It should be emphasised that this book is not a history of England,
with a few chapters on the Celtic fringe thrown in for completeness'
sake. It is a serious attempt to trace the medieval ancestry of modern
Britain, to narrate the development of England from 1066 to 1307,
of Scotland from 1058 to 1314, and of Wales in the thirteenth cen-
tury, in as full a manner as possible and in relative proportion.

I am happy to acknowledge my personal indebtedness to a number
of friends who have helped me in the writing of this book. In
particular, I should like to thank Miss Kathleen Major, Principal
of St. Hilda's College, Oxford, and Mr. R. G. Cant, of St. Salvator's
College, St. Andrews, who read the work in typescript, corrected
many faults and suggested several improvements. I am grateful to
Dr. A. MacPhee, of the University of London, who read part of the
typescript and offered some useful criticisms; and to Mrs. A.
Munro, for typing almost the entire text. Finally, I wish to thank
my wife, whose interest in the book and encouragement while it was
being written have been unfailing.

G. W. S. B.

University College London,
1956.

-6-