Welsh Journals

There is no evidence, he continues (p. 1), that 'he regarded himself as primarily a Welshman or did very much for Wales after he had ascended the throne of England'. Yet in his close concern with government and administration Professor Chrimes seems somewhat to neglect the realities of politics in a turbulent age. In particular, Henry's relations with the nobility-the supremely important factor in medieval politics, whose power had not been seriously affected by the civil wars-deserve fuller discussion than they receive, for it is here that his policies stand out most sharply in contrast with those of the Yorkist kings. Why, for example, was Henry able to survive without those massive distributions of patronage which the Yorkists had found necessary to secure aristocratic support? How was he able to cramp their freedom and weaken their political initiative by a regime of 'bonds, coercion, and fear' (in Professor Lander's phrase) without producing a massive reaction? Why, in short, was he so much more a durable master of the aristocracy than Edward IV or Richard III had been ? Part of the answer lies in the success with which he projected the notion that even for the nobility favour was not automatic, but had to be earned, and the mere suspicion of disloyalty would be severely punished. Here his true predecessor was Henry V rather than the Yorkist kings. None of this should be thought to detract from the very conspicuous merits of this scholarly, readable and judicious study, for which all students of the reign will be grateful. Well-produced and aptly-illustrated, it will be a valuable addition to the publisher's 'English Monarchs' series, of which it forms the fifth volume to appear so far. C. D. ROSS Bristol. CORRESPONDENCE AND RECORDS OF THE S.P.G. RELATING TO WALES. 1701-1750. Edited by Mary Clement. University of Wales Press, Cardiff, 1973. Pp. 102. £ 1.50. For a few years in the mid-seventeeth century it seemed that Britain was to be involved in missionary activity on a large scale. However, with the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Cromwell's plans to divide the world into four great mission fields ceased to be of any interest, and almost a century and a half had to pass before the churches generally were ready to take up the task of world-wide evangelisation. Among the societies which ensured that missionary endeavour did not cease altogether during the intervening period were the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge (S.P.C.K.) and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (S.P.G.), founded in 1669 and 1701 respectively, largely as a result of the efforts of Thomas Bray. Welshmen were involved in, and benefited from, the activities of both societies. Mary Clement has previously edited the correspondence and minutes of the S.P.C.K. relating to Wales (University of Wales Press, 1952), and written an account of the history of the S.P.C.K. in Wales