ROBERT POCOCK. 135 



delightful prospect did not equal, Mary said, the view of 

 Wrekin Hill in Shropshire^ where an extent of seventy 

 miles round may be seen distinctly. Then walked to 

 Maidstone (four miles) and saw several benefit societies 

 parade the town with bands of music, having gone to 

 church as an annual treat and paid the parson for 

 preaching. Afterwards walked through several hop- 

 gardens to Banning, and drank tea with the Rev. 

 Mark Noble, whose wife and daughters I found good 

 botanists, and their garden I reckoned the second for 

 variety of plants in Kent (Mr Russel's of Swanscombe 

 being the first). The old clergyman was happy to see 

 us (although the first interview), and I was surprised at 

 the clearness of his manuscripts, for he told me he never 

 made a drop or wrote from a copy. His collection 

 of books was nicely arranged, and his manuscripts 

 numerous. Here we met with Mr. Cresswell, a gentle- 

 man going to the bar, who related an anecdote or two 

 not much to the credit of the law ; viz., that a lawyer 

 ran a poor man to seventy pounds and upwards in 

 expenses in prosecuting him for five pounds only. 

 Hard enough ! and in our walk by the tow-path (side 

 of the River Medway) found a scarce Scirpus sylvaticus, 

 not having met with it before. Maidstone Palace, 

 Church, College, and Bridge, as we approached, made 

 a fine picture, and must give great pleasure to any anti- 

 quary who may visit them. Here also we found boys 

 fishing, who had caught some bleak, dace, &c., and were 

 told that there were pikes, eels, and some others. Called 

 upon my cousin Champion, who is a greasy relation, as 

 he sells hams and keeps a cook-shop. Slept at the 

 Swan Inn. 



" Tuesday, 28th. Breakfasted with Champion, who 

 was vain enough to read to us some of his poetry about 



