yo te eS 
a ee 
< a 
xii PREFACE 
to reach original records. Of persons there, 1 am indebted first — 
of all to former Ambassador Joseph Choate for official courtesies, 
and to our present Ambassador at the Court of St. James, Mr. : 
Whitelaw Reid, for additional aid in securing me privileges of 
research. Superintendent G. F. Warner of the MS. department 
and Superintendent Barrett of the Reading Room of the British ~ 
Museum and their staffs have, in the course of years, afforded 
me larger opportunities, I think, than they themselves are aware 
of. Dr. Sharp, Superintendent of the Guildhall Record Office, — 
has given me unreservedly the benefit of his accurate knowledge a 
as well as his personal help in researches that I could not other- — 
wise have carried out. Superintendent E. Salisbury, of the ht- — 
erary search department of the Public Record Office, to whose 
unfailing courtesy and generous consideration and help I am ~ 
most deeply indebted, has placed at my disposal every facility — 
for searching the national records. The officials of the Legal ~ 
Room and of the Round Room have also been generous with as- 
sistance at all times. The Chief Clerk of the Privy Council Office 
has likewise been most courteous in producing the ancient records 
of the King’s Council for my use. 
To Professors Dr. Wilhelm Wetz, Dr. Roman Woerner, and 
Dr. Friedrich Kluge, of Albert-Ludwig University, Freiburg 
i/Br., I owe special thanks for privileges of study with them dur- 
ing the years of 1904-6. 
Of all persons concerned, the one to whom I owe most is she 
to whom alone this work can properly be inscribed, my wife, who 
since 1906 has been my constant companion and equal fellow in 
research, and whose vision and judgment have ever been my help. 
LINCOLN, APRIL, 1908. 
114 
