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THE

HISTORY OF ENGLAND

BY

THOMAS KEIGHTLEY,

AUTHOR OF THE HISTORY OF GREECE, THE HISTORY OF ROME,

OUTLINES OF HISTORY, ETC.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

LONDON:
WHITTAKER AND CO., AVE-MARIA LANE.

AND

1839.

Q

342-

CI

PRINTED BY RICHARD AND JOHN E. TAYLOR,

RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET.

PREFACE.

It is very remarkable, that, although there is a large class of persons who are anxious to possess an acquaintance with the history of their country, but who have not leisure to read voluminous works, few, if any, attempts have been made to supply their want. If we except mere schoolbooks, the only moderately-sized and readable History of England is that of Goldsmith, in three volumes, octavo. It is very well known how slenderly furnished that most agreeable writer was with the knowledge requisite for the task he undertook; and it has been justly observed, that even had he possessed all the requisite information, so much additional materials have been brought to light within the last half-century as would make a new work necessary. It is proposed to supply the deficiency by the present History, which aims at giving, in a moderate compass, such an account of the affairs of England, from the earliest times down to the present day, as may satisfy the reasonable expectations of the class of readers above described.

The besetting sin of our historians is party-spirit. We

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