The second, enlarged edition of William Borlase’s (1696-1772) account of the antiquities of Cornwall (first published 1754), with an index containing a Cornish-English vocabulary list. It was ‘the first chronological account of the antiquities of the county, and the first book to describe, illustrate, and classify a significant number of them’ (ODNB). Book II (over 100 pp.) is entirely devoted to the Druids, their origin, rites, doctrines, idols, symbols, worship, 'superstitions', divination, charms and incantations. Book III (c.140pp.) includes a discussion of rock idols, speaking and healing stones. ‘Characteristic of [Borlase] as a scholar was his conscientious exactness in describing and measuring antiquities - he also had a talent for drawing them’ (A.L. Rowse, review of Pool’s ‘William Borlase’ in the Spectator, 26 Sept. 1987).
ESTC T139784; Upcott II, 82.