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PREFACE.

Table of Contents

The object of this book is expressed in the title. It is intended to be a useful book for school teaching, and advances no higher pretensions. Some years ago, at a meeting of Public School Masters, the want of such a book was spoken of, and at the suggestion of his friends, the Author determined to attempt to supply this want. The objections raised to the school histories ordinarily used were—first, the absence of historical perspective, produced by the unconnected manner in which the facts were narrated, and the inadequate mention of the foreign relations of the country; secondly, the omission of many important points of constitutional history; thirdly, the limitation of the history to the political relations of the nation, to the exclusion of its social growth. It was at first intended to approach the history almost entirely on the social and constitutional side; but a very short trial proved that this method required a too constant employment of allusions, and presupposed too much knowledge in the reader, to be suitable for a book intended primarily for schools. It was therefore resolved to limit the description of the growth of society to a few comprehensive chapters and passages, and to follow the general course of history in such a way as to bring out as clearly as possible the connection of the events, and their relative importance in the general national growth. This decision, though taken against his inclinations, the Author can no longer regret, as the social side of our history has been so adequately treated by Mr. Green in his History of the English People, of the approaching publication of which he was at the time quite ignorant. On the same grounds of practical utility, it has been thought better to retain the old and well-known divisions into reigns, rather than to disturb the knowledge boys have already gained by the introduction of a new though more scientific division.

The Author has not scrupled to avail himself of the works of modern authors, though, in most cases, he has verified their views by reference to original authorities. In the earlier period the works of Professor Stubbs, Mr. Freeman, and Dr. Pauli; in the Tudor and Stuart period those of Froude, Ranke, and Macaulay; in the later period the histories of Miss Martineau and Lord Stanhope have been of the greatest assistance. Greater stress has been laid upon the later than the earlier periods, as is indeed obvious from the divisions of the work. With regard to the starting-point chosen, it may be well to explain that the English invasion was fixed upon, because it so thoroughly obliterated all remnants of the Roman rule, that they have exerted little or no influence upon the development of the nation—the real point of interest in a national history. It is hoped that the genealogies of the great families will assist in the comprehension of mediæval times in the history of which they played so large a part, and that the maps supplied will suffice to enable the reader to follow pretty accurately, without reference to another atlas, the military and political events mentioned. A brief and rapid summary for the use of beginners was originally projected to preface the work, but the brevity required by a book of this description rendered such an addition impossible without injury to the more important part. An attempt has been made to replace it by a very full analysis, which, in the hands of a careful teacher, has been proved by experience a useful method of teaching the main facts of history.

Oxford, 1875.

A LIST OF SOME USEFUL AUTHORITIES.

Table of Contents

BEFORE THE CONQUEST.

General Histories.

Lappenberg’s England under the Anglo-Saxon Kings. Lingard’s History of England. Sharon Turner’s History of the Anglo-Saxons. Freeman and Palgrave have each published short books for the young on the period.

Constitutional.

All that is necessary to be known is to be found in Stubbs’ Constitutional History. Treated more at length in Kemble’s Saxons in England, and Sir F. Palgrave’s History of the English Commonwealth. An excellent sketch in Freeman’s Norman Conquest. All the ancient laws are collected in Thorpe’s Ancient Laws; sufficient extracts to be found in Stubbs’ Illustrative Documents. The whole history, including literature and society, is given in Green’s History of the English People in a brief and very interesting form.

General Authorities.

Bæda’s Ecclesiastical History, for a century and a half after the landing of Augustin. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which becomes very important after the time of Alfred. Milman’s Latin Christianity.

The English Conquest.

Gildas, and the earlier part of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

Establishment of the Church.

Kemble’s Saxons. Stubbs’ Constitutional History.

Alfred.

Asser’s Life. Dr. Pauli’s Life.

Dunstan.

Stubbs’ Preface to Life of Dunstan (Master of the Rolls’ series). E. W. Robertson’s Essay on Dunstan.

Eadward the Confessor and Family of Godwine.

Lives of Eadward, edited by Luard (Rolls’ series). Freeman’s Norman Conquest, vol. ii.

Normandy.

Palgrave’s History of Normandy and England. Freeman’s Norman Conquest. William de Jumièges. Orderic Vitalis. William of Poitiers.

NORMAN AND PLANTAGENET KINGS.

General Histories.

Lingard. Lappenberg. Pearson’s Early and Middle Ages of England. Hook’s Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury. Campbell’s Lives of the Chancellors. Foss’s Judges of England.

Constitutional.

Stubbs’ Constitutional History and Illustrative Documents.

General Authorities.

Orderic Vitalis. Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

William I.

Eadmer’s Historia Novorum. Domesday-Book with Ellis’ Introduction.

William II.

Palgrave’s William Rufus. Eadmer’s Life of Anselm. Church’s Life of Anselm.

Henry I.

William of Malmesbury. Henry of Huntingdon (Surtees Society).

