Various

“ The formation of a Society, having for its object any special literary service, is a matter so closely connected with the very purpose for which this paper was established, that we shall only be carrying out that purpose by calling the attention of our readers to a small pamphlet in which our valued correspondent DR. MAITLAND offers a few suggestions to all who may be interested in the formation of a "CHURCH-HISTORY SOCIETY, and willing to co-operate in such a design." ”

“ It might be prudent for the present to confine one's self to a positive assurance that the Society will, at the worst, make as good a return as several other societies formed for the promotion and cultivation of other branches of knowledge. If subscribers will only be content to pay as much, and receive as little, as the fellows of the Royal and Antiquarian Societies, the Church-History Society will thrive. ”

“ Our purpose is aided, and our usefulness increased by every introduction which can be given to our paper, either to a Book Club, to a Lending Library, or to any other channel of circulation amongst persons of inquiry and intelligence. By such introductions scholars help themselves as well as us, for there is no inquirer throughout the kingdom who is not occasionally able to throw light upon some of the multifarious objects which are discussed in our pages. ”

“ It must not build its hopes, and stake its existence, on the cupidity of subscribers—it must not live on appeals to their covetousness—it must not be, nor act as if it were, a joint-stock company formed to undersell the trade. It must not rest on the chance of getting subscribers who will shut their eyes, and open their mouths, and take what is given them, on a mere assurance that it shall be more in quantity for the money, than a bookseller can afford to offer. ”

“ At the same time, the members of the Society might derive some legitimate benefits. They would have constantly increasing advantages from the use of their library, which would gradually become, not only rich in books, but in transcripts, catalogues, indexes, notices, &c., not to be found together elsewhere. ”

“ A General Church-History on such a scale, and so far entering into details as to interest a reader, is not to be found in our language; nor has the Church of England any thing like the Gallia Christiana or Italia Sacra. We mention these merely as instances, referring, of course, for further illustration to the pamphlet itself, merely quoting the following paragraph:—
"But on the subject of publication, I must add one thing more, which appeals to me to be of vital importance to the respectability and efficiency of such a Society. ”

“ Himself a party-man, he makes you a party-man. None of the cursed philosophical Humeian indifference, 'so cold and unnatural and inhuman.' None of the cursed Gibbonian fine writing, so fine and composite. ”

“ DR. MAITLAND concludes by observing, that he should not have ventured to publish his plan, had he not been encouraged to do so by some whose judgment he respected; and by inviting all who may approve or sanction the plan, to make known (either by direct communication to himself, or in any other way) their willingness to support such a Society, and the amount of contribution, or annual donation, which, if the design is carried out, may be expected from them. ”

“ A MEDIUM OF INTER-COMMUNICATION FOR LITERARY MEN, ARTISTS, ANTIQUARIES, GENEALOGISTS, ETC. "When found, make a note of."—CAPTAIN CUTTLE. CONTENTS. NOTES SHAKSPEARE AND MARLOWE.
A special use of, a use, indeed, that gives a special value to your publication, is the communication through its means of facts and conclusions for the information or assistance of editors or intending editors. ”

“ The Term "Organ-blower."—In an old document preserved among the archives of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, is an entry relative to the celebrated composer and organist HENRY PURCELL, in which he is styled "our organ-blower." What is the meaning of this term? It certainly does not, in the present case, apply to the person whose office it was to fill the organ with wind. Purcell, at the time the entry was made, was in the zenith of his fame, and "organist to the king." ”

“ It is but honest to confess in plain terms, that the chief and most obvious privilege of members at first, is likely to be little more than a satisfactory belief that they are doing a good work, and serving their generation. ”

“ On this rude monument for ages be recorded, that wondrous enterprise, successfully achieved by the powers of chemistry and the fortitude of man, that improvement in science, which the great Author of all knowledge, patronising by His providence the inventions of mankind, hath graciously permitted to their benefit and His own eternal glory. ”

