ever suited his purpose. 
HUTCHINS’S HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF THE COUNTY OF DORSET. 
suaded that a full and circumstantial de- 
scription of this grand pile would be 
highly interesting to most readers in the 
closet, and to almost every visitor. ‘This 
cathedral presents a singular and curious 
series of architectural examples, wherein 
are combined different styles that cha- 
racterised different periods of the art. 
Hence a particular exemplification would 
be highly gratifying and interesting. 
Our author, however, is not very as- 
suming, for he acknowledges at the end 
of the advertisement, that he “ puts in 
very little claim to originality ; he has 
made free with whatever authors came 
in his way, and selected from them what- 
He flatters 
himself that he has added something to 
the original stock, but in doing it he has 
mot sacrificed truth to an affectation of 
> 
; 
= > sa . 
novelty: He has lopped off many- re- 
dundancies without omitting any thing 
material. In short, he is not without the 
hope, that the Gloucester New Guide 
397 
will supply, even to the native, some in- 
formation he was not in possession of be- 
fore, and relieve the traveller from a con- 
siderable portion of that tedium, which 
usually accompanies a temporary resi- 
dence at the hotel.” 
The subjects of this Guide are :—very 
concise accounts of the situation and ans 
tient state of the city; its present and an- 
tient trade, wherein is a short account of 
the pin manufactory ; the present state 
and govetnment of the city ; the appear- 
ance of its environs; a history and de- 
scription of the cathedral and its ap- 
pendages, with the other churciies of 
Gloucester. An account of hospitals, 
schools, and meeting-houses succeeds, 
with a few particulars of the other public 
buildings and offices of the city. Next 
follow some memorandums ef the gen- 
tlemen’s seats in the vicinity, and an in- 
teresting description of the river Severa, 
its navigation and fishery. 
' Arr. X. The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset : compiled from the best 
and most antient Historians, Inquisitiones post mortum, and other valuable Records and 
MSS. in the public Offices, and Libraries, and in private Hands. 
With a Copy of 
_ Domesday Book, and the Inquisitio Gheldi for the County: interspersed with some remark- 
_ able Particulars of Natural History ; and adorned with a correct Map of the County, and 
Views of the Antiquities and Seats of the Nobility, Gentry, Sec. 
_ M.A. The second Edition, corrected, augmented, and improved. 
. folio, Vol. II. pp. 620. 
IN the year 1774 Mr. Hutchins, who 
was a native of Dorsetshire, and rector 
of a parish in Wareham, published a 
History of that County in two folio vo- 
lumes. That “ being out of print,’”? and 
consequently rather scarce, Mr. Gough 
‘undertook to edit another edition, two 
volumes of which are now published; 
and as the editor informs us, are * cor- 
rected, augmented, and improved.” The 
first volume was published in 1796, and 
the second in 180%. If another seven 
years elapse before the concluding vo- 
ol is made public, we presume that 
many gentlemen of the county will re- 
probate its tardy progress. In one of the 
volumes we expected to meet with an ad- 
_ vertisement or preface, but this very ne- 
a . . . . 
_ cessary explanation is withheld till the 
__ ¢onclusion of the werk, when the editor 
promises to give “(a map of the county, 
~ some additions to the letter-press, &c.”’ 
‘ 
eface, and the life of the author, with 
Without this preface we cannot easily 
enter into an investigation or history of 
these volumes, not knowing the respec- 
tive portions of each editor. We must 
By Joun Hurcuins, 
In 3 Vols. 
therefore content ourselves (for the pre- 
sent) with a concise analysis of the intro- 
duction, and a few remarks. 
The first volume commences at p. xxi, 
with anessay called an * Introduction,” 
which continues to page cxii. This con- 
tains some dissertations on the etymclogy 
and ancient history of the county, its 
boundary, first mhabitants, and antient 
monuments. Among the latter are enu- 
merated the Roman camps, roads, and 
barrows ; but in describing these relics 
of antiquity we find the same confusion 
of ideas, and of objects that characterise 
the writings of Doctor Stukeley, whose 
work on Stonehenge is frequently quoted 
and referred to. Many of the encamp- 
ments called and described as Roman, 
may with equal propriety be ascribed to 
any other warlike tribe who possessed 
this part of the country. On this sub- 
ject, with that of barrows, and what the 
author calls druidical remains, we find 
the descriptions and opinions very un- 
satisfactory and trite. With antient au- 
thors and their works the editors are 
much better acquainted, and we peruse 
