PREFACE

THE history of ¢ The Old Empire from the Beginnings
to 1783 * has been told at length in the first volume
of ‘ The Cambridge History of the British Empire,’
which was published last year. I had the honour of
writing a few Introductory pages to this comprehensive
 work, in which, under most able editors, experts
on various times and subjects have collaborated with
great effect. Possibly it was this connexion which set
me thinking what were the main driving forces in the
Old Empire as compared with later times. The result
of plentiful references to standard writers and of some
tesearch is given in this little book.

1930,

C.

P. LUCAS.