Itinerarium Curiosum: An Account of the Antiquities, and Remarkable Curiosities in Nature or Art, Observed in Travels Through Great Britain

The intent of this Treatise is to oblige the curious in the Antiquities of Britain: it is an account of places and things from inspection, not compiled from others' labours, or travels in one's study. I own it is a work crude and hasty, like the notes of a traveller that stays not long in a place; and such it was in reality. Many matters I threw in only as hints for further scrutiny, and memorandums for myself or others: above all, I avoided prejudice, never carrying any author along with me, but taking things in the natural order and manner they presented themselves: and if my sentiments of Roman stations, and other matters, happen not to coincide with what has been wrote before me; it was not that I differ from them, but things did not so appear to me. The prints, beside their use in illustrating the discourses, are ranged in such a manner as to become an index of inquiries for those that travel, or for a British Antiquary. I shall probably continue this method at reasonable intervals. The whole is to invite Gentlemen and others in the country, to make researches of this nature, and to acquaint the world with them: they may be assured, that whatever accounts of this sort they please to communicate to me, they shall be applied to proper use, and all due honour paid to the names of those that favour me with a correspondence so much to the glory and benefit of our country, which is my sole aim therein. It is evident how proper engravings are to preserve the memory of things, and how much better an idea they convey to the mind than written descriptions, which often not at all, oftener not sufficiently, explain them: beside, they present us with the pleasure of observing the various changes in the face of nature, of countries, and the like, through the current of time and vicissitude of things. These embellishments are the chief desiderata of the excellent Mr. Camden's Britannia, and other writers of this sort, whose pens were not so ready to deliver their sentiments in lines as letters: and how hard it is for common artificers to draw from mere description, or to express well what they understand not, is obvious from our engravings in all sciences. I am sensible enough, that large allowances must be made for my own performances in this kind, and some for the artificers parts therein, who, for want of more practice in such works, cannot equal others abroad. I know not whether it will be an excuse, or a fault, if I should plead the expedition I used in the drawing part; but I may urge, that a private person, and a moderate fortune, may want many useful assistants and conveniences for that purpose. It is enough for me to point them out; to show things that are fine in themselves, and want little art to render them more agreeable, or that deserve to be better done; or any way to contribute toward retrieving the noble monuments of our ancestors; in which case only, we are behind other the learned nations in Europe. It is not that we have a less fund of curiosities than they, were the description of them attempted by an abler hand, and more adequate experience.

Dettagli