of the king's troops, The parish register records the burial of eight soldiers, on the second of July, 1643.

In 1742 a bridge was erected at Padbury, by act of parliament, and made a county bridge.

In the parish church of Tingewick, about two miles and a half west from Buckingham, is a curious brass plate against the east wall of the chancel, commeinorative of Erasmus Williams, who died in 1608. He is represented in the attitude of prayer, and habited in a gown. On each side of him is a pillar, on which hang astronomical, musical, and geometrical instruments, painting utensils, various books, &c. On the top of one of the pillars is a globe, on the other an owl. There are various other devices, and several texts of scripture. Underneath is the following epitaph:

This doth Erasmus Williams represent,

Whom living all did love, dead all lament:
His humane arts behind his back attend,
Whereon spare hours he wisely chose to spend;
And from Corinthian columns deck'd with arts,
Now to the temple's pillar he converts
Under the rainbow, arch of promise, where
Of hoped bliss no deluge he need fear.
He of this church did a firm pillar live,
To whom dead his wife doth these pillars give;
Continued by his scholar and his friend,
Who wish'd their love and lives had one end,
Erasmus More's encomium set forth,
We want a More to praise Erasmus' worth.
R. Haydocke.

The manor-house of HILLISDON, about four miles south from Buckingham, was during the civil wars in the reign of Charles I. garrisoned for the king by Sir Alexander Denton, Knt. In 1645 the garrison was surrendered, the house plundered, and Sir Alexander imprisoned; he soon after died of a broken heart.

Hillisdon

Hillisdon Church was rebuilt in 1493, and is a handsome Gothic structure; in the east window of the north aisle is some very fine stained glass, representing various scenes from the legend of St. Nicholas.

At STEEPLE CLAYDON, about two miles to the right of our road, and three miles north-west from Winslow, Thomas Chaloner, Esq. the regicide, in the year 1656, built a school-house which still remains, and endowed it with 121. per annum. The endowment has been lost, but a school-master is allowed two shillings a week by Lady Fermanagh, who possesses the estates of the Chaloners, formerly

lords of this manor.

At SNELSHALL, near Whaddon Church, a few miles north of Winslow, there was a small convent of Black Monks, dedicated to St. Leonard, built by Ralph Martel, before the tenth of Edward III. Some arches of this building still remain, and support the north side of a farm-house. The four bells that were in the turret of the old building, were removed to the church of Bradwell; on the largest of which is inscribed, Vor Augustini Sonet in aure Dei. The yearly value of this priory at the Resignation was 181. 1s. 11d.

WINSLOW,

Is a small market town, in the hundred of Cotslow, and deanery of Muresley, situated on the brow of a hill. It is a place of considerable antiquity, without however possessing any particular object to arrest the attention of the antiquary.

The market, which is held on Thursdays, was granted in 1235, to the abbot and convent of St. Alban's, to whom the manor had been given, by King Offa.

There are also five annual fairs, on the days mentioned in our list.

The parish Church is a spacious Gothic structure, consisting of a nave, two aisles, and a chancel, with a

F

square

square tower embattled at the west end. It contains no monuments worthy of notice.

According to the returns under the population act in 1801, this parish then contained 220 houses, and 1101 inhabitants, who are chiefly employed in agriculture and lace-making.

The village of MURESLEY, about four miles eastward from Winslow, had formerly a market on Thursday, which was granted to the prior of Saltshall in 1230. The market has been long discontinued.

SALDEN HOUSE, formerly a seat of the family of Gage, has been pulled down several years. It was a noble mansion, built by Sir John Fortescue, chancellor of the exchequer, who was honoured with a visit here by King James I. soon after his accession to the throne. The cost of the building is said to have been upwards of 30,0001.

In Muresley Church are monuments of the abovementioned Sir John Fortescue, who died in 1607, and Sir Francis Fortescue, K. B. and others of the family. Lord Eardley is patron of the rectory.

