LEWES AND ITS COUNTRY 77 



''Cobbett's English Grammar" (William's 

 English grammar was irreproachable), his 

 ''French Grammar," ''American Gardening," 

 his "Life," and "Emigrant's Guide"; in short 

 or in long, all manner of Cobbett's works, 

 a whole library of him, save and except the 

 " Rural Rides." We at last retired defeated, 

 disgraced, sneezing to disagreeableness, aching 

 most woundily in our poor backs — myself no 

 forrader than when I started. 



Still, next day I got some compensation, for 

 the downs were simply grand where I was, up on 

 the Cliffe, the great island dump of downs styled 

 by the authorities "a fault." If the Cliffe is a 

 fault, I am grateful for the error made in forming 

 the face of the country out of accord with what 

 the scientific gents consider proper order. But 

 for a certain amount of hogheadedness, I should 

 not have done the Cliffe, for I thought I saw a 

 motor-car up on the crest of the hill. There 

 was something high up on the crest by the golf 

 links, going along as one would think only a 

 motor-car can. "This ends the downs for me," 

 says I. " If such articles are to do the downs 

 as well as the roads, all is up with me, for I have 

 now no refuge from their noise and smell." To 

 know the worst, I climbed and found no motor 

 carriage, but — steam ploughing-machine tackle 

 in full work dragging up granite blocks to build 

 a Martyrs' Memorial ! The " cars " that appeared 

 to be climbing the face of one of the steepest 

 combes in the county and careering along the 

 ridges, were sleighs carrying big cubes of stone, 

 dragged by steel ropes. The spectacle instructed 

 me a lot in what may be done in warfare, and 

 relieved my mind much regarding the future of 

 one of our most precious English playgrounds. 



