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country, has no really good historian. When we remember that the county has within its limits the ancient city of Winchester, the Caer Gwent, or White City of the Britons, founded (if we may believe traditions preserved among its muniments) 892 B.C., the Venta Belgarum of the Romans, the Wintan Ceaster of the Saxons (whence its present name), the capital city of the kingdom of Wessex, and destined under Egbert to become the chief city of the whole Saxon Heptarchy, where Ethelwolf convened the whole council of the nation, and placed upon its cathedral altar the grant of endowment, by which that church still holds its possessions; where Alfred reigned, where all his enlightened policy was framed and enacted, and where his bones were laid to rest under the shadow of Hyde Abbey-a city which long retained under the Normans its former rank and standing, even when London was but rising into power- remembering all this, I say, it must be a matter of surprise and regret as much to you as to myself, that there is really no chronicle worthy of such a subject, certainly none equal to those which other counties, such as Gloucestershire, Somersetshire, or Warwickshire, possess. I am therefore placed in a considerable difficulty, as I can neither refer for my own information, nor recommend to the Members of this Institute, a work which is really worthy of the name of a good County History.

We are of course much indebted to Warner for his sketches of the south-western part of Hampshire, and also for his collection for the history which he was not able to complete. The defect was sought to be remedied by the Queen's late librarian, Woodward, but his removal from Winchester to Windsor, and his subsequent death, prevented the completion of this work. His work has been supplemented by Lockhart and others, and published in three volumes, and contains most accurate accounts of Winchester and other large and important towns. Still it has not wholly filled the vacuum.

Another great want exists in Hants—there has never been formed a County Archæological Society, such as those of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, Sussex and Kent, which by their publications have thrown so much light upon the antiquities, manners and customs of each of the above-named counties-not that the meetings of a county society should supersede those of the central