6 

 THE HISTORY 



OF 



THE ANGLO-SAXONS; 



FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE NORMAN CONQUEST. 



BY SHARON TURNER. 



SACRED HISTOR1 



In 2 vols. 8vo. 



From the Preface to the Sixth Edition. 



The increasing prosperity of the British nation, and the 

 expansion of its empire by the new colonies which arc issuing 

 from it, and are forming, as they settle and enlarge, new 

 branches of dominion to it in the distant regions of our globe, 

 make its first rudiments and humble beginnings more interest- 

 ing to us. To represent these faithfully, and to collect from 

 the perishing or neglected memorials of former times every 

 circumstance that could exhibit them, before it became im- 

 possible to do so from the disappearance of the ancient docu- 

 ments, and from the overwhelming flow of modern events, 

 revolutions, and diversified knowledge, which have made the 

 last fifty years so memorable, was the favourite object of the 

 author, when in his youthful days he conceived the idea, and 

 attempted to execute it in the following work. 



That he should have lived to revise its sixth edition, was 

 more than he expected ; for it is now thirty-seven years since 

 he published its first volume. This is pleasing : but it is a 

 still greater gratification to observe, that so much of the atten- 

 tion of the public continues to he directed to the transac- 

 tions, remains, and language of their Anglo-Saxon ancestors, 

 and that so many able men still apply themselves to illustrate 

 this truly national subject by various and valuable publica- 

 tions. It was one of his earnest wishes that men of talent and 

 industry should be induced to do so, that what he could not 

 but learn imperfectly on several points might be completed 

 by subsequent research. This has been creditable to them- 



