It is not that we have a less fund of curiosities than they, were the description of them attempted by an abler hand, and more adequate experience. Two or three of the plates are inserted only as heads, being not referred to in the discourse, as Tab. VIII. the ground-plot of the ruins of Whitehall. I myself never saw the palace, but was pleased that I chanced to take this draught of its ruinous ichnography, but the very week before totally destroyed. Thus much I thought owing to the venerable memory of that name, which is ever the word at sea with British ships, and which makes the whole world tremble. Tab. X. is an ancient seal of the bishops of Norwich.[1] This plate the learned and curious Mr. le Neve, Norroy king at arms, lent me out of his good will to promote the work: the seal is remarkable for having letters upon the edge, represented in the empty ringlet; the manner of it is like our milled money; but how it was performed in wax, is not easy to say. Tab. XV. was likewise lent me by Mr. Norroy abovesaid. I design always, in these collections of mine, to insert one plate in a hundred, of some person’s _effigies_ that has deserved well of the antiquities of Britain: it is but a just piece of gratitude to their memory. Tab. XL. (the Greek view at Athens) I took from an original drawing in Mr. Talman’s collection. I have some more of that sort: though they relate not to Britain, I do not fear the reader will be displeased with me on that account. How much rather ought we to lament the scarcity of such! What noble monuments of Greece are sunk into eternal oblivion, through want of Drawing in travellers that have been there in great numbers, or for want of encouragement to those that are able! With what regret do I mention that most beautiful temple of Minerva in the citadel of Athens, without dispute the finest building upon the globe, _anno_ 1694! that year it was casually blown up with gunpowder, and not a drawing of it preserved. [Illustration: _Guil: Faithorne Sculp:_ _HENRICUS SPELMANNUS._ _Eques Auratus._] [Illustration: PALACES. _The Groundplot of the Ruins of Whitehall June 14. 1718._ _Stukeley del_ _JVᵈᵉʳ. Gucht Sculp_] [Illustration: _Ex autographo penes Maiorem et Com̃unitat._ _Villæ Lenne Regis in Com Norff._ I. Harris Sculpᵗ.] [Illustration: _A View at Athens._ _Ex collectionᵉ Joh̄īs̄ Talman Ar._] [Illustration: _101. 2ᵈ._ _A View of the Temple of the Winds at Athens._ _A Lyon Cast in brass standing by yᵉ Port of Athens._] [Illustration: _102. 2ᵈ._ _The Temple of Minerva at Syracuse._ _The Ichnography of the same Temple._ _Stukeley del._] [Illustration: _Insignis Synodus quinq, Planetarum Anno 1722, Mense Decembrifacta ad ho:7 .matutinas._ _Gradus Sigittary._ _Celeberrimo Hallejo Astronomo Regio tabulam reddit L. M. Wˢ. Stukeley._]