Fragmenta Antiquitatis: or, Ancient tenures of land, and jocular customs of manors
Thomas BlountA seventeenth-century work that lists some of the strange manorial byelaws and customs that have existed across England. Excerpt from Fragmenta Antiquitatis: Or Ancient Tenures of Land, and Jocular Customs of Manors As readers generally like to acquire some knowledge of the life and circumstances of the authors they read, it may not be unacceptable to them to find some short account of Mr, Thomas Blount, in this place. Now, as Mr. Blount was neither an eminent Statesman, nor a great Churchman, but ranked merely in the line of voluminous and useful writers, for such he undoubtedly was in his time, little can be drawn concerning him from any other source, than Anthony a Woods Athenee, and thence we have accordingly transcribed the following account. "Thomas Blount, son of Myles Blount, of Orleton, mHerefordshire, the fifth son of Roger Blount, of Monkland, in the same county, was born at Bordesley, in Worcestershire, (about A.D. 1619.)being of a younger house, of an antient and noble family of his name, but never advantaged in learning by the help of an University, only his own genius and industry, together with the helps of his scholastical acquaintance during his continuance in the Temple, before and after he was a barrister. "His writings are many, and some perhaps not fit here to be put down; among which are, 1. 'The Academy of Eloquence, containing a complete English Rhetoric. Printed at London in the time of the rebellion; and several times after. 2. "Glossographia; or, a Dictionary interpreting such hard Words, whether Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Italian, c, that are now used in our refined English Tongue, &c. London, 1656, octavo, published several times after with additions and amendments.