In the course of research for this book I accumulated debts to institutions and individuals that it is my pleasant task to acknowledge. Among these debts, the largest is to Professor Thomas N. Bisson, who suggested the possibility of working on Vic, whose advice I solicited constantly, and who has encouraged me throughout. I am extremely grateful to the staff of the Episcopal and Capitular Archives of Vic: the late director Monsignor Eduard Junyent, Father Antoni Pladevall, Father Miquel Gros, Dr. Ramon Ordeig, and Srta. Ignàsia Font. Without their knowledge and kindness I would never have understood where to begin or what I was doing. The help of Dr. Immaculada Ollich was and remains invaluable to me. Others in Vic whose help I deeply appreciate include Alexandre and Montserrat Genís and Joan and Montserrat Orriols.

I am obliged to the directors of the Archivo Histórico Nacional in Madrid and the Archivo de la Corona de Aragón in Barcelona for permission to use and reproduce material from their collections.

Many scholars have helped me with their suggestions, corrections, and observations. I would like particularly to thank Father Robert I. Burns, S.J., Professors J.N.L. Hillgarth, Archibald Lewis, Lynn Nelson, and Stephan Kuttner.

My work in Spain was aided by a Sidney H. Ehrman Graduate Travel Fellowship from the University of California, Berkeley. A grant from the Mabelle MacLeod Lewis Memorial Fund allowed me to write in leisure. The University Research Council of Vanderbilt University generously underwrote the expense of producing the maps for this volume.

I thank the editors of Speculum for permission to reproduce portions of my article on the town of Vic that appeared in volume 54 (1979), pp. 479-491.

The patient assistance of Ross Hassig aided me in preparing the maps, which were executed by Tina Campbell. I am very grateful to Gretchen Oberfranc for copyediting my manuscript and to my editors at Rutgers University Press for their support and suggestions.

I will never forget the support and encouragement of my parents, Marcia and Alfred Freedman, and my wife, Bonnie Roe.