Noy. 24. 1849.]' 
from the edition, he ought to have the credit 
which arises from this proof of his extra- 
ordinary popularity. The public, no doubt, 
enjoyed greatly his calm but pungent ex- 
posure of the absurd practices which were 
rife around them, That his humorous satire 
was felt by its objects, is obvious from this 
epigram, as well as from a thousand other 
evidences. Joun Bruce. 
HALLAM’S MIDDLE AGES — ALLEGED IGNO- 
RANCE OF THE CLERGY. 
Sir,— When reading Hallam’s History of 
the Middle Ages a short time ago, I was startled 
by the following passage, which occurs amongst 
other evidences of the ignorance of the clergy 
during the period subsequent to the dissolution 
of the Roman Empire. 
“Not one priest in a thousand in Spain about 
the age of Charlemagne, could address a common 
letter of salutation to another.” — Hallam’s Middle 
Ages, vol. iii. p. 332. 
And for this statement he refers to Mabillon, 
De Re Diplomatica, p. 52. 
On referring to Mabillon, I find that the 
passage runs as follows: — 
“ Christiani posthabitis scripturis sanctis, earum- 
que interpretibus, Arabum Chaldzorumque libris 
evolvendis incumbentes, lezem suam nesciebant, et 
linguam propriam non advertebant latinam, ita ut 
ex omni Christi collegio vix inveniretur unus in 
milleno hominum genere, qui salutatorias fratri 
posset rationabiliter dirigere litteras.” 
So that although Mabillon says that scarce one 
in a thousand could address a Latin letter to 
another, yet he by no means says that it was 
on account of their general ignorance, but 
because they were addicting themselves to 
other branches of learning. They were de- 
voting all their energies to Arabic and Chal- 
dwan science, and in their pursuit of it neg- 
lected other literature. A similar remark 
might be made respecting many distinguished 
members of the University to which I belong ; 
yet who would feel himself justified in inferring 
thence that Cambridge was sunk in ignorance ? 
CanrAs. 
ADVERSARIA, 
{In our Prospectus we spoke of Norrs anp 
Queries becoming everybody's common-place 
book. The following very friendly letter from an 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
51 
unknown correspondent, G. J. K., urges us to 
carry out such an arrangement. 
Sir, —I beg leave to forward you a contribution for 
your “ Notes anp Queries,” a periodical which is, I 
conceive, likely to do a vast deal of good by bringing 
literary men of all shades of opinion into closer juxta- 
position than they have hitherto been. 
I would, however, suggest that in future numbers a 
space might be allotted for the reception of those 
articles (short of course), which students and literary 
men in general, transfer to their common-place books; 
such as notices of searce or curious books, biographical 
or historical curiosities, remarks on ancient or obsolete 
customs, &c. &e. &e. Literary men are constantly 
meeting with such in the course of their reading, and 
how much better would it be if, instead of transferring 
them to a MS. book to be seen only by themselves, or 
perhaps a friend or two, they would forward them to a 
periodical, in which they might be enshrined in im- 
perishable pica; to say nothing of the benefits such 
a course of proceeding would confer on those who 
might not have had the same facilities of gaining the 
information thus made public. 
In pursuance of this suggestion I have forwarded 
the inclosed paper, and should be happy, from time to 
time, to contribute such gleanings from old authors, 
&e. as I might think worth preserving. G.J.K. 
We readily comply with G. J. K.’s suggestion, 
and print, as the first of the series, his interesting 
communication, entitled] 
1. Writers of Notes on Fly-leaves, Sc. 
The Barberini Library at Rome contains a 
vast number of books covered with marginal 
notes by celebrated writers, such as Scaliger, 
Allatius, Holstentius, David Heschel, Bar- 
badori, and above all, Tasso, who has anno- 
tated with his own hand more than fifty 
volumes. Valery, in his Voyages en Italie, 
states that a Latin version of Plato is not 
only annotated by the hand of Tasso, but 
also by his father, Bernardo; a fact which 
sufficiently proves how deeply the language 
and philosophy of the Greek writers were 
studied in the family. The remarks upon the 
Divina Commedia, which, despite the opinion 
of Serassi, appear to be authentic, attest the 
profound study which, from his youth, Tasso 
had made of the great poets, and the lively 
admiration he displayed for their works. 
There is also in existence a copy of the 
Venice edition of the Divina Commedia 
(1477), with autograph notes by Bembo. 
Christina of Sweden had quite a mania for 
writing in her books. In the library of the 
Roman College (at Rome) there are several 
books annotated by her, amongst others a 
