ABSTRACT

As one can see from several of the items below (2, 6, 10, 11, etc.), many scholars were misled as to the parts played by George Hickes and Humfrey Wanley in their joint publication of 1705. The first title-page of this gives Hickes alone as the author of the Linguarum Vett. Septentrionalium Thesaurus Grammatico-Criticus et Archæologicus. The second more scrupulously announces Antiquæ Literaturæ Septentrionalis Libri Duo, of which the first is the Thesaurus by Hickes (and Sir Andrew Fountaine), the second being Wanley’s Librorum Vett. Septen trionalium, qui in Angliæ Bibliothecis extant… Catalogus Historico-Criticus (both Oxford 1705). For a fuller account of the Thesaurus/Catalogus (reprinted in facsimile by Scolar Press, Menston 1971), see Bennett 1948; for Wanley’s life (1672-1725) and career, see Bennett 1938: ch. 4; Sisam 1953; Wright 1960. Wanley’s Latin description remained the sole source of knowledge of Beowulf for almost a century (see Introduction, pp. 3-6). Pp. 218-19.