) is Us. 4d., which may be paid by Post Once Order m 

 fivour of Messrs. Bell and Daldt.ISB. Fleet Street, E.G.! to u-hom 

 all CoMMONicATiows FOR TEB EoiTOB should be addressed. 



