Note 41 — PART II HISTORICAL STUDIES

The whole source of Mr Freeman's confusion was his inexplicable misunderstanding of the Domesday entry on the city.41 We must first note that both his predecessors—Palgrave, who was lacking in 'critical faculty', and Ellis, who was 'far from being up to the present standard of historical scholarship'—had read this entry rightly, and given, independently, its gist. It will best enable my readers to understand the point at issue if I print side by side the paraphrases of Exeter's offer given by Palgrave and by our author.