502 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[21* S. X. Dec. 22. '60. 



the writings of the graver historians of their respective 

 periods. Let [any reader test this by seeing the light 

 which Mr. Wilkins's Political Ballads throw upon tlie 

 four volumes of Lord Macaulay — himself a zealous and 

 indefatigable student of cotemporary squibs and satires 

 — and he will at once see the utility and advantage of 

 the collection before us. Mr. Wilkins has taken con- 

 siderable pains in identifying the various personages 

 who figure in the Ballads, and has given us brief sketches 

 of them in his Notes ; he has also, for which he has our 

 thanks, given us an Index. The printing does great 

 credit to Messrs. Spottiswoode & Co. It is everything 

 that can be desired. 



Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury. By Walter 

 Farquhar Hook, D.D., Dean of Chichester. Vol. J. Anglo- 

 Saxon Period. (Bentlej'.) 



We confess that when we first saw the announcement 

 of this work, we felt some misgivings as to the propriety 

 of one who had laboured so long and so well as a parish 

 priest, engaging on a work embracing such a variety' of 

 biographies, going over such an extent of time, and ne- 

 cessarily requiring such deep and varied researches. We 

 feared lest one, so universally respected as Dr. Hook, 

 should do what 'no enemy, if he has one, could do, — 

 diminish his high reputation. Our fears have proved 

 utterly groundless. It appears that during the five- 

 and-thirt3' years that Dr. Hook devoted his energies 

 to pastoral duties, he sought his recreation in the 

 study of Ecclesiastical History ; and now, in his com- 

 parative leisure, seeks to realise the idea of his youth, 

 that a work of the highest interest might, be pro- 

 duced as a history of the English Church — "if placing 

 each Primate in the centre, we were to connect with his 

 biography the ecclesiastical events of his age, and thus 

 associate facts which are overlooked in their insignificant 

 isolation, and customs which, abstractedly considered, are 

 valued only by the antiquary." In the accomplishment 

 of this task. Dr. Hook has had the assistance of many 

 eminent and learned friends ; and when we consider the 

 pains which he has bestowed upon this more remote 

 period of our Church's history, and the liberal spirit 

 which breathes throughout the volume, we cannot doubt 

 that every reader will close it with an earnest desire that 

 the book rtiay make good progress, and that the venerable 

 author may be spared to bring to an end a work full both 

 of interest and of information ; and destined alike to do 

 credit to Dr. Hook, and good service to that Church, of 

 which he is so great an ornament. 



Essays contributed to the Quarterly Review by the Rev. 

 J, J. Blunt, B.D., &e. (Murray.) 



The nature and value of the writings of the late Mar- 

 garet Professor of Divinity are so well known, that we 

 may confine ourselves to pointing out that the volume, 

 which will be welcome to his numerous admirers, con- 

 tains a reprint of no less than fourteen articles contri - 

 buted by him to VaQ.Quarterly Review. They are on the 

 following subjects. I. The Church in India; II. Milton; 

 III. Reformation in Italy; IV. Paley; V. Dr. Paley; 

 VI. Bishop Butler's Works ; VII. Townson's Discourses; 

 VIIL Cranmer; IX. Robert Hall; X. Adam Clarke; 

 XI. Church Rates ; XII. Village Preaching ; XIII. Vil- 

 lage Schools; and XIV. Bishop Butler's Memoirs. 



Memoirs, Biographical and Historical, of Bulstrode 

 Whiteloche, Lord Commissioner of the Great Seal, and 

 Ambassador at the Court of Sweden, at the Period of the 

 Commonwealth. By R. H. Whitelocke, Professor Royal 

 of Wurtemberg. (Routledge & Co.) 



Few conspicuous persons of the seventeenth century 

 were more industrious than Bulstrode Whitelocke, in the 

 composition of works of an autobiographical and histori- 



cal character. Many of these have remained unpublished, 

 either in whole or in part, up to the present time. So far 

 as the present work is founded on the unpublished por- 

 tion of these manuscripts, it has an original value which 

 it is not difficult to appreciate ; and which will render it 

 useful to historical inquirers, in spite of great editorial 

 defects. Whitelocke's manuscripts have been scattered 

 about in a variety of places, few apparently remaining in 

 the possession of his descendants. One written by his 

 third wife, from which the present writer has published 

 some passages, full of curious illustration of the manners 

 and spirit of those times, found its way to the late Mr. 

 Pickering's, and was purchased at one of the sales of his 

 stock b3' " an individual " who " restored it to the true 

 owners." The writer says it was " abstracted from the 

 family about 200 years ago." Some of the Editor's re- 

 marks puzzle us considerably : for example, what is the 

 meaning of a passage in p. 451., in which he designates 

 the British Museum as •' an Institution that would be 

 perfect were it only a little more liberal, by allowing no 

 work of learning or genius to stand in its black book — its 

 Index Expurgatorius." Is there any such black book? 

 Or any law, rule, usage, or practice of any kind, which 

 excludes from the national collection any work of learn- 

 ing or genius? We never heard of, and do not believe 

 in the existence of anything of the kind. 



A Garland of Christmas Carols, Ancient and- Modem. 

 Including some never before given in any Collection. Edited, 

 with Notes, by Joshua Sylvester. (Hotten.) 



Mr. Hotten has not been so fortunate in his Editor as 

 in his Printer. The book, which is a capital specimen of 

 Whittingham's press, contains some beautiful Carols; 

 but Mr. Sylvester has much to learn, before he can claim 

 the character of a competent Editor. Certainlj', the well- 

 known passage in Hamlet — " Some say that ever 'gainst 

 this Seasoyi comes," and — " Blow, blow thou winter's wind," 

 were " never before given in any Collection." But what 

 will the reader say, when we tell him, that the Christmas 

 Hymn from the end of the Prayer Book — " Whilst shep- 

 herds watched," — is gravely introduced in the following 

 terms : " This piece enjoys great popularity in the rural 

 districts. In the west it is frequently to be met with in 

 the local Hymn-books. It is probably not older than the 

 last century." And that of — " Hark J the Herald Angels 

 sing," — which likewise figures in the Collection, Mr. Syl- 

 vester tells us : " This Carol possesses some of the elements 

 of the old legendary Carol ; yet, as one of the oldest and 

 most popular religious hymns, a place is accorded to it 

 here. Each Christmas it is invariably presented to us, 

 with other favourites, by the singers and chapmen ! " While 

 he gravely prints the following note : " A broadside cop}% 

 printed at Hayle, in Cornwall, gives another verse after 

 this ; but the lines appear to have been copied from some 

 local Hymn-book : — 



« ' Veiled in flesh the Godhead, He, &c.' " 



These are dead leaves in the Garland which Mr. Syl- 

 vester would do well to pluck out. The Holly and the 

 Ivy is a very characteristic specimen ; and if all the 

 novelties had equalled it, we could have extended to the 

 Editor the praise which we must now confine to the 

 publisher and his printer. We are glad to see that 

 the Garland of Pepysian Ballads, announced by Mr. Hot- 

 ten, is to be edited by Dr. Rimbault. He is sure to do his 

 work well.* 



We who sail under Captain Cuttle's flag, and adopt 

 his motto, " when found make a note of," are bound to 



* Our Musical Critic speaks in very favourable terms 

 of A Collection of Ancient Christmas Carols arranged for 

 Four Voices by Edmund Sedding, published by Novello. 



