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your royal favour; and that the protection which your Majefty always affords to those who mean well may be extended to,

SIR,

Your Majesty's most dutiful fubject,

and moft obedient,

and moft humble fervant,

JOHN GWYNN.

Dedication to ADAMS'S TREATISE on the GLOBES, 1767.

SIR,

TO THE KING.

IT is the privilege of real greatness not to be afraid of diminution by condefcending to the notice of little things; and I therefore can boldly folicit the patronage of your Majefty to the humble labours by which I have endeavoured to improve the inftruments of science, and make the globes on which the earth and sky are delineated lefs defective in their conftruction, and lefs difficult in their use.

Geography is in a peculiar manner the science of princes. When a private student revolves the terraqueous globe, he beholds a fucceffion of countries in which he has no more intereft than in the imaginary regions of Jupiter and Saturn. But your Majefty must contemplate the fcientific picture with other sen

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timents

timents, and confider, as oceans and continents are rolling before you, how large a part of mankind is now waiting on your determinations, and may receive benefits, or fuffer evils, as your influence is extended or withdrawn.

The provinces which your Majesty's arms have added to your dominions, make no inconfiderable part of the orb allotted to human beings. Your power is acknowledged by nations whofe names we know not yet how to write, and whofe boundaries we cannot yet describe. But your Majefty's lenity and beneficence gives us reafon to expect the time when science shall be advanced by the diffusion of happinefs; when the defarts of America fhall become pervious and fafe; when thofe who are now reftrained by fear fhall be attracted by reverence; and multitudes who now range the woods for prey, and live at the mercy of winds and feafons, fhall by the paternal care of your Majesty enjoy the plenty of cultivated lands, the pleasures of fociety, the fecurity of law, and the light of Revelation.

I am, SIR,

Your Majesty's most humble, most obedient,

And most dutiful fubject and fervant,

GEORGE ADAMS.

Dedica

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Dedication to the ENGLISH WORKS of ROGER ASCHAM, quarto, about 1770.

To the Right Hon. ANTHONY ASHLEY COOPER, Earl of SHAFTESBURY, Baron ASHLEY, Lord Lieutenant and Cuftos Rotulorum of DORSETSHIRE, F. R. S.

MY LORD,

HAVING endeavoured by an elegant and useful edition, to recover the esteem of the Publick to an Author undeservedly neglected, the only care which I now owe to his memory, is that of infcribing his works to a patron whofe acknowledged eminence of character may awaken attention and attract regard.

I have not fuffered the zeal of an editor fo far to take poffeffion of my mind, as that I should obtrude upon your Lordship any productions unsuitable to the dignity fentiments. Afcham was not of your rank or of your only the chief ornament of a celebrated college, but vifited foreign countries, frequented courts, and lived in familiarity with statesmen and princes; not only inftructed scholars in literature, but formed Elizabeth to empire. To propagate the works of fuch a writer will not be unworthy of your Lordship's patriotifin: for I know not what greater benefits you can confer on your country, than that of preferving worthy names from oblivion, by joining them with your own,

I am, My LORD,

Your Lordship's most obliged, most

obedient, and most humble fervant,

JAMES BENNET.

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Preface

Preface to MACBEAN'S DICTIONARY of ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY, 1773.

THE neceffity of Geography to historical, political, and commercial knowledge, has been proved too often to be proved again. The curiofity of this nation is fufficiently awakened, and no books are more eagerly received than those which enlarge or facilitate an acquaintance with diftant countries.

But as the face of the world changes in time by the migration of nations, the ravages of conqueft, the decay of one empire, and the erection of another; as new inhabitants have new languages, and new languages give new names; the maps or defcriptions of a later age are not eafily applied to the narrations of a former: those that read the Ancients muft ftudy the ancient geography, or wander in the dark, without distinct views or certain knowledge.

Yet though the Ancients are read among us, both in the original languages and in tranflations, more perhaps than in any other country, we have hitherto had very little affiftance in ancient Geography. The treatise of Dr. Wells is too general for use, and the Claffical Geographical Dictionary, which commonly paffes under the name of Echard, is little more than a catalogue of naked

names.

A more ample account of the old world is apparently wanting to English literature, and no form feemed equally commodious with that of an alphabetical feries. In effect, however systematically any book of General Geography may be written, it is feldom ufed otherwife than

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as a Dictionary. The student wanting some knowledge of a new place, feeks the name in the index, and then by a fecond labour finds that in a fyftem which he would have found in a dictionary by the first.

As dictionaries are commodious, they are likewife fallacious he whofe works exhibit an apparent connexion and regular fubordination cannot eafily conceal his ignorance, or favour his idleness; the completeness of one part will show the deficiency of another: but the writer of a dictionary may filently omit what he does not know; and his ignorance, if it happens to be difcovered, flips away from cenfure under the name of forgetfulness.

This artifice of lexicography I hope I shall not often be found to have used. I have not only digefted former dictionaries into my alphabet, but have confulted the ancient geographers, without neglecting other authors. I have in fome degree enlightened ancient by modern geography, having given the fituation of places from later obfervation. Names are often changing, but place is always the fame, and to know it exactly is always of importance: there is no ufe of erring with the ancients, whofe knowledge of the globe was very imperfect; I have therefore ufed ancient names and modern calculations. The longitude is reckoned from London to the east and weft.

A work like this has long been wanted: I would willingly flatter myself that the want is now fupplied; and that the English student will for the future more easily understand the narratives of ancient hiftorians, the reafonings of ancient statesmen, and the defcriptions of ancient poets.

LET

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