18 DECEMBER 1926, Page 26

DOCUMENTS OF MEDIAEVAL ENGLAND. By R. Trevor Davies. (Methuen. 10s.

6d.)--This little _ book _will, prove a handy and useful companion to the study of English social history ; though it cannot compete for interest and variety with Mr. G. G. Coulton's' larger work on Social Life in Britain, which adopts rather the same method and covers much the same ground. Mr. Divies's extracts range in date from Domesday Book to the Stonor papers, and in subject include 'economic,. religious, and military life. On the whole the selection of documents is well and carefully done ; but unnecessary space seems to be given to quotations from such accessible works as Froissart's Chronicle, or the Paston Letters; to the detriment of other sections, Rich as that on Monasticism, which is hardly given the prominence its social importance demands. The coming of the Friars, the industrial activities of the Cistercian Order, the building of the cathedrals, the life of the nunneries and anchorages, are all vividly described in numerous contemporary, documents ; -for some of which room might well have been found. We note in' the extract from William of Mahnesbury's Chronicle that " The English at that time wore' Short garments reaching to the mid-knee ; they had their hair cropped "—another example of the eternel retour.