Page:Source Problems in English History.djvu/18

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Preface

up chronologically, and easy ones which have the other needed qualities do not always come early, nor the hard ones late. The origin of the jury is a hard matter, while the Veto Bill of 1911 involves no elaborate analysis of the sources. There is a further difficulty of reconciling the demand for a neat problem that would lend itself to practice in handling original materials and that would give the satisfaction of a clean-cut solution with the demand for a group of sources that will illustrate and reveal the important things of history. And the greatest difficulty has been that space requirements have made necessary the omission of some aspects of the problems which are both interesting and illuminating. Yet it is hoped that, while intensive work and method have been kept in view, enough material has been furnished, and with a sufficient distribution, to be useful for illustrative purposes and to stimulate interest. The questions and suggestions which accompany the problems are offered with many misgivings. The vital question which provokes thought is the question struck out in the give-and-take of class-room discussion. Any questions printed with source material must be comparatively tame and formal. They may help the student to answer that perennial initial query, what he is to do with the unfamiliar stuff before him, and they may serve as starting-points for the work in class. The questions have not all been fashioned to fit the average