after, and their exertions liberally remunerated. He trusts, therefore, that the Plates will be found generally executed with due talent and fidelity. On finally taking leave of the Subscribers to this Work, and (on the present occasion), of its numerous friends, the Publisher and Proprietors have the sincere gratification arising from a consciousness of having endeavoured to realize every promise held forth at the commencement of the concern, with the exception of a List of the Subscribers. This promise was made in the infancy of the undertaking; and the subsequent extension of patronage, and alterations proceeding from the great length of time employed in its completion, will, it is confidently hoped, plead a sufficient apology for the abandonment of such a part of the original design. That very arduous part of the promised contents, an INTRODUCTION, comprising "a Review of British, Roman, and Saxon History," has been performed, at an expense of time and labour to which the size of the Volume is by no means correspondent. The Subscribers will recollect that the Introductory Essay was originally intended to form part of the first Volume, but that its execution was deferred, on account of "the length of time, and extensive reading, necessary to the full investigation and arrangement of the numerous and complex sub ject jects it involves."It is hoped that the same causes of delay will obtain an excuse for its late appearance, when consigned to the hand of a writer unconnected with the work in its early stages. But he has great pleasure in acknowledging the friendly conduct of MR. BRITTON, who has, on every occasion, afforded with most obliging liberality, such information as was requested concerning the plan on which it was originally intended that the Introduction should be executed; and has, also, favoured the author with the loan of several rare books. It was observed, in a former address to the Subscribers, that "The publication of THE BEAUTIES OF ENGLAND AND WALES, in a series of detached parts, rendered unavoidable a vast number of allusions to the state of the country in preceding times; and to the manners and endowments of the inhabitants, and the prevailing laws, institutions, and arts at different periods of history. To have elucidated these on every occurrence would have led to innumerable repetitions; and entirely to omit all elucidation would leave the Work much less complete and satisfactory than the Proprietors were desirous it should ultimately remain in the hands of their Subscribers. Necessity, therefore, has combined with inclination in throwing together, as Introductory matter, whatever is of general application." Such * Advertisement on the completion of the first Volume of the Beauties of Eugland and Wales. b 4 Such terms of explanation, however, scarcely apply to the whole of the desiderata which became obvious on a more mature consideration of the subject. The requisite topics of disquisition in a complete introduction to the study of English and Welsh Topography, were, indeed, found to be so multifarious, that it remained only to make a selection of the classes imperatively demanding notice. In prosecuting this choice of subjects, the Editor has been guided by an estimate of the objects most frequently occurring in topographical researches, and least illustrated by remarks to be found, in a condensed form, in books easily attainable. He has, therefore, selected, as primary objects of attention, those subjects of antiquarian enquiry which form so large and interesting a portion of the "Beauties ;" and concerning which the most satisfactory information is scattered in many weighty, recondite, and very expensive works. In the execution of his task he has abstained, in general practice, from the delivery of individual opinion; and has considered it his duty to present a digest of the remarks afforded by the most judicious writers upon every subject chosen for discussion. Thus endeavouring to render "the Introduction to the Beautics," a brief summary of antiquarian observations on such topics as appeared to be most essential in topographical investigations. If the reader should deem his pages deficient in that relief which springs from anecdote, and which has has been cultivated in our County delineations, he is requested to recollect that the unavoidable limits of the Introduction prevented much attention to incidental remark, or studied ornament; and that the first, great object of the Editor was the conveyance of information. In attempting this office, it has been his endeavour to facilitate as much as possible the study of antiquities, by rendering the approaches easy; and by referring, in the margin, to works of most ready intelligence, while more abstruse authorities are left for notice in the appended list of Books treating on the collective topography and antiquities of this country. Anxious to avail himself of the opportunity presented by the Introductory Volume, the Editor, under the direction of the Publisher, has collected from the writers of several counties some additional corrections, together with a few particulars of intelligence obtained since the production of their respective volumes, or calculated to supply omissions almost inevitable to the celerity of periodical publication. It has likewise been judged desirable to insert in this volume, summaries of the population, according to the returns made under the authority of Parliament in the year 1811, for all such counties as were described in "the Beauties" before the publication of those returns. Thus, as far as was attainable, the Proprietors have endeavoured to render their work applicable, in every important point, point, to the existing state of topographical cir cumstances. A truly pleasing duty remains to be performed. The names of those noblemen and gentlemen who favoured this publication with the contribution of Plates; who honoured the different editors with a correspondence on the subject of topographical information; or otherwise facilitated the execution of these Historical and Descriptive Delineations of England and Wales; have often been noticed, during the progress of the work, only on such su`pernumerary leaves as were liable to be destroyed on the binding of the volumes in a complete form. -A grateful sense of respect to these liberal patrons of the undertaking, imperatively demands that their names should be now collected, and presented to the remembrance of the Subscribers and the Public, in pages which, from situation, are likely to be as durable as those improved by the intelligence that they afforded. In addition to the tie of gratitude, it cannot fail of being desirable to exhibit the degree of favour obtained in the execution of so extensive a topographical work, as a mark of the superior liberality of the present age, compared with those in which similar investigations were, with greater difficulty, carried into effect. It is requisite, however, that the editors should place a faithful record in the annals of topography; and it must not be concealed that, in nearly every county, |