Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 29.djvu/262

o. Tin-: iiisTOUY of tiik south-'westerx portion of ENGLAND.' By the LORD HENRY SCOTT, MP. In delivering; to you tlic opening address as President of the Historical Section of this ^leetino- of the Archa3oloo;ical Institute, 1 feel there are so many wlio are far more compe- tent than I am to initiate the intercstins; discourses Avhich vill be delivered in this section durimj; the ensuin*;; week, and ^vhose historical knowledge and research fit them rather than myself to occupy this chair, that some apoloiry is due to you for the position 1 occupy by the invitation of the Insti- tute. It is more, therefore, as one iiolding a certain position in the county vhich is visited by the Institute, desirous of biilding it welcome and assisting to promote its success, that I appear here as your President ; and asking your indulgence for the short-comings which I know must accompany it, I will endeavour to put before you this slight liistorical sketch Avhich I have prepared. In ])erforming the duty I have undertaken, I feel that I labour under a great disadvantage : it should have devolved on one who has been born and bred in this Royal county, who has grown up amidst its local history, and wliose mind has been from youth filled with its traditions. I yield to none, however, in the interest I feel in the county of my adoption, in which I have a home, j)erhaps one of the most historically intci-csling and pictui-csriucly beautiful within its borders. To put even this slight sketch befi)rc you, I have had to search for materials in such books as wi-re accessible, and greatly li.ivi; I rcgretto<l in this stu«ly to find that this great Royal county, f'(jual ncaily to ^'(»rk.sliir(! in extent — once the metropolitan county of I'higland abounding in the most interesting associations of the coninmn history of our ' A<Mro4M (IfltTcrotI to lli« ili«lorical Section <>f tlx- Aiir.ii.il Mi-eting hel<l in Soiitli.%tii|'ton, Atigimt 2iiil, lh7'2.