industrious, is the haying a little land 
adjoining to his cottage, either for a 
polatoe-ground or otherwise, according 
to circunistances. 
When political economy was in its in- 
fancy, which is even now. far less ad- 
vanced toward its maturity than it 
ough to be, the idea of annexing land to 
cottages, for the convenience and com- 
fort of the poor, had even then been en- 
tertained; and there was an attempt to 
Secure it, but by the worst of all possible 
means—compulsion. The act of legisla- 
ting is like that of government in ail its 
branches; avd those who would reign per- 
maneutly, bewe'icially, or even effectually, 
must take care not to reign too much. 
The Sist of Eliz. c. vii. having prohi- 
bited cottages to be built for the poor, 
without laying four acres of land to 
them at least, it was found that the effect 
Was, not to obtain land forthe poor, but 
to prohibit cottages. And as this effect 
encreasedd the value of land en- 
creased, this act was, with great pru- 
dence and political benevolence, at 
length repealed, by 15 Geo. III. c. 32. 
(anno 1775;) which very truly set forth 
that it had laid the industrious poor 
under great difliculties to procure habi- 
tations, and tended very much to lessen 
population, and in divers other respects 
was ijnconveuent to the labouring part 
ot the nation in general. 
[t is, I think, apparent, that the ob- 
stacles to the building of habitations for 
the poor are such, as to cail fur an en- 
crease of the powers of parish-offi- 
cers and magistrates for that purpose. 
How this might be done with the least 
inconvenience to parishes, and with the 
greatest benefit to the industrious poor, 
may perhaps be the subject of a third 
letter, 
Lroston-hall, Jan.1810. Cape. Lorrr. 
—— TA 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
WALKS im BERKSHIRE.—No. II. 
SIR, é 
T was in the month of October that 
H I resumed those walks, to one of 
which you were so obliging as to give 
publicity in a recent Number of your 
Magazine. When I projected an account 
of these little excursions, it was with a 
view of trying whether a detail of such 
trivial circumstances as present them- 
selves to every pedestrian, even in the 
circle wamediately round bome, would 
not prove interesting, if not instructive ; 
as the industrious florist might assured- 
ly gratify an intelligent mind by the offer 
i 
~ 
as 
Walks in Berkshire, 
213 
of anosegay composed of those simple 
flowers that lie hidden under the hedge 
which skirts his path, and which the 
more consequential passenger passes with 
indifference or contempt. 
On leaving the town of Reading, 
through the Forbury, the lofty hills of 
Oxfordshire, and the rich vale divided 
between the two counties of Oxford and 
Berks by the bold course of the Thames, 
present the traveller with a display emi- 
nent for the variety and beauty of its 
points: and this scene of enchanting 
simplicity gathers additional charms from 
the artificial contrast afforded by the 
massive ruins of the great mitred abhey 
of Reading, which lie spread in sullen 
magnificence along the back-ground. 
Toward this splendid wreck the tra- 
veller unavoidably turns with curiosity. 
The building was founded by Henry I. in 
the year 1121, and is said to have been 
completed in 1124. The monks were 
originally in number two hundred, and 
were of the Benedictine order. Some 
idea of the splendour in which the abbot 
was accustomed to reside, may be 
formed from the following circumstance: 
In the year 1305, the monastery was con= 
siderably in debt, and divers retrench- 
ments were found to be absolutely ne- 
cessary; in obedience to this convic- 
tion, the abbot lessened the number of 
his servants, and thenceforward retained 
only. thirty-seven. 
Several parliaments were held in the 
great hall of Reading abbey ; and many 
bishops were consecrated in the abbey 
church. It was here likewise that Ehi- 
zabeth, queen of Edward IV., was first 
presented to the people as the consort 
of their sovereign, This ceremony took 
place at Michaelmas, 1464. The queen 
was led through the church by the duke 
of Clarence, and the earl of Warwick. 
The chief nobility were among the spec. 
tators; and the Forbury resounded with 
the acclamations of the men of Berkshire, 
On inspection, it will clearly appear 
that the walls of this ancient building 
were chiefly composed by laying course 
after course of the coating stone; the in= 
terstices being filled with mortar, mixed 
with small flints. In some instances, 
no layers of coating stone appear to have 
been employed ; and then it is supposed, 
‘boards were used to confine the liquid 
wall, till it acquired the consistency 
necessary for self-dependence. Some 
delicate specimens of Saxon taste have 
been discovered on various solid bodies 
of bard lime-stone, which formerly con- 
stituted 
