The Natural History of Wiltshire

by John Aubrey

PART II - CHAPTER VI.

ARCHITECTURE.

[IN this chapter, the account of Aubrey's visit to Old Sarum, and the traditions connected with the erection of Salisbury Cathedral, although they furnish no new facts of importance, will be read with interest; especially on account of the reference they bear to the enlightened and munificent Bishop Ward. A memoir of that prelate was published by Dr. Walter Pope, in 1697 (8vo); and some further particulars of him, as connected with Salisbury, will be found in Hatcher's valuable History of that City. - J. B.]

THE celebrated antiquity of Stonehenge, as also that stupendious but unheeded antiquity at Aubury, &c. I affirme to have been temples, and built by the Britons. See my Templa Druidum. [The essay referred to was a part of Aubrey's Monumenta Britannica, the manuscript of which has strangely disappeared within the last twenty yeares. I have given an account of its contents in the Memoir of Aubrey, already frequently referred to,(page 87). Aubrey was the first who asserted that Avebury and Stonehenge were temples of the Britons. He was also the first person who wrote any thing about the forms, styles, and varieties of windows, arches, &c. in Church Architecture, and his remarks and opinions on both subjects were judicious, curious, and original. - J. B.] ___________________________________

Here being so much good stone in this countrey, no doubt but that the Romans had here, as well as in other parts, good buildings. But time hath left us no vestigia of their architecture unlesse that little that remains of the castle of Old Sarum, where the mortar is as hard as a stone. This must have been a most august structure, for it is situated upon a hill. When the high walles were standing, flanked at due distances with towers, about seven in all, and the vast keep (arx) in the middle crowned with another high fortification, it must needs afford a most noble view over the plaines.

(The following account I had from the right reverend, learned, and industrious Seth Ward, Lord Bishop of Sarum, who had taken the paines to peruse all the old records of the church, that had been clung together and untoucht for perhaps two hundred yeares.) Within this castle of Old Sarum, on the east side, stood the Cathedrall church; the tuft and scite is yet discernable: which being seated so high was so obnoxious to the weather, that when the wind did blow they could not heare the priest say masse. But this was not the only inconvenience. The soldiers of the castle and the priests could never agree; and one day, when they were gone without the castle in procession, the soldiers kept them out all night, or longer. Whereupon the Bishop, being much troubled, cheered them up as well as he could, and told them he would study to accommodate them better. In order thereunto he rode severall times to the Lady Abbesse at Wilton to have bought or exchanged a piece of ground of her ladyship to build a church and houses for the priests. A poor woman at Quidhampton, that was spinning in the street, sayd to one of her neighbours, "I marvell what the matter is that the bishop makes so many visits to my lady; I trow he intends to marry her." Well, the bishop and her ladyship did not conclude about the land, and the bishop dreamt that the Virgin Mary came to him, and brought him to or told him of Merrifield; she would have him build his church there and dedicate it to her. Merrifield was a great field or meadow where the city of New Sarum stands, and did belong to the Bishop, as now the whole city belongs to him.

This was about the latter end of King John's reigne, and the first grant or diploma that ever King Henry the Third signed was that for the building of our Ladies church at Salisbury. The Bishop sent for architects from Italy, and they did not onely build that famous structure, and the close, but layd out the streetes of the whole city: which run parallell one to another, and the market-place-square in the middle: whereas in other cities they were built by chance, and at severall times.

I know but one citie besides in England that was designed and layd out at once as this was; and that is Chichester: where, standing at the market-crosse, you may see the four gates of the city. They say there that it was built about the same time that New Salisbury was, and had some of those architects.* The town of Richelieu was built then by the great Cardinall, when he built his august chasteau there.

*[Salisbury has little parallelism to its neighbour Chichester, which is of Roman origin: the former being truly English, and perfectly unique in its history and arrangement. Aubrey has omitted to notice the rapid streams of water flowing through each of the principal streets, which form a remarkable feature of the city. - J. B.]

