Staff at the Oxfam bookshop in Stirling have received a very interesting donation with a twist of mystery! An anonymous donor has given four 18th century volumes of a rare book collection, which were discovered in one of the city's Oxfam book banks.

The books were written by Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon and one time Chancellor of the Exchequer, the books form part of his six-part History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England. Published in 1731 they are gold-tooled and calf bound, and each one is individually worth about £150. However, the complete set would be worth more than £2500 so Manager Carol Gray and her team are now keen to track down the other two volumes in order to complete the collection.

Speaking about the discovery, Carol Gray said: "I was astonished. The books were simply left in a plastic bag with no note. I could tell immediately they were potentially valuable, but I could hardly believe they were printed in 1731. They are in incredible condition for their age."

" If we can retrieve the final two volumes it will mean we will be able to sell the complete set and raise even more money to fund our work. "

All the money raised from the sale of the books will go towards funding the projects Oxfam has in over 70 countries around the world, so even without the final two volumes, £600 will make a difference to the lives of the millions of people living in poverty worldwide.