54 NEWTON MANOR. 



of Silvanus, placed at the end of the terrace behind the house and 

 near the high road. This statue, part of which can be seen above 

 the garden wall, is a great object of curiosity with the trippers from 

 Bournemouth, who are driven to Corfe Castle by the Swanage 

 coachmen. It was formerly in the grounds at Branksea Island, 

 and was brought there by the notorious Colonel Waugh during his 

 brief reign. When it was first put up at Newton there was much 

 discussion among the Swanage quidnuncs as to whom it represented. 

 The general opinion at first was that it was the devil, inasmuch as 

 it had horns on its head and shaggy hair on other parts. Finally, 

 however, public opinion christened it " Esau." For a long time I 

 could not understand why, but at last I was gravely informed it 

 was because Esau was a hairy man. Latterly, however, Esau has 

 been supplanted, and Silvanus, the god of woods and gardens, has 

 become a most terrific personage. One of the drivers was heard a 

 short time ago to explain to a tripper, in reply to the question as to 

 whom the statue represented, that it was "Ajax defying his 

 mother-in-law ! " As this astonishing attribution seems to have 

 quite satisfied the average excursionist, I suppose we must now 

 accept it as the orthodox explanation. 



