Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

The editor and forger John Payne Collier (1789 1883) claimed to have discovered a Second Folio of Shakespeare which had been 'corrected' in a mid-seventeenth-century hand. He published this catalogue of the emendations, including his commentary on them, in 1852. Collier then presented the so-called 'Perkins Folio' to the Duke of Devonshire, whose successor allowed it to be loaned in 1859 to the British Museum, where a thorough examination exposed it as a forgery. A storm of controversy followed and three of the key documents in the debate, all published in 1860, are also reissued here: 'An Inquiry into the Genuineness of the Manuscript Corrections in Mr. J. Payne Collier's Annotated Shakspere Folio, 1632' by Nicholas Hamilton (d.1915), assistant keeper of manuscripts at the British Museum; Collier's attempt to refute Hamilton's findings; and 'A Review of the Present State of the Shakespearian Controversy' by Thomas Duffus Hardy (1804 78).

Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy (1804 78) was Deputy Keeper of the Public Record Office and an experienced medieval manuscript scholar, having edited the Monumenta Historica Britannica after his mentor Henry Petrie's death. Hardy was closely involved with the Rolls Series of publications of medieval manuscripts in public ownership, a government-backed project, of which this catalogue (consists of three volumes in four parts) forms part. His stated aim was to list 'all the known sources, printed or unprinted, of English history' in a handbook for historical researchers. Each item is located and described, and, where Hardy has examined the original, the first and last lines are given. Where known, the author's life is briefly outlined. Volume 2, published in 1865, provides historical sources for the period between the Norman Conquest and the first year of the reign of King John. It also includes an index for the first and second volumes.

Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy (1804-78) was Deputy Keeper of the Public Record Office and an experienced medieval manuscript scholar, having edited the Monumenta historica Britannica after his mentor Henry Petrie's death. Hardy was closely involved with the Rolls Series of publications of medieval manuscripts in public ownership, a government-backed project, of which this catalogue (consisting of three volumes in four parts) forms part. His stated aim was to list 'all the known sources, printed or unprinted, of English history' in a handbook for historical researchers. Each item is located and described, and, where Hardy has examined the original, the first and last lines are given. Where known, the author's life is briefly outlined. Part 2 of Volume 1, published in 1862, covers materials relating to the Anglo-Saxon period, 751-1066. The appendix provides bibliographical details of those manuscripts listed in the catalogue that had by that point been printed.

Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy (1804 78) was Deputy Keeper of the Public Record Office and an experienced medieval manuscript scholar, having edited the Monumenta Historica Britannica after his mentor Henry Petrie's death. Hardy was closely involved with the Rolls Series of publications of medieval manuscripts in public ownership, a government-backed project, of which this catalogue (consisting of three volumes in four parts) forms part. His stated aim was to list 'all the known sources, printed or unprinted, of English history' in a handbook for historical researchers. Each item, from early mentions of Britain in Herodotus to medieval chronicles and saints' lives, is located and described, and, where Hardy has examined the original, the first and last lines are given. Where known, the author's life is briefly outlined. The first part of Volume 1 (published in 1862) includes sources from the classical period and the Dark Ages up to 750 CE.

Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy (1804-78) was Deputy Keeper of the Public Record Office. He was closely involved with the Rolls Series of publications of medieval manuscripts in public ownership, of which this catalogue (consisting of three volumes in four parts) forms part. His stated aim was to list 'all the known sources, printed or unprinted, of English history'. Each item is located and described and where Hardy has examined the original, the first and last lines are given. Where known, the author's life is briefly outlined. The third volume, published in 1871, provides historical sources ranging from 1200 (the first full year of King John's reign) to the death of Edward II in 1327. This volume features 20 plates illustrating some of the types of manuscripts catalogued. A fourth volume, left uncompleted at Hardy's death, was to have continued the catalogue to the end of Henry VII's reign (1509).

