The difficulty with regard to the years was greatly increased, not only by the incorrect statements of Historians, and of the published Records themselves, but by the customary variety which prevailed as to the commencement of the year. As the Civil year began on the 25th of March, and the Historical year on the 1st of January, the same event frequently occurred in connection with two different years. It was not, as is well known, till the year 1752, that, by Act of Parliament, the First of January was established as the commencement of the year for all purposes.

To make the historical æras intelligible to modern Readers, it was therefore necessary to reduce the ancient dates to the calculations adopted in the present time.

Besides admitting these variations, which were sanctioned by usage, Historians, as has been said, not only very much differ among themselves as to particular dates and æras, but the Editors of Records have, in some instances, tended to create or perpetuate error, in many important points. Thus, though we may assign to their proper cause, the difference in the years in such instances as the following, taken from the Rolls, where Feb. 23, Rich. II., is given as 1382, instead of 1383; Feb. 4, Hen. VI., is called 1425, instead of 1426; Jan. 15, Hen. VI., is placed in 1436, instead of 1437; and in 23 Hen. VI., February is made to occur in 1444, instead of 1445: we are much puzzled, when, in the new Edition of the Fœdera, May 8, 8 John, is called 1206 for 1207; Oct. 19, 1 Hen. III., 1216 has the place of 1217; July 17, 11 Hen. III., is in 1226, instead of 1227; nor can we explain by what calculation, Wednesday, 15 St. Michael, 7 and 8 Hen. IV., is called Oct. 15, instead of 13; or why, in the Rolls, Monday in 15 St. Hilary, 21 Rich. II., is called 27 Jan., which is Sunday, instead of 28. By these and similar oversights, the difficulty of a correct arrangement becomes multiplied in a tenfold degree, and, under these numerous discrepancies of Writers on the same subject and period, the process required for eliciting the truth, is oftentimes reduced to one of reasoning and consideration, rather than of mere numerical calculation.

The Preface to the "Chronology of History" satisfactorily enlarges on these topics, and this Volume, in its details, supplies the most valuable and accurate Tables for Chronological reference. Without this resource constantly at hand, it would have been scarcely possible to accomplish the present imperfect Specimen of the Chronological Series of Parliaments, and the following Formula which was adopted during its progress, may assist others under similar inquiries.

Rule. To find on what day of the week in any year fell any given Festival, so as to ascertain on what day of the month fell any other given day of the week in regard to that Festival, as Monday after St. Hilary, Tuesday after St. Peter and Paul, &c.

First, state the year. Secondly, the date of the given Festival, by p. 132, Chron. of Hist., 2nd Ed. Thirdly, find the Dominical Letter, in Table K. Fourthly, in Table E., p. 53, from the Dominical Letter determine, in each month, all the other days of the week and month.

Example. In the year, 1341, what day of the month is Monday after the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle ?

Year, 1341. Festival, Nov. 30, p. 134. Dominical Letter, G. Table K, p. 63. All the days under this Letter being the Sundays in 1341, it appears, that Nov. 30, is on a Friday; and consequently that the Monday after that Friday, is Dec. 3. Q. E. D.

As every meeting of a Parliament, Council, or Convocation, is designated by one of these Festivals, the number of requisite calculations must, it is evident, be equal to the number of such meetings. It will hence appear how much indebted the collector of Parliamentary materials must be to the Author of these Tables, which so greatly abridge his labours, and supply so valuable a standard for the correction of frequent numerical

errors.

The Volumes of Parliamentary Writs, edited by Sir Francis Palgrave, must be completely discharged from any implication of such a want of precision. They as yet embrace only the Reigns of Edward the First and Second, and are a Collection of unquestionable authority, and of the highest value. They afford the first clear light and sure footing in our Inquiries, and the portion already published, stimulates our curiosity and expectation in regard to those Periods which are to follow. It is greatly to be desired that this important Work, so calculated to extend or confirm our knowledge, may forthwith be continued. It will, no doubt, supply many deficiencies, and qualify many assumptions in the present Work, which have been admitted in the absence of Documents so indispensable to a correct detail of Parliamentary Dates and Proceedings.

