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it is stated by different historians to have been successively at Ramsbury, at Wilton, and at Sunning*, in Berkshire. This appears from the following short notices of the BISHOPS OF WILTSHIRE inserted in the Magna Britannia; and seemingly extracted from the work of " Godwinus de Præsulibus:"

1. Ethelstan, who had his seat and Cathedral at Ramsbury. 2. Odo, surnamed Severus, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, who fixed his residence at the same place t.

3. Osulphus. This prelate removed his seat to Wilton, where he died in the year 970.

4. Alstanus, or Alestanus, Abbot of the monastery of Abingdon, who died in the year 981, and was buried in his abbey. 5. Algarus, or Wolfgarus.

6. Siricius, translated to Canterbury in 989 †.

7. Alfricus, or Aluricus, who succeeded to the see of Canterbury upon the death of Siricius §.

8. Brithwoldus. This prelate, according to the Saxon annals, was a monk of Glastonbury, and a munificent benefactor to the Abbey of Malmsbury. The same authority makes him Bishop of Winchester, and fixes the period of his death in 1015. William of Malmsbury describes him to have been Bishop of this diocese, and says he died in 1045.

9. Livingus, or Livington.

10. Ethelwinus. The two last mentioned prelates are omitted by Bishop Godwin in his Commentary on English bishops. They are noticed in Dr. Heylin's Catalogue, (p. 106.) but the authority for the insertion is not stated.

11. Hermannus,

Bishop Tanner thinks that the mention of this place as one of the seats of the Bishops of Wiltshire is erroneous; and we strongly incline to agree with him in that opinion. William of Malmesbury does not notice Sunning, but only Ramsbury, as the seat of this See; neither does Godwin, though in a note he remarks that Sunning was likewise said by Leland to have been an episcopal seat. Tanner's Notitia. Wilts.-Wil. Malm. De Gest. Pont. in Script. Angl. Savile. 248. Leland's Itinerary, Vol. IX. p. 91.

+ See Beauties, Kent, Vol.VIII. p. 771.

+ Ib. 775.

+

§ Ib.

WILTSHIRE.

11. Hermannus, the last bishop of this diocese, was a Fleming by birth, and had for some time been private chaplain to King From motives of ambition, and an Edward the Confessor. anxiety to render his See more prominent, he exerted all his influence to have it removed from Wilton, which was then rapidly falling to decay, to Malmsbury *. For this object he solicited and obtained the support of the king, but was so strenuously opposed by the monks of the monastery there, aided by Earl Godwin, that he was unable to succeed. Mortified at this event, he abandoned his bishopric, and went over to France, Accustomed, however, where he assumed the monastic habit.

as he had been, to the luxury of a court, and to that obsequious treatment which is one of the many privileges of an exalted station, he soon became disgusted with the severities of the convent, and the familiar intercourse which a sense of equality engenders. No sooner, therefore, did he receive intelligence of the death of Godwin, than he quitted his retirement and returned to England. Just about this time Elfwoldus, Bishop of Sherborne, died, and Herman prevailed on the king to reunite that see with the diocese of Wiltshire.

Shortly after this event, William the Conqueror invaded England; and, having established himself on the throne, directed much of his attention to ecclesiastical matters. He ordered a synod to be held at St. Paul's, in London, in 1076, and proposed that the episcopal seats should be removed from obscure villages, (in which many of them were placed,) to towns of some importance. This proposal was readily agreed to, and Herman embraced the opportunity of fixing his seat at old Sarum, where he founded a cathedral church, which was afterwards finished by his successor Osmund †.

From that period till the prelacy of Richard, surnamed Poore, who succeeded to the see of Salisbury, in 1217, no changes took place in this bishopric of particular importance. During

Such is the statement in the " Antiquitates Sarisburienses,” but it is very doubtful, at least with respect to Wilton.

↑ Malmesb. de Pontif. L. II. p, 142.

During his time, however, the episcopal seat was removed to New Sarum, or Salisbury, its present situation. For that change various reasons have been assigned, which will be stated in a subsequent part of our work, where the reader may likewise find a few farther historical details of the diocese, and biographical notices of its bishops.

As bearing an intimate connection at least, with the subject of ecclesiastical history, we shall here insert a list of the monastic institutions, religious houses, &c. of this county, chiefly extracted from the Notitia of Bishop Tanner:

A List of the Monasteries, &c. in Wiltshire.

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ANTIQUITIES.-On reviewing the topographical Antiquities of England in the aggregate, and again subdividing them into their respective districts, we shall find that Wiltshire has preeminent claims to the notice and investigation of the antiquary; and this circumstance may be easily accounted for. In the original colonization of an island, the inhabitants would naturally choose the most open, dry, and cheerful position; and soon proceed to establish domestic habitations, and other objects adapted to their civil habits, and public customs. The part of England we are about to describe is a tract of this kind: indeed the open Downs, consisting of a dry chalk-substrata, still preserve their pristine features, and are of the particular climature and quality which would first attract a new colony. The numerous ancient remains scattered over that district are strongly calculated to excite and confirm this opinion; for within the area of Wiltshire we are presented with monuments of the art and science of almost every age and people, that have come under the cognizance of the English historian and antiquary. Some of these are of such remote origin, that it is impracticable to ascertain their respective eras of formation, and primitive uses. In the present part of our work, we shall briefly notice their names and order, , for

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