Welsh Journals

we know, had been Charles VI's tutor and was a member of his council. The king had obviously learned something from his mentor. But how far was de Mézières an inspiration of ideas and a leader of thought? Certainly there is no parallel to his Letter written in France or England at this time and no-one had travelled Europe preaching the crusade as he had done. His singular quality was that of a layman who had attempted a crusade himself and who spoke and wrote with experience and passion. Yet it is hard to pinpoint lines of thought which are not expressed elsewhere. There was much self-examination and self-criticism in late-fourteenth- century Europe. Dr. Allmand's collection of essays should command a wide audience. He has engaged authors whose interests are in most respects consistent with Dr. Coopland's work, and has been able to draw upon the talents of scholars who have enhanced our understanding of the Hundred Years' War during recent years. Almost all the contributors are familiar names and there is an overall unity of theme which brings coherence. The chapters by N. A. R. Wright ('The Tree of Battles and the Laws of War'), M. H. Keen ('Chivalry, Nobility and the Laws of War') and P. Contamine ('The War Literature of the Late Middle Ages') are appropriate to Coopland's memory. Scholars who have wrestled with the intricacies of Breton politics in the fourteenth century will be delighted by 'Breton Identity in the Four- teenth Century', a searching essay by Michael Jones. The contribution of P. S. Lewis, 'Of Breton Alliances and Other Matters', has broader signifi- cance than its austere title suggests. Dr. Allmand and J. R. Alban have written a lively chapter on 'Spies and Spying in the Fourteenth Century', which breathes life into a variety of record sources. J. J. N. Palmer and A. P. Wells add depth to our understanding of the 1360s, a difficult decade, by a fresh approach to the policies of Urban V. At a later date C. A. J. Armstrong elucidates complex sources with characteristic skill in 'Sir John Fastolf and the Laws of Arms'. Finally, M. G. A. Vale adds perspective to the generalisations which we have come to accept as orthodoxy about the achievements of French artillery in the last stages of the Hundred Years' War. It is never easy to review a work of this kind and it is tempting to seek refuge behind indiscriminate praise. Of course, some essays appeal to the reviewer more than others, but the standard on this occasion is consistently high. Here there is multwn in parvo and those who find difficulty in com- bining learning with literacy may refer to an exemplar in this work. J. W. SHERBORNE Bristol THE GENTRY AND THE ELIZABETHAN STATE. By Gareth Jones. 'A New History of Wales' Series, Christopher Davies, Swansea, 1977. Pp. 114 and 8 plates. £ 2.95. 'A New History of Wales', edited by Ralph A. Griffiths, Kenneth O. Morgan and J. Beverley Smith, provides 'compact but comprehensive' introductions to major themes in Welsh history, drawing on the results of recent research. Mr. Gareth Jones's little volume-I 14 pages of text, index,