Miscellaneous.

NOTES ON BOOKS, &c.

Dictionary of National Biography. Edited by Sidney Lee.-Vol. LXI. Whichcord-Williams. (Smith, Elder & Co.)

now.

bishop Cranmer, is in Mr. Lee's hands, as is Edmund Whitelocke, compromised in the Essex rebellion, and to some extent in the Gunpowder Plot. His longest contribution is that on Archbishop Whitgift, and next to that the animated life of Sir Roger Williams. Mr. Leslie Stephen has an excellent biography of Blanco White, the author of the immortal sonnet, whose curious and diversified career constitutes very interesting reading. The life of Samuel Wilberforce, "Soapy Sam," is a model of judicial fairness. Mr. C. H. Firth's most important contribution is the life of Bulstrode Whitelocke. That Whitelocke paid 50,000l. to Charles II. for his pardon is not believed, though Mr. Firth thinks that he paid something to the king. The interesting account of Gilbert White, of Selborne, is by Prof. Newton; that of WhyteMelville is by Sir Herbert Maxwell, who does full justice to the lofty tone of chivalry which pervades his writings. Mr. James Tait denounces the legends concerning Lord Mayor Whittington, which have of late obtained further vogue owing to their acceptance by Sir Walter Besant. Mr. Austin Dobson contributes a characteristically graceful account of Sir David Wilkie. We had almost omitted mention of many excellent biographies by Mr. Seccombe, among which those of Thomas Whincop, the author of 'Scanderbeg,' Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, and Caleb Whitefoord, call for special notice. Mr. Henry Davey gives high eulogy to John Wilbye, the great madrigal composer; Whitefield, the evangelist, occupies the Rev. Alexander Gordon, and John Wilkes Mr. J. M. Rigg. Some of the printers and publishers Whitaker, Whittingham, &c.-are assigned Mr. Tedder. Among other contributors to this capital volume are Dr. Samuel Rawson Gardiner, Mr. W. P. Courtney, Dr. Garnett, Col. Lloyd, Mr. Lionel Cust, Dr. Norman Moore, Mr. Thompson Cooper, Mr. Thomas Bayne, Mr. Fraser Rae, Mr. F. M. O'Donoghue, and many others.

THE year now begun, whether it be, as Lord Kelvin and some others think, the first of a new century or the last of the old, will witness before its conclusion the completion of Mr. Lee's great task. Two volumes more will conclude the alphabet, and a further two the supplement of those entitled to a place who have died while the work was in progress. We thus get four quarterly volumes which will make the conclusion synchronize with the termination of the century. We count confidently upon the maintenance of the rate of progress, so highly creditable to all concerned with the production, which has been kept up until For once, since the volume contains the four kings of the name of William, royalty occupies a considerable share in it. Of these four monarchs, long since retired from business, William the Conqueror is dealt with by the Rev. William Hunt; William II. is in the hands of an historian no less faithful and exemplary, Miss Kate Norgate; the third William is assigned to Dr. A. W. Ward, of Manchester; while the fourth of the name, the sailor monarch, is dealt with by Prof. Laughton, who has enjoyed a practical monopoly of our great naval captains and admirals, and whose work is, in this instance, to some extent different from that he ordinarily executes. In Mr. Hunt's admirably condensed account the temptation to expand over the battle of Hastings or Senlac is resisted, the information conveyed being simply that "the Norman victory was complete and Harold was slain." Full references to the most recent authorities on the subject are, however, given. A like reticence concerning the Red King is observed by Miss Norgate, who quotes the opinions concerning his character of the English chroniclers, and says that the life is exhaustively treated by Freeman in his Norman Conquest. A graphic account is given by Dr. Ward of the troubles by which the IT would be a bold thing to demand even a temearly life of William of Orange was clouded, and pered enthusiasm for Hindustani literature from a of his election as Stadtholder. Dr. Ward also defends person of taste and tolerably wide reading, in whom William from the charge accepted by Lord Stan- the critical faculty is not quite undeveloped. The hope in consequence of a misinterpretation of the present writer, having studied Hindustani side by words of Burnet. Of the fourth William's good- side with Persian and Arabic, will freely confess hearted, boisterous, and undignified career Prof. that he has come to "conclusions of disgust.' Laughton gives an admirable account. Of half-a-tainly there is nothing in the younger language at dozen biographies, all brief, by the editor, the most interesting is that of George Wilkins, the author of The Miseries of Infant Marriage.' Mr. Lee accepts as "a likelihood" that Wilkins might be responsible for the rough and unedifying drafts "of a playhouse hack" used by Shakespeare in Timon of Athens,' and thinks "there is less doubt that Wilkins is largely responsible for the inferior scenes of Pericles."" He finds, from a consultation of the burial records of the parish of St. Leonard, Shoreditch, that Wilkins died 19 August, 1603, at Holywell Street, Shoreditch, of the plague. In the case of Henry Kirke White, amusingly overpraised by Byron and Southey, Mr. Lee openly qualifies him as a poetaster, a severe, though possibly not an unjust verdict. Edward Whitchurch, the Protestant printer, one of those responsible for the Great Bible, who married the widow of Arch

