NOTES 
AND QUERIES 
A MEDIUM OF INTER-COMMUNICATION 
FOR 
LITERARY MEN, ARTISTS, ANTIQUARIES, GENEALOGISTS, ETE. 
“ When found, make a note of.” — Carrain Curtis. 
No. 2.] 
Sarurpay, NoveMBER 10. 1849. 
Price Threepence. 
Stamped Edition 4d. « 
A FEW WORDS TO OUR FRIENDS. 
Iy our opening Address we carefully avoided 
any thing at all approaching to a boast of 
what we would, or even what we hoped to 
perform. We stated that “ we would rather 
give a specimen than a description.” We are 
now in like manner unwilling to point as ex- 
ultingly, as we think we might, to the position 
which we have already taken. But there is 
a vast difference between vain boasting and 
the expression of an honest satisfaction ; and 
it would be worse than an affectation of 
humility — it would be a mean hypocrisy — 
if we did not express heartily and unre- 
servedly the gratitude we owe and feel to 
those who have encouraged us by their friendly 
advice and able pens. We have opened a 
Literary Exchange, and we have had the gra- 
tification to see that men whose learning and 
talents the public recognise —leaders in their 
several branches of inquiry-—have at once 
taken advantage of it. They have proved 
the necessity for some such medium of com- 
munication, as well as their goodwill to the 
one now offered to them, by a gathering in 
its behalf which the public will respect, and of 
which we may well feel proud. 
Some whose good opinion we most value, 
and who have spoken most warmly in favour 
of our plan, have proved the sincerity of their 
praise by suggestions of improvement in its 
detail, and hints for its further extension. 
They may feel assured that such hints and 
such suggestions shall not be lost sight of. 
For instance, one respected correspondent 
hints that as we have very properly adopted 
Dr. Maitland’s suggestion with regard to Her- 
bert’s edition of Ames’ Typographical Anti- 
quities, namely, that of “ offering a receptacle 
for illustrations, additions, and corrections,” 
-and invited “our readers to take advantage 
of our columns to carry out Dr. Maitland’s 
suggestions,” we should open our columns with 
equal readiness to the correction and illustra- 
tion of more modern and more popular works. 
We entirely concur with him ; but in reference 
to this subject there is a distinction which 
must be borne in mind. Our own literature, 
like that of every other country, consists of 
two classes of books. We have the books of 
pretenders to knowledge, the hasty, crude, 
imperfect, but often for the time attractive 
and popular volumes of the Ned Purdons of 
the day. These books have a use — such as it 
is —and thus answer their purpose; but it 
would be for the credit of our literature, and 
save a world of trouble, if they were forgotten 
as soon as they had done so. To illustrate 
such books, to add to their information or 
-correct their blunders, would be useless and 
almost ridiculous. They should be left to die 
of mere powerlessness and exhaustion, or to 
wither under the wholesome influence of 4 
just and manly criticism, 
But there are books of another kind — 
THIRD EDITION. 2 
