—The late Mr. Dallas, who was on the staff of
the Oxford English Dictionary, collected a formidable mass of material for this family history, which a friend has been good enough to print.
The family takes its name from a barony near Elgin, tho first recorded holder of which was one William of Ripley before tho year 1215. William is thought to have been one of the Anglo- Norman adventurers who were settled in rebellious Moray in the later part of the twelfth century. William's descendants were, however, patriotic Scots and supported Bruce. One well- known Dallas mentioned in the book was the " more humane and eloquent " Sir Robert, as Macaulay terms him, who defended Warren Hastings in the great trial of 1788-95 and made the epigram on Hastings's chief adversary :—
" Oft have I wondered why on Irish ground No poisonous reptile over yet was found : . Reveal'd the secret stands of Nature's work- Sho saved her venom to create a Burke."
The book is well indexed and will be useful to genealogists.
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