missions and modifications, that what remained amounted to little more than a new arrangement of my old materials. I think I should almost be justified in saying, that everything worth claiming is mine; all that is not obvious, or irrelevant, or trivial, or erroneous. It may be asked-indeed has been asked by Sir Frederic Madden's friends -whether two independent inquirers might not arrive at the same results in investigating the same author. I would "The definite article be is declined nearly as in the Anglo-Saxon, and the vowel in the oblique cases is much varied," &c.—Lay. i. xlii. "When the adjective is used definitely, after the definite article, a personal pronoun or connected with a genitive case, an indeclinable e is taken, which is in both texts often neglected. Occasionally the definite form has the final m," &c.Lay, i. xlvi. "In the present tense, the first person, as in Francic, often ends in s."-Lay. i. answer, that, even if Sir Frederic Madden obtained his results without my aid, still it was his duty to acknowledge my priority. But the hypothesis is not tenable. Coincidences of expression and of arrangement between my sketch and his analysis occur in almost every page, notwithstanding all attempts to conceal them, which can lead to no other conclusion but that the latter is merely an enlarged edition of the former. "The vowel of the definite article is singularly varied, but in other respects its inflexions closely resemble the AngloSaxon."-E. R. 2, 113. "When the adjective is definite (that is, connected with the definite article, a possessive pronoun, or a genitive case) it takes an e and is indeclinable. Sometimes, however, the definite adjective appears to take ».-E. R. 2, 112. "The en of the first person of the present reminds one of the Frankish."-E. R. 9, 112. archaism in the language; and I may add, to use an expression sufficiently familiar to Sir Frederic Madden, that the true nature and origin of this very singular form "was first discovered by Coincidences such as these might be readily multiplied. I shall, however, content myself with one more example, which contains matter of interest, as illustrating what may, perhaps, be considered as the most curious_me." "The conjugation in i is still clearly to be distinguished, as also the prevalence of the infinitive in i, e. or y (by the elision of the \ still retained in the western and southern dialects."—Lay. li. These passages betray their manufacture. I called certain adjectives de fute, and then explained what was meant by the word; it will be seen into what confusion Sir Frederic Madden has thrown a very plain statement by his attempts to vary my language.* Que variance requires some little the use of the definite adjective after 100 scoate pronoun is of constant DOCAITWICE, Wnd it may also be found after the persoal pronoun, though the examples are rare. Sir Fred. Madden substitutes a wk of rare occurrence for one of more grocal application. My own tules were acknowledgedly imperfect. 5. R. i. 33. "The i conjugation is still clearly distinguished, as clepien to call, Ic clepie, I call," &c.-E. R. 2,112. "As we go westward we gradually fall in with the Wiltshire variety, &c. with the infinitive in y, to sowy, to reapy, to nursy," &c.—2, 196. This inflexion seems to be a relic of the i conjugation. In our older MSS. it is written ie."-Ib. note. The last quotation was made up of two distinct plagiarisms, and the result is that owing to imperfect fusion the infinitive in te is distinguished from the conjugation in i, and by the retention of the significant word still "the infinitive in i, ie, or y (by the elision of the a)" is made to appear as if it were the original form instead of its corruption. I may add that the phrase "the i conjugation" was used by me to express what Grimm calls the weak, and Rask the simple + Sir Frederic Madden uses both erpressions, the i and the weak coningations is it possible that he has not yet the identity of these conjug conjugation; so it would appear that in investigating Layamon's grammar Sir Frederic Madden has been not only led to the same results as myself, but also to the invention of the same phraseology. Space would be wanting were I to notice my other grounds of complaint against Sir Frederic Madden. The list is a tolerably long one. I believe I may say that there are hardly three consecutive pages in the critical portion of his work in which he is not more or less indebted to my labours, though rarely or never is my name mentioned, unless when he is endeavouring to fix upon me some blunder or misconception. The few instances to the contrary may deserve a passing notice. I called my principal work "A History of English Rhythms," a title which was only partially significant of its contents. It has been defined by an able critic, and I accept the definition, as "a general history of the language, viewed as a metrical element or material." (Blackwood's Mag. 1845, p. 791.) Sir Frederic Madden avails himself of the opportunity afforded him by my want of precision. Whenever he treats of Layamon's metre or rhythm he quotes me with tolerable fairness, and, by way of compensation, uses without scruple or acknowledgment all the notices he meets with relative to the general history of our language and literature. I cannot deny a certain amount of cleverness to this mode of proceeding, though even here I cannot accord to Sir Frederic Madden the praise of originality. The experience of the last few years had made me but too familiar with these little ingenuities, and the