ROMAN BRITAIN AND THE ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS By R. G. Collingwood
and J. N. L. Myres Professor R. G. Collingwood and Mr. J. N. L. Myres, who respectively deal with Roman Britain and The English Settlements in the opening volume of the Oxford History of England edited by Professor G. N. Clark (Clarendon PreSs, 12s. 0d.), have pro- duced a most interesting book. Professor Collingwood, who is for our Roman British studies what Haverfield was to the last generation, has a minute knowledge of the archaeological evi- dence now abundant, but never forgets that he is writing a history. Caesar's invasion is justly set down as a failure, glossed over in the Commentaries. The conquest which Claudius began is clearly outlined. The nature and purpose of the Wall, of which the author has made a special study, have never been so well explained. Antonine's Wall from Forth to Clyde is regarded as a check on the tribes south of it rather than as a barrier to the Highlands. Emphasis is laid on the decay of the towns in the third Century and on the continued development of the villa or self-contained landed estate. The loss of Britain to the Empire is shown to have been a gradual process ; if the legions were withdrawn in 410, the Roman Britons long after held their own, at any rate in the south, against Picts, Scots and Saxons. Mr. Myres has a still more difficult task in disentangling facts, from the Confused literary evidence for the Anglo- Saxon settlements, illustrated to some extent by scattered diggings, jewellery, place-names and so forth. But his general survey of the subject is lucid arid. scholarly.
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