THE

ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE.

LETTER I.

It is reasonable to suppose that in remote ages this woody and mountainous district was inhabited only by bears and wolves. Whether the Britons ever thought it worthy their attention is not in our power to determine; but we may safely conclude, from circumstances, that it was not unknown to the Romans. Old people remember to have heard their fathers and grandfathers say that, in dry summers and in windy weather, pieces of money were sometimes found round the verge of Wolmer Pond; and tradition had inspired the foresters with a notion that the bottom of that lake contained great stores of treasure. During the spring and summer of 1740 there was little rain; and the following summer also, 1741, was so uncommonly dry, that many springs and ponds failed, and this lake in particular, whose bed became as dusty as the surrounding heaths and wastes. This favourable juncture induced some of the forest cottagers to begin a search, which was attended with such success that all the labourers in the neighbourhood flocked to the spot, and with spades and hoes turned up great part of that large area. Instead of pots of coins, as they expected, they found great heaps, the one lying on the other, as if shot out of a bag; many of which were in good preservation. Silver and gold these inquirers expected to find; but their discoveries consisted solely of many hundreds of Roman copper coins and some

inedallions, all of the lower empire. There was not much virtù stirring at that time in this neighbourhood; however, some of the gentry and clergy around bought what pleased them best and some dozens fell to the share of the author.

The owners at first held their commodity at a high price but, finding that they were not likely to meet with dealers at such a rate, they soon lowered their terms, and sold the fairest

as they could. The coins that were rejected became current, and passed for farthings at the petty shops. Of those that we saw, the greater part were of Marcus Aurelius, and the Empress Faustina, his wife, the father and mother of Commodus. Some of Faustina were in high relief, and exhibited a very agreeable set of features, which probably resembled that lady. The medallions in general were of a paler colour than the coins. To pretend to account for the means of their coming to this

place would be spending time in conjecture. The spot, I think, could not be a Roman camp, because it is commanded by hills on two sides; nor does it show the least traces of intrenchments; nor can I suppose that it was a Roman town, because I have too good an opinion of the taste and judgment of those polished conquerors to imagine that they would settle on so barren and dreary a waste.

LETTER II.

THAT Selborne was a place of some distinction and note in the time of the Saxons we can give most undoubted proofs. But as there are few, if any, accounts of villages before Domesday, it will be best to begin with that venerable record. "Ipse rex tenet Selesburne. Eddid regina tenuit, et nunquam geldavit. De isto manerio dono dedit rex Radfredo presbytero dimidiam hidam cum ecclesia. Tempore regis Edwardi et post, valuit duodecim solidos et sex denarios; modo octo solidos et quatuor denarios." Here we see that Selborne was a royal manor; and that Editha the queen of Edward the Confessor, had been lady of that manor; and was succeeded in it by the Conqueror; and that it had a church. Beside these, many circumstances concur to prove it to have been a Saxon village; such as the name of the place itself, the names of many fields, and some families,2 with

1 Selesburne, Seleburne, Selburn, Selbourn, Selborne, and Selborn, as it has been variously spelt at different periods, is of Saxon derivation; for Se signifies great, and burn torrents, a brook or rivulet: so that the name seems to be derived from the great perennial stream that breaks out at the upper end of the village. Sel also signifies bonus, item, fœcundus, fertilis. “delgæpr-run: fæcunda graminis clausura; fertile pascuum: a meadow in the parish of Godelming is still called Sal-gars-ton.”—LYE's Saxon Dictionary, in the Supplement, by Mr. Manning.

2 Thus the name of Aldred signifies all-reverend, and that of Kemp means a soldier. Thus we have a church-litton, or inclosure for dead bodies, and not a church-yard: there is also a Culver-craft near the Grange-furm, being the inclosure where the priory pigeon-house stood, from culver a pigeon. Again, there are three steep pastures in this parish called the Lithe, from Hlithe, clivus. The wicker-work that binds and fastens down hedge on the top is called ether, from ether a hedge. When the good women call their hogs they cry sic, sic,' not knowing that sic is Saxon, or rather Celtic, for a hog. Coppice or brushwood our countrymen call rise, from hris, frondes; and talk of a load of rise. Within the author's memory the Saxon plurals, housen and peason, were in common use. But it would be endless to instance in every circumstance: he that wishes for more specimens must

1 "zisa, porcus, apud Lacones; un porceau chez les Lacèdemoniens: ce mot a sans doute esté pris des Celtes, qui discent sic pour marquer un porceau. Encore aujour'huy quand les Bretons chassent ces animaux, ils ne disent point autrenient que sic, sic."--Antiquité de la Nation et de la Langue des Celtes, par PEZRON.

a variety of words in husbandry and common life, still subsisting among the country people.

What probably first drew the attention of the Saxons to this spot was the beautiful spring or fountain called Well-head,1 which induced them to build by the banks of that perennial current; for ancient settlers loved to reside by brooks and rivulets, where they could dip for their water without the trouble and expense of digging wells and of drawing.

It remains still unsettled among the antiquaries at what time tracts of land were first appropriated to the chase alone for the amusement of the sovereign. Whether our Saxon monarchs had any royal forests does not, I believe, appear on record; but the Constitutiones de Foresta of Canute, the Dane, are come down to us. We shall not therefore pretend to say whether Wolmer Forest existed as a royal domain before the conquest. If it did not, we may suppose it was laid out by some of our earliest Norman kings, who were exceedingly attached to the pleasures of the chase, and resided much at Winchester, which lies at a moderate distance from this district. The Plantagenet princes seem to have been pleased with Wolmer; for tradition. says that King John resided just upon the verge, at Wardleham, on a regular and remarkable mount, still called King John's Hill, and Lodge Hill; and Edward III. had a chapel in his park, or inclosure, at Kingsley.2 Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, and Richard, Duke of York, say my evidences, were both, in their turns, wardens of Wolmer Forest; which seems to have served for an appointment for the younger princes of the royal family, as it may again.

I have intentionally mentioned Edward III. and the Dukes Humphrey and Richard before King Edward II., because I have reserved for the entertainment of my readers a pleasant

frequent a farmer's kitchen. I have therefore selected some words to show how familiar the Saxon dialect was to this district, since in more than seven hundred years it is far from being obliterated.

▲ Well-head signifies spring-head, and not a deep pit from whence we draw water. For particulars about which see Letter I. to Mr. Pennant.

2 The parish of Kingsley lies between, and divides Wolmer Forest from Ayles Holt Forest.-See Letter IX. to Mr. Pennaut.

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