Of oxfo%:d-shi%e. 
pFOV'ided thisfione (which h very unlikely) were brought theace 
by foane of Andradim his company the very firft voy/tge^ yet rtt 
can be (with us)i but 160 years; ftanding. 
140. As. for the ^/oz/e k felf kisof an odd kind of texture^ 
and colour too, not unlike (to fight) to fo me fort of cheefcy exa^l- 
ly of tht figure and bignefs^ as engraven m the Tabk ; and m.oll; 
likely of any thing to have been one of their Jcgra's, or Stamps., 
wherein the chief ferfons of the Eaflern Countries w^mWy kad their 
names cut in a larger fort of CkaraSier^ to put them to any Inftru- 
ments 2t once, without further troubk. That they have fuch 
kind of ftampSy is clearly teftified by Ah ares Smedo^ in his Hi- 
dory of China : They Prints fays he, likervife with Tables of fione, 
hut thk manner of Printing ferves only for Epitaphs,^ Trees ^ Moun- 
tains^ isrc, of which kind they have very many Prints ; the flones 
which fervefor thi^ ufe being alfo of a proper and peculiar fort as ours 
feems to be : Sothat in all probability the letters on this flone con- 
tain only xhtname^ and perhaps the office^ or other title of fome 
perfon of Quality^ and therefore hard to be found out ; and that 
it was brought hither by {ome Traveller of the Honorable Family 
of the Spencers^ and either cafually loft, or carelefly thrown out 
as a thing of no value. 
141. And thus with no fmall toil and charge, yet not without 
the affiftance of many Honorable Ferfons^ whofe names in due time 
lliall be all gratefully mention'd, I have madefliift to finifli this 
Specimen of Oxford-fiire ; which I am fo far from taking for a per- 
{ed.HiJIory^ that I doubt not but time and kwere obfervation (to 
which 1 hope this EJJay will both encourage and direS) may pro- 
duce an Appendix as large as this Book.'. For that new matter will 
daily prefent it felf, to be added to fome one or other of thefe 
Chafters^ I am fo fenfibly convinc'd. that even fince the Printing 
the firft Chapter of this Treatife, I have found here at home juft fucli 
another £c/??(?, as at Mr. Pawlings2.t Ueddington^ in the Portico's 
of the new Quadrangle at St. John Baptiji's College. And fmce my 
writing the fecond^ my worthy Friend Dr. Tho. Ttylor has found 
fo ftronga Ci^j/^Z'^^/ Spring in Fulling-mill-bam-fireamnezY Ofeney 
Bridge-, that notwithftandinglaft hard Winter (when the greateft 
Rivers were frozen) this continued open and fmoaking all the 
time, tinging all the fiones by reafon of its not running, nor 
P F.^Ahares Semedoj Hifi^Chin.part. i.cap.6. fubfinem. 
mix- 
