

A Concise View of Ancient History to the JVor- 

 man Conquest, intended as an Introduction to 

 the History of Kirkby-Moorside, and its 

 Vicinity. 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 



B EFO RE I enter on the history of Kirkby-Moorside, 

 and its vicinity, I shall epitomise the history of the 

 world to the invasion of Britain by the Romans, 

 and front that period to the revolution effected by 

 the conquest of William duke of Normandy ; glan- 

 cing at a few particulars, and presenting a few 

 features of the narrative, so as to convey as correct 

 and comprehensive a view as I can of the connec- 

 tion of one circumstance with another, to prepare 

 the mind for the profitable reading of those accounts 

 which may afterwards be detailed. 



Before the time of the Romans little is known 

 with certainty respecting the ancient Britons, but 

 fables are substituted for facts, and conjectures for 

 certainty, this, indeed, is the case not only with re- 

 spect to Britain, but with the first ages of all the 

 nations of the earth. The accounts we have of them 

 are involved in much obscurity; and after we arrive 

 at certainty respecting their transactions, what do 

 we discover but an history of wrongs and of changes, 

 elevations and depressions pf empires; 



