The Survey of London (1633): To the Reader

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To the Reader.
THat I may give you a reason of such things as the Iudicious and se-
vere Censurer may deeme blemishes and imperfections in this
Worke: For the Order, you may be pleased to understand, it is
not so absolutely Methodicall as I could wish it were, yet needs
none other Apologie, than the length of time it hath beene grow-
ing to this Bulke, and Mortality of the Authors, who have spent (two of them
now) their lives in the disquisition of venerable Antiquity concerning this City.
The Learned know, Men are all various in their Opinions, as in their Faces you
hardly finde of a Nation two that resemble in all proportions, so in their Minds is
there as much discrepancy, and then must there needs be the same or more in their
Writings, the expresse Image of their Minds. And this is the Fate of our present
Worke, which begun Methodically, hath not beene so well prosecuted, whether out of
difference in Iudgement, or want of Information, I dispute not: Probable it may
be, the desire of inserting all things for the delight of the Reader, might breed this
want of Method, and the rather am I induc’d to incline thereto, since every dayes
Experience teaches, how unstable oftentimes and incertaine Friendship is, when she
promises Information in this kinde: Yet this, the ingenuity of a courteous Reader
will excuse, since the Benefit compensates the Wrong.
And to administer a salve to this sore, and prevent Distraction in the Reader,
in this last Impression have you variety of Tables, succinct and pithy, yet not ob-
scure: In the beginning, the whole body of the Book dissected into sixtie Chapters,
whose short Contents epitomize the Substance of the Work: Then briefe Schemes
as well of all the Churches in and about London and Westminster foure miles
compasse, as of all the Halls and Companies of this Honourable City, both Alpha-
betically ranged with reference to their proper places. Lastly, that nothing might be
wanting which should bring ease and furtherance to the Studious Reader, have
you a Catalogue of Authors, on whose authority the truth of our Assertions may
depend.
Neither leave we you heare: In the end also have we furnished it with two exact
Tables; The first an Index, containing in it the chiefe Streets, Lanes, Con-
duits
, stately Houses of Noblemen, Innes of Court, Chancery, and other
ancient Monuments of this City, not without the admixion also of worthy Acti-
ons
and Customes of Citizens. The other a Concordance of those, whose
Honour in their Office, Charity in their Almes, Memory in their Monu-
ment,


hath acquainted Posterity with their Names: By this Guide, hee who
boasts his Birth in a Magnificent City (as the Ancient did in Rome or Athens)
may with great facility finde his Ancestors in their Honours, Almes giving,
Tombes
, or other memorable and worthy Actions here recorded: For instance
(not to exceed our Memories) finde the name of Anderson in the Concordance,
and according to the first figures (105. a. ¶) turne to the Page, and you have his
Liberality or Benefaction to Brazen-nose College in Oxford; then consult the
second (291. a. ¶) in like manner, and you have his Monument in Saint Olave
Vpwel’s
Church: so the third (592. b. ¶.) and you shall finde him there She-
riffe, Anno Dom. 1601. The same order is observed in the rest, onely for distin-
ction sake, I have added these letters. B. to such as have beene Bishops, and
M. to those that have borne the Office of Maior.
Thus have we endevored to prevent Distraction, and reduce the copious Va-
riety of this Worke to heads, for the Readers ease; not without a great deale of
Paines, Care, and Charge: The Iudicious can give the best estimate of the Paines;
of the Care none better than he that hath reaped benefit by the reading; as for the
Charge, the proportion of the Volume speakes, especially to the skilfull in that My-
stery; to which if you adde the length of time (now almost three yeeres) it hath lyen
under the Presse, there is none but may conceive the greatnesse thereof. Yet no
small satisfaction to all these may you afford (Gentle Reader) by your candide and
courteous acceptance, with a future encouragement (in this, or the like) to the ready
endevours of him that will study to be
Your Servant,
C. I.

Cite this page

MLA citation

Stow, John, Anthony Munday, Anthony Munday, and Humphrey Dyson. The Survey of London (1633): To the Reader. The Map of Early Modern London, edited by Janelle Jenstad, U of Victoria, 26 Jun. 2020, mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1633_to_the_reader.htm.

Chicago citation

Stow, John, Anthony Munday, Anthony Munday, and Humphrey Dyson. The Survey of London (1633): To the Reader. The Map of Early Modern London. Ed. Janelle Jenstad. Victoria: University of Victoria. Accessed June 26, 2020. https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1633_to_the_reader.htm.

APA citation

Stow, J., Munday, A., Munday, A., & Dyson, H. 2020. The Survey of London (1633): To the Reader. In J. Jenstad (Ed), The Map of Early Modern London. Victoria: University of Victoria. Retrieved from https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1633_to_the_reader.htm.

RIS file (for RefMan, EndNote etc.)

Provider: University of Victoria
Database: The Map of Early Modern London
Content: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

TY  - ELEC
A1  - Stow, John
A1  - Munday, Anthony
A1  - Munday, Anthony
A1  - Dyson, Humphrey
ED  - Jenstad, Janelle
T1  - The Survey of London (1633): To the Reader
T2  - The Map of Early Modern London
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2020/06/26
CY  - Victoria
PB  - University of Victoria
LA  - English
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1633_to_the_reader.htm
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/xml/standalone/stow_1633_to_the_reader.xml
ER  - 

RefWorks

RT Web Page
SR Electronic(1)
A1 Stow, John
A1 Munday, Anthony
A1 Munday, Anthony
A1 Dyson, Humphrey
A6 Jenstad, Janelle
T1 The Survey of London (1633): To the Reader
T2 The Map of Early Modern London
WP 2020
FD 2020/06/26
RD 2020/06/26
PP Victoria
PB University of Victoria
LA English
OL English
LK https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1633_to_the_reader.htm

TEI citation

<bibl type="mla"><author><name ref="#STOW6"><surname>Stow</surname>, <forename>John</forename></name></author>, <author><name ref="#MUND1"><forename>Anthony</forename> <surname>Munday</surname></name></author>, <author><name ref="#MUND1"><forename>Anthony</forename> <surname>Munday</surname></name></author>, and <author><name ref="#DYSO1"><forename>Humphrey</forename> <surname>Dyson</surname></name></author>. <title level="a">The Survey of London (1633): To the Reader</title>. <title level="m">The Map of Early Modern London</title>, edited by <editor><name ref="#JENS1"><forename>Janelle</forename> <surname>Jenstad</surname></name></editor>, <publisher>U of Victoria</publisher>, <date when="2020-06-26">26 Jun. 2020</date>, <ref target="https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1633_to_the_reader.htm">mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1633_to_the_reader.htm</ref>.</bibl>

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