A FEW words of introduction are needed to the
following unfinished story of the "Conquest of Eng-
land," in which I may explain how far these pages,
in their present form, represent the final work and
intention of their writer. I cannot do this save by
giving some short account of how the book was
written, and the tale of the two volumes, the "Mak-
ing of England" and the "Conquest of England,"
forms, in fact, but one story.

After Mr. Green had closed his fourth volume of
his "History of the English People," an apparent
pause in the illness against which he had long been
struggling made it seem possible that some years
of life might yet lie before him. For the first time
he could look forward to labor less fettered and
hindered than of old by stress of weakness, in
which he might gather up the fruit of past years
of preparation; and with the vehement ardor of a
new hope he threw himself into schemes of work
till then denied him. But he had scarcely begun
to shape his plans when they were suddenly cut
down. In the early spring of 1881 he was seized
by a violent attack of illness, and it needed but a

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