BEING AN ACCOUNT OF SCARCE, VALUABLE, AND USEFUL ENGLISH BOOKS, MANUSCRIPT LIBRARIES, PUBLIC BY JAMES SAVAGE, OF THE LONDON INSTITUTION. VOL. III. Quisquis hujusmodi operis sategerit, ei non tantum multum tædii & la- PUBLIC LONDON: PRINTED BY AND FOR WILLIAM SAVAGE, 28, BEDFORD BURY. 1809. ASTOR FIBRAR PREFACE. The third volume of "The Librarian" being new completed, I will in this place take a short sketch of the principal part of its contents. The prevailing feature of this volume is Topographical; the History of Leeds, and of the Church of that town, by Ralph Thoresby, (who ranked among the first Antiquaries of his time, and whose Museum, particularly in medals and coins, was both rich and curious,) are now become very scarce and valuable; in giving an account of these voJumes, I have added many Notes, which serve to connect the history of some of the facts of the preceding century, relating to that town, with later alterations and improvements. The History of the Cathedral Church of Ely, by the Rev. Mr. Bentham, has always been esteemed a valuable work, and in giving an account of its contents I have been somewhat diffuse, particularly in what relates to the monastic economy of the Benedictine Abbeys. The account of Borlase's Natural History of Cornwall, and Carew's Survey of the same County, the Reader will connect with the account of the former Author's Work already given in the second volume of the Librarian. Respecting the Mineralogy of that County I have made se-. veral additions from Fraser's Agricultural Report, which I trust will meet with the Readers approbation. It is my intention as I proceed in this work to give the Bibliography of every County of the United Kingdom, a task it must be owned of considerable labour, but which, I trust, industry and perseverance will enable me to accomplish. To the account of Birch's Lives of Illustrious Persons I have made numerous additions in the notes, particularly respecting the Literary Works of those of whom that author has given the Biography. Of Sir William Hamilton's, work on the Phlegræan Fields, the plates form the principal part of the volume, and of these there is a complete list with an abridged description of the subject of each. The other parts of this volume, of which an account of the Records in the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey, by the Right Hon. George Rose, forms the most prominent part, I submit to the Reader, with the hope, that, as they contain matters of fact only, they will prove considerably serviceable, not only as articles of reference, but as documents, possessing sufficient authority to make them at all times interesting, both to the general Reader and the Historian. J. S. No. 8, Old Jewry, 1 |