So much having been said as to the materials required for an exposition of our Parliamentary History, it may now be stated, that the principal object of the present Volume is to offer to all Classes of the Community, in a condensed form, and at a reasonable cost, (g) the substance of the numerous Records and other Documents, which illustrate and explain the Constitution of our Country. It endeavours to supply a Manual, chronologically arranged, of all the Meetings, Adjournments, Prorogations of the Legislative Assemblies and

(g) It has been estimated that the cost of the original Volumes which have been consulted, would amount to upwards of £500. According to Sir Harris Nicolas, a complete Set of the Records would cost £160, and it has been shewn that the Parliamentary History and Debates, with the Index, are published at £220 1s. The value of many other Works may be collected from the notices already given. The extreme scarcity and consequent dearness of Prynne's Register alone is well known to all Historians.

Councils of the Realm, and to include all such particulars as relate to the origin, gradual developement of, and progressive changes in, these Assemblies. It proposes to furnish a brief notice of all Proceedings connected with the Privileges and Powers of both Houses of Parliament, and with the Claims and Rights of the Constituent Body.

In more recent Periods of our History, it attempts farther to convey, in a concise manner, the chief Arguments which have been employed in the Debates arising out of proposed Parliamentary innovations, and a reference to all Orders of the Houses, together with an exposition of the Law and Practice upon all occasions of Privilege, Form, and Order, as from the commencement, they have been laid down by the several Speakers of either House.

It is hoped that this object, however extensive, has, in some respect, been attained, and that no important knowledge has been omitted in this Summary of Parliamentary Facts.

With regard to the Plan which has been adopted, it is obvious that some variety must arise in consequence of the different amount of information which we possess in the different Periods of our History. Thus, in the earlier Ages, our attention and interest must chiefly be confined to a mere chronological arrangement of the successive Meetings, and to an enumeration of the Individuals who, as far as the fact can be ascertained, were the Constituent Members of these National Conventions. In later periods, when the Chronology and Constitution are more precisely established and determined, the Proceedings of these Assemblies must occupy a much larger space. Accordingly, in the first portion of our Series, the character of the Volume will more nearly approach that of an Index, while in the more advanced Periods, it will rather resemble an Analytical Digest of the Measures which formed the business of the Meetings, so far as this related, and solely related to their own improvement, government, and security.

Thus again, while in the earlier Reigns, it is shewn that the real Constitution of the Legislative and Remedial Assemblies of the Realm admitted, as Members, only the Baronial or other Tenants in Chief of the Crown, together with such Judicial and other Counsellors as were indispensable for advice or Judicature, and that other Persons were summoned only under special circumstances, without the attachment of any inherent Privilege or Claim; in later times, the grounds upon which the advancing pretensions of other Classes of the Community were introduced, maintained or disallowed, with all the variations incident to a System gradually developing fresh resources and claims, are given in much historical detail, and without any qualification.

The Reigns of James and Charles the First, the former so intimately connected with the important events which succeeded, and which first led to the subversion of the Hereditary Monarchy, and remotely to the establishment of a new Constitution, at the Revolution; and the latter exemplifying, in sad realities, the miseries of Civil War and Insubordination, with all the train of evils which result from the uncontrolled tyranny of the People, these Reigns are allowed to occupy a large space for the instruction of the present, and of future generations.

It may be said, that a list of the various Statutes and Ordinances which were passed, should have been appended to the account of each Parliament. But such an addition would have altered the character of this Volume, which required the utmost brevity compatible with the accomplishment of its professed and immediate purpose. It was quite foreign from such purpose to furnish any details which had no bearing upon the existing state, or upon the changes which were progressively modifying our Parliamentary Constitution.