REDUCTION of LIVRES, At TEN-PENCE HALFPENNY each. No. £. S. d. 340 14 17 350 15 6 3 148 2 2 89 3 17 10 85 86 87 3 14 4 3 16 11/1 360 15 15 370 16 39 390 17 I 400 17 10 49 2 2 101 90 3 18 9 410 17 18 9 420 | 18 7 7 6 512 4 7/ 92 4 6 430 18 16 3 752 2 5 6 93 4 4 44019 5 53 2 64/2/ 94 4 2 3 450 19 13 9 54 2 31460 20 2 16 30 96 30 96 30 96 30 96 30 96 30 96 30 96 mo a96 30 96 870 890 900 910 920 930 38 I 3. 9 940 41 2 950 41 II 960 570 24 18 3 56 17 6 3 1400 61 5 42 O 43 15 O 1100 48 2 6. 9 1200 52 10 1300 1500 65 12 1600 70 2000 87 10 O 2100 91 17 6 3 2200 96 5 40 I 15 O 81 3 10 10 TRAVELS, &c. HERE are two methods of writing travels; to register the journey itself, THE or the result of it. In the former cafe, it is a diary, under which head are to be claffed all those books of travels written in the form of letters. The latter ufually falls into the fhape of effays on diftinct fubjects. Of the former method of compofing, almost every book of modern travels is an example. Of the latter, the admirable effays of my valuable friend Mr. Profeffor Symonds, upon Italian agriculture, are the moft perfect fpecimens. It is of very little importance what form is adopted by a man of real genius; he will make any form useful, and any information interefting. But for perfons of more moderate talents, it is of confequence to confider the circumftances for and against both these modes. The journal form hath the advantage of carrying with it a greater degree of credibility; and, of course, more weight. A traveller who thus regifters his obfervations is detected the moment he writes of things he has not feen. He is precluded from giving studied or elaborate remarks upon infufficient foundations: If he fees little, he must register little if he has few good opportunities of being well informed, the reader is enabled to obferve it, and will be induced to give no more credit to his relations than the fources of them appear to deferve: if he paffes fo rapidly through a country as neceffarily to be no judge of what he fees, the reader knows it: if he dwells long in places of little or no moment with private views or for private bufinefs, the circumftance is feen; and thus the reader has the fatisfaction of being as fafe from impofition either defigned or involuntary, as the nature of the cafe will admit: all which advantages are wanted in the other method. Eut to balance them, there are on the other hand fome weighty inconveniences; among these the principal is, the prolixity to which a diary generally leads; the very mode of writing almoft making it inevitable. It neceffarily caufes repetitions of the fame fubjects and the fame ideas; and that furely must be deemed no inconfiderable fault, when one employs many words to fay what might be better faid in a few. Another capital objection is, that fubjects of importance, inftead of being treated de fuite for illuftration or comparison, are given by scraps as received, without order, and without connection; a mode which lessens the effect of writing, and deftroys much of its utility. In favour of compofing effays on the principal objects that have been obferved, that is, giving the refult of travels and not the travels themselves, there is this obvious and great advantage, that the subjects thus treated are in as complete a state of combination and illustration as the abilities of the author can make them; the matter comes with full force and effect. Another admirable circumstance is brevity; for by the rejection of all useless details, the reader has nothing before him but what tends to the full explanation of the subject: of the disadvantages, I need not speak; they are fufficiently noted by fhewing the benefits of the diary form; for proportionably to the benefits of the one, will clearly be the difadvantages of the other. After weighing the pour and the contre, I think that it is not impracticable in my peculiar cafe to retain the benefits of both these plans. With one leading and predominant object in view, namely agriculture, I have conceived that I might throw each fubject of it into diftinct chapters, retaining all the advantages which arife from compofing the refult only of my travels. At the fame time, that the reader may have whatever fatisfaction flows from the diary form, the obfervations which I made upon the face of the countries through which I paffed; and upon the manners, cuftoms, amusements, towns, roads, feats, &c. may, without injury, be given in a journal, and thus fatisfy the reader in all thofe points, with which he ought in candour to be made acquainted, for the reafons above intimated. It is upon this idea that I have reviewed my notes, and executed the work I now offer to the public. for But travelling upon paper, as well as moving amongst rocks and rivers, hath its difficulties. When I had traced my plan, and begun to work upon it, I rejected, without mercy, a variety of little circumftances relating to myself only, and of converfations with various perfons which I had thrown upon paper the amusement of my family and intimate friends. For this I was remonftrated with by a perfon, of whofe judgment I think highly, as having abfolutely spoiled my diary, by expunging the very paffages that would beft please the mafs of common readers; in a word, that I must give up the journal plan entirely, or let |