A CONCISE HISTORY OF ENGLAND BY JOHN EDWARDS AUTHOR OF A HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE" LONDON LONGMAN, GREEN, LONGMAN, AND ROBERTS 1860 226. c. 9. PREFACE. THIS little work is an attempt to narrate, in a concise but interesting manner, the leading events of English History, from the earliest times to our own day. The relative importance of these events is a matter on which much difference of opinion must of course exist. The Author has selected those which he thinks most essential to be retained in the memory, and which are most suggestive of those lessons which all history is designed to teach. The gradual growth of our free Constitution, its dangers and triumphs, the advancement of English society in refinement, the progress of science, the arts, commerce, literature, and learning, have been noticed, though but briefly. It is hoped that an old and familiar subject has been treated with some freshness and originality, and that this summary may be of use to those studious members of our Working Men's Colleges and Mechanics' Institutions, who desire an introduction to works of greater bulk and pretensions while, at the same time, it may be used with advantage as a text book for the higher classes in our schools. |