Notes and Queries

122 BULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL SOCIETY NOTES AND QUERIES. Thomas Bowne.—A descendant of John Bowne writes, under date of "July 8, 1908," regarding the paper on "John Bowne of Flushing," in the last number of The Bulletin: "The article on John Bowne I have greatly enjoyed ..... I would like to speak of one little thing, however, Thomas Bowne, John Bowne's father, had a nice little estate in England— the name has gone from me, but they had means, I am sure, as old letters speak of this property. John Bowne wished to perfect himself in some work, and thus took the position with Mr. Philips. Many young men of that day, even of good families, served an apprenticeship —they were not servants ." Books by Friends.—An unusally large number of books by or about Friends have appeared in 1908, among them are "John Stephenson Rowntree, His Life and Work"; "Aaron's Breastplate and other Addresses," by J. Rendei Harris; "Light Arising," by Caroline E. Stephen; "Authority and the Light Within," by Edward Grubb; "The Story of Quakerism," by Elizabeth B. Emmott ; all published by Headley Brothers, London; "Union with God in Thought and Faith," by David Scull, edited by Joseph Elkinton, George A. Barton and Rufus M. Jones, with a biographical sketch by the latter, The John C. Winston Co., Phila delphia; "Ecclesiastes," in the International Critical Commentary Series, by Dr. George A. Barton, of Bryn Mawr, Pa. New York Scribners. Of the above, three at least call for special mention. John Stephenson Rowntree, of York, England as a young man of twentyfour , was the winner of the first prize of one hundred guineas offered in 1858 by an anonymous gentleman for the best essay accounting for the decline in the Society of Friends. The essay "Quakerism, Past and Present ," was a sympathetic, able presentation of the condition of Friends in the middle of the nineteenth century, and of the causes which led to that condition. No one, before or since, has given a better survey of the subject. The essay remains a standard authority on the history of the Society. It is difficult to overestimate the influence of this little book on the Society in England, and indirectly in America also. Its truthfulness, its force, its honesty, its simplicity carried conviction and led to action . His life was an honor to the Society, to his friends, and to the city in which he lived. His biography and the accompanying addresses are of great value. NOTES AND QUERIES 123 "The Story of Quakerism," by Elizabeth B. Emmott, is a successful effort to give the main facts of the history of Friends in a popular, attractive form. No attempt has been made to go fully into details, as the book is not intended for the scholar or historian. Written for English readers, the history of Friends in America is not specially dwelt upon, and needs correction in some places. The illustrations are, in general, good and add to the value of the text. The author, a daughter of the late Joseph Bevan Braithwaite, is to be commended for her skill in making an interesting volume. The third book is of a very different character—the "Commentary on Ecclesiastes," by Dr. George A. Barton,* of Bryn Mawr, Such a scholarly work does honor to the Society, and no volume of the same character has ever before been published by a Friend. The scholarly work of J. Tindale Harris on John is of a somewhat different nature, while the brilliant work of J. Rendei Harris lies in another field. The series is intended primarily for scholars understanding Hebrew, Greek, and other Oriental languages, and is in no sense popular. The Expository Times says of the book, "Dr. Barton's knowledge of Ecclesiastes and its literature is full to overflowing, and his sound judgment and good sense will appeal to every student and thoughtful reader. The volume is worthy of its place in the 'International Critical Commentary Series,' and one lays it down with the feeling that one has been in the company of an able, conscientious and trustworthy guide." *Note.—Dr. Barton was, in his youth, a member of Farnham Meeting...