WILLIAM HALLER. Liberty and Reformation in the Puritan Revolution. Pp. xv, 410. New York: Columbia University Press, 1955. $6.00

• Author: John J. Murray
• DOI: 10.1177/000271625630400159
• Published date: 01 March 1956
• Date: 01 March 1956
• Subject Matter: Articles

178
eral earnest attempts to mitigate social
her of criminal parsimony in the payment
animosities. Moreover, the author’s failure
and care of her valiant troops. In truth,
to define &dquo;radical&dquo; leaves the reader in
she could do little to prevent the rampant
doubt as to whether he means working
corruption of captains and civilian purvey-
class agitators or the followers of Jeremy
ors.
Corruption, disease, and inefficiency
Bentham.
made for the miseries of the armed forces.
Notwithstanding these defects of meth-
Despite these difficulties, such great ad-
odology, Mr. Webb has compiled a useful
vances were made in ship designing and in
catalogue of the literature designed to edu-
military organization, training and equip-
cate and uplift the working people., Since
ment, that Elizabethan England emerged as
he is unable to engender sympathy for the
a first-class power. In fact, in the author’s
middle classes, Mr. Webb would do well
opinion, Elizabeth made only two major
to turn his attention to the study of liter-
mistakes: she failed to supply sufficient
ature of the working classes and present a
funds for the conquest of Ireland earlier
catalogue of the materials which, in his
in the reign, and secondly she intervened
judgment, lifted the working classes to
in the French civil wars.
literacy.
To this reader at least, there is hardly
R. G. COWHERD
a dull moment in Dr. Rowse’s book, even
Lehigh University
though the expert may not find much that
is new or different from previous accounts.
A. L. ROWSE. The Expansion of Elizabe-
Attention is held by the careful blending
than England. Pp. xiii, 450. New York :
of contemporary sources and modem au-
St. Martin’s Press, 1955. $5.75.
thorities, and by the verve of the writing,
To Dr. Rowse, Elizabethan expansion
particularly in describing the exploits of
begins at home-English law and order,
the sailor-heroes, the defeat of the Armada,
English language and custom are intro-
intervention in the...