latter in his most useful compilation, the " Athenæ Oxonienses.” By Wood, however, his kindness was repaid with an ingratitude, which very severely wounded his amiable feelings. Aubrey himself published none of his writings with the exception of a small duodecimo volume of "Miscellanies on various Subjects," being observations on omens, dreams, apparitions, magic, &c. &c.; and in this work his peculiar, and almost incredible, mental superstition was fully manifested. An edition of this curious book was published by Edward Easton, of Salisbury, in the year 1784.

In Gough's "British Topography" (p. 521) we find the following entry relative to "Wiltshire:" "At a meeting of gentlemen at the Devizes for choosing knights of the shire, March 1659, it was proposed, that a survey of this county should be taken, after the manner of Dugdale's Warwickshire. Mr. William Yorke, a counsellor, undertook the middle division, Mr. Aubrey the north, and T. Gore and Jefferey Daniel, esquires, and Sir John Erneley offered their assistance. Judge Nicholas had taken notes of all the ancient deeds he met with; but both his and Mr. Yorke's papers seem to have been lost at their deaths." From the language, &c., of the above extract, I suspect, that its information must have been gleaned by Gough from Aubrey's writings. The above desirable plan was never put into execution, and Aubrey, in the "Dedication" of his "Miscellanies" to James, Earl of Abingdon, (in whose "pleasant walks, and gardens, at Lavington," and in " the contentment of solitude," as he states, he revised those scattered papers,) makes mention, that " It was my intention to have finished my Description of Wiltshire (half finished already) and to have dedicated it to your Lordship: but my age is now too far spent for such undertakings: I have therefore devolved that task on my countryman, Mr. Thomas Tanner, who hath youth to go through with it, and a genius proper for such an undertaking." The mansion and the " gardens" of the Earl of Abingdon, which he referred to, were at West Lavington, in the County of Wilts, and the remains of the latter are still worthy the inspection of the lovers of the picturesque. The "Mr. Thomas Tanner," of whom he thus speaks, was a native of the adjoining parish of East Lavington. He, subsequently, became Bishop of St. Asaph, and was the author of that inestimable work, the "Notitia Monastica." There is a monument

I

to his memory in the parochial Church. Tanner intended to have published a complete history of the County of Wilts, and communicated his proposed plan to the public; but, as Gough says, "the distance of his preferments from the county prevented him from prosecuting and finishing this work." must here remark, that it is singular, that the complete history of this most interesting of all counties has never been written. It is true, that my patriotic friend, Sir R. C. Hoare, has obliged the topographical world by the issue of his splendid tomes on "Auncient Wiltescire," and several historical volumes on the Hundreds of South Wilts, and the Public await with much interest the forthcoming volume on the History of the City of Salisbury by Robert Benson, Esq., its learned Recorder. Much of the northern, and midland, portions of the County remains untouched on, or, very slightly developed. Mr. Britton has for many years given notice of a "History of the Hundred of Chippenham," and, I hope, will not finally disappoint our expectations. I trust also, that Sir Thomas Phillips, Bart., will early arrange his extensive collections, and give to the literary world the history of the remaining Hundreds of North Wilts. When I denominate that County as the most interesting of all Counties," I feel, that I am not incorrect. When I revolve on its varied surface, and productions on its ancient stone temples-its numerous sepulchral tumuli-and its many encampments-when I call to mind its Old Sarum-and the reliques of Wardour and Ludgarshall Castles-its fine specimen of Norman Architecture in Malmesbury Abbey-its compeer of early Gothic in Salisbury Cathedral-and its interesting remains of Lacock Abbey (the History of which has lately, 1835, been so pleasingly edited by the Rev. W. L. Bowles)-when I view the splendid seats of Stourhead, Longleat, Wilton, Longford, Corsham, Bowood, and many others, too numerous to name—when I review its many, and ancient, crosses, and its numerous other exemplars of ancient, and modern, art-when I consider its many local, and historical, connexions with the Rebellion, &c.--and when I reflect on its lengthened list of celebrated men in all ages, I cannot but repeat, that the County of Wilts is, in my opinion, "the most interesting of all Counties." I could adduce many other proofs to the support of this assertion, the truth of which is, I trust, fully established,

To resume:-Duplicate copies of Aubrey's Wiltshire MSS.

are deposited in the Libraries of the Royal Society and the Ashmolean Museum in two vols. fol.; one on the antiquities, the other on the natural history of the County. At that æra the knowledge of the latter was at a very low ebb, as is evidenced by the works of Plot, &c. Aubrey was a good heraldist, and his notes on the Wiltshire Churches are often curious, and valuable. They were begun to be published by my friend, Sir Thomas Phillips, who relinquished his undertaking after committing to the press one small, and "first," portion of them. Should this work succeed in eliciting the favour of the public, I may, perhaps, be induced, at some future day, to present to the world all the more valuable parts of Aubrey's MSS.

