444 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
[2a4 §, No 29,, May 31. °56.. 
PAiscelanedus. 
NOTES ON BOOKS, ETC. 
If another Sir Thomas Browne should arise up among 
us, to discourse of the Vulgar and Common Errors of our 
own days, he would certainly devote a chapter to the 
exposure of that fallacy on which witlings delight to 
exercise themselves, namely, that the writings of Shak- 
speare have been injured by the labours of the Commen- 
tators. A grosser perversion of the truth has never been 
put forward. Great as was the genius of Shakspeare, 
who wrote not for his own age, but for all time, his writ- 
ings are so marked by the characteristics of his own age, 
by allusions to the manners, customs, habits, mode of 
thinking, of those by whom he was surrounded, that it 
would require a genius as great as his own to appreciate 
those writings, unassisted by the labours of the men 
whom these false critics venture to denounce. ‘These re- 
marks have been drawn from us by two admirable 
volumes: Shakspeare’s England, or, Sketches of our Social 
History in the Reign of Elizabeth, by G. W. Thornbury, 
in which the author has, in “a series of elaborated groups 
carefully studied from old plays and forgotten pamphlets, 
and illustrated by nearly all existing contemporary 
literature,” endeavoured to “lead his readers a long, ram- 
bling, gossiping walk through Ludgate, up Cheap, and 
into Paul’s; then away to the Beargarden in Southwark, 
and the ‘Globe,’ where As You Like Jt is acting; and 
back to make a night of it at the ‘ Devil Tavern,’ where 
the players and poets meet, just under the chimes of Saint 
Dunstan:” and this “in the days of gilt rapiers and 
roses on the shoes, of ruff and fardingale, of peaked 
starched beards and slashed hose — when forks were a 
novelty, and tobacco-smoking the last caprice of fashion.” 
The task which he has thus undertaken, Mr. Thornbury 
has certainly accomplished, and most effectually ; and in 
his two volumes presents us with a most instructive com- 
ment on the manners of the people whom Shakspeare 
painted. In his compilation, Mr. Thornbury appears to 
have ransacked the literature of the time with great 
industry; and to have put together with great ability 
and exquisite word-painting the materials so accumu- 
lated. As a pleasant and most graphic introduction to 
the study of Shakspeare, these volumes are clearly 
destined to fill a foremost place on the shelves of every 
student of the great dramatist. While to those, if there 
be any such, who care not to devote themselves to this 
study, but yet would fain know how the world wagged 
in England when Elizabeth — that lion-hearted woman, 
and English-souled —sat on the throne; and what was 
the social condition of the nation at that eventful period 
of our history, we can promise that they will find the 
information they desire told in a most instructive manner 
in these two pleasant volumes. 
Mr. Bohn has just issued two volumes, which must be 
all but indispensable to the library table of every reading 
man. The first isa Dictionary of Latin Quotations, Pro- 
verbs, Muxims, and Mottos, Classical and Mediaeval, in- 
cluding Law Terms and Phrases, with a Selection of Greck 
Quotations, edited by H. T. Riley, B.A., which we have 
no doubt will be found what it professes to be, namely, 
“more copious, correct, and complete than any yet pab- 
lished.” We have in some cases tested its correctness ; 
and as to its copiousness, that is shown by the fact that 
the number of Latin Quotations given in previous col- 
lections has in this edition been quadrupled, while the 
Greek Quotations have been extended from about twenty- 
five to upwards of five hundred; the whole together 
amounting to upwards of eight thousand. 
The second work to which we have referred to is, how- 
ever, of still higher utility. It is a double volume of 
Bohn’s Scientific Library, and although professedly a new 
edition of a well-known work, Blair’s Chronological 
Tables, all that remains of that original is the general 
outline. In the present work, which is entitled Blair’s 
Chronological Tables, Revised and Enlarged, comprehending 
the Chronology and History of the World from the Earliest 
Times to the Russian Treaty of Peace, April, 1856, by 
J. Willoughby Rosse, the editor has consulted, ex- 
amined, and tested the labours of preceding chronologists ; 
and certainly he exhibits in his preface such a series of 
blunders and misstatements in their writings, as com- 
pletely justify the charges of want of accuracy which 
he brings against them. That Mr. Rosse himself may 
have nodded we shall be quite prepared to learn, because 
looking to the thousands of facts and dates which he has 
collected together, we believe it to be impossible that errors 
should not have crept in among them; but a perusal of 
his preface will show the conscientious zeal with which 
he has undertaken his task, and we believe an examina- 
tion of the volumes will show that kis general accuracy 
has equalled his zeal. The book is certainly a very 
useful one, and will as certainly be rendered most com- 
plete when accompanied by the proposed Jndea of Dates. 
BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES 
WANTED TO PURCHASE. 
Particulars of Price, &c. of the following Books to be sent direct to 
the gentlemen by whom they are required, and whose names and ad- 
dresses are given for that purpose : 
Luioyp’s Treatise on Licur AND Vision. 8vo0. 
Macxin70sn’s Ersicat Puinosopuy, wits WHewer.’s PREFACE. 
Tue Paoares wrusrraatine Cuarzeroix’s Histoire pe L'Ine Esprac- 
NOLE ov DE 8. Dominique. 
Wanted by W. B. Kelly, 8. Grafton Street, Dublin. 
Danzet's Vovacz nounp Great Barrarn, 1818, Folio. First Vol. 
wanted. 
Asiatic JOURNAL FoR 1838, 
Torner’s History or Enctanp purine tur Reign or Henry VIII, 
8vo. 1828. First Vol. Wanted. 
Annoat Reoisrer ror 1826, 7.9 31, 51. 
Wanted by hos. Millard, 70. Newgate Street, City. 
AMotices ta Correspondents, 
Owing to the necessity of going to press on Wednesday instead of Thurs- 
day, in consequence of the general holiday, we have to apologise to several 
Sriends for the postponement of their communications. 
Anprew Hay (Lerwick). 7he inscription on the Russian medal is 
thus translated: “To tux Conqueror. Peace Conchupep with THR 
Porte, Jury, 1774." It was doubtless struck to commemorate the Lreaty 
signed at Kutchuk Kainardji, July 2\, 1774. 
C. Mansriezp Incieny. The French envelope kindly forwarded by 
our correspondent is one of a form well known to the manufacturers of 
this country. but not considered by them peculiarly secure. We are in- 
JSormed by what is probably the best authority on this subject that a per- 
fectly secure envelope has yet to be discovered. The greatest security at 
present attainable is by the use of a well made adhesive envelope, care- 
fully closed, and then sealed with the best wax. 
Sramrorp Bort Ronnine. We have a copy of the song asked for by 
Er Fracer. How can we forward it? 
Mr. Barnes’ Dry Connopion Process. The length of the photographic 
article ia the present No. has compelled us to postpone our notices of this 
process, and of the two admirable pictures produced by it, which have been 
sent to us by the author. 
“Nores anp Querirs’’ is published at noon on Friday, so that the 
Country Booksellers may receive Copies in that night’s parcels, and 
deliver them to their Subscribers on the Saturday. 
“ Norrs anp Queries” is also issued in Monthly Parts, for the con- 
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