_basis_ for) that so urgently advocated by MR. BOLTON CORNEY (Vol. i.
pp. 9, 42, 43.).

Of course so extensive a design would require to be distributed among
many hundred persons; but so does any great work: while, by each
individual undertaking that department in which he is most interested
and most experienced, the whole might be accomplished easily and
pleasantly.

The great fault of antiquarians is, that they are constantly _beginning
at the wrong end_: they fix on some one piece of information that they
want to get, and devote a world of labour to hunting about in all
directions for anything bearing on the subject; whereas the rational way
obviously is, to have the whole existing mass of (valuable) knowledge
_classified_, and then the inquirer would know _where_ to look for his
purpose.

Of course there will always remain much knowledge of a miscellaneous and
irregular nature which is picked up by accident, and does not come
within the scope of the present design; but this is generally of a
trifling and fugitive kind, and does not at all controvert the principle
above laid down.

In conclusion, I have worked out a tolerably complete series of
arrangements for the above design, showing its practicability as well as
usefulness, which will be much at the service of any one who can use
them for the furtherance of that object.

W. D.