[Footnote 6:  “A vast mass of our early literature is still unprinted, and much that has been printed has, as the late Herbert Coleridge remarked, ’been brought out by Printing Clubs of exclusive constitution, or for private circulation only, and might, for all that the public in general is the better for them, just as well have remained in manuscript, being, of course, utterly unprocurable, except in great libraries, and not always there.’  It is well known that the Hon. G. P. Marsh, the author of ‘The Origin and History of the English Language,’ could not procure for use in his work a copy of ‘Havelok’ for love or money; and the usual catalogue-price of ‘William and the Werwolf,’ or ‘The Early English Gesta Romanorum,’ etc., etc., is six guineas, when the book should be obtainable for less than a pound.  Notwithstanding the efforts of the Percy, Camden, and other Societies and Printing Clubs, more than half our early printed literature—­including the Romances relating to our national hero, Arthur—­is still inaccessible to the student of moderate means; and it is a scandal that this state of things should be allowed to continue....  Those who would raise any objection to these re-editions—­as a few have raised them—­are asked to consider the absurdity and injustice of debarring a large number of readers from the enjoyment of an old author, because a living editor has once printed his works, when the feeling of the editor himself is well expressed in the words of one of the class, ’You are heartily welcome to all I have ever done.  I should rejoice to see my books in the hands of a hundred, where they are now on the shelves of one.’”—­Extract from the first Prospectus.]

The publications for 1864 are:—­

1.  Early English Alliterative Poems in the West Midland Dialect of the
    fourteenth century (ab. 1320-30 A.D.).  Edited for the first time
    from a unique MS. in the British Museum, with Notes and Glossarial
    Index, by Richard Morris, Esq. 16_s._

2.  Arthur.  Edited for the first time from the Marquis of Bath’s MS.
    (ab. 1440 A.D.), by F. J. Furnivall, Esq., M.A. 4_s._

3.  Ane compendious and breve Tractate, concernyng ye office and dewtie
    of Kyngis, Spirituall Pastoris, and temporall Jugis; laitlie
    compylit be William Lauder.  Reprinted from the edition of 1556, and
    edited by Prof.  Fitz-Edward Hall, D.C.L. 4_s._

4.  Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight.  Edited by R. Morris, Esq., from the
    Cottonian MS., Nero, A x. (ab. 1320-30 A.D.) 10_s._

The publications for the present year (1865) will comprise Texts from at least four unique MSS., two of which will be edited for the first time.

5.  Of the Orthographie and Congruitie of the Britan Tongue, a treates
    noe shorter then necessarie, be Alexander Hume.  Edited for the first
    time from the MS. in the British Museum (ab. 1617 A.D.), by Henry B.
    Wheatley, Esq. 4_s._