508 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2nd s. V. 129., JoifE 19. '68. 



meaning colour. It is easy to prove that this in- 

 stitution of caste — so despotic in India — has been 

 from the earliest times, and is still the character- 

 istic of all the Indo-European races of men. Al- 

 though vastly modified by Christianity, and other 

 causes incidental to the races of Ai'ynn origin (ab- 

 surdly called Caucasian), caste exists as it has 

 always existed, far beyond the regions where it 

 became, from circumstances, elaborately deve- 

 loped. It is one of the many distinct character- 

 istics of the Aryan race, as contradistinguished 

 from all others, Andrew Steinmbtz. 



NOTES ON BOOKS, ETC. 



It is verj' difficult, within the limited space which we 

 can devote to such purposes, to convey to the readers of 

 " N. & Q." a satisfactory notion of the value and extent 

 of such a book as The Histori/ of Herodotus. A new English 

 Version, edited with copious Notes and Appendices, illusti-at- 

 ing the History and Geography of Herodotus, from the most 

 recent Sources of Information ; arid embodying the Chief 

 Results, Historical and Ethnographical, which have been 

 obtained in the Progress of Cuneiform and Hieroglyphical 

 Discovery. By George Rawlinson, M.A., ^-c, assisted by 

 Col. Sir Henry Rawlinson, K.C.B., and Sir J. G. Wilkin- 

 son, F.R.S., in Four Volumes, with Maps and Illustrations. 

 Of tlieae four volumes, two only have appeared ; and in- 

 stead of merely asserting their great value and interest to 

 all who desire to study the Father of History, we will en- 

 deavour to prove it by showing what is the amount of 

 new illustrations which Mr. Rawlinson, with the assist- 

 ance of his learned kinsman Sir Henry Rawlinson, and of 

 Sir Gardner Wilkinson, has been able to throw upon the 

 ■writings of Herodotus. The first volume opens with an 

 Essaj- on the Life and Writings of Herodotus ; in which 

 we have first an outline of his life, then an inquiry as to 

 the sources from Avhieh he compiled his history, and, 

 thirdly, an examination of his merits and defects as a 

 historian. We have then a translation of the first book, 

 Clio, which is followed bj' no less than eleven Essays in 

 illustration of it : viz. I. On the Earlj^ Chronology and 

 History of Lydia. II. On the Physical and Political 

 Geography of Asia Minor. III. On the Chronology and 

 History of the Great Median Empire. IV. On the Ten 

 Tribes of the Persians. V. On the Religion of the An- 

 cient Persians. VI. On the Early History of Babylonia. 

 VII. On the Chronology and History of the great Assy- 

 rian Empire. VIII. On the History of the later Baby- 

 lonians. IX. On the Geography of Slesopotamia and the 

 adjacent Countrie.*!. X. On the Religion of the Babylo- 

 nians and Assyrians; and XI. On the Ethnic AfRnities of 

 the Nations of Western Asia. Besides the bust of Herodo- 

 tus, and a map of Western Asia, the volume contains no less 

 than twenty-seven woodcuts. The second volume opens 

 with a translation of the second book, Euterpe, which is 

 followed by an Appendix in eight chapters : viz. I. The 

 Eg5'ptians before the Reign of tlieir King Psammetichus 

 believed themselves to be the most ancient of Mankind. 

 II, The Egyptians were the first to discover the Solar 

 Year. III. First brought into Use the Names of the 

 Twelve Gods, which the Greeks adopted from them. IV. 

 When Moeris was King. V. Have two quite different 

 Kinds of Writing, Sacred and Common. VI. Gynmastic 

 Contests. VII. Geometry first known in Egypt, whence 

 jt passed into Greece. VIII. Historical Notice of Egypt. 



The translation of the third book, Thalia, then follows ; 

 and has a like Appendix in four chapters, which treat : — ■ 

 I. On the Worship of Venus Urania, throughout the 

 East. II. On the Magian Revolution and the Reign of 

 the pseudo-Smerdis. III. On the Persian System of Ad- 

 ministration and Government. IV. On the Topography of 

 Babylon. When we add that this second volume contains 

 nearly two hundred woodcut illustrations, besides maps, 

 &c., our readers can judge as well as ourselves of the 

 value and importance of Rawlinson's Herodotus. 



The Chancellor of the Exchequer's vivid and fervid 

 sketch of the life of his friend the great Champion of the 

 Protectionist Party has just been reprinted. Its re- 

 publication is well-timed ; and Lo7-d George Bentinch, a 

 Political Biography, by the Rt. Hon. B. Disraeli, M.P., 

 will be read with advantage, not only as a summary of 

 the parliamentary history of a very eventful period, but 

 as an exposition of the political principles of the writer, 

 and of the party in which he now occupies so important 

 a position. 



Let us recommend to the notice of readers interested 

 in our early national history a little volume, England 

 under the Norman Occupation, by James I*'. Morgan, M.A. 

 Mr. Morgan has obviously studied Domesday Book with 

 great care and attention, and in a few pages furnishes a 

 picturesque and instructive sketch of the Conqueror's 

 policj', and of the general social condition of the country 

 when that great national Survey was undertaken. 



On Monday last the British Museum purchased at 

 Messrs. Sotheby & Wilkinson's for 315/. the autograph 

 signature of Shakspeare, considered to be the finest in 

 existence, which is affixed to the mortgage deed of a 

 house in Blackfriars, dated March 11, 1612-13. Al- 

 though the sum is large, we think the Museum did 

 wi.sely in securing for the great national collection this 

 interesting memorial of our greatest national genius. 



Messrs. Sotheby & Wilkinson will commence on Mon- 

 day, the 28th of this month, a sixteen days' sale of the 

 first portion of Dr. Bliss's valuable library. 



We hope next week to give a report of the prices, &c., 

 of the choicest lots in the Surrenden Collection of Books 

 and MSS., which have just been sold by Messrs, Puttick 

 & Simpson. 



BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES 



WANTED TO rURCIIASE. 



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

 the gentlemen by who n tliey are required, and whoae names and ad- 

 dresses are giveu for that purpose. 



WEt.LiNOTou's DB3rATcuEs(12 Tolumc cdition). Vols. II. III. V. and 

 XII. 



Wanted by Messrs. Blackwood ^- Som, Edinburgh. 



MfMoiKS OF Sib WAtTEn Scott. Second edition. Cadell. 1839. I2mo. 



Vol. IV. 

 Wanted by Messrs. Hcmingham ^ lioUis, Booksellers, 5. Mount Street. 



^otfcc^ to CarrciJiJOulJeuW. 



We are compelled to postpone untU next week A. A. W.'s pape'' on 

 Crashaw and Shelley, Mr. Masson's Monthly Feuillcton of French 

 Literature, and other articles of interest. 



A. L. W. jf'Ae liigit Hon. A". Zowe, the Member for Kidderminster. 



J. J. M. (Belfastl. For the derivation of San Graal, see our 1st S. iii. 

 224.281,282.413. 483. 

 Erbatom. — 2ad S. v. 410. col, 2. 1. 15. omit " Colonel Churchill." 

 "Notes and QuERiEg" is piiblijihed at noon on Friday, and is also 

 issued in Montiii-v Pahts. TUe subscription for Stamped Copies for 

 Six Months forwarded direct from the Publishers (including the Half- 

 pearly Index) is lis. id., which may be paid by Post O^ce Order in 

 favour o/'Messhs. Bell and DALDif,186. Fleet Street, 1.,C.; to whom 

 aU Commonioations for the Editor should be addressed. 



