(as to this Naturall History of Wilts): that my will and desire is,
that in case I shall depart this life before my returne to London
again, to finish, if it pleaseth God, this discourse, I say and
declare that my will then is, that I bequeath these papers of the
Natural History of Wilts to my worthy friend Mr. Robert Hooke, of
Gresham Colledge and R.S.S., and I doe also humbly desire him, and my
will is, that the noble buildings and prospects should be engraven by
my worthy friend Mr. David Loggan, who hath drawn my picture already
in order to it"

This document* shews at once the dangers and difficulties which
attended travelling in Aubrey's time, and also that he seriously
contemplated the publication of his favourite work.

* [It has been already printed in my Memoir of Aubrey. A note
attached to it shews that the author intended to incorporate with the
present work some portions of his MS. "Monumenta Britannica"; which
was also dedicated to the Earl of Pembroke.]

Neither his fears of death nor his hopes of publication were however
then realized: probably the political disturbances attending the
Revolution of 1688 interfered with the latter. In the November of the
year following that event Aubrey's friend and patron Thomas, Earl of
Pembroke, was elected President of the Royal Society, which
distinguished office he held only for one year. During that period the
author dedicated the " Natural History of Wiltshire " to his Lordship;
and there is little reason to doubt that the fair copy, now in the
Society's Library, was made by the author, and given to it in the year
1690. About the same time he had resolved to present his other
manuscripts, together with some printed books, coins, antiquities,