134 THE EULOGY OF RICHARD JEFFERIES. 



historic, the edge of the forest melts away 

 upon downs that bear grander specimens than 

 can be seen elsewhere Stonehenge and Ave- 

 bury are near. The trout-fisher can approach 

 very close to it. The rail gives easy com- 

 munication, but has not spoilt the seclusion. 

 Monsieur Lesseps, of Suez Canal fame, is 

 reported to have said that Marlborough 

 Forest was the finest he had seen in Europe. 

 Certainly no one who had not seen it would 

 believe that a forest still existed in the very 

 heart of Southern England, so completely 

 recalling those woods and * chases ' upon 

 which the ancient feudal monarchs set such 

 store." 



In the paper called " Village Churches," 

 Jefferies has wholly found himself at last. 

 Everybody has felt the charm of the village 

 church. The most careless pedestrian turns 

 by instinct into the old churchyard, and hopes 

 to find the church-door open. It is not the 

 architecture that he cares to study, but the 

 feeling of holy peace which lingers in the 

 place, like the glory between the Cherubim. 

 Let Jefferies interpret for us: 



