ABSTRACT
The subject-matter contributes to the distinction between historians and antiquaries only in so far as certain subjects have traditionally been considered more suitable for systematic description than for a chronological account. A discussion of John Rous and William Worcester necessitates a comprehensive treatment of their work. Neither was exclusively occupied with antiquarian studies; each was also concerned with the contemporary world and was influenced by his patron. Worcester never had the opportunity of being a full time scholar. The study of history and antiquities was the occupation of his limited leisure hours and of the few years remaining to him after his final retirement. In view of the milieu in which Worcester lived it is hardly surprising that he accepted chivalric values. Worcester’s interest in contemporary history extended little beyond Anglo-French relations. It is uncertain whether Worcester’s Itinerary represents notes made in preparation for a finished book on the antiquities of England.
