ON THE WYE 8l 



its acquaintance some miles lower down, but 

 here, and on this side, all was new to me. After 

 a walk of a mile or so across the meadows, I 

 came suddenly on its banks, and to me, just 

 emerging from the fogs and disagreeables ot 

 London, this noble river presented an unspeak- 

 ably pleasant sight a broad, silver sheet flow- 

 ing, ever-flowing slowly, and in almost absolute 

 silence, for it scarcely ever uttered a sound. It 

 is here about a hundred yards wide, as nearly 

 as I could guess, and was at its full, without 

 any indication of overflow. It may be said of 

 the Wye as Sir John Denham said of the 

 Thames : 



" Though deep, yet clear ; though gentle, yet not dull ; 

 Strong without rage ; without o'erflowing full." 



I was quite fascinated by the beauty of it all a 

 broad silver sunlit stream flowing seaward in 

 one unbroken, noiseless mass majestic, irre- 

 sistible, an aristocratic stream, too dignified to 

 notice any small or minor obstacles to its 

 course. I followed it up for a mile, and could 

 see its winding course through the green meadows 

 for another mile or two. Everything was silent 

 no fish moving in its waters, no fly on its sur- 

 G 



