Page:Petty 1851 The Down Survey.djvu/20

 and other circumstances and conjectures connected with it; and one also by Mr. Hardinge, both of which, as they give authenticity to the volume, are appended to these remarks.

To this Preface is also appended, as introductory to the larger history, a paper called "A briefe Account of the most materiall Passages relating to the Survey managed by Doctor Petty in Ireland: anno 1655, 1656." This is from a manuscript volume in the Paymaster of Civil Services' Office, which contains numerous valuable papers. Some of them appear to be autograph, and some are of a private nature; one of these, containing instructions to his agent in Kerry, is printed in the Appendix, as evincing the watchfulness with which Sir William regarded his Irish property.

A work called "A Briefe of Proceedings between Sir Jerome Sankey and the Author, by Sir W. Petty," is mentioned by Watts as published in London, in 1660; but, after much search, the Editor has been unable to discover any copy of it. It is probably a condensed view, similar to the manuscript mentioned above, but relating to the proceedings detailed in the concluding chapters of this work, as that does to the Survey itself, and may have been put forth by Dr. Petty for his immediate justification at the time.

The Editor has now to perform the agreeable duty of acknowledging his obligations to all who have furnished him with information in the course of this work; more especially to his friends, the Rev. Dr. Todd, and Dr. Aquilla Smith, on whose kind advice and assistance he has been allowed on all occasions to rely, a privilege of which he has largely availed himself; also to Sir William Betham; and to W.H. Hardinge, Esq., the zealous keeper of the valuable papers accumulated in the Record Branch of the Paymaster of Civil Services' Office; from both of whom he has received every facility and assistance in consulting the muniments committed to their charge.