Among earlier works devoted to, or dealing largely with topography, a
few may be mentioned out of a considerable mass. W. Camden,
_Britannia; sive florentissimorum regnorum Angliae, Scotiae, Hiberniae
... chorographica descriptio_ (1586 and subsequent editions; in
Latin, but translated by several successive writers both in Camden's
time and later); M. Drayton, _Poly-Olbion_ (a descriptive poem, first
issued in a complete form in 1622); T. Fuller, _History of the
Worthies of England_ (1662); J. Leland, _Itinerary_, and
_Collectanea_, edited by T. Hearne respectively in 1710 and 1715; T.
Cox and A. Hall, _Magna Britannia_ (1720, based on Camden's
_Britannia_, in English); D. Defoe, _Tour through the whole Island of
Great Britain ... divided into Circuits or Journeys_ (1724-1727);
various works of Thomas Pennant, published between 1741 and 1820, and,
at the same period, of Arthur Young (topographical treatises on
agriculture, &c.); W. Gilpin, _Observations on Picturesque Beauty made
in the Year 1776 in several Parts of Great Britain_ (1778); _Essays on
Prints and Early Engravings; Western Parts of England_ (1798), and
other works on various districts; _Gentleman's Magazine_ (1731-1868);
E. W. Brayley, J. Britton and others, _Beauties of England and Wales,
or, Original Delineation, Topographical, Historical and Descriptive,
of each County_ (1801-1818; both the authors named wrote other
descriptive works on special localities; Britton wrote _Architectural
Antiquities of Great Britain_, 1835); Daniel Lysons (with the
collaboration of his brother Samuel), _Magna Britannia_,
_Topographical Account of the several Counties of Great Britain_
(1806-1822; the counties were taken alphabetically but on the death of
Samuel Lysons in 1819 the work was stopped at Devonshire); Sir G.
Head, _Home Tour in the Manufacturing Districts of England_ (1835);
Nathaniel Hawthorne, _English Notebooks_ (1870). Among modern
publications, out of a great mass of works of more or less popular
character, there may be mentioned the well-known series of _Murray's
Guides_, in which each volume treats of a county or group of counties.
Early in the 20th century the _Victoria History of the Counties of
England_ (dedicated to Queen Victoria) began to appear; its volumes
deal with each county from every aspect--natural history, prehistoric
and historic antiquities, ethnography, history, economic conditions,
topography and sport being dealt with by authorities in all branches.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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