dale. It contains a very elaborate and perspicuous analysis of all the information that could be derived from original Documents, in regard to the nature and constitution of the Legislative Assemblies of the Realm, and the Powers and Privileges of their component Members. The Appendixes contain, for the first time, a publication of the Series of Parliamentary Writs from Edward III. to Edward IV., and the inferences drawn from these Records seem fully borne out by a cautious interpretation of their sense and import. If the arguments assume somewhat of the legal form, they will not on that account be the less valued by those who can estimate the shrewdness and precision which are generated by the habit of legal investigation; and it may safely be affirmed that Lord Redesdale has done his Country the service of presenting the first clear and enlarged exposition of the important subject which this inquiry embraces. (f) To these Volumes, and to the elaborate Register of Prynne, the Editor of the present Work is greatly indebted, both in the Introductory Chapters, and in the Text and Notes of the Parliamentary Series itself. It may perhaps be said that the greater part of the information contained in these rare, copious and expensive Volumes is embodied in the following Pages; a circumstance which will not be charged upon the Editor as a fault, by those who really desire to obtain legitimate Constitutional knowledge. The necessary IV. limits of this Preface will not allow even a (f) That occasional errors are to be met with in the details even of this great Work, will not be denied, and such errors should be stated by those who are competent to correct them. It is to be hoped that Sir Harris Nicolas, who, in the Retrospective Review for October, 1837, pointed out the general fact of such imperfection, will favour the public with the means of avoiding the mistakes, which may result from a too strict reliance on an Authority so highly estimated. cursory notice of the numerous Publications which are included under the Fourth Class of Documents tending to illustrate the Parliamentary History of our Country. A Catalogue, how... ever brief, of the separate Treatises and Essays, of contemporary and other writers, on the whole or on detached Portions of this subject, would itself constitute a volume. The Second Volume of the Harleian Catalogue, under the Head " English Parliamentary Affairs," p 641-646, contains the titles and dates of many of the more early and what may be called Classical Authors on this subject, and many more such are included in the First Volume, p. 416 and sqq., under the Head "Historia Anglicana." The late Sir Frederic Eden, well known as the Author of the "History of the Poor," had made an extensive Collection of these scattered works, and, in 1806, printed a Catalogue of his valuable Library, of which Class II. extending from p. 41 to 166, relates solely to "British History and Politics." This scarce Volume is a particularly valuable Reference from the time of Henry VIII., to the date above mentioned. A more accessible source of information is the "Bibliotheca Britannica," published at Edinburgh and London, in 1824. Under the word "Parliament," the Third Volume contains a long list of the Authors who have written on this subject. Nicholson's "English, Scotch, and Irish Libraries," supplies, at p. 7, a notice of many separate Publications on the Parliaments of England. An imperfect attempt has thus been made to exhibit some of the difficulties, with which, in the absence of any Digest of these widely-scattered materials, those have to contend, who seek to become acquainted with our Parliamentary and Constitutional History. The Author of the present Volume has endeavoured, in some measure, to supply this desideratum in our Historical Literature. His early experience of the almost insurmountable difficulties which stood in the way of any accessible and satisfactory reference to such information, induced him, many years ago, to form, for his own use, a Chronological Index of the Parliaments of England. In this pursuit, he became very soon aware of the numerous imperfections which must accompany even so superficial a Catalogue, unless, by the examination of various original Documents, he could correct the errors which every where beset even the most accredited Authorities. Believing that some public advantage might result from carrying his plan into more complete effect, as a sanction to his prospective labours, he obtained, in 1834, the opinion of that indefatigable and profound Historian, Sir Francis Palgrave, who assured him, “That such a Parliamentary Index would be a work of great utility, and could not fail to be highly valued." Upon this sufficient Authority, many materials were collected, and, as far as possible, arranged, when, from an accidental reference to the Preface of the "Chronology of History," p. 18, a valuable work then recently published by Sir Harris Nicolas, it appeared, that this accurate and accomplished Author was himself preparing to publish "A Complete List of the Meetings, Prorogations, and Dissolutions of Parliaments." The object of this proposed Work so nearly coincided with his own, that he, at once, felt the necessity of abandoning his purpose in favour of a Writer of a reputation so well established, who was, in every respect, so much more competent to the undertaking, and whose opportunities of correct infórmation were so much more complete. The answer, which he received to a communication with Sir Harris Nicolas on this subject, is highly conclusive as to the liberality and candour which distinguish the possession of superior talent and information. "The subject, he says, of your studies is e undoubtedly a very important one, and I really know no work of which Historical Literature stands so much in need, as an Account of our Parliaments. It gave me much pleasure to hear that you have made so much progress in collecting materials, and I shall be most happy not only to relinquish my own Plans, but to afford you any assistance in my power. No one is more sensible than myself of the absolute want of the dates of all Parliaments, together with a few facts relating to each, which would save hours of research to almost every Writer on History or Antiquities. I am, however, well aware, that the subject is full of difficulties, though I by no means consider them insurmountable; and I flatter myself, if you will allow me the pleasure of a few hours' conversation when you come to Town, that I shall be able to remove such an idea from your mind, and to induce you to persevere. It is, I confess, rather contradictory to this assertion, that I have recently satisfied myself of a new fact in Parliamentary History, which will create additional, and, I fear, formidable obstacles, namely, that the Term "Parliament" was applied in the Fifteenth Century, if not earlier and later, to Assemblies of the Peers only, in the Parliament Chamber, on occasions when the Commons were neither present, nor authorized to attend. These meetings of the Peers are clearly distinguished from "Great Councils," of the precise nature of which I have at last obtained, I think, certain information. It has always struck me, that in any List of Parliaments, care must be taken to distinguish such as enacted Statutes; and, here, again, arises the doubt as to what actually were considered Statutes? for I believe many Acts are called "Statutes," which were nothing more than Ordinances of the King made in Parliament for the sake of greater publicity and solemnity, but which neither required nor received the Assent of Parliament, in the sense understood to imply an "Act of Parliament." It would, however, be idle to enter into a discussion on these matters in a Letter, and I must defer saying more until I have the pleasure of seeing you. If, in the mean time, the "Report of the Devon Peerage Claim," and the "Proceedings of the Privy Council," which I am editing, should happen to fall in your way, you would find some remarks in the Appendix to the former on the true import of the Term "Assent of Parliament;" and in the Prefaces to the latter, respecting "Statutes," and on the application of the word "Parliament” to Assemblies of the Peers, which may be useful." With such encouragement, and with the frequent and always ready assistance of this Gentleman, the Editor of the present Volume continued his laborious undertaking. Besides the necessity of a constant reference to the extensive Series of Works above enumerated, which, at a distance from London, were often inaccessible upon any terms, it was soon discovered that the most serious difficulty was connected with the Chronology and Succession, even of the Parliaments, which were known to have been held. It appeared, on many occasions impossible, not only to adopt the admitted dates, but when these were correctly obtained, to reconcile them with the admitted facts of History. With regard to the dates, it was particularly evident during the first Centuries, that unless the precise date of the year could be obtained, all the subsequent statements in connection with it, must be invalidated. To reconcile the Regnal year, then commonly employed, with the year of our Lord, was, therefore, the first object. This certainty being obtained, the particular periods as to the days of the month and week, might, with some industry, be correctly calculated, and it became possible to determine on what days fell the Festivals, given, on nearly all occasions, with the Regnal year, as the only dates of the several Parliaments and their Prorogations. |