Anglicanae The occasional Offices of the Church of England according to the old prayers and forms with dissertations and notes BY WILLIAM MASKELL, M. A. In Three Volumes VOL. I SECOND EDITION Oxford AT THE CLARENDON PRESS Preface. I PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.1 CANNOT think that any, even a short, preface to these volumes is of absolute necessity. They will sufficiently explain themselves; as intended to supply some information respecting the ritual and offices of the church of England during the centuries immediately preceding the Reformation. This information has been sought for in the only fit repositories; namely, in the documents themselves which may still be extant. But I would take this opportunity of expressing my fear that although means have been open to me they have not been so profitably used as they might have been; that instead of one Office which has been selected another should rather have been chosen; that the notes and observations are not in some places required, and in others, where real difficulties exist, they have been omitted altogether; that references to more authorities should have been added on some subjects or were not necessary upon 1 With one or two verbal alterations and omissions. |