The Natural History of Wiltshire | Page 2

the Royal

Society for permission to have a transcript made for publication from
the copy of the " Natural History of Wiltshire" in their possession. The
required permission was readily accorded; and had not the printing
been delayed by my own serious illness during the last winter, and
urgent occupations since, it would have been completed some months
ago.
When the present volume was first announced, it was intended to print
the whole of Aubrey's manuscript; but after mature deliberation it has
been thought more desirable to select only such passages as directly or
indirectly apply to the county of Wilts, or which comprise information
really useful or interesting in itself, or curious as illustrating the state of
literature and science at the time when they were written.
Before the general reader can duly understand and appreciate the
contents of the present volume it is necessary that he should have some
knowledge of the manners, customs, and literature of the age when it
was written, and with the lucubrations of honest, but "magotie- headed"
John Aubrey, as he is termed by Anthony a Wood. Although I have
already endeavoured to portray his mental and personal characteristics,
and have carefully marked many of his merits, eccentricities, and
foibles, I find, from a more careful examination of his "Natural History
of Wiltshire" than I had previously devoted to it, many anecdotes,
peculiarities, opinions, and traits, which, whilst they serve to mark the
character of the man, afford also interesting memorials of his times. If
that age be compared and contrasted with the present, the difference
cannot fail to make us exult in living, breathing, and acting in a region
of intellect and freedom, which is all sunshine and happiness, opposed
to the gloom and illiteracy which darkened the days of Aubrey. Even
Harvey, Wren, Flamsteed, and Newton, his contemporaries and friends,
were slaves and victims to the superstition and fanaticism of their age.
It has long been customary to regard John Aubrey as a credulous and
gossiping narrator of anecdotes of doubtful authority, and as an
ignorant believer of the most absurd stories. This notion was grounded
chiefly upon the prejudiced testimony of Anthony a Wood, and on the
contents of the only work which Aubrey published during his lifetime,-
an amusing collection of "Miscellanies" relating to dreams, apparitions,
witchcraft, and similar subjects. Though his " History of Surrey" was of
a more creditable character, and elicited the approval of Manning and

Bray, the subsequent historians of that county, an unfavourable opinion
of Aubrey long continued to prevail. The publication of his " Lives of
Eminent Men" tended, however, to raise him considerably in the
estimation of discriminating critics; and in my own " Memoir" of his
personal and literary career, with its accompanying analysis of his
unpublished works, I endeavoured (and I believe successfully) to
vindicate his claims to a distinguished place amongst the literati of his
times.
That he has been unjustly stigmatised amongst his contemporaries as an
especial votary of superstition is obvious, even on a perusal of his most
objectionable work, the "Miscellanies" already mentioned, which
plainly shews that his more scientific contemporaries, including even
some of the most eminent names in our country's literary annals,
participated in the same delusions. It would be amusing to compare the
"Natural History of Wiltshire" with two similar works on "Oxfordshire"
and " Staffordshire," by Dr. Robert Plot, which procured for their
author a considerable reputation at the time of their publication, and
which still bear a favourable character amongst the topographical
works of the seventeenth century. It may be sufficient here to state that
the chapters in those publications on the Heavens and Air, Waters,
Earths, Stones, Formed stones, Plants, Beastes, Men and Women,
Echoes, Devils and Witches, and other subjects, are very similar to
those of Aubrey. Indeed the plan of the latter's work was modelled
upon those of Dr. Plot, and Aubrey states in his Preface that he
endeavoured to induce that gentleman to undertake the arrangement
and publication of his "Natural History of Wiltshire". On comparing the
writings of the two authors, we cannot hesitate to award superior merits
to the Wiltshire antiquary.
A few passages may be quoted from the latter to shew that he was
greatly in advance of his contemporaries in general knowledge and
liberality of sentiment:-
" I have oftentimes wished for a mappe of England coloured according
to the colours of the earth; with markes of the fossiles and minerals." (p.
10.)
"As the motion caused by a stone lett fall into the water is by circles, so
sounds move by spheres in the same manner; which, though obvious
enough, I doe not remember to have seen in any booke." (p. 18.)

"Phantomes. Though I myselfe never saw any such things, yet I will not