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LITERARY BLUNDERS
A CHAPTER IN THE
``HISTORY OF HUMAN ERROR''
BY HENRY B. WHEATLEY, F.S.A.
PREFACE. ----
EVERY reader of The Caxtons _will remember the description, in that
charming novel, of the gradual growth of Augustine Caxton's great
work ``The History of Human Error,'' and how, in fact, the existence of
that work forms the pivot round which the incidents turn. It was
modestly expected to extend to five quarto volumes, but only the first
seven sheets were printed by Uncle Jack's Anti-Publishers' Society,
``with sundry unfinished plates depicting the various developments of
the human skull (that temple of Human Error),''
and the
remainder has not been heard of since.
In introducing to the reader a small branch of this inexhaustible subject,
I have ventured to make use of Augustine Caxton's title; but I trust that
no one will allow himself to imagine that I intend, in the future, to
produce the thousand or so volumes which will be required to complete
the work.
A satirical friend who has seen the proofs of this little volume says it
should be entitled ``Jokes Old and New''; but I find that he seldom
acknowledges that a joke is new, and I hope, therefore, my readers will
transpose the adjectives, and accept the old jokes for the sake of the
new ones. I may claim, at least, that the series of answers to
examination questions, which Prof. Oliver Lodge has so kindly
supplied me with, comes within the later class.
I trust that if some parts of the book are thought to be frivolous, the
chapters on lists of errata and misprints may be found to contain some
useful literary information.
I have availed myself of the published communications of my friends
Professors Hales and Skeat and Dr. Murray on Literary Blunders, and
my best thanks are also due to several friends who have helped me with
some curious instances, and I would specially mention Sir George
Birdwood, K.C.I.E., C.SI.., Mr. Edward Clodd, Mr. R. B. Prosser, and
Sir Henry Trueman Wood.
CONTENTS. ----
CHAPTER
BLUNDERS
IN GENERAL.
PAGE
Distinction between a blunder and a mistake-- Long life of a literary
blunder --Professor Skeat's ``ghost words''-- Dr. Murray's ``ghost
words''--Marriage Service--Absurd etymology-- Imaginary
persons--Family pride-- Fortunate blunders--Misquotations-- Bulls
from Ireland and elsewhere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
CHAPTER II.
BLUNDERS OF AUTHORS.
Goldsmith--French memoir writers-- Historians--Napier's bones--Mr.
Gladstone-- Lord Macaulay--Newspaper
writers--Critics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
CHAPTER III.
BLUNDERS OF TRANSLATORS. PAGE
``Translators are traitors''--Amusing translations--Translations of
names-- Cinderella--``Oh that mine adversary had written a
book''--Perversions of the true meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
47
CHAPTER IV.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL BLUNDERS.
Watt's Bibliotheca Britannica--Imaginary authors--Faulty
classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
CHAPTER V.
LISTS OF ERRATA.
Early use of errata--Intentional blunders-- Authors correct their
books--Ineffectual attempts to be immaculate--Misprints never
corrected. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
CHAPTER VI.
MISPRINTS.
Misprints not always amusing--A Dictionary of
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