Welsh Journals

the argument that they represent a developed and institutionalized crusading ideal is never met head-on. In this context it is surprising that H. Nicholson's Templars, Hospitallers and Teutonic Knights: Images of the Military Orders, 1128-1291 (Leicester, 1993), is not referred to despite its obvious relevance to the themes explored here. Urban II did not lay down a blueprint or prescribe a definition, and, as this book emphasizes, whatever he did was worked over and recreated by later writers. But Urban instilled into western Christians in a quite unequivocal way the notion of sacred slaughter. This was not a new idea, and there was certainly a consensus in eleventh-century Christendom that it was no sin to kill unbelievers. But Urban settled the matter: the sword could cut a path to salvation, and this notion, however poorly formulated and defined, had enormous impact. And the acceptance of his authority is, surely, the force behind the 'pluralist' view of crusading. JOHN FRANCE Swansea ROBERT FERRAR, YORKSHIRE MONK, REFORMATION BISHOP AND MARTYR IN WALES (c. 1500-1555). By Andrew J. Brown. Inscription Imprints, PO Box 10926, London, 1997. Pp.vii, 349. £ 25.00. Just over 450 years have passed since Robert Ferrar, bishop of St David's (1548-55), was martyred for his beliefs in Carmarthen in the spring of 1555. He is still remembered there with honour on a plaque in St Peter's church and a tablet in Nott Square near the site of his burning. They will have cause to remember him with even greater respect now that this full- length biography of him has been published. A serious misgiving must be whether or not he is a figure of enough significance to merit treatment at such length and in such detail. But, assuming that he is, his life-story could hardly have been written up with greater care or thoroughness. A Yorkshireman, educated at Cambridge University, he entered the Order of Augustinian canons. He first came to notice when he joined his fellow- Augustinian, the ardent Protestant reformer, William Barlow, on an embassy to Scotland in 1535. Later, in 1538, he was rewarded by Thomas Cromwell with the headship of the substantial priory (gross annual value of £ 600+) of St Oswald in Nostell, Yorkshire. As prior, he revealed his interest in, and flair for, landowning and business as well as religion. His prime concern, however, was to preach Protestant doctrine in the area and to educate its youth. He had not been there long before the priory was