1899.] LITERATURE. 81
full his power of graphic and interesting portraiture. As we recall Sir George Trevelyan's work, another historical book published last year inevitably suggests itself— the first venture in the world of letters of his son, George Macau lay Trevelyan, who proves himself worthy of the two distinguished names which he bears. His Xngland in the Age of WyoHlTe (Longmans) deserves far more than a succte d'estime, and ranks with the chief historical works of the year. The Peasants Rebellion of 1381, the early years of Lollardry, and that great literary period whose names redeem from gloom one of the least glorious periods of our national annals — these are the subjects closely investigated by Mr. Trevelyan. If in this first book the writer does not show the vitality and fully developed power of some more experienced historians, he certainly reveals a genius for taking pains, and has produced a work well balanced, complete and interesting.
The late Sir William Wilson Hunter's History of British India, vol i. (Longmans), began a work of great importance which unhappily cannot now be completed. During the author's career in India he had exceptional opportunities for the collection of materials. It had been his intention to start from the early Aryan period, but the unfortunate loss by shipwreck of a large part of the memoranda prepared for the history compelled him to modify his plans, and to pass over the time before India had come into contact with modern Europe. The first volume carries the story down to 1623, and is occupied mainly with the early Indian expeditions of the English, the Dutch and the Portuguese. It is understood that Sir William Hunter left materials for a second volume, but his original scheme was to produce five volumes.
An important contribution to Asiatic history is The Heart of Asia (Methuen) by Francis H. Skrine and Edward D. Ross.. Professor Ross explores the obscure early history of Central Asia— a subject in which he is to some extent a pioneer — with great care and learning ; and an equally able and accurate account of the present position of Russia in Asia is given by Mr. F. H. Skrine. Another gap in the historical literature of the countries of the world has been filled by Mr. Budgett Meakins' very exhaustive work on The Moorish Empire (Sonnenschein).
Among other historical works which deserve mention are Mr. H. G. Graham's Social Idfe in Scotland in the eighteenth Century (Black), which gives a vivid description, drawn from contemporary records, of Scotch life during its period of revival after the Union ; and Mr. J. H. Round's learned investigations into the early history of London and the origin of the corporation, contained in The Commune of London and Other Studies (Constable).
County histories increase in number rapidly. One of the best is Sir George Douglas's History of the Scottish Border Counties (Black- wood), a work in which the mass of legend surrounding the history of Roxburgh, Selkirk, and Peebles is carefully sifted and tested by the light of the most recent antiquarian researches.
Two notable School Histories deal with the ancient foundations of Winchester and Shrewsbury. Mr. A. F. Leach has done more than any one to unearth the early history of English schools. In his History of Winchester College (Duckworth) he throws much light on the origin
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