been made to include all continental books, pamphlets, and papers that are of any value to students of English history. Throughout the work the task of selection has been a difficult one; it is a labour which no scholar could perform without exposing himself to the accusation of having committed some errors of judgment. The bibliographies mentioned in § 2 and in other sections will furnish the student with many of the titles of books which I have deemed it expedient to omit from my lists. A glance at the table of contents will show that the materials of English history comprised in this book are systematically and chronologically classified. Part i. includes general or introductory subjects: methodology, bibliographical helps, periodical publications, the studies auxiliary to history (dictionaries, gazetteers, peerages, etc.), the archives in the Public Record Office and other repositories, general collections of chroniclers and records (the publications of the Record Commission, the Rolls Series, record societies, etc.), and the general treatises of modern writers. Part ii. deals with the authorities for the early history of Britain to the close of the Roman occupation; Parts iii. and iv. relate to Anglo-Saxon times and the period 1066-1485 respectively. In Part ii. separate sections, and in Parts iii. and iv. separate chapters, are concerned with modern writers. The separation of the sources from the modern literature doubtless has its disadvantages, but it could not be avoided without seriously impairing other parts of the classification. It is hoped that any defects in the arrangement of the work may be atoned for, in part at least, by the full index, the numerous crossreferences, and the tables in Appendix D. Many of the titles in my lists are accompanied by brief notes explaining the contents of the books and estimating their value. These notes are supplemented by the preliminary remarks which will be found at the beginning of the sections and subsections. Mr. Frederic Harrison rightly asserts that 'just as a real history is not a series of annals, so a real bibliography is not a mere catalogue of books.' To gauge the value of one treatise as compared with others, in a bibliography which embraces an enormous mass of literature relating to a wide range of subjects, is, however, a delicate and hazardous undertaking, which no one can perform with complete success. Still, it is better to give an inadequate commentary than to allow students to grope in utter darkness. The book is the outcome of an annual course of lectures on the sources and literature of English history delivered at Harvard University from 1890 to 1899. In 1893 arrangements were made for its publication, and during the past three years it has occupied all the time that I could snatch from my academic duties. Though the work is the fruit of much labour, I am painfully conscious of its shortcomings; but I hope that it will help to smooth the path of teachers and students of English history. Finally, I wish to express my obligation to the many friends who have kindly aided me; it is difficult to name those who have been most helpful. I am also grateful to the officials of the British Museum Library and the Society of Antiquaries of London for their courtesy and kindness. July 1, 1900. C. G. NOTE. An asterisk (*) is prefixed to the titles of works which are particularly important for the study of English history. A dagger (†) is prefixed to titles of works which the compiler has not been able to examine.1 Most of the titles are presented in abbreviated form. The number of pages when less than one hundred is usually indicated. The tables of contents appended to titles of books do not profess to be exhaustive. The page references in such tables are usually to the latest edition mentioned. In most of the sections dealing with the sources all the printed editions of each work are given, or attention is called to books in which they may be found. Usually only the first and last editions of modern writers are named. The same topic may be dealt with in various parts of the book; therefore the reader should not neglect to use the index. Corrections or additions, sent to the publishers, will be welcomed. 1 In the new edition the daggers have been removed, since Professor Gross saw none of the books published after 1909. |