PREFACE.
General Remarks.
This book is intended to supply an elementary theoretical course in the history of English, with the necessary illustrations. First of all it is planned for those practical studies which should always accompany such a course of lectures. It can also prove of use to all those who want to enrich their theoretical knowledge of the history of the language by practical acquaintance with some specimens of Early English (from about 650 to 1616). But it will be scarcely of any use to address oneself to this book without having obtained an elementary knowledge of English Historical Grammar, and of the general history of English, from some ther source. For this book is by no means a History of the English Language, i. e. a theoretical text-book on that subject.

Although the book is thus only a reader, it has been considered advisable, for the sake of practical convenience, to append a Summary of Old and Middle English Inflexions. In addition to this Summary, some grammatical material concerning individual words and expressions is given in the Glossary, so that, on the whole, all such grammatical information as is necessary to enable the student to interpret the texts accurately will be found in this book. But, as a rule, no grammatical notes relating to individual passages are given: the application of general grammatical information to a particular case is left to the student himself. This book is not intended to lead the student, but only to provide favourable conditions for his own active work. ...