Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 1.djvu/100

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80


NOTES AND QUERIES. [io* s. i. JAN. 23, 190*.


equally to be commended. In the case of Gounod there are some interesting facsimiles.

The Clergy Directory and Parish Guide, 1004.

(Phillips.)

IN due course this best of guides to the clergy of the Established Church makes its appearance. It supplies, as before, an alphabetical list of the clergy, with their qualifications, order, appoint- ment, &c. ; a list of parishes and parochial dis- tricts ; the diocesan and cathedral establishments ; and other kindred matter. One or two improve- ments in an indispensable volume may be dis- covered by the careful reader. In a prolonged use of the work we have not come upon an inaccuracy.

WE are indebted to Mr. Henry Frowde, of the Oxford Press, for one of the hundred copies of the presentation edition of A Chart of Oxford Printing, 1408-1900, with notes and illustrations, by Falconer Madan. Mr. Madan states in the preface that "an attempt has been made in this book to exhibit the fluctuations in the output of the Printing Press at Oxford, and to illustrate them by some annals, flotes, and lists. A paper on this subject was read before the Oxford Architectural and Histori- cal Society on February 7, 1888, and a lecture from notes was given before the Bibliographical Society on October 20, 1902 (see the news sheet of the latter Society for November, 1902)." Mr. Frowde invited ihim to reproduce the notes and a manuscript chart -exhibited at the lecture in the Periodical of December, 1902, and the Council kindly allowed this to be done. " At Mr. Frowde's suggestion this larger chart has been prepared. The whole of the statistics have been computed afresh for the purpose, and almost everything in the book now issued is new."

The first book printed at Oxford is given as December 17, 1468, but at the foot of the beautiful -facsimile of its first page Mr. Madan puts a note -of interrogation (1478 ?). The press appears to have had no connexion with the works of Caxton. The ifirst book printed at the second press was on December 4, 1517- In 1585, with 1007. lent by the University, Joseph Barnes commenced printing ; and the Oxford Press has been in continuous activity ever since. In 1636-7 the University handed over to the Stationers' Company all its rights of printing Bibles, Lily's 'Grammar,' &c., for three years, in consideration of receiving 2001. a year. .The first type-founding at Oxford was about 1667. ' The actual founder seems to have been Peter Wal- ipergen, a Dutchman from Batavia. It is curious to note that in 1673 many of the compositors were Frenchmen, of whom Gallot was one; and those seeking to know " Who was Junius? " will find that in 1677 Francis Junius presented Gothic, Runic, -"Icelandic," and Anglo-Saxon punches. In 1693 the first specimens of type published in England were issued from the Sheldonian Press. In 1714-15 Thomas Hearne, the antiquary, was elected Archi- typographus. In 1830 the present Clarendon Press was opened, and in 1836 the first cylinder printing machine introduced and the first steam engine used. In 1842 the Oxford India paper was first used for a diamond 24mo Bible. In 1860 was the first stereotyping by the paper process, electro- typing following in 1863. 1881 is notable as the year in which the Revised New Testament was pub- lished. This was on the 17th of May, and on that day upwards of a million Oxford copies were sold.


It is related in 'John Francis and the Athenaeum ' that the publication took place in New York three days afterwards, and the proprietors of the Chicago Times had the whole telegraphed to Chicago. After the four Gospels had been telegraphed a copy of the work was received, and from this the rest was printed, and the entire Testament appeared in the Chicago Times of the 22nd of May. In 1882 the 'New English Dictionary,' estimated to make 13,000 pages in ten volumes, was begun ; on the 19th of May, 1885, the Revised Version of the Old Testament was published ; and in 1900 the series of Oxford Classical Texts was commenced. The illustrations include, in addition to the Chart, the first Oxford Sheet Almanack, 1674, facsimiles of first pages, and views.


THE Delegates of the Clarendon Press have long contemplated a standard edition of the complete works of Ben Jonson. They have secured the co- operation of Prof. C. H. Herford and of Mr. Percy Simpson, who has been engaged for ten years or more on a critical examination of Jonson : s text. The forthcoming edition will be printed uniformly with the editions of Kyd and Lyly recently issued from Oxford, and will probably occupy nine 8vo volumes. We wish the Delegates could see their way to issue an edition of Beaumont and Fletcher, the Tudor dramatists who call most conspicuously for republication.


We must call special attention to the following notices :

ON all communications must be written the name and address of the sender, not necessarily for pub- lication, but as a guarantee of good faith.

WE cannot undertake to answer queries privately.

To secure insertion of communications corre- spondents must observe the following rules. Let each note, query, or reply be written on a separate slip of paper, with the signature of the writer and such address as he wishes to appear. When answer- ing queries, or making notes with regard to previous entries in the paper, contributors are requested to put in parentheses, immediately after the exact heading, the series, volume, and page or pages to which they refer. Correspondents who repeat queries are requested to head the second com- munication " Duplicate."

R. P. H. (" Historical and Mnemonic Rime "). " The Romans in England long held sway " is given in full 3 rd S. v. 18. It is by John Collins, and called 'The Chapter of Kings.' See also 'Historical Rime,' 9 tB S. xi. 209.

S. SMITH ("Pathology "). Any bookseller will get you a cheap medical dictionary.

CKRVICULUS. " Differ from " is preferable.

KOTICR.

Editorial communications should be addressed bo "The Editor of 'Notes and Queries '"Adver- tisements and Business Letters to " The Pub- lisher" at the Office, Bream's Buildings, Chancery Lane, B.C.

We beg leave to state that we decline to return ommunications which, for any reason, we do not print ; and to this rule we can make no exception.