may be convinc'd, who are not blinded by Education or Prejudice, that our Liberties are interwoven in the original Frame of our Government, and that, notwithstanding the Alterations and Changes, Time and other Circumstances may have brought with them, yet this Maxim, that no Englishman is fubject to any Laws, but what the whole Nation has confented to, has all along been deem'd in England, as the Foundation and Bafis of our Conftitution. A Privilege that ought to be Dear and Invaluable to all true Lovers of their Country. WHAT Benefit, upon these and many other Accounts, the English Reader may reap from this Tranflation of the Best and most Impartial History of England yet extant, it is but juft that he receive it thro' your Hands, who have enabled me the better to carry on this Work, by the Leifure I enjoy under you in your Expedition to the North; from whence may you return with Honour and Safety, and long live an Ornament to your Country, a Patron and Friend to the Distress'd, a fhining Example to the Rich and Great ; and, when you go hence, may you receive the bright Crown of Glory laid up in Store for fuch as do Good, and wifh well to all their FellowCreatures, is the hearty Prayer of, SIR, From on Board the Torbay in the Bay of Revel in the Gulf of Finland, July 12. 1726. Your moft Obedient, and moft Obliged Humble Servant, NICHOLAS TINDAL. The PREFACE. T HE Translator, perceiving that, contrary to the Declaration in the Plan of Mr. De Rapin's Hiftory, publifh'd by Mr. Rogiffart, the References to the Originals were frequently omitted in the Margin, was at a great Lofs to know the Reafon of it, when he accidently met with the following Letter from Mr. De Rapin to one of the Authors of the German Bibliotheque, which plainly difcovers the Secret. I SIR, Am not at all furpris'd at your having remark'd the Omiffion of my Authorities in feveral Places; however I fhall alledge an Excufe, which to you may be fatisfactory, tho' not to the Publick. Having given my Manufcripts to be copied fair by a young Man in the Neighbourhood, he left Blank Spaces for fuch proper Names as he cou'd not readily read, the which 'twas my Bufinefs to fill up For the fame Reafon, he left Blanks for several Citations in the Margin, which I propos'd to fupply; but unluckily I began with the Text, intending to fill up the Blanks in the Margin afterwards; but having done the first Part of my Work, I was willing to take Time for the other Part, and by that Means quite forgot it: So that I have in the Margin of my Manuscript, Abundance of References, which are not in the Printed Copy. For I laid it down for an Inviolable Rule, to relate Nothing of Moment without producing my Vouchers; and I don't queftion but in a Second Edition, I fhall be able to fupply from my own Manufcript all the References that are wanting, without being forc'd to have Recourfe to the Books. But fuppofing I fhould inform the World of the Reason of thefe Omiffions, the Publick might justly think it unfatisfactory; and I must own I defervedly ftand condemn'd on that Score, becaufe'twas purely the Effect of my Carelessness. This Defect the Tranflator, fince he knew the Reason of it, has endeavour'd to fupply, as far as Time and Opportunity gave Leave, especially in Cafes that depend on the Authority of a fingle Hiftorian. At the fame Time with the Letter above, he met likewife with Another from Mr. De Rapin to the fame Perfon, about another Point relating to his Hiftory, the which it may not be amifs to tranflate. SIR, You OU wish that I had given fome Account of the Authors I have made Use of in compiling my Hiftory: In Answer to which I take the Liberty to fubmit the following Remarks to your better Judgment. 'Tis true, that in general, it were to be wifh'd that all Hiftorians wou'd give themselves this Trouble. But to speak the Truth, for a Hiftory, that takes in the Space of above 1700 Years, and about which I have confulted fome hundreds of Authors, I find the doing This wou'd be too tedious a Work. I fhou'd think all that cou'd reasonably be expected from me, is, that I fhou'd give a Character of the Authors I have follow'd in controverted and important Matters, and who after all are but few in Number, if we except Ecclefiaftical Affairs, of which I pretend only to give a compendious Account, without defcending to minute Particulars. However you may fee fomething of this Nature, in the two Differtations on the Salick Law and the Maid of Orleance, at the End of the Reigns of Edward III. and Henry VI. You'll find likewife in the Beginning of Tome VIII, that, before I had feen your Remark, I was of your Mind, in Regard to the Hiftory of the Reign of Charles I. and have given fome Account of the Authors, who have written of that Reign, because it feem'd neceffary for that Part of the Hiftory, not indeed on Account of the Facts, wherein they are all pretty well agreed, but on the Score of the different Principles the feveral Writers proceeded upon, according as they were ingag'd in the One or the Other Party. Mr. L'enfant can't but be commended for his Condefcenfion in bringing his Readers acquainted with the Authors he made ufe of in his Hiftory of the Council of Pifa, tho' this was in fome Measure neceffary, becaufe in treating of Religious Matters, a Divine wou'd be ftill more fufpected than a Protef tant Layman, in cafe he produc'd not his Authorities. But there's a wide Difference between the History of a single Council, and a general History of England. However I own, many Readers would no doubt be very glad to fee the Hiftorians we are speaking of, well criticis'd upon; but what Numbers are there that would refufe to read any thing of that Kind, feeing 'twould relate to Authors who for the most part writ in English? and yet to do this wou'd fwell this Hiftory, which perhaps is too voluminous already, to another Tome, unless I fhou'd content my self with giving a bare Lift of the Names of the Writers I have confulted, as is sometimes done, the which in my Opinion is a very needlefs Piece of Work. The Tranflator has likewife done fomething of this Nature, by inferting a fhort View and Character of the principal English Hiftorians, from Bishop Nicholson and other Criticks, at the Conclufion of Mr. De Rapin's State of the Church, where he always fubjoins an Account of the most famous Ecclefiafticks and Others, who did not so properly fall in his Way in the Course of his Hiftory. Our Author in his Account of the Reign of William the Conqueror has taken Care not to be fway'd either by the Norman, or the English Hiftorians, They having Both very much aggravated Matters when speaking for or against that Prince; But has fairly confronted the One with the Other, and endeavour'd to come at the Truth by fuch of the Conqueror's Actions, as are not contested. THE HISTORY Of ENGLAND. BOOK V. The continual Invafions of the Danes, during the Reign of Ethelred II. They conquer England. Four Danish Kings, Sweyn, Canute, Harold I, Hardicanute, reign fucceffively. The Danes in the Reign of Edward the Confeffor, are expell'd the Kingdom, but by whom or how', is not known. A particular Account of the gradual Rife of Earl Goodwin and his Son Harold, who fucceeds by Election to King Edward. The Right of Edgar Atheling, the laft of the Saxon Race, fet by to make Way for Harold II. An Examination of the Pretenfions to the Crown of England, of William the Baftard, Duke of Normandy, who, by the Battle of Haftings, becomes Master of all England. The State of the Church from the Beginning of Ethelred's Reign to the Norman Conquest. 14. ETHEIRED II. crown'd. FTER the Murder of Edward, no Man- 979. crown him, being then about twelve Years of Age, tho' VOL. II. B |