132 THE EULOGY OF RICHARD JEFFERIES. 



indescribable supersensuous perception that 

 living creatures are approaching. Sit up 

 without noise and look there is a herd of 

 deer feeding down the narrow valley close at 

 hand within a stone's-throw. And these are 

 deer indeed, no puny creatures, but the ' tall 

 deer ' that William the Conqueror loved ' as if 

 he were their father.' Fawns are darting here 

 and there, frisking round the does. How 

 many may there be in this herd? fifty, 

 perhaps more ; nor is this a single isolated 

 instance, but dozens more of such herds may 

 be found in this true old English forest, all 

 running free and unconstrained. But the sun 

 gets low. Following this broad green drive, 

 it leads us past vistas of endless glades going 

 no man knows where into shadow and gloom, 

 past grand old oaks, past places where the 

 edge of a veritable wilderness comes up to the 

 trees a wilderness of gnarled hawthorn trunks 

 of unknown ages, of holly with shining metallic- 

 green leaves, and hazel-bushes. Past tall trees 

 bearing the edible chestnut in prickly clusters, 

 past maples which in a little while will be 

 painted in crimson and gold, with the deer 



