THE FIRST WINTER MEETING. XXIX. 



future generations will look back to us, who still possessed such things, yet made 

 no effort to preserve, and scarcely any to delineate them." I would just like to 

 bring to your notice one very forcible example, which must be in the minds of 

 every one of you, of the advantages to the present generation attending the 

 delineation of that grand cross in the churchyard at Eampisham by the illustrator 

 of the 1st edition of Hutchins' H'story of Dorset, now some 160 years ago. In 

 Hutchins' time the date and inscription on the cross, as well as the subjects of the 

 panels, were clearly discernible, and are shown in the admirable reproduction of 

 the cross, as it then stood, contained in his work. Time and the elements have 

 made sad ravages with this interesting monument, and when the Club visited 

 Eampisham at their October meeting not a letter could be read, and the figures in 

 the panels had almost disaj)peared. From the drawing, however, in Hutchins' 

 this valuable monument could be fully restored, should any member wish to under- 

 take the task. Many other like instances showiag the invaluable worth of many 

 of these old drawings of our vanishing monuments of antiquity may be mentioned, 

 and I hope to show you presently some with which you may be familar. 



Dorchester, which appeals to us all, is changing before our eyes. It has 

 changed rapidly during the last 20 years. The narrow South Street, with its 

 many old curious houses and shops, has practically been rebuilt ; the quaint old 

 buildings in " Wood and Stone Lane,'''' of which I know of no drawings, have 

 vanished. Where is the " King of Prussia," which Mr. Thomas Hardy so 

 graphically describes in his " Mayor of Casterbridge," the old Guild Hall, 

 the old Graol, the " George " Inn, and the " Duke of Wellington r " And per- 

 haps we have a more famihar instance still in " Howe's Corner," now replaced 

 by the noble buildings of the Wilts and Dorset Bank. Have drawings been kept 

 of all these buildings and streets, so that future generations may be able to form 

 an idea of what Old Dorchester was like 'i I fear not. Such destruction must go 

 on with the development of the town, and the least we can do is to preserve for 

 our descendants an exact picture of what was, and what has noiu ceased to exist, 

 in the representations of the ancient and interesting buildings which have been 

 destroyed. 



Another thing I would impress on the members of this Club : that is, the 

 preservation, and in some instances, where the original copies are known to 

 be few, the reproduction of some of the rare drawings and engravings of our 

 ancient monuments, chui'ches, and houses, and the old histories and maps of our 

 county and towns. And in order that our members may have a better idea of 

 the nature and number of these, and be able to recognise them more easily should 

 they come across them, I have noted up some of the older and more important, 

 under three heads, viz. :— 



(1) Histories of the county, and of the several towns and boroughs which 



have had histories given them, 



(2) Drawings and engravings of more than ordinary interest. 



(3) Maps and surveys of the county, together with some plans of the 



boroughs and towns. 



