BODENHAM, OR LING'S POLITEUPHUIA
Sir,—The following is an extract from a Catalogue of Books for sale, issued by Mr. Asher, of Berlin, in 1844:—
"Bodenham? (Ling?), Politeuphuia. Wits commonwealth, original wrapper, vellum. VERY RARE.
"80 fr. 8vo. London, for Nicholas Ling, 1597.
"This book, 'being a methodical collection of the most choice and select admonitions and sentences, compendiously drawn from infinite varietie,' is quoted by Lowndes under Bodenham, as first printed in 1598; the Epistle dedicatory however of the present copy is signed: 'N. Ling', and addressed 'to his very good friend Maister I.B.,' so that Ling appears to have been the author, and this an edition unknown to Lowndes or any other bibliographer."
This seems to settle one point, perhaps a not very important one, in our literary history; and as such may deserve a place among your "NOTES."
BOOKWORM.
COLLEY CIBBER'S APOLOGY
Mr. Editor,—No doubt most of your readers are well acquainted with Colley Cibber's Apology for his Life, &c., first printed, I believe, in 1740, 4to, with a portrait of himself, painted by Vanloo, and engraved by Vandergucht. Chapters IV. and V. contain the celebrated characters he drew of the principal performers, male and female, in, and just before, his time, viz. Betterton, Montfort, Kynaston, &c. Upon these characters I have two questions to put, which I hope some of your contributors may be able to answer. The first is, "Were these characters of actors reprinted in the same words, and without additions, in the subsequent impressions of Cibber's Apology in 8vo?" Secondly, "Had they ever appeared in any shape before they were inserted in the copy of Cibber's Apology now before me, in 1740, 4to?" To this may be added, if convenient, some account of the work in which these fine criticisms originally appeared, supposing they did not first come out in the Apology. I am especially interested in the history of the Stage about the period when the publication of these characters formed an epoch.
I am, Mr. Editor, yours,
DRAMATICUS.
A MAIDEN ASSIZE—WHITE GLOVES
Mr. Editor.—I forward for insertion in your new publication the following "Note," taken from the Times of the 20th of August, 1847:—
"A Fortunate County.—In consequence of there being no prisoners, nor business of any kind to transact at the last assizes for the county of Radnor, the high sheriff, Mr. Henry Miles, had to present the judge, Mr. Justice Cresswell, with a pair of white kid gloves, embroidered in gold, and which have been forwarded to his lordship; a similar event has not taken place for a considerable number of years in that county. His lordship remarked that it was the first time it had occurred to him since he had been on the Bench."
And I beg to append it as a "Query," which I shall gladly see answered by any of your correspondents, or my professional brethren,—"What is the origin of this singular custom, and what is the earliest instance of it on record?"
A LIMB OF THE LAW.
BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES WANTED TO PURCHASE
JONES (EDMUND) GEOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL, AND RELIGIOUS ACCOUNT OF ABERYSTWITH. 8VO. Trevecka, 1779.
CARTARI.—LA ROSA D'ORO PONTIFICIA, ETC. 4to. Rome. 1681.
SHAKSPEARE'S DRAMATIC WORKS.—The Fourth Volume of WHITTINGHAM'S Edition, in 7 vols, 24mo. Chiswick. 1814.
M. C. H. BROEMEL, FEST-TANZEN DER ERSTEN CHRISTEN. Jena, 1705.
*** Letters stating particulars and lowest price, carriage free, to be sent to MR. BELL, Publisher of "NOTES AND QUERIES," 186. Fleet Street.
NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS
The matter is so generally understood with regard to the management of periodical works, that it is hardly necessary for the Editor to say that HE CANNOT UNDERTAKE TO RETURN MANUSCRIPTS; but on one point he wishes to offer a few words of explanation to his correspondents in general, and particularly to those who do not enable him to communicate with them except in print. They will see, on a very little reflection, that it is plainly his interest to take all he can get, and make the most, and the best, of everything; and therefore he begs them to take for granted that their communications are received, and appreciated, even if the succeeding Number bears no proof of it. He is convinced that the want of specific acknowledgment will only be felt by those who have no idea of the labour and difficulty attendant on the hurried management of such a work, and of the impossibility of sometimes giving an explanation, when there really is one which would quite satisfy the writer, for the delay or non-insertion of his communication. Correspondents in such cases have no reason, and if they understood an editor's position they would feel that they have no right, to consider themselves undervalued; but nothing short of personal experience in editorship would explain to them the perplexities and evil consequences arising from an opposite course.
MYTHOS is thanked for his kind hints, which shall not be lost sight of. We have abundance of NOTES on the subject, not only of the SEVEN WISE MASTERS, but of that other treasury of ancient fictions, the GESTA ROMANORUM, which we shall bring forward as opportunity offers.
S.Y. The edition of Chaucer, in five volumes 12mo, edited by Singer, in 1822, was the only modern library edition of the "Works" until the appearance of Sir H. Nicolas's edition in the Aldine Poets. Bell's edition, in 14 volumes, and Dolby's in 2, though they may have done much to extend a knowledge of the writings of the Father of English Poetry, can scarcely be called library editions.
A.P. will see the matter he refers to illustrated in an early number.
COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED.—J.H.H.—M.—Φ—T. Jones—Σ—Buriensis.—G.H.B.—W.B.B.
BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES WANTED. We believe that this will prove one of the most useful divisions of our weekly Sheet. Gentlemen who may be unable to meet with any book or volume, of which they are in want, may upon furnishing name, date, size, &c, have it inserted in this list, free of cost. Persons having such volumes to dispose of are requested to send reports of price, &c. to Mr. Bell, our Publisher.
Shortly will be published,
BIBLIOGRAPHIE BIOGRAPHIQUE ou Dictionnaire de 33,000 Ouvrages, tant Anciens que Modernes relatifs, à l'Histoire de la Vie des Hommes célèbres. 1 vol. imp. 8vo., double columns; about 900 pages. Price about 2l. 12s. 6d.
A Prospectus may be had, and orders are received by WILLIAMS AND NORGATE, 14 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden.
THE CAMDEN SOCIETY FOR THE PUBLICATION OF EARLY HISTORICAL AND LITERARY REMAINS.
The following works are now ready for delivery to Members who have paid their Annual Subscription of 1l., due on the first of May last.—
I. INEDITED LETTERS OF QUEEN ELIZABETH, AND KING JAMES VI. From the Originals in the possession of the Rev. Edward Ryder, of Oaksey, Wilts., and from a MS. formerly belonging to Sir P. Thompson. Edited by JOHN BRUCE, Esq., Treas. S.A.
II. THE CHRONICLE OF THE ABBEY OF PETERBOROUGH; from a MS. in the Library of the Society of Antiquaries. Edited by THOMAS STAPLETON, Esq., F.S.A.
WILLIAM J. THOMS, Secretary.
Applications from Members who have not received their copies may be made to Messrs. Nichols, 25. Parliament Street, Westminster, from whom prospectuses of the Society (the annual subscription to which is 1l.) may be obtained, and to whose care all communications for the Secretary should be addressed.
NOTES AND QUERIES; A MEDIUM OF INTER-COMMUNICATION FOR LITERARY MEN, ARTISTS, ANTIQUARIES, GENEALOGISTS, ETC.
Among the many periodicals which issue from the press, daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly, there is not one especially intended to assist Men of Letters and of research in their pursuits. Literary Journals there are in abundance, many of them of the highest degree of merit, which in their Reviews and Announcements show the current sayings and doings of the literary world. There is not, however, one among them in which the reading many may note, for the use of himself and his fellow-labourers in the wide field of Literature, the minute facts which he meets with from time to time, and the value of which he so well knows, or insert his Queries, in the hope of receiving satisfactory answers from some of his literary brethren.