“ Dyce; it is the style rather of Shakspeare than Marlowe. In other respects, I learn that the kind of evidence that is considered by Mr. Dyce good to sustain the claim of Marlowe to the authorship of the Contention and the True Tragedy, is not admissible in support of his claim to the Taming of a Shrew. I shall take another opportunity of showing that the very passages cited by Mr. Dyce from the two first-named of these plays will support my view of the case, at least as well as his; doing no more now than simply recording an opinion that Marlowe was a follower and imitator of Shakspeare. ”

“ By those who have not been led to consideration or inquiry upon the subject, this may be deemed a mere speculation; but those who are even slightly acquainted with the real state of things, will, I believe agree with me that if men, respectable and in earnest and moderately informed, would only set about the matter, they would soon be astonished at the ease and rapidity with which they would accumulate interesting and valuable matter. ”

“ Knight's hitherto expressed opinions in reference to the early stage of Shakspeare's career in a great measure coincide with mine; and I have no reason to suppose that it is otherwise than an open question to Mr. Halliwell. For satisfactory proof in support of my position, time only, I firmly believe, is required; but the first stage in every case is to remove the false conclusion that has been drawn, to weaken its impression, and to reduce it to its true value ”

“ An anonymous writer commits himself to nothing, and I should not have noticed the above but that they illustrate my position. In the passage first cited, if the writer mean "as a writer for the stage in print," it proves nothing; but if the words "in print" are not intended to be so connected, the assertion cannot be proved, and many "competent critics" will tell him it is most improbable. The assertion of the second quotation is simply untrue; Mr. Knight has not admitted what is stated therein, and if I recollect right, an Edinburgh Reviewer has concurred with him in judgment. ”

“ I do not suppose that any gentleman occupying this position would be guilty of so much disrespect to the many eminent names which have already appeared in your columns, as would be implied in not giving all the attention it deserved to any communication you might see fit to publish; and with this feeling, and under this shelter, I return to the subject of Marlowe, and his position as a dramatic writer relative to Shakspeare. ”

“ On referring to my memoranda, I find that the copy of Fairfax's translation of the Gerusalemme Liberata of Tasso, containing the third variation of the first stanza, noticed in my last, has the two earliest pages reprinted, in order that the alteration might be more complete, and that the substitution, by pasting one stanza over another (as the book is usually met with) might not be detected. A copy with the reprinted leaf is, I apprehend, still in the library of the late William Wordsworth ”

“ Transcribing and printing, it is admitted, are expensive processes, and little could be effected by them at first; but merely to make known to the world by hasty, imperfect, even blundering, lists or indexes, that things unsought and unknown exist, would be an invaluable benefit. ”

“ DR. MAITLAND's fourth section, on the Discovery of Materials, tempts us to further extracts. After remarking that
"It would be a most important and valuable part of the Society's work to discover in various ways—chiefly by the employing fit persons to look for, inspect, and make known—such materials for Church-History as remain unpublished."
And
"That no person, not wholly illiterate and ignorant of Church-History, could go about the metropolis only, seeking after such matters during one month, without gathering into his note-book much valuable matter." ”

“ She was a beautiful girl, who wished to lead a single life, and that she might be suffered to do so free from importunity, she prayed earnestly to be rendered disagreeable to look upon, either by wrinkles, a hump on the back, or in any other efficacious way. ”

“ Thomas Hunt, in his Exemplars of Tudor Architecture (Longmans, 1830) , to the effect that the Literary Gazette had referred to the work entitled London and Westminster Improved, by John Gwynn. London, 1766, 4to., as having "pointed out almost all the designs for the improvement of London which have been devised by the civil and military architects of the present day."
In answer to the above, your correspondent will find two articles in the Literary Gazette on this interesting subject; the first in No. 473., Feb. 11. ”

“ Knight's Shakspeare has commenced, and from the terms of the announcement, independently of other considerations, I conclude that the editor will take advantage of this opportunity of referring to doubtful or disputed points that may have made any advance towards a solution since his previous editions. I have read also an advertisement of an edition of Shakspeare, to be superintended by Mr. Halliwell1, which is to contain the plays of "doubtful authenticity, or in the composition of which Shakspeare is supposed only to have taken a part." ”