Upon the building of this cathedrall and close the castle of Old Sarum went to wrack, and one may see in the walles of the close abundance of stones, finely carved, that were perhaps part of the church there. After the church and close were built, the citizens had their freestone, &c. from thence. And in Edward the Sixth's time, the great house of the Earle of Pembroke, at Wilton, was built with the mines of it. About 1660 I was upon it. There was then remaining on the south side some of the walles of the great gate; and on the north side there was some remaines of a bottome of a tower; but the incrustation of freestone was almost all gone: a fellow was then picking at that little that was left. 'Tis like enough by this time they have digged all away.

Salisbury. - Edw. Leigh, Esq. "There is a stately and beautifull minster, with an exceeding high spered steeple, and double crosse aisle on both sides. The windowes of the church, as they reckon them, answer just in number to the dayes; the pillars, great and small, to the houres, of a full yeare; and the gates to the moneths." - ["England Described; or, Observations on the several Counties and Shires thereof, by Edw. Leigh." 1659. 8vo.]

"Mira canam, soles quot continet annus, in unâ
Tam numerosa ferunt sede fenestra micat.
Marmoreaq{ue} capit fusas tot ab arte columnas
Comprensus horas quot vagus annus habet.
Totq{ue}patent portæ, quot mensibus annus abundat,
Res mira, et vera, res celebrata fide." - DANIEL ROGERS.

'Tis strange to see how errour hath crept in upon the people, who believe that the pillars of this church were cast, forsooth, as chandlers make candles; and the like is reported of the pillars of the Temple Church, London, &c.: and not onely the vulgar swallow down the tradition gleb, but severall learned and otherwise understanding persons will not be perswaded to the contrary, and that the art is lost.[Among the rest Fuller, in his Worthies of England, gave currency to this absurd opinion.- J. B.] Nay, all the bishops and churchmen of that church in my remembrance did believe it, till Bishop Ward came, who would not be so imposed on; and the like errour runnes from generation to generation concerning Stoneheng, that the stones there are artificiall. But, to returne to the pillars of this church, they are all reall marble, and shew the graine of the Sussex marble (sc. the little cockles), from whence they were brought. [These pillars are not made of Sussex marble; but of that kind which is brought from a part of Dorsetshire called the Isle of Purbeck.- J. B.] At every nine foot they are jointed with an ornament or band of iron or copper. This quarrie hath been closed up and forgott time out of mind, and the last yeare, 1680, it was accidentally discovered by felling of an old oake; and it now serves London. (From Mr. Bushnell, the stone-cutter.)

The old tradition is, that this church was "built upon wooll-packs", and doubtlesse there is something in it which is now forgott. I shall endeavour to retrieve and unriddle it by comparison. There is a tower at Rouen in Normandie called the Butter Tower; for when it was built a toll was layd upon all the butter that was brought to Rouen, for and towards the building of this tower; as now there is a [duty] layd upon every chaldron of coales towards the building of St Paul's Church, London: so hereafter they may say that that church was built upon New- Castle coales. In like manner it might be that heretofore, when Salisbury Cathedral was building, which was long before wooll was manufactured in England (the merchants of the staple sent it then in woolpacks beyond sea, to Flanders, &c.), that an imposition might be putt on the Wiltshire wool-packs towards the carrying on of this magnificent structure. There is a saying also that London Bridge was built upon wooll-packs, upon the same account.

The height of Our Lady steeple at Salisbury was never found so little as 400 foot, and never more than 406 foot, by the observations of Thom. Nash, surveyor of the workes of this church: but Colonell John Wyndham did take the height more accurately, An° 1684, by a barometer: sc. the height of the weather-dore of Our Lady Church steeple at Salisbury from the ground is 4280 inches. The mercury subsided in that height 42/100 of an inch. He affirms that the height of the said steeple is 404 foot, which he hath tryed severall times; and by the help of his barometer, which is accurately made according to his direction, he will with great facility take the height of any mountain: quod N.B. [Col. Wyndham's measurement has been adopted as correct by most authors who have written on the subject since.- J. B.]

Memorandum. About 1669 or 1670 Bishop Ward invited Sir Christopher Wren to Salisbury, out of curiosity, to survey the church there, as to the steeple, architecture, &c. He was above a weeke about it, and writt a sheet or a sheet and a halfe, an account of it, which he presented to the bishop. I asked the bishop since for it, and he told me he had lent it, to whom he could not tell, and had no copy of it. 'Tis great pity the paines of so great an artist should be lost. Sir Christopher tells me he hath no copie of it neither.

This year, 1691, Mr. Anth. Wood tells me, he hath gott a transcript of Sir Chr. Wren's paper; which obtain, and insert here. I much doubted I should never have heard of it again.

[Soon after writing this passage Aubrey probably obtained a copy of Sir Christopher Wren's report, which he has inserted in his original manuscript. It is dated in 1669, and occupies eleven folio pages. In The History and Antiquities of the Cathedral of Salisbury, &c. (1723, 8vo.), it is printed, and described as "An Architectonical Account of this Cathedral", by "an eminent gentleman". Part of the same report was printed in Wren's Parentalia (1750); and a short abstract of it will also be found in Dodsworth's Salisbury Cathedral (written by the late Mr. Hatcher), p. 172. In a communication from the last named gentleman in 1841, when he was engaged upon his History of Salisbury, he wrote to me as follows: "I have lately fallen upon what appears to have been Sir C. Wren's original report relative to the cathedral; a very elaborate report on the state of the building in 1691, by a person named Naish; some good observations on the bending of the piers (anonymous); and several estimates and observations made by Price. What I shall do with them I have not yet determined." - J. B.] ___________________________________

Wardour Castle was very strongly built of freestone. I never saw it but when I was a youth; the day after part of it was blown up: and the mortar was so good that one of the little towers reclining on one side did hang together and not fall in peeces. It was called Warder Castle from the conserving there the ammunition of the West. ___________________________________

Sir William Dugdale told me, many years since, that about Henry the Third's time the Pope gave a bull or patents to a company of Italian Freemasons to travell up and down over all Europe to build churches. From those are derived the fraternity of adopted Masons. They are known to one another by certain signes and watch-words: it continues to this day. They have severall lodges in severall counties for their reception, and when any of them fall into decay the brotherhood is to relieve him, &c. The manner of their adoption is very formall, and with an oath of secresy.

Memorandum. This day, May the 18th, being Munday, 1691, after Rogation Sunday, is a great convention at St. Paul's Church of the fraternity of the adopted Masons, where Sir Christopher Wren is to be adopted a brother, and Sir Henry Goodric, of the Tower, and divers others. There have been kings of this sodality. ___________________________________

At Pottern, a great mannour belonging to the Bishop of Sarum, is a very faire strong built church, with a great tower in the middest of the crosse aisle. It is exactly of the same architecture of the cathedrall church at Sarum, and the windowes are painted by the same hand, in that kind of Gothick grotesco. Likewise the church at Kington St. Michael's, and that at Sopworth, are of the same fashion, and built about the same time, sc. with slender marble pillars to the windowes; and just so the church of Glastonbury Abbey, and Westminster Abbey. Likewise the architecture of the church at Bishop's Cannings is the same, and such pillars to the windowes. ___________________________________

At Calne was a fine high steeple which stood upon four pillars in the middle of the church. One of the pillars was faulty, and the churchwardens were dilatory, as is usual in such cases. - Chivers, Esq. of that parish, foreseeing the fall of it, if not prevented, and the great charge they must be at by it, brought down Mr. Inigo Jones to survey it. This was about 1639 or 1640: he gave him 30 li. out of his own purse for his paines. Mr. Jones would have underbuilt it for an hundred pounds. About 1645 it fell down, on a Saturday, and also broke down the chancell; the parish have since been at 1,000 li. Charge to make a new heavy tower. Such will be the fate of our steeple at Kington St. Michael; one cannot perswade the parishioners to goe out of their own way. [In another of Aubrey's MSS. (his "Description of North Wiltshire"), is a sketch of the tower and spire of the church of Kington St. Michael, shewing several large and serious cracks in the walls. The spire was blown down in 1703, its neglected state no doubt contributing to its fall. The following manuscript note by James Gilpin, Esq. Recorder of Oxford (who was born at Kington in 1709), may be added, from my own collections for the history of this, my native parish. "In ye great storm in ye year 1703, ye spire of this church was blown down, and two of ye old bells I remember standing in ye belfry till ye tower was pulled down in 1724, in order to be rebuilt It was rebuilt accordingly, and the bells were then new cast, with ye assistance of Mr. Harington ye Vicar, who gave a new bell, on which his name is inscribed, so as to make a peal of six bells. On these bells are the following inscriptions:- 1. Prosperity to this parish, 1726. 2. Peace and good neighbourhood, 1726. 3. Prosperity to ye Church of England, 1726. 4. William Harington, Vicar. A. R. 1726 (A. R. means Abraham Rudhall, ye bell founder). 5. Has no inscription, but 1726 in gilt figures. 6. Jonathan Power and Robert Hewett, Churchwardens, 1726." - J. B.] ___________________________________

