^{page vii note 1} The Royal and Historical Letters … Henry IV edited in the Rolls Series, offer a good example of a miscellaneous publication ; its only unity lies in that of the sources ; the editor restricted his researches to the various volumes of the Cottonian collection in the B.M. Similarly, the Official Correspondence of Thomas Bekington, in the same series, shows much carelessness on the part of the editor, who printed in full the collection compiled by Bekington, without attempting accurately to date the documents or to restore the chronological order.

^{page vii note 2} See the Calendars of Papal Letters : Petitions, vol. I, published by the Record Office.

^{page viii note 1} In the Archives Nationales of Paris, are kept in the Trésor des Charles, Series J, boxes 643 and 644 (documents relating to England), five letters from Richard II to Charles VI, four of them in the originals (below, nos. 147, 150, 151, 223, 228). Similarly, from the Aragonese archives at Barcelona, I publish four letters, two of which are in the originals (nos. 16, 29, 40, 65) ; other documents enabled me to trace seven lost letters (nos. 1, 2, 7, 23, 42, 236, 243). The Vatican Library gives one copy (no. 6), and the Vatican archives another one (no. 222).

^{page viii note 2} Various German archives have been used by the editors of the Hanserecesse, the Hansisches Urkundenbuch and the Appendix to Rymer's Foedera : see below nos. 54, 61, 230, 235. From Flemish archives come nos. 45 and 238.

^{page viii note 1} The Royal and Historical Letters … Henry IV edited in the Rolls Series, offer a good example of a miscellaneous publication ; its only unity lies in that of the sources ; the editor restricted his researches to the various volumes of the Cottonian collection in the B.M. Similarly, the Official Correspondence of Thomas Bekington, in the same series, shows much carelessness on the part of the editor, who printed in full the collection compiled by Bekington, without attempting accurately to date the documents or to restore the chronological order.

^{page viii note 2} See the Calendars of Papal Letters : Petitions, vol. I, published by the Record Office.

^{page ix note 1} In the Archives Nationales of Paris, are kept in the Trésor des Charles, Series J, boxes 643 and 644 (documents relating to England), five letters from Richard II to Charles VI, four of them in the originals (below, nos. 147, 150, 151, 223, 228). Similarly, from the Aragonese archives at Barcelona, I publish four letters, two of which are in the originals (nos. 16, 29, 40, 65) ; other documents enabled me to trace seven lost letters (nos. 1, 2, 7, 23, 42, 236, 243). The Vatican Library gives one copy (no. 6), and the Vatican archives another one (no. 222).

^{page ix note 2} Various German archives have been used by the editors of the Hanserecesse, the Hansisches Urkundenbuch and the Appendix to Rymer's Foedera: see below nos. 54, 61, 230, 235. From Flemish archives come nos. 45 and 238.

^{page xi note 1} They now form the series of Exchequer Diplomatic Documents in the P.R.O. Officials of the Exchequer always kept a careful account of the documents left in their custody, with the date of entrance or reference to their being temporarily removed when the King asked for them, and to the place where they were stored, so that they could easily be found when required. See the Anlient Kalendars of the Exchequer, edited by Sir F. C. Palgrave.