of the late incomparable Mr. Edward Lhwyd, for whatever he judged might be useful to me in the Profecution of this Work. Those Manufcripts were, after Mr. Mr. Lhwyd's Death, happily preferved from Diffipation by the generous Munificence of Sir Thomas Sebright, Baronet, now Representative in Parliament for the County of Hertford, who purchas'd them from the Executors of the aforemention'd Mr. Lhwyd, whofe untimely Death will be ever bewail'd by all Lovers of the Antiquities of this Kingdom. 'Twas from one of these Papers that I learnt what I only guess'd at before, that the Cathedral of St. Afaph, after the miferable Deftruction of it, Anno 1402, and of the three Epifcopal Palaces, was rebuilt by Bp. Richard Redman, a Predecessor of your Lordship's both of this See and that. of Ely: Upon this Occafion your Lordship will forgive me if I obferve, from the Pedigree of the ancient Family of the Fleetwoods of Lancashire, that you are defcended from á Daughter of Standifh of Standish in that County, who was Wife of William Fleetwood, Son of Edmond Fleetwood, who liv'd in Henry the Sixth's Time, the Aunt (as I have reafon to think) of Henry Standifh Bishop of St. Afaph, whom your Lordfhip has fo gloriously imitated in beautify

ing and adorning the Choir of that Cathedral, for the paving of which that learned Prelate had formerly bequeath'd a very confiderable Legacy, and also in paving the Iles of the Body of the Church, which had been left fo long for your Lordship to do: These noble Benefactions have juftly render'd your Lordship the greatest Patron, whom the Paupercula Sedes Lanelwenfis (as Giraldus long ago call'd it) has had, next to Bishop Barrow, fince the Reformation, which must ever render your Memory precious to such who fhall consider the Zeal you have fhewed to this House of God, and the Offices thereof. And that God may think upon you for good, and remember you concerning this, ought to be the Prayer of every Lover of our excellent Church: But I forbear enlarging on this Head, least I should give Offence to your Lordship, and shall conclude all with wishing that God would of his great Goodness raise up fuch a Benefactor to Llandaff, who might rectify what is there amifs, and repair the Breaches of that Epifcopal Church, the most ancient now in thefe Kingdoms.

If I could live to fee your Lordship's Example there imitated, I fhould blefs God for the Pains that I have taken to illuftrate the Ecclefiaftical Antiquities of the once famous

Province of St. David's, tho' not in fo exact a Manner as I could wifh, yet with all the Fidelity and Care that I could poffibly use: Who am, with all Sincerity,

THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR

taken chiefly from a Paper intituled

"Some Account of BROWNE WILLIS, Efq. L. L. D. late Senior Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. By Dr. Ducarel, F. S. A. Read before that Society May the 22, and June the 12, 1760.”

BROWNE WILLIS an eminent Antiquary and

Grandfon of Dr. Thomas Willis the most eminent Physician of his Time, was born September the 14, 1682 at St. Mary Blandford in Dorfetfhire, his Mother being the Iffue of Robert Browne Efq. of Frampton in that County. But upon his Father's fettling at Bletchley in Buckinghamshire, he was first put at a proper Age to Beckhampton School in the Neighbourhood, where he continued three or four Years, and then was removed to Weftminfter School. Here the adjoining Abbey engaged his Admiration. He loved to walk and contemplate the Solemnity of the Building, and it's antique Appearance; the Monuments filled his whole Mind; he delighted himself in reading old Infcriptions. In fhort, he here first imbibed the love of that Kind of Antiquities, and the Impreffion grew indelible. At the Age of feventeen. he loft his Father, which being followed in lefs than three Months by the Death of his Mother, gave him inexpreffible Affliction, and brought on the falling

B

Sickness, which continued for many Years. But this Disorder, great and lafting as it was, did not extinguish the Ardency of his Paffion for Autiquities. And it is a Proof of the Strength of his Mind and his extraordinary Industry, that under fuch a Disadvantage, he fhould apply himself fo clofely as he did to the moft laborious Refearches. He was this Year 1699 admitted a Gentleman-Commoner at Chrift Church College Oxford, under the Tuition of the famous Geographer Edward Wells D. D.* He continued at the Univerfity four Years, and then left it without taking any Degree. He had now attained the Age of Manhood, when Young Gentlemen generally chuse to complete their Education by travelling abroad; Mr. Willis's Genius carried him into another Course of making that Improvement at Home. He found in his own Country all that he wanted by the Inftruction and Conversation of that Univerfal Scholar the celebrated Mr. William Wotton then Rector of Middleton Keynes in Bucks. With that Friend he continued till 1705, when being chofen

*This Gentleman who was a very eminent Tutor at this College, had the Re&ory of Bletchley in Bucks, given him by his Pupil Mr. Willis. He was alfo Rector of Cotefbatch in Leicefterfhire.

+ This Univerfal Scholar, who was prefented to that Rectory in 1693 published the following Year his "Reflections upon ancient and modern Learning," wherein He celebrates our Author's Grand father Dr. Willis for an Improver in Learning in his "Cerebri Anatomia." Dr. Wotton, retiring afterwards upon a Particular Occafion into S. Wales, drew up "The Memoirs of the Cathedral Churches of St. David and Landoff," at the Request of our Author, who published them.