Vlll EDITOR 8 PREFACE. 



only a short time before this. The latter, although then only in his twenty-first year, and pursuing 

 his studies at Oxford, had acquired a reputation for knowledge of English antiquities, and with the 

 ardour and enthusiasm of youth evinced much anxiety to promote the publication of this and some 

 of the other works of his venerable friend. He added several notes to the manuscript, and whilst 

 in liis possession it was no doubt examined also by Gibson. It is referred to in the notes to the 

 latter's edition of Camden's " Britannia." 



Had Aubrey's life been spared a few years longer it is very possible that most of his manuscripts 

 would have been printed, under the stimulus and with the assistance of his youthful friend. His 

 "Miscellanies," which appeared in 1696, seem to have owed their publication to these influences; 

 and in the Dedication of that work to his patron the Earl of Abingdon, Aubrey thus expressly 

 mentions Tanner : " It was my intention to have finished my Description of Wiltshire (half 

 finished* already), and to have dedicated it to your Lordship, but my age is now too far spent for 

 such undertakings.! I have therefore devolved that task on my countryman Mr. Thomas Tanner, 

 who hath youth to go through with it, and a genius proper for such an undertaking." 



A chapter of the " Natural History " (being " Fatalities of Families and Places "), was at this 

 time detached from the original manuscript to furnish materials for the remarks on " Local Fatality," 

 in the " Miscellanies." 



John Aubrey died suddenly in the first week in June 1697, and was buried in the church of St. 

 Mary Magdalen at Oxford, and from the time of his decease the original draught of his Wiltshire 

 History has been carefully preserved in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, as the fair copy of 1690 

 has also in the Library of the Royal Society in London. 



Until the " Natural History of Wiltshire " was briefly described in my own " Memoir " of its 

 author, very little was known of it beyond the mere fact of the existence of the two manuscripts. 

 Copying from the original at Oxford, Dr. Rawlinson printed the Preface and Dedication, together 

 with Ray's letter of the 27th October, 1691, as addenda to his edition of Aubrey's "History of 

 Surrey," (1719.) The same manuscript was also noticed by Thomas Warton and William 

 Huddesford in a list of the author's works in the Ashmolean Museum.}: Horace Walpole referred 

 to the Royal Society's copy in his Anecdotes of Painting (1762); but though his reference seems to 

 have excited the curiosity of Gough, the latter contented himself with stating that he could not find 

 the work mentioned in Mr. Robertson's catalogue of the Society's library. 



Some years ago Sir Thomas Phillipps, Bart., contemplated publishing this " Natural History," 

 but he appears to have abandoned his design. 



A brief description of the present state of the two manuscripts, with reference to the text of the 

 volume now published, may be desirable. The Oxford copy, which may be termed the authors 

 rough draught, is hi two parts or volumes, demy folio, in the original vellum binding. Being compiled 

 at various times, during a long series of years, it has a confused appearance, from the numerous 



The work alluded to still remains " half finished," being a Description of the " North Division " only of the county. It has 

 been printed by Sir Thomas Phillipps from the MS. in the Ashmolean Museum. 4to. 1821 1838. 



t He was then in his 71st year. 



J This list forms a note to the Lives of Leland, Heame, and Wood (8 1772). Though it includes the " Natural History," it 

 omits the " Description of North Wiltshire." The latter was known previously, being mentioned by Aubrey himself in his 

 Miscellanies, and also by Dr. Rawlinson; and hence, Warton and Huddesford's list being supposed to be complete, much confusion 

 hag arisen respecting these two of Aubrey's works, which have been sometimes considered as identical. 



The first volume has two title-pages. On one of them, as well as on the cover, the work is called the " Natural History " of 

 Wiltshire; but the remaining title designates its contents as " Memoires of Natural Remarques " in the county. 



