8 THE EULOGY OF RICHARD JEFFERIES. 



land Smith's Forge is within a walk to the 

 east ; another walk, somewhat longer, takes 

 you to Avebury, to Wan's Dyke, to the Grey 

 Wethers of Marlborough, or the ancient forest 

 of Savernake. There are ancient memories or 

 whispers of old wars and prehistoric battles 

 about this country. At Barbury the Britons 

 made a final stand against the Saxons, and 

 were defeated with great slaughter. Wan- 

 borough, now a village, was then an important 

 centre where four Roman roads met, so that 

 the chieftain or king who had his seat at 

 Wanborough could communicate rapidly, and 

 call up forces from Sarum, Silchester, Win- 

 chester, and the Chilterns. All these things 

 speak nothing to a boy who is careless and 

 incurious. But Richard JefFeries was a boy 

 curious and inquiring. He had, besides, 

 friends who directed his attention to the 

 meaning of the ancient monuments within his 

 reach, and taught him something of the dim 

 and shadowy history of the people who built 

 them. He loved to talk and think of them ; 

 in after-years he wrote a book " After 

 London " which was inspired by these early 



