Little as public attention has of late years been devoted to
commentating upon Pope, his writings and literary history, there are
no doubt many able and zealous illustrators of them among lovers of
literature for its own sake: and many a curious note upon the Bard
of Twickenham and his works will probably be evoked by the
announcement, that now is the moment when they may be produced with
most advantage, when Mr. Murray is about to bring forth a new
edition of Pope, under the able and experienced editorship of Mr.
Croker. Besides numerous original inedited letters, Mr. Croker's
edition will have the advantage of some curious books bought at the
Brockley Hall sale, including four volumes of Libels upon Pope, and
a copy of Ruffhead's Life of him, with Warburton's manuscript notes.
No one has rendered better service to the study of Gothic
architecture in this country than Mr. J.H. Parker, of Oxford. The
value of his admirable _Glossary of Terms used in Architecture_, is
attested by the fact, that it has already reached a fourth edition,
and that another will soon be called for. But we doubt whether he
has done any thing better calculated to promote this interesting
branch of Archæology than by the production of his _Introduction to
the Study of Gothic Architecture_, which--originally written as part
of a series of elementary lectures recommended by the Committee of
the Oxford Architectural Society to be delivered to the junior
members, and considered useful and interesting by those who heard
them--is now published at the request of the Society. A more
interesting volume on the subject, or one better calculated to give
such a knowledge of it, as is essential to any thing like a just
appreciation of the peculiar characteristics of our church
architecture, could scarcely have been produced, while its compact
size and numerous illustrations fit it to become a tourist's
travelling companion.
We have great pleasure in directing attention to the advertisement
inserted in another column respecting some improvements about to be
introduced into the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. This venerable periodical
has maintained its station uninterruptedly in our literature from
the year 1731. From the times of Johnson and Cowper it has been the
medium by which many men of the greatest eminence have communicated
with the public. At all times it has been the sole depository of
much valuable information of a great variety of kinds. We are
confident that under the new management {190} it will put forth
fresh claims to the favour of the public. Many writers of high
reputation in historical and antiquarian literature are henceforth
to be enlisted in its service. We shall look for the forthcoming
number with great interest.
Scheible, of Stuttgart, who is doubtless known to our readers as the
publisher of some very curious works illustrative of the popular
literature of Germany of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries,
has just commenced a new Library of Magic, &c., or _Bibliothek der
Zanber-Geheimnisse-und Offenbarungs-Bucher_. The first volume of it
is devoted to a work ascribed to that prince of magicians, our old
familiar, Dr. Faustus, and bears the imposing title _Doktor Johannes
Faust's Magia Naturalis et Innaturalis, oder Dreifacher Höllenzwang,
leiztes Testament und Siegelkunst_. It is taken from a MS. of the
last century, filled with magical drawings and devices enough to
summon back again from the Red Sea all the spirits that ever were
laid in it. It is certainly a curious book to publish in the middle
of the nineteenth century.
Messrs. Sotheby and Co. will sell the extensive and valuable
Collection of MSS. in all languages formed by the late Mr. Rodd, on
Monday the 4th of February, and five following days. The catalogue
deserves the attention of all collectors of manuscripts, as it is,
as far as circumstances will admit, a classified one. There are
upwards of one thousand lots in the sale--many of a very curious and
interesting character. There are Greek and Latin versions of the
Scriptures, manuscripts of the 13th century, Ruding's original
collections for his _History of the Coinage of Great Britain_; which
work, it is stated, contains only a very small portion of the
materials he had brought together. One lot consists of a mass of
documents and papers contained in eight large packing cases, and
weighing from ten to fifteen hundred weight, of the families of
Eyre, of Derbyshire and Berkshire, and their intermarriages from the
reign of Henry II. to the present time. Well may Mr. Sotheby talk of
their proving a source of amusement to any person having room to
sort them, and time to devote to their arrangement.
Messrs. Puttick and Simpson, of Piccadilly, commence their sales on
Monday next, with a four days' miscellaneous sale of works on
theology, history, classics, voyages and travels, and standard works
in foreign and English general literature. They have some important
sales coming on, of which our readers shall have due notice.