THE 



ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE, 



LETTER I. 



IT is reasonable to suppose that in remote ages this woody and 

 mountainous district was inhabited only by bears and wolves. 

 Whether the Britons ever thought it worthy their attention, is not 

 in our power to determine : but we may safely conclude, from 

 circumstances, that it was not unknown to the Romans. Old 

 people remember to have heard their fathers and grandfathers say 

 that, in dry summers and in windy weather, pieces of money were 

 sometimes found round the verge of Woolmer pond ; and tradition 

 had inspired the foresters with a notion that the bottom of that 

 lake contained great stores of treasure. During the spring and 

 summer of 1740 there was little rain; and the following summer 

 also, 1741, was so uncommonly dry, that many springs and ponds 

 failed, and this lake, in particular, whose bed became as dusty as 

 the surrounding heaths and wastes. This favourable juncture 

 induced some of the forest-cottagers to begin a search, which was 

 attended with such success, that all the labourers in the neighbour- 

 hood flocked to the spot, and with spades and hoes turned up 

 great part of that large area. Instead of pots of coins, as they 

 expected, they found great heaps, the one lying on the other, as if 

 shot out of a bag ; many of which were in good preservation. 

 Silver and gold these inquirers expected to find ; but their 

 discoveries consisted solely of many hundreds of Roman copper- 

 coins, and some medallions, all of the lower empire. There was 

 not much virtil stirring at that time in this neighbourhood ; 

 however, some of the gentry and clergy around bought what 



