A CORRECTION.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
Sin,—Please allow me to offer the following correction as to a matter of fact. In a review of Professor Roemer's "Origin of the English People and Language" (see Spectator, October 20th, 1888, p. 1444), I find the following remark :—" There is, however, one question which the Professor raises where judgment in England will go against him. And as we cannot discuss his view at any length, we prefer to let him state it in his own words." The italics are mine.
Professor Roemer states on his title-page that his work in compiled "from the best and latest authorities." Hence the sentence which is said to be "in his own words," is really part of a passage, familiar to hundreds of the rising generation, copied verbally, to the extent of several pages, from the intro- duction to "Specimens of English Literature from 1394 to 1579," as published by the Clarendon Press. The reviewer could hardly be aware of this, as the whole of this long passage
is copied, without any marks of quotation, or any mention of the author, or any hint, beyond that on the title-page, that it is unoriginal. It is however, quite true that it is from one of "the best and latest authorities."—I am, Sir, &c.,
WALTER W. SKEA.T.
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