Stephen.

Gesta Stephani (Surtees Society).

Henry II. and Becket.

Dr. Giles’ Collection of the Letters of Becket, Foliot, and John of Salisbury. Gervais of Canterbury till 1200 (Twisden’s Decem Scriptores). Benedict of Peterborough, 1169-1192, and Roger of Hoveden to 1201, with Stubbs’ Prefaces in the Rolls’ series. William of Newbury, to 1198 (English Historical Society). Lord Lyttleton’s Life of Henry II.

Ireland.

Geraldus Cambrensis’ Conquest of Ireland (Rolls’ series, translated in Bohn).

Richard I.

Itinerarium Regis Ricardi (Rolls’ series). Richard of Devizes (English Historical Society). Ralph of Diceto, 1200 (Twisden). Several chronicles are translated in Bohn as Chronicles of the Crusades.

John and the Great Charter.

Roger of Wendover, who was continued by Matthew of Paris, and William Rishanger (Rolls’ series). Chronicles of various abbeys, such as Waverley and Dunstable. For the English reader, Stubbs’ Illustrative Documents.

Henry III.

Matthew of Paris. Rishanger. The Royal Letters (edited by Shirley in the Rolls’ series). The Rhyming Chronicle of Robert of Gloucester to 1270. Blaauw’s Barons’ War. Wright’s Political Songs (Camden Society). Brewer’s Monumenta Franciscana (Rolls’ series).

LATER PLANTAGENETS.

General Histories.

Sharon Turner’s Middle Ages. Lingard. Dr. Pauli’s Geschichte von England. Hook’s Archbishops. Campbell’s Chancellors.

Constitutional.

Stubbs. Hallam.

General Authorities.

Rymer’s Fœdera. Public Documents published chiefly by the Record Commission. Various Rolls, especially Rolls of Parliament, Statutes of the Realm, Proceedings and Ordinances of the Privy Council. Walter of Hemingburgh, to 1346. Thomas of Walsingham, a compilation from the Annals of St. Albans Abbey (Rolls’ series).

For Scotch History.

Hill Burton’s History of Scotland.

For French History.

Martin or Sismondi’s History.

Edward I.

Trivet (English Historical Society). Rishanger. Palgrave’s Documents and Records illustrating History of Scotland. Freeman’s Essay on Edward I. Modus tenendi Parliamentum (Stubbs’ Documents). Rotuli Scotiæ (Record Commission).

Towns.

Ordinances of the English Guilds (Early English Text Society), with Brentano’s Preface.

Edward II.

Trokelowe, to 1323 (Rolls’ series). Anonymous Monk of Malmesbury, to 1327. Thomas de la Moor (Camden Society). Adam of Murimuth (English Historical Society).

Edward III.

Froissart. John le Bel. Robert of Avesbury, to 1356 (Hearne). Knyghton (Twisden’s Decem Scriptores). Longman’s History of Edward III.

Wicliffe.

Shirley’s Preface to Fasciculi Zizaniorum. Vaughan’s Life of Wicliffe.

Black Death.

Seebohm’s Essays in the Fortnightly Review for 1865.

Condition of the People.

Rogers’ History of Prices.

Richard II.

Walsingham. Annales Ricardi Secundi et Henrici Quinti (Rolls’ series). Chronique de la Traison et Mort de Richard (English Historical Society). M. Wallon’s Richard II. is said to be the best modern book on the subject. Wright’s Political Songs (Rolls’ series).

HOUSES OF LANCASTER AND YORK.

General Histories.

As before, with Brougham’s History of England under the House of Lancaster.

Old Histories.

Fabyan, died 1512 (edited by Sir Henry Ellis). Hall, Henry IV. to Henry VIII. Polydore Vergil (Camden Society). Stowe, published 1592. Ellis’ Collection of Original Letters illustrative of English History.

Henry IV.

Walsingham (Rolls’ series). Knyghton. Royal Historical Letters (Rolls’ series).

Henry V.

Walsingham. Memorials of Henry V. (Rolls’ series). Titus Livius Vita Henrici Quinti (copied in part in the Gesta). Gesta Henrici Quinti (Historical Society). Monstrelet.

Henry VI.

William of Worcester to 1491 (completed by his son). English Chronicle (Richard II. to 1471) (Camden Society). Continuator of Croyland, 1459-1485. John of Westhampstead (Hearne). Paston Letters, 1434-1485 (E. D. Gairdner). Memoir of John Carpenter. Wars of the English in France (Rolls’ series). Procès de Jeanne d’Arc (Historical Society of France).

Edward IV.

Arrival of Edward IV. (Camden Society). Warkworth, 1461-1474.

Edward V.

Life, by Sir Thomas More.

Richard III.

History, by Sir Thomas More. Miss Halsted’s Life. Letters of Richard III. and Henry VII. (Gairdner, Rolls’ series).