The natural history of Cornwall. The air, climate, waters, rivers, lakes, sea and tides ... Of the inhabitants, their manners, customs, plays or interludes, exercises, and festivals; the Cornish language, trade, tenures, and arts ... / By William Borlase.

  • William Borlase
Date:
1758
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The natural history of Cornwall. The air, climate, waters, rivers, lakes, sea and tides ... Of the inhabitants, their manners, customs, plays or interludes, exercises, and festivals; the Cornish language, trade, tenures, and arts ... / By William Borlase. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [ v ] other works, and we ftand convinced of his G l o r y ; we find the ufes, £hapes, and properties in all things different, yet we find them all confpiring to promote univerfal, mutual good; we fee them all directed fo harmonioufly to one point for the good of the whole, that they muft needs proceed from one only, conftantly beneficent, and Gracious God. From thefe we deduce and argue the other attributes, and derive our own duties, till Natural Religion ends; but whilft we are thus enlightning our underftand- ing, and admitting that profpeCt of the Deity which is difplayed in his works, gratitude, awed and mixed with reverence, fupples the heart, and difpofes it mod: effectually to embrace all the fublime and ineftimable truths of Revelation. These are the undeniable and beneficial confequences of Na¬ tural History in general; but of this noble Science, of this ftately tree of Knowledge, the Natural History of a particular diftriCt (fuch as are the following obfervations) is but a branch; it is confined and local, and muft tend chiefly to the defcription and improvement of one particular fpot. The fituation of this county (fecluded in a manner from the reft of Britain) renders it, like all diftant objedts, lefs diftinCtly feen and regarded by the polite, learned, and bufy world; yet whatever concerns its intereft and reputation, it need not be urged, Gentle¬ men, may have fome claim to your attention, who have a natural connexion with, and relation to it. I t matters lefs to ftrangers whether the arts in a diftant county flourifti, are at a ftand, or decay; whether the feveral Natural Productions are well or ill managed, underftood or not; juftly efti- mated and dilpofed of, or otherwife; but theft things are moft proper and interefting difquifitions for the inhabitants. T o awake attention to the real and publick intereft of the County, it was neceffary to fhew the prefent ftate of Knowledge with regard to Arts and Metals, and in many particulars to hint at a alterations
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