“ On the advantage of this plan to the editors of the works to be published by the Society, it can scarcely be necessary to insist; but other benefits would result from the formation of such a library, for which we may refer, however, to the pamphlet itself.
The next points treated of are the works to be undertaken by the Society ”

“ Now it is true both Mr. Collier and Mr. Dyce are committed to a positive opinion on this subject; and it would be unreasonable to expect either of those gentlemen to change their views, except with the fullest proof and after the maturest consideration. But who, besides these, is interested in maintaining the precedence of Marlowe? These remarks have been called forth by an article in the Athenæum, containing the following passages:—
"All Marlowe's works were produced prior, we may safely assert, to the appearance of Shakspeare as a writer for the stage, or as an author, in print. ”

“ In the Bibliographer's Manual, by Lowndes, there occurs this entry: "Life and death of Major Clancie, the grandest cheat in this age," 1680, and the full catalogue of the Hon. Mr. Nassau is referred to. Can any of your readers state where a copy of this production may be found? A brief account of Clancie is contained in the Memoirs of Gamesters and Sharpers, by Theophilus Lucas. ”

“ So long as this is the case the advantage we may confer upon literature and literary men is necessarily imperfect. We do what we can to make known our {383} existence through the customary modes of announcement, and we gratefully acknowledge the kind assistance and encouragement we derive from our brethren of the public press ”

“ There is no proof that Inigo Jones's tomb now occupies its original site. The statement that Chapman was studied on the south side of the church is, I believe, mere conjecture.
EDWARD F. RIMBAULT.
MINOR NOTES
Shakspeare and George Herbert.—Your correspondent D.S. (Vol. ii., p. 263.) has pointed out two illustrations to Shakspeare in George Herbert's poems. The parallel passages between the two poets are exceedingly numerous. There are one or two which occur to me on the instant:—
The Church Porch:
"In time of service, seal up both thine eyes,
And send them to thy heart ”

“ Farther on he laughs at the 'prophetical spirits' of those 'who set the end of scholarism in an English blank-verse.'
"Marlowe took his degree of Master of Arts in the very year when Nash was unable to do so, &c.
"I thus arrive at the conclusion, that Christopher Marlowe was our first poet who used blank-verse in dramatic compositions performed in public theatres."—Hist. of Dramatic Poetry, vol. iii. pp. 110, 111, 112.
This is literally all; and, I ask, can any "conclusion" be much more inconclusive? Yet Mr. ”

“ It is now universally admitted among competent critics, that Shakspeare commenced his career as a dramatic author, by remodelling certain pieces written {370} either separately or conjointly by Greene, Marlowe, Lodge, and Peele. ”

“ If the first, it cannot be "totally opposite" to the Sanscrit: if the second, it cannot be "totally different" from Syriac and Arabic: if the third, it cannot have "rude inflections."
J.E.
Oxford, October 23. 1850.
Cheshire Cat.—Will some of your correspondents explain the origin of the phrase, "grinning like a Cheshire cat?" The ingenious theory of somebody, I forget who, that Cheshire is a county palatine, and that the cats, when they think of it, are so tickled that they can't help grinning, is not quite satisfactory to
K.I.P.B.T.
Mrs. Partington.—Where may I find the original Mrs. ”

“ W. Pedder's (18. Holywell Street) Catalogue Part IX., for 1850, of Books Ancient and Modern; J. Rowwell's (28. Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn) Catalogue, No 39., of a Select Collection of Second-hand Books; W. L. Lincoln's (Cheltenham House, Westminster Road) Sixty-second Catalogue of English, Foreign, Classical, and Miscellaneous Books.
BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES WANTED TO PURCHASE.
T. NAOGEONGUS—REGNUM PAPISTICUM. 8vo. 1553.
BARNABE GOOGE'S POPISH KINGDOM. 4to. 1570.
Odd Volumes
BERRY'S HERALDRY, 9 Vols. Supplement.
SHAKSPEARE (Whittingham's Chiswick Edition) , Vol. IV. 1814. ”