THE

HISTORY

OF THE

ANGLO-SAX ON S.

BY

SHARON TURNER, F. A. S.

SECOND EDITION, CORRECTED AND ENLARGED.

VOL. I.

LONDON:

Printed for LONGMAN, HURST, REES, & ORME, Paternoster Row.

N this second edition, those corrections and improvements

In this second than

IN have been made which an increased knowledge of the

subject, and maturer reflection, have suggested. No labour has been spared to collect original information from every accessible source, and to state the facts obtained with as much conciseness as would be consistent with perspicuity.

The First Volume of this edition contains the history of the Anglo-Saxons, from their appearance on the Elbe to the Norman conquest. An introduction has been prefixed, comprising the most important facts concerning the first population of the Island, the manners of the Britons when the Romans invaded them, and the Roman conquest of the Island. This part has been added for the purpose of making the work a complete History of England to the Norman Conquest.

The Second Volume treats on the manners, landed property, government, laws, poetry, literature, religion, and language of the Anglo-Saxons. So much of our present state in all these interesting subjects has originated from our AngloSaxon ancestors, that it was necessary to be minute and faithful in the inquiry concerning them. I have endeavoured to gratify the public curiosity by a diligent and accurate research. If I had not been apprehensive of wearying the patience of my readers, I could have wished to have pursued some of the articles to a greater extent. But it appeared to me that two volumes quarto were as much as the public could be expected to read on a part of our history so remote. Many of the subjects have occasioned much zealous controversy. In these questions I have disregarded all theory and dispute, and have confined myself to the task of stating VOL. I.

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