Publisher's Synopsis
From the PREFACE to Part I.
THE present work was originally planned as an Appendix to the Diplomatic "Studies" which have been published by the Editor as a separate work. It was suggested, however, that these Formulas might be worthy of publication in an expanded form, and a Seminar of the London School of Economics was prepared to undertake the task of selecting and transcribing the documents required for this purpose. The venture, therefore, was made under conditions which have at least proved interesting and instructive to those who have taken part in it.
In one aspect, however, the scope of the work is strictly limited, for it was quite impracticable to specialize in any one period or to give an exhaustive account of any particular class of instruments in a survey of the whole field of official diplomatic composition from the 7th century to the 19th. The chief claim of this Formula Book upon the attention of historical students and Record workers will be found in its comprehensive design and in the further attempt that it makes, for the first time, to present the several types of official instruments in a connected series. In addition to a serious diplomatic description of the several documents, their provenance has also been broadly indicated, together with their bibliographical relations. Thus the student can in most cases ascertain at a glance the position of an original instrument in respect of enrolment or entry, together with its published form as a complete text, abstract, or mere description.
It has seemed preferable to present concrete examples of diplomatic composition rather than the abstract forms usually associated with a scientific Formula Book. At the same time it must be clearly under- stood that no attempt has been made to demonstrate the historical or personal interest of the several documents. Incidentally, however, it will be found that several of the original instruments supply gaps in the official series of enrolments, whilst the individual interest of a large proportion of the whole series is considerable.
The arrangement of the documents is based upon the classification adopted by the Editor in the work above referred to. It was intended in the first instance to prefix a brief introductory note to each document in turn, but it was found that a great saving of space could be effected by substituting for this plan a connected introduction to each section. An equally necessary economy has been made, with some reluctance, by omitting many details from the texts which were not essential to their diplomatic construction. In such cases the omission is indicated by an etc. in square brackets.
