4 VILLAGE OF SELBORNE. 



pendulous boughs ! . The down, or sheep-walk, is 

 a pleasing park-like spot, of about one mile by 

 half that space, jutting out on the verge of the 

 hill-country, where it begins to break down into 

 the plains, and commanding a very engaging view, 

 being an assemblage of hill, dale, woodlands, heath, 

 and water. The prospect is bounded to the south- 

 east and east by the vast range of mountains called 

 the Sussex Downs, by Guild-down near Guildford, 

 and by the Downs round Dorking, and Ryegate in 

 Surrey, to the north-east ; which altogether, with 

 the country beyond Alton, and Farnham, form a 

 noble and extensive outline. 



At the foot of this hill, one stage, or step from 

 the uplands, lies the village, which consists of one 

 single straggling street, three quarters of a mile 

 in length, in a sheltered vale, and running parallel 

 with the Hanger. The houses are divided from the 

 hill by a vein of stiff clay, (good wheat land,) yet 

 stand on a rock of white stone, little in appearance 

 removed from chalk ; but seems so far from being 

 calcareous, that it endures extreme heat. Yet 

 that the freestone still preserves somewhat that 

 is analogous to chalk, is plain from the beeches, 



1 The beech is certainly a beautiful tree, either when 

 planted singly or in clumps ; but I cannot agree with our 

 author, in thinking it the " most lovely of all forest trees.' 1 

 The ash and birch, and perhaps the Huntingdon willow, are 

 certainly more elegant and graceful : the former, I think, 

 has been termed by Gilpin, the " Venus" of British trees. 

 The plane and horse-chestnut will outvie it in a dense and 

 deep rich foliage, while the oak will far outstrip all in an 

 imposing and venerable aspect. The beech was formerly 

 much more frequently planted than at present. It was ad- 

 mirably suited for the landscape gardening of the last cen- 

 tury ; and the wood was of more value, being much in re- 

 quest for various parts of machinery, which the extensive 

 us2 of iron has now superseded. W. J. 