present device no sooner came under my observation than it was recognised as an old acquaint ance. It was only after much hesitation and reluctance that I resolved to lay this statement before the public. Literary position is bought too dearly if it be purchased with the heart-burnings that always more or less accompany literary disputes. A man nevertheless owes something to himself, and there may always be a fear lest his indifference should be mistaken for a want of moral courage. I certainly do not think I can be accused of any undue sensitiveness in matters of this nature. For more than eight years I have seen my works treated as though they were a common property-a kind of Lammas land, on which every book-maker had right of pasturage. I have seen my notes swelled into "articles," and printed in our periodicals, or, it may be, in the hot-pressed quartos of chartered societies; I have read learned works on our language and our literature in which whole chapters have been taken from my pages, and my name has been quoted, perhaps with half a dozen others, for some unimportant particular; and, lastly, I have gone through an edition of Warton in which one-third of the additional matter is the result of my labours, and my name is not once mentioned.* I certainly think I have exhibited a sufficient amount of patient endurance. But were the case otherwise, Sir Frederic Madden is the last man who would be entitled to bring this as a charge against me. He does not cast his bread upon the waters, or view with magnanimous indifference the fate which may await his literary labours. Every correction of a date, though of merely biographical interest, is watched over with paternal anxiety, and obtruded upon the reader's notice whenever an opportunity offers, or can be made. An amusing instance_occurs in the work before us. Sir Frederic Madden calls Layamon "our English Ennius," and then chooses to assume that other persons give this title to Robert of Gloucester. As no one in his senses ever questioned the priority of Layamon, the dispute might be easily settled, if any one were simple enough to raise it. But Sir Frederic Madden is determined not to lose his opportunity : Price, in his edition of Warton, manufactured a text for the Brunanburgh War-Song out of the different MS. copies, so as best to suit his convenience as translator. In the History of English Rhythms I gave a text, as it appears in one of these MSS. viz. MS. Tib. A. vi. and accompanied my translation with an elaborate commentary explaining my reasons for differing in many particulars from Price's edition, though my translation and notes construction. In Mr. Richard Taylor's are never alluded to, they are freely made use of, and my version of one difficult passage is introduced, though Price's text will not support it. "His [Robert of Gloucester's] work was MR. URBAN, [May, similar neglect on the part of Sir FreI cannot certainly complain of any deric Madden. Everything I have written has received his very particular attention: he has only forgotten, upon occasion, to mention the name of the writer. Yours, &c. EDWIN GUEST. Edgbaston, April 10. 7, Great College Street, April 7. MOST persons who have written either a life or notice of the father of English printers, have referred to the Churchwardens' Accompts of the parish of St. Margaret in Westminster. However, as no complete series of extracts from the books has yet appeared, I send you, after a very careful search, all the passages in which I find that Caxton's name occurs, in the hope that they may elicit fresh information concerning the time of his death. A.D. 1478-80. In the accompt of John Wyeam and Nicholas Wollescroft— Received, Item, the day of burying of William Caxton for ij torchis and iiij tapirs atte a lowe masse, xxd.” Oldys (Biographia Britannica) assumed that this entry related to the father of the printer, who, he therefore concluded, must have lived to a good old age." At the close of the same accompts is an entry relative to their audit, in the following terms :— -The which some... the fore saide wardeyns have paide and delyvered in the full au lite unto William Garard and William Hachet, their successours, togeder with the treasurer of and in the chirche aforeseid to them delvvered in the begynnyng of this accompte, &c. &c., in the presence of John Randolf squver, Richard Umfrey gentilman, Thomas Burgeys, John Kendall notary, Willem Carton, &c. with other paryshyns," &c. 1480-2. William Garard, Willyam Hatchet. William Caxton's name is attached "Item, atte bureyng of Mawde Caxston for torches and tapres, iijs. ijd.” (1491.) - Item, atte barevng of William Caxton for iij torches, vjs. viijd. - Item, for the bee atte same bureyng, vjd” Here then, before the era of parochial registers, we have a record of the funeral of the ever-memorable Caxton. His will is not extant; but from the entries in some subsequent sccompts it appears that he bequeathed a certain portion of his stock of printed books to the "behove" of the parish of St. Margaret's There is no accompt remaining for the two years 1492—1494; His executors made a further present to one of the parish guilds: "Item, iiij pevated bokes, i of them of the Lyfe of Serut Kateryne, and other ij of the birth of our Lady, of the gut of th executors of Carton." This is the first entry in an inventory of "certern jewells, plate, and bekes remayning in our Ladies tresory," appended to the accept of Wlaam Tebbe, John Atwell, William Bate, late Maister and Wardevas of the fraternite or guide of or Flessed Lady Assumpcion, within the parisse churche of Sact Margarete of Westmynster. From the fest of S. John Baptist xx 4K Henry VII, to same fest xx.; K. Hen. VII, and which is one of two accompds in a volume preserved in St. Margaret's vestry distinct from the churchwardees Nobe and in that for the years 1494-6 there are no entries of the sale of books; but in the next account we first hear something of the produce of the printer's bequest in the following entries : 1496-8. John Denys, John Fanne. 