M. MISSON's MEMOIRS AND OBSERVATIONS IN HIS TRAVELS OVER ENGLAND. With fome Account of SCOTLAND and IRELAND. Difpos'd in Alphabetical Order. Written originally in French, and tranflated by LONDON: Printed for D. Browne, A. Bell, F. Darby, то WILLIAM BATEMAN, Efq; N English Gentleman, just return'd from making his Obfervations in Foreign Countries, may not be averfe to fee the Obfervations made by a Foreign Gentleman in England; efpecially when, as in thefe Memoirs, A 2 Com Comparisons are occafionally made between the Cuffoms and Manners of the one and the other: For this Reafon, Sir, as alio becaufe I had the Permiffion of your Father for the like Liberty, (had he liv'd) I prefume to lay before YOU, his worthy Heir and Succeffor, the Senfe of a judicious and ingenious Frenchman, concerning our English Usages, Fashions, and Laws; together with Minutes of what He thought most worthy of Remark, both in our Religion and Politicks; as alfo His Account of our natural Curiofities, and a multitude of Hiftorical Facts. The whole illuftrated with Notes, partly the Authors, partly my own, THE free Manner in which he fpeaks of the English Politicks and Practices, can displease but two Sorts of People; fuch as are difpleas'd with the REVOLUTION, and fuch as don't confider how apt we our felves are, are, both in Speaking and Writing, to ridicule the French. WHENEVER our Author mentions Things of Fact, he does it with wonderful Exactnefs and Knowledge of the Truth. As for fuch Things as are purely Speculative, he reprefents them according to his own Ideas and Notions of 'em: Others may perhaps conceive the fame Things in a different Light, according to the Diversity of Minds and Paffions. The reading fuch a Book must give the fame Sort of Pleasure, as the being told. what People fay of us behind our Backs. These were the very Words of your late excellent Father, when I hinted to him the Matter and Manner of thefe Memoirs; which (by the Way) are become fo fcarce, as hardly to be procur'd, upon any Terms, in the Original. |