WILTSHIRE. 



then confidered of great ftrciigth and importance, on account 

 of its commanding fituation, and its proximity to the con- 

 currence of the Roman roads, which interfeft the north- 

 eaftern divifion of this county. The diftingui(hed Arthur, 

 who fo long upheld the falling fortunes of his country, 

 relieved the garrifon with a large army formed under his 

 own infpeAion : Cerdic, apprized of his intention, abandoned 

 the liege, and waited the approach of the enemy. The con- 

 flift was fevere ; the genius of Arthur, however, ultimately 

 prevailed over the fuperior fcience of the Saxon general, and 

 the more fteady conduA of his veteran troops. The fub- 

 jugation of Wiltftire was not again attempted till the year 

 552, when warfare was once more renewed. Kenric, the 

 fon of Cerdic, and his fucceflbr in the Weil-Saxon monarchy, 

 again pafTed the frontiers of his dominions, and threatened 

 Sorbiodunum or Old Sarum. 



The Britilh army took a pofition to fecure its fafety, and 

 fought with their ufual intrepidity, but were defeated by 

 the fuperior difcipline of the Saxons. At " Beranbyrig," 

 Barbury-c?aftle, in the vicinity of Marlborough, another 

 decifive battle was fought, in which the invaders were again 

 the conquerors ; and Wiltfhire in confequence became in- 

 corporated in the kingdom of Weflex. 



After feveral Ikirmifhes, a decifive battle was fought at 

 Wodneibury, in which the ufurper of Weflex was defeated. 

 The Danes made a defcent on the ifland in the thirty-fecond 

 year of Egbert's reign, and effefted great ravages in Wilt- 

 ftiire. Kmg Alfred afterwards attacked the Danes near 

 Wilton, and routed them ; but elated by fuccefs, he incau- 

 tioufly fuffered them to rally when they gained a viiftory. 



Alfred engaged them in feveral battles with varied fuccefs, 

 and ultimately compelled them to fue for peace, which was 

 granted ; yet in the following year, regardlefs of their recent 

 engagements, they fuddenly advanced to Chippenham, then 

 a royal refidence, and eftablifhed themfelves in that town. 

 They had gained fuch confiderable reinforcements, that the 

 king, with a part of his army, retired into Somerfetrtiire. 

 Here he remained feveral months, occalionally fallying out 

 upon the enemy, deftroying their magazines, and carrying 

 off their provifions. Having muflered a confiderable army, 

 Alfred quitted his retirement, and advanced to iEthandune, 

 where the Danirti forces lay encamped, attacked them by 

 furprife, and gained a complete vidory. No other particu- 

 lar event occurred in Wiltfhire until 976, when a fynod was 

 held at Calne, in which the refpeftive rights of the regular 

 and fecular clergy underwent a folemn difcuffion : the fecu- 

 lar clergy would not rehnquifh their pretentions ; another 

 council was, therefore, convened the fame year at Ame/bury, 

 in which it appears the canons were unfuccefsful. 



The next hiftorical occurrence in Wiltfhire happened in 

 1003, when the towns of Wilton and Sarum were plundered 

 and nearly burned to the ground by the Danifh monarch. 



In 1006 another army of Danes vifited Weffex, and 

 retiring to the coaft through Wiltfhire, when fome of its 

 natives attacked it in the vicinity of Kennet ; the Saxons 

 were, however, defeated, and purchafed peace by fubmitting 

 to the tribute called Danegelt. 



England now remained tranquil five years, when in 101 1 

 king Swein and his fon Canute again landed on the fouth 

 coaft, and entering this county, levied heavy contributions 

 on the inhabitants. King Edward at this time being indif- 

 pofed at Corfham, hi« fon Edmund took the field, and put 

 the invaders to flight. An obftinate battle was fought, 

 about this time, at " Scearftan," or Sherfton, on the north- 

 weftern verge of the county, by Edmund (who had jufl 

 fucceeded his father, Edward) againft the Danes; the deci- 

 lion of the battle turned in favour of king Edmund by the 



unexpefted flight of Canute. Subfequent to the Norman 

 Conqueft, WUtfliire retained a confiderable fhareof political 

 intereft. 



