122 NATURE IN DOWNLAND 



to generation they will ever and anon continue to 

 reappear. This well-known fact and the less familiar 

 fact that a very large number of persons of good 

 family are constantly being submerged in the lower 

 ranks, is to my mind a sufficient and the only ex- 

 planation of the numerous handsome and beautiful 

 faces and figures to be found among the peasantry. 



I here recall the case of the once important and 

 numerous Sussex family of Culpepper; a member of 

 that family, the old herbalist, has made the name 

 familiar to every one. For centuries the Culpeppers 

 were landowners in various parts of the county, and 

 at one period there were two baronetcies in the 

 family. Yet in the course of the last two centuries 

 they have sunk into utter obscurity, and there is 

 not now one person of that name in Sussex above 

 the condition of a labourer. 



Similar cases may be found in every part of the 

 country: the point that concerns us here is that 

 probably in no other part of Sussex, perhaps in no 

 other part of the kingdom, has the process of sinking 

 to the lower social level been so frequent as in down- 

 land. Or perhaps it would be more correct to say, 

 that nowhere else have the old families that have 

 lost their position in the country left so many de- 

 scendants who bear their names and are labourers on 

 the lands that were once their ancestors'. Among those 

 of his class in downland the shepherd appears to have 

 the largest infusion of good blood : it shows itself in 



