TAIN, in this Encyclopaedia, will be found a history of the Island from its first population by the Celts, until the arri val of the Saxons in the year 449. As our constitution, our national character, the tone of our manners and feel ings, and our language, are, in a great measure, derived from our northern ancestors, the articles GERMANY and SCANDINAVIA ought to be read in connexion with the early part of the history of Britain. From the arrival of the Saxons till the union of the crowns of ENGLAND and SCOT LAND in the year 1603, the histories of these two countries are treated itttinctly under the respective articles ; but the connexion between them during the greater part of this period, was so close, though generally of a hostile nature, that their histories are necessarily mutually illustrative of each other. The history of FRANCE, also, given under that article, ought to be read, for the purpose of illustrating the histo ries both of England and Scotland ; while an attentive con sideration of the language, the manners, and the state of society in France, will afford elucidation, and give addi tional interest to the English and Scotch history during the same period. Under the article BRITAIN is given the his tory of the island, from the union of the crowns of Eng land and Scotland to the commencement of the year 1812; mid the most interesting portion of the foreign history of Britain, from 1812 to the last peace of Paris in 1815, will he found under the article FRANCE. A more full account of the war between Great Britain and her colonies, than is to be found under the former article, is given under the ar ticle AMERICA (American United States.) After the peru sal of the histories of England, Scotland, and Britain, read in this order, and thus elucidated, the reader should peruse the history of IRELAND, given under that article : and as INDIA forms now such an extensive and valuable portion of the British empire, the history of it, under that article, ought to be read in connection with the history of the unit ed kingdom.
If the student is desirous of entering more fully and deeply into the history of this country than the articles in this Encyc/optedia, necessarily succinct, will enable him to do, Rapin will afford him a very elaborate, and in general a very faithful, history of England till the close of the 17th century ; while, in Hume's History, he will find infinitely more philosophy, but far less impartiality and accuracy. The history of England, from the period of the Revolution, cannot boast any writer of standard excellence. In Hen ry's History of England, and Andrews' History of Great Britain, connected with the chronology of Europe, the li terature, arts, and manners, religion and government, of the several periods, which these works respectively com prise, are elucidated.
The very early history of Scotland has been most ela borately elucidated by Pinkerton ; the same author, and Lord Hales, have also treated, in a masterly and satisfac tory manner, the history of this country during a less re mote period. After the second work of Pinkerton, should be read Robertson's History of Scotland, during the reigns of Queen Mary, and James VI. till his accession to the crown of England ; and Laing's History of Scotland from the union of the crowns to the union of the kingdoms. Leland's History of Ireland traces, in a masterly manner, the transactions which took place in that country, from the invasion of Henry II. to the treaty of Limerick in the reign of William III. Those portions of the history of this ill fated and ill-used country since that period, which are par ticularly full of incidents, cannot yet be treated in an im partial manner. In the History of Wales, by the Rev. W. Warrington, all the facts are collected which can throw light upon the government, manners, and final subjugation of a people, still strongly marked by a peculiar character, manners, and customs.