The Northern Antiquaries set their brethren in this country a noble
example. Every year sees one or more of them engaged in the production of
carefully-edited volumes of early Scandinavian history. We have now to
record the publication, by Professor Munch, of the old Norse text of _Kong
Olaf Tryggvesoen's Saga_ from a MS. in the Library at Stockholm which has
not hitherto been made use of; and also, by the same gentleman, in
conjunction with his friend Professor Unger, of an edition of the _Saga
Olafs Konungs ens Helga_, from the earliest MS. in the library at
Stockholm. Each work is introduced by a preface of great learning, and
illustrated by a large body of valuable notes.
Those who have shared our regret, that the brilliant notices of books which
occasionally appear in the columns of _The Times_ should be presented in a
form which scarcely admits of their being preserved, and also our
satisfaction when Mr. Murray put forth his selection from them under the
title of _Essays from the Times_, will be glad that the same publisher has
issued in his _Railway Reading_ a Second Series of them, comprising
fourteen articles.
We may remind all lovers of beautiful illustrations of Mediaeval Art, that
Messrs. Sotheby and Wilkinson will sell by auction on Monday next the
entire stock of the magnificent publications of Mr. Henry Shaw, F.S.A.,
whose _Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages_ are a type of the whole.
Such an opportunity of securing copies at a reasonable rate will never
occur again. While on the subject of sales, we may mention that Messrs.
Puttick and Simpson announce a sale of _Photographs_. This is the first
instance; but we may be sure, with the growing taste for these accurate
and, in many cases, also artistic transcripts of nature, every season will
see many similar sales.
At the anniversary of the Society of Antiquaries on Monday last, Admiral
Smyth moved a vote of thanks to MR. BRUCE, on his retirement from the
Treasurership, for his zeal and indefatigable exertions in that office. The
manner in which the gallant Admiral's remarks were received showed, first,
that the reforms advocated by Mr. Bruce now meet the general approval of
the Society; and secondly, that the warmth of feeling which they had called
forth on both sides has entirely disappeared.
BOOKS RECEIVED.--_Conde's History of the Arabs in Spain, translated from
the Spanish_, by Mrs. Jonathan Foster, in three volumes, Vol. I. Mr. Bohn
deserves the best thanks of all lovers of history for this English
translation--the first which has ever been made--of the admirable work of
Conde. It is one of the most important volumes which he has published in
his _Standard Library.--The Diary and Letters of Madame D'Arblay_, Vol. II.
The second volume of this amusing, gossiping, and egotistical work,
comprises the period 1781-1786.--_Pantomime Budgets, &c._, a clever
pamphlet in favour of prepaid taxation.--_John Penry, the Pilgrim Martyr_,
1559-1593, by John Waddington. A violent anti-church biography of Penry,
whose share in the Marprelate Controversy Mr. Waddington disbelieves on
very insufficient grounds.
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