I have been favoured by a friend, who visited Italy last year, with the
perusal of a small guidebook, which has afforded me much amusement, and
from which I send you a few extracts for the gratification of your readers.
The title runs thus:
"Description of the front and interior of the Cathedral of Milan the
first edition corrected, and increased with interesting things Milan by
the printer Luigi di Giacomo Pirola M.DCCC.XLVI."
The Preface is as follows:
"In presenting to the learned and intelligent Publick this new and
brief Description of the Cathedral of Milan, i must apprise that i do
not mean to emulate with the works already existing of infinite merit
for the notions they contain, and the perspicuity with which they are
exposed. My idea only was to make an extract of them, not forgetting
the principal things of observation, with the names of the most
distinguished artists, and not to deprive them of all the digressions
and explanations required by the Scientificals, or those skilled in the
art, so that it might be contained in a Pamphlet, and of little
expence, to be offered to the amateurs of fine arts, who come to visit
this unique and magnificent Edifice. Therefore i have not failed to
include in it, all that has been done subsequently to the publishment
of the above works, with some other little trifles worthy to be seen,
and in them not mentioned. Such has been my sole design, no other
pretention has induced me to it, and with a similar premise, i hope to
be pardoned by the indulgent Reader for all the errors in which i might
have involuntarily incurred.