Of XFV %T>~SHi %> |j? 



provided xKisfione (which in very unlikely) were brought thence 

 by forae of Andradiu* his company the very firft voyage, yet it 

 can be (with us) but 160 years -Handing. 



140. As for the Stone it felf k is of an odd kind of texture, 

 and colour too, not unlike (to fight) to fome fort ofcbeefe v exact- 

 ly of the figure and bignefs as engraven an the Table ; and moft 

 likely of any thing to have been one of their Togra\ or Stamp, 

 wherein the chief perfons of the Eafiern Countries ufually had their 

 names cut in a larger fort of Cbaracler, to put them to any In/iru- 

 ments at once, without further trouble. That they have fuch 

 kind offlamps, is clearly teftined by Alvures Semedo, in his jBi|- 

 fiory of China : Tbey Print, lays he, liktwife with Tables of fione, 

 but this manner of Printing fervts only for Epitaphs, Trees, Moun- 

 tains, isrc. of which kind tbey have very many Prints ; the fiones 

 which ferve for thii ufebeingalfo of a proper and peculiar fort v , as ours 

 feems to be : So that in all probability the letters on this ftone con- 

 tain only the name, and perhaps the office, or other title of fome 

 perfon of Quality, and therefore hard to be found out ; and that 

 it was brought hither by fome Traveller of the Honorable Family 

 of the Spencers, and either cafually loft, or carelefly thrown out 

 as a thing of no value. 



141. And thus with- no fmalltoil and charge, yet not without 

 the affiftance of many Honorable Perfons, whole names in due time 

 lhall be all gratefully mentioned, I have made ffcift to finifh this 

 specimen of Oxford-Jhire ; which I am fo far from taking for a per- 

 fect Hijlory, that I doubt not but time and fevere obfervation (to 

 which 1 hope this ^ov will both encourage and direft) may pro- 

 duce an Appendix as large as this Book, ', For that new matter will 

 daily prefent it felf, to be added to fome one or other of thefe 

 Chapters, I am fo fenfibly convine'd. that even fince the Printing 

 the firft Chapter of this Treatife, I have found here at home juft fuch 

 another Echo, as at Mr. Pawlingszt Heddington, in the Portico's 

 of the new Quadrangle at St. John Baptift's College. And fince my 

 writing the fecond, my worthy Friend Dr. Tho. Taylor has found 

 fo ftronga Chalybeat Spring in F nlling-mill-bam-fir earn neat Ofeney 

 Bridge^ that notwithstanding laft hard Winter (when the greateft 

 Rivers were frozen) this continued open and fmoaking all the 

 time, tinging all the fiones by reafon of its not running, nor 



* F.iAhares Semedo, Hifl. Chin. part, i.eap.6. [ubfinem* 



mix- 