Sir William Dugdale told me he finds that painting in glasse came first into England in King John's time. Before the Reformation I believe there was no county or great town in England but had glasse painters. Old …… Harding, of Blandford in Dorsetshire, where I went to schoole, was the only countrey glasse-painter that ever I knew. Upon play dayes I was wont to visit his shop and furnaces. He dyed about 1643, aged about 83, or more.

In St. Edmund's church at Salisbury were curious painted glasse windowes, especially in the chancell, where there was one window, I think the east window, of such exquisite worke that Gundamour, the Spanish Ambassadour, did offer some hundreds of pounds for it, if it might have been bought. In one of the windowes was the picture of God the Father, like an old man, which gave offence to H. Shervill, Esq. then Recorder of this city (this was about 1631), who, out of zeale, came and brake some of these windowes, and clambering upon one of the pews to be able to reach high enough, fell down and brake his leg. For this action he was brought into the Starr-Chamber, and had a great fine layd upon him [£500. J. B.] which, I think, did undoe him. [See a minute and interesting account of Sherfield's offence, and the proceedings at the trial, in Hatcher's History of Salisbury, p. 371-374. - J. B.] ___________________________________

There was, at the Abbey of Malmesbury, a very high spire-steeple, as high almost, they at Malmesbury say, as that of St. Paul's, London; and they further report, that when the steeple fell down the ball of it fell as far as the Griffin Inne. ___________________________________

The top of the tower of Sutton Benger is very elegant, there is not such another in the county. It much resembles St Walborough's [St. Werburg's] at Bristoll. [The tower of Sutton Benger church, here alluded to, has a large open-work'd pinnacle, rising from the centre of the roof; a beautiful and very singular ornament. See the wood-cut in the title-page of the present volume.- J. B.]

The priory of Broadstock was very well built, and with good strong ribbs, as one may conclude by the remaines that are left of it yet standing, which are the cellar, which is strongly vaulted with freestone, and the hall above it. It is the stateliest cellar in Wiltshire. The Hall is spatious, and within that the priour's parlour, wherein is good carving. In the middle of the south side of the hall is a large chimney, over which is a great window, so that the draught of the smoake runnes on each side of the chimney. Above the cellars the hall and parlours are one moietie; the church or, chapell stood on the south side of the hall, under which was a vault, as at St. Faithes under Paules. The very fundations of this fair church are now, 1666, digged up, where I saw severall freestone coffins, having two holes bored in the bottome, and severall capitalls and bases of handsome Gothique pillars. On the west end of the hall was the King's lodgeings, which they say were very noble, and standing about 1588. [Aubrey records some further particulars of Bradenstoke Priory; a short account of which edifice will be found in the third volume of the Beauties of Wiltshire. The Gentleman's Magazine, Nov. 1833, contains a wood-cut and account of this old religious house. See also Bowles's History of Lacock Abbey.-J. B.]

