President’s Address. 297 
(A laugh.) I am still content to think that King Alfred fought 
his decisive battle with the Danes at or near our Wiltshire Edington 
in the year 878, and that the place called Dane Leys was the en- 
campment of the enemy, just before the King invaded their quarters, 
after his forced march from Athelney. Their retreat to their strong- 
hold over the downs above the scene of action prevented Alfred from 
making short work of them, as we should say now, but within 
fifteen days the Danes had to capitulate and to accept the terms of 
their victor. Researches have been made within the area of their 
- eamp, and vegetable earth and pottery have been found, and three 
skeletons; but without doubt this camp wotld repay further in- 
spection. Through pleasant Wiltshire lanes we reach the beautiful 
church of Edington. Erected by Bishop Edington, a native of the 
place, and the predecessor of William of Wykeham in the see of 
Winchester, it is a good example of the transition from the decorative 
to the perpendicular style. It took nearly ten years in building. 
The first stone was laid in 1352. At Edington the Bishop founded 
a college for a dean and twelve prebendaries, so that the place was 
becoming: of considerable ecclesiastical importance, but soon after he 
converted it into a brotherhood of the order of St. Augustine, but 
of a particular class called Boni homines or Bon hommes. Edward 
the Black Prince is said to have had a particular leaning to this 
order of “ good fellows,” and on his return from France persuaded 
the good Bishop to adopt that species of monasticism. The interior 
of the church, with its curious old tombs and monuments will well 
repay attention. From its very altar was dragged the unfortunate 
Bishop Ayscough by Wiltshire peasants, during the rebellion of 
Jack Cade, and murdered on the downs, his assumed fault being that 
he was too much at Court, and did not exercise sufficiently the rights 
of hospitality in his diocese. On the north side of the church is still 
to be found a portion of the old conventual bnildings, part of the 
buttressed wall of the garden, and the site of the monastic fishponds. 
Near Edington is the beautiful seat of Simon Watson Taylor, Esq. 
It derives its name of Erle Stoke from having belonged to Edward 
_ @Evreux, Earl of Sarum. Of Steeple Ashton proper, which in- 
eludes West Ashton, Rood Ashton,Henton, Littleton,and Semington, 
