Old Friends Part 12

FOOTNOTES

{20} Who knows what may happen? I may die before he sees the light; so I will add among my friends SKALAGRIM LAMB'S-TAIL.

{43} Can Mrs. Gamp mean 'dial'?

{47} 1887.

{50} In his familiar correspondence, it will be observed, Herodotus does not trouble himself to maintain the dignity of history.

{53} Mr. Flinders Petrie has just discovered and sent to Mr. Holly, of Trinity, Cambridge, the well-known traveller, a wall-painting of a beautiful woman, excavated by the Egypt Exploration Society, from the ruined site of the Temple of Aphrodite in Naucratis. Mr. Holly, in an affecting letter to the _Academy_, states that he recognises in this picture "an admirable though somewhat archaic portrait of SHE." There can thus be little or no doubt that SHE was Rhodopis, and therefore several hundred years older than she said. But few will blame her for being anxious not to claim her full age.

This unexpected revelation appears to throw light on some fascinating peculiarities in the behaviour of SHE.

{56} The great intimacy between Mrs. Proudie and Mrs. Quiverful, indicated by Mrs. Proudie's use of the Bishop's Christian name-and that abbreviated-has amazed the discoverer and editor of her correspondence.

{60a} This signature of Mrs. Proudie's is so unusual an a.s.sumption of the episcopal style, that it might well cast a doubt on the authenticity of her letter. But experts p.r.o.nounce it genuine. "Barnum," of course, is "Baronum Castrum," the rather odd Roman name of Barchester.

{60b} It has been seen that Mrs. Quiverful did not obey this injunction.

{65} This man was well known to Sir Walter Scott, who speaks of his curious habits in an unpublished ma.n.u.script.

{125} Mr. Forth, we are sure, is quite wrong, and none of the scholars he quotes has said anything of the kind.

{129} "He" clearly means, not Addison, but Professor Forth, the lady's husband.

{130} It was not Asiatics, but Aztecs; not Pitt.i.tes, but Hitt.i.tes!

Woman cares little for these studies!-A.L.

{133} The editor has no doubt that some one was-Miss Watson. Cf.

'Belinda.'

{139} Owing to the sudden decease of the Dean in well-known and melancholy circ.u.mstances, this letter was not delivered.

{140} Alas, not wisely! But any careful reader of "The Silence of Dean Maitland" will see that the Baby was an anachronism.-ED.

{146} This appears to have been a favourite remark of Mr. Skimpole's.

It will be noticed that, quite without intending it, Mr. Skimpole was the founder of our New Cyrenaic School.

{147} Mr. Skimpole's recollections of cla.s.sical ritual are a little mixed hereabouts. He refers to Mr. Honeyman's projected union with the widow of Mr. Bromley, the famous hatter.

{151} Colonel Newcome, indeed.

{154} Non, Monsieur, je ne cite ni "Woodsworth" ni "le vieux Williams."

{165} Mr. Potts ought to have consulted the edition of 1833, where he would have found the verse as quoted by Mr. Gandish.

{166} And a nice mixture it must have been!-A. L.

{184} The wooden bed fastened in an ox-waggon.

{185} Mr. Quatermain has just said that the donga was filled by a roaring torrent. Is there not some inconsistency here?

{190} At the _High Hole_, indeed.-A. L.