202 THE SOUTH COUNTRY 



ash-poles in the copse, he is clearly half converted into 

 the element to which he must return. 



When the underwood is for sale it is a pleasure to read 

 the notices fixed to the doors of barn and shed, with the 

 names of the copses and woods. At Penshurst lately, for 

 example, I saw these names — 



Black Hoath Wood. 



Heronry Pond. 



Marlpit Field. 



Tapner's Wood. 



Ashour Farm. 



Sidney's Coppice. 



Weir Field. 



Well Place. 

 I was back in Sidney's time, remembering that genial 

 poem of Ben Jonson's, " To Penshurst," and especially 

 the lines — 



" Thy copse too, named of Gamage, thou hast there, 

 That never fails to serve thee season'd deer, 

 When thou wouldst feed or exercise thy friends. 

 The lower land, that to the river bends. 

 Thy sheep, thy bullocks, kine, and calves do feed ; 

 The middle grounds thy mares and horses breed. 

 Each bank doth yield thee conies ; and the tops 

 Fertile of wood. Ashore and Sidney's copps. 

 To crown thy open table, doth provide 

 The purple pheasant with the speckled side, . . ." 



and so onward to that opulence and ease three centuries 

 old— 



" Then hath thy orchard fruit, thy garden flowers. 

 Fresh as the air, and new as are the hours. 

 The early cherry, with the later plum, 

 Fig, grape, and cjuince, each in his time doth come 5 