The church of Broad Chalke was dedicated to All-Hallowes, as appeares by the ancient parish booke. The tradition is that it was built by a lawyer, whose picture is in severall of the glasse-windowes yet remaining, kneeling, in a purple gowne or robe, and at the bottome of the windowes this subscription: "Orate pro felici statu Magistri Sieardi Lenot". This church hath no pillar, and the breadth is thirty and two feete and two inches. Hereabout are no trees now growing that would be long enough to make the crosse beames that doe reach from side to side. By the fashion of the windowes I doe guesse that it was built in the reigne of King Henry the Sixth. [The church of Broad Chalk is described in Hoare's Modern Wiltshire, Hundred of Chalk, p. 148.] ___________________________________

The market-crosses of Salisbury, Malmesbury, and Trowbridge, are very noble: standing on six pillars, and well vaulted over with freestone well carved. On every one of these crosses above sayd the crest of Hungerford, the sickles, doth flourish like parietaria or wall-flower, as likewise on most publique buildings in these parts, which witnesse not onely their opulency but munificency. I doe think there is such another crosse at Cricklade, with the coate and crests of Hungerford. Quaere de hoc. [There is not any cross remaining in Trowbridge; and that at Cricklade, in the high street, is merely a single shaft, placed on a base of steps. The one at Salisbury is a plain unadorned building; but that of Malmesbury is a fine ornamented edifice. It is described and illustrated in my "Dictionary of the Architecture and Archaeology of the Middle Ages". - J. B.] ___________________________________

The Lord Stourton's house at Stourton is very large and very old, but is little considerable as to the architecture. The pavement of the chapell there is of bricks, annealed or painted yellow, with their coat and rebus; sc. a tower and a tunne. These enamelled bricks have not been in use these last hundred yeares. The old paving of Our Lady Church at Salisbury was of such; and the choire of Gloucester church is paved with admirable bricks of this fashion. A little chapell at Merton, in the Earle of Shaftesbury's house, is paved with such tiles, whereon are annealed or enamelled the coate and quarterings of Horsey. It is pity that this fashion is not revived; they are handsome and far more wholesome than marble paving in our could climate, and much cheaper. They have been disused ever since King Edward the Sixth's time. [Aubrey would have rejoiced to witness the success which has attended the revived use of ornamental paving tiles within the last few years. Messrs. Copeland and Garrett, and Mr. Minton, of Stoke- upon-Trent, as well as the Messrs. Chamberlain of Worcester, are engaged in making large numbers of these tiles, which are now extensively employed by church architects. Those individuals have produced tiles equal in excellence and beauty to the ancient specimens.-J. B.] ___________________________________

Heretofore all gentlemen's houses had fish ponds, and their houses had motes drawn about them, both for strength and for convenience of fish on fasting days.

The architecture of an old English gentleman's house, especially in Wiltshire and thereabout, was a good high strong wall, a gate house, a great hall and parlour, and within the little green court where you come in, stood on one side the barne: they then thought not the noise of the threshold ill musique. This is yet to be seen at severall old houses and seates, e. g. Bradfield, Alderton, Stanton St. Quintin, Yatton-Keynell, &c.

Fallersdowne, vulgo Falston, was built by a Baynton, about perhaps Henry the Fifth. Here was a noble old-fashioned house, with a mote about it and drawbridge, and strong high walles embatteled. They did consist of a layer of freestone and a layer of flints, squared or headed; two towers faced the south, one the east, the other the west end. After the garrison was gonn the mote was filled up, about 1650, and the high wall pulled down and one of the towers. Baynton was attainted about Henry the Sixth. Afterwards the Lord Chief Justice Cheyney had it About the beginning of Queen Elizabeth, ….. Vaughan of Glamorganshire bought it; and about 1649, Sir George Vaughan sold it to Philip Earle of Pembroke.

Longleate House is the most august building in the kingdome. It was built by [Edward] Seymor, Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector,* tempore Edward VI., who sent for the architects out of Italy. The length is 272 foot, the breadth 172 foot; measured by Mr. Moore, Clericus. It is as high as the Banqueting house at Whitehall, outwardly adorned with Dorick, lonick, and Corinthian pillars. Mr. Dankertz drew a landskip of it, which was engraved. Desire Mr. Rose to gett me a print of it.

