6.0201 Qs: Forgery; Text Dating; Computing Courses (4/118)

Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Mon, 17 Aug 1992 21:31:41 EDT

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 6, No. 0201. Monday, 17 Aug 1992.


(1) Date: Thu, 13 Aug 92 22:43:55 EST (32 lines)
From: KRAFT@PENNDRLS.UPENN.EDU
Subject: Manuscript "Forgery"

(2) Date: Fri, 14 Aug 92 17:16:26 EDT (42 lines)
From: Philip J. Schwarz <pschwarz@cabell.vcu.edu>
Subject: Dating

(3) Date: Mon, 17 Aug 92 16:31:55 EDT (13 lines)
From: Stephen Clausing <SCLAUS@YALEVM>
Subject: computers and education

(4) Date: Mon, 17 Aug 92 16:29:16 -0400 (31 lines)
From: "Christian Koch (Computer Science, Oberlin College, 223
King, X8831)"
Subject: Statistical textbook for text analysis course?

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 92 22:43:55 EST
From: KRAFT@PENNDRLS.UPENN.EDU
Subject: Manuscript "Forgery"

I received in the mail the other day xeroxed copies of three
pages of a leather manuscript acquired in Egypt some years ago.
The sender was seeking help on identifying the writing that
covered the pages. I had no solution, but it was in some ways
similar to "writing" that I had seen on some of our fragments
(leather, but also papyrus) here at the University Museum.
Expert opinion (from the 1930s) was that they were probably
"forgeries." There must be lots of these undeciphered materials
in the various manuscript collections in the world. Thus:

1. Have any careful studies been made of such materials, to
determine criteria for identifying "forgery," motivation for
producing such, locations, times, etc.?

2. Are the networks ready for us to start depositing graphic
representations of such materials on a ListServer somewhere
so that interested scholars can access them and delve more
deeply into their mysteries? (The flood will have to start
somewhere, if it hasn't started already; we all want to see
what the materials we work with look like.)

3. Is there someone "out there" who is interested and able to
take on the challenge of coordinating such efforts? There will,
I'm sure, be many who will offer encouragement and support,
myself included!

Bob Kraft, UPenn

(2) --------------------------------------------------------------53----
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 92 17:16:26 EDT
From: Philip J. Schwarz <pschwarz@cabell.vcu.edu>
Subject: Dating

In order to date _A Treatise on Slavery_ (cited below), I wish to
know whether the _Niles' Weekly Register_ was quoting a very
recent note or one that appeared somewhat earlier. I have
consulted the sources available to me here but I've failed to
find the information I need. I'd appreciate any help anyone can
provide to me. Please reply directly. The relevant quotations
appear below.

_Niles' Weekly Register_, January 21, 1826 (vol. XXIX, whole
number 749), 327 : "The duke del Infantado, in a late note to the
foreign ministers said~The legitimacy of kings comes from God:[,]
and in virtue of it,[ ] they are the absolute masters to effect
in their kingdoms[,] and among their subjects[,] whatever changes
they think proper, without being bound to render [an] account
thereof to any body on earth;[,] or to ask the consent of other
sovereigns, and much less of their ambassadors." [Punctuation
marks and one word in brackets indicate the manner in which this
passage is quoted in _A Treatise on Slavery_].

_A Treatise on Slavery, By an Unknown Author, of Virginia_.
n.p., n.p., 1826[?] p. 4: "It is but a few weeks since the
newspapers furnished a sample of this doctrine of the divine
right of kings, from one of the royal family of Spain. 'The
legitimacy of kings,' says the Duke Del Infantado, 'comes from
God: . . . .'," etc., as above. [See previous entry for
differences between this transcription and the one in Niles'.]
Thank you.
****************************************
*** ***
*** Philip J. Schwarz ***
*** Department of History ***
*** Virginia Commonwealth Univ. ***
*** Box 2001 ***
*** Richmond, VA 23284-2001 ***
*** pschwarz@cabell.vcu.edu ***
*** ***
****************************************

(3) --------------------------------------------------------------20----
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 92 16:31:55 EDT
From: Stephen Clausing <SCLAUS@YALEVM>
Subject: computers and education

I am preparing a course entitled "Computers and Education" and have the
syllabus nearly full but am lacking a number of good, recent articles on the
subject. Does anyone know about an up-to-date bibliography on this matter,
or can recommend some post-1990 articles? Please respond to me directly or to
Humanist.

Stephen Clausing
SClaus@Yalevm
Lecturer, Dept. of Computer Science, Yale University
(4) --------------------------------------------------------------41----
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 92 16:29:16 -0400
From: "Christian Koch (Computer Science, Oberlin College,223 King, X8831)"
Subject: Statistical textbook for text analysis course?

I have just been told by our local textbook store that the text I
ordered (last June) for my course in computer-based, statistical text
analysis is out of print, probably for good. The text is: Anthony
Kenney, THE COMPUTATION OF STYLE. I now have about two weeks before
classes begin to get a new textbook for the course. I am not keen on
requiring a large, $50+ elementary statistical textbook since these
books are not really geared to a course in text analysis. I am
wondering if any of you out there have found a good statistical text
for a text analysis course? The students involved are general liberal
arts undergraduates.

Someone called my attention to the Sage Publications series of
inexpensive texts. I called Sage and they have what their marketing
director says is a rave reviewed textbook called STATISTICS: A
SPECTATOR SPORT ($19.95). They are sending me a copy. Perhaps some of
you have used it?

Thanks!


Christian Koch
Oberlin College
Computer Science
Oberlin, OH 44074

Internet: chk@occs.cs.oberlin.edu
Bitnet: fkoch@oberlin