Englishman, "If we look at his native towardliness in the roughcast,
without breeding, some nation or other may haply be better composed to a
natural civility and right judgment than he. But if he get the benefit
once of a wise and well-rectified nurture, I suppose that wherever
mention is made of countries, manners, or men, the English people, among
the first that shall be praised, may deserve to be accounted a right
pious, right honest, and right hardy nation." So much is shown by the
various utterances in this NATIONAL LIBRARY. So much is shown, in the
present volume of it, by a poet's vision of the England that has been
till now, and is what she has been.

H. M.

TO THE NAMES OF
HENRY HALLAM AND FRANCIS PALGRAVE
FRIENDS AND FELLOW-LABOURERS IN ENGLISH HISTORY
FOR FORTY YEARS,
WHO, DIFFERING OFTEN IN JUDGMENT,
WERE AT ONE THROUGHOUT LIFE IN DEVOTED LOVE OF
JUSTICE, TRUTH, AND ENGLAND,
_IN AFFECTIONATE AND REVERENT REMEMBRANCE_
THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED AND DEDICATED




PREFACE


As the scheme which the Author has here endeavoured to execute has not,