xi J THEEE WORLDS. 263 



manfully. They have stood the knocking about of 

 three worlds already ; and have done their duty there- 

 in ; and they are ready (if you choose to mend the road 

 with them) to stand the knocking about of this fourth 

 world, and being most excellent gravel, to do their 

 duty in this world likewise; which is more, I fear, 

 than either you or I can say for ourselves. 



Three worlds ? 



Yes. Standing there in the gravel-pit, I see three 

 old worlds, in each of which these stones played their 

 part ; and this world of man for the fourth, and the 

 best of all for man if not for the stones. I speak 

 sober truth. Let me explain it step by step. 



You know the chalk-hills to the south; and the 

 sands of Crooksbury and the Hind Head beyond them. 

 There is one world. 



You know the clays and sands of Hook and 

 Newnham, Dogmersfield and Shapley Heath, and all 

 the country to the north as far as Beading. There is 

 a second world. 



You know the gravel-pit itself ; and all the upper 

 soils and gravels, which are spread over the length 

 and breadth of the country to the north. There is a 

 third world. 



Let us take them one by one. 



First, the chalk. 



The chalk-hills rise much higher than the surround- 

 ing country ; but you must not therefore suppose that 

 they were made after it, and laid on the top of it. 

 That guess would be true, if you went south-east from 

 here toward the Hind Head. The chalk lies on the top 

 of the sands of Crooksbury Hill, and the clays of Holt 

 Forest ; but it dips underneath the sands of Shapley 



