Manuscript, in a single hand, of a description of the author's tour through France and Italy in 1770, traveling with his master Robert Fellowes and Thomas Durrant, and recording his interactions with the inhabitants, curious sights, local hygienic practices, and traveling conditions. At one point he writes that he fell 14 times from his horse, while in Aquapendente he witnesses a postboy beating the horses "in a most unmerciful manner." In Bologna, he records news of banditti "which infested this part of the Country consisting of upwards of 40 men." He also climbs Mount Vesuvius "about two years since there was a dreadful eruption," where he walks on rough lava and ashes "in many places knee deep." Elsewhere, he notes the practice in Italy of hanging ladies' negligees out of coach windows and the presence of lice on the Italian nobility; and expresses his regret at the lack of diversions during this season of the year, as he should have been "very glad to have been here at the time of the Carnival when all kinds of diversions are allowed, such as Plays, Operas, Maskings, Horseraces &c." and At the conclusion of the manuscript, the author describes his return to England in excellent health and his gratitude to his "indulgent master" Mr. Durrant; addresses the manuscript to his father; and signs it "J Deeker London March 12th 1770." Bound in throughout the manuscript are 13 maps, colored in red and green representing stages of the author's journey, and 11 pen and wash drawings of such scenes as Trajan's pillar at Rome; Remains of three taverns where St Paul met his friends; and the Palace of the duke of Tuscany at Florence. A wash drawing entitled "Mons. D-r [Deeker] riding post", probably copied from Henry William Bunbury's print "Courier francois", is also bound in.
Description:
James Deeker was one of the first aeronauts in England. His hot-air balloon ascent in Norwich in June, 1785, was witnessed by Horace's nephew, George, the 3rd Earl of Orford., In English., Index of places visited at end of manuscript, as well as a mileage chart and a "List of Painters &c." which lists artists' names and brief biographies., On flyleaves, two pages in pencil recording "Interesting Remarks" and their page numbers., Autograph in pencil on flyleaf: ER Pratt. April 1812., Bookplate of Roger Pratt. Written in pencil on bookplate: Ryston Hall. Norfolk., and Binding: full reverse calf. Marbled endpapers. Stamped on spine: Deeker's Journal. Written on spine: 1770.
Subject (Geographic):
Europe., Europe, France, Italy, and Vesuvius (Italy)
Subject (Name):
Deeker, James.
Subject (Topic):
Grand tours (Education), Tourism, Travelers' writings, English, Ruins, Social life and customs, and Description and travel
Manuscript, in a single hand, of a collection of descriptions of residences of English nobility. The author focuses on descriptions of the views from each seat and the landscape in which the house is situated; occasionally he also describes the architecture and furnishings of the houses and provides anecdotes about the owners. He calls Winander Meer in Westmoreland "the largest water of the kind in England," and notes its picturesque promontories and shrub-decorated shores. At Raby Castle in North Riding, Yorkshire, the seat of the Earl of Darlington, he praises the Gothic taste of the windows; provides the dimensions of the "rendezvous apartment"; and explains how the dog-kennel, "rising out of a wood," beautifies the scene. He also speaks approvingly of Sir James Lowther's project in Cumberland of "building a town to consist of 300 houses, for the use of such of his Domesticks, and other people as are married," which he calls "a most incomparable method of promoting population."
Description:
In English., Alphabetical table of contents at beginning of manuscript., At end of manuscript: "The following table of Rooms in the Noblemen & Gentlemen's Seats mentioned in this Vol[u]me do not give the exact proportion of any whole house ... .", Title from title page., Bookplate of Philip Shirley., Bookplate of Ettington Manuscript Library. Written in ink in center: No. 62., Steel engraving pasted on preliminary leaf, opposite clipping with description: Ickworth House near Bury St. Edmunds : the seat of the most noble the Marquess of Bristol / engd. on steel by Alfred Adlard. 50 Dorset Street, Salisbury Square., and Binding: quarter calf over marbled boards. Printed on spine: Noblemens Seats.
Subject (Geographic):
England., England, and Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Young, Arthur, 1741-1820.
Subject (Topic):
Architecture, Domestic, Gentry, Homes and haunts, Nobility, Social life and customs, Travelers' writings, English, and Description and travel
Manuscript, in a single hand, of a diary of a journey from Dublin to England and then to Cork, written in a lighthearted and sometimes satirical manner. Traveling with his father, his friend Valerius, and a servant, the Irish author records his impressions in England of churches he visits; where he takes his meals; and the inhabitants he meets. After describing several churches in Liverpool, he writes, "I am broke of in this Part of my Description, as I think by some simpering or laughing; but on Enquiry I am supris'd to find it's some of my Female Acquaintance," which causes him, he writes, to lose the spirit to continue with his description. Elsewhere, he visits silk mills and describes the cost and workings of the machinery. At Nottingham, he notes that "most of the Inhabitants here are Presbyterians and I really believe I was in five different Meetings which I mistook for Churches, and at Length was so much vexed at being so often disappointed that I protested against looking further for one." Throughout, he records numerous encounters with women, including a landlord's daughter with whom he carries on a flirtation. The narrative is prefaced by an introduction addressed to "Madam," in which he speaks disapprovingly of women's coquetry, and mocks "our country-women who have been abroad," who "commonly return Home with Variety of odd Pronunciations, particular Gestures, & new Fashions, perhaps never known in any Part of the World, but the Production of their own fertile Brain."
