DURING THE REIGN OF EDWARD THE FIFTH, FROM THE ORIGINAL DOCKET-BOOK MS. HARL. 433. AND TWO SPEECHES FOR OPENING PARLIAMENT, BY JOHN RUSSELL, BISHOP OF LINCOLN, LORD CHANCELLOR. WITH AN HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION BY JOHN GOUGH NICHOLS, F.S.A. LOND. AND NEWC. COUNCIL OF THE CAMDEN SOCIETY FOR THE YEAR 1854-5. President, THE RIGHT HON. LORD BRAYBROOKE, F.S.A. WILLIAM HENRY BLAAUW, ESQ. M.A., F.S.A. ROBERT BLENCOWE, ESQ. M.A. JOHN BRUCE, ESQ. F.S.A. Director. JOHN PAYNE COLLIER, ESQ. V.P.S.A. Treasurer. BOLTON CORNEY, ESQ. M.R.S.L. SIR HENRY ELLIS, K.H., F.R.S., Dir. S.A. THE REV. JOSEPH HUNTER, F.S.A. LORD VISCOUNT STRANGFORD, G.C.B., V.P.S.A. HIS EXCELLENCY M. VAN DE WEYER. REV. JOHN WEBB, M.A., F.S.A. The COUNCIL of the CAMDEN SOCIETY desire it to be understood that they are not answerable for any opinions or observations that may appear in the Society's publications; the Editors of the several works being alone responsible for the same. UNIVERSITY HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. THE Manuscript volume from which this work of the Camden Society is derived has been long known as a record of great value: and has been quoted as such by several of the most inquiring and painstaking of our historical writers. Having come into the collection of the founder of the Harleian Library, so highly was its importance estimated by Humphrey Wanley, his librarian, that he described it at greater length than any other to which he ever devoted his attention. His account of its contents occupies no fewer than sixty-five pages of the folio Catalogue of the Harleian Manuscripts (vol. i. pp. 256-311). It was found, however, some years ago, on comparison of this calendar with the book itself, that it was far from presenting a complete view of the whole contents of the Manuscript, many entries being arbitrarily passed over, in the proportion of nearly two-fifths. In consequence it was thought desirable, with a view to an improved Catalogue of the Harleian Collection, which was then in contemplation, to make a fresh abstract of the volume. This was executed in the Manuscript Department of the British Museum in the year 1835; and, as there was no immediate prospect of its being printed, it was made accessible to the public by being classed as the Additional MS. 11,269. This latter book, however, being a mere abstract, page by page, unprovided with any index, is not at present of the least utility, except perhaps to a reader who might require assistance in his attempts to decypher the original. |