SKETCH OF Modern and Antient GEOGRAPHY, FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS. BY SAMUEL BUTLER, D.D. SHREWSBURY, PRINTED AND SOLD BY W. EDDOWES : Sold also by DEIGHTON, Cambridge; PARKER and COOKE, Oxford; 1818, Baldevem 4010.5/ horman 16 May 910 B972s 1812 PREFACE. THE little book which I now present to the treatises on Modern Geography are already published, that I considered it unnecessary to give more than a rapid outline of this part of my subject, to enumerate the principal states and kingdoms of the world, the more eminently remarkable places in each, and some of the grandest features of nature or noblest monuments of art. On some occasions I have gone, comparatively speaking, more into detail; in others I A 2 have have studied conciseness, where perhaps somewhat more might have been expected; my object, however, has been to give as much information as possible in a small compass, to notice whatever was important, and admit nothing which might be thought superfluous. The Second Part, which contains a short view of Antient Geography, has been unattempted in this manner, as far as I know, by any one but myself. I have endeavoured to make a dry catalogue of names interesting and useful, by the application of history, chronology, and poetry; and I have selected those passages which occurred to my recollection from the books most generally read at schools of eminence and in colleges, for reasons sufficiently obvious to every teacher. To say nothing of the difficulty of printing Greek at a provincial press, which I have found on repeated trials to be insuperably great,* Latin, on other accounts, and especially Latin poetry, appeared to me preferable for quotation, as it is more easily committed to the memory, and more easily retained. I have, therefore, endeavoured to quote as many passages as might illustrate the subject, without overloading the memory of the student; and have now and then attempted to elucidate an obscure or disputed passage. I have also added * See the Note to my Installation Sermon, p. 129.] the the modern names of antient places, which I have caused to be printed in italics, to prevent obscurity or mistake. It may be said that I have not always given the most apposite quotation which might have been chosen; to which I must beg leave to answer, that I was contented to take the first which presented itself to my mind, and that, in the multiplicity of my engagements, I may reasonably be excused from more minute research. This little work was only thought of in September last; and though haste is no excuse for negligence, real and incessant occupation may plead for an occasional or trifling inaccuracy. I should hope few errors of moment will be found in the following pages. I have myself been cautious to examine the historical facts in the original authors, and to ascertain the chronological dates by reference to the best accessible authorities. And I have added two copious and separate indexes to each part ;-the nature and utility of which are so obvious, that it is unnecessary for me to add any thing on the subject. For the ground-work of the first part I chose the maps and text of PINKERTON; for that of the second part those of D'ANVILLE, that Sun of Geography, whose piercing rays illuminate the most . |