Welsh Journals

from its foundation to the early years of the Welsh Methodist Movement The S.P.C.K. and Wales, 1699-1740, London, 1954). She has now trans- scribed, from a variety of material in the S.P.G. archives, all references to Wales and Welshmen during the first half of the eighteenth century. A brief but useful Introduction first sets out in chronological order some connections, especially those of an ecclesiastical nature, between Wales and lands overseas, with particular reference to America, in the years before 1701, and then draws attention to some of the most important issues facing Welshmen connected with the S.P.G. From the beginning the Society endeavoured, although difficulties were encountered, to provide Welsh-speaking preachers, Welsh bibles, and other Welsh books of a religious or educational nature for the fairly substantial number of Welsh-speaking families who had settled in the American colonies. Mary Clement has to be thanked for making readily accessible original sources which will be of particular value to those interested in the history of missions. D. W. BOORMAN Swansea. LIBERAL POLITICS IN THE AGE OF GLADSTONE AND ROSEBERY: A Study in Leadership and Policy. By D. A. Hamer. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1972. Pp. 368. £ 4.75. Most historians are basically mere fact-mongers. When Middlemas and Barnes remark in their biography of Baldwin that history is a light discipline they indulge in unjustified generalisation. To judge from many writings history is very frequently not a true discipline at all. Imagination of sorts often emerges, but of logic there is none, except at the most elementary levels. The need for a highly developed sense of proportion; a sensitiveness to context; a subtle and searching examination of the evidence; a highly developed appreciation for causation; and a precision in defining terms-all are seen and met by the good historian. He or she makes the subject highly disciplined. Hamer sees the problems of his profession. His efforts have been directed towards salvaging the history of Liberal politics in this period. Any deficiencies that appear cannot be ascribed to want of trying. Yet deficiencies there are in plenty, and in his enthusiasm for the latest thing, he has fallen into the error of underrating writers of the past and over- rating those of the present. Historical truth does not necessarily emerge in the manner of a grand process of inevitable human improvement. Magnus, for example, has a profounder appreciation of Gladstone's character than Hamer himself and most of the biographies he dismisses so gaily could have saved him from some of his worst solecisms. Introductory remarks set out the nature of his enquiry. The senses of purpose in Liberal politicians, their styles of leadership and the controlling themes of Liberal politics are the main concerns. There is no attempt to explore the wide-ranging activities at the grass roots, even among the