That Your Lordship may go thro' all those Eminent Stations of Life, for which Nature has qualified You, with the generall applause of those Nations which have an equal intreft in Your promifing Parts, and that You may long continue to be a Noble Patron of Vertue and Learning is the fincere wish of May it please Your Lordship Moft Humble and most Obedient Servant H: SCHEURLEEK. PRE PREFA. C E. T 'HERE is certainly no Place in the World where a Man may Travel with greater Pleasure and Advantage than in Italy. One finds fomething more particular in the Face of the Country, and more aftonishing in the Works of Nature, than can be met with in any other Part of Europe. It is the great School of Mufick and Painting, and contains in it all the nobleft Productions of Statuary and Architecture both Ancient and Modern. It abounds with Cabinets of Curiofities, and vaft Collections of all Kinds of Antiquities. No other Country in the World has fuch a Variety of Governments, that are fo different in their Conftitutions and fo refin'd in their Politicks. There is scarce any Part of the ** the Nation that is not Famous in Hiftory, nor fo much as a Mountain or River that has not been the Scene of fome extraordinary Action. As there are few Men that have Talents or Opportunities for examining fo copious a Subject, one may obferve among those who have written on Italy, that different Authors have fucceded beft on different forts of Curiofities. Some have been more particular in their Accounts of Pictures, Statues and Buildings; Some have fearch'd into Libraries, Cabinets of Rarities, and Collections of Medals, as others have been wholly taken up with Infcriptions Ruins and Antiquities. Among the Authors of our own Country, we are obliged to the Bishop of Salisbury, for his masterly and uncommon Obfervations on the Religion and Governments of Italy: Laffels may be useful in giving us the Names of Juch fuch Writers as have treated of the feveral States through which he pafs'd Mr. Ray is to be valu'd for his Obfervations on the Natural Productions of the Place. Monjicur Miffon has wrote a more correct Account of Italy in general than any before him, as he particularly Excels in the Plan of the Country, which he has given us in true and lively Colours. There are still feveral of thefe Topicks that are far from being exhaufted, as there are many new Subjects that a Traveller may find to employ himself upon. For my own part, as I have taken Notice of feveral Places and Antiquities that no Body else has spoken of, fo, 1 think, I have mention'd but fere Things in common with others, that are not either fet in a new Light or accompany'd with different Reflections. I have taken care particu * * 2 larly larly to confider the feveral Paffages of the Ancient Poets, which have any Relation to the Places or Curiofities that I met with: For before I enter'd on my Voyage I took care to refresh my Memory among the Claffic Authors, and to make fuch Collections out of 'em as I might afterwards have Occafion for. I must confefs it was not one of the leaft Entertainments that I met with in Travelling, to examine thefe feveral Defcriptions, as it were, upon the Spot and to compare the Natural Face of the Country with the Landskips that the Poets have given us of it. However, to avoid the Confufion that might arife from a Multitude of Quo tations, I have only cited fuch Verfes as have given us fome Image of the Place, or that have fomething elfe befides the bare Name of it to recommend 'em. MONACO, |