The Annals of Burton Abbey. 
By R. T. ROBINSON, M.A., B.Sc. 
SS 
READ BEFORE THE LITERARY Section Octoper 277TH, 1908, 
If you would like to realise the extent to which Literature 
decayed during a period of over one thousand years owing to the 
flooding of the Roman Empire by barbarian tribes, read any Greek 
or [toman historian and afterwards take up one of the medieval 
chronicles, you will then realise that as far as the development of 
the intellect is concerned medieval times are indeed one thousand 
years behind the classical. 
I approached the Annals of Burton Abbey with the feelings of 
one who is about to enter a rich jeweller’s store, who expects to see 
gold and silver articles of great value and artistic design and 
workmanship. I found instead that I had entered a store house 
filled with bars and wedges of gold and silver. As a chronicle of 
contemporary events the Burton Annals are very disappointing. On 
the other hand it is one of our most valuable chronicles as it contains 
a large number of important documents and most of these documents 
are not to be found anywhere else. Ag I had read a fair number of 
chronicles before taking up the Annals of Burton [ had persuaded 
myself that I would find in them an excellent illustration of feudal 
times : disputes between the Abbots and the inhabitants of Burton 
over feudal dues, disputes between the Abbot and neighbouring 
lords like Earl Ferrars at Tutbury, quarrels with the Bishop of 
Lichfield over Visitations, some accounts of the visits of famous 
people. But of all these things you are told next to nothing. 
