LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
MR. WHITMORE'S MOTHER GOOSE."
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR...1 ST,—In the number of the Spectator for July 23rd, I find a. notice of Mr. Whitmore's "Mother Goose's Melodies" (Griffith, Ferran, and Co.) The book seems to have puzzled the reviewer, who is inclined to regard it as part of "The Great American Joke." But there is no joke in the matter. Mr. Whitmore merely wished to explode the current Bostonian fallacy, constantly repeated, that the name "Mother Goose," applied to fairy-tales and nursery melodies, is derived from a Mrs. Goose, or Vergoose, of Boston, Mass. He has shown that there is no evidence at all for any connection between Mrs.. Goose and "Mother Goose." The mythical mother is "Ma Mere l'Oye," who was an old proverbial character in France,. long before the publication of Perrault's " Contes de Ma Mere l'Oye" (1697). Mr. Whitmore also publishes a reprint of "Mother Goose's Melodies" as Newbery issued them in 17o0. Some hack of that date added burlesque moralities to the rhymes, by way of mocking at serious editorial works. These moralities contain the jokes which puzzle your reviewer. The hack of 1760 also added songs from Shakespeare, probably for his own solace, and to give children the chance of reading good poetry as well as old nursery jingles. In addition to the " Melodies " of 1760, Mr. Whitmore has reprinted the original English version of Perrault's own tales, made by Mr. Pote in 1729. These versions do not please, and seem to puzzle your reviewer. They are literal, and are the best extant transla- tions of Perrault, without additions, expurgations, or corrup- tions. They had already been reprinted by myself in "The Blue Fairy-Book." The poems at the end of each tale are paraphrases of the poems in Perrault's own edition. The names "Cinderella," " The Master Cat," and" Little Thumb," are those which the tales bore when first they were Englishee.. In fact, the tales are not given in "new versions," as the reviewer says, but in the original English versions. They are no" shorter" than Perrault wrote them. Mr. Whitmore has no part in the " morals; " the "morals "are Perrault's, Englished by Pote. There probably is some truth in the story of the collaboration of the boy Perrault d'Aymancola. He signs the dedication. The tales were currently attributed to him in the literature of the day ; for example, in the " Telemachomanie." The whole book can only puzzle persons who do not know anything about the questions handled by Mr. Whitmore, or about the original forms and translations of Perrault's immortal tales. I have "supplied the key" to the problem, as your reviewer suggests that I should do, but the key is supplied by Mr. Whitmore himself, who expressly states that the "new versions" were first published in 1729. I have no acquaintance with Mr. Whitmore, and do not deny that his book may be deemed superfluous ; but assuredly there is no " puzzle " in the harmless piece of antiquarianism.—I am, Sir, Sto., Brancch,olme Park, Hawick, August 7th. ANDREW LANG.
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