The Political History of England - Vol XI From Addington's Administration to the close of William IV.'s Reign (1801-1837)

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                   _THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF ENGLAND_


_Seventy-five years have passed since Lingard completed his_ HISTORY OF
ENGLAND, _which ends with the Revolution of 1688. During that period
historical study has made a great advance. Year after year the mass of
materials for a new History of England has increased; new lights have
been thrown on events and characters, and old errors have been
corrected. Many notable works have been written on various periods of
our history; some of them at such length as to appeal almost exclusively
to professed historical students. It is believed that the time has come
when the advance which has been made in the knowledge of English history
as a whole should be laid before the public in a single work of fairly
adequate size. Such a book should be founded on independent thought and
research, but should at the same time be written with a full knowledge
of the works of the best modern historians and with a desire to take
advantage of their teaching wherever it appears sound._

_The vast number of authorities, printed and in manuscript, on which a
History of England should be based, if it is to represent the existing
state of knowledge, renders co-operation almost necessary and certainly
advisable. The History, of which this volume is an instalment, is an
attempt to set forth in a readable form the results at present attained
by research. It will consist of twelve volumes by twelve different
writers, each of them chosen as being specially capable of dealing with
the period which he undertakes, and the editors, while leaving to each
author as free a hand as possible, hope to insure a general similarity
in method of treatment, so that the twelve volumes may in their
contents, as well as in their outward appearance, form one History._

_As its title imports, this History will primarily deal with politics,
with the History of England and, after the date of the union with
Scotland, Great Britain, as a state or body politic; but as the life of
a nation is complex, and its condition at any given time cannot be
understood without taking into account the various forces acting upon
it, notices of religious matters and of intellectual, social, and
economic progress will also find place in these volumes. The footnotes
will, so far as is possible, be confined to references to authorities,
and references will not be appended to statements which appear to be
matters of common knowledge and do not call for support. Each volume
will have an Appendix giving some account of the chief authorities,
original and secondary, which the author has used. This account will be
compiled with a view of helping students rather than of making long
lists of books without any notes as to their contents or value. That the
History will have faults both of its own and such as will always in some
measure attend co-operative work, must be expected, but no pains have
been spared to make it, so far as may be, not wholly unworthy of the
greatness of its subject._

_Each volume, while forming part of a complete History, will also in
itself be a separate and complete book, will be sold separately, and
will have its own index, and two or more maps._

The History is divided as follows:--

Vol. I. FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE NORMAN CONQUEST (to 1066). By
    Thomas Hodgkin, D.C.L., Litt.D., Fellow of University College,
    London; Fellow of the British Academy. With 2 Maps.

Vol. II. FROM THE NORMAN CONQUEST TO THE DEATH OF JOHN (1066-1216). By
    George Burton Adams, D.D., Litt.D., Professor of History in Yale
    University. With 2 Maps.

Vol. III. FROM THE ACCESSION OF HENRY III. TO THE DEATH OF EDWARD III.
    (1216-1377). By T. F. Tout, M.A., Bishop Fraser Professor of
    Mediæval and Ecclesiastical History in the University of Manchester;
    formerly Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford. With 3 Maps.

Vol. IV. FROM THE ACCESSION OF RICHARD II. TO THE DEATH OF RICHARD III.
    (1377-1485). By C. W. C. Oman, M.A., LL.D., M.P., Chichele Professor
    of Modern History in the University of Oxford; Fellow of the British
    Academy. With 3 Maps.

Vol. V. FROM THE ACCESSION OF HENRY VII. TO THE DEATH OF HENRY VIII.
    (1485-1547). By the Right Hon. H. A. L. Fisher, M.A., M.P.,
    President of the Board of Education; Fellow of the British Academy.
    With 2 Maps.

Vol. VI. FROM THE ACCESSION OF EDWARD VI. TO THE DEATH OF ELIZABETH
    (1547-1603). By A. F. Pollard, M.A., Litt.D., Fellow of All Souls'
    College, Oxford, and Professor of English History in the University
    of London. With 2 Maps.

Vol. VII. FROM THE ACCESSION OF JAMES I. TO THE RESTORATION (1603-1660).
    By F. C. Montague, M.A., Astor Professor of History in University
    College, London; formerly Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford.