NOTES ON BOOKS, SALES, CATALOGUES, ETC.
Every one who had an opportunity of inspecting the glorious assemblage of masterpieces of workmanship and design which were collected together at the Exhibition of Ancient and Mediæval Art last spring, must have felt a desire to possess some more lasting memorial of that unparalleled display than the mere catalogue.
So strong, indeed, was this feeling at the time, as to call several announcements of works in preparation, commemorative of the Exhibition, including one by the accomplished Honorary Secretary of the Committee, Mr. Franks. Mr. Franks has, however, we regret to hear, now abandoned that intention, so that of these promised memorials, we shall probably only see the one which has just been published under the title of Choice Examples of Art Workmanship, selected from the Exhibition of Ancient and Mediæval Art at the Society of Arts; and, whether as a pleasant record to those who visited the collection, or as a compensation for their disappointment to those who were not so fortunate, the book will, doubtless, find favour with the rapidly increasing class who take an interest in works of this character. That the publishers anticipate a large sale, is obvious, from the remarkably low price at which they have published this beautiful volume, which contains upwards of sixty engravings, drawn from the gems of the collection, by Mr. De la Motte, and engraved under his superintendence; and furnishes representations of objects of the most varied kinds, from the Nautilus Cup belonging to Her Majesty, to Mr. Vulliamy's Ivory Bas-reliefs ascribed to Fiamingo, Mr. Slade's matchless specimens of Glass, and Dr. Rock's Superaltare.
Mr. Charles Knight has just put forth a small pamphlet, entitled Case of the Authors as regards the Paper Duty, in which he shows most ably and most clearly the social advantages which must result from the repeal of a tax which, as Mr. Knight proves, "encourages the production of inferior and injurious works by unskilled labourers in literature."
The Gentleman's Magazine of the present month is a capital number. Mr. Cunningham has commenced in it, what promises to be an interesting series of papers upon a subject which that gentleman's well-known tact and judgment ill prevent from being objectionable, The Story of Nell Gwyn; and the numerous friends of the late Mr. Amyot—and how numerous were his friends!—cannot but be pleased with the characteristic portrait which accompanies the interesting memoir of that kind-hearted and accomplished gentleman.
Oracles from the British Poets, A Drawing-Room Table Book and pleasant Companion for a Round Party, by James Smith exhibits a good idea carried out with excellent taste, and justifies the author's motto:
"Out of them scatter'd Sibyl's leaves,
Strange prophecies my fancy weaves."
A game which, while it amuses the family circle, will make its members acquainted with so many beautiful passages from our poets as are here assembled, must find a welcome in many a home at the present season. The publisher of the Oracles has availed himself of the demand, at this period of the year, for "Song of knight and lady bright," to re-issue in one volume instead of two, and at a reduced price, his Pictorial Book of Ballads Traditional and Romantic.
A Monumentarium of Exeter Cathedral, carefully compiled by the Rev. J.W. Hewett, the result of six months regular labour, has been printed in the Transactions of the Exeter Architectural Society. By this work Mr. Hewett has done good service to all genealogists, local and general historians, &c., and we know no greater benefit that could be conferred on this branch of literature, than that some of our now super-abundant brass-rubbers should follow Mr. Hewett's example, and note with accuracy all the inscriptions, monuments, coats of arms, &c., preserved in the churches in their respective neighbourhoods. They may then either hand them over for publication to the nearest Archæological Society, or the Archæological Institute, or the Society of Antiquaries; or transmit a copy of them to the MS. department of the British Museum.
Messrs. Sotheby and Wilkinson, of Wellington Street, will sell, on Monday next and two following days, the valuable Collection of Ancient and Modern Engravings of the late James Brown, Esq.
We have received the following Catalogues:—W.S. Lincoln's (Cheltenham House, Westminster Road) Sixty-fourth Catalogue of Cheap Second-hand English and Foreign Books; John Miller's (43. Chandos Street) Catalogue Number Sixteen of Books Old and New.