THE LEGENDS OF SS. NINIAN AND MACHOR.
The Legends of SS. Ninian and Hachor. Edited by W. N.. Metcalfe, D.D. (A. Gardner, Paisley. 10s. 6d.)—The scholarly editor of this book trusts that it will "contribute to the revival of the study of the old Scots literature, which scarcely deserves the neglect with which.% is at present treated in our schools and universities," and is bound, therefore, to give indirect aid to the- movement now on foot north of the Tweed for the establishment of University Chairs of Scottish History and Literature. The- legends themselves are taken from a MS. in the University Library, Cambridge, which is apparently unique, no other manuscript copy of them being known, with the exception of a transcript made seven years ago, and afterwards revised and corrected by Mr. Rogers of the University Library, Cambridge, for the use the Scottish Scottish Text Society. The entire series of legends to which, these belong was edited by Dr. Metcalfe some time ago. Since- then, however,- he has been induced to go over them again with a view to examining certain arguments advanced for the Barboat
authorship of them. Dr Metcalfe has come to the conclusion that Barbour had nothing to do with the authorship, and. he states this much more fully than he did in his previous work. In addition to his painstaking investigation into the MS. and all that concerns it, he gives an interesting account of the two saints, Ninian and Ma,chor. In short, this volume may be con- sidered s complete manual of the subject of which it treats, and to justify the literary object which its author had in view.
Previous page