The Bride's Mirror; or, Mir-ātu l'Arūs of Maulavi Nazir Ahmad. Edited in the Roman Character, with a Vocabulary and Notes, by G. E. Ward. (Frowde.)

Cer

all comparable to the masterpieces of the Mohammedan classics, though imitations of these masterpieces abound. Hence it is only from the standpoint of practical utility that we share the editor's hope that the study of Hindustani will some day be placed on the same level in England with the study of modern European languages. His main object is to furnish a suitable text-book for English ladies who desire to learn Hindustani. 'The Bride's Mirror,' which appears to be a moral but amusing tale on the lines of Sandford and Merton,' is well adapted for this purpose, and deserves (may it command!) success. Mr. Ward's book is hardly a model of scientific accuracy, but under the circumstances this is no great matter, and we feel sure that the ladies will pardon him. We cannot agree with his theories of transliteration, which merely make confusion worse confounded. Why did he not

adopt the system approved of by the International Oriental Congress of 1894, and now in general use? He betrays a serious misconception of the nature of English metre when, in seeking to show that the initial sound of vowels has quantity as well as quality, he quotes

Unhousel'd, dis-appointed, un-aneled;

of which (he adds) the fourth and eighth syllables
must, under any other supposition, be short. Does
Mr. Ward really think that Shakespeare scanned by
shorts and longs, like Virgil and Sa'di?
placitis," in the dedication, is meant, we suppose,
for a translation of marhum, but is not Latin for
anything.

"Deo

Collected

the author may be judged. The life is illustrated
with many fine portraits, including one by Robert
Walker, from Hinchinbrooke, which shows the
future Protector a good-looking man. Other illus-
trations include the assassination of Buckingham,
Prynne in the pillory (having his ears shorn), scene
at Newburn fight, portraits of Strafford, Sir John
Eliot, &c. The Walk Up-town in New York' has
not seen it the best idea of that great capital we
innumerable illustrations, and gives us who have
have yet acquired. The Coming of the Snow' and
"The Poetic Cabarets of Paris' are both worth
attention.
reaches us later than its wont, has an admirable
The English Illustrated, which also
picture of Miss Ellaline Terriss, a good account
of Stonehenge, a well-illustrated article, by Mr.
Frewen Lord, on English and Dutch as Allies and
Enemies,' and a second on The Circumvention of
the Gunboat.'

6

WE hear with regret of the death of Mr. John Daniel Leader, which took place on the 30th ult., at his residence, Moor End, Sheffield, at the age of sixty-four. Mr. Leader was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and a member of other learned societies, and his chief recreation from business was found in the study of the subjects with which such associations concern themselves. In all things relating to the history and antiquities of Sheffield and a wide area around the city he was an enthusiast. His chief literary and historic work was on the subject of the captivity of Mary, Queen of Scots. After many years spent in journalism, Mr. Leader undertook the publication of The Records of the Sheffield Burgery,' or that part of the records which relates to the town trustees.

