NOTES ON BOOKS, ETC.
It is always a boon to historical literature when a man of learning and industry devotes himself to a monograph of any particular person or period. When we saw, therefore, in the Gentleman's Magazine, the able and interesting papers by Mr. Cunningham, on the history of one who, whatever might have been her life, so died, that Tennison did not hesitate to preach her funeral sermon, we felt sure that those papers could never be allowed to remain the "sole property" of the readers and admirers of our good friend Sylvanus Urban; and we have proved right in our anticipation. The Story of Nell Gwyn, and the Sayings of Charles II., related and collected by Peter Cunningham, which has just been issued, consists of a reprint of those papers, greatly enlarged and increased in value by the information which has reached the author since they appeared in their original form. We know of no volume of the same extent calculated to give a more graphic or faithful picture of the heartlessness and depravity of the age of profligacy in which his heroine lived, an age which furnishes a striking proof how true it is that individuals, communities, and even whole nations, will after a time seek compensation for a state of gloomy and unchristian fanaticism in one of unbridled licentiousness.
Mr. Cunningham has, in this handsomely illustrated volume, treated a subject which required very nice handling with great tact; and his book deserves to be placed on the shelves with Pepys and Evelyn, as a necessary supplement to them. Can we give it higher praise? Its quaint and characteristic binding is a clever fac-simile of the morocco binding which Charles II. so loved.
We are indebted to the publishers of the National Illustrated Library for a new memoir of the great founder of American independence. The Life of General Washington, First President of the United States, written by himself; comprising his Memoirs and Correspondence, as prepared by him for publication, including several Original Letters now first printed, edited by the Rev. C. W. Upham, forms two volumes, which have been written or compiled on the principle, now we believe first applied to Washington, of making the subject of the memoir, its far as possible, his own biographer. This task Mr. Upham has executed with much ability and excellent judgment; and we know of no work calculated to give the general reader a better or more correct idea of the personal character of one of whom the Americans boast, that he was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."
Some of our readers may be interested to know that the collection of black-letter ballads, formerly in the Heber collection, and described in the Bibliotheca Heberiana, vol. iv. pp. 28-33., was sold on Monday last at the auction of Mr. Utterson's library at Messrs. Sotheby's. After a rather brisk bidding, Mr. Halliwell became the purchaser at the sum of 104l.
BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES
WANTED TO PURCHASE.
BROUGHAM'S MEN OF LETTERS. 2nd Series, royal 8vo., boards. Original edition.
KNIGHT'S PICTORIAL SHAKSPEARE. Royal 8vo. Parts XLII, XLIII, XLIV, L, and LI.
CONDER'S ANALYTICAL VIEW OF ALL RELIGIONS. 8vo.
NEWMAN'S (J. H.) PRESENT POSITION OF THE CATHOLICS IN ENGLAND.
HALLIWELL ON THE DIALECTS OF SOMERSETSHIRE.
SCLOPETARIA, OR REMARKS ON RIFLES, &c.
SOWERBY'S ENGLISH FUNGI. Vol. III.
SUPPLEMENT TO SOWERBY'S ENGLISH FUNGI.
EUROPEAN MAGAZINE. Vols. XXIII, XXIV, and XXV.
POETIC WREATH. Small 8vo. Newman.
GEMS FROM BRITISH POETS. 4 Vols. Tyas.
CALLIOPE, A SELECTION OF BALLADS LEGENDARY AND PATHETIC. Suttaby, 1808.
THE WORKS OF LORD BYRON. Vo's. VI, VII, and VIII. 12mo. Murray, 1823.
MALLETT'S POEMS. Bell's edition.
MALLETT'S PLAY OF ELVIRA. 1763.
JOANNIS LELANDI COLLECTANEA. Vol. V. 1774.
BISHOP PATRICK'S COMMENTARY ON THE BIBLE. The Volumes containing Joshua and Judges. Small 4to.
KENT'S ANTHEMS. Vol. I. folio. Edited by Joseph Corfe.
THE MATHEMATICIAN. Vol. I. No. 1. 1844.
MACULLOCH'S HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS OF SCOTLAND.
BACK'S VOYAGE OF THE TERROR, 8vo.
BACK'S OVERLAND JOURNEY IN THE ARCTIC REGIONS, 8vo.
L'HISTOIRE DE LA SAINCTE BIBLE, par ROYAUMONDE: à Paris, 1701.
JOHNSON'S (DR. S.) WORKS, by MURPHY. Trade Edition of 1816, in 8vo. Vol XII. only.
SCOTT'S CONTINUATION OF MILNER'S CHURCH HISTORY, Vol. II. Part II. 8vo.
WINKELMAN'S REFLECTIONS ON THE PAINTING OF THE GREEKS, translated by FUSELI. London, 1765. 8vo.
ROYAL PROCLAMATIONS IN ENGLAND IN THE YEAR 1688, EXTENDING TO AND INCLUDING THE YEAR 1707. London, folio.
TYRWITT'S SOLID REASONS FOR PHILOSOPHIZING. Winchester, 1652.
BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY. The first two Volumes. In Numbers preferred.
MARVELL'S WORKS. 3 Vols. 4to.
MARVELL'S (ANDREW) LIFE.
KINGSTON-ON-HULL, any work upon.
EDWIN AND EMMA. Taylor, 1776. 5s. will be given for a perfect copy.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. Vol. V. Part I.
—— Vols. VIII. and IX. in Numbers.
POPE'S WORKS, BY WARTON, 1797. Vol. IV.
ROSCOE'S NOVELIST'S LIBRARY.—Tristram Shandy. Vol. II.
LINGARD'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 4to. edit. Vol. VII.
LEBEUF, TRAITE HISTORIQUE SUR LE CHANT ECCLESIASTIQUE.
*⁎* Letters, stating particulars and lowest price, carriage free, to be sent to MR. BELL, Publisher of "NOTES AND QUERIES," 186. Fleet Street.