3 
my attention to the same object, which had so strongly engaged his : 
the astonishment excited in my mind was but little, if at all, less than 
that which possessed our friend, when I beheld a labouring man 
breaking to pieces, with a large hammer, a stone nearly circular, 
half as large as the fore-wheel of our chaise, and bearing the exact 
form of a serpent closely coiled up. Curiosity prompted me to stop 
the chaise, and to ask the man the name of the stone, and where it 
came from'. “ This stone, sir,” says he, “ is a snake-stone, and 
comes from a pit in yonder field; where there are thousands of 
them.” We all alighted, and with surprise examined some of the 
same species of stones, which he had not yet broken, and which, 
though evidently bearing the form of some strange animal, were 
undoubtedly formed entirely of stone. 
As we sauntered along, the chaise following us, we came to a neat 
small house, on the road side ; which a sign, stuck in the hedge, on 
the opposite side of the road, taught us was a house of public enter- 
tainment. Hoping to gain some further information, respecting that 
which had so strongly attracted our notice, we entered this, literally, 
hedge ale-house. But when introduced into a very neat room, the 
casement of which, surrounded by roses and honeysuckles in full 
bloom, opened into a garden, rendered charming by the wild 
luxuriancy and profusion, with which its various productions dis- 
played themselves to our view, we had very little hesitation in deter- 
mining to stop, and partake of such refreshments as our cottage 
would yield. Whilst these were preparing, Wilton, who was exa- 
mining the furniture of the old oaken chimney-piece, said, “ Well, 
if the object of travelling is to behold novelties, surely this country 
will yield that gratification, in the highest degree ; for among the 
various things with which this mantle-piece is ornamented, there is 
not one, of which I have ever seen its like.” They now passed under 
my examination, but with equal ill success ; fqr neither had I ever 
