The Natural History of Wiltshire Part 3

4. Soiles.

5. Mineralls and Fossills.

6. Stones.

7. Formed Stones.

8. An Hypothesis of the Terraqueous Globe: a digression "ad mentem M{emo}ri", R. Hook, R.S.S.

9. Plants.

10. Beastes.

11. Fishes.

12. Birds.

13. Insects and Reptils.

14. Men and Woemen.

15. Diseases and Cures.

16. Observations on some Register Books, as also the Poore Rates and Taxes of the County, "ad mentem D{omi}ni" W. Petty.

PART II.

1. Worthies.

2. The Grandure of the Herberts, Earles of Pembroke. Wilton House and Garden.

3. Learned Men who received Pensions from the Earles of Pembroke.

4. Gardens - Lavington-garden, Chelsey-garden, &c.

5. Arts - Inventions.

6. Architecture.

7. Agriculture and Improvements.

8. The Downes - Sheep - Shepherds - Pastoralls.

9. Wool.

10. Falling of Rents.

11. History of Cloathing

12. Eminent Cloathiers of this County.

13. Faires and Marketts

14. Hawks and Hawking.

15. The Race.

16. Number of Attorneys in this Countie now and heretofore.

17. Locall Fatality.

18. Accidents.

19. Seates

20. Draughts of the Seates and Prospects [an Appendix].

Memorandum. Anno 1686, aetatis 60.- Mr. David Loggan, the Graver, drew my picture in black and white, in order to be engraved, which is still in his hands.

CHAPTER I.

AIR.

[THIS Chapter contains a variety of matter not apposite to Wilts.h.i.+re.

Besides the pa.s.sages here quoted, there are accounts of several remarkable hurricanes, hail storms, &c., in different parts of England, as well as in Italy. The damage done by "Oliver's wind "(the storm said to have occurred on the death of the Protector Cromwell) is particularly noticed: though it may be desirable to state on the authority of Mr. Carlyle, the eloquent editor of "Cromwell's Letters and Speeches" (8vo. 1846), that the great tempest which Clarendon a.s.serts to have raged "for some hours before and after the Protector's death", really occurred four days previous to that event.

Aubrey no doubt readily adopted the general belief upon the subject.

He quotes, without expressly dissenting from it, the opinion of Chief Justice Hale, that "whirlewinds and all winds of an extraordinary nature are agitated by the spirits of air". Lunar rainbows, and meteors of various kinds, are described in this chapter; together with prognostics of the seasons from the habits of animals, and some observations made with the barometer; and under the head of Echoes, "for want of good ones in this county", there is a long description by Sir Robert Moray of a remarkable natural echo at Roseneath, about seventeen miles from Glasgow. On sounds and echoes there are some curious notes by Evelyn, but these are irrelevant to the subject of the work.- J. B.]

BEFORE I enter upon the discourse of the AIR of this countie, it would not be amiss that I gave an account of the winds that most commonly blow in the western parts of England.

I shall first allege the testimony of Julius Caesar, who delivers to us thus: "Corns ventus, qui magnam partem omnis temporis in his locis flare consuevit". - (Commentaries, lib. v.) To which I will subjoine this of Mr. Th. Ax, of Somersets.h.i.+re, who hath made dayly observations of the weather for these twenty-five years past, since 1661, and finds that, one yeare with another, the westerly winds, which doe come from the Atlantick sea, doe blowe ten moneths of the twelve. Besides, he hath made observations for thirty years, that the mannours in the easterne parts of the netherlands of Somersets.h.i.+re doe yield six or eight per centum of their value; whereas those in the westerne parts doe yield but three, seldome four per centum, and in some mannours but two per centum. Hence he argues that the winds carrying these unwholesome vapours of the low country from one to the other, doe make the one more, the other less, healthy.

This s.h.i.+re may be divided as it were into three stories or stages.

Chippenham vale is the lowest. The first elevation, or next storie, is from the Derry Hill, or Bowdon Lodge, to the hill beyond the Devises, called Red-hone, which is the limbe or beginning of Salisbury plaines.

From the top of this hill one may discerne Our Lady Church Steeple at Sarum, like a fine Spanish needle. I would have the height of these hills, as also Hackpen, and those toward Lambourn, which are the highest, to he taken with the quicksilver barometer, according to the method of Mr. Edmund Halley in Philosophical Transactions, No. 181.

Now, although Mindip-hills and Whitesheet, &c., are as a barr and skreen to keep off from Wilts.h.i.+re the westerly winds and raines, as they doe in some measure repel those noxious vapours, yet wee have a flavour of them; and when autumnal agues raigne, they are more common on the hills than in the vales of this country.

The downes of Wilts.h.i.+re are covered with mists, when the vales are clear from them, and the sky serene; and they are much more often here than in the lowest story or stage.

The leather covers of bookes, &c. doe mold more and sooner in the hill countrey than in the vale. The covers of my bookes in my closet at Chalke would be all over covered with a h.o.a.re mouldinesse, that I could not know of what colour the leather was; when my bookes in my closet at Easton- Piers (in the vale) were not toucht at all with any mouldiness.

So the roomes at Winterslow, which is seated exceeding high, are very mouldie and dampish. Mr. Lancelot Moorehouse, Rector of Pertwood, who was a very learned man, say'd that mists were very frequent there: it stands very high, neer Hindon, which one would thinke to stand very healthy: there is no river nor marsh neer it, yet they doe not live long there.

The wheat hereabout, sc. towards the edge of the downes, is much subject to be s.m.u.tty, which they endeavour to prevent by drawing a cart-rope over the corne after the meldews fall.