notes to the first volume.

414

NOTE [ K ] , p. 5 41.

WIIAT these laws were of Edward the Confessor,which the English , every reign during a century and ahalf, desire so passionately to have restored, is muchdisputed by antiquaries, and our ignorance of them seemsone of the greatest defects in the ancient English history.The collection of laws in Wilkins, which pass under thename of Edward , are plainly a posterior and an ignorantcompilation. Those to be found in Ingulf are genuine; butso imperfect, and contain so few clauses favourable to thesubject, that we see no great reason for their contendingfor them so vehemently. Ic is probable , that the Englishmeant the common lime , as it prevailed during the reignof Edward; which we may conjecture to have been moreindulgent to liberty than the Norman institutions. Themost material articles of it were afterwards comprehendedin Magna Charta.

NOTE [LJ, p. 372.

TnGULF, p. 70.. H. Hunt. p. 370, 372. M. West.p. 223. Cul. Neub. p 337. Mured, lleverl. p. 124. Der-est. Angl. p. 333. M. Paris, p. 4. Sim. Dun. p. 206.Br impton, p. 962. 980. 1161. Gervase Tilb. lib. 1.cap. 16. Textus Roften'is apud Sekl. Spicileg. ad Eadm.p. 197. Gul. Pict. p. 206. Ordericus Vitalis , p. 521.666. 8s3- Epist. St. Thorn. p. 801. Gul. Malmes. p. 32.37. Knyghton , p. 2334. Eadmer , p. 110. Thorn.Uudborne in Ang. Sacra, vol. i. p. 248. Monach. Ross.in Ang. Sacra, vol. ii. p. 276. Girald. Camb. in eadem,vol. ii. p. 413. Hist. Ely ends , p. 3 > 6. The words ofthis last historian , who is very ancienr , are remarkable ,and worth transcribing. Rex itaqr.e fafius WiHiehnns ,quid. in principes Anglorum , qui tantœ ciadi sup ere j] epoterant , fecerit , dicere , cum nibil prosi , omitto.Quid enim prodejset , fi nec uuurn in toto regno de Misdicerem prifiind potefiate uti permijjum , fed omnes aut