No. 1.]

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1839.

WILLIAM STEVENS, PRINTER, BELL YARD, TEMPLE BAR.

[PRICE SIXPENCE.

This Publication will appear Monthly. It is intended to be the organ of communication between the Book-buying and
Reading public, and the Booksellers of the whole kingdom. It is more especially designed to be the means of procuring for
Authors, Scholars, &c. the rarest and most valuable books; and as this Publication will be strictly confined to literary subjects, no
Advertisements will be admitted, except those which have reference to matters of analogous character. The literary portion of the
Publication, will, it is hoped, present unusual attractions, as well from its sterling merit as from its being replete with original
information and news. The number now circulated will offer a fair specimen of the projected work.

Dictionary. In this year also, was produced, by M. guage, who, whilst the explanations were locked up ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE. Silvestre, of Paris, the first of a series of works on in Latin, would never think of mastering that preAnglo-Saxon literature, by M. M. P. de Larenau-vious to their acquaintance with the Anglo-Saxon. WITH much pleasure we observe that within a few dière and Francisque Michel; it is entitled, "Coup- The system which Mr. Thorpe has adopted of appenyears, the subject of Anglo-Saxon literature has d'oeil sur les progrès et sur l'état actuel de la Lit-ding a verbal index to all his publications, will be of received a strong and vigorous impulse. The want térature Anglo-Saxonne en Angleterre," by Mr. great assistance to the future lexicographer, and, at of both Grammar and Dictionary hitherto precluded Thomas Wright, being a translation of an article the same time, subserve the student as a glossary the English student from entering on the study of the which appeared in Fraser's Magazine, for July, 1835. in addition to, and correction of, his dictionary. The language; that want is now supplied, and it may not In the following year, M. Michel published his value of Mr. Bosworth's dictionary is much enhanced be amiss to give a brief sketch of what has been" Bibliotheque Anglo-Saxonne," being a catalogue by the explanations and comparisons of words in recently done, to promote amongst Englishmen the of books in Anglo-Saxon literature, chronologically the cognate languages, by which means, the student study of their mother tongue. arranged, of which work, in his report to M. Guizot, acquires an introduction to the whole of the TeuIn the year 1831, the Society of Antiquaries en- Minister of Public Instruction, he gives the following tonic languages, if he be desirous of studying them. tered warmly into this subject; a Saxon Committee account: "Desirous of furnishing to my country- From the grammar and the analysis of the systems was appointed, which issued a prospectus of works men, who might wish to study the Anglo-Saxon and of Rask and Grimm prefixed, we conclude Mr. Bosfor publication,-Caedmon, Layamon, and the Exeter Gothic, a special bibliography which might guide worth has given in his adhesion to the new, or conbook: the first of these came out in 1832, carefully their steps, I have composed, with Mr. John Kemble, tinental school of Saxonists. edited by Mr. B. Thorpe; Layamon, under the edi-a catalogue of all the printed works in Anglo-Saxon At the present time, several works are in protorial care of Sir F. Madden, is still in the press. and Gothic which I have been able to find; this gress: "Principia Saxonica," being Ælfric's Homily In the same year, Dr. Reinhold Schmid published Catalogue, which I have reason to think as complete on the birth-day of St. Gregory, (first published by by far the best edition hitherto of the Anglo-Saxon as possible, is now, with your authorization, in the Elstob, in 1709,) has just issued from the press of laws, accompanied by a German translation. [8vo. press at Paris." Mr. Richard Taylor, whose care in these matters is Leipsig, 1832.] In this year also, Hunter's Gram- It would not be difficult to point out numerous well known. As a specimen of typography, this mar was published by Longman & Co.; a work, since omissions which render this Catalogue far from being little work is superior to any thing we have seen; the publication of Mr. Thorpe's excellent translation" as complete as possible." We might mention of prefixed is a short sketch of the utility and imporof Rask, [8vo. Copenhagen, 1830], of very little Fox's Martyrs, seven editions which have the tance of Anglo-Saxon literature, by the editor, S. value even to the mere English student. The Anglo-Saxon monuments, whilst M. Michel has referred Langley. The British Historical Society has anSaxon Commonwealth of Sir Francis Palgrave has only to those of 1610, 1641, 1684, the titles and nounced, as preparing for publication, a volume of enlarged our knowledge of the polity of our fore- contents of which are needlessly repeated at length. Anglo-Saxon charters, by Mr. J. M. Kemble. The fathers, and it will, together with Turner's History Of "Camden's Remains," although seven or eight Royal Society of Literature has announced a "Biogra of the Anglo-Saxons, on that subject, be our surest editions are known, four only are given; when, as in phia Literaria Britannica," in which Mr. T. Wright guide. The following year, Mr. Kemble's first edi- the case of Fox's Martyrs, one title, &c. (the first) will give us some