OF The History OF GREAT BRITAIN, FROM THE FIRST INVASION OF THE ROMANS WITH GENEALOGICAL AND POLITICAL TABLES. DEDICATED WITH PERMISSION TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE REGENT. BY ANT. FR. BERTRAND DE MOLEVILLE, LATE MINISTER AND SECRETARY OF STATE IN FRANCE UNDER THE Non criticorum more, in laude et censura tempus teratur, GODLE PUBLISHED BY T. CADELL AND W. DAVIES, STRAND, AND MAY ALSO BE HAD BY THE SUBSCRIBERS, OF THE AUTHOR, 38, BREWER-STREET, AND OF D. N. SHURY, PRINTER, 7, BERWICK-STREET, SOHO. 226. 499. PRELIMINARY NOTE. THE PLAN OF THIS WORK is nearly the same as that of the Chronological Abridgments of the History of France, by the President Henault, and of the History of Germany, by Mr. Pfeffel; the utility of which is so generally acknowledged all over Europe, that there is no historical work so frequently reprinted, nor a library of any consequence where they are not to be found. Such abridgments have been made of the histories of all the principal states of Europe, England alone excepted; but they are far inferior to those of President Henault and of Mr. Pfeffel, the particular merit of which consists in affording the easiest means of immediately finding the date and principal circumstances of the most remarkable events that have occurred at any period. It must, however, be confessed, that in President Henault's work, the accounts relating to the history of France are so continually blended, even in the same paragraphs, with the events that occurred in other countries, and which have no connection at all with one another, that after the perusal of a few pages, the reader's attention never fails to be tired by incoherency and confusion; for which reason the book is considered merely as an accurate repertory of facts and dates, only fit to be Occasionally consulted. Mr. Pfeffel, adopting in his Abridgment of the History of Germany the plan of President Henault, has improved it by passing over in silence all foreign events unconnected with the History of Germany, which he has thus rendered interesting as well as instructive. But his not mentioning many important cotemporary occurrences, nor even their date, makes it necessary to recur to other books, and particularly to that of President Henault, to supply the deficiency. In order to unite in this Abridgment the advantages of the two, the History of England, from the first invasion of the Romans to the present reign, is divided into nine periods: each of these is terminated by general observations on the progress, changes, and improvements in the constitution, government, laws, &c. &c. and by references to the historical works and documents, containing the proof of the principal facts and events of the different reigns included in each period. Then follows an appendix, consisting of a chronological list, in several columns, of the cotemporary sovereigns and illustrious men of Europe, with the date of their death; and of a succinct account of the most remarkable events that have occurred during the same period in all the other states of Europe, the dates of which are placed in the margin. The division into periods I consider as the best means of facilitating the use of that artificial memory, by which certain ideas being once connected in the mind with certain numbers or figures, produce a simultaneous recollection. There will be also at the end of the last volume an alphabetical Index of all the proper names mentioned in the work, which will serve as an historical dictionary of facts and anecdotes. Having adopted this plan, I have again and again perused the most esteemed historians, particularly Rapin Thoyras, Hume, and Dr. Henry, and ascertained the accuracy of many of their authorities, selecting the facts which appeared to me the most interesting and the best supported, and rejecting all suppositions and probabilities grounded on private opinion or party prejudice. To confute all the errors which I have found in those historians, would exceed the limits of an abridgment; I have therefore generally confined myself to giving an exact account of the facts erroneously stated by them. With a less strict adherence to truth, I could easily have softened the dryness commonly attending all abridgments, by introducing many entertaining anecdotes more or less probable, though equally destitute of proof; but the only object of my endeavours and researches has been to collect in this work all the important and curious occurrences which may be found in any other History of England, and which I have been able to ascertain. If I have involuntarily omitted any of that description, I shall take it as a favour of all learned readers, if they will have the kindness to point them out to me. I shall receive with like gratitude all private or public criticisms from the able reviewers of this country; as the necessary consequence will be, the improvement, not only of the next edition of this work, but of a compressed abridgment of it, intended for the use of schools, to which I have annexed a particular method of teaching history, by the best means, in my opinion, to prevent its being forgotten; as, instead of the childish and troublesome task of learning it by rote, youth will be enabled to engrave it on their memory by the easiest exertion of their own reflection and reasoning. This second Abridgment, in one volume, will be put to press immediately after the publication of the present work, |