WILTSHIRE MAGAZINE. 
‘‘MULTORUM MANIBUS GRANDE LEVATUR ONUS.’’—OVID. 
Che Aertfark Carrespandenre, 
CONSISTING OF LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS PASSING BEFWEEN THE 
Eart or Herrrorp, wis Depury-LizureNaNnts, AND OTHER 
DISTINGUISHED PERSONS, ON VARIOUS MATTERS CONNECTED WITH 
THE County oF Wits; Temp. JAMES J., WITH PRELIMINARY 
REMARKS. 
Few persons are aware how completely the centralising power of 
Government in London has, in modern days, absorbed the cabalistic 
exclusiveness, or, to use a milder term,the individuality of interest, 
which characterised the various provinces of England during the 
middle ages: a process unavoidable no doubt, and symptomatic of 
the present times, which, while it has in great part vitiated the in- 
tegrity of that imperium in imperio which each county presented 
before “the age of great cities’ began, has led the gentry by slow 
degrees to look upon the public service of the State as offering a 
fairer and wider field for renown than could possibly be realised by 
the defences of their paternal acres, at the head of a stationary 
force of Militia. 
This change was not completely brought about till during the 
late long war; the jealousy felt by the local gentry, whenever the 
Government seemed disposed to encroach on their old Militia land- 
marks, being apparent down to acomparatively recent period. Re- 
cruiting parties from regiments of the line were long looked upon 
in much the same light as press-gangs ; while the annoyance they 
not unfrequently gave to the rural Magistracy was sympathised in 
by the municipal functionaries of the boroughs, who affected to 
VOL. I.—NO. III. 2F 
