The President's Address. 5 
amply repay the moderate cost of their production. I will now 
turn to the subject of our present meeting. It might be asked, 
Why did we choose Wilton as our place of congress? Well, the 
fact was simply this, that wishing this year to meet in the South of 
Wilts, after last year’s gathering in the North, two places were 
proposed, viz., Westbury and Wilton. It was considered that Wil- 
ton and its “surroundings” offered a greater attraction to archzol- 
ogists than Westbury and its iron works, and many minor, but im- 
portant circumstances induced us to select Wilton, and to explore 
such portion of the district as had not been fully visited, and to 
provide papers on such subjects which might prove new to those 
_ who attended the meeting. On another occasion we hope to be 
fortunate enough to include Trowbridge and its district with West- 
bury, when I have no doubt we shall have an instructive and agree- 
able assembly. As you will see by our programme, a very tolerable 
three days’ amusement is now provided for you, and I trust that 
every one will be satisfied with the bill of fare. The Society is 
greatly indebted to the Mayor of Wilton (William Robson, Esq.), 
for the encouragement he has given us, and for his kindness in 
placing the Town-hall at our disposal, while the inhabitants of this 
ancient town are most anxious to show us attention. You will hear 
an able paper on Wilton Church, which we inspect, by Mr. Olivier, 
and a paper on the trial and execution of my loyal, but unfortunate 
ancestor, Colonel John Penruddocke, by Mr. Ravenhill. Perhaps 
this account may be interesting to the Archeologists of Exeter, 
many of whom are here to-day, for in their city he was beheaded. 
I shall have certain relics of this royalist to show you when you 
visit me to-morrow. Wilton House, through the courtesy of Lady 
Herbert, is open to our inspection, and we shall find ample food for 
thought in the fine collection of statuary, the splendid armour, and 
magnificent portraits, by Vandyke, of the Pembroke family. At 
the time of writing these lines, I received the news of the loss of 
our turret ship Captain, and that with her were engulphed nearly 
500 souls. God, and time alone, must console the mother for the 
loss of her son Reginald, who went with the rest to his grave. 
Lady Herbert may be assured that she has the sincere sympathy of 
