vi PREFACE, 



in conjed:ure. He vifited, and re\^ited 

 every pl6lure, every monument, that was 

 an objecl of his refearches ; and being fo 

 little a flave to his own imagination, he 

 was cautious of trufting to that of others. 

 In his memorandums he always put a quaere 

 againfl: whatever was told him of fufpicious 

 afpedl \ and never gave credit to it 'till he 

 received the fulleft fatisfaflion. Thus what- 

 ever trifles the reader finds, he will have 

 the comfort of knowing that the greateft 

 part at leafl are of moft genuine authority. 

 Whenever I have added to the compiler's 

 {lores, I have generally taken care to quote 

 as religioufly the fource of my intelligence. 

 Here and there I have tried to enliven the 

 drynefs of the fubjed by inferting facts not 

 totally foreign to it. Yet upon the whole 

 I defpair of its afix:>rding much entertain- 

 ment. The public have a title to whatever 

 was defigned for them : I offer this to them 

 as a debt — nobody will fufped that 1 fhould 

 have chofen fuch a fubjedl for fame. 



If the obfervation of a dearth of great 

 names in this lift fhould excite emulation, 

 and tend to produce abler mailers, Mr. Ver- 

 tucj I believe, and 1 fhould be glad to have 

 the continuation of the work do greater ho- 

 8 nour 