*[This statement is erroneous. Maiden Bradley, which is not far from Longleat, has been a seat of the noble family of Seymour for many centuries, and they have an old mansion there; but the family never possessed Longleat. The latter estate, on the contrary, was granted by King Henry VIII. to Sir John Horsey, and Edward Earl of Hertford, from whom it was purchased by Sir John Thynne, ancestor of its present proprietor, the Marquess of Bath. In 1576, Sir John commenced the splendid mansion at Longleat, which some writers assert was designed by John of Padua. The works were regularly prosecuted during the next twelve years, and completed by the two succeeding owners of the property. See Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain, vol. ii. - J. B.]

Longford House was built by the Lord Georges, after the fashion of one of the King of Swedland's palaces. The figure of it is triangular, and the roomes of state are in the round towers in the angles. These round roomes are adorned with black marble Corinthian pillars, with gilded capitalls and bases. 'Twas sold to the Lord Colraine about 1646. [It now belongs to the Earl of Radnor. Plans, views, and accounts of this mansion, as well as of Longleat and Charlton Houses, are published in the "Architectural Antiquities", vol. ii.-J. B.]

Charlton House was built by the Earl of Suffolk, Lord High Treasurer, about the beginning of King James the First, when architecture was at a low ebbe. ___________________________________

At Broad Chalke is one of the tunablest ring of bells in Wiltshire, which hang advantageously; the river running near the churchyard, which meliorates the sound. Here were but four bells till anno 1616 was added a fifth; and in anno 1659 Sir George Penruddock and I made ourselves church-wardens, or else the fair church had fallen, from the niggardlinesse of the churchwardens of mean condition, and then we added the sixth bell.

The great bell at Westminster, in the Clockiar at the New Palace Yard, 36,OOOlib. weight. See Stow's Survey of London, de hoc. It was given by Jo. Montacute, Earle of (Salisbury, I think). Part of the inscription is thus, sc. "…… annis ab acuto monte Johannis."

PART II.-CHAPTER VII.

AGRICULTURE.

[THE late Mr. Thos. Davis, of Longleat, Steward to the Marquess of
Bath, drew up an admirable "View of the Agriculture of the County of
Wilts", which was printed by the Board of Agriculture in 1794. 8vo.
-J. B.]

CONSIDERING the distance of place where I now write, London, and the distance of time that I lived in this county, I am not able to give a satisfactorie account of the husbandry thereof. I will only say of our husbandmen, as Sir Thom. Overbury does of the Oxford scholars, that they goe after the fashion; that is, when the fashion is almost out they take it up: so our countrey-men are very late and very unwilling to learne or be brought to new improvements.

[It was scarcely a reproach to the Wiltshire husbandmen to be far behind those of more enlightened counties, when, in the seat of learning, where the mental faculties of the students ought to have been continually exercised and cultivated, and not merely occupied in learning useless Greek and Latin, the "Oxford scholars" followed, rather than led, the fashion. Agricultural societies were then unknown, farmers had little communication with distant districts, and consequently knew nothing of the practice of other places; rents were low, and the same families continued in the farms from generation to generation, pursuing the same routine of Agriculture which their fathers and grandfathers had pursued "time out of mind". In the days of my own boyhood, nearly seventy years ago, I spent some time at a solitary farmhouse in North Wiltshire, with a grandfather and his family, and can remember the various occupations and practices of the persons employed in the dairy, and on the grazing and corn lands. I never saw either a book or newspaper in the house; nor were any accounts of the farming kept. - J. B.]

The Devonshire men were the earliest improvers. I heard Oliver Cromwell, Protector, at dinner at Hampton Court, 1657 or 8, tell the Lord Arundell of Wardour and the Lord Fitzwilliams that he had been in all the counties of England, and that the Devonshire husbandry was the best: and at length we have obtained a good deal of it, which is now well known and need not to be rehearsed. But William Scott, of Hedington, a very understanding man in these things, told me that since 1630 the fashion of husbandry in this country had been altered three times over, still refining.

Mr. Bishop, of Merton, first brought into the south of Wiltshire the improvement by burn-beking or Denshiring, about 1639. He learnt it in Flanders; it is very much used in this parish, and their neighbours doe imitate them: they say 'tis good for the father, but naught for the son, by reason it does so weare out the heart of the land.

