CHAPTER II

SOURCES ARRANGED BY EPOCHS

In the sections which follow an attempt has been made to group the most important and most accessible sources by epochs. The great collections given in section 2 and 3 are, with few exceptions, to be found at the university centres of the United States. The sources under sections 4 to 9 inclusive are, in most cases, even more readily available. While no attempt has been, or could have been, made to render source material complete for any epoch, yet the student will find ample working bibliographies, and by consulting the volumes mentioned in sections 1 and 2, the lists given can be made exhaustive.

SECTION 4. THE PRE-NORMAN PERIOD

LXXII

MATERIALS FOR THE HISTORY OF BRITAIN: Monumenta Historica Britannica, ed. H. Petrie and J. Sharpe. London, 1848. Only one volume published.

Indispensable for reprints of references to Britain in early Greek and Latin writers. Greek excerpts are translated. Contains copies of ancient inscriptions referring to Britain. Also ancient British and Roman coins, facsimiles of MSS, maps. Also texts of Gildas, Nennius, Bede, Short Chronicle of Northumberland, Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Asser, Chronicle of Eathelward, Florence of Worcester, Simeon of Durham, Ecclesiastical Register, Henry of Huntingdon, Cambrian Annals, Geoffrey Gaimer, Chronicle of the Prince of Wales, Song of the Battle of Hastings. Full indices.

LXXIII

CÆSAR, Commentaries on the Gallic War: Commentarii de bello Gallico. Many editions of both original text and its translation.

Cæsar's invasions of Britain, description of island and its inhabitants, accounts of the early Germans. For the latter subject, see also Tacitus, Germania.

LXXIV

TACITUS, Life of Agricola: Agricolæ vita. As of Cæsar, many editions of this work and its translation are accessible.

Activities of Agricola, Roman occupation of Britain, descriptions of island and its inhabitants, supplements Cæsar.

LXXV

GILDAS: De Excidio Britanniæ. Text in Nos. LXXII, LIV, LXIX, XXXVIII, 1838, etc. Translations. Most accessible in Six Old English Chronicles. Bohn Library.

Two parts: 1st 55 B.C. to circa 383; 2nd to middle of sixth century. The work of Gildas forms "the basis of early English History."

LXXVI

BEDE, Ecclesiastical History of the English People: Historica Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum. Of the texts, a number of editions are accessible; I prefer edition in No. LXXII and in No. XXXVII. Of the several translations that by T. Miller in No. XXXVII is useful.

Covers period from 55 B.C. to middle of eighth century. For this period the book is indispensable.

LXXVII

THE ITINERARY OF ANTONIUS: Itinerarium Antonini Augusti et Hieroslymitanum, ed. G. Parthey and M. Pinder. Berlin, 1848.

Enumerates the towns and stations of Roman Britain with intervening distances.

LXXVIII

THE OFFICIAL LIST OF THE EMPIRE: Notitia Dignitatum et Administrationum omnium tam Civilium quam Militarium in Partibus Orientis et Occidentis. Several edit. of texts; see that of O. Seeck. Berlin, 1876.

Organization of Britain under Roman government.

LXXIX

NENNIUS' HISTORY OF BRITAIN: Eulogium Brittaniæ sive Historia Britonum, auctore Nennio. Texts in Nos. LXIII; LXXII; XXXVIII. Also in several other edits. Trans. J. A. Giles. Six Old English Chronicles. London, 1848.

Valuable for Welsh history. Ends 688. For a discussion as to value of this work, see Nennius Vindicatus, H. Zimmer, Berlin, 1893.

LXXX

ICELANDIC SAGAS, and other Historical Documents relating to the Settlements and Descents of the Northmen in the British Isles. Vols. iii-iv, G. W. Dasent, in No.

XXXI.

A collection of historical documents referring to descents and settlements of Northmen in Britain. See XIV First Supplement.

LXXXI

ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE: Various valuable editions of text, notably those of Tr. Gurney, Norwich, 1819; Ingram, London, 1823; Petrie in No. LXXII; Thorpe in No. XXXI; J. Earle, Oxford, 1865.

This most valuable of national records extents from I A.D. to 1154. Especially valuable from sixth century to close of Norman Conquest.

