Observations on popular antiquities: including the whole of Mr. Bourne's Antiquitates vulgares, with addenda to every chapter of that work: as also, an appendix containing such articles on the subject as have been omitted by that author / By John Brand.

  • Brand, John, 1744-1806.
Date:
1810
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on popular antiquities: including the whole of Mr. Bourne's Antiquitates vulgares, with addenda to every chapter of that work: as also, an appendix containing such articles on the subject as have been omitted by that author / By John Brand. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    cies of a Multitude, do not seem calculated for a long Duration; yet have these survived Shocks, by which even Empires have been overthrown, and preserved at least some Forni: and Colour of Identity, duting a Repe- tition of Changes, both in Religious Opinions, and in the Polity of States. But the strongest Proof of their remote Antiquity, is, that they have out-lived the general Knowledge of the very Causes that gave rise to them. The Reader will find in the subsequent pages an union of Endeavours to rescue many of these Causes from Obli- vion, If, on the investigation, they appear to any so fri- volous as not to have deserved the Pains of the Search, the humble Labourers will avoid Censure, by incurring Contempt. How trivial saever such an Enquiry may seem to some, yet all must be informed that it is attended with no small share of Difficulty and Toil. A Passage is to be forced through a Wilderness intti- cate and entangled : few Vestiges of former Labours can be found to direct us ; we must oftentimes trace a tedious retrospective Course, perhaps to return at last weary and unsatisfied, from the making of Researches, fruitless as those of some ancient enthusiastic Traveller, who rang- ing the barren African Sands, had in vain attempted to investigate the hidden Sources of the Nile. Rugged and narrow as this Walk of Study may seem to many, yet Lancy (who shares with Hope the pleasing Office of brightening a passage through every Route of human Endeavour) opens from hence to Prospects, en- riched with the choicest Beauties of her magic Creation. The prime Origin of the superstitious Notions and Cere- monies of the People is absolutely unattainable ; we des- pair