This Latin Register of Richard Kellaw, Bishop of Durham (d.1316), is the earliest to survive for this important diocese, where the bishop held quasi-royal authority within his palatinate. He was an active bishop, and the Register, covering the years 1311-16, includes information about ordinations, indulgences, loans, grants and licences to study, as well as about Kellaw's secular administration of his diocese. During his five-year episcopate, he also had to deal with constant trouble from the Scots under Robert Bruce. This four-volume work, published as part of the Rolls Series between 1873 and 1878, was edited by the historian Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy (1804-78). It is an important source on the civil and ecclesiastical history of the North of England in the early fourteenth century. Volume 1 contains the first 140 folios (of 366), which comprise documents from the years 1311-14.

This Latin Register of Richard Kellaw, Bishop of Durham (d.1316), is the earliest to survive for this important diocese, where the bishop held quasi-royal authority within his palatinate. He was an active bishop, and the Register, covering the years 1311-16, includes information about ordinations, indulgences, loans, grants and licences to study, as well as about Kellaw's secular administration of his diocese. He also had to deal with constant trouble from the Scots under Robert Bruce. This four-volume work, published between 1873 and 1878, was edited by the historian Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy (1804-78). It is an important source on the civil and ecclesiastical history of the North of England in the early fourteenth century. Volume 2 contains folios 140v to 265. These conclude the sections relating to Kellaw's civil and ecclesiastical administration, and also contain copies of royal writs and legal documents. An index to Volumes 1 and 2 is also provided.

This Latin Register of Richard Kellaw, Bishop of Durham (d.1316), is the earliest to survive for this important diocese, where the bishop held quasi-royal authority within his palatinate. He was an active bishop, and the Register, covering the years 1311-16, includes information about ordinations, indulgences, loans, grants and licences to study, as well as about Kellaw's secular administration of his diocese. He also had to deal with constant trouble from the Scots under Robert Bruce. This four-volume work, published between 1873 and 1878, was edited by Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy (1804-78). It is an important source on the civil and ecclesiastical history of the North of England in the early fourteenth century. Volume 3 (folios 266-366) contains a collection of documents from the time of Kellaw and earlier, along with ecclesiastical tax valuations, a list of ordinations for 1334-45, and a portion of the Register of Bishop Richard de Bury.

This Latin Register of Richard Kellaw, Bishop of Durham (d.1316), is the earliest to survive for this important diocese, where the bishop held quasi-royal authority within his palatinate. He was an active bishop, and the Register, covering the years 1311-16, includes information about ordinations, indulgences, loans, grants and licences to study, as well as about Kellaw's secular administration of his diocese. During his five-year episcopate, he also had to deal with constant trouble from the Scots under Robert Bruce. This four-volume work, published as part of the Rolls Series between 1873 and 1878, was edited by the historian Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy (1804-78). It is an important source on the civil and ecclesiastical history of the North of England in the early fourteenth century. Volume 4 contains documents relating to Durham from sources other than the Register, excerpts from the letter book of Bishop Richard de Bury, appendices and indexes.

Published in two volumes for the Rolls Series between 1888 and 1889, this is the oldest surviving metrical chronicle in vernacular French. It was written by the Anglo-Norman poet and historian Geoffrei Gaimar (fl. 1136 7), who lived in England at a time when French was still used among the aristocracy. The text is largely based on the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and also draws on various French, English and Latin sources. Gaimar's unique perspective breaks with the tradition of religious chronicles by offering the first secular account of the history of England. Edited by archivist and antiquary Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy (1804 78) and Charles Trice Martin (1842 1914), Volume 1 presents the original text. It covers the period from the arrival of Cerdic in 495 to the death of Henry I and includes the story of Havelok the Dane.

Published in two volumes for the Rolls Series between 1888 and 1889, this is the oldest surviving metrical chronicle in vernacular French. It was written by the Anglo-Norman poet and historian Geoffrei Gaimar (fl. 1136 7), who lived in England at a time when French was still used among the aristocracy. The text is largely based on the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and also draws on various French, English and Latin sources. Gaimar's unique perspective breaks with the tradition of religious chronicles by offering the first secular account of the history of England. Edited by archivist and antiquary Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy (1804 78) and Charles Trice Martin (1842 1914), Volume 2 is a translation of the original text into modern English. It covers the period from the arrival of Cerdic in 495 to the death of Henry I and includes the story of Havelok the Dane.