134 Leland’s Journey through Wiltshire. 
been allowed him by the late King. He was at this time still 
rector of the benefice abroad (Poperingues near Ypres) ; and of 
Haseley in Co. Oxon: so that with the Wiltshire prebend, there 
does not seem altogether to have been any “lack of wages.” 
His death took place in April 1552: upon which event Edward 
VI. ordered his manuscripts to be brought into the care of Sir 
John Cheke, the royal tutor and secretary. ‘‘ Here” (says Fuller) 
“ our great antiquary” (Camden) “ got a sight, and made a good use 
thereof; it being most true, Si Lelandus non labordsset, Camdenus 
non triumphasset.”’1 Sir John Cheke’s son, Henry, after his father’s 
death, gave four volumes in folio, of Leland’s ‘“ Collectanea,” 
(being miscellaneous extracts from the monastic libraries), to 
Humphrey Purefoy, of Leicestershire, by whom they were given 
to Mr. Burton, the historian of that county. Burton afterwards 
obtained eight other volumes called the “Itinerary,” written like 
the former ones in Leland’s own hand ; and deposited the whole in 
the Bodleian Library, at Oxford. The original manuscript of the 
Itinerary had been previously much damaged by damp and neglect, 
but Burton had made a copy of it in 1621. Bishop Tanner had a 
design of publishing it, but was prevented: and the task fell into 
the hands of Thomas Hearne, the antiquary. A second edition 
appeared in 1745: a third, and the last, in 1770. The work is 
now scarce and expensive, and a new edition, which should be 
accompanied by notes to explain obscurities and correct errors, is 
desirable. 
The reader will bear in mind then, that Leland’s Itinerary con- 
sists only of the original brief, and, often probably hasty, notes 
taken by himself upon a tour. They are not the “ secunde cure,” 
the revised production, of his literary leisure: but such observa- 
tions as he made “inter equitandum,”’ during the stages of his 
journey ; gathered from the conversation of his hosts, the squires 
and the clergy, or culled from such documents and authorities as 
they laid before him. Memoranda so taken, would, of course, 
1 “ Tf Leland had not worked, Camden would not have triumphed.” 