Description:
Author of the manuscript is an unknown Irishman., In English., Index at end of manuscript., Leather oval bookplate inside front cover: Ex Musaeo Huthii., and Binding: full morocco; gilt decoration. Printed on spine: Narrative of a journey through England. MS. 1752.
Subject (Geographic):
England, Liverpool (England), London (England), and Nottingham (England)
Subject (Topic):
English wit and humor, Travelers' writings, English, Women, Conduct of life, Description and travel, and Buildings, structures, etc
Holograph diary recording Macartney's embassy to China between September 11, 1792 and January 15, 1794. The first volume narrates his journey to China; embarking on board a man-of-war from London, he lists the members of his train; describes his stop in Madeira, where he dines with the governor, visits the gardens, and attends a ball. He then stops at Tenerife, where he learns of "barbarities committed by the blacks" in St. Domingo; and continues with stops at St. Iago; Rio de Janeiro; and the islands of Amsterdam and St. Paul. Throughout, he provides summaries of the island's history, inhabitants, agriculture, and interesting flora and fauna. The volume concludes with two essays on trade and commerce, one on avarice and the other explaining differences of custom and manners between Chinese and Europeans which cause difficulties in conducting trade. This latter treatise is preceded by a petition by "Tong-Foo and Buble-me-qua" asking for aid in recovering debts owed them by English merchants and The second volume begins with a brief summary of the journey from England, but focuses primarily on his time in China. He describes, in detail, the reception he receives from the local dignitaries upon his arrival in China; the activities and machinations of the court and courtiers; the architecture; social life and customs; missionary work in China; British foreign relations with China; and especially his own opinions concerning cultural differences in negotiating with various members of the court. The volume concludes with his opinion on how to preserve the diplomatic ground lately gained in China. At the beginning of the first manuscript is an inscription, "This journal was written by Lord Macartney on board the Lion merely for his own amusement and to pass away some tedious hours of a very long sea voyage."
Description:
In English., Watermark on paper: 1803., Marbled endpapers in vol. 1., and Binding: vol. 1: full vellum. Vol. 2: half vellum; back board is covered with marbled paper. Written on spine of vol. 2: Embassy to China.
Subject (Geographic):
Amsterdam Island (Terres australes et antarctiques françaises), China, Great Britain., Great Britain, China., Madeira Islands, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Saint Paul Island (Indian Ocean), and Tenerife (Canary Islands)
Subject (Name):
Macartney, George Macartney, Earl, 1737-1806.
Subject (Topic):
Diplomatic and consular service, British, Travelers' writings, English, Commerce, Court and courtiers, Description and travel, Foreign relations, Politics and government, and Social life and customs
Manuscript journal of travel through France, Luxembourg, the Rhine Valley, the Alps, and Italy. Subjects include the conditions of the roads, conveyances and inns; traveling expenses; and baggage searches and repeated questioning by customs and border officials. Sights mentioned include the Duke's palace at Heidelberg; Gibbon's house at Lausanne; Mont Blanc; the salt works at Bex; and the Cathedral of Milan and the "Last Supper, dreadfully injured by damp and illtreatment....it is hoped the picture will remain in its present state." and The author also mentions a fete given by the Princess of Wales near Lake Como and art and monuments in several Italian cities. He occasionally comments on the still-visible effects of the recent wars, noting that Chateau Thierry "bears strong marks of the Campaign of 1814" and pointing out deforestation and damaged buildings
Description:
Annotation on p. 1 in pencil, in a later hand: "probably Warburton Davies." and Binding: original marbled wrappers.
Subject (Geographic):
Alps, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland
Subject (Name):
Caroline, Queen, consort of George IV, King of Great Britain, 1768-1821. and Davies, Warburton.
