211 THE HISTORY OF THE SOUTH-WESTEUX association, but rather act as feeders to it. The Institute deals ^vitll the general history of the vlioIe country ; the local association investigates all the minute details of one particular district, so that the two combined furnish scope for all antiquarian--, and serve to remedy a defect so well described by ^Ir. Freeman, the President of the Historical Section of last year at Cardiif, when he said, — " The local historian who does not raise his eyes to general history is undoubtedly a very poor creature, but I venture to think that the general historian, who thinks himself too gi'cat to cast his eye downwards c)n local history, is a poorer creature still. The I'acts irathercd together by the local antiquary may be put to use by those who know better than himself how to arrange them in their due place and order." This, then, appears to be the great advantage of such meetings as the present, that it brings the general historian and the local historian face to face for their nuitual edification. In attempting to give a short sketch of the history of our county, it is impossible iur me to go into a detailed account of every object of historical or archieulogical interest in it, and I must leave it to those who will follow me to deal with the various points which they have specialh' studied, and whieh they will put before you in the most interesting form. I have already alluded to Winchester, which takes us back almost to the earliest jioint of our county's and country's history. It would a]>pear that in the Jlritij>h period there were several districts to which the natives gave the appellation of Gwent, or oj)en chamjiaign country, in distinction to the vast wooded tracts of inipenetiable forest. For instance, there were the Gwent of the IJelga-, Hampshire ; the (iwent of the Silures, !Monnionilishire ; and the great eastern Gwent of the iceni, who.se capital was Norwich ; and even Kent is by some sujijiosed io be a softened Ibnn — rfii//f — of the same wor<l. In the centie of the Gwcnts die natives establi.shcfl their .strc^ng places of abode and defence, and Winchester was selected as the )H'otected site of tlic capital of the great Gwent, or open down cotmtry of Hants. Hero the liritons rcniainc(l till attacked by the I'elga* from Gaul, who, landing, we niay suppose, at Southan)pton, j>rossod their
