The Edwards in Scotland. By Joseph Bain. (D. Douglas, Edinburgh.
58. net.) — This volume contains six lectures delivered on the Rhind Foundation. The first is introductorY, and gives, among other things, an interesting account of the ill-fortune which has attended the records of Scotland. Many were destroyed at the Reformation, confused as they were by the ignorant zeal of the multitude with Roman service-books. Before that many had perished in the burning of Holyrood (in 1544). After the Restoration eighty-five hogsheads full were lost in a storm on the voyage from London to Leith. Those that escaped the sea were left to perish. At the end of the eighteenth century they were at last handed over to those who were competent to deal with them. Mr. Bain is very fair in his dealing with the English Kings. He gives credit to Edward I. for a desire, anyhow in his early days, to deal fairly with the question of suzerainty. Mr. Bain is confident that no such right existed, but the candidates who submitted their claims to Edward's arbitration were so obsequious that they encouraged him to persist in his contention. As a whole, the lectures will be found a really valuable contribution to Scottish history.
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