338 THE OLD MANOR HOlTSE 



Victory and of Nelson's last embrace ; Shaftes- 

 bury, perched on its hill-top, with its many 

 churches and the remains of its ancient abbey, 

 just revealed to view ; the park and woods of 

 Sherborne Castle ; Woodbury Hill, the scene, in 

 bygone times, of famous fairs and county gather- 

 ings ; Poole Harbour, and Branksea Island with 

 its heronry, Castle Hill, Dun Cliff, Whin Green, 

 Culliford Tree, Charborough Tower, Creech Barrow. 

 The eye ranges from Pentridge, the birthplace of 

 the Dorset poet, William Barnes, to Bockhampton 

 Hang, the birthplace of the Dorset novelist, Thomas 

 Hardy, and embraces, within its ample sweep, almost 

 every spot which has been rendered classic by the 

 true and tender poetry of the one, or by the brilliant 

 novels of the other. 



The gateway at the end of the avenue of stately 

 elms which leads to the Manor House, is guarded 

 by two stone eagles, the Bingham crest, represented 

 not, as usual, in repose, but bolt upright, with their 

 huge wings spread backwards and upwards, as if in 

 the act to flap or fly. Michael Angelo pronounced 

 the noblest panegyric on the splendid bronze horse 

 of Marcus Aurelius, which stands on the slopes of the 

 Capitol at Rome, with foreleg uplifted and curved, 

 always dropping but never dropped, when he 