The Unpublished Legends of Virgil.
by Charles Godfrey Leland. (Stock.)
FEW subjects are more interesting to the antiquary
than the manner in which Virgil has come to rank,
since mediæval times, as a necromancer as well as
a poet. In the course of using up the materials he
has collected from the oral recitation of the Italian
peasantry, Mr. Leland has assigned a separate
position to those the hero of which is Virgil. A
collection of these folk-stories he now publishes as
a companion volume to the studies in Florentine
folk-speech and other works concerning witchcraft
and magic which he has given to the world. Not
very much that is new to the student of folk-lore
is there in the volume, which has, however,
abundant interest, and may be read with unending
enjoyment. Very curious is it to trace the manner
in which Roman history or myth is reshapen in
these popular narratives in prose or verse. See
The Story of Romolo and Remolo,' Virgil, the
Emperor, and the Truffles,' 'Nero and Seneca,' and
many other legends. Prose and verse are spiritedly
translated, and the task of reading these curious
imaginings is altogether a delight. All Mr. Leland's
works on folk-stories deserve to be read. We have
but one protest to make. He talks of the "Montenotices:-
Sybilla," near Rome, to which we can only say,
There's no such place." Philological and geo-
graphical accuracy are not to be ignored even by

a folk-lorist.

Racing. By W. A. C. Blew. (Everett & Co.) NOT very much can be said about this brief and sketchy performance, except that it is decidedly inaccurate in the names of men and horses, which abound, and bears somewhat obvious traces of being compounded of occasional matter which may have served its turn before. Otherwise it is not easy to see how the well-known Matthew Dawson, who has been dead some time, is credited with now wearing a moustache. The cult of the "trainer" of horses is absurdly written up nowadays. We agree with Mr. Robert (not William) Black that he is little more than a glorified groom, however much money and parade of that money (see p. 88) he makes.

IN Scribner's Magazine, which reached us too late for inclusion in our monthly summary, two contributions of exceptional interest begin. One is a new novel by Mr. J. M. Barrie, the nature of which most will guess from its title Tommy and Grizel.' The second, which is by Mr. Theodore Roosevelt, is entitled 'Oliver Cromwell: the Times and the Man.' As we find in the opening sentence Cromwell spoken of as "the greatest Englishman of the seventeenth century," the point of view of

Notices to Correspondents.

We must call special attention to the following

and address of the sender, not necessarily for pubON all communications must be written the name lication, but as a guarantee of good faith.

Let

WE cannot undertake to answer queries privately. To secure insertion of communications correspondents must observe the following rule. each note, query, or reply be written on a separate slip of paper, with the signature of the writer and such address as he wishes to appear. Correspondsecond communication "Duplicate." ents who repeat queries are requested to head the

ANXIOUS ("Fruit-growing in California").-You should apply to one of the numerous Emigration Boards for information.

meliora proboque, Deteriora sequor," is the passage QUERIST ("A Classical Confession"). "Video you seek. You will find it in Ovid, 'Met.,' vii. 20. ERRATUM.-P. 10, 'Apology for Cathedral Service,' for "Peach" read Peace.

NOTICE.

Editorial Communications should be addressed to "The Editor of 'Notes and Queries'"-Advertisements and Business Letters to "The Publisher" at the Office, Bream's Buildings, Chancery Lane, E.C.

We beg leave to state that we decline to return communications which, for any reason, we do not print; and to this rule we can make no exception.

LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1900.

words of that writer. It will be noticed in doing so that the ecclesiastical reckoning was CONTENTS. - No. 108. not from the birth of Christ, but the IncarNOTES:-Beginning of the Twentieth Century, 41-Modern nation, that is the day of the Annunciation; Zodiacs, 42-Byroniana, 43-Field-Marshals in the Army- the modern modification of taking the birth is Cowper, 44-Aubrey's Brief Lives '-Dickens-Misquotation-"Gnu," 45-1900 and the "Styles Seasonable simply in order to make the year begin at the Misprint-Comparisons are odious"-A "Sunday" Roman date, which was a week after Christmas Hare-Miss Adelaide Kemble, 46. QUERIES: -"Hippin"-Francis Mercer-Nicholas Hem- Day. From the time of Constantine the imington-Sidbury, Devon - Army Rank - Carey, M.P.- perial reckoning was by the indiction, a Green Fairies at Woolpit-"Vine"-a Flexible Shoot, 47 South Africa "the grave of reputations"-Mr. Bing-period of fifteen years, the first of which began "Argh"-Inscriptions at the Parish Church, Scarborough in A.D. 313, when the edict of Milan was put -“Bally" and "Ballyrag"-Suffolk Name for Ladybird, forth under the joint authority of ConstanJournal Willis and Puckridge Families - Island of tine and Licinius, and eleven years before the foundation of Constantinople. Now we will REPLIES: -South African Names, 49-Order of the Bath, turn to Dionysius (the surname Exiguus has 50-Gray and Walpole-"Horning "-"Nimmet "-Scott Quotation-Scandal about Queen Elizabeth-Clerks of the been taken to mean either that he was small Board of Green Cloth-Right of Sanctuary-"Frail," 51 in stature or humble in mind), who begins - Cardinal York - Vowel Combination eo - - Origin of "Tips"-J. D. S. Douglas-Iron Pavement-Flaxman's his 'Argumenta Paschalia' thus:

