'I have never been able to control the M.S. of this publication', says Mr. Chamberlin in almost the first words of his preface. To the expectant reader they are a little ominous—and the reader of this book must be decidedly expectant.

Queen Elizabeth has always been an enigma. Two fairly obvious facts about her and her reign stand out: the first is her exceptional ability, which abundance of contemporary evidence attests; the second is that during her reign 'the British Empire was born', as Mr. Chamberlin proclaims—an unquestionable fact, however you express it. But the problem for the historian lies in the relation between these facts. To what extent