account of the method of study, tion of Beowulf came out; and so high was the at length, would have been sufficient. Three editions the schools, learning, &c. of our Saxon forefathers. interest produced amongst Saxon students by the of the "Oratio Dominica," &c. are described, Mr. Thorpe, we hope, has nearly ready a complete publication of this noble poem, that the impression, which is by no means a complete list. The same edition of the Anglo-Saxon laws, in an octavo size, (limited to 100 copies,) was sold in less than three applies to Dugdale's Monasticon, titles inserted for the Record Commission; and the folio edition, so months. A second edition has since appeared, ac- three several times, &c. There is also a sprinkling long printed, may be expected at the same time. companied by an English translation, preface, notes of hypercriticism displayed in inserting so often the The Saxon Chronicle, a portion, if not the whole of and a glossary. [2 vols. 8vo. 1837.] little word (sic), when it would not, in M. Michel's which, is already printed, may probably soon appear. But the most acceptable book to the Saxon stu- work, appear out of place at p. 160, "caracters;" Let us hope that the much-talked-of, but rarely dent was presented in the following year, by the pub-p. 120, "Du-rham," and elsewhere. Another thing seen, Appendix B, to the Acts of Rymer, containing lication of Mr. Thorpe's "Analecta Anglo-Saxonica," of which we may reasonably complain, is the inser- so much that is interesting to the Anglo-Saxon stu8vo. 1834, consisting of extracts in prose and verse, tion, for no apparent purpose but to increase its dent, will soon be released from its present durance from various sources, both in print and MS. A slender dimensions, of works, which have merely a at the printer's. And may we hope also, that the review of this work, by Mr. J. M. Kemble, in the few lines of Saxon; for instance, under the year Camden Society, which has so auspiciously begun Gentleman's Magazine, for April, 1834, produced a 1771, "Bentham's History of Ely," and under its course in the publication of works in Early Englong and bitter controversy, which was carried on in 1810, "Todd's Illustrations of the lives of Gower lish Literature, will not forget that the shelves of that publication for some time. Mr. Thorpe also in and Chaucer." These works have nothing to do our libraries are filled with Anglo-Saxon MSS., a this year gave us the prose romance of Apollonius with the Anglo-Saxon language, the only Saxon in selection from which would be an acceptable boon to of Tyre. In the year 1835, Mr. Soames published them being a fragment of four lines of a song, said its members, and bring many acquainted with the "The Anglo-Saxon Church; its History, Revenues, to have been made by King Canute the Dane. The language, who now, perhaps, think it a study of less and general Character;" a learned and elaborate excellent letter of Mr. Kemble (which is in English), value than it really is. work. The Anglo-Saxon version, by King Alfred, of the Metres of Boethius. hy Mr. S. Fox, was a useful addition to the prose version, published by BIBLICAL CRITICISM.-We have just received an Mr. Cardale, of Leicester, in 1829. Mr. B. Thorpe, important correction of a passage in the Greek Testo whose unwearied industry and application we owe Mr. Bosworth, in his work above-mentioned, and tament. The words τῆς γνώσεως, which occur so so many excellent works, published the Anglo- in the Introduction to his larger grammar, was the ungrammatically after inepßáλλovoar, in Ephes. iii. 18 Saxon Psalter; and about this time, he, in conjunc- first to give us a tolerable Anglo-Saxon Bibliography: & 19, have slipped out of their proper place, which is tion with Mr. Kemble, issued proposals for the pub- a short list of printed books is also to be found after vos in the preceding verse. This clears up lication of a complete edition of the Anglo-Saxon appended to Wanley's Catalogue of Saxon MSS. (in both clauses, and the English will then stand thus, Gospels, but which we fear, without greater encou- Hickes's Thesaurus), folio, 1705; and it is from Mr.That you may be able to comprehend with all ragement than has hitherto been given, will never see Bosworth's work, apparently, that M. Michel derived saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, the light. the idea of a chronological, instead of a classed, and height; (of what ?)—of knowledge, (i. e. of truth), arrangement in his Catalogue. In the year 1838, and to know the surpassing love of Christ:" not the we rejoice in the publication of "Bosworth's Anglo- love of Christ which passeth knowledge: otherSaxon Dictionary," so long wanted, and so long wise how could you know it ? waited for: although it must be evident, that as a first edition, such a work must have imperfections,

prefixed to the work, containing a sketch of the
progress of Anglo-Saxon literature, from its revival
in the sixteenth century, leaves us only to regret
that it is so short.

In the year 1836, Mr. Bosworth, to whom we are previously indebted for two Anglo-Saxon grammars; (a large one in 8vo. 1823, and an Epitome, 8vo. 1826,) published his "Origin of the German and Scandinavian Languages and Nations, with a Sketch of their Literature, with Specimens, &c.", and which we lose sight of these in our exultation at the prosorms the Introduction to his Anglo-Saxon pect of bringing hundreds acquainted with the lan

now

** Number Published, 3000.