The Preface.

As Prologues were contrived by Poets to let the Auditory into the Design of the Drama: So Authors have found it necessary to exhibit their Prefaces to give the Reader an Idea of the import of their Writings; Conformable whereunto, I shall here, not only acquaint the Reader what to expect in the following Sheets, but also that the motive which induced me to the Undertaking, resulted from a Common Complaint, That English Gentlemen commence their Travels abroad before they know any thing considerable of their Native Country, and by that means make themselves Obnoxious to the Censure of Foreigners.

I communicated my purpose in this Affair to a Relation of mine, that had travelled France and Italy, who intirely advised the pursuing and finishing my Design, as a thing both Novel and Useful: And I am assured that the Matter contained in the Subsequent Pages will prepare our British Youth, not only to answer many curious Enquiries, but will also furnish them with Topicks proper to entertain the most Judicious in Conversation: And this small Treatise will consequently be of use to such as Travel to see England, who by this Auxiliary Companion may save much Time, Pains, and Expence, and yet return Home with a larger share of the knowledge of what is most Remarkable, than if they had undertaken an Expedition through each County Personally.

And that this Book might prove the more adapt for the two Purposes above, I have contracted it into as few Words as the Subject would well admit of, which renders it a portable Vade Mecum, of Matters both Profitable and Diverting.

The most remarkable things contained therein are Reducible, 1. To CURIOSITIES in NATURE, as petrifying Water and Earth, as at Stowy, Boughton, Knaresborough, Apsleygwits, &c. Such Waters as are Hot and Physical, as those of Bath, Bristol, Buxton, &c. such as are Cold and Purging, as Tunbridge, Epsom, Acton, Richmond, &c. Others that in Pooles, Fountains, Wells and Ponds do Ebb and Flow, as those at Dosmarypoole, Shap, &c. Some that are both Laxative and Restringent; others Salt and Fresh, in Wells, not exceeding two yards distance from each other, as those near Warwick, Newenham-Regis, Halleweston, &c. Some on whose Surface floateth Liquid Pitch, others that cast up small Bones, and some that burn like Brandy, as those at Pitchford, Bonewell in Herefordshire, and near Wigan, &c. There are also accounts of Subteranious Rivers, as the Lid, Mole, at Orchihole, &c. Likewise of Abisles, Clefts, and Caverns, as Elden-hole, &c. at the Peak; Hell-kettles near Darlington; and in the Isle of Portland, &c. An account likewise of Astroits, Piscal, Serpent, and other strange Stones; as those found at Shugbury, Belvoir-Castle, Whitby, Huntley-nabb in Yorkshire, &c. Also the highest Hills, and largest Lakes; as Kilnsey-Cragg, Ingleborough, Winander, &c. in Yorkshire and Lancashire. And of Wrennyvair, Percelly, Pllinllimmon, &c. in Wales. As to Vegetal things you have an account of a perfect Chair of Natural Growth, the usefulness of the Coco-tree, strange Nature of Saffron, &c. as on Page 29. 44, 46. Also various instances of Animal Curiosities, as the Cameleon (that lives on the Air,) one Joint of the Vertebra of a Whale 30 l. Weight, &c. in the Royal Society Repository; the rib of another Whale 21 Foot long; an account of the Man that slept near 5 Months; The Woman who had 19 Children at 3 Births the prodigious Skeleton of a Man, &c. as on Page 7, 21, 43, 55, 120, &c.

Also an account of the most pleasant Situations, as those of the Golden Vale, and of Evesham, Dunmow, Gisbury, St. Edmundsbury, &c.

It may not be improper after this short Specimen of the Natural, to give some instances of the ARTIFICIAL CURIOSITIES in this Book mentioned. And these are either Monuments of Antiquity, as the Ruins of Old Castles, Monasteries, Walls, &c. Or the Reliques of Roman Camps, Garisons, Stations, Trophies, Coins, Altars, Urns, Pavements of Mosaic Work, &c. as those at Camalet, Stow on the Would, Chichester, Chesterton, Ribblechester, Standish, Dorchester, Lancaster, Cirencester, Woodstock, and many other places; other Ancient Monuments, as Stonehenge, Page 11, or those of like kind at Stanton-drew, that near Alisford in Kent, &c. Others are of Stones Separate but erected, as the Hurlers near Lanceston; those so vastly Large and Numerous, near Shap in Westmorland, &c.

The Barrows, or Artificial Hills, how they were made; and the spacious Trenches, Dykes, &c. as at Selbury, Tadmerton, &c. Wansdike, Offa’s, and that termed the Devils, &c. as in Wiltshire, Wales, near Reche, &c.

The Ancient Monuments of Kings and great Personages, as of Alfred at Driffield, Etheldred at Winburn, Harold at Waltham-Abby; Edward the Confessor, Sebert, and many other Kings of England at Westminster; King John’s at Worcester; Duke Humphrey’s at St. Albans; the Knights Templars at the Temple, Venerable Bede at Durham, &c. You will also find notice taken of the most Beautiful Churches, as St. Paul’s, Westminster, Canterbury, Salisbury, York, Lincoln, Bristol, Wells, Gloucester, Wrexham, Sherburn and others; and also the Altitude of the most remarkable Steeples, &c. in England; as Salisbury, St. Paul’s Dome, Coventry Steeple, Boston, Grantham, Bow, and the Monument in Fish-street, London, &c. And the stately and most observable Bridges, as London, Rochester, Burton, Owsley, Bristol, Huntington, Crowland, &c. together with the Beautiful and Spacious Market Cross at Coventry, and the Chapels and Houses cut in Rocks.

