2»« S, VIIL Oct. 29. '69.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



365 



only refer to two late instances in Ireland. In 

 1854 a person was convicted at the Assizes at 

 Londonderry of the crime, and sentenced to six 

 months' imprisonment; and in November, 1855, a 

 similar offence was committed in Kingstown, co. 

 Dublin, and caused very great excitement. 



Y. S. M. 



Serranus's " Platonis Opera " (2°^ S. viii. 310. 

 311.) — Brunet's French measure of Serranus's 

 Plato of 14 inches 10 lines equals 15| inches Eng- 

 lish measure. The rare ^ne paper of this book is 

 not taller than the common paper copies, but 

 rather wider. H. F. 



^t^reUsneaus. 



NOTES ON BOOKS, ETC. 



j\^ew Exegesis of Shakspeare : Interpretation of his Prin- 

 cipal Characters and Plays on the Principle of Races. 

 (A. & C. Black.) 



The object of this extraordinary volume, certaialy one 

 of the most original which the writings of Shakspeare 

 have ever called forth, is to illustrate the aesthetic imity 

 which Shakspeare had in his own genius; and which, 

 to use the author's own words, "he stamped on his 

 writings by a necessity no less organic." Ethnology 

 is brought to the aid of criticism; and while lago is 

 considered as the type of the Romano-Italic race, 

 Hamlet, " the masterpiece of Shakspeare as a portrait, 

 not as a play," is claimed as an ideal of the Gothic race, 

 and " the hkeness is attested by the native admira- 

 tion." But, " as in the animal system the third or 

 nervous tissue is the mediator, the combiner and the re- 

 gulator of the extreme tissues, so in the social life of 

 Europe the race which executes the like function, of suc- 

 cessively controlling and progressively organising the 

 despotic and dispersive instincts of the Italic and Teu- 

 tonic races, is, as indicated by its history and local posi- 

 tion, the Celtic," — and of this race, of which Shakspeare 

 is -one, Macbeth is in his writings the great tA'pe. Such 

 is this new contribution to Shakspearian literature : and 

 if the writer laughs at those tninores gentium who have 

 sought to illustrate the works of the great dramatist from 

 "old spellings, old readings, old editions, contemporary 

 pamphlets, anecdotes, allusions, personal transactions, 

 account books, localities, dates and days," and prefers him- 

 self to criticise Shakspeare " on the principle of Races," 

 he will doubtless be prepared to hear that such matter- 

 of-fact commentators, while recognising his genius and 

 originality, pronounce his new Exegesis of Shakspeare 

 to be 



". , . a work where nothing's just or fit. 

 One glaring Chaos and wild heap of wit." 



Dura Den : a Monograph of the Yellow Sandstone, and 

 its remarkable Fossil Remains. By John Anderson, D.D., 

 &c. (Constable & Co.) 



This beautiful monograph owes its origin to the dis- 

 covery in November last of more than a thousand fossil 

 fish, within the space of little more than three square 

 3'ards, in the yellow sandstone of Dura Den, near Cupar, 

 Fifeshire. Many of these were of large dimensions, hav- 

 ing their several organs of head, teeth, scales, and fins, 

 most beautifuUj- preserved. They are here presented to 

 the eye of the geologist in a series of carefully tinted 

 lithographs : while an introductory' chapter on the cha- 

 racteristic rocks of the district would prepare a tyro in 



the science to appreciate the discoveries which are next 

 narrated. Altogether, the book forms as complete and 

 useful a manual for the visitor to the district, as could 

 possibly be put into his hands. 



Women Artists of all Ages and Countries. By Mrs. E. 

 F. Emmet. (Bentlej-.) 



Founded in some degree upon a little work published 

 by Professor Guhl of Berlin, but enlarged by many per- 

 sonal details in the history of the female votaries of the 

 brush and chisel, Mrs. Emmet's volume will please two 

 classes of readers. Those who desire to know how women 

 have acquitted themselves in a branch of study which re- 

 quires steady perseverance to be added to genius in 

 order to ensure success, will find in Mrs. Emmet's bio- 

 graphical sketches many instructive examples; while 

 its perusal will animate and delight the second class of 

 readers; and, to use Mrs. Emmet's own words, inspire 

 with courage and resolution those who are anxious to 

 overcome difficulties in the achievement of honourable 

 independence. Many of the biographical sketches are of 

 considerable interest. 



Tlie Quarterly Review, which has just been issued, is 

 altogether a good one, although it does not contain any 

 of those gossipy articles which are so characteristic of 

 The Quarterly. Ai-chitecture in all Countries is a justly 

 laudatory review of Mr. Ferguson's Illustrated Handbook 

 of Architecture. This is followed b3' a capital paper on 

 New Zealand, its Progress and Resources ; and this again 

 by an admirable one on The Geography and Biography of 

 the Bible. In a just and loving criticism of the Idylls of 

 the King — 



" A generous critic fans the Poet's fire. 

 Teaching the world with reason to admire." 



Orchard Houses and Farm Weeds form the subjects of 

 two papers which will be read with profit by those to 

 whom the}' are addressed. A slashing article on Baden 

 Powell's Order of Nature — one of warning on Strikes 

 and their Effects (which should be reprinted cheaply, and 

 widely circulated), and a well-considered paper on The 

 Three Bills of Parliamentary Reform, constitute the 

 graver portion of the Number. 



Books Received. — 



Nursery Poetry. By Mrs. Motherly. (Bell & Dald^'.) 



Mrs. Motherly has succeeded, in what is bj' no means 

 an easj' task, that of writing for little children ; so that 

 her tiny quarto, with its graceful illustrations, will doubt- 

 less soon find favour in " nursery circles." 



Ro7itledge's Illustrated Natural History. By the Rev. J. 

 G. Wood. Part VII. (Routledge & Co.) 



The present, devoted as it is to the history of those 

 friends and companions of man — dogs of all kinds and 

 races — is one of the most interesting Parts of Mr. Wood's 

 amusing work. 



Mr. Booth, of Regent Street, has just published a 

 curious illustration of London* Topography — a view of 

 London Bridge in the time of Elizabeth, by John Norden, 

 hitherto so little known that it may almost be considered 

 as an unpublished plate. 



Those who admire The Fairy Queen, and are interested 

 in the history of the great Elizabethan poet by whom it 

 was written, would do well to read Blr. Keightley's 

 admirable article On the Life of Edmund Spenser, in the 

 October Number of Eraser's Magazine. Speaking of 

 Magazines, we may call attention to a new one. The 

 Constitutional Press, a staunch advocate of Conservative 

 views, to which the authoress of The Heir of Redclyffe is 

 contributing an interesting story, Hopes and Fears ; or, 

 Scenes from the Life of a Spinster. 



