[ 6 53 1 
from genuine Dates; fo a wrong Hypothefis«**fixing 
the Time later than it ought to be— -may poillbly 
induce us to fufped: genuine Dates to be doubtful 
or fpurious. To give fome Light to this Subjed, I 
have here fent a Draught of Part of the North Front 
of the Abbey (now Parifh) Church of Rumfey , in 
the County of Southampton , with an Infcription on 
the fame. That this Infcription is a Date, ion, is 
evident from the Figures. That it is a genuine Date, 
the apparent Antiquity of the Building plainly de- 
monftrates. A fpurious Date in this Place would have 
expreffed the Time when the Abbey was founded by 
King Edward , Grandfather of Edgar , above a Hun- 
dred Years before the Time here mentioned. 
There is fomething very remarkable with relation 
to the Time when this Church was built. Not only 
during the Year of this Date, ion, but for feveral 
Years before, many Parts of England were laid wafte 
by the revenging ‘Danes , juftly incenfed againft the 
English by the inhuman Mafiacre of their Country- 
men in the Year 1002. The Saxon Chronicle, p. 14 1. 
acquaints us, that the County of Hants , ftamtun-jcijie, 
among others, was miferably harralfed by thefe cruel 
Invaders this Year of the Date *. It is therefore very 
extraordinary, that fo fine a Pile (according to the 
Age when it was built) fhould be raifed at a time 
when every thing elfe, Sacred and Civil, was plun- 
dered and deftroyed by thefe mercilefs Ravagers. But 
probably the Devaftation was not quite fo general as 
reprefented. 
* Florence of Worcejler alfo obferves the fame. . . Suthamtonenfi y 
JViltunenfi . . . p rovinciis . a Danorum exerciiu ferfo gammafue de- 
wolitis. Ad An. 1011. p. 612. 
P p P P 2 If 
