pain, parts, accompanied with sepulchral tumuli, and are situate in realms far distant from each other; they are to be found throughout the British Dominions, in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, in the Isles of Scilly, of Man, of the Hebrides, of the Orkneys, and of Iceland, in the Isles of the Mediterranean, in almost every state on the Continent, even in Russia, Denmark, and Sweden, even in countries where the foot of a Roman never trod, where Druidism never raised her head, and where the oak with its misseltoe never was a denizen. Why, then, should we not conclude, that all these venerable specimens of antiquity were the religious temples of the most early Celtic and Gothic Tribes? Such, then, is my humble opinion, and I cannot but recognise in them the origin of idolatry; I cannot but see in them the first departure from the worship of the one true God; I cannot but presume them to be the temples of the first heathen dedicated to the Sun-to Baal. In lapsing into idolatry those early tribes would naturally, from the diurnal return of this luminary, from the beneficial, and invigorating influence imparted by his light and heat, thus first constitute this refulgent and visible orb the representative of, and then consider it as the Supreme.

"Cæsar, in describing the Germans, has this passage: 'Deorum numero eos solos ducunt, quos cernunt, et quorum opibus aperte juvantur, Solem, et Vulcanum, et Lunam: reliquos ne famâ quidem acciperunt.' He thus, I think, though unconsciously, pourtrayed the origin of idolatry; by these words we may readily adjudge, as reason may induce us to presume, that the first idolaters began with the worship of the Sun, and, in its absence, had recourse to that of fire as its representative, and next increased their mythology with that of the moon; on these the Greeks and Romans superadded their numerous train of gods and goddesses."

The Druids, as Cæsar reports, resorted to woods and groves, and venerated the misseltoe of the oak; † but, I repeat, these stone temples are ever found in the most open, and champain, parts." I believe Druidism to be the religion of the Phoenicians, introduced by them in their commerce with this country; and, that it did not extend beyond our western shores. It is a remarkable fact, as may be seen by reference to the pages

"Comment. de Bello Gallico." Lib. vi. xxi.

The misseltoe very rarely grows on the oak.-E. D.

of Tacitus, that it is not there mentioned, that Suetonius Paulinus, in his several campaigns through the country, ever met with the Druids, until, in the third year of his warfare, he found them in the Isle of Anglesey.

I could say much more, but I feel, that I must not; and I humbly crave pardon, gentle reader, for the ramble my truant pen has led you o'er the Salisbury Plains.

To return from this digression-I much doubt, whether the Romans did introduce the water-mill, but that it was in use amongst the Saxons is very clear. They seated themselves in the bournes; and the numerous villages, there situate, bear appellatives, evidently of Saxon Origin. In the feudal ages there existed not that class of millers, who now stand as the middlemen between the grower of the corn and the baker, and who make large purchases of grain for the purpose of making as extensive, and often distant, sales of flour. No! in those less speculative, and commercial, days the grist-mill alone was in use a mill receiving corn, the property of another, and returning it to him in its ground state, a certain, and allowed, portion, under the name of toll, being retained, as a recompense for the grinding. Sometimes monied payments were received in lieu. Such being the state of things, although the population was much smaller, the number of mills on the River Avon was much greater than at the present day. Here may I be allowed a very slight digression on the name of this river? In the ancient British Language the word Avon signified "The River;" and it is a curious fact, that this patronymic still designates all those rivers, which never, otherwise, received a specific name. There are two Avons in the County of Wilts; and in various instances, throughout the British Dominions, the un-named stream is still denominated " Avon," that is, "The River."

With the ambition natural to man every Lord, whether of the greater, or the lesser, manor, (the sub-infeudation,) had his mill, at which all his tenants were bound to grind their corn; and I once, casually, saw the fragment of an ancient Court Roll of the Manor of Woodford, near Salisbury, in which a tenant was presented at the Leet for refusing to grind his corn at the Lord's Mill! It, nevertheless, will excite some surprise, when I say, that the Doomsday Book mentions as then existing in the three adjoining parishes of Sarisburie, (now Stratford,) of Darneford, (Durnford,) and of Ambresburie, (now Ambresbury, or, as improperly, Amesbury,) no less than 17 mills! of which

there were five in the first-mentioned parish, four in the second, and eight in the last. In lieu of these (with a far greater population) there are now only three-one in each parish! This diminution of mills arises from the operation of an union of causes -the enlargement of estates, and consolidation of manors -the expense of repairs-the establishment of the flour trade, and—their injurious impediment to the more modern system of watering meadows. The situation of many of these mills may now be surmised by an attentive observer, who will discover unnatural deflections of the river, or neighbouring subsidiary streams, which may fairly be imputed to this cause.

Let us now refer, specially, to the mills of the ancient Salisbury. Thus says Doomsday Book: "In manerio 4 molini de 47 solidis et 7 denariis; et dimidium molini de 30 solidis:" that is, "In the manor are 4 mills of 47 shillings and 7 pence; and half a mill of 30 shillings value." In a former page (380) I have demonstrated, that the King, held the other half of the latter mill, receiving 20 shillings by weight. The united value, therefore, of this fifth mill, of which the King and the Bishop were joint proprietors, was 50 shillings; and, I may well add, that it was the principal mill, surpassing in value the other four united, and grinding the corn of the inhabitants of the Castle, and of the City-the tenants of the King, and of the Bishop. The other four mills pertained, of course, to the lands of Edward, and the other sub-feudal holders; and the doors of these lesser mills were, we may presume, only opened, occasionally, to receive the grist of the, comparatively, few residents within these respective, but lesser, manorial estates.

