1810.] 
village, This family we first recognise 
as landholders of Berkshire in the 13th 
century; but it is remarkable, that of 
the ancient gentry of this county, two 
families alone are remaining: the En- 
glefields, and the ‘A Bears,” Sir Harry 
Englefield, the elegant and literary re- 
presentative of the former of these houses, 
appears to be alienating binself from 
the county with studious indifference ; 
and the A Beurs, are now, as they have 
been for many generations, mere yeo- 
meu: an impressive lesson to. family 
pride, and a circumstance to which 
Faller emphatically adverts, by observ- 
ing, “that the lands of Berkshire are 
very skittish, and apt to cast their own- 
ers.” Still this continual interchange is, 
in many respects, far from unpleasing ; 
and such a fluctuation of local prepon- 
derance, may be conjectured favourable 
to the production of talent; since Berk- 
shire, [ believe, may reckon more men 
of genius ainong its men of fortune, in 
the course of the last three centuries, 
than any county in the island which is 
not more extensive. 
The castle of the De la Beches stood 
ina pleasing and romantic, but a pro. 
foundly retired, situation. Yet this lat- 
ter circumstance was possibly deemed an 
advantage during ages in which local in- 
fluence, and despotic superiority, were 
objects of pursuit with the affluent, ra- 
ther than social comfort, and that ge- 
nerous spirit of emulation which springs 
from the polished interchanges of a wide 
neighbourhood. ‘The castle, once so 
solid yet lofty, is now prostrate; nor 
would the precise site which it occupied, 
be known to the tenants of the preseut 
century, had not a part of the foundation 
been lately dug up, on the present pro- . 
prietor of the land wishing to make some 
additions to a farm-house on his estate. 
The recluse and unostentatious church 
of this humbled village, is an object. of 
superstitiuