2>>* S. VI. 146., Oct. 16. '58.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



319 



be suspended, the portion actually executed will possess 

 a certain completeness, that we should have greatly re- 

 gretted had Messrs. Cooper taken anj' other view. The re- 

 sult is, that we have already an octavo volume containing 

 some 600 pages, in which we find biographical sketches 

 of the Cambridge worthies, belonging to the several 

 classes just enumerated, who flourished between the years 

 1500 and 1585 ; .and with what ciire and labour these 

 sketches have been compiled a glance at the authorities 

 for each biography will readily show. While to ensure 

 the book being as useful as it is interesting, we have at the 

 end, not only lists of the Members of the different Houses, 

 but an alphabetical Index. Messrs. Cooper deserve the 

 thanks of the University, and the patronage of every 

 lover of literary history. 



Mr. Bohn has issued the third part of his " re\nsed, 

 corrected, and enlarged" edition of Lowndes' Bibliogra- 

 pher's 3Ianual. Mr. Bohn states that " the labour be- 

 stowed upon the present part h.is been excessive, and yet 

 might advantageously have been more." We believe 

 that most of those who take the trouble to examine the 

 book, especially those articles to which Mr. Bohn parti- 

 cularly refers, will admit that considerable pains have 

 been taken with it, and that the -present edition is " re- 

 vised, corrected, and enlarged." At the same time they 

 will find "that the pains taken might advantageously 

 have been more." Let those who discover inaccuracies 

 and omissions " make a note of them," and send them 

 to " N. & Q.," if thej' think proper. By that means 

 Mr. Bohn will be en<ibled to make his Lowndes yet more 

 valuable by the publication of a supplemental volume. 



AVe learn from the "British Quarterly Review for October, 

 that " at last the Vatican Greek Testament, which has for 

 the last twenty years sorely tried the patience of the Bib- 

 lical scholars of Europe and America, has made its ap- 

 pearance. The Vatican Codex — the queen of IMSS. — to 

 inspect which Bentley, Tischendorf, Tregelles, and many 

 others have made journeys to Rome — is no longer a 

 sealed book, an unknown volume. Here are its whole 

 contents, given to the world, and available to all who can 

 afford to pay the goodly price at which the work is pub- 

 lished. As the title-page announces, the MS. is edited 

 byXJardinal Mai, to whose l.-iborious industry we are in- 

 debted for many other valuable works. Although but 

 recently published, it has been long known that this edi- 

 tion of the Greek Scriptures has been printed some years. 

 The Cardinal showed Tischendorf the whole five volumes 

 ready for publication in 1813, .ind from the work itself 

 we learn that it was printed so far back as the year 1838. 

 Various reasons have been suggested to explain this un- 

 accountable delaj'. Dr. Tregelles says that when Rome 

 was in the hands of the Republican Government, and the 

 authority of the Pope could no longer hinder the appear- 

 ance of useful works, C.irdinal Rial offered the impression 

 for sale to Mr. Asher, the publisher at Berlin, but the 

 terms named by the Cardinal were deemed t«fc> high, and 

 thus the negotiation came to nothing. The French occu- 

 pation of Rome and the restoration of the Papal Govern- 

 raeiidksoon prevented Cardinal Mai from publishing his 

 editren, and thus Biblical scholars have been doomed to 

 wait another ten years for this precious boon. Now that 

 it is in our IianJs it is melancholy to reflect that the 

 learned editor did not live to see the consummation of his 

 labours, and that tlie work was finally sent forth to the 

 world under the superintendence of another. The work 

 is well and handsomelv got up. The type i.s very good, 

 and tlie paper very stout and capaljlc of IxOiig written on. 

 The text of the MS. is comprised in five stout quarto 

 volumes, of which four contain the. Old Testament, tlio 

 fifth tlic New. The Old I'estament — the Septuagint 

 translation — i.s of course, valuable, having never before 

 been correctly published; but the New Testament is be- 



yond all comparison that which renders this work so 

 especiall}' important. On this account it is much to be 

 regretted that the one cannot be separated from the 

 other. The Old and New Testaments must be bought 

 together. As the cost of the work is rather considerable — 

 9?. — this is a serious matter to scholars, a race not usually 

 burdened with wealth. It is true an edition of the New 

 Testament alone, in smaller size, is announced as to fol- 

 low hereafter ; but the editor adds, some considerable 

 time will, probably, first elapse. The Vatican Codex thus 

 at length given to the world, we need scarcely say, is 

 generally regarded as the most ancient copy of the Greek 

 Scriptures in existence." 



Our attention has just been called to a small volume con- 

 sisting entirely of Sonnets, republished from Blackwood's 

 Magazine, and from other sources, written by the late 

 Rev. John Eagles, A.M., author, of the Sketcher, Sfc. Sfc. 

 The poetical talents and other attainments of this gen- 

 tleman's versatile genius, were only duly appreciated in 

 his life-time by his relations and friends ; his retiring 

 habits preventing him from obtruding his name before 

 the public. We are glad, however, now to add one com- 

 mendation to them. We know of no volume which pos- 

 sesses so many sonnets perfect in that singular and 

 distinctive construction which belongs to this species of 

 poetical composition. These specimens, "cabinet pic- 

 tures," as Mr. Eagles calls them, are remarkable for their 

 justness of comparative delineation, and their uncommon 

 beauty and felicity of language. Every line is pregnant 

 with a thought, all resulting in the same point; the 

 lights find shades are skilfully mingled ; and the moral 

 so pure that we might perpetually recur to them as 

 transcripts of human life and passion, which never cease 

 to instruct and please the mind, never fail to soothe and 

 satisfy the heart. They possess that indescribable sweet- 

 ness (a qualit}' totally distinct from softness), which re- 

 minds us more of the Elizabethan poetry than of most 

 modern writers, whose attempts at tenderness result com- 

 monly in effeminacy. In this respect they resemble the 

 best among old Daniel's sonnets, but Shakspeare's yet 

 more, from their union of pathos with imaginative sub- 

 tlety. Like Shakspeare's, too, they are at once steeped in 

 personal interests, and free from all offensive egotism. 



Respecting some curious Irish Historical Works, the 

 following " cutting " from the Waterford Mail oi Oct. 7, 

 1858, is worth preserving : — 



" The late Doctor Cane, of Kilkenny, has been svell 

 known in literary circles as a collector of books and pam- 

 phlets, written on subjects of Irish history. His work on 

 the Williamite and Jacobite wiirs, on which he was en- 

 gaged previous to his untimely removal, would have been 

 a rich addition to the library of the Irish historian. It is, 

 however, unfinished; and beside the five or six numbers 

 which have gone through the press, not even a page 

 in manuscript is to be obtained, as he had not am- 

 plified his copious notes. His library was disposed of last 

 week, and attracted a good many buyers from Dublin, 

 Cork, Waterford, and Clonmel. 



" The entire number of books offered for sale was about 

 850 lots, and about a thousand works. About four hun- 

 dred were works of general literature — the remainder 

 consisted of Irish history, and publications respecting 

 Irish antiquities. 



" The chief attraction of the s.ile was disposed of on 

 Friday at two o'clock, and was thus described in tlie 

 catalogue published by Mr. Douglas: — 



" ' An unifpie volume of the utmost interest, consisting 

 of the most complete collection in existence of the original 

 black-letter broadside Proclamations of the Irish Govcni- 

 ment, commencing with the year 1U73, and extending 

 through the reigns of Charles II., James II., William and 



