being devoted altogether to the Local History of England, would secure to it a due share of public patronage; and he feared not a deficiency of materials, since even in the late Mr. Gough's time England possessed a greater number of topographical writings than any other country, whose authors, as that indefatigable antiquary has justly observed, confined themselves principally to historical investigations instead of topographical description. Whilst speaking of Mr. Gough, the Editor wishes to add his mite of praise towards the valuable work entitled "British Topography," which he has not the vanity to suppose this collection can possibly supersede; but it is nevertheless proper to observe that, in general, in that very useful book the title-pages only are given. Besides, at the period of that publication there were nine counties which remained unnoticed by the antiquary; for eight others, collections had been formed, but were not then prepared for the press*: so that even a mere continuation of his work could not fail to be interesting, and was indeed an object of general desire amongst topographic bibliographers.

But, since that period, many valuable works have been added to this very interesting division of English literature; whilst others are now in course of publication, including Cheshire, Durham, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, Sussex, and Yorkshire: still it is matter of regret that, with the exception of the General County Topography now so ably undertaken by the Messrs. Lysons, no historian has yet stepped forward to delineate

British Topog. vol. i. Preface, p. x.

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and preserve the records of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Huntingdonshire, Lincolnshire, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, and Suffolk; a deficiency, which cannot fail to strike the eye of the reader on reference to the succeeding pages.

Since Mr. Gough wrote, also, very striking improvements have been made not only in the typographical department, but likewise in graphic illustration and embellishment; circumstances that render a work of referential collation indispensably necessary. Of these important improvements, the most convincing proofs will be found in ORMEROD'S History of Cheshire, SURTEES' History of Durham, CLUTTERBUCK's History of Hertfordshire, WHITAKER'S enlarged edition of THORESBY'S History of Leeds and its Vicinity, Sir HENRY ENGLEFIELD's Isle of Wight, DALLAWAY's History of Sussex, Sir RICHARD COLT HOARE's Ancient Wiltshire, &c.

The Editor presumes further to observe, that in these volumes the notices of some books will be found that are of very considerable rarity, and of which no collation has hitherto been given. To enumerate even the principal of these would go beyond the limits of a preface: it is sufficient to mention HALSTED'S Genealogies, HALS'S History of Cornwall, Collections concerning the Manor of Marden, Schola Thamensis, and the Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica.

It may also be permitted him to advert to the Catalogue of General Topography prefixed to the first volume, arranged under its various heads, offering not only a ready reference to the collector, a guide to the

formation of that division of a library, and a scale by which its merits may be fairly tried; but also serving as a Chronological History of the progress of English topography, and of the principal works on subjects connected with it. This feature, from its comprehensiveness and mode of arrangement, will, the Editor trusts, be found useful as a ready source of reference.

Even whilst stating these points of utility in the extended plan of this publication, the Editor is fully sensible of his imperfections, and he is aware that in the execution of such a compilation, many errors must have occurred: but as the motto very aptly expresses the arduous labour and difficulty of such an undertaking, he trusts to the candour of his patrons and friends, and indulges in the hope not only that great allowances will be made, but that corrections will be offered him for which he shall be ever grateful.

His endeavour certainly has been to render these volumes as free from faults as circumstances would admit of; he has trusted to himself alone:—but in extenuation of errors that may have crept in, he begs to state that his labours have required a close and specific examination of more than fifteen hundred publications of various sizes; whilst in numerous instances several copies of each have been collated and compared, in order to ensure every possible accuracy and correctness; in the course of which he has been obliged to investigate and examine the great public, and some of the most valuable private libraries in the kingdom.

On the subject in general it is only necessary for him

to refer to the work itself, where, on turning to Nichols's History of Leicestershire and the Bibliotheca Topogra phica Britannica, it will be found that nearly one hundred pages have been occupied in giving an account of these two extensive productions alone: to say nothing of the multifarious research dedicated to the metropolis, extending to upwards of three hundred pages; or of the time and labour required to ascertain what books have been printed on large paper,—an inquiry which cannot fail to render these volumes useful to collectors of those expensive rarities.

The Editor wishes further to observe, that the im pression is limited to Two HUNDRED and FIFTY COpies, FIFTY of which are on LARGE PAPER; and that, should the present undertaking meet with a favourable reception, it is his intention to continue the work by publishing a similar one, specifically embracing the topography of WALES, SCOTLAND, and IRELAND, and the Smaller British Islands, for which he now solicits communications, and also the names of those who may be disposed to favour him with their countenance and encouragement.

Nothing now remains but to return his sincere and grateful thanks to the friends and patrons whose kindness has smoothed many of his difficulties in pursuit of information: but where an uniform readiness to com municate that information has been displayed by a free access to various private collections, it is almost invi dious to particularize individuals;-still the Editor feels himself especially called upon to express his respectful

gratitude to a few, without whose prompt and efficacious assistance the work must have been more incomplete. To the Rev. B. Bandinel, late Fellow of New College, Oxford, and Bodleian Librarian, he owes his best thanks, for allowing him an unrestricted reference to the late Mr. Gough's very valuable and most extensive Topographical Collection bequeathed to that establishment. To Samuel Lysons, Esq. F.R.S. Keeper of His Majesty's Records in the Tower of London, he is indebted for an inspection of that almost unique but imperfect History of Cornwall by Hals, in addition to other works of considerable rarity.

The Surrey division has been much enriched by the ready access, so obligingly granted, to the extensive and well-arranged collections made for that county by his much valued friends William Bray, Esq. Fellow and Treasurer of the Society of Antiquaries, and Arthur Tyton, Esq. F.L.S., of Wimbledon, to whom the Editor is anxious to express his obligations: also to John Bellamy Plowman, Esq. of the same place, for a like measure of kindness and attention, claiming his sincere and grateful acknowledgements.

To John Milner, Esq. of Southcot House, near Reading, his best thanks are due for a long established friendship, and the most ready facilities afforded during an investigation of his fine collection of rare books, rich in Voyages and Travels, and unrivalled on the subject of Angling, a pursuit so practically connected with Topography.

To John Britton, F.S.A. the Editor owes much for a general examination of his valuable library, but in a