The Acts of Alexander III King of Scots 1249-1286 Edited by Cynthia J. Neville and Grant G. Simpson 'Decades of meticulous scholarship here make accessible for the first time records that throw new light on government, land and people in medieval Scotland. This outstanding volume transforms our understanding of a reign that has long been recognised as pivotal in the development of our nation.' Richard Oram, Professor of Medieval and Environmental History, University of Stirling Volume 4 part 1 of the Regesta Regum Scottorum series contains the full texts of some 175 acts issued under the seal of King Alexander III, together with notes on a further 155 'lost acts' that survive only in notices. Many, never before published, have been collected from a variety of archives in Scotland, England, Belgium and France. The Introduction examines the administrative contexts of the later thirteenth century in which the royal chancery drafted and authenticated charters, brieves and other written instruments, and the varied sources from which the collection is compiled. The texts include full Latin transcriptions and detailed Englishlanguage summaries of the contents of each act, together with a series of notes and comments on context and significance. By drawing together both original archive sources and widely scattered published sources, the volume offers a unique opportunity to understand how Scottish government and administration operated in the key period before the reign of Robert Bruce. The Regesta Regum Scottorum series has already made available in print a definitive edition of the written acts of several of the medieval kings of Scotland. It remains the standard reference for Scottish, British and European scholars interested in the history of royal chanceries, the evolution of medieval royal government and the growth of literate modes of expression in the Middle Ages.