[The reader will find many observations of this nature, and on analogous subjects, in the manuscript, which it has not been thought desirable to print. Among the rest are several pages from John Norden's "Surveyor's Dialogue", containing advice and directions respecting agriculture, of which Aubrey says, "though they are not of Wiltshire, they will do no hurt here; and, if my countrymen know it not, I wish they might learn". - J. B.] ___________________________________

The wheate and bread of this county, especially South Wilts, is but indifferent; that of the Vale of White Horse is excellent. King Charles II. when he lay at Salisbury, in his progresse, complained that he found there neither good bread nor good beer. But for the latter, 'twas the fault of the brewer not to boil it well; for the water and the mault there are as good as any in England. ___________________________________

The improvement by cinque-foile, which now spreads much in the stone- brash lands, was first used at North Wraxhall by Nicholas Hall, who came from Dundery in Somersetshire, about the yeare 1650.

George Johnson, Esq. counsellour-at-law, did improve some of his estate at Bowdon-parke, by marling, from 6d. an acre to 25sh. He did lay three hundred loades of blew marle upon an acre. ___________________________________

Sir William Basset, of Claverdoun, hath made the best vinyard that I have heard of in England. He sayes that the Navarre grape is the best for our climate, and that the eastern sunn does most comfort the vine, by putting off the cold. Mr. Jo. Ash, of Teffont Ewyas, has a pretty vineyard of about six acres, made anno 1665. Sir Walter Erneley, Baronet, told me, a little before he died, that he was making one at Stert, I thinke, neer the Devizes. ___________________________________

The improvement of watering meadows began at Wyley, about 1635, about which time, I remember, we began to use them at Chalke. Watering of meadows about Marleburgh and so to Hungerford was, I remember, about 1646, and Mr. John Bayly, of Bishop's Down, near Salisbury, about the same time made his great improvements by watering there by St. Thomas's Bridge. This is as old as the Romans; e.g. Virgil, "Claudite jam rivos, pueri, sat prata biberunt". Mr. Jo. Evelyn told me that out of Varro, Cato, and Columella are to be extracted all good rules of husbandry; and he wishes that a good collection or extraction were made out of them. ___________________________________

INCLOSING.- Anciently, in the hundreds of Malmesbury and Chippenham were but few enclosures, and that near houses. The north part of Wiltshire was in those dayes admirable for field-sports. All vast champian fields, as now about Sherston and Marsfield. King Henry the 7 brought in depopulations, and that inclosures; and after the dissolution of the abbeys in Hen. 8 time more inclosing. About 1695 all between Easton Piers and Castle Comb was a campania, like Coteswold, upon which it borders; and then Yatton and Castle Combe did intercommon together. Between these two parishes much hath been enclosed in my remembrance, and every day more and more. I doe remember about 1633 but one enclosure to Chipnam-field, which was at the north end, and by this time I thinke it is all inclosed. So all between Kington St. Michael and Dracot Cerne was common field, and the west field of Kington St. Michael between Easton Piers and Haywood was inclosed in 1664. Then were a world of labouring people maintained by the plough, as they were likewise in Northamptonshire. 'Tis observed that the inclosures of Northamptonshire have been unfortunate since, and not one of them have prospered. ___________________________________

Mr. Toogood, of Harcot, has fenced his grounds with crab-tree hedges, which are so thick that no boare can gett through them. Captain Jones, of Newton Tony, did the like on his downes. Their method is thus: they first runne a furrow with the plough, and then they sow the cakes of the crabbes, which they gett at the verjuice mill. It growes very well, and on many of them they doe graffe. ___________________________________

Limeing of ground was not used but about 1595, some time after the comeing in of tobacco. (From Sir Edw. Ford of Devon.) ___________________________________

Old Mr. Broughton, of Herefordshire, was the man that brought in the husbandry of soap ashes. He living at Bristoll, where much soap is made, and the haven there was like to have been choak't up with it, considering that ground was much meliorated by compost, &c. did undertake this experiment, and having land near the city, did accordingly improve it with soap ashes. I remember the gentleman very well. He dyed about 1650, I believe near 90 yeares old, and was the handsomest, well limbed, strait old man that ever I saw, had a good witt and a graceful elocution. He was the father of Bess Broughton, one of the greatest beauties of her age. ___________________________________