At one period of his life Aubrey resided at Broadchalk, near Salisbury; and from thence it was, that he became acquainted with the halle of John Halle. In the latter portion of his days he was generously supported by Lady Long, of Draycot, in North Wilts, in whose house he had an apartment assigned him. He died suddenly at Oxford on his way to Draycot, as it is supposed, about 1700, but the place of his burial is unknown. Subsequently to his death his "Perambulation of the County of Surrey, begun in 1673 and ended in 1692," was published with additions, and under an altered title, by Dr. Rawlinson, in five vols. 8vo, 1718; and in 1813 was published a curious, and interesting, work, collected chiefly from the manuscripts of Aubrey, intituled "Letters written by eminent Persons in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, to which are added Hearne's Journey to Reading and to Whaddon Hall, the seat of Browne Willis, Esq. and Lives of eminent Men by John Aubrey, Esq." 3 vols. 8vo.

NOTE 2-(p. 1.)

"As Greville & Wenman bought all the Coteswold, soe did Halle & Webb all the wooll of Salisbury plaines."

Aubrey here refers us to two great wool-growing districts→→ the Coteswold Hills and the Salisbury Plains. In the early ages the Coteswold Hills consisted, principally, of extensive upland downs, rough in herbage, and supported a peculiar breed of sheep called, from thence, the Coteswold Sheep, bearing

an abundant coat of somewhat coarse wool. These downs are now converted into tillage. I am well sanctioned in the use of the term abundant, (as applied to the wool of the Coteswold Sheep,) when I inform my readers, that the fleece of an individual has been known sometimes to weigh not less than twelve pounds.

That the Coteswold Hills and the Salisbury Plains were districts jointly celebrated for the production of wool may be learned from the poet Drayton, who, in his poem entitled "Polyolbion," gives a curious, and very interesting, chorographical account of this island. His poem is divided into thirty songs, wherein he ingeniously personifies its rivers, mountains, forests, vales, castles, &c. It was published in two vols., and the first was enriched with notes by the learned Selden. "His metre of twelve syllables being now antiquated, it is quoted more for the History than the Poetry in it; however, it contains many excellent lines, and is so exact, that, as Bishop Nicholson observes, Drayton's Polyolbion affords a much truer account of this kingdom, and the dominion of Wales, than could well be expected from the pen of a Poet.'"*

Pope thus beautifully characterises Drayton :

"Drayton, sweet ancient Bard, his Albion sung,
With their own praise her echoing Valleys rung;
His bounding Muse o'er every Mountain rode,
And ev'ry River warbled where he flow'd."

I can only add, that Drayton with Selden's Notes merits a place on the shelf of every good library. Drayton, in his usual rude, yet pleasing, style of allegorical personification, reverses the order of nature, and all decorous propriety. He makes the faire Vale of Evesham to fall in love with, and woo, the stalwart Coteswold Hill. She succeeded in her suit, and the courtship ended in a happy, and prosperous, union. Drayton invokes the Muse

to tell

How Ev'sham's fertile vale at first in liking fell

With Cotswold, that great king of shepherds; whose proud site
When that fair vale first saw, so nourish'd her delight

That him she only lov'd; for wisely she beheld

The beauties clean throughout that on his surface dwel'd.

T' whom Sarum's plain gives place, tho' famous for her flocks,
Yet hardly doth she tythe our Cotswold wealthy locks.
Though Lemster him exceed for finenesse of her ore,
Yet quite he puts her downe for his abundant store.
A match so fit as hee, contenting to her mind,
Few vales (as I suppose) like Ev'sham hapt to find.
Nor any other wold like Cotswold ever sped,
So fair and rich a vale by fortuning to wed."

Polyolbion, 14th Song.

Aubrey classes together "Greville & Wenman," "Halle & Webb," as the great merchants of wool in the Counties of Gloucester and Wilts; but, when he says, that they bought all the wool of their respective districts, he can only mean comparatively, since there can be no doubt, that there were minor merchants, who purchased for the home manufacture, and, also, for exportation. Wool was one of the principal staple commodities of the realm, paying, on its exportation, very considerable duties to the Crown; and those, who thus dealt in it for the foreign market, were obliged to take an oath to obey the "laws of the staple," and what these were may be more fully seen in my subsequent Essay on the "Origin and History of the Staple."

In reference to such merchants I beg leave to quote the following passage from the ensuing page 78 of this work :-

They were, as we may fairly infer, men of eminence in station —of affluence, and probity of character-men possessing capital to enable them to engage in these important commercial speculations-residing not merely in seaports, but also in the principal inland towns-men of great influence in their local districts— inhabiting mansions, and living in splendour, and whom even Kings deigned to visit. Such men were Greville-and Wenman -and Halle-and Webb. Oh! terque, quarterque beatus!' happy the man, who is, perchaunce, descended from the affluent wool-stapler, or manufacturer, of the fifteenth century!"

Truly correct am I in these observations. These several parties were all, doubtlessly, "Merchants of the Staple ;" and let us view them, severally, in their subsequent generations.

The Grevilles were, in early ages, as I learn from Rudder, (an Historian of the County of Gloucester,) seated at Campden, where, in the Church, is a brass with the effigies of "Wilelmus