Constable 's Country. 1 8 1 



are dead now, and some are scattered over the wide 

 earth — and before you blame me you must go there 

 and see ! 



This picture carries me to a very different kind of 

 scenery, to that prettiest part of Essex in my idea — the 

 region of the Stour — Constable's country — not flat 

 as is the prevailing character of the portion of Essex 

 near to London, of which the region of the Lea is 

 typical, but on both sides rising here and there into 

 rounded hills, prettily wooded. Dedham, indeed, lies at 

 the foot of a considerable hill, driving down which, 

 towards the little town, one of the sweetest views 

 possible bursts suddenly upon you through trees ; and 

 when you have put up your horse and trap at the inn, 

 passed through the town, and walked to the river, 

 you get a glimpse of Dedham Mill — immortalised by 

 Constable — with its swirling lade and deep backwater, 

 where big roach lie, fed on the floury morsels from the 

 mill, a scene which Constable has painted too, and 

 made familiar to many who have never seen it. And 

 over yonder on the Suffolk side is East Bergholt, with 

 its church tower on the very top of the hill rising from 

 amid its screen of trees, often painted too and no 

 wonder ! It is the very ideal of the scenery of its 

 kind. Along the meadows nearer to the river the full- 

 fed cattle lazily browse and ruminate, and whisk the 

 flies off with their tails, or stand knee-deep in the 

 shallower side pools left here and there. In the pic- 

 ture, the house we see is on the borders of one of the 

 tributaries further down, but while staj-ing there it was 

 our delight to work down the main stream, trolling for 

 pike, or, finding some favourite pool, would sit down 

 and enjoy the quieter more contemplative exercise of 

 ensnaring the more delicate-mouthed roach. 



