Notes on Wiltshire Geology and Palaontolgy. 45 



poured itself out in her extended charities, and though her indepen- 

 dence equalled that of monarchs, yet she herself, in her domestic 

 habits, lived as a hermit in her own castles. Though only acquainted 

 with her native language, she had cultivated her mind in many parts 

 of learning ; and as Dr. Donne, in his way, observes, she knew how 

 to converse of every thing; from predestination down to slea-silk. 

 Her favourite design was to have materials collected for the history 

 of those two potent northern families to whom she was allied ; and 

 at a considerable expense she employed learned persons to make 

 collections for this purpose from the records in the Tower, the Rolls 

 and other depositories of manuscripts. She had three large volumes 

 fairly transcribed. Anecdotes of a great variety of characters, who 

 had exerted themselves on very important occasions, compose these 

 family records, and induce one to wish that the public were in pos- 

 session of such annals of the domestic life of heroes and of sages 

 who have only failed in obtaining an historian." 



By Chaeles Mooee, F.G.S. 



HAVE selected the above as a suitable title for my address 

 to you at this meeting, not that I am a Wiltshire geologist, 

 or that my experience of the district is sufficient to make me master 

 of the subject ; but now that there is such a multiplicity of kindred 

 societies, papers should, as far as possible, have a local bearing upon 

 their respective areas. But if anyone may be permitted to break 

 through this reservation it may be allowed to the geologist, as he 

 has a wide field of observation ; and physical conditions but feebly 

 represented in one locality may necessitate references to similar 

 phenomena in which they may be more developed in others ,by which 

 it is surrounded. 



