BURTON, ANCIENT AND MODERN. 33 
which makes history.” Leave out the word ‘city,’ and I 
think this would be a very good description of Burton. 
No one can dispute that its streets are ‘‘ redolent ’—very 
redolent of the prevailing industry of the place. No one 
can deny the ‘‘energy”’ of the townsmen—probably some 
advocates of what they are pleased to call ‘temperance ” 
may consider that energy somewhat ‘“ exuberant.” I rather 
wonder what judgment our descendants and successors will 
pass on the history we are making. 
But I don’t wish to moralise. I should like to make 
just a few remarks about our town as it now exists. It is 
the fashion to speak of it as ugly and uninviting in aspect. 
But really I have often found visitors much impressed with 
the beauty not only of the surrounding country, but of the 
very centre of the borough itself. I fancy few places with 
such a large population possess in their midst such a fine 
open expanse as is secured to us by the two branches of 
the river enclosing the large meadows of the Broadholm, 
the Andersley and the Ox Hay. The views up and down 
the river both from the Trent Bridge and the Ferry Bridge 
are extremely picturesque, and no artist can scorn the 
charming little landscape formed by the fine old trees on 
St. Modwen’s Orchard and the Abbey House. It is a pity 
that our parish church is not a more venerable building. 
Externally, at any rate, it is not an imposing object. But 
I really think its site is admirable. Of course the charm 
of all this depends on the river, and herein we are fortunate 
that its banks are not, and are never likely to be, lined 
with factories and warehouses, as is generally the case 
when a river runs through a manufacturing town. I hope 
I may be excused from remarking that I think a heavy 
responsibility falls on the authorities—that of doing all in 
their power to purity and sweeten this noble water-way. 
Our Corporation seemed to be doing a grand and successful 
work a few years ago in dredging the river and clearing it 
