to the benefit, of their native town; and that, if his work should not possess sufficient merit to support itself, it would, and ought to fall into oblivion; but if otherwise, he entertained no doubt of its favorable reception by a discerning public."
Postscript concerning the Engravings.
With respect to the Engravings, no pains have been spared that they should be properly executed, and that the drawings should be correct. The distant prospect of Galway, and the views of the church, Lynch's castle, the county court-house, bridge, and prison, were taken by an ingenious artist, brought from Dublin solely for the purpose. The armorial bearings, contained in plate II. have been extracted partly from the old map of the town. This latter document, which the author, after much trouble, has been enabled to lay before the reader, affords incontestible proof of the former respectable state of Galway, and is deservedly admired as one of the principal topographical curiosities relating to Ireland. A drawing of Lynch's castle, situate in the centre of the town, is given, as it presents a beautiful specimen of ancient architecture, and had formerly been the residence of some of the chief magistrates. The modern plan of the town and suburbs has been made from actual survey, and will, it is hoped, be found generally correct. The miscellaneous plate also contains an assemblage possessing some local interest; and, although the different objects are reduced to a small scale, yet care has been taken that they should all be exactly delineated. The principal engravings have been executed by some of the best engravers which Dublin could afford.
The author had, for a long time, despaired of obtaining this curious document. The only copy, which, until lately, was known to be extant in Ireland, was preserved at Castlemagarrett, in the county of Mayo, and the proprietor, very properly, esteeming it as an unique of considerable value, appeared disinclined to hazard its safety by transmitting it to Dublin. An ingenious surveyor of that county declared that he could not furnish a copy of it for less than 100l. In the mean time a duplicate was discovered in the valuable library of Trinity College. Here the author met with no difficulty; his artist was allowed to take a fac-simile, which, omitting some of the extra ornaments, has been reduced, and engraved on as large a scale as possible for this work: and thus he has been enabled, though at some expense, to indulge his own wish, and gratify the public curiosity, by introducing (and perhaps rescuing from oblivion) this interesting relic of former times.