THE SOUTH COUNTRY 3 



shire, and not least of all that unlucky rivulet, the Wandle, 

 once a nymph that walked among her sisters 



So amiable, fair, so pure, so delicate, 

 So plump, so full, so fresh, her eyes so wondrous clear : 

 And first unto her lord, at Wandsworth doth appear, 

 That in the goodly court, of their great sovereign Tames, 

 There might no other speech be had amongst the streams, 

 But only of this Nymph, sweet Wandel, what she wore ; 

 Of her complexion, grace, and how herself she bore. 



Nor can I omit the Wiltshire and Berkshire canal, as it 

 was fifteen years ago, between Swindon and Dauntsey, 

 an unfrequented by-way through a quiet dairy country, and 

 full of pike and tench among the weeds and under the 

 tall water docks and willow herbs which even then threat- 

 ened to subdue it as they now have done. 



The chief roads make south, south-east, south-west and 

 west from London; almost the only road going east and 

 west and not touching London is the old road known 

 between Winchester and Canterbury as the Pilgrims' Way. 



Most of the towns are small market towns, manu- 

 facturing chiefly beer; or they are swollen, especially in 

 the neighbourhood of London, as residential quarters on 

 lines of railway or as health and pleasure resorts on the 

 sea. But any man used to maps will be wiser on these 

 matters in an hour than I am. For what I have sought 

 is quiet and as complete a remoteness as possible from 

 towns, whether of manufactures, of markets or of cathe- 

 drals. I have used a good many maps in my time, 

 largely to avoid the towns; but I confess that I prefer 

 to do without them and to go, if I have some days 

 before me, guided by the hills or the sun or a stream 

 r, if I have one day only, in a rough circle, trusting, 



TB2 



