Volume 1

The beauties of Ireland. Being original delineations, topographical, historical, and biographical, of each county / By J.N. Brewer. Illustrated with engravings, by J. & H.S. Storer, after original drawings, chiefly by Mr. Petrie.

  • Brewer, J. N. (James Norris)
Date:
1825-1826
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The beauties of Ireland. Being original delineations, topographical, historical, and biographical, of each county / By J.N. Brewer. Illustrated with engravings, by J. & H.S. Storer, after original drawings, chiefly by Mr. Petrie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    But the history and description of distinguished places, afford subjects of rational curiosity and gratification. The annals of a particular town often assist in developing obscure passages in the history of a country at large ; anda delineation of its prevailing features forms a species of literary portraiture, the value of which is denoted by the increasing taste for its cultivation manifested in every polite and lettered part of the British empire. The noble or private demesne, also, acquires additional charms, in the esteem of the examiner, when the scroll of its records is unfolded, and the names of such former possessors as were eminent for virtue, wit, or warlike exploit, are held forward to notice. Such historie recollections render every hill and lawn in the fair possessions a sort ‘of consecrated ground, and interest the feelings in an examl- nation of a decaying pile, whilst they emblazon and dignify the page of genealogy. Actuated by the convictions thus briefly stated, we present in this work a comprehensive outline of intelligence respecting the extent, arid the natural and artificial character, of each county ; but adopt a principle of selection in describing its different towns, mansions, and antiquities, and expatiate only where interest appears to demand an amplitude of discussion, ‘Previous to topographical inquiries it is obviously necessary to gubwit @ statement of many particulars relating to the island, in a general view. These prefatory remarks shall be as concise. as is deemed compatible with the duty of conveying information respecting the NATURAL CIRCUMSTANCES ; the PoLITICAL and EO» CLESIASTICAL pivisions; the HISTORY, as ILLUSTRATING TOPO- ‘GRAPHY and ANTIQUITIES 5 and the PRESENT STATE OF, TrELANnD. This island, has been described under various Namus in dif- ferent ages, but is chiefly recognised, by foreign writers in antient times, under the successive appellations of Hibernia and Scotia. It is certain that Ireland was known to the Greeks, at least. three centuries before the christian cra. Strabo observes that Eyatosthenes, Iibrarian to Ptolemy Philadelphus, King of Egypt, was 80 well-acquainted with the western parts of Europe, that he determined the distance of Ireland (Ierne) from Celtica, In ‘the: