Excerpt from The King's Council in England During the Middle Ages

About ten years ago the subject of this work was first suggested to me as a topic for investigation by the late Professor Charles Gross, whose 'learning was ever devoted to the inspiration and guidance of students in his chosen field. The material aid and encouragement which was generously given by my former friend, especially during the earlier stages of the study, I have sought to recognize in the dedication of this book.

My first intention was a monograph of much more limited scope and modest dimensions, which should be confined perhaps to the thirteenth century, or at the most should deal with the period prior to the reign of Richard II. Out of the material that was most readily discovered I published several articles, which appeared in the Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, the English Historical Review and the American Historical Review, treating different phases of the subject during the early period. But like many another investigator I was drawn irresistibly from one question to another, and as every question proved to be worthy of study I did not rest until substantially the whole ground had been covered. That such a task had never been undertaken before lent a zest to the effort. Moreover, it was impossible even to understand any single phase of the history until it was considered in connexion with every other part. After the method of Seebohm and Maitland also it was necessary to read the order of events backwards as well as forwards.

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