Site of an Ancient Town. 33 



vapors rolling over and deposit a heavy dew or 

 grateful ^rainfall, then they may have found the 

 stubborn earth more fruitful. Trees and brakes, 

 and thickets, too, would give shelter and protect the 

 rising growth from the bitter winds ; while when first 

 tilled the soil itself would be rich from the decay 

 of accumulated leaves, dead boughs, and vegetable 

 matter. So that the terrace gardens may have 

 yielded plentifully then, and were probably sur- 

 rounded with stockades to protect them from the 

 ravages of the beasts of the forest. Now the very 

 site of the ancient town can scarcely be distin- 

 guished : the sheep graze, the lambs gambol gayly 

 over it in the sunshine, and the shepherd dozes hard 

 by on the slope while his dog watches 'the flock. 



A long day of rain is often followed by a mod- 

 erately fine evening the clouds breaking up as the 

 sun nears the horizon. It happened one summer 

 evening, after just such a day of continuous showers, 

 that I was in a meadow about two miles distant 

 from the hills. The rain had ceased, and the sky 

 was clear overhead of all but a thin film of cloud, 

 through which the blue was visible in places. But 

 westward there was still a bank of vapor concealing 

 the sinking sun ; and eastwards, towards the downs, 

 it was also thick and dark. I walked slowly along 

 with a gun, on the inner side of a great hedge which 

 hid the hills, waiting every now and then behind 

 a projecting bush for a rabbit to come out a 

 couple being wanted. In heavy rain, such as had 

 lasted all day, the}' generally remain within their 

 ' buries ' or if one slips out, he usually keeps on 

 the bank, sheltered by stoles and trees, and nibbling 

 3 



