ADVERTISEMENT TO ORIGINAL EDITION, 



HP HE Author of the following Letters takes the 

 liberty, with all proper deference, of laying before 

 the public his idea of parochial history^ which, he thinks, 

 ought to consist of natural productions and occurrences 

 as well as antiquities. He is also of opinion that if 

 stationary men would pay some attention to the districts 

 on which they reside, and would publish their thoughts 

 respecting the objects that surround them, from such 

 materials might be drawn the most complete county- 

 histories, which are still wanting in several parts of 

 this kingdom, and in particular in the county of 

 Southampton. 



And here he seizes the first opportunity, though a 

 late one, of returning his most grateful acknowledg- 

 ments to the reverend the President and the reverend 

 and worthy the Fellows of Magdalen College in the 

 University of Oxford, for their liberal behaviour in per- 

 mitting their archives to be searched by a member of 



M359257 



