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PREFACE

TO THE FIRST EDITION.

THE Work consists of three Parts, united by the thread of the subject. The FIRST Contains some observations on that WEAR and TEAR of mind and body, which we particularly remark in civilized life, and especially in large cities; together with some suggestions as to the antidote or remedy. The SECOND Part consists of reflections and observations, made during excursions through France, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany, in the years 1823 and 1829, partly for recreation-but principally for renovation of health. The THIRD division contains some remarks and speculations on the moral, physical, and medicinal influence of foreign, and especially of an Italian climate and residence, in sickness and in health. In each of these divisions, the author hopes that he has been able to combine utility with some portion of amusement.

Novelty in description is now quite out of the question—and from description he has generally abstained. Impressions and reflections will continue to be varied, till the minds and features of human beings become similar to each other, and in this respect only, can novelty, or rather variety of sentiment, be expected. He did not-indeed he could not, travel as an Antiquarian, Painter, Architect, Botanist, Geologist, or Politician. He roamed from place to place as a philosophic observer. It is well known that many people migrate annually to Italy, in search of health-and there find a grave;—while a still larger class go thither in quest of pleasure or improvement, and bring back the seeds of disease. The observations of a medical traveller, not inexperienced in the investigation of climatorial influence on the human constitution, mental and corporeal, may prove useful to those who wander or sojourn on the classic soil of Italy, for any of the above purposes.

Suffolk Place, Pall Mall,

March, 1831.

J. J.

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

THE favourable reception which thic Work has experienced from the Press and the Public, is gratefully acknowledged by the Author. He has endeavoured to make it more worthy of public patronage by omissions, additions, and modifications of considerable importance. The author has been sharply censured for the severity of his censures ;-but as these last were never personal-were always directed against manners rather than men -against the species, and not against the individual-finally, as they were levelled at things that are indefensible in themselves, he considered them legitimate. Nevertheless, he has qualified many of his expressions-cancelled many passages that were deemed objectionable-and filled up the breaks with matters of a different character.* With respect to the largest portion of the Work-the touristical-the event has proved that the author acted wisely in preferring reflection to descriptionthe notation of impressions on the mind, to the delineation of those scenes which produced them. The former (reflection) is an intellectual operation which all can comprehend-in which all can participate, without the aid of pencil or chart :-the latter (description) is seldom intelligible in the absence of the originals-and not always useful when they are before the eye.

The plan which the author has adopted is not without difficulties as well as dangers:-but it has its sweets, its libertiesits latitudes, almost as wide as romance. In this case, however, such licenses injure not the reality. The most absurd or extravagant ruminations over the ruins of Rome, or the resurrection of Pompeii, cannot disturb any of the facts or histories connected with these places. They are only meditations; and capable only of exciting meditations in the minds of others. If the author can trust to a more unerring criterion than the flattery of friendship, namely, to the sentence of the public-he may fairly hope that he has been able to infuse into this, the largest portion of the volume, some sources of amusement, at least, for his readers. In the other two portions, which are more particularly of a didactic or preceptive character, he is confident that those whom it may concern (and in this country they form a very numerous class) will find information of a very useful kind. In fine, the author confidently hopes that in this unostentatious volume, will be found the elements of health and recreation, in a less repulsive form than they are generally met with, in works having the same objects in view.

November, 1831.

J. J.

These changes, &c. occur chiefly at pages 17, 18, 19, 21, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 39, 40, 73, 74, 94, 105, 109, 149, 178, 182, 183, 230, 282, 283, 287, 288, 289, 290, 294, to 301.

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Change of Air, or the Diary of a Philosopher.

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