to accept many of them—will hardly make a revolution. This is in part due to the fact that Dr. Stubbs, in his treatment of our boroughs, has been, if possible, more cautious and circumspect than he always is. In part it is due to the fact that Dr. Gross has committed an offence, hideous in the eyes of the medieval gildsman, that of 'forestailing'; he has forestailed himself. Already, for some time past, the doctrines of the Gilda Mercatoria have been slowly working their way into English literature; and it is pleasant to record in this place that ' economic' historians have hitherto shown a juster appreciation of Dr. Gross's German thesis than has been shown by the generality of 'general' historians. In 1888 Mr. Ashley spoke of the Göttingen tract as 'the best work on its subject,' and more recently Dr. Cunningham has described it as marking an epoch. Still, if Dr. Gross has forestailed himself, few others have forestalled him. His work is strling original work. Some, of course, of his conclusions should be vigorously discussed before they are accepted, but there is none of them that does not deserve discussion. Now and again he speaks too severely of his predecessors and fellow labourers. When he says that 'Most English writers servilely follow Brentano,' we could wish that the adverb had not been written. Still there has of late been a great deal too little controversy about these things, and more than enough unquestioning acceptance of unproved assertions, in particular the unproved assertions of a writer of whom it is no blame to say th&t he had seen but a very small part of the evidence, a very small part indeed when compared with the documents which Dr. Gross has read and pondered and published. Those who dissent from his doctrines, and who feel themselves aggrieved by his strictures, will have to admit that in combating him they borrow their weapons from the great store of arms that he has collected.
Will the day ever come when the boroughs of England will print their records? Nottingham has set a splendid example. Not every borough will be able to find so good an editor as Mr. Stevenson; but still it is shame to our mayors and corporations that the work is not done. They should be peremptorily asked quo warranto they pretend to be proud of their towns; and on their failing to give a satisfactory answer, their franchises should be seized into the Queen's hand. Meanwhile our oldest England has to be thankful for what it can get from New England, the Essays on Anglo-Saxon Law, the Placita Aglo-Normannica, and last, but not least, the Gild Merchant.
F. W. Maitland.
