{ ) 
(I remeniber) does fomewhere give a very contemp- 
tible Charafter, of a (brt of Men, tint can be content 
to live and die, without ever troubling their Heads with 
what paffed in the World before they came into it. And 
if the Cenfure be juft, the more nearly we are concern- 
ed in any thing that has pafled in former Ages, the 
more inexcufeable is our Ignorance of it. But btfiJes 
the fausfadion to themfelves, and refpeft to their Ance- 
ftors, a good acquaintance with the Conftitutions and 
Cuftoms of their Neighbourhood in all Ages, does bet- 
ter enable them to cornpofe Differences among Neigh- 
bours, and qualifie them for the more regular Admini- 
ftration of Juftice : It makes them a fort of Oracles 
in the Places where they live. 
z. For the Parochial Clergy : It is no new thing to 
obferve, that both they and the Church have been great 
Sufferers, for want of this fort of Knowledge. Men of 
ill Defigns (taking advantage of the frequent removes 
of Incumbents, and their Ignorance of the Affairs and 
Ufages of their Parifh) will be alsvays trying to im- 
prove their own Eftates, out of the Revenues of the 
Church. And there's no way to prevent this effectu- 
ally, till fome one or other make an exadl fearch into 
the R.ecords of the refpeftive Places, and digeft the No- 
tices they meet with into regular Method, for the ufe 
of Pofterity. It was a Cafe wherein the Rights of the 
Church were concerned, that firfl: moved this worthy 
Gentleman to fuch an Undertaking ; and the Succefs he 
had in that particular, led him on to farther fearches, 
convincing him how ufeful fuch a Work was like to 
prove both to bimfelf and his Succef- 
flbrs. f It feems an Annual Benefadion f Trsfat. 
had been given to the Church of Amlrof 
ien^ for the Repairing and adorning of it for ever: 
This had been for time perverted to other ufts. At laft 
he 