I must now close this lengthened note (which has insensibly grown under my wandering pen almost into a dissertation) by contrasting the ancient and present manors of Sarisberie (now Stratford) and Meleford (now Milford.)

At the period of Doomsday Book, 1086, the manor of "Sarisberie" (as has been seen) belonged to its then Bishop, and the manor of " Meleford" was partly in the King's Forest, (of Clarendon,) and partly held under him. Gozelinus is stated (p. 321*) to hold half a hide of land under Humphrey de L'Isle, who was tenant in chief under the King, and, in p. 503,† Ulviet is named, as holding another half hide of land immediately from the King. Here, then, is evident proof, that "Meleford" (now Milford) was in part retained by him as a portion of his

* "Wiltshire, extracted from Doomsday Book."

+ Ibid.

forest at Clarendon, and partly held under him by Humphry de L'Isle, and by Ulviet; and the Bishop is not mentioned as in connexion with that manor. The peculiar part of " Meleford," which lay within the bounds of the King, we may well presume to be that, which is situate between Laverstock and Clarendon.

The question will now be asked-in whose hands are these respective manors at the present day? The answer is, that the Lordship of "Sarisberie," now the parish of Stratford, (with the exception of the Royal Peculium, which is extra-parochial, and free from rates and taxes,) pertains to the Dean and Chapter of the present Cathedral of Salisbury, who hold the great and small tithes, (as before the removal of the Cathedral,) and who present to the donative of the Church of Stratford, which was, we may well presume, a chapel of ease to the former Cathedral; and that the manor of "Meleford" (including the now City of Salisbury) belongs to the Bishop. It will here, again, be inquired-when did these changes take place? I respond, that, I have no doubt, the change was effected, when the removal of the City took place. Before I proceed further, I will refer to the " Nomina Villarum," a record, of which Sir R. C. Hoare gives the following account in his Repertorium Wiltonense: "

"King Edward, the Second, (Anno regni ix) sent letters to the Sheriffs of England, commanding them to make an exact return into the Exchequer of the names of Villages, and Possessors thereof, in every County; which was accordingly done by them, and their returns, entitled Nomina Villarum are still remaining in the Exchequer."

The following is the extract relative to the Hundred of Underditch, in which are situate Old and New Sarum and Milford :

"Wiltes, temp. R. Edw. II.

"Civitas Nove Sarum, et est dominus ejusd. ep'us. Sarum, et non est infrà aliquem.

"Hundred. de Wonderdych (Underditch) unde d'us ep'us Sarum, et sunt infrà dictu' hundredum.

"Burgus vet. Sarum, unde D'nus D'nus Rex.

"Villa de Willesford. Theobaldus de Verdon.

"Villa de Lake, unde d'nus Elias Cotes.

"Villa de Woodford Magna

"Villa de Woodford Parva

"Villa de Muleford (Milford)

>unde d'nus Ep'us Sarum.

"Villa de Stratford, unde d'nus Decanus et capit. Eccl'iæ B. Mariæ.”

Here we see declaredly, that the Bishop is the Lord of the City of New Sarum-that he is Lord Paramount of the Hundred of Underditch, and also-that he is the Lord of Milford. The Burgh of Old Sarum, we see, is here stated as pertaining to the King, and we have it also here recorded, that the Dean and Chapter are the Lords of Stratford. The date of the preceding record is about a century subsequent to the translation of the City. Whence, then, this altered state of things? As Bishop Poor held the Manor of "Sarisberie" in capite, it is evident, that he could not vest it in the Dean and Chapter; and, it is equally certain, he could not take to himself, without superior authority, the Lordship of Milford. It is evident, then, that Henry, the Third, (in whose time the City was removed,) guided by this change of local affairs, perceived it proper to make a fresh disposition of the Royalties. By his Charter he made the New City of Sarum a free City, and vested it with exclusive jurisdiction, and thus, virtually, took it out of the Hundred of Underditch and Manor of Milford, in which it was before geographically situate. He then, in the exercise of his Royal Prerogative, resumed his manors of Milford and of "the vill of Stratford;" (the previous manor of " Sarisberie ;") and enfeoffed the Bishop with that of Milford, and the Dean and Chapter (whose lands remained unaffected by the removal) with the Lordship of Stratford, whilst he reserved to himself his Royal Peculium, the Burgh of Old Sarum, of which-now forsaken-desolate, and-extra-parochial-we may well ejaculate" Ilium fuit!"

NOTE 6-(p. 12.)

"The mental, and corporeal, endowments, powers, and defects are also embodied in the cause." The power of the arm has added two appellatives to the nomenclature of man, utterly dissimilar, indeed, in orthography, and pronunciation, yet expressive of exactly the same idea—Armstrong and Strongitharm. The origin of the latter name is curious: " Strong in the arm is abbreviated into Strong i' th' arm, and, the notices of the ellipses being then wholly dropped, the words are altogether (per crasin) coalesced into Strongitharm."