196 Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Harnham. 
Mngla-Soron Cemetery ot Barnham, 
NEAR SALISBURY. 
It is well understood that much of what is called the History of 
the Anglo-Saxon Settlement in Britain is only traditional, and 
built upon the fictions of poetry and romance. Some of the chief 
movements are no doubt accurately reported to us; whilst others 
are disguised, and many are false: the oldest of ourchroniclers having 
lived very long after the events which they describe. On matters 
of detail, particularly the real habits and civilization of that people, 
those writers are still less to be depended on: for to such points 
they only allude incidentally. But we may, to a certain extent, 
judge of the Saxon, as the Romans did of Hercules; by measuring his 
footmarks. 
Of the antiquities of the early Anglo-Saxon period, we are assured 
by those who have given much attention to the subject, that our 
information is derived entirely from one source; their graves.! 
1 We recommend those of our readers who take, or think that they are likely 
to take, an interest in English antiquities, to provide themselves with the very 
useful and inexpensive little book from which we borrow this remark, called 
‘‘ The Celt, the Roman, and the Saxon,” by Thos. Wright, Esq., F.S.A. It is 
exactly the sort of Manual upon these subjects that has been long wanted : 
being clear, systematic, and illustrated by a great many woodcuts. With such 
a guide as this to refer to, the discoveries that are now constantly made of 
sepulchral relics become much more intelligible and interesting than they other- 
wise would be. There will be no longer that vague guessing of character and 
age, which leaves rational curiosity unsatisfied, and is also the cause of the 
relics themselves being often unduly depreciated. Such articles may indeed possess 
very little intrinsic value, but when their proper place in English antiquities is 
accurately known, and they are compared with others of the class and period to 
which they belong, they are of great use in leading to general conclusions, and 
in elucidating ancient history more accurately. For those who wish to place on 
the Anglo-Saxon shelf of their library a volume of more stately bulk and 
appearance, there is Douglas’s ‘‘ Nenia,” a valuable work published 1798, Mr. 