'Item, receyved by the handes of William Ryolle for oone of thoo printed bokes that were bequothen to the churche behove by William Caxston, vjs. viijd. “Item, receyved by the hande3 of the said William for another of the same printed bokes called a legend, vjs. iiijd. "Item, by the handes of the parisshe prest for another of the same legendes, vjs. viijd.” There then remained in store, 66 Item, in bokes called Legendes of the bequest of William Caxton, xiij.” Of these thirteen copies of "The Golden Legend" (printed in 1483) nine copies were disposed of at various prices* during the two following years, as appears in the accompt of "1498-1500. Willyam Shoter and Watter Gardener. "The Receites of Bookes callyd Legendes, in the first yere of this accompte. "Fyrst Receyved of Joh'n Crosse for a prainted legend, vs. viijd. "Item, Received for another legende solde in Westmynster halle, vs. viijd. Item, Received of Will'm Geyfe for a nother of the same legendes, vs. viijd. Item, Received of the sayde Will'm Geyfe for another Legende, vs. viijd. “Item, R. of Water Marten for another legende, vs. xjd.” In the second year 66 Item, R. of William Geiffe for ij legendes printed, xs. iiijd. "Item R. of William Geiffe for a printed legende, vs. 'Item, in bokes called Legendes of the bequest of William Caxton, iij. "1500-2. Thomas Bakar, John Mayburne. "Ther remayneth in store, &c. "Item, a prynted legende booke of the bequeste of Will'm Caxton." It may be interesting to add, by way of remark, that these "Legendes' were a book which was actually passing through the press at the time of Caxton's death, and which, indeed, bears this posthumous imprint: "Fynysshed at Westmestre the xx day of May, The yere of our lord M.ccce.lxxxxiij. And in the viij. yere of the reygne off kynge Henry the vij. By me Wyllyam Caxton." (Dibdin's Ames, vol. i. p. 193.) Caxton had first printed "The Golden Legende" in the year 1483; and there is supposed to have been another intervening edition before that of 1493. They are now all so rare that imperfect copies have been sold for 25l., 317., and 351. instead of the five or six shillings which was their original price. I remain, &c. MACKENZIE WALCOTT, M.A. Curate of St. Margaret's, Westminster. *The copies sold for 58. 8d., 58. 2d., and 58. to William Geiffe, were probably on consideration that he was entitled to some profit on procuring their sale to a third party. Stalls for books, as well as other small merchandise, were permitted in the hall of the palace of Westminster as early as the middle of the 16th century, if not before. The poor scholars of Westminster were employed in hawking books between school hours. In the procession of sanctuary men which accompanied the abbat of Westminster and his convent, Dec. 6, 1556, was "a boy that killed a big boy that sold papers and printed books, with hurling of a stone, and hit him under the ear in Westminster hall. The boy (killed) was one of the children that was at the school there in the abbey; the boy (doing penance) is a hosier's son above London Stone." (Machyn's Diary.) birth, by our Lative wittes-as it is after the lapse of 600 years by its fellow-citizen of Bas, 1502. Inst add that the truth or falsehood of the interpretation was of comparatively small importance at that stage, it it was such as could have been suggested by munerari; so that, even though the Latin could no longer be produced to speak for itself, the false gloss, which could not, any more than the true, be a rendering of numerari, afforded clear proof that no such word was there. The prejudice of a classical education, to which in the first place I plead guilty, led me, from the first sight of this noble song in the incorrupt original, to view with regret this "pulero in corpore naevum,' as it then and till lately seemed to me, this deponent turned common. That prejudice, again, rendered it less difficult for me to sup 6 Paurus. As Crete ta WILL & TATIONs reading. Seneca MaCons The LTE are then can10% De bubrous. And where do we find a ative transitive ver! without ▲ passive voice, either need by classic alines that have come down ic us, or by some that are lost for aught we know: or that may legitimately be formed by anko ogy; and which is presupposed in the passive participle mnexamples are noted in dictionaries? meritus, of which three respectable But it will be objected munerari is a deponent verb. Well, what does that ruean? A verb," the grammarians signification." It must once have had say, that has laid aside the passive it then. Some retain it while they are also used actively, as dignor, criclassic use as passives were lost, and minor, &c. If the authorities for their they were found only in Ambrosius, Hieronymus, or Augustinus, would classical? they deserve to be condemned as un With respect to the rhythm, I need ference between numerari and munenot inform any M.A. that the difrari is only the moiety of a letter, the portion of the latter, a greater prou of the former being only that proportion than P. A. assigns to Roman Catholicism in all Christendom. |