Proverb for apples, peares, hawthorns, quicksetts, oakes:

"Sett them at All-hallow-tyde, and command them to grow; Sett them at Candlemass, and entreat them to grow." ___________________________________

Butter and Cheese. At Pertwood and about Lidyard as good butter is made as any in England, but the cheese is not so good. About Lidyard, in those fatt grounds, in hott weather, the best huswives cannot keep their cheese from heaving. The art to keep it from heaving is to putt in cold water. Sowre wood-sere grounds doe yield the best cheese, and such are Cheshire. Bromefield, in the parish of Yatton, is so - sower and wett - and where I had better cheese made than anywhere in all the neighbourhood.

Somerset proverb:

"If you will have a good cheese, and hav'n old,
You must turn'n seven times before he is cold."

Jo. Shakespeare's wife, of Worplesdowne in Surrey, a North Wiltshire woman, and an excellent huswife, does assure me that she makes as good cheese there as ever she did at Wraxhall or Bitteston, and that it is meerly for want of art that her neighbours doe not make as good; they send their butter to London. So it appeares that, some time or other, when there in the vale of Sussex and Surrey they have the North Wiltshire skill, that halfe the cheese trade of the markets of Tedbury and Marleborough will be spoiled.

Now of late, sc. about 1680, in North Wiltshire, they have altered their fashion from thinne cheeses about an inch thick, made so for the sake of drying and quick sale, called at London Marleborough cheese, to thick ones, as the Cheshire cheese. At Marleborough and Tedbury the London cheese-mongers doe keep their factors for their trade. [At the close of the last century Reading was the principal seat of the London cheese factors, who visited the different farms in Wiltshire once in each year to purchase the cheese, which was sent in waggons to Reading: often by circuitous routes in order to save the tolls payable on turnpike roads. - J. B.] ___________________________________

Maulting and Brewing. It is certain that Salisbury mault is better than any other in the West; but they have no more skill there than elsewhere. It is the water there is the chiefest cause of its goodnesse: perhaps the nitrousnesse of the maulting floores may something help.

[Aubrey devotes several pages to these subjects. He particularly commends "The History of Malting, or the method of making Malt, practised at Derby, described for R. T. Esq. by J. F. (John Flamsteed), January 1682-3", which was printed in "A Collection of Letters for ye Improvement of Husbandry and Trade", No. 7, Thursday, June 15, 1682. This paper by Flamsteed, which is of considerable length, is inserted by Aubrey in both his manuscripts: a printed copy in the original at Oxford, and a transcript in the Royal Society's fair copy. - J. B.]

It may be objected how came that great astronomer, Mr. John Flamsteed, to know so much the mystery of malsters. Why, his father is a maulster at Derby; and he himself was a maulster, and did drive a trade in it till he was about twenty yeares of age, at what time Sir Jonas Moore invited him to London. [The best memoir of Flamsteed will be found in "An Account of the Rev. John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, compiled from his own manuscripts and other authentic documents never before published. To which is added his British Catalogue of Stars, corrected and enlarged. By Francis Baily, Esq. &c. &c. Printed by order of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. London, 1835". Such is the title of a large quarto volume which my late esteemed friend and neighbour Mr. Baily edited and wrote, con amore; and which contains not only a curious autobiography of the first Astronomer Royal of Great Britain, but numerous letters, documents, and miscellaneous information on the science of astronomy as it was known in Flamsteed's time, and up to the time of the publication of the volume. This work was printed at the expense of the government, and presented to public colleges and societies, to royal and public libraries, and to many persons distinguished in science and literature. Hence it may be regarded as a choice and remarkable literary production. Some curious particulars of Flamsteed's quarrel with Sir Isaac Newton, respecting the printing of his "Historia Coelestis", are given in Mr. Baily's volume, which tend to shew that the latter, in conjunction with Halley and other persons, perseveringly annoyed and injured Flamsteed in various ways, and for a considerable time. Some of the admirers of Newton's moral character having attempted to extenuate his conduct, Mr. Baily published a Supplement to his work, in which he shews that such attempts had completely failed. - J. B.]