The reader's guide to the Encyclopaedia Britannica

by Inc. Encyclopaedia Britannica

Early Britain

On the early inhabitants of the islands and on British archaeology, read the elaborate article Celt (Vol. 5, p. 611; equivalent to 135 pages of this Guide), by Prof. William Ridgeway, Cambridge, author of The Oldest Irish Epic, and E. C. Quiggin, lecturer in Celtic, Cambridge,—with particularly full treatment of Celtic languages and literatures,—Gaulish, Irish, Scottish, Gaelic, Manx, Welsh, Breton and Cornish; and the article Britain (Vol. 4, p. 583; equivalent to 40 pages of this Guide), which is illustrated by a map of Roman Britain and plans of Roman remains. The treatment of pre-Roman and Roman Britain is by Professor F. J. Haverfield of Oxford; and later Britain is described by Hector Munro Chadwick, librarian of Clare College, Cambridge, and author of Studies on Anglo-Saxon Institutions.

Then read:

Wales, History (Vol. 28, pp. 261–268), by Herbert Murray Vaughan, Keble College, Oxford.

Scottish History

Scotland, Political History (Vol. 24, pp. 429–457), by Andrew Lang, author of History of Scotland from the Roman Occupation; and, among many other articles, Scotland, Church of, (Vol. 24, 460), by the Rev. Dr. Allan Menzies, St. Mary’s College, St. Andrews, and such biographies as: Malcolm III. (Canmore); Alexander I, II and III (Vol. 1, p. 563); William The Lion (Vol. 28, p. 665); Wallace, Sir William (Vol. 28, p. 277), by A. F. Hutchinson, late rector of the High School, Stirling; Robert I, the Bruce (Vol. 23, p. 395); David I and II (Vol. 8, p. 859); James I, II, III, IV and V (Vol. 15, p. 139); Mary, Queen of Scots (Vol. 17, p. 817), a striking biography by the poet and essayist Algernon Charles Swinburne, author of the tragedies Chastelard, Bothwell and Mary Stuart; Bothwell (Vol. 4, p. 303), by P. C. Yorke; Rizzio (Vol. 23, p. 388); Darnley (Vol. 7, p. 836), and see also the article Casket Letters (Vol. 5, p. 449), an examination of the evidence in this mystery by Andrew Lang; Mar (Vol. 17, p. 666); Knox, John (Vol. 15, p. 878), by Dr. Alexander Taylor Innes, author of John Knox and Studies in Scottish History; Gowrie (Vol. 12, p. 301), by R. J. McNeill, late editor St. James’s Gazette; and James I of England—VI of Scotland (Vol. 15, p. 136); and for the later period see English History to supplement Andrew Lang’s account of the period since the Union under Scotland, History.

Irish History

Ireland, History (Vol. 14, p. 756), by Prof. E. C. Quiggin, of Cambridge, on the early period, and Richard Bagwell, commissioner of national education for Ireland and author of Ireland under the Tudors, Ireland under the Stuarts, etc.; and to supplement this general treatment such separate articles as St. Patrick (Vol. 20, p. 933) and St. Columba (Vol. 6, p. 737), both by Dr. E. C. Quiggin; St. Brendan (Vol. 4, p. 495); Brian (Vol. 4, p. 515); Brehon Laws (Vol. 4, p. 488), by Laurence Ginnell, M. P. for North Westmeath and author of Land and Liberty, etc.; O’Neill family (Vol. 20, p. 107) and O’Donnell family (Vol. 20, p. 6), by R. J. McNeill; Fitzgerald family (Vol. 10, p. 441), by J. H. Round, author of Feudal England, etc.; Tyrone, earls of (Vol. 27, p. 549); Tyrconnell (Vol. 27, p. 548); St. Leger, Sir Anthony (Vol. 24, p. 23), by R. J. McNeill; Desmond (Vol. 8, p. 98); Butler family (Vol. 4, p. 879), by Oswald Barron, editor of The Ancestor; Drogheda (Vol. 8, p. 587); Peep-of-day Boys (Vol. 21, p. 45); Orangemen (Vol. 20, p. 160); Flood, Henry (Vol. 10, p. 525); Grattan, Henry (Vol. 12, p. 379); Tone, T. Wolfe (Vol. 27, p. 2) and Emmet, Robert and Thomas A. (Vol. 9, pp. 342–343), all by R. J. McNeill; O’Connell, Daniel (Vol. 19, p. 990), by the late William O’Connor Morris, author of Irish History, etc.; Fenians (Vol. 10, p. 254), by R. J. McNeill; Butt, Isaac (Vol. 4, p. 889); Parnell, C. S. (Vol. 20, p. 854), by James R. Thursfield, author of Peel, etc.; Davitt, Michael (Vol. 7, p. 870); Boycott (Vol. 4, p. 353); Dillon, John (Vol. 8, p. 273); Plunkett, Sir Horace Curzon (Vol. 21, p. 857); Redmond, John E. (Vol. 22, p. 968); and many articles on Irish towns and counties, and, on Home Rule and recent political questions, the biographies of English viceroys, premiers and chief secretaries, and the latter part of the article English History.

ENGLISH HISTORY

On English history the student will find the Britannica particularly valuable. The article English History (Vol. 9, pp. 466–587), is itself equivalent to about 380 pages of this Guide, and carries the story through 13 centuries. This great article—a text-book of the subject in scope and power—is written by: Prof. C. W. C. Oman, Oxford, author of England before the Norman Conquest, etc., dealing with the period down to the time of Elizabeth; Prof. A. F. Pollard, University of London, assistant editor Dictionary of National Biography, for the Reformation and the reign of Elizabeth, 1528–1603; Samuel Rawson Gardiner, best known as the historian of the Puritan Revolution, who deals with the period from 1603 to 1793; W. Alison Phillips, author of Modern Europe, on the years 1793 to 1837; and Hugh Chisholm, editor-in-chief of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, for the period since the accession of Queen Victoria. And the article closes with a critical estimate of Sources and Writers of English History, by Prof. Albert Frederick Pollard, University of London.