Island, some account of the popular superstitions of the people could not with propriety have been wholly overlooked. Waldron, from whose work I have extracted many stories of supernatural appearances, says :-" For my own part, I shall not pretend to determine if such appearances have any reality or are only the effect of imagination, I shall leave the point to be discussed by those who have made it more their study."

In the public records of the Island and in other original documents, I have found the names and transactions of several Bishops of Sodor and Man, not mentioned in the works either of Le Nevi or Keith, these prelates I have now brought before the public in chronological order, although this may be considered by many like carving portraits on a cherry stone, or in other words as labour thrown away, the names of most of the dignitaries of the Manks church having outlived their good actions. The ancient canons of the Manks church, and several grants and charters relating to the Island, are for the first time presented to the English reader.'

A judicious recital of events, where the historian is bewildered in his way by a partial glimmering of imperfect records, is peculiarly difficult. He can merely judge of the reality of events by tracing back effects to their causes. Thus in the Chronicles of Man, the transactions of the kings appear often motiveless and disjointed: by referring, however, to many other sources of authentic information, I have succeeded in concentrating in this work fragments and incidental notices of Manks history,

1 Description of the Isle of Man, folios 138, 139.

2 Most of these unique manuscripts being deposited in King William's College at Castletown, were unfortunately destroyed by fire on the 14th of January, 1844.— See vol. ii, p. 255.

which were hitherto to be found only scattered in the annals of other countries. My historical researches have enabled me also to fill up for the first time, a blank of four centuries in the chronology of the kings of Man; and in describing the sovereign authority exercised during that period in Man by the Princes of North Wales, for which I have not been indebted to the Hen-Welley or to the Cambrian Legends, although they bear much on the point, I preferred rather the testimony of ancient authors, so that I may appropriately, in the words of Chaucer say,

"Oute of olde fieldes, as men sayethe,

Come alle newe corns frome yeare to yeare;
Ande oute of olde bookes, in gude faithe,
Come alle newe things upgathered here."

And I may here remark, that the works I have quoted, are few in number as compared with others I have perused, in prosecution of my gathering in of Manks history.

Several interesting sketches of passing events in the Isle of Man, have hitherto been given to the public; but these little productions being in general designed as guides to tourists, the authors have confined themselves to depicting with care the existing objects and local incidents most likely to attract the notice of the visitor, without enquiring into the real history of the Island. A few among them, who have given a preponderance to the latter subject, have tacitly contented themselves with the contributions of Meyrick and Wilson, to the works of Camden and Gibson, devoting themselves to those subsidiary enquiries. They have made no further investigation.

In the course of my researches for the compilation of this work, I have experienced kindness which I cannot allow to pass unacknowledged here. For the opportunity afforded me of consulting many rare manuscripts and

scarce books, my gratitude is particularly due to the council of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; and to William Forbes Skene, Esq., their secretary, I offer my best thanks for the deep research made by him at my solicitation, for incidents connected with Manks history in the annals of the ancient Irish, and in the northern Sagas.

I remember with feelings of pleasure, the affability of John M'Hutchin, Esq., clerk of the rolls in the Isle of Man, in frankly permitting me to examine and make extracts from the archives deposited in the castle of Rushen; and I feel myself deeply indebted also to the other gentlemen of the Isle of Man, whom I have specially mentioned in course of the work. For the research which he made at my request, in the library of the University of Cambridge, I express my gratitude to J. Lodge, Esq., of Magdalene College. To William Dobie, Esq., of Grangevale, near Beith, in Ayrshire, my thanks are due for the many copious materials which he liberally placed at my disposal, and for the number of scarce books with which he favoured me.

Having thus adverted to the various points necessary to explain the ground on which this history was compiled, it is highly gratifying to me to add the favourable opinion given by the gentlemen of the Manks press,* of such parts of the work as have been already published.

APPENDIX.-INTRODUCTION.

NOTE I.-Page xiv.

OPINIONS OF THE MANKS PRESS.

"A well-written, impartial history of the Isle of Man, has, for a long time, been considered as a desideratum; only scanty scraps of information can be obtained respecting the inhabitants of by-gone days. Authentic documents are scarce, and very difficult to be obtained. Much of what has been given as the history of early times, is evidently fabulous. Many things are only conjectural, and others are garbled statements, to suit the purposes of tourists and guide writers; but we have no clear developement of principles-no faithful delineation of the characters of the people-the way in which they are employed, and their peculiar customs. Mr. Joseph Train, a member of the Antiquarian Society of Scotland, has come forward to supply the deficiency; and, if we may judge from the numerous authorities to which he refers, there must have been great diligence used in his researches to procure materials; that he must have availed himself of every source whence he could gain correct information; and that it must have cost much time and labour to have prepared these two volumes for the press.”—Manxman, August 11, 1842.

