SELBORNE. 



sent to be a pedestrian across the hills, or rather swelling grounds, 

 from Alton, the distance being about from four to five miles. 



From the nature of the soil, which is generally speaking very 

 tough and retentive, winter travelling along the foot-path here 

 must be a work of " difficulty and labour hard," as Milton ex- 

 presses it ; and even after a summer shower the path is greasy 

 withal. It is also beset with a great number of stiles, with no 

 steps to facilitate the crossing ; but one journeying toward Sel- 

 borne must not mind those little matters, and, as the foot-path is 

 one of ups and downs, it is never very deep, or very long in 

 drying after a shower. It is first up the slope from Alton, then 

 down again to Trunchion, and so gradually up another slope by 

 West Wordleham and Hartley Farm, which last slope is long but 

 not steep, but all the while there is no appearance of Selborne. 

 After the last long slope is turned, however, and the descent, 

 which is also gradual, is so far made, Selborne, of which the 

 hills have again been seen from the top of the slope, makes its 

 appearance in exactly the manner which one would wish in order 

 to have a general impression of it unbroken by details. A hedge 

 forms the immediate fore-ground, over which the church and 

 steeple, and a portion of the vicarage house, make their appear- 

 ance. Clumps of trees conceal the village, but display over the 

 vicarage a very finely wooded park of about twenty acres, w^ich 