STEWKELY, a large village, about four miles eastward from Winslow, in the hundred of Cotslow and deanery of Muresley, is remarkable for its very ancient church, which is one of the most complete specimens of Saxon architecture we have remaining. It is mentioned by Dr. Stukely as one of the oldest and most entire he ever saw. It is constructed in the form of parallelogram, 90 feet by 24. The nave is 21 feet eight inches in width; the chancel has a vaulted ceiling, the groins of which are diagonal, and ornamented with a zig-zag moulding. The windows are all small and round-headed, with the mouldings ornamented with zig-zag sculpture. Half the length of the church is occupied by two circular arches, supporting a square massive tower, the upper part of which is surrounded with 32 small intersecting circular arches, attached to the wall. The

two

two arches under the tower are highly enriched with zig-zag mouldings and grotesque heads. The west front of the church exhibits a very rich example of Saxon ornaments: the great west door is the principal entrance, and is more embellished than any other part. There are three arches, the centre of which forms the door-way, and is supported by two piltars on each side, with square capitals, zig-zag mouldings, foliage, and figures of animals.

LISCOMBE HOUSE, the seat of Sir Jonathan Lovett, is about three miles east from Stewkely. It is a quadrangular building, one side of which is occupied by a chapel, which by the style of its architecture appears to have been built about the middle or latter end of the fourteenth century; the house however is of much later date. It is erected upon the brow of a gentle eminence, which commands a fine view over the villages of Stewkely and Soulbury, and the north part of the county. The whole building is embattled and assumes a castellated appearance. The apartments contain several portraits, among which are several of the Lovett family, a halflength of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, with a pink in his hand.-Titus Oates, half length, with a bald forehead and full face.--Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, by Sir Godfrey Kneller, a half-length. -The first Earl of Bedford, a half-length on pannel, dated 1555.-Sir Edmund Verney, standard bearer to King Charles I. who was slain at Edgehill.-Hugo Grotius, represented sitting in a study with a large book before him.-Eleanor Gwynn, by Sir Peter Lely; three-quarter length.-Archbishop Sancroft; half length. Sir Edward Montague; by Holbein.

At Ascor, in the parish of Wing, about two miles from Liscombe House, there was a cell of Benedictine monks belonging to the monastery of St. Nicholas at Angiers in France, to which the church and other lands, with the manor, had been given by the empress Maud. It suffered the fate of other alien

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houses,

houses, and was afterwards granted to the nuns of St. Mary du Pré, near St. Alban's, as part of which it came into lay hands at the Dissolution.

Wing Park still remains inclosed, but the house has been pulled down many years.

Dorothy Pelham, wife of Sir William Dormer, founded an Alms house at Wing, in the year 1596, for eight poor persons, and endowed it with 301. per

annum.

HOGGERTON, three miles and a half south-east of Winslow, had a market formerly on Fridays, granted in 1314 to William de Benningham, together with a fair on the feast of the exaltation of the holy cross, commonly called Holy-rood day; both the fair and the market have been long discontinued. In the parish church is the tomb and mutilated effigy of the founder, holding in his hand a church. It is said to have been intended for William de Benningham, lord of the manor, who died 1342.

At HOGSHAW, about five miles, south of Winslow, there was a preceptory commandery or hospital, belonging to the knights of St. John of Jerusalem, as ancient as the year 1180. After the general dissolution the manor which belonged to the hospital was granted to the family of Lane, by King Henry VIII.

It is said that the chancel of the church of North Marston, about four miles south from Winslow, was built with the offerings at the shrine of Sir John Schorne, a very devout man, who was rector of the parish, about the year 1290, and that the place became populous and flourishing in consequence of the great resort of persons to a well which he had blessed. The common people in the neighbourhood of North Marton still keep up the memory of this circumstance by many traditionary stories; and Browne Willis says that in his time there were people who remembered a guide-post standing, which pointed the way to Sir John Schorne's shrine.

The village of WHITCHURCH Uрon our road, five