Letters of Humfrey Wanley, Palaeographer, Anglo-Saxonist, Librarian, 1672–1726 ed. by P.L. Heyworth (review)

118 LETTERS IN CANADA 1989 myth. Diane McColley defends Milton (patriarchal warts and all) against feminist attacks, commending his commitment to the liberty that was the foundation for modem gender equality. Thomas Corns surveys the movement from 'riotous profusion' in Milton's early prose to later ordinariness, finding it not so much a 'falling off as a growing up.' Georgia Christopher has a valuable guide to nucleic elements in Milton's Protestantism, the verbal nature of the sacramental promise, the operation of the Spirit in the Christian. And Mary Ann Radzinowicz's insight into his biblical hermeneutic reveals its shaping power over his poetic method and style, a statement authorized by her mastery of the biblical source. Though one may quibble about its intended audience, this book should be bought by the undergraduate, the graduate student, and the instructor , who will find it a friendly companion, to be criticized only for not having been at times more adventurous. (DEREK N.c. wooD) P.L. Heyworth, editor. Letters of Humfrey Wanley, Palaeographer, Anglo-Saxonist, Librarian, 1672-1726 Clarendon Press. xlii, 514. $162.50 In the history of the study of English medieval manuscripts, several individuals stand out in a linked succession over the past half-millennium: John Leland (1503?-52L Humfrey Wanley (1672-1726), M.R. James (1862-1936), and N.R. Ker (1908-82). Oversimplifying radically, one might say that each of these men fulfilled a vital function: Leland collected, Wanley sorted and organized, James catalogued, and Ker consolidated all the information into a manageable framework: his indispensable Medieval Libraries of Great Britain (2nd ed., 1964). In each case, moreover, surviving papers and notes - no matter how unorganized and unfinished - are an invaluable witness concerning the myriad of texts which passed through the magister's hands, and therefore deserve (and are getting) publication in their own right. Both Leland and Wanley were acutely aware of the vastness of the task which confronted them. Leland finally collapsed in insanity, leaving a tangle of undigested notes behind him. Wanley, also fairly grandiose in his ambitions (as Heyworth wryly puts it, 'for Wanley modest ambitions held only moderate attractions'), managed to bring more into print- his catalogue of the Harley library, for example- even if some items, like his massive palaeographical manual tracing the whole history of writing in .the West, never saw the light of day. Like many of his learned contemporaries, Wanley was an inveterate letter writer. Many of .his letters have been published and commented upon, but others have remained available in manuscript only. Peter HUMANITIES 119 Heyworth originally took upon himself the task of producing an edition of all the letters still extant -almost 450 of them - but has been forced (through the financial restraints of the publishing world) to bring out only 243 of the most important. He has, however, provided a Handlist of Letters Not Printed and has deposited typescript copies of these in the Bodleian and in the British Library. Although one might yearn for the complete set, the price of the partial collection (a shocking $162.50) makes one realize that some sort of compromise was essential. The measured and intelligent tone of the introduction and notes, moreover, gives the reader confidence in the editor's judgment: if anyone had to make a selection, who better than Heyworth? The letters themselves for the most part concern matters related to manuscript studies and are uniformly erudite. Wanley's judgments and opinions on dating, provenance, and all sorts of palaeographical matters have stood the test of time in an astounding manner. His methodology, too, is surprisingly modern: interest in comparative studies, attempts to find suitable terminology, fascination with pastedowns. Thathe loved his work is abundantly apparent, and we mustbelieve him when he says that a visit to a new library 'will contribute towards the establishment of my health which is not so firm as I could wish.' One cannot help being jealous, too, of all the discoveries waiting to be made, the wealth of materials more or less unknown, such as the 'tract' Wanley found 'describing some Wars between Beowulf a King of the Danes of the Family of the Scyldingi, and some of your Suedish Princes...