InthatpleasantdistrictofmerryEnglandwhichiswateredbytheriverDon，thereextendedinancienttimesalargeforest，coveringthegreaterpartofthebeautifulhillsandvalleyswhichliebetweenSheffieldandthepleasanttownofDoncaster。TheremainsofthisextensivewoodarestilltobeseenatthenobleseatsofWentworth，ofWarncliffePark，andaroundRotherham。HerehauntedofyorethefabulousDragonofWantley；herewerefoughtmanyofthemostdesperatebattlesduringtheCivilWarsoftheRoses；andherealsoflourishedinancienttimesthosebandsofgallantoutlaws，whosedeedshavebeenrenderedsopopularinEnglishsong。

　　Suchbeingourchiefscene，thedateofourstoryreferstoaperiodtowardstheendofthereignofRichardI。，whenhisreturnfromhislongcaptivityhadbecomeaneventratherwishedthanhopedforbyhisdespairingsubjects，whowereinthemeantimesubjectedtoeveryspeciesofsubordinateoppression。Thenobles，whosepowerhadbecomeexorbitantduringthereignofStephen，andwhomtheprudenceofHenrytheSecondhadscarcereducedtosomedegreeofsubjectiontothecrown，hadnowresumedtheirancientlicenseinitsutmostextent；despisingthefeebleinterferenceoftheEnglishCouncilofState，fortifyingtheircastles，increasingthenumberoftheirdependants，reducingallaroundthemtoastateofvassalage，andstrivingbyeverymeansintheirpower，toplacethemselveseachattheheadofsuchforcesasmightenablehimtomakeafigureinthenationalconvulsionswhichappearedtobeimpending。

　　Thesituationoftheinferiorgentry，orFranklins，astheywerecalled，who，bythelawandspiritoftheEnglishconstitution，wereentitledtoholdthemselvesindependentoffeudaltyranny，becamenowunusuallyprecarious。If，aswasmostgenerallythecase，theyplacedthemselvesundertheprotectionofanyofthepettykingsintheirvicinity，acceptedoffeudalofficesinhishousehold，orboundthemselvesbymutualtreatiesofallianceandprotection，tosupporthiminhisenterprises，theymightindeedpurchasetemporaryrepose；butitmustbewiththesacrificeofthatindependencewhichwassodeartoeveryEnglishbosom，andatthecertainhazardofbeinginvolvedasapartyinwhateverrashexpeditiontheambitionoftheirprotectormightleadhimtoundertake。Ontheotherhand，suchandsomultipliedwerethemeansofvexationandoppressionpossessedbythegreatBarons，thattheyneverwantedthepretext，andseldomthewill，toharassandpursue，eventotheveryedgeofdestruction，anyoftheirlesspowerfulneighbours，whoattemptedtoseparatethemselvesfromtheirauthority，andtotrustfortheirprotection，duringthedangersofthetimes，totheirowninoffensiveconduct，andtothelawsoftheland。

　　Acircumstancewhichgreatlytendedtoenhancethetyrannyofthenobility，andthesufferingsoftheinferiorclasses，arosefromtheconsequencesoftheConquestbyDukeWilliamofNormandy。

　　FourgenerationshadnotsufficedtoblendthehostilebloodoftheNormansandAnglo-Saxons，ortounite，bycommonlanguageandmutualinterests，twohostileraces，oneofwhichstillfelttheelationoftriumph，whiletheothergroanedunderalltheconsequencesofdefeat。ThepowerbadbeencompletelyplacedinthehandsoftheNormannobility，bytheeventofthebattleofHastings，andithadbeenused，asourhistoriesassureus，withnomoderatehand。ThewholeraceofSaxonprincesandnobleshadbeenextirpatedordisinherited，withfewornoexceptions；norwerethenumbersgreatwhopossessedlandinthecountryoftheirfathers，evenasproprietorsofthesecond，orofyetinferiorclasses。Theroyalpolicyhadlongbeentoweaken，byeverymeans，legalorillegal，thestrengthofapartofthepopulationwhichwasjustlyconsideredasnourishingthemostinveterateantipathytotheirvictor。AllthemonarchsoftheNormanracehadshownthemostmarkedpredilectionfortheirNormansubjects；thelawsofthechase，andmanyothersequallyunknowntothemilderandmorefreespiritoftheSaxonconstitution，hadbeenfixeduponthenecksofthesubjugatedinhabitants，toaddweight，asitwere，tothefeudalchainswithwhichtheywereloaded。Atcourt，andinthecastlesofthegreatnobles，wherethepompandstateofacourtwasemulated，Norman-Frenchwastheonlylanguageemployed；incourtsoflaw，thepleadingsandjudgmentsweredeliveredinthesametongue。

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