A few of the documents from which extracts are given have been copied from manuscripts, but the majority are taken from published sources. A very large number of these are now unfortunately out of print, and so are necessarily inaccessible to many teachers.
The spelling, and place names as far as possible, have been modernised throughout, to suit the convenience of the student.
Some of the extracts included in Parts I and II have already been published in a small volume printed in the S.P.C.K. Texts for Students Series, No. 27.
My thanks are due to all those who have given permission to
extracts from copyright sources; to Dr. R. I. Best and Dr. Osborn Bergin, who have revised the translation of several of the Irish extracts; and to Professor C. F. Bastable and Mr. W. F. Butler, and Mr. Philip Wilson, to whom I am indebted for several useful suggestions.
I take this opportunity of thanking the Board of Trinity College, Dublin, for the generous help given by them towards the expenses of publication.