Church and people, published through the enterprising instrumentality and personal labours of Mr. William Andrews, and the firm of publishers he represents. The subject of the first is well described in the title. In it Mr. Tyack-already favourably known for his contributions to the literature of out-of-the-way subjects-continues his explorations in the region covered by the many ancient customs and traditions of the English Church. He starts with the building of the Church, and follows on from church steeple to churchyard lore, and then up the nave to pulpit and lectern. He next deals with customs and folk-lore connected with holy baptism and marriage; and passing through the chancel and choir, he concludes with several amusing tales of customs connected with alms and almsgiving. Mr. Tyack is a man of wide though perhaps not deep reading; and while nothing that he writes is without its interest for the antiquary, the lightness of his touch and the lucidity of his style enhance the attractiveness of the book for the general reader. He has opened up some fresh veins in the well-worked seam of English popular superstitions; and we learn from him, as from many another to-day, the value of "folk-lore " in teaching us the mental habit of our forefathers when the world was young. The book is adorned with numerous good illustrations of cathedrals and churches. The second book-Curious Epitaphs-by Mr. Wm. Andrews himself, is a reprint, with additions of a previous work on the same subject, published in 1883. In it, as its name implies, the many inscriptions on the graves in our churchyards, or on the tablets in our churches, which are remarkable for humour, or pathos, or quaintness, or in some cases sheer grotesqueness, are sorted and arranged and brought under their appropriate headings, e.g., Epitaphs on Tradesmen, or Soldiers and Sailors, cr Actors, on Sportsmen, or Sextons and Clerks, etc., as well as Typographical, Bacchanalian, and miscellaneous Epitaphs. All who know Mr. Andrews know what to expect, and need not be assured that he has done his work right well; while the jaded antiquary, weary of much study, may take the book down from his shelf, and feel that a smile will not detract from the seriousness of his labours. Many of these epitaphs give one an unexpected insight into the manners and customs of our forefathers, as examples that might well be followed, or as warnings to be shunned when we read, for instance, on the one hand, of faithful servants who remained in one service for the space of fifty, sixty, seventy, and in one unique case seventy-seven years. This last was "Mrs. Sarah Armison,"-for she deserves honourable mention-"who died in 1817, aged eighty eight years, seventy-seven of which she passed in the service of Mrs. Bell," and is buried at Kempsey, Worcestershire; and on the other, of "Thos. Thetcher, a Grenadier, who died in 1764, of a violent fever, contracted by drinking small beer when hot," and is buried in Winchester Cathedral yard. His comrades put up a stone to his memory, with the moral :— "Soldiers, be wise from his untimely fall, And when ye're hot drink strong, or none at all." We can picture the pleasant times enjoyed by the author, as he iotted down these epitaphs in his note-book amid the rural scenery of country churchyards, or the murky surroundings of some city church; and he deserves credit for the admirable manner in which he has arranged his collection. Of all those contained in this volume the shortest is the best. As a thoughtful writer says, if truth, perspicuity, wit, gravity, and every property pertaining to the ancient or modern epitaph were ever united in one of terse brevity, it was that made for Burbage the tragedian, in the days of Shakespeare :— "Exit BURBAGE." A Catalogue Raisonné of the British Museum Collection of Rubbings from Ancient Sculptured Stones of Scotland. By CHRISTIAN MACLAGAN. (Edinburgh D. Douglas, 1898.)-A few years ago, the authoress presented to the British Museum upwards of three hundred sheets of rubbings from the sculptured stones of Scotland; and in the present work she gives an account of the method of their preparation, and some notes of the history and art which they illustrate. They form a goodly series, and the descriptions enhance their interest. One only represents the first class of the arrangement, a "cup-marked" stone near Downe, in Perthshire; and one the second class, bearing "symbols and hieroglyphs." The third class, of "Oghams," and fourth class, of "Runes," do not appear to be represented at all. But it is of the fifth class, of "Christian art," that the bulk of the work treats. This latter class is divided into five schools, viz., St. Ninian's, Iona, St. Andrew's, Arbroath, and Fearn-abbey, and excellent notices are given of the very miscellaneous examples in each section. The appendix or classified index at the end will be very useful. We wish more care had been taken with the Latin inscriptions on pp. 23 and 29. But that is a small matter. Some plates of the best examples would have added immensely to this catalogue's merits, which, as it stands, does the writer justice for the pains and time which must have been given to the formation of the collection. The historical remarks introduced into the text contain much that is new, or newly put, and they help us to understand some obscure points in the annals of Scotland. INDEX. Barnac, south aisle, Early English work Norman work at, advanced cha- Tower, was it the work of Earl line of Saxon roof, 14 Haigh, Rev. D., his theory as to reasons for doubting its truth, 24 visited, shortly described by the Bells, Wool Church, Dorset, 38 Bigod, Roger, E. of Norfolk, 212 229 on Historical Notes on Ramsey Bishopston font, 316, 317 Book auctions in Eugland, 260 Bottle Bridge, church of St. Botolph at, 98 Bridge Fair, Peterborough, 334 Bronze weapons found in Fenland, 287 William, restores All Saints' 195 on the Dumbuck Crannog, 197 visited, 74 Lord, the builder of Burghley Bury, chapels against arches of tower, 254 Raisonné of rubbings from Monu- Cattle-brands (4) seen at Maxey, 191 Cheriton font, 316, 318, 322 Chester, church of St. John Baptist, 264 Churchyard cross at Castor described, 71 Claypoles at Maxey, 119 Clement, Mr. John, lists of epitaphs, 141 exhibits engravings of brasses exhibits rare vol.. "A History of 352 "Cottonian and Harleian Collections,” what in them refers to Ramsey, 235 Brian, owns manor, 1219, 123 Geoffrey, marries granddaughter on Crannog at Dumbuck, 196 Durobrivae, Roman name of Castor, 52 Edward the Confessor's Grant of Fisker- Egyptian Chronology, 363 Eleanor, daughter of Raymond, Earl of Elizabethan chalices (2) at Maxey seen, 191 Embroideries, remarkable, in St. John's Eolithic Age, no evidence of in the Fens, 282 paper on, 353 Exeter, Marchioness of, presents portrait Fairfax and Harrington, arms of, found FALKNER (J. M.), History of Oxfordshire, Fens, The, lecture on, by Professor Fenland, Archæology and Geography of, in Saxon Days, 295 Nicholas, his life, 4, 275 Fireplace, richly carved, seen at Wood- FISHER (J.), exhibition by, 353 FISHWICK (Lt. Col., F.I.A.), History of FLEAY (F. G.), on Egyptian Chronology, Fletton Church visited, and Early work Folk-lore, classic and mediæval, 362 Wool Church, Dorset, 36 Fonts in Gower :- Bishopston, 316, 317 registers commence, 1567, 227 GOTCH (J. A., F.S.A.), reads paper on GOULD (J. C.), exhibits rim of Romano- Gower, ancient fonts in, 198, 315 Grimsdale (Mr.), sends photographs of Guildhall Porch, City of London, 351 Hants, History of, by Rev. Robt. Smythe, Hawkshead, History of, 360 Haynes, J., makes plan of Burghley, Helpstone Church visited, ancient re- HOPKINS (Percy), describes Glinton HORNBLOWER (Mr.), exhibits Roman HUGHES (Cann), Paper by, on a Ramble HUGHES (Prof. T. McKenny M.A., |
