The right reverend father in God, Seth, Lord Bishop of Salisbury,
averres to me that at Silchester in Hampshire, which was a Roman
citie, one may discerne in the corne ground the signe of the streetes;
nay, passages and hearthes: which also Dr. Jo. Wilkins (since Lord
Bishop of Chester) did see with him, and has affirm'd the same thing
to me. They were there, and saw it in the spring.
------ "ita res accendunt lumina rebus".- LUCRETIUS.
___________________________________
The pastures of the vale of White Horse, sc. the first ascent below
the plaines, are as rich a turfe as any in the kingdom of England:
e. g. the Idovers at Dauntesey, of good note in Smithfield, which
sends as fatt cattle to Smythfield as any place in this nation; as
also Tytherton, Queenfield, Wroughton, Tokenham, Mudgelt, Lydyard
Tregoz, and about Cricklad, are fatting grounds, the garden of
Wiltshire.
___________________________________
In a little meadow called Mill-mead, belonging to the farme of Broad
Chalke, is good peate, which in my father's time was digged and made
use of; and no doubt it is to be found in many other places of this
country, if it were search't after. But I name it onely to bring in a
discovery that Sr Christopher Wren made of it, sc. that 'tis a
vegetable, which was not known before. One of the pipes at Hampton
Court being stop't, Sr Christopher commanded to have it opened (I
think he say'd 'twas an earthen pipe), and they found it choak't with
peate,* which consists of a coagmentation of small fibrous vegetables.
Pages:
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101