Literary Blunders: A Chapter in the "History of Human Error."Delight in other people's errors never dates, and this little book, first published in 1893, is a fount of human folly and a joy to read. Its compiler, Henry Benjamin Wheatley (1838-1917), was a distinguished librarian, bibliographer and scholar, and a prolific author on London history and the history of books. This publication displays his great sense of humour, and his effortless command of far-flung sources in the search for a good joke. Citing examples from historians to misguided schoolboys, as well as from everyday conversation, Wheatley looks at comic misprints, misunderstandings, and garbled English in foreign parts. However, the book also has a more serious contribution to make: the chapter on printed errata makes use of the earliest evidence of proof correction by authors, and the analysis of misprints in early printing shows how many variant readings in the works of Shakespeare came about. |
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absurd amusing blunder answer appeared Barcelona Bible bibliographer Bishop born bulls called catalogue cause chapter Church compiler compositor confusion contains copy correct curious D'Israeli described Dictionary Edinburgh Review edition editor England English entitled errors escaped etymology examination excuse Exhibition fact fault French friends German ghost words give given heat Henry History ignorant instance Isaac Disraeli John Payne Collier John Ray joke Julius Cæsar king king's knise large number late Latin letter lines list of errata Literary Blunders London Lord ment misprint misread mistake never Notes and Queries notice occurred Oliver Cromwell original paper passage printed printer proofs published question quoted reader remarkable saints sometimes spelling strange Strappado style supposed Tellurium thee THOMAS HEYWOOD thou tion translation turned Vedast verse William writing written wrote