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DESCRIBING

EVERY THING WORTHY OF INTEREST

CONNECTED WITH THE

Public Buildings, the Rooms, Crescents, Theatre,
Concerts, Baths, its Literature, &c.

INCLUDING

WALCOT AND WIDCOMBE,

AND THE

Surrounding Vicinity;

With Sketches of

PRIOR-PARK-HOUSE, THE ROCKS OF WICK, CORSHAM-HOUSE, AND
ITS FINE COLLECTION OF PAINTINGS:

ALSO AN EXCURSION TO

CLIFTON AND BRISTOL HOT-WELLS,

With a Visit to Lord de Clifford's House, and some Remarks upon its Pictures:

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BARRY AND SON, BRISTOL; J. VINCENT, OXFORD; AND

SHERWOOD, NEELY, AND JONES, LONDON.

1819

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PREFACE.

BATH has been so long known, so much fre-
quented, and so often written upon by various
authors, both in the serious* and comic + style of
description, that it might be presumed little mat-
ter is now left to furnish any thing like contents
for a
NEW VOLUME, without monotonously
treading over and over again the same hack-
neyed, beaten ground: and however industriously
the literary sportsman may beat up the field, he
is not likely to put up any fresh birds, much
more bring them down:-

SCRIBBLERS are sportsmen; and, as sportsmen are,
Some hit, some miss, some poach, and some beat fair;
This wounds a straggling bird; that often tries
But never kills; he shoots and shuts both eyes.
Some will whole covies take, nineteen in twenty;

And then you smack your lips-for game is plenty;
In short, by you their merits must be tried;
And woe to them who are not qualified!

Whatever has been written relative to the ANTIQUITIES of BATH, (whether fabulous or real,) it must be admitted the subject has been fully explored; its fine OLD ABBEY portrayed; the beauty and elegance of its CRES

* WARNER.

† ANSTEY.

CENTS not omitted; its AMUSEMENTS blazoned forth; its CHARITIES not forgotten; its COMFORTS recognized; its extreme CLEANLINESS developed; the virtues of its BATHS promulgated; and the efficacy of its WATERS enlarged upon, in all the various "Old" and "New Guides" still extant; the thing is not meant to be denied; nor is it the intention of the Author to assert, that any of the above fixed pictures are not faithful PORTRAITS. But notwithstanding this disparagement and great drawback to surmount

True hope ne'er tires, but mounts with eagle's wings, and a new moving PICTURE OF BATH is at length produced. How far the artist has hit off an accurate and animated likeness—with what fidelity he has preserved the features-whether the light and shade have been properly introducedthe tints glowing—and the colouring so well diffused as to harmonize the whole, must be left to the decision of his judges. The attempt is nouvelle; and, he trusts, the "WALKS THROUGH BATH" will not only prove interesting and useful, but that it will ultimately give pleasure to all his readers.

Although the visitor may "read as he runs" in his perambulations through the streets of Bath, yet nothing of importance has been omitted; and the numerous engravings, executed

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