Henry Cavendish, whose journey to Constantinople is narrated in the following manuscript, was the eldest son of Sir William Cavendish and his third wife, Elizabeth Hardwick, the celebrated 'Bess of Hardwick', who subsequently married, as her fourth husband, George Talbot, sixth earl of Shrewsbury.

At the close of the Relation of a short survey of 26 counties observed in a seven weeks' journey begun on 11 August, 1634, by a Captain, a Lieutenant, and an Ancient, all three of the Military Company in Norwich, the "courteous reader" was invited by an anonymous writer of verse to

Receive it only as a preparation

For a more large and long itineration

and it is not unfitting that in the tercentenary of the fulfilment of this promise, the account of the tour to the south and west of England should be offered to the Royal Historical Society

Acknowledgements

Editorial Practice

Introduction

Inventory of BL, Additional MS 71009

Extracts from Royal Household regulations […]

• Maps 170

• Introduction 173

• Text 182

• Chapter III A Review of the Present State of the Mines, and of their Former Produce 182

• Chapter IV A Review of the Commercial Relations, Foreign and Domestic 213

• Chapter V A Short View of the Present Political State of Bolivia, Embracing the History of the Country Since its Independence, its Government, Laws and Institutions 240

• Appendices 264

As nature has given you a right to the inheritance of my estate, a competency sufficient to support the quality of a gentleman, so I design, as a mark of true paternal affection, to add to it my small collection of books; that, by adorning your mind with useful study, you may deserve that character more from yourself than ancestors. Amongst the rest I leave you this Manuscript. A particular good fortune threw it into my hands, which, had it nothing but the subject to recommend it, would be no inconsiderable value to a Catholic, because it lets him see 'twas Interest and not Religion began the schism, and that 'tis truly Conscience and not Obstinacy makes him, by still adhering to the ancient Church, stand obnoxious to so many laws. But, that your esteem may equal its value, I have thought proper to acquaint you first what I have found concerning the Author, next what reason there is to believe this Copy authentick, and lastly to whose kindness I am obliged for it, and upon what conditions I had leave to transcribe it.

[In the Third Part Eicart carries on the yearly chronicle, but heads each year with the names of the mayor and proyosts, stewards, bailiffs, or sheriffs, as the case may be, beginning with the 1st Henry III. The narration of “Actes done” is but slight : in the earlier years it has been mainly drawn from Mathew of Westminster. There are many pages where nothing beyond the names of the officers appears, each page being arranged with the headings for two years, but time or opportunity having failed the compiler to fill them in. Coming near the writer's own time, however, and later, many notices of value to local history are scattered through the pages, along with the general history. It is remarkable that one of those is related at length by Fabyan, who was a contemporary, though it is little, if at all, mentioned in other chronicles.