Subject (Topic):
Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815, Influence, Travelers' writings, English, and Description and travel
Manuscript, in a single hand with numerous corrections, of a description of European travels, mainly in Greece, Italy and Germany, where the author visits such cities as Naples, Messina, Malta, Florence, Salerno, Rome, Constantinople, Athens, Smyrna, Corinth, and Corfu, paying particular attention to monuments and agriculture. He views paintings and churches in Naples; visits the Campo Santo "where there are 366 holes or vaults in which the poor are interred"; sees Vesuvius; hears Mass at the Sistine Chapel; and reports on "the state of vegitation during the voyage." Elsewhere, the author notes a tempest of snow, hail, and wind on his sea voyage out of Malta; accompanies his brother "Joe" to Barcelona, where he kills two quails; admires the scenery of Switzerland and visits the landmarks associated with the legend of William Tell; and describes his meals throughout. At the end of the third volume is a list of traveling expenses. All volumes are illustrated throughout with several dozen pen and ink sketches of landscapes and monuments
Description:
In English. and Binding: full calf. Vol. 1 has metal clasp.
Subject (Geographic):
Switzerland, Altdorf., Germany, Great Britain, Greece, and Italy
Subject (Name):
Tell, Wilhelm
Subject (Topic):
Monuments, Agriculture, Europe, Travelers' writings, English, Description and travel, Social life and customs, and Religious life and customs
Holograph diary which chronicles a journey through France, Switzerland and Italy, compiled from several diaries of different journeys, the earliest being a tour in the summer of 1816. The author travels to Calais from London with members of her family. In Paris, she sees King Louis XVIII reviewing his troops in commemoration of his return to Paris last year; attends the theater; visits the Conservatorie des Arts et des Metiers to view the models of machines; and dines at Very's. She also visits the porcelain manufactory at Sevres; climbs Montanvert, describing the system of sticks used by their guides to protect them from falling; and spends the night in a monastery in St. Bernard, in the same room in which Napoleon stayed on his way to the Battle of Marengo. In Italy, she attends the opera in Turin, commenting on its lighting system, "which like the theatres in France is dark, the only lights being on the stage." She also vists churches, admires artwork and architecture, ascends Mount Vesuvius, and attends Mass at the Sistine Chapel. The diary concludes with a visit to the Devil's Bridge in Switzerland and The diary is annotated throughout, in the same hand, with further notes concerning the journey
Description:
In English. and Binding: quarter pigskin. Taped on spine: MS. Diary 1816.
Subject (Geographic):
France, Italy, Europe, Switzerland, and Vesuvius (Italy)
Subject (Topic):
Mountaineering, Alps, Theater, Travelers' writings, English, Description and travel, and Social life and customs
Manuscript of a travel diary which opens with the writer already in Rome on December 11, 1765, documents his sojourn in Italy, and concludes with a journey to Vienna, Berlin, and finally Potsdam one year later. The unidentified author describes the art and architecture of several Italian cities, the studios of artists and art dealers in Rome, and military sites, garrisons, and installations in Venice, Toulon and Austria, as well as the docks and warships of Naples
Description:
Bookplate: Ver Hayden de Lancey of the Middle Temple and Grey's Inn., Flyleaf note: "Diary of a stay in Rome 1764/64 and a journey from Rome to Berlin via Naples Marseilles - Genoa - Milan - Parma -Bologna , Venice and Vienna. by a member of the de Lancey family" , possibly in the hand of Baron Ver Hayden de Lancey., and Binding: original limp vellum with flap; remains of wax seal with coat of arms on flap and back cover.
Subject (Geographic):
Europe, Italy, and Naples (Italy)
Subject (Topic):
Military art and science, Travelers' writings, English, Travel diaries, Description and travel, and History
Holograph diary of a stay in Brussels and France after the Battle of Waterloo. Many of the author's observations reflect the recent battle; she reports, for example, on the celebrations in Brussels when its inhabitants receive news of Napoleon's surrender; provides news about various acquaintances in the military as well as other military news after the Battle of Waterloo; and describes Paris as "a military camp for all the nations of Europe." She also makes numerous comparisons between French and English culture, as when she views a play at the Theatre Francaise and comments on the lighting techniques in French playhouses as compared to those in England. Elsewhere, she views as statue of King Henri IV and comments on his reign; vists the porcelain manufactory at Sevres; and describes acquaintances she makes in Brussels. The diary concludes with her road journey from Boulogne to Calais, where she meets several friends, and then to Dover, At the end of the volume is a table of inns in which the author stayed, and The work is the second volume of a set; see Osborn d186 for the first volume in the set. The author's diary was published in 1817
Description:
In English., Title from title page., Autograph on flyleaf: Jane Waldie., Written inside front cover: No. 118., and Binding: quarter red morocco.
Subject (Geographic):
France, Great Britain, and Belgium
Subject (Name):
Eaton, Charlotte Ann (Waldie), 1788-1859., Henry IV, King of France, 1553-1610., Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821., Waldie, John, 1781-1862., and Watts, Jane (Waldie), 1793-1826.
Subject (Topic):
Theater, Travelers' writings, English, Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815, Women authors, Description and travel, and Social life and customs