Page:The house of Cecil.djvu/12

 vi PREFACE

Of the late Marquess of Salisbury, no full biography has yet been published, the official Life by Lady Gwendolen Cecil being eagerly awaited. But the history of his public life, at least, is common property, and the main outlines of his character are well known. His many points of resemblance to Lord Burghley have not, I think, been brought out before.

For convenience, the history of the elder branch of the family the Exeter line has been told first. Thus the life of Lord Burghley is followed by chapters on Sir Thomas Cecil a man of no great attainments, but of a straightforward and engaging disposition, who has been unduly depreciated by previous writers and his son Sir Edward, Vis- count Wimbledon. A single chapter is sufficient to chronicle the later fortunes of this branch. The history of the Salisbury line begins with the life of Robert, the first Earl, and ends with that of the late Marquess. The record of the two intervening centuries is again easily contained in one chapter, which, however, is not without elements of human interest.

I have to thank Miss Constance Jacob for her zeal in unearthing information, especially about the less important people whose lives are here recorded ; and Mr. S. H. Morgan for reading the proofs and helping me in many ways.

G. R. D.

LUSTLEIGH,

April, 1913

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