The President's Address. 11 
the liberal owner has invited us. Tisbury Church, rich in its 
monumental records, will not be overlooked, nor must we forget 
that Tisbury was the birthplace and residence of Sir John Davies, 
Attorney-General for Ireland, who, though he wrote works on law, 
yet found time to give to the world his “Nosce Teipsum” and 
“Immortality of the Soul.” ‘In the preface of his “ Reports of 
Cases and Matters in Ireland,” he curiously enough advocates the 
use of the old Norman French, in which the English laws were 
formerly written, as much more likely to be understood by the 
student than if it were translated into English. I think, from 
communications received, and some internal evidence, I am fortunate 
- enough to possess a portrait of this distinguished man. The manor 
of West Hatch, held of the lord of the manor of Tisbury, claims 
to have been the place of residence of Lawrence Hyde, from whom 
descended the Earl of Clarendon, Lord High Chancellor of England. 
Place Farm, or “The Grange,” is noteworthy as the manor house 
of Tisbury. Formerly, in the centre of one of its fields, called 
“Tost Stone,” was a circular work set round with stones. In 
driving through the “ Abbey Grounds” of Fonthill, we must 
not forget to admire the genius of Beckford, or the correct taste 
which he displayed in laying them out, and the readers of his 
“ Vathek”” may easily understand his erection of that shadowy yet 
splendid creation of fancy, which, though it satisfied his dreams, 
fell “like the baseless fabric of a vision, and left not a wreck behind.” 
Fonthill House contains a costly and remarkable collection of china, 
which the owner, Mr. Morrison, with his usual kindness, has pro- 
mised to show us. Passing on through Chilmark—first mentioned 
in the Saxon chartulary of Wilton Abbey—we reach the picturesque 
village of Teffont, and then on through Dinton, with its handsome 
old church, to Compton-park, where you will be made very welcome, 
and be shown such relics and curiosities as I may possess. This 
evening my friend Mr. Nightingale, will kindly enlarge upon the 
objects of interest which you are to see in your excursion to-morrow, 
and I shall have the pleasure of introducing members of the Society 
who have kindly undertaken to read papers to you. The Blackmore 
Museum and its collections will be illustrated by Mr. Edward 
