In April 1834, Kemble launched an attack on the Anglo-Saxon scholars of Oxford University, published in the Gentlemen’s Magazine. About a year later, in March 1835, a response to Kemble’s remarks was published in the form of an anonymous 15-page pamphlet, entitled The Anglo-Saxon Meteor.
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THE ANGLO-SAXON METEOR;
OR
LETTERS, IN DEFENCE OF OXFORD,
TREATING OF
THE WONDERFUL GOTHIC ATTAINMENTS
OF
JOHN M. KEMBLE,
OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE
Ficta omnia celeriter, tanquam flosculi,
decidunt. Cicero
E Coelo descendit, xyz xyz
Juvenal
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Although cast in the form of an exchange of letters between 'R', in Cambridge, and 'I.J.' (citing notes by his friend 'T.W.') in Oxford, the pamphlet was presumed by Kemble to have been produced by the Rev'd Joseph Bosworth (compiler of the standard Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, and later the founder of the Elrington and Bosworth Chair of Anglo-Saxon in the University of Cambridge), with whom he did not get on.
In a letter to Jakob Grimm, dated 10 May 1835, Kemble describes the pamphlet and explains why his suspicions point to Bosworth as its author. He also remarks that it had been sent 'to most of the members of the Senate of Cambridge'; and one imagines that copies were addressed and dispatched from Oxford to many others.
Copies of the pamphlet are now rare. Only five are recorded (though others may lurk uncatalogued, perhaps bound up in volumes of pamphlets). The five in question are as follows:
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a copy addressed to Sir Frederic Madden, of the British Museum (London, British Library, 10856.d.3) A note by Madden on the title-page reads: 'Supposed to have been printed in Holland under the superintendence of the Rev. Mr. Bosworth.' (click on the image to see a larger version) |
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a copy addressed to Dr Bandinell, Librarian, Bodleian Library, Oxford (Oxford, Bodleian Library) This copy is available as a Nabu Public Domain Reprint. (click on the image to see a larger version) |
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a copy addressed to The Rev. William Whewell, Trinity College, Cambridge (The Library, Trinity College, Cambridge) (click on the image to see a larger version) |
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a copy addressed to The Rev. J. Ingram, Trinity College, Oxford (Trinity College, Oxford) (click on the image to see a larger version) |
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a copy addressed to J. S. Cardale, Care of Mr Combe, Bookseller, Leicester (University of Leicester) (click on the image to see a larger version) |
One can see that in each case the pamphlet was folded twice, and the name and address of the intended recipient written on one side, by one or other of at least two or more co-conspirators. Bosworth himself, who was in Holland at the time, was seemingly not involved, at least in this act of distribution. The copy sent to Ingram appears to have a postmark 25 March 1835. The copies sent to Madden, Bandinell and Whewell are postmarked Oxford, 30 March 1835. The copy sent to Cardale (another Anglo-Saxonist) has suffered some damage where postal stamps might have been, though would appear to have been dispatched from Oxford with the others. A copy in The Johns Hopkins University Library is merely an old photographic copy of the copy sent to Madden. Another copy was recorded in the library of Sir Francis Palgrave, sold at Sotheby's on 12 May 1862 (lot 406).
I would be very pleased to receive any information about the existence of any other copies of this pamphlet.
Prof. S. D. Keynes
Trinity College
Cambridge