226 



Facsimiles of Aubrey's Plans of Abury. 



stones " of Avobury in 1G48, and of the visit of Charles II. in 1GG3, 

 was one of the latest productions of his pen. Aubrey died in Juno 

 1697, and Bishop Gibson's edition of Camden (to the publication 

 of which he here refers) appeared in 1G95. In this preface he says ; — 

 "The first draught (of the 'Description' of 'Aubury') was 

 worn out with time and handling, and now, methinks, after many 

 years lying dormant, I come abroad, like the ghost of one of those 

 Druids." 



In the preface there are other indications of its late date ; 

 and, altogether, it would appear that it was written within two 

 years of Aubrey's death ; or about thirty-three years after the 

 " Discourse" to which it is prefixed. It was possibly composed 

 during his retirement at the Earl of Abingdon's, at Lavington, in 

 the summer of 1695. 1 It might have been later, by a year or 

 so, but could scarcely have been written earlier. 



The preface, (as will appear from what follows) belongs, not to 

 the " Monumenta Britannica " as a whole ; nor yet alone to the 

 " Description of Aubury ; " but is properly introductory to the first 

 and more valuable part of the "M. B.," called "Templa Druidum ; " 

 which, towards the close of his life, when this preface was written, 

 Aubrey had some thoughts of printing separately. 2 



In the original MS., the preface with its concluding salutation, 



" Vale, John Aubrey," 

 is succeeded by the following sentence, now for the first time printed. 

 " I shall proceed gradual^, a notioribus ad minus nota, that is to 

 say, from y e Remaines of Antiquit}' less imperfect to those more 

 imperfect and ruinated ; which brings me first to discourse of that 

 vast and ancient monument at Aubury in Wiltshire." 



The following curious account of the circles on Overton Hill, 

 as they stood towards the end of 17th century, had not been 

 met with by Mr. Long, at the time his paper was printed. It is 

 from " A Fool's Bolt soon shott at Stonage," published by Thomas 

 Hearne in 1725, (reprinted 1810, vol. iv. p. 506). The writer of the 

 " Fool's Bolt " died about 1675 ; and his description of these 



1 Britton's Life of Aubrey, p. 72. 2 Ibid p. 90. 



