AN ENGLISH SHIRE. 211 



once more into a wild heather-clad and wood-covered 

 region, now thickly interspersed with parks and country 

 seats, -of which Petworth, Cowdry, and Ashburnham are 

 the best known. 



* Modern times, of course, have brought their changes. 

 With the northward revolution caused by steam and 

 coal, Sussex, like the rest of southern England, has fallen 

 back to a purely agricultural life. The sea has blocked 

 up the harbours of Eye, Winchelsea, Seaford, and Lewes. 

 Man's hand has drained the marshes of the Bother, of 

 Pevensey, and of Selsea Bill ; and railways have broken 

 down the isolation of Sussex from the remainder of the 

 country. Still, as of old, the natural configuration con- 

 tinues to produce its necessary effects. Even now there 

 are no towns of any size in the Weald : few, save Lewes, 

 Arundel, and Chichester, anywhere but on the coast. 

 The Downs are given up to sheep-farming ; the Weald 

 to game and pleasure-grounds ; the shore to holiday- 

 making. The proximity to London is now the chief 

 cause of Sussex prosperity. In the old coaching days, 

 Brighton was a foregone conclusion. Sixty miles by 

 road from town, it was the nearest accessible spot by the 

 seaside. As soon as people began to think of annual 

 holidays, Brighton must necessarily attract them. 

 Hence George IV. and the Pavilion. The railroad has 

 done more. It has made Brighton into a suburb, and 

 raised its population to over 100,000. At the same time, 

 the South Coast line has begotten watering-places at 

 Worthing, Bognor, and Littlehampton. In the other 

 direction, it has created Eastbourne. Those who do 

 not love chalk (as the Georges did), choose rather the 



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