NOTES AND QUERIES, A MEDIUM OF INTER-COMMUNICATION FOR LITERARY MEN, is, as its name implies, intended to supply this deficiency. Those who meet with facts worthy of preservation, may record them in its columns; while those, again, who are pursuing literary inquiries, may, through this MEDIUM, ask for information on points which have baffled their own individual researches. How often is even the best informed writer stopped by an inability to solve some doubt or understand some obscure allusion which suddenly starts up before him! How often does a reading man stumble upon some elucidation of a doubtful phrase, or disputed passage;—some illustration of an obsolete custom hitherto unnoticed;—some biographical anecdote or precise date hitherto unrecorded;—some book, or some edition, hitherto unknown or imperfectly described.
This Publication, as everybody's common-place book, will be a depository for those who find such materials, and a resource for those who are in search of them; and if the Editor is enabled by the inter-communication of his literary friends, to realise his expectations, it will form a most useful supplement to works already in existence,—a treasury for enriching future editions of them,—and an important contribution towards a more perfect history than we yet possess of our Language, our Literature, and those to whom we owe them.
NOTES AND QUERIES will be published every Saturday, price 3d., or stamped, 4d., and may be had, by order, of all Booksellers and Newsmen, and will also be issued in Parts at the end of each Month.
Communications for the Editor may be addressed to the Publisher, Mr. GEORGE BELL, No. 186. Fleet Street, by whom also Advertisements will be received.
Preparing for Publication, in One Vol. 8vo.
ILLUSTRATIONS of the REMAINS of ROMAN ART in CIRENCESTER, the SITE of ANCIENT CORINIUM. By JAMES BUCKMAN, F.G.S. and C.H. NEWMARCH, Esq.
The work will have reference principally to the illustration of the following subjects:
1. The remains of the architecture of Corinium, including detailed drawings and descriptions of the fine Tesselated Pavements, especially the one recently discovered, as also the beautiful specimen on the estate of the Right Hon. Earl Bathurst.
2. The specimens of Roman Pottery—Vases, Urns, &c.
3. Works in Metals—Statuettes, Ornaments, &c. &c.
4. Coins.
In order that due justice may be done to the Illustration of these Remains, it is intended to have them executed in the first style of art, and only a limited number of impressions will be taken.
To secure early copies, orders must be addressed at once to Messrs. BAILY and JONES, Cirencester, or Mr. GEORGE BELL, 186. Fleet Street.
Price to Subscribers, 12s.
*** After the close of the Subscription List, the price will be raised to 15s.
N.B.—Any person possessing Roman Antiquities from Cirencester, will confer a great favour on the Authors by communicating intelligence of them to Messrs. Baily and Jones.
London: GEORGE BELL, 186. Fleet Street.
Nearly ready.
THE PRIMEVAL ANTIQUITIES of DENMARK. By J. J. A. WORSAAE, Member of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Copenhagen, and a Royal Commissioner for the preservation of the National Monuments of Denmark. Translated and applied to the Illustration of similar Remains in England. By WILLIAM J. THOMS, F.S.A., Secretary of the Camden Society. Illustrated with numerous Woodcuts.
While so many publications illustrative of the Archaeology of Egypt, Greece, and Rome, have appeared in this country, few attempts have been made to give a systematic view of the early Antiquities of the British Islands.
The work, of which the present volume is a translation, was originally written by Mr. Worsaae, for the Copenhagen Society for the Promotion of Useful Knowledge, and intended in the first place, to show how the early history of the country might be read through its monuments, and in the second, to awaken a greater interest for their preservation. It has been translated and applied to the History of similar Remains in England, in the hope that it will be found a useful Handbook for the use of those who desire to know something of the nature of the numerous Primeval Monuments scattered over these Islands, and the light which their investigation is calculated to throw over the earliest and most obscured periods of our national history.