Page:Laws of the Earliest English Kings.djvu/10

vi I have endeavoured to keep the book within as small a compass as possible. With this object in view the Latin translation is given only when the Anglo-Saxon original is lost, though passages which may help to throw light on the meaning of the original are quoted in the notes. For the same reason the Tables of Contents and other preliminary matter found in certain manuscripts have been omitted, and so also the long Introduction to King Alfred's Laws, which is of purely literary interest and has no bearing on English Law. Variant readings are recorded as a rule only when the sense is affected. The notes are in general limited to a brief interpretation and commentary upon the text. In the rather frequent instances however when the translation or interpretation adopted differs from that of previous editors, I have aimed at indicating their views, in particular those of Liebermann, as well as my own.

In the divisions and numbering of the sections I have followed the example of previous editors; for though the system is not entirely satisfactory, any new departure would involve much inconvenience to the reader owing to the fact that the references in dictionaries are based upon it. The new sections introduced by Liebermann are in general an advantage and have nearly always been adopted.

I have collated the more important manuscripts; but the work of previous editors has been so well done, that I have scarcely been able to add anything worth mentioning. I desire however to express my cordial thanks to the Master and Librarian of Corpus Christi College for the facilities they have afforded me for copying the manuscripts in the College library, and to the Dean of Rochester and Mr F. H. Day for similar services, as well as for their kind hospitality while I was working in the Cathedral library.

I have also to express my obligations to the Master of Emmanuel, Professor H. D. Hazeltine and the Rev. Professor J. P. Whitney for giving me the benefit of their advice, and to several friends who have been kind enough to assist me in