nobility in particular persons, it is a reverend thing to see an antient castle or building not in decay: or to see a fair timber tree sound and perfect; how much more to behold an antient noble family, which hath stood against the waves and weathers of time: for new nobility is but the act of power; but antient nobility is the act of time."

*Essay XIV. of Nobility.

But "Omnium rerum est vicissitudo": families and places have their fatalities, according to that of Ovid.

"Fors sua cuique loco est". Fast. lib. 4.

This piece of a verse puts me in mind of several places in Wiltshire, and elsewhere, that are, or have been fortunate to their owners: and e contra.

Stourton, (the seat of the Lord Stourton) was belonging to this family before the conquest. They say, that after the victory at Battaile, William the Conqueror came in person into the west, to receive their rendition; that the Lord Abbot of Glastonbury, and the rest of the Lords and Grandees of the western parts waited upon the Conqueror at Stourton-house; where the family continue to this day.

The honourable family of the Hungerfords, is probably of as great antiquity as any in the county of Wilts. Hungerford, (the place of the barony) was sold but lately by Sir Edward Hungerford, Knight of the Bath; as also the noble and ancient seat of Farleigh-Castle, about anno 167-. But that this estate should so long continue is not very strange; for it being so vast, 'twas able to make several withstandings against the shock of fortune.

The family of Gawen, have been long at Norington, in the parish of Alvideston in Wiltshire. It was sold by —- Gawen, Esq. to Sir Wadham Wyndham, one of the Judges of the King's Bench, about 1665. They continued in this place four hundred fifty and odd years. Then also was sold their estate in Broad-Chalk, which they had as long, or perhaps longer. On the south down of the farm of Broad-Chalk, is a little barrow, called Gawen's Barrow (which must be before ecclesiastical canons were constituted; for since, burials are only in consecrated ground). King Edgar gave the manor and farm of Broad- Chalk to the nuns of Wilton-Abby, which is 900 years ago.

Mr. Thynne, in his explanation of the hard words in Chaucer, writes thus, Gawen, fol. 23, p. 1. This Gawyn was sisters son to Arthur the Great, King of the Britains, a famous man in war, and in all manner of civility; as in the acts of the Britains we may read. In the year 1082, in a province of Wales, called Rose, was his sepulchre found. Chaucer, in the Squire's Tale.

      This straunger night that came thus sodenly
      All armed, save his head, full royally
      Salued the King, and Queen, and Lordes all
      By order as they sitten in the Hall
      With so high Reverence and Obeisaunce
      As well in Speech as in Countenaunce,
      That Gawain with his old Courtesie,
      Though he came again out of Fairie,
      He could him not amend of no word.

Sir William Button of Tockenham, Baronet, (the father) told me that his ancestors had the lease of Alton-farm (400. per annum) in Wilts, (which anciently belonged to Hyde-Abby juxta Winton) four hundred years. Sir William's lease expired about 1652, and so fell into the hands of the Earl of Pembroke.

Clavel, of Smedmore, in the Isle of Purbec, in the county of Dorset, was in that place before the conquest, as appears by Dooms-day book. The like is said of Hampden, of Hampden in Bucks: their pedigree says, that one of that family had the conduct of that county in two invasions of the Danes. Also Pen of Pen, in that county, was before the conquest, as by Dooms-day book.