The members of the Percy Society have just received the third and
concluding volume of _The Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer, a new Text,
with Illustrative Notes, edited by Thomas Wright, Esq_. It is urged as an
objection to Tyrwhitt's excellent edition of the _Canterbury Tales_, that
one does not know his authority for any particular reading, inasmuch as he
has given what he considered the best among the different MSS. he
consulted. Mr. Wright has gone on an entirely different principle.
Considering the Harleian MS. (No. 7334.) as both "the oldest and best
manuscript he has yet met with," he has "reproduced it with literal
accuracy," and for the adoption of this course Mr. Wright may plead the
good example of German scholars when editing the _Nibelungen Lied_. That
the members of the Society approve the principle of giving complete
editions of works like the present, has been shown by the anxiety with
which they have looked for the completion of Mr. Wright's labours; and we
doubt not that, if the Council follow up this edition of the _Canterbury
Tales_ with some other of the collected works which they have
announced--such as those of Hoccleve, Taylor the Water Poet, &c.--they will
readily fill up any vacancies which may now exist in their list of members.
Mr. Parker has just issued another handsome, and handsomely illustrated
volume to gladden the hearts of all ecclesiologists and architectural
antiquaries. We allude to Mr. Freeman's _Essay on the Origin and
Development of Window Tracery in England_, which consists of an improved
and extended form of several papers on the subject of Tracery read before
the Oxford Architectural Society at intervals during the years 1846 and
1848. To those of our readers who know what are Mr. Freeman's abilities for
the task he has undertaken, the present announcement will be a sufficient
inducement to make them turn to the volume itself; while those who have not
yet paid any attention to this interesting chapter in the history of
Architectural progress, will find no better introduction to the study of it
than Mr. Freeman's able volume with its four hundred illustrations.
Mr. Foss has, we hear, gone to press with two additional volumes of his
_Judges of England_, which will carry his subject down to the end of the
reign of Richard III.
_The Athenaeum_ of Saturday last announces that the remaining Stowe MSS.,
including the unpublished Diaries and Correspondence of George Grenville,
have been bought by Mr. Murray, of Albemarle Street, from the Trustees of
the Duke of Buckingham. The correspondence will form about four volumes,
and will be ready to appear among our next winter's novelties. The
Grenville Diary reveals, it is said, the secret movements of Lord Bute's
administration--the private histories of Wilkes and Lord Chatham--and the
features of the early madness of George III.; while the Correspondence
exhibits Wilkes, we are told, in a new light--and reveals (what the Stowe
Papers were expected to reveal) something of moment about Junius; So that
we may at length look for the solution of this important query.
Messrs. Puttick and Simpson (191. Piccadilly) will sell, on Monday and
Tuesday next, a collection of Choice Books, mostly in beautiful condition.
Among the more curious lots are, an unpublished work of Archbishop Laud, on
_Church Government_, said to have been presented to Charles I. for the
instruction of Prince Henry; and an unique Series of Illustrations for
Scotland, consisting of several thousand engravings, and many interesting
drawings and autographs.
We have received the following Catalogues:--Bernard Quaritch's (16. Castle
Street, Leicester Square) Catalogue (No. 24.) of Books in European and
Oriental Languages and Dialects, Fine Arts, Antiquities, &c.; Waller and
Son's (188. Fleet Street) Catalogue of Autograph Letters and Manuscripts,
English and Foreign, containing many rare and interesting Documents.
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