By the Rev. Jr. C. P lender hath 



27 



bottom of the hill, where an accumulation may generally be seen. 

 And tli on the springing of the grass very soon makes the turf above 

 and below the figure as green as before. Two or three years ago 

 an elliptical trench was dug at some distance above the horse to 

 intercept and carry off the surface drainage. This being perfectly 

 grassed over does not show from a distance, and appears to answer 

 its purpose very well. 



The next figure in our cavalcade is the little horse at Marlborough, 

 on the hill behind Preshute. This was cut out by the boys belonging 

 to a school kept by one Mr. Greasley, in 1804, having been first 

 traced by one William Canning, of Og*bourne, and marked out 

 with pegs, and the turf then removed and chalk put in. There was 

 no trace of any other cutting previously existing on the hill, nor 

 was it made, as I learn from Captain Reed, of Marlborough, who 

 was a member of the school at that time, with a view of com- 

 memorating any particular event. 



It was kept annually scoured by the boys so long as Mr. Greasly 

 carried on the school, but has now fallen into somewhat of disrepair. 

 And although the outline is far from being bad, the effect from the 

 road is somewhat thin, sufficient allowance not having been made 

 for the foreshortening effect of the very moderate slope of the hill. 



Lastly I will mention the White Horse in the valley of Pewsey, 

 (see Fig. 4) and here I cannot do better than by reading the contents 

 of a paper with which the Rev. E. H. M. Sladen, who was formerly 

 the clergyman of the parish, has favoured me on the subject. 



" The White Horse on the southern slope of the Marlborough 

 Downs, in the parish of Alton Berners, was cut about 1812, at the 

 expense of Mr. Robert Pile, who was occupier of the Manor Farm. 

 It was sketched from the bridge over the Kennett and Avon Canal, 

 at Honeystreet, by a painter named John Thorne, commonly known 

 by the soubriquet of Jack the Painter, a man of more wits than 

 character, as the event proved. He was employed at Pewsey 

 Rectory, and being asked to do some work in Mr. Pile's house, he 

 offered to cut out the horse for £20, agreeing to excavate to a 

 uniform depth of one foot, and to fill it in with chalk. Thorne 

 employed John Harvey, of Stanton St. Bernard, father of the present 



