NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14842, 6 December 1913, Page 9

NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

THE ENGLISH REFORMATION. The fourth volume of Dr. James Gairdner's valuable and fascinating history of "Lollardy and the Reformation in England" has, alas, had to be prepared for the Press by. another hand. Dr. Gairdnor, as we learn from the preface to this volume, was the younger son of an eminent Scottish physician, he was born at Edinburgh on the 22nd March, 1828, and died at his residence at Pinner, Middlesex, on the 4th November, 1912. Hβ entered the Record Office as a clerk in 1846, became As-sistant-Keeper of the Records in 1859, and retired from the Office in 1900. In his official position he not only enjoyed unexampled opportunities for historical research, but being endowed with the truo scientific spirit, and above I all with absolute honesty of purpose he has made a large and most valuable addition to our knowledge of the forces which have gone to the building up of. J the English nation and the English character. The work which he did not only as editor of various historical papers, but in his original contributions J in the shape of English history and bio- ! graphy are a standing monument of his industry, his conscientiousness, his undeviating adherence to what he believed to be the truth. He was especially recognised as an authority on about a century of English history, roughly from the beginning of the Wars of the Roses to the death of Queen Mary He wrote and published in 1902 "A History of the English Church, from the Accession of Henry YHI.,to the Death of Mary." In regard to the events of the Reformation period, as Dr. "William Hunt, the editor of the present volume tells us, he felt that "much error was current on these matters, that religious prejudice had warped the judgment of many who had written on them, and that too little account was taken of the wrongs inflicted on Catholics and of the tyranny greed and irreverence, the robbery of God and His Church ■which, in his "iew, disgraced the Reformation in England." Holding these

views and spurred on to some extent by the criticism directed ngairst the History of the English Church, ho set himself at the age of 73 to write an account of Lollardy and the Reformation. >\© have already reviewed in these columns■ volumes 1, i! and 3, bringing down the narrativa to the death of Edward > 1. He left 5n an -unfinished state tt-e manuscript of the prssent volume dealing with tho first year of Mary s reign, including her marriage. He struggled manfully with the work almost to his death in his 84th year, and it is pathetic to read that he was preverted from revising his manuscript by physical distress, and by rapid ""I"*° of eyesight, troubles which he bore with manly fortitude and Christian resignation. Ho asked Dr. Hunt to soo it through tho Press, and tho promise made by tho latter has been faithfully fulfilled. Owing to the circumstances in which the MS. was written it has been found necessary to make many j corrections and additions, and in some ; resoects it is possible that the editor has gone further than the author wouid have- done. The volume, however, is not the least interesting of the series. ilt sets out the inner history of the I diplomatic intrigue carried on by tho Imperial Ambassador Renard —aPP r0 7 priatoly named!—which brought about the Queen's betrothal to Philip of Spain. It is clear th.it the Queen did not care for Courtenay, who was favoured by Bishop Gardiner, the l>ora Chancellor, and Paget. There is no doubt that the Queen was m an extremely difficult position owmg to tao want of advisers whom she could trust, and the impartial reader cannot help feeling sorry for her. Renard wrote to tho Bishop of A rras: "I know the said Queen to be so easy, good and inexperienced in affairs of the world, and of the State, such a novico in everything that if you talk them over and buy them with presents and promises you would comert them to whatever you liked by one single method—propose to'them to depute four of _ fcheir number to administer the realm in the Queen's absence, and whatever exception or condition she would make, as that she would fain sco tho personage if she is shown what his Majesty has written on the. subject, she will not insist upon it." It was in these circumstances that the astute Renard managed himself to acquire her confidence and persuaded her into the marriage. Gairdner insists that it was only from a high sense of. duty that she was induced to marry at all. The persecution of "heretics," the removal of dangerous aspirants or opponents, and other acts which in the light of the present day must be looked upon with abhorrence, were dictated partly by religious feeling, partly by supposed reasons of State, but very largely owing to the pressure of advisers such as Gardiner, on whom tEe Queen felt forced to rely. In the matter of making excuses for many the editor seems to go further than the writer of tins interesting volume, but the authorities quoted show that there was certainly a side of the character of "Bloody Queen Mary" different from that which has usually been presented to the public. (London: Macmilla':i and Co., Ltd., 10s 6d net.)