a small array of the text-books in the Clarendon Press Series, instead of a more or less complete set of editions of Middle-English texts, the possession of which necessitates a considerable outlay of money.  By this plan, so great a compression of information has been achieved, that a large number of the articles give a summary such as can be readily expanded to a considerable length, by the exercise of a very little trouble; and thus the work is practically as full of material as if it had been three or four times its present size.  A couple of examples will shew* what this really means.

At p. 26 is the following entry:—­

’Bi-heste, sb. promise, S, S2, C2, P; byheste, S2; beheste, S2; byhest, S2; bihese, S; biheest, W; bihese, pl., S.—­AS. be-hA|*s.’

By referring to the respective indexes here cited, such as S (=Glossary to Specimens of English, Part I), and the like, we easily expand this article into the following:—­

’Bi-heste, sb. promise, S (9. 19); S2 (I a. 184); C2 (B37, 41, 42, F 698); P (3. 126); byheste, S2 (18 b. 25); beheste, S2 (14 a. 3); byhest, S2 (12. 57, 18 b. 9, [where it may also be explained by grant]); bihese, S (where it is used as a plural); biheest, W (promise, command, Lk. xxiv. 49, Rom. iv. 13; pl. biheestis, Heb. xi. 13); bihese, S (pl. behests, promises, 4 d. 55).—­AS. behA|*s’

In order to exhibit the full meaning of this—­which requires no further explanation to those who have in hand the books denoted by S, S2, &c.—­it would be necessary to print the article at considerable length, as follows:—­

’Biheste, sb. promise; “dusi biheste” a foolish promise, (extract from) Ancren Riwle, l. 19; “and wel lute wule hulde A3/4e biheste A3/4at he nom,” (extract from) Robert of Gloucester, l. 184; “holdeth your bAheste,” Chaucer, Introd. to Man of Law’s Prologue, l. 37; “biheste is dette,” same, l. 41; “al my biheste” same, l. 42; “or breken his biheste” Chaucer, sequel to Squieres Tale, l. 698; “A3/4orw fals biheste,” Piers Plowman, Text B, Pass. iii, l. 126; “to vol-vulle (fulfil) A3/4at byheste” Trevisa (extract from), lib. vi. cap. 29, l. 25; “the lond of promyssioun, or of beheste,” Prol. to Mandeville’s Travels, l. 3; “wiA3/4 fair by-hest,” William and the Werwolf, l. 57; “A3/4e byhest (promise, or grant) of oA3/4ere menne kyngdom,” Trevisa, lib. vi. cap. 29, l. 9; “y schal sende the biheest of my fadir in-to 3*ou,” Wyclif, Luke xxiv. 49; “not bi the lawe is biheest to Abraham,” Wycl.  Rom. iv. 13; “whanne the biheestis weren not takun,” Wycl.  Heb. xi. 13; “longenge to godes bihese” Old Eng.  Homilies, Dominica iv. post Pascha, l. 55.’