48-Sir E. Widrington

Petigrewe "The Pen: a

Providence-" Old Jamaica," 49.

"

Wife, 52- Lincoln's Inn Fields-"Sock Doctor,
Christian Name, 53-Brothers with same Christian Name
-Marriage and Baptism Superstitions-"Soft as a toad
-Thomas Brooks, 54-Delaval-" Polder": "Loophole"
-Browning's 'Luria-"Howk"-Bleeding Image in
Christ Church, Dublin, 55-Gold Coins of the Forum-
"Memorize"-"Mays"-"Hoon aff" - Correspondence
of English Ambassadors to France, 56-Pickwickian
Studies" Boer"-Statue in Bergen, Norway-Pasquil
"The Beurré" Old Church at Chingford - Cox's
Museum, 57-English Travellers in Savoy-"Witchelt
Ill-shod-Authors Wanted, 58.
NOTES ON BOOKS:-Macaulay's Works of Gower'-
Adeane's Early Married Life of Lady Stanley-Sut
cliffe's By Moor and Fell' Marillier's University
Magazines -Walton's 'Compleat Angler.'

Hotes.

THE BEGINNING OF THE TWENTIETH

CENTURY.

"Si nosse vis quotus sit annus ab incarnatione Domini nostri Jesu Christi, computa quindecies XXXIV., fiunt DX.; iis semper adde XII. regulares, fiunt DXXII.; adde etiam indictionem anni cujus volueris, ut puta tertiam, consulatu Probi junioris, fiunt simul anni DXXV. Isti sunt anni ab incarna tione Domini."

This means that the year A.D. 525 was the third of an indiction, and that if the period of indictions were carried back, there would be thirty-four periods (510 years) and twelve years more up to A.D. 522, when an indiction period was completed, so that 523 was the first year of a new indiction, as 313 was the first of the first, 210 years or fourteen indiction periods before. We have here, then, a means of comparing the Dionysian chronoTHOSE who spell the daily papers, par-logy with that of the empire. A.D. 525 was ticularly the one which hails from Printing House Square, must have become rather weary of the mass of letters on so simple a subject as the true date of the commencement of the next (twentieth) century. It is editorially remarked in the first number of 'N.&Q.' for the present year that we must wait another year for that commencement, which obviously will not take place until 1 January, 1901. Nevertheless, strange as it may appear, there are some who hold that it has already begun; and apparently amongst these must be reckoned one whose dictum reminds us of the expression attributed to Cicero, that the rising of the stars was then regulated by imperial decree-a rather misplaced joke at the reformation of the calendar by Julius Cæsar. Perhaps the following statement of facts may be helpful.

It is well known that the method of reckoning dates by the birth of Christ was first brought into vogue by Dionysius Exiguus in the sixth century of our era, and therefore it may be well to refer to the actual

the third of an indiction, and the year of the consulship of Philoxenus and Probus junior. This would be the (Varronian) year of Rome 1278; whilst A.D. 1 was the year of Rome 753, and that of the consulship of Lentulus and Piso. Dionysius Exiguus takes 25 March in that year as the date of the incarnation of Christ, and 25 December as that of his nativity; the modern modification takes 31 December following as the end of B.C. 1, and the next day, 1 January, as the commencement of A.D. 1. One year from this was, of course, completed on 31 December, A.D. 1, and the second year of the era began on 1 January, A.D. 2. In like manner, one hundred years, or one century, was completed on 31 December, A.D. 100, and the second century began on 1 January, 101. Carrying this on, nineteen centuries from the assumed date of the birth of Christ will be finished on 31 December, A.D. 1900, and the twentieth century will begin on 1 January, 1901. All this is unaffected by the question of the true date of the birth of Christ, it being impos