LXXXII

ASSER'S LIFE OF ALFRED: Annales Rerum Gestarum Alfredi Magni, Auctore Asserio Menevensi. Text, ed. Wise. Oxford, 1722. Also in Nos. LXXXII; LXII D, etc. Tr. Six Old English Chronicles. London, 1848.

Chronicle from 851-887. Events of Alfred's life.

LXXXIII

ETHELWERD'S CHRONICLE: Chronicon Ethelweardi ab Incarnatione Domini ad annum 975. Text, Nos. LXIII a; LXXII B. Tr. in Six Old English Chronicles. London, 1848.

Of some value for tenth century.

LXXXIV

EMMA, QUEEN OF THE ENGLISH: Emma Anglorum Regina, Ricardi I. Ducis Normannorum Filia, Enconium. Author unknown. Text, No. LIV and elsewhere. See No. VIII.

Valuable for period from 1012 to 1040.

LXXXV

EDWARD THE CONFESSOR: Vita Æduuardi Regis qui apud Westmonasterium requiescit, ed. H. R. Luard in XXXI. For other lives see same series, Lives of Edward The Confessor, and No. VIII.

Lives of the Confessor; valuable for his period.

LXXXVI

ALCUIN'S LETTERS: Beati Flacci Albini seu Alcuini Epistola. These are printed in many collections as well as by themselves. See No. VIII.

Relations between England and the Continent in eighth and ninth centuries.

LXXXVII

SIMEON OF DURHAM'S HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND: Simeonis Dunelmensis Opera et Collectanea, ed. T. Arnold, in No. XXXI. Texts also in No. LXXII.

Valuable for tenth century, particularly for events in Northumbria. Stops at 1130.

LXXXVIII

HENRY OF HUNTINGDON: Henrici Archidiaconi Huntindoniensis Historic Anglorum, ed. T. Arnold, No. XXXI. Text also in Nos. LXIII a; LIV; XXXV, iii. 503; also LXXII. Trans., T. Forester. London (Bohn).

Ballads and traditions not otherwise preserved. Details of history not elsewhere found. Ends with middle of twelfth century.

LXXXIX

WILLIAM OF MALMESBURY: Willielmi Monachi Malmesburiensis de Gestis Regum Anglorum, libri V et Historia Novella. Texts also in Nos. XXXVIII; LIV, 179,

XC

959; XVIII, ii., pp. 1-49, vi. 77; LXIII a; XV, pp. 337-81; XXXI, and elsewhere. See No. VIII. Trans., J. Sharpe. London (Bohn).

High authority for Anglo-Norman period. Gives history of English bishops and monasteries from 597 to 1123 A.D.

FLORENCE OF WORCESTER: Florentii Wigornensis Monachi Chronicon ex Chronicis ab Adventu Hengesti et Horsi in Britanniam usque ad Annum 1117, ed. B. Thorpe. No. XXXVIII, 1848. Text also in several editions. Portion from 450 to 1066 in No. LXXII. Trans., T. Forester. London.

XCI

Of considerable value, Ends 1116.

LAWS AND LEGAL DOCUMENTS.

(A) Ancient Laws and Institutes of England, ed. B. Thorpe, for Record Commission. No. LX.

Complete collection of laws and legal documents of Anglo-
Saxon Period. Invaluable.

Ancient Charters, royal and private, prior to A.D. 1066.
See Rec. Comm. No. LX and Pipe Roll Soc. Publications
No. LIX.

(B) Codex Diplomaticus Avi Saxonici, ed. J. M. Kemble. For No. XXXVII.

A valuable collection of charters of Anglo-Saxon Period. (C) Cartularium Saxonicum, ed. W. de G. Gray. London, 1883.

A collection of charters. The critical estimate of authenticity of documents is to be found in last volume. It is valuable.

(D) Doomsday Book. Seu Liber Censualis Willielmi Primi, ed. A. Farley and others. London, 1783-1816.

This work is valuable. It should be consulted in connection with Prof. Maitland's erudite work, Doomsday Book and Beyond.

(E) Die Gesetze der Angelsachsen. R. Schmid. Leipzig, 1858. Supplemented by Liebermann, Zu den Gesetzen der Angelsachsen in Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung, vol. V. Weimar, 1885. Germ. Abtheilung, pp. 198 ff.