Dr. Southey, speaking of the works of travellers, very justly remarks,
that “of such books we cannot have too many!” and adds, with equal truth,
that “because they contribute to the instruction of the learned, their
reputation suffers no diminution by the course of time, but that age
rather enhances their value.” Every man, indeed, whose comprehensive
mind enables him to sympathize with human nature under all its various
aspects, and to detect—through the endless disguises superinduced by
strange religions, policies, manners, or climate—passions, weaknesses,
and virtues akin to his own, must peruse the relations of veracious
travellers with peculiar satisfaction and delight. But there is another
point of view in which the labours of this class of writers may be
contemplated with advantage. Having made use of them as a species of
telescope for bringing remote scenes near our intellectual eye, it may,
perhaps, be of considerable utility to observe the effect of so many
dissimilar and unusual objects, as necessarily present themselves to
travellers, upon the mind, character, and happiness of the individuals
who beheld them. This, in fact, is the business of the biographer; and it
is what I have endeavoured to perform, to the best of my abilities, in
the following “Lives.”
By accompanying the adventurer through his distant enterprises, often
far more bold and useful than any undertaken by king or conqueror, we
insensibly acquire, unless repelled by some base or immoral quality, an
affection, as it were, for his person, and learn to regard his toils and
dangers amid “antres vast and deserts idle,” as something which concerns
us nearly. And when the series of his wanderings in foreign realms are
at an end, our curiosity, unwilling to forsake an agreeable track, still
pursues him in his return to his home, longs to contemplate him when
placed once more in the ordinary ranks of society, and would fain be
informed of the remainder of his tale. By some such mental process as
this I was led to inquire into the lives of celebrated travellers; and
though, in many instances, I have been very far from obtaining all the
information I desired, my researches, I trust, will neither be considered
discreditable to myself nor useless to the public.
In arranging the materials of my work, I have adopted the order of time
for many reasons; but chiefly because, by this means, though pursuing
the adventures of individuals, a kind of general history of travels is
produced, which, with some necessary breaks, brings down the subject
from the middle of the thirteenth century, the era of Marco Polo, to our
own times. The early part of this period is principally occupied with
the enterprises of foreigners, because our countrymen had not then begun
to distinguish themselves greatly in this department of literature. As
we advance, however, the genius and courage of Englishmen will command
a large share of our attention; and from a feeling which, perhaps, is
more than pardonable, I look forward to the execution of that part of my
undertaking with more than ordinary pride and pleasure.