And here I shall observe that the Study of Antiquity is a most delectable Amusement, and in many cases very much tends to Advantage both National and Personal; It affords to the Antiquary a kind of Satisfaction, like his who hath lived many Centuries, giving him a prospect of things both in their Ancient and Modern States, and of the great mutability in Empires, Kingdoms, Towns, Families, Languages, Customs, &c. the Improvement, and Decay of some, and totall Extinction of others.

But craving the Readers Favour on Account of this small Digression: I proceed to acquaint him with other artificial Curiosities in this Treatise: As a Machine for Ploughing, Sowing, and Harrowing at the same time; most admirable Turned Work; a wonderful Burning-Glass; a Geometrical Floor, and many other Rarities about London, as in the Royal Society Repository, the Tower of London, Westminster-Abby, &c. and the Two Universities, which are so numerous as not to admit of so much as being here named, but the Reader will find them in the Book, Pages 33, &c 57, &c. and 76, &c, as he will notice taken of the Cartoons (at Hampton Court) said to be the most Noble Pieces of Painting in Europe, Page 51. In which curious Art there are extraordinary Performances to be seen, at others of the Queens Palaces, and at the Houses of most of the Nobility, and many of the Gentry. Of which Seats of Noblemen I have in this Treatise given an Account shewing the Situation of some Hundreds, which are generally speaking not only adorn’d with Elegant Painture as above hinted, but also with delightful Gardens, Pleasant Walks, Airy Vistoes, Sprightly Statues, Spacious Canals, Artful Fountains, Cascade, and other aquatical Curiosities; and many of the Houses of our Gentlemen are not deficient in all or most of the like Beauty and Ornament, although I have not room (this Book being intended an Enchiridion) to insist on them particularly. The Halls of Company’s, and many of the Merchants Houses are stately Structures, richly Finished; and especially the Royal Exchange, and Guild-hall described in brief, Page 46, &c.

You’ll find also herein, an Account of some things which have an Aspect Supernatural or Miraculous, as the Motion of Mount Marclay near Hereford, the druming Wells at Oundle, the River Womer near Redburn, the budding Oak in New Forest, &c. the Relations given, whereof being so surprisingly unaccountable, that were they not asserted as Truth by reputable Authors, as Camden, Speed, &c. I should have passed them by as Incredibilities.

Having inserted, as above, a Summary Account of Natural and Artificial Things which are Curious and Remarkable contained in the following Treatise: I do farther acquaint the Reader that he will also find many observables Historical and Geographical: As the places of Birth and Interment of some of our Kings (not commonly known) and of Men Eminent for Learning, &c. The unusual and [...] Customs of many places, as at Hallifax, Beverly, Scrivleby, Oakham, Hungerford, Hemingston, &c. And I have shewed the distance of places treated on, from their respective County Towns (or some other of good Note) and of each Shire, Town, and middle of each County from London, as near as I could measure them by the Maps; which last Dimensions are inserted in the Scheme or Table to fold up, containing likewise upwards of 20 Columns of so many different things, as I judged most material and proper for a Strangers Cognisance.

The Appendix was an after Thought, to which I was induced by considering it might be of use to Strangers that they be acquainted with our Manner and Charge of Travelling, and of Carriages. The Account given of the Market-Towns in each County, with the Days of Markets and Fairs may serve to give him a Notion of the Largeness and Populousnessthereof: For as those of a Town may be supposed by the Number of Markets it hath in each Week: So may the County by the Multiplicity of Market-Towns, and Fairs Annually therein; by both which may be formed a Judgment of the Vastness of our Inland Trade: Especially if it be farther consider’d. That there are very many small Towns (not Markets) which yet have Fairs; so that there is scarce a day in the Year which hath not a Fair held on it [ place or other, and for the most part there are many on the same day, sometimes 50 or 60, as on May the First, June the 24th, and 29. July the 25th. August the First, 10th, 15th and 24th, September 8. 29th. And the Catalogue of Markets and Fairs will also be in many respects further necessary for such who Travel the Country with any Species of Goods or Wares, and do consequently frequent such Concourses.

Thus far the Subject: As to Method I have not thought it best to treat of the several Counties in Alphabetical Order, but as they lie Contiguous: And in the Scheme folded up at the end of the Book. I have regarded the Alphabet, the second Column towards the Left Hand contains References to the Pages where the Counties are inserted.

I did not intend to have erected a Portico of half the Magnitude, to so small a Structure; but if the Disproportion should be objected, I have this to answer; that the Nature of the Work doth more than ordinarily require the setting its Contents in a due Light this way (the Title Page not being sufficient for that end) and I cannot (on that account) see where the Preface admits of Sublation. I shall only add that both my Design and Endeavour have not been wanting to render the Composition such as that the Variety of Curiosities comprised in a Volumn so small and portable, might (with the Copiousness and Novelty of the Scheme) answer the Expectation of the Reader; and (together with the well timing of the Publication) that of the Bookseller.

January 20. 1712.