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The Library.

Early Statutes of Christ's College, Cambridge, With the Statutes of the Prior Foundation of Gods House. Edited with Introduction, Translation and Notes by H. Rackham. (Cambridge, Bowes and Bowes).

Documents

THE Statutes are printed in Latin and EngChrist's College by the Lady Margaret Beaulish on parallel pages. Those given to fort have appeared in vol. iii of relating to the University and Colleges of Cambridge, published in 1852, where, however, they bear the alterations made at the Reformation. The statutes of God's House are now printed by a London priest in the second quarter of the for the first time. God's House was founded fifteenth century, primarily to provide masters for grammar schools, and early extended to provide instruction in any faculty. Its first site was acquired for his own College by the King, who became a co-founder of the new God's House erected on the site of the present Christ's College. Lady Margaret's re-foundation and reendowment, with which the change of name is connected, took place in 1505

The Statutes of God's House follow the pattern used for Clare Hall in the mid fourteenth century, many details repeating these exactly. but with amplification not only of matter but Lady Margaret's Statutes are based upon them, of diction. The originals show a corresponding difference. The Statutes of God's House occupy but a single sheet of parchment, measuring 26 by 25 ins., having the seals of the Chancellor of the University and the Prior of Barnwell attached to it. The Statutes of Lady Margaret are contained in a beautiful bookvellum, with gilt edges-written in a fine hand, and adorned with elaborate initial letters. They begin with a declaration of the Foundress, in her own hand. of which the first words, Nos Margareta, are The volume likewise bears signatures of the Master and three Fellows, clearly autographs, and there seems no reason for doubting that this is the volume ordered in the Statutes themselves to be kept in the Treasury.

Other official copies contemporary with this are known to have existed, but they have disappeared, worn out by use, Mr. Rackham suggests, and replaced by two later books still dating from c. 1600, that the printed text menIt was from the earlier of these, existing. tioned above was derived. The second late

copy is to be dated about 1700 Both present a few material differences from the original, and also from one another. The original was barbarously dealt with at the Reformation, by bracketings and erasures in the passages relating to Chapel services. Most of the erasures, Mr. Rackham tells us in his Introduction, can easily be made out, but in one chapter there are some words so completely obliterated that, as they are omitted in the two late official copies, they would have been lost altogether

but for their retention in two of the thirteen private MSS. of the Statutes still existing. They refer to masses and De profundis for the Foundress and her kin.

In 1552 Edward VI enlarged the foundation, and Mr. Rackham prints that part of the deed relating to the new fellowship and scholarships. He also appends the Statute of Sir John Finch and Sir Thomas Baines, who further endowed the College in 1682/3. He provides a small body of useful notes. The text, so far as we can judge it, has been well edited. The translation is pleasantly readable.

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a little surprised to find Mr.

W Caskey, speaking of the eighteenth century

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as a period long neglected." It has been subjected, as most periods have, to alternations of admiration and contempt, and we are pass

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The Southern Passion. Edited from Pepysian MS. 2344 in the Library of Magdalene College, Cambridge, with Introduction, Notes and Glossary by Beatrice Daw Brown. (Humphrey Milford, for the Early English Texting just now, or have passed, from the latter more or less to the former; but the study of Society. 15s. net). it, awareness of its spirit as a whole and of THE Southern Passion belongs to the fol its great names as individuals, has always lection known the English been us. as Perhaps Mr. Caskey means Legendary,' the origin of which is an interesting chiefly that some of its minor writers are now question. Miss Daw Brown brings shrewd not much known or read, since it is with one criticism to bear on the theory which ascribes of these he is occupied. The pre-eminent the Legendary' to a monastery. She points claim of Edward Moore to our attention lies out that the frequent counsels to lay-folk in in The Gamester one of those plays, which, it forbid us to suppose that it was compiled for without ranking as literature, have curiously use in the refectory, while a numerous, unlet- satisfied the popular taste, and stimulated the tered audience clearly appears in the poet's dramatic faculty, so as to start at any rate mind and intention, and so the theory that it something of a fashion. Next to that comes was meant for private reading is equally his work as editor and writer on Dodsley's barred. Thus the ascription to a monastery periodical the World, with a number of songs, can hardly be justified. Could it, then, be the and his early Fables for the Female Sex. work of secular priests? It contains too many A poor man, he wrote for bread, a circumcaustic reflections upon priests for this to be stance to this extent advantageous that it at all likely. Miss Brown believes it to have hardened up a mediocre talent into a quasibeen made by friars, arguing partly from its professional competence. As a mere amateur homiletic appropriateness, and partly from its Moore would have been hopeless. Mr. Caskey reflecting pretty clearly and consistently the shows himself a lenient judge of his verse, attitude of friars towards the secular clergy on but he takes some unnecessary exception the one hand and the monks on the other. It to his rhymes. This study is a pleasant symgives us, too, the attitude towards society char- pathetic piece of work, though, in common acteristic of friar rather than monk-a general with many such studies of fourth and fifth outlook by no means taken from the corner of rate writers which come to us from across the a cloister and a kindly view of women. The Atlantic, it rather overdoes things. To find conjecture is at least not negatived by what we Moore's exact place in the history of know of the friars' resources in the way of eighteenth century thought is difficult,' says books. Most considerations allowing this our author. So we should suppose, and we origin to the Legendary-in Miss Brown's should think it hardly matter worth enquiry. opinion point to the Dominicans as the makers. As little does there seem need for such The Southern Passion has close resem- elaborate criticism of his minor work. It blances, which are here carefully drawn out, seems to us worth considering whether it may to the Meditationes Vitae Christi,' sufficient, not be prejudicial to a true sense of what is perhaps, to argue actual dependence. This great in literature to bestow so much time conclusion is worth establishing in view of two and such minutely directed attention on coninteresting results: it would place the "Medi- fessedly inferior writers of a past day. tationes' a good way further back than its accepted position-back to near the period of St. Bonaventure; and it would also require us to modify current views about the connection between the Meditationes' and the rise and character of the devotion to the Blessed Virgin. The Southern Passion' exists in ten MSS. of the South English Legendary,' and in a fragmentary text in a fifteenth century miscel

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Author

QUERIES: Walter Scott's favourite phrase
Nicholas Rowe-Plum pudding in June-Fowke
Family, 424-The blind men and the elephant
-"Lord of the Manor ": use of designation-
Different designs of Britannia on the penny-
Butter-making and the tides-Table milk jugs-
Lieut. William Portsmouth, E.I.C.S.-Goldie
Family, 425 Cranshaws Turville Family
Religion of all sensible men
wanted, 426.
REPLIES:-Charles I and the Banqueting House,
Whitehall, 426-The authorship of Pedantius-
Church inscriptions, 427 Nineteenth century
pottery group: I.O.G.T.-Samuel Knipe, 428-
John Evans, author of The Juvenile Tourist-
Oldest Surrey oak-tree-Lot grass, 429 Concord-
ances-Moses Harris-Dumas' novels-Vocabu-
lary of savages, 430 Red Dane Culloden
Memorials-Pyke (Pike) Families of London--
The Children of Edward IV Scratch Dials
Elliot Family-Author wanted, 431.

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THE LIBRARY:- The Plays of Beaumont and Fletcher' Victorian Narrative Verse' 'Selected Poems of William Blake.'

Booksellers' Catalogue.

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According to the Text of Codex Vati-
canus, supplemented from other Uncial
Manuscripts, with a Critical Apparatus
containing the Variants of the Chief
Ancient Authorities for the text of the
Septuagint. Edited by A. E. BROOKE,
D.D., NORMAN MCLEAN, M.A., and H.
ST. JOHN THACKERAY, M.A. Volume II.
The Later Historical Books. Part I.
and II Samuel. Demy 4to. 20s net.
THE NATURE OF
EXISTENCE

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NOT!

417

424

426

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Memorabilia.

the October number of the Journal of the Ministry of Agriculture we noticed a paragraph about red squill (Urginea maritima), recommended to be used as rat and mice poison in baits in preference to strychnine, arsenic or phosphorus. The red squill grows on sandy shores of the Mediterranean and the poison is extracted from the bulb. It may be used in powdered or liquid form, the former to be preferred, and the finer the powder is ground the better. To kill a male rat about twice as much red squill is needed

as is needed to kill a female. The white

squill (used for medicinal purposes) is useless as rat poison. Calves, sheep, pigs and rabbits either will not touch food with red squill in it, or, if they do, are not harmed by it, unless it should be taken in great quantities. In the Notes entitled October on the Farm,' Mr. J. R. Bond mentions an old idea, both in this country and abroad, that a severe winter may be expected when many leaves wither on the bough during October, and hang there, an observation, however, to be considered in relation to the several kinds of trees. He remarks on

the similarity between this autumn and that of 1918, which brings up the old belief of a weather period of nine years, once so definite that it is thought to have been cause of the adoption of nine-year

leases for farms.

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to speak, develops by the gradual opening up of more documents; then that the older historians sometimes use documents no longer accessible to us; and, lastly (his most interesting point) that the older historians, having fewer documents to work on, sometimes digested those they had with such care and ability that their work remains of permanent importance. He mentions as examples Ralph's history of the reigns of James II and William III; Wodrow's History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland Carte's History of England'; Godwin's History

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of the Commonwealth of England'; Bissett's 'Omitted Chapters in the History of England'; Kennett's Compleat History of England,' and Tindal. Sir Charles concludes with some sympathetic, but timely advice to the younger historian.

Of the Addenda and Corrigenda to the 'D. N. B.' the most important are those to the life of Sir John Fenwick.

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ON the question of the Glozel finds we have received from Mr. O. G. S. Crawford, author of the article in The Times of Nov. 23 (v. ante p. 379) two further remarks. First, that perhaps the strongest grounds for suspecting forgery are the objects themselves, which, he says, that his reason for omitting reference to the cry aloud," and secondly finding of the International Commission is that it has not been made known. The report is not yet signed even, and perhaps not written; and the members of the Commission have not divulged anything. Mr. Crawford has the highest authority for saying that the statements about the Commission having come to a favourable conclusion, which have appeared in French and in some English papers, are without the slightest foundation. IN the December Connoisseur Mr. Fred Roe

in the

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treats of a very pleasant subject, Jesters, to wit, on Panelling-work of the sixteenth century for the most part. Of the eight illustrations two of especial interest are the carved head on some French panelling, and the jester painted in a landscape on panelling painted closet now in Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich. Mr. Basil S. Long has Desmond Coke Collection, for which the illusa paper on the Rowlandson drawings in the trations have been very well selected, showing Rowlandson's force and breadth in composition, and his power of making atmosphere as well his more obvious qualities. There follow Famous English Punch Bowls,' by M. Louis Gautier ; The Quality of Mahogany Furniture,' by R. W. Symonds, and Some

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