Excerpt from The Rhymed Chronicle of Edward Manlove: Concerning the Liberties and Customs of the Lead Mines Within the Wapentake of Wirksworth, Derbyshire

Whilst searching the Additional mss. In the British Museum, I accidentally discovered a manuscript copy of Manlove's poem con cerning the Liberties and Customs of the Wirksworth Lead Mines, upon which no small pains had evidently been bestowed, in order to ensure its correctness. Anxious to Obtain a printed copy Of the work, valuable as well on account Of its contents as for the quaint ness with which they are expressed, I made many endeavours to do so without success; some booksellers ignoring its very existence, others attesting its extreme rarity.

Notwithstanding the personal motive above mentioned, I was mainly influenced to lay before the public this the second Edition of the poem, by a desire that such public, particularly its antiqua rian and mining portions, should be in possession Of a quaint and valuable historic item, which, although written during the Common wealth, yet is at this day consulted by the Derbyshire miner, in order to ascertain the mining privileges and customs which obtain in the wapentake of Wirksworth.

Little is known of Manlove beside this, that he had, previously to the composition of his poem, filled the important and eminent position of Steward of the Wapentake Barmote Courts, and as such had judicially dispensed justice, agreeably with the Customs of which he afterwards became the metrical compiler; also that his object in composing it was to present to the poor miners of Wirksworth wapentake a true and accurate statement of the mineral law which Custom had vouchsafed to them. That Manlove was mainly instigated by this laudable Object is rendered evident not only from the concluding lines Of his poem, but also from the fact that by writing in rhymed verse, and not in prose, be adopted the best means not only of ensuring a lasting remembrance of the prac tical instruction contained in his poem, but also at the same time Of affording a pleasing recreation to them for whom it was written.

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