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SHORT NOTICES Two short parish histories recently published are The Church and Parish of Old Radnor by the doyen of Radnorshire historians Mr. W. H. Howse (Parkes, Halesowen, 1958) and Dr. D. G. Walker's Short History of the Parish Church of Swansea (Swansea, 1959). The fate of the two churches has been in sharp contrast: Old Radnor has succeeded in preserving many of its medieval treasures which put it 'among the first half-dozen churches in Wales for interest and beauty', while St. Mary's, Swansea, has been singularly unfortunate in having been devastated on a number of occasions by tempest, fire, and war. Both these histories, within the restricted compass permitted their authors, are admirably done. REGESTA REGUM SCOTTORUM A group of young Scottish medievalists have planned the ambitious undertaking of collecting, and ultimately publishing, the surviving Acta of the Scottish kings. Their work will eventually form the Regesta Regum Scottorum, the first volume of which, The Acts of Malcolm IV, edited by Mr. G. W. S. Barrow, has now appeared. As a preliminary, handlists of the acts of individual kings are being prepared. Mr. A. A. M. Duncan has discussed the Acta of Robert I in the Scottish Historical Review, vol. XXXII (1953). A Handlist of the Acts of William the Lion (1165-1214), compiled by G. W. S. Barrow and W. W. Scott, was issued in typescript, unbound, in 1958, and Handlists of the Acts of Alexander II (1214-1249), compiled by James M. Scoular, and of Alexander III, Guardians and John (1249-1296), compiled by Grant C. Simpson, have been issued in typescript, bound, in 1960. In some respects this is one of the most exciting of contemporary projects in Celtic history, and the Regesta Regum Scottorum will be welcomed by many historians. In the meantime the Handlists provide valuable finding-lists for those who have an interest in charters or in Scottish history. The editors also hope that they will be instrumental in the discovery of charters as yet unknown or believed to be lost, and of variant texts of some of the charters already included in the collection. The Handlists are issued at a modest price: The Acts of William the Lion, 5s.; The Acts of Alexander II, and of Alexander III, etc., 7s. 6d. Copies may be obtained from A. A. M. Duncan, History Department, Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh, 8. D.G.W.