THE TEMPLES OF THE HILLS 259 



to the horizon, clothed with that elastic fragrant 

 turf which it is a joy to walk on, and has nothing 

 like it in the world ! 



It must have been in quite recent times, probably 

 during the last half of the eighteenth century, that 

 the idea first came into the mind of a landowner here 

 and there that a grove on the top of a high bare chalk 

 down would have a noble appearance, and form a 

 striking landmark for all the country round. The 

 result is our hill-top clumps: and one would have 

 imagined that the effect would be altogether bad; 

 for how could a tall dark grove on a hill in a country 

 of such an aspect, of smooth rounded pale-green 

 downs, be anything but inharmonious ? Either it is 

 not so, or long custom has reconciled us to this orna- 

 ment invented by man, and has even made it pleasing 

 to the eye. Association comes in, too: I notice that 

 the clumps which please me best are those which 

 are most temple-like in their forms. Thus, a grove 

 of trees of various kinds growing in a dense mass, 

 as in the case of the famous Chanctonbury Ring on 

 the South Downs, gives me no pleasure at all: while 

 a grove of Scotch firs, the trunks sufficiently far apart 

 as to appear like pillars upholding the dark dense 

 foliage, has a singular attraction. In some instances 

 the effect on the hill itself of its crown of trees is to 

 give it the appearance of a vast mound artificially 

 raised by man on which to build or plant his temple. 

 This is most striking when, as at Badbury Rings, in 

 Dorset, the hill is round and low, with a grove of old, 

 very large trees. In this case the effect is heightened 



