109 



By J. U. Powell, M.A. 



ISTOEY is not altogether an affair of printed books, dead 

 annals, and the study chair. The first impressions of it 

 may be given by out-door observation, by the features of a country, 

 by its buildings, its local names, its language, its customs and 

 traditions, now fast disappearing. Nor is it an affair of the great 

 cities with their colourless suburbs, for they are often mushroom 

 growths. The stream of national history has left more and clearer 

 traces in the country districts. Here the marks left by past events 

 are plain ; and one who trains his eye can read the history of a 

 country in its face, just as plainly as in its men, its language, and 

 its customs and character. 



Many of the notable periods of English history can be illustrated 

 from the upper part of this valley, and it is worth while to gather 

 the scattered results of enquiries into the history of this part of 

 England, and, although there is nothing of startling moment, to 

 show how much may be seen that is really interesting and full of 

 meaning. 1 



The south-west of England, as is well known, has even more 

 traces remaining of ancient life than the north, which was settled 

 later and more sparsely ; whether we take* the early British times, 

 the Eomano-British, or the Early English time to the Norman 

 Conquest. The most useful account of these times will be found 

 in the first volume of a work generally accessible, "Social England" 

 which summarises the results of the scientific researches of the 

 anthropologist, General Pitt-Eivers, and the painstaking labours of 

 the diligent student of public records, Sir E. C. Hoare. 



1 Notices of Warminster are omitted, as its history has been thoroughly 

 worked out by the Kev. J. J. DanielL 



VOL. XXXIII. — NO. C, I 