In the year 1086, the conqueror held a great council at 

 Sarum ; « where," fays Blackftone, " all the principal 

 landholders fubmitted their lands to the yoke of military 

 tenure, became the king's vaffals, and did homage and fealty 

 to his perfon." Thus was the feudal fyflem formally in- 

 troduced into this country. 



Clarendon, in this county, is remarkable for the laws 

 pafled there in the reign of Henry II.; " whereby," fays 

 Blackftone, " the king checked the power of the pope and 

 the clergy, and greatly narrowed the total exemption they 

 claimed from the fecular jurifdiftion ;" though the comple- 

 tion of his wifhes was prevented by the murder of the proud 

 and arrogant prelate, archbifhop Becket. Thefe laws are 

 ftill familiar to the antiquary, by the appellation of the 

 ' Conftitutions of Clarendon.' At Marlborough, in 1267, 

 Henry III. held a parliament, or a general afTembly of the 

 ' E Hates of England,' to provide for " the better ftate of 

 the realm, and the more fpeedy adminiftration of juftice ;" 

 and here were confequently enafted thofe flatutes for the 

 fupprefTion of tumults, which have ever fince been deno- 

 minated, ' The Statutes of Marlbridge.' In the contefts 

 between the houfes of York and Lancafler, the inhabitants 

 of Wiltfhire were confpicuous for their attachment to the 

 fortunes of the Henries. Many of them were prefent at 

 the battle of Tewkfbury, an event which tended to fix the 

 crown on the brows of Edward. 



In the deplorable events of the 17th century, this county 

 was equally diftinguifhtd. Many aAions between the par- 

 hamentary and royal forces were decided within its bound- 

 aries ; particularly at Malmfbury, at Ludgerfhall, and at 

 Round-a-way-hill, in the neighbourhood of Devizes. War- 

 dour and Longford caftles were alternately befieged and 

 taken by both parties within one year. 



The remains of antiquity in Wiltfhire, firfl; entitled to 

 notice in a collective view, are the ftupendous monuments at 

 Avebury and Stonehenge, both of which are regarded as 

 druidical temples. In thefe fl.ru6tures we are prefented 

 with the mofl wonderful works of a rude but powerful 

 people ; works in which the bodily flrength of affociated 

 numbers, with the fcience and cuftoms of their age, are 

 ftrongly manifefted, and which are calculated not only to 

 excite the aftonifhed gaze and amazement of the multitude, 

 but alfo to roufe curiofity and awaken inquiry in the minds 

 of antiquaries and hillorians. See Avebury, and Stone- 

 henge. 



Next to thefe immenfe temples, becaufe refembling them 

 in relative magnitude, though totally diiTimilar in kind, the 

 Wanfdyke may properly claim attention. This vaft earth- 

 work, which is fuppofed to have originally interfeAed the 

 whole country, is now only diftinAly vifible in detached 

 places, throughout the range of hills to the fouth and weft 

 of Marlborough, where it ftill remains tolerably entire, and 

 in one place is feen in a bold and connefted line for the 

 fpace of ten or twelve miles. 



Barrows, or Tumuli. — Of correfponding antiquity to the 

 monuments already named, are the artificial hillocks or 

 mounds of earth which abound in this county, and which, 

 appear to have an intimate conneftion with thofe temples, 

 as they are more numerous around Stonehenge and Ave- 

 bury than in any other places. Thefe memorials were un- 

 doubtedly appropriated to fepulchral purpofes. By the 

 refearches of Mr. Cunnington, fir Richard C. Hoare's 

 " Ancient Wiltfliire," the Rev. James Douglas's " Nennia 

 Britannia," and a few other enlightened antiquaries, we are 



made 



