OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PREFACE. Heming T will naturally be expected by Name of the historical enquirer that the burgh." first portion of this Preface should contain an explanation of the change made in the name of an Author so well-known and much esteemed as Walter Hemingford. A considerable space will therefore be devoted to the disquisition of this critical point, which will, it is hoped, prove satisfactorily that nothing but the love of truth has induced me to inscribe the name of Hemingburgh on one of the choicest histories of the commencement of the fourteenth century. The following, and most authentic record which we possess, of our Author's name is preserved in a copy of his Chronicle, written on vellum, about the year 1350:-" Expliciunt tres libri compilati a domino Waltero Hemingburght canonico de Gyseburn, de gestis Anglorum ab adventu Willelmi Bastardi Conquæstoris usque ad mortem strenuissimi regis Edwardi primi post conquæstum." This is corroborated by an entry in a course of Sermons for the ecclesiastical year, MS. Reg. 3 A. xiii. British Museum, 1 MS. Lansdown 239, folio 120 b. at the end of the third book. VOL. I. b 217762 |