11

The P R K F A C K.

Av t iß s, from the broken Piecei of an ancient Statue, have attempted to makeout the other Parts and due Proportions with Succe fs and general Approbation -fo, by the annual Accounts of the Wardrobe, when they ßall be digeßed intoa regular Series of Time, by Fragments fcattered up and down in Records,and by Citations from Manufcripts remaining in publick and private Libraries,an inquifitive and judicious Antiquary may be furnißed with Materials for aGround-Work, whereupon an tiißory may be fuperfiruBed j which, though it■may not have the Perfection fo noble a SubjeB jufily demands, will howeverhe a laßing Monument, deferving to be tranfmitted down to Pofierity withHonour.

While we, with a fenfible Regret, complain of the Lofs of thefe old Annals,whereby we are deprived of a great Treafure, it hath been judged expedientto preferve the Remains, which have happily efcaped this Shipwreck-, and there-fore, the eldefi Regißer remaining in the Archives is now exhibited to publickView, leß, by the Currency of Time, or any unforefeen Accident, it might befubjeB to the fame unhappy Fate.

' The Original Manufcript is a very large pompous Volume in Folio, writtenin an handfome ßrong Character on Vellom, having the Initial Letters of eachParagraph, together with the Names of the Companions, and of the Knightsnominated in Scrutinies, beautifully embellißed with Gold, placed on Squares ofGules and Azure alternately. The Effigies of the Sovereigns, except of EdwardVI, cire prefixed to their Reigns drawn jn Colours by an able Limner, where-of that of the Founder being reduced into Miniature, is placed for the Orna-ment of the firfi Letter in the following Book, together with his Arms at theTop of it, fo that the Editor is not anfwerable for any Improprieties, fuch asthe Efcutcheon of St. George upon his right Shoulder, or the three Fleurs deJis, which ought to have been fo powdered on the Shield, that fome Parts ofthem ßould have touched the Extremities, which the French term (emee, thatis carelefly fcattered with fuch Negligence, as if they had been fown like Seedupon it : The Margins of the firfi Leafs of the refpeBive Reigns in this Regißer,are likewife adorned with Foliages, or other Decorations in Colours with greatLivelinefs. .

It hath been ßewn in the Introduction, when , and by whotn this Regißerwas compiled, and from what Materials it was colle&ed, to which nothing re-mains now to be added, unlefs, that the Pages of this Original are infert ed in theMargin for the Ufe and Benefit of the Reader, that he may be enabled with Eafeto confiât the Quotations referred to in that Manner, by Mr. A (limole.

The Editor hath procured an Englifh Verfion to be made, according to themofi firiB and verbal ConfiruBion, without Regard to the Propriety or Turns ofthat Language, which clofie fervile Tranßation may in feveral Infiances haverendered it lefs intelligible than the Latin, and herein the Surnames are fre-quently fpelled according to the modern Orthography. Throughout this Work therehave been fome brief Annotations fubjoined at the Bottom of the Pages, whichwere thought to tend, either to confirm the Truth of FaBs from contemporary

Records,