"Mr. Train, a Scotchman, has prepared for the press a History of the Island, in two volumes, and the first part is now before us, containing the history of the Island from A.D. 517 until 1637. We have carefully examined this part, and must pronounce it to be a work of great research and labour, and as far as we are competent to judge, is impartial. As the remaining parts are likely to be more interesting, we would recommend to all who wish to become acquainted with the history of their own favourite Isle, to purchase the work."—Manx Liberal, August 13, 1842.

"A History of the Island has been a desideratum. We have abundance of tiny tours, guide books, sketches, and what not; but nothing of the least pretension to the character of a history. Such, we need scarcely say, has been the subject of much complaint, and the occasion of considerable ignorance and misconception of our antiquities, statistics, ecclesiastical and civil polity, even amongst our own people. The work of Mr. Train ably supplies a long felt deficiency, is a history of no ordinary excellence and interest, and will speedily be ranked among our standard works of historical investigation. It will be an indispensable adjunct in every library of any pretension to completeness. The contents of the present part (part i,) is a chapter on insular statistics, embodying a vast mass of most important and interesting facts. The strictly historical narrative commences with the dynasty of the Welsh kings in the year 517,and continues to the kings and lords of Man, of the House of Stanley, in 1637. The text, descriptive of even these dark ages, is written in a style, at once

chaste, elegant, and concise; even the notes are highly valuable and curious. A vast mass of authorities are quoted, and we have no doubt-so far as authentic records may be considered authority-Mr. Train's work has high claims of impartiality, and unquestionably displays vast research, and literary qualifications of no mean order. Above all, the sine qua non of all history is every where visible—a patient investigation of facts-sound judgment and discrimination, in selecting from the musty records of antiquity what is deserving of credit, in accordance with ascertained contemporary history, and rejecting the fabulous and fanciful."-Mona's Herald, August 30, 1842.

"The third part of this work has just been issued, and we have great pleasure in introducing it to the notice of the public. History has long been considered an important part of a people's literature, and hence to historical details, the energies of talented men have ever been directed. There are, however, comparatively few good histories to be found in the world of letters. Hume, Gibbon, Robertson, Rollin, and a few others, and we have mentioned all whose efforts are distinguished by the qualities which command immortality. Special qualifications are required to form a good historian. He should be an original thinker, have the ability of discriminating wisely, and be capable of patient, persevering investigation into matters, the connexion of which is obscured by the mists of the past. He should, moreover, be well read in contemporaneous history, have an intimate acquaintance with the conntry about which he writes-its inhabitants, their origin, habits, laws, customs, superstitions, and legends; and possess withal a facile pen, able to throw the charm of novelty and beauty over the dry details of a people's history. These qualities are but seldom found in one man, yet they are needed in an historian, for history must be interesting in order to its being read, and truthful, that, when read, its facts may be data for the mind to work upon. Such a history of the Isle of Man has been a desideratum, which Mr. Train appears to have well supplied. Not being au fait in Manks antiquities, we cannot decide upon the accuracy of some of the earlier records; but, from the evidence of investigation which are manifested, we should be inclined to depend on Mr. Train's statements, around which he has contrived to throw the charm and grace of fiction."-Manx Sun, May 18, 1844.

"We noticed the first and second portion of this valuable work with commendation, and the part now before us is equally deserving of our warmest praise. The present part brings the civil and ecclesiastical history generally, down to the year 1838, and many occurrences down to the present period. The work evinces extraordinary research, sound judgment, and impartiality; and this part more immediately relating to modern times, becomes more and more interesting to the general reader. Mr. Train has nobly discharged his difficult task: the limits to which the work has been prescribed, necessarily prevent any lengthened literary disquisition of the work, being encumbered with much of what is termed the philosophy of history; but it contains what is of infinitely greater value-accurate summaries of facts, expositions of the peculiar laws and customs, the popular superstitions, antiquities, constitution, &c., &c., in which singular accuracy of information is displayed, and every known authority consulted; forming, at once, a work of highly respectable literary talent, and what is of yet more value, a standard reference of real utility-a work not only indispensable in the library of every intelligent Manxman, but which no library, throughout the United Kingdom. with any pretensions to completeness, ought, or can be without. This is high praise, but not more than deserved; for we speak from personal knowledge, when we say that in extent and accuracy of information on all matters of local interest, no previous work can be compared to that of Mr. Train;