The Historical Records of the Royal Marines. Compiled and edited
by Major L. Edge. Vol. 1664-1704. (Harrison and Sons.) —Major Edge did well to reject the suggestion of the injudicious friends who would have had him go back to the earliest times, and taking the widest possible view of his subject, record every- thing that "in the slightest degree illustrates the services of soldiers on shipboard." As it is a volume of about 700 pages, takes us only as far as the accession of Queen Anne, while the editor doubts whether a second will carry him as far as 1755, and as soldiers served on shipboard, one might say, in all battles recorded in history, the task would have been made simply impossible. The first regiment of Marines was raised in 1664. Sir. W. Killi- grew was the first colonel. It was to cost .S18,148 8s. 8d. per annum, consisting of six companies of two hundred each, with a captain, lieutenant, ensign, four sergeants, as many corporals, and a drummer ; the staff was colonel, lieutenant-colonel, major, chaplain, surgeon and mate, and quartermaster. The uniform was very handsome, "red jackets lined with green," while the Duke's company had "yellow with red lining." The first im- portant service that the newly raised force saw was the fierce battle of Sonthwold Bay. Major Edge traces the history of the corps and of the officers who served in it with indefatigable patience and industry ("1630" in the brief biography of George Graham on p. 193, should be "1730"). John Churchill was lieutenant-colonel for three years (1678-81). We must own that the subject is treated with a fullness of detail which is somewhat wearying to the ordinary reader. Still, considering the public for which Major Edge writes, he does well to be minute. When he shall have brought his huge labours to an end, a popular summary of them will be acceptable. But that, we fear, will be "far off in summers that we shall not see." The illustrations of the volume are handsome and well executed.
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