Hon. Sec. is G. Joachim, Esq. St Andrew House, Change Alley, London, E.C. The subscription to the latter is two guineas annually; the present Hon. Sec. is A. G. Snelgrove, Esq., London Hospital, London, E. See also the publications of the Camden, Percy, Surtees, and Shakespeare Societies; those of the Maitland, Bannatyne, and Roxburgh Clubs; and the Transactions of the London Philological Society. And the following :— Weber, Metrical Romances.

Ritson, Metrical Romances; also, his Ancient Songs.

Layamon's Brut, ed. Madden, 3 vols. (London Society of Antiquaries.)

Ormulum, ed. White; 2 vols.

Conybeare, Illustrations of Anglo-Saxon Poetry.
Codex Exoniensis, ed. Thorpe.

Cadmon, ed. Thorpe.

Grein, Bibliothek der Angelsächsischen Poesie. (Contains all the printed A. S. poems.)

Kemble, the Anglo-Saxon and Northumbrian versions of the Gospel of St. Matthew. (Pitt Press,. Cambridge.)

Skeat, the Anglo-Saxon and Northumbrian versions of the Gospel of St. Mark. (Pitt Press.)

Sweet, Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care; in two parts. (Early Eng. Text Soc. 20s. separately.)

Many more might be added; but the advanced student will have no difficulty in finding them out for himself, by consulting the books referred to in such works as Warton's History of English Poetry, Stratmann's Old English Dictionary, and the like. There is no lack of material, although much remains to be done to make that material cheaper and more accessible. It will be understood that these lists are intended merely for assistance; they make no sort of pretension either to completeness or to order. My chief reason for mentioning these books is to save much time and trouble. Some such help would have been of the utmost service to myself some years ago; and I hope it may accordingly be of service to others.

It is perhaps hardly desirable to lay down any general course of reading; the subject being so extensive that the periods of literature selected for study may advantageously be varied according to circumstances. The list of books here given may be taken in some measure as one guide, and the subjects of the Papers, as shewn by the Table of Contents, as another. By way of example I subjoin, however, some lists of subjects.

The following subjects have been chosen in different years for the Skeat English Prize at Christ's College.

In 1865-Chaucer's Knightes Tale; Shakespeare's Tempest and Richard II.; Milton's Areopagitica.

In 1866-Chaucer's Prologue; Macbeth, and 1 Henry IV.; Bacon's Essays, xv. to xxv.

In 1867-Chaucer's Clerkes and Squyeres Tale; Julius Cæsar and Midsummer Night's Dream; Bacon's Essays, xxv. to xxxv. In 1868-Pierce the Ploughman's Crede; Locke's Essay on the Conduct of the Understanding; Henry VIII. and Taming of the Shrew.

In 1869:-Spenser's Faerie Queene, Book I.; Richard II. and Merchant of Venice; Addison's Criticisms on Milton.

In 1870-Chaucer's Man of Lawes Tale, Clerkes Tale, and Frankeleynes Tale; 2 Henry IV. and Measure for Measure; and Bacon's Essays, xxxviii. to lviii.

In 1871- Piers the Plowman (Prologue and Passus i. to vii.); King Lear and Coriolanus; Ascham's Scholemaster.

In 1872-Chaucer's Man of Lawes Tale and Monkes Tale; Henry V. and Hamlet; Bacon's Advancement of Learning.

For 1873-Specimens of English, ed. Morris and Skeat (Sections xv. to xx.); Romeo and Juliet, and Henry VIII.; Sir Philip Sidney's Defence of Poetrie.

The following subjects have been chosen for the Examinations for Women.

In 1872 --Spenser's Faerie Queene, Books 1 and 2.
Shakespeare's Macbeth and Merchant of Venice.

Bacon's Essays.

Milton's L'Allegro, Il Penseroso, Comus, and Lycidas.
Milton's Areopagitica.

Pope's Essay on Man.

For 1873-Chaucer's Man of Lawes Tale (in Specimens of English, ed. Morris and Skeat).

Spenser's Foure Hymnes.

Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Bacon's Essays.

Sir Thomas Browne on Urn-burial.

Milton's Areopagitica.

Addison's Criticisms on Paradise Lost.

Gray's Poems.

Examination-Papers in English Literature may also be found in the University Calendars of London, Edinburgh, and Dublin.

ERRATA.

P. 21. 1. 21. For Maniciple's read Manciple's.

P. 72. last line; dele wholesome.

VERNON'S ANGLO-SAXON GUIDE.

I. GIVE two examples, in each case, of modern English words which exhibit endings answering to the old noun-endings -ere, -el, -ling, -en, -estre, -dóm, -hád, -scipe, -lác,* -th, -ung, -nes; avoiding, where you can, the examples given by Vernon.

2. Also two examples of modern words which exhibit the adjectival endings -ig, -lc, -isc, -sum, -en, -weard, -feald, -leás, -wis. 3. And two examples of Anglo-Saxon words terminating in -lice, -um, -es.

4. Translate Genesis xlv. verses 1-12 (Vernon, p. 109) as closely and accurately as you can.

5. Carefully translate the passage beginning "Brytene igland" (Vernon, p. 117), and ending with "Northymbra" (p. 119).

6. Explain the difference between the definite and indefinite declension of adjectives, and write out the definite declension of se blinda.

7. Shew that our, your, their, are genitives plural. What are the old forms of what, whose, whom, it, her, why? What case is there in therefore, and what is the fore?

CHAUCER. THE PROLOGUE.

I. Give some account of the Teutonic branch of the IndoEuropean family of languages. What connection has English with Swedish, and with Dutch?

2. Decline the personal pronouns used in Anglo-Saxon; and explain the difference between strong and weak verbs. Distinguish clearly between wit, wot, wist, wisse, and y-wis.

* Wedlock, knowledge.

3. What was the Saxon gerund? In the phrases "I may teach," "that is to say," why is to inserted in the one case and not in the other? Is the phrase "this house to let "-ungrammatical?

4. Give some account of the writings of Cadmon and Layamon, and of the language in which they were written.

5.

Discuss the versification of Chaucer; and explain under what circumstances the e final ought to be pronounced.

6. Enumerate the personages described in the Prologue. What characters does Chaucer assign to the Frere, the Sompnour, and the Pardonere?

7. Explain the following words and phrases, with notes on the words italicized, and giving, where you can, the etymology of those words:

(a) To ferne halwes, kouthe in sondry londes (14).
(b) Of fustyan he wered a gepoun

All bysmotered with his habergeoun (75).

(c) He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen (177).

(d) I saugh his sleeves purfiled atte hond With grys (193). (e) Of yeddinges he bar utterly the prys (237).

(f)

His purchas was wel better than his rente (256).
(g) Sownynge alway thencres of his wynnynge (275).
(h) An anlas and a gipser al of silk (357).

(i) His herbergh and his mone, his lodemenage (403).
() To seeken him a chaunterie for soules (510).

(7) He was a jangler, and a golyardeys (560).

(m) And yit this maunciple sette here aller cappe (586). 8. Discuss the meanings and derivations of the following words; Cristofre-pricasour-chevysaunce-courtepy-vavaserwymplid-bawdrik-fetysly-motteleye-mormal-rouncy-nose

thurles-acate-vernicle.

Explain the phrase "for the nones."

9.

What was a lymytour? what were the "ordres foure?" Give some account of the poem called "Piers Plowman's Crede." IO. Parse the words italicized in the phrases-Or if men smot it-As Austyn byt-For him was lever have at his beddes heede-to drynke us leste-herkneth what I seye (149, 187, 293, 750, 855).

II. Write out, in modern English prose, the following passage: This iustise was negh out of witte, tho he hurde this tithinge, Certes, he seide, in some manere we schulle to dethe the bringe. He let hete water oth seothinge, and tho hit boillede faste, He let nyme this holi maide, and ther amidde hire caste.