Page:English Historical Review Volume 35.djvu/294

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286 REVIEWS OF BOOKS April have been already printed, though Dr. Colenbrander, whose versions are derived from manuscripts in the libraries of All Souls and Queen's, appears to be unaware of the fact. The third Dutch war is illustrated by the same abundance of new documents, but a larger proportion of them comes from the French archives than in the case of the second war. Amongst these are a plan of the close of the battle of Solebay (ii. 112) and some letters dealing with the dispute between the French commanders about the battle of 21 August 1673. The charges brought by Rupert against d'Estrees will attract special notice. However, perhaps the most instructive and interesting documents in the volume are the two French reports on the organization and condition of the English navy made to Colbert, one by a certain Arnoul in 1670, the other by Seignelay in 1672 (ii. 7, 47). Pepys wanted to get information of an equally detailed character about the Dutch navy ; we are given the list of questions he drew up for Captain Anthony Deane, but Deane's answers seem to be missing (ii. 2). There are a series of papers relating to the negotiations between England and Holland in July 1672 : instructions to Buckingham and Arlington, dated 1 July 1672 ; letters from the two ambassadors and from Sir Joseph Williamson to Lord Clifford ; Williamson's diary, 18-28 July 1672 (ii. 141-72). It is curious that Dr. Colenbrander, who refers to Miss Barbour's Arlington in connexion with this negotiation, makes no reference to Miss Foxcroft's Life of Halifax, in which several documents relating to the mission are printed (i. 72-102), including instructions given to Halifax which supplement those to Buckingham and Arlington. This brief summary of the contents of these two volumes hardly does justice to the value of the collection, but it would be necessary to survey the history of the second and third Dutch wars, and to examine the details of seven or eight naval battles, in order to show the extent to which they are elucidated by the new evidence now published. C. H. Firth. The Second Period of Quakerism. By William C. Braithwaite, B.A., LL.B., with introduction by Rufus M. Jones, M.A., D.Litt. (London : Macmillan, 1919.) There are few tracts of religious history which are so full of interest as the early period of Quakerism. Mr. Braithwaite handled the origins in his previous book. The Beginnings of Quakerism, published in 1912; and the next instalment of the task is now a very welcome arrival. The period covered by the new volume extends from the Restoration to the end of the century ; and it is continuous in its main features with the opening period, which began with the awakening of George Fox in 1643. The richness of interest is naturally in part inherent in the subject, and lies in the psycho- logical evolution and development of a peculiar and fruitful type of Chris- tain belief ; but it depends also largely upon the abundance of the material available. No religious movement, not even the Oxford Movement of later times, is so rich in documents. The Friends from the days of George Fox onward were. among the most self-conscious of mystics. Like the early tractarians they had a profound belief in the importance of all their I