EDWARD

See also:

• EDWARD ARBER (1836– )

ARBER (1836– )  , English man of letters, was born in London on the 4th of December 1836 . From 1854 to 1878 he was a clerk in the admiralty; from 1878 to 1881 lecturer on English, under Prof . H . Morley, at University College; and from 1881 to 1894 professor of English at Mason College, Birmingham . From 1894 he lived in London as emeritus professor, being also a fellow of King's College . In 1905 he received the honorary degree of D . Litt. at Oxford . He married in 1869, and had two sons, one of them, E . A . N . Arber, becoming demonstrator in palaeobotany at Cambridge . As a scholarly editor Professor Arber's services to English literature are memorable .

His name is associated particularly with the

series of " English Reprints " (1868–1880), by which an accurate text of the works of many English authors, formerly only accessible in rare or expensive editions, was placed within reach of the general public . Among the thirty volumes of the series were Gosson's School of Abuse, Ascham's Toxophilus, Tottel's Miscellany, Naunton's Fragmenta Regalia, &c . It was followed by the " English Scholar's Library " (16 vols.) which included the Works (1884) of Captain John Smith, governor of Virginia, and the Poems (1882) of Richard Barnfield . In his English Garner (8 vols . 187.7–1896) he made an admirable collection of rare old tracts and poems; in 1899–1901 he issued British Anthologies (to vols.), and in 1907 began a series called A Christian Library . He also accomplished single-handed the editing of two vast, and invaluable, English bibliographies: A Transcript of the Registers of the Stationers' Company, 1553–1640 (1875–1894), and The Term Catalogues, 1668–1709; with a number for Easter Term 1711 (1904-1906), edited from the quarterly lists of the book-sellers .