Chapter L: B. M

_Greek Epigram_ (Vol. viii., p. 622.).--The epigram, or rather epigrams, desired by your correspondent G. E. FRERE are most probably those which stand as the twelfth and thirteenth in the ninth division of the _Anthologia Palatina_ (vol. ii. p. 61., ed. Tauchnitz). Their subjects are identical with that quoted by you, which stands as the eleventh in the same collection. The two best lines of Epigram XIII. are--

"[Greek: Anera tis lipoguion huper nôtoio lipaugês]
[Greek: Êge, podas chrêsas, ommata chrêsamenos.]"

P. J. F. GANTILLON.

_Mackey's "Theory of the Earth"_ (Vol. viii. pp. 468. 565.).--

"Died, on Saturday se'night, at Doughty's Hospital in this city, Samson
Arnold Mackey, aged seventy-eight years. The deceased was born at
Haddiscoe, and was a natural son of Captain Samson Arnold of Lowestoft.
He has been long known to many of the scientific persons of Norwich,
and was remarkable for the originality of his views upon the very
abstruse subject of mythological astronomy, in which he exhibited great
sagacity, and maintained his opinions with extraordinary pertinacity.
He received but a moderate education; was put apprentice to a shoemaker
at the age of eleven, served his time, and for many years afterwards
was in the militia. He did not again settle in Norwich until 1811, when
he hired the attic storey of a small house in St. Paul's, where he
followed his business and pursued his favourite studies. About 1822 he
published his first part of _Mythological Astronomy_, and gave lectures
to a select few upon the science in general. In 1825 he published his
_Theory of the Earth_, and several pamphlets upon the antiquity of the
Hindoos. His room, in which he worked, took his meals, slept, and gave
his lectures, was a strange exhibition of leather, shoes, wax,
victuals, sketches of sphinxes, zodiacs, planispheres; together with
orreries of his own making, geological maps and drawings, illustrative
of the Egyptian and Hindoo Mythologies. He traced all the geological
changes to the different inclinations of the earth's axis to the plane
of its orbit, and was fully persuaded that about 420,000 years ago,
according to his theory, when the poles of the earth were last in that
position, the geological phenomena now witnessed were produced. From
his singular habits, he was of course looked upon with wonder by his
poor neighbours, and those better informed were inclined to annoy him
as to his religious opinions. He had a hard struggle of late years to
obtain subsistence, and his kind friend and patron the late Mr.
Moneyment procured for him the asylum in which he died. He held
opinions widely different to most men; but it must not be forgotten
that, humble as he was, his scientific acquirements gained him private
interviews with the late Duke of Sussex, the Duke of Somerset, and many
learned men in the metropolis."

The above is taken from the _Norwich Mercury_ of August 12, 1843.

TRIVET ALLCOCK.

Norwich.

_"Homo Unius Libri"_ (Vol. viii., p. 569.).--D'Israeli devotes a chapter, in the second series of his {90} _Curiosities of Literature_, to "The Man of One Book." He says:

"A predilection for some great author, among the vast number which must
transiently occupy our attention, seems to be the happiest preservative
for our taste ... He who has long been intimate with one great author
will always be found a formidable antagonist.... The old Latin proverb
reminds us of this fact, _Cave ab homine unius libri_, Be cautious of
the man of one book."

and he proceeds to remark, that "every great writer appears to have a predilection for some favourite author," and illustrates it by examples.

EIRIONNACH.

_Muffs worn by Gentlemen_ (Vol. viii., p. 353.).--In the amusing quarrel between Goldsmith's old friend and his cousin in St. James's Park, "Cousin Jeffrey," says Miss, "I knew we should have the eyes of the Park upon us, with your great wig so frizzled and yet so beggarly." "I could," adds Mr. Jeffrey, "have patiently borne a criticism on all the rest of my equipage; but I had always a peculiar veneration for my muff." (Essays, p. 263., edit. 1819.)

MACKENZIE WALCOTT, M.A.

* * * * *

Miscellaneous.

NOTES ON BOOKS, ETC.

If, as we believe, the first and greatest qualifications for an editor of Shakspeare be love for his author and a thorough appreciation of his beauties, Mr. Charles Knight may well come forward once more in that character. And, as he well observes, the fact of his having laboured for many years in producing a body of Commentary on Shakspeare, so that he was, out of the necessity of its plan, compelled not to miss any point, or slur over any difficulty, renders him not the less fitted for the preparation of an edition which is intended to be "The People's Shakspeare." The first volume of this edition, which he calls _The Stratford Shakspeare_, is now before us. It comprises the "Facts connected with the Life and Writings of Shakspeare," and the "Notice of Original Editions," and a most valuable shilling's worth it is. And there can be little doubt that, if Mr. Knight realises his intentions of suiting the present work to the wants of the many, by his endeavours, without any elaborate criticism, to unravel the difficulties of a plot, to penetrate the subtlety of a character, and to show the principle upon which the artist worked, the present will be the crowning labour of his many praiseworthy endeavours to place a good edition of the works of our great dramatist within the reach of all.

"Who speak the tongue
That Shakspeare spake."

We cannot better show the utility and interest of _The Autograph Miscellany; a Collection of Autograph Letters, Interesting Documents, &c., selected from the British Museum, and other sources Public and Private_, than by stating the contents of the first number, which certainly contains admirable lithographic facsimiles of--I. Queen Elizabeth's Letter to the House of Commons in answer to their Petition respecting her Marriage; II. Letter from Catherine de Medici; III. Wren's Report on the Design for the Summit of the City Monument; IV. Letter from Rubens on the Defeat of the English at Rochelle. Their execution is certainly most creditable to the artist, Mr. F. Netherclift.

BOOKS RECEIVED.--_The Works of Joseph Addison, with Notes by Dr. Richard Hurd, Bishop of Worcester, in Four Volumes, with Engravings, Vol. I._ This is the first of a new, cheap, and well-printed edition of Hurd's _Addison_, and forms one of Mr. Bohn's new series of _British Classics_.--_The Russians of the South_, by Shirley Brooks, the 53rd Part of Longman's _Traveller's Library_, is a very lively and amusing little volume. It would have been read with interest at any time, but is especially deserving of attention at the present moment.

* * * * *

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{91}

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Notices to Correspondents.

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SCRUTATOR, _who writes touching _The Kilkenny Cats_, is referred to our _2nd Vol., p. 71.