PREFACE. 



AT a time, when the ftudy of natu- 

 ral hiftory feems to revive in Eu* 

 rope-y and the pens of feveral il- 

 luftrious foreigners have been employed in 

 enumerating the productions of their refpec- 

 tive countries, we are unwilling that our 

 own ifland fhould remain infeniible to its par- 

 ticular advantages ^ we are delirous of divert- 

 ing the aftonifliment of our countrymen at 

 the gifts of nature beflowed on other king- 

 doms, to a contemplation of thofe with which 

 (at left with equal bounty) (he has enriched 

 our own. 



A judicious Foreigner has well remarked^ 

 that an 'Englijhman is excu fable ftiould he be 

 ignorant of the papal hiftory, where it does 

 not relate to Great Britain ; but inexcufable 

 ftiould he negled inquiries into the origin 

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