MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE. 5 



of birds; and Colonel Barrow, F.R.S., who lives opposite, with 

 an instinct probably inherited from his father,* keeps a " Log," 

 which has attained such gigantic size, that it weighs four hundred 

 pounds, completely putting in the shade those burly t volumes, 

 which Macaulay reviewed with the remark, " that the prolonged 

 years of Hilpa and Shalum, who lived before the flood, are required 

 to read them through." 



My acquaintance with our village dates from a time when railroads 

 in the neighbourhood were unknown, and when anyone who had 

 been to London was considered a bond fide traveller — a man who 

 had seen the world — an oracle. 



Farmer Shirley was one of these, and as he stood leaning on his 

 gate, clad in the leather heirloom-breeches of those days, he seemed 

 never weary of relating to a gaping crowd, how on reaching the 

 metropolis, thinking that the people, from their numbers, must be 

 coming out of Church, he planted his back firmly against a wall 

 waiting till they should all go by. According to his own account, 

 he might have waited there for ever ; had not some careless person 

 dropped a five-pound note close by upon the pavement ; He could 

 hardly believe his eyes : tradition said the London streets were 

 paved with gold, but here was "paper" for the trouble of picking 

 up ! He was about to pocket his lucky find, when a stage whisper 

 reached his ears, "Halves countryman!" it seemed to say, and 

 looking round, he found another pair of eyes had seen the note 

 upon the ground. At first the farmer indignantly refused to share 

 the spoil, but threatened pains and penalties caused him to hand 

 over all the cash he had, some thirty shillings, to pacify the man, 

 who, grumbling, went his way. 



The heated controversy had made the farmer thirsty, so, turning 

 into a neighbouring tavern, he called for a glass of beer, tendering 

 of course the note in payment. But he was informed it had no 



* Sir John Barrow, Bart. ; for many years Secretary to the Admiralty, a great traveller and a voluminous 

 writer ; died 1848. 



t It was not until 1 had written this sentence down, that I discovered I incur the risk of making persons* 

 with sensitive ears, " ashamed of their species." 



