Nature and Art, September 1, 1866.] 
A HARD GEOLOGICAL NUT. 
127 
to him. It has been said that on the Bombay sepoys, who 
formed a part of the expedition against the French in Egypt, 
being landed, they manifested great delight and astonishment 
at finding their own sacred Bull, “ Nundi,” as well as many 
other mythological figures which they well knew, and 
immediately recognized, exclaiming that the people who 
formerly inhabited Egypt must have been Hindoos. It is, 
however, far more probable that the Hindoos are indebted 
for many of their mythological ideas to the land of Osiris. 
However this may be, no doubt can exist as to the deep 
interest appertaining to all connected with Egyptian lore. 
The numerous illustrations which embellish Mr. Sharpe’s 
work, have been chiefly furnished by Mr. Joseph Bonomi, 
whose zeal in the cause of antiquarian research and graphic 
pencil are too well known to need remark. 
There is but one cause for regret, and that is the brevity 
of the work. Still it is to be hoped that other editions will 
follow, and that more of the same class of subject matter 
may be placed ere long at the disposal of the student of 
antiquity, and general reader. 
A HARD GEOLOGICAL NUT. 
I N the pleasant little village of Welwyn — just 
opposite to the church, and between it and a 
sluggish little stream which rejoices in the eupho- 
nious title of Mimram and abounds in excellent 
trout, many of them of upwards of 5 or 6 lb. in 
weight and of that exquisite pink lme so beautiful 
to the eye of both sportsman and epicure — there 
stands an old-fashioned house, most unpretending 
and ugly in its appearance from the road ; but on 
the river-side possessing attractions rarely to be 
met with in such immediate proximity to a village. 
This house has been in our occupation for the 
last two years, and up to within a few weeks of 
the present time. We should not presume to 
draw the attention of the readers of Nature and 
Art to the spot, were it not that there are associa- 
tions connecting it with other days, which we 
think may invest it with interest to many; and 
that within its precincts was lately found an 
object of some considerable curiosity, which it will 
be the purpose of the present paper to describe. 
The house, as we have already stated, is an 
old-fashioned structure of no architectural pre- 
tensions whatever, and, in fact, of as ugly an 
exterior as can well be conceived; but from within 
its walls have, at different periods, issued forth 
thoughts and learning, such as must render it ever 
memorable to the poetic and literary world. At the 
present date the estate belongs to the representa- 
tives of the late Mr. Henry Fynes Clinton, who 
lived in the house up to the day of his death ; who, 
standing at his high desk in a room overlooking 
the garden, there compiled that magnificent work, 
so prized by the classical scholar, “ Fasti Hellenici /’ 
and whose character, we have reason to believe, 
was prominent in the mind’s eye of his dear friend 
and neighbour, Lord Lytton, when writing 
that delightful and most popular of his charming 
novels, “ The Caxtons.” 
In the old title-deeds the place is called 
“ Guessens,” probably a corruption of the German 
“ Gast-haus.” 
In former times the old house was the abode of 
the poet Young ; and here he is supposed to have 
written his melancholy “ Night Thoughts,” whilst 
sitting in his room looking into the churchyard. In 
the garden there is an avenue of beautiful horse chest- 
nut trees reaching from the house to the river, where 
Young, in his contemplative moods, would walk, 
and under whose branches old Johnson is said to 
have sipped his tea and smoked his pipe, accom- 
panied by his biographer and toady Boswell, who 
introduced him to Young. There are also many 
stories told of the poet in his gallant moods making 
flowery speeches to ladies under the shadow of 
these ancient trees. It is further declared (though 
we hope, for the sake of our poet’s character for 
good taste, that there is not sufficient foundation 
for the report), that Young had a scene painted, 
which he placed at the end of the avenue to give 
an idea of distcmce, when looking through it from 
the house. These trees are in themselves really 
noteworthy. The avenue is a short one, having only 
six trees on each side, but they are truly beautiful. 
Their branches feathering to the ground, have 
thrown off shoots, which in turn have taken root and 
produced a growth suggesting that of the famous 
banyan tree and in the spring time, when covered 
with blossom, the group presents a “giant’s nosegay,” 
which it would be difficult to find woi’ds to describe. 
In the garden also, and lining the banks of the 
river on the opposite side, are some magnificent 
willows, which old Jesse, in his “Gleanings,” has 
thought well worthy of note. The chestnuts must, 
indeed, be very old, for they were flourishing in 
Young’s time, when he planted a now perfect avenue 
of limes in the rectory garden. But relics with far 
longer pedigrees have here been found. A battle is 
said to have been fought in the neighbourhood with 
the Danes; and Bo man pottery, and bones, per- 
haps Boman also, have been dug up in the garden. 
But older far than all is the curiosity we are 
about to describe ; and it came to light in this wise. 
Our three little girls, Agnes, Edith, and Cicely 
(aged respectively six, five, and three years), had, in 
their play, established under the chestnuts what 
they called their gold and silver mines. The thick 
shade of the trees prevents the growth of grass 
under them ; but the ground is carpeted with 
aconites, crocuses, moss, and periwinkles, which in 
the spring have a most brilliant effect. A few 
months ago some flower-beds had been excavated 
hard by, and the old material (composed of remains 
of buildings, mixed with the Original gravel which 
here overlies the chalk) had been spread out under 
* The growth (as described in the text) of the chestnut 
is, we believe, somewhat remarkable ; the branches having 
touched the ground — have taken root, and the new stems 
are considerably larger in girth than the original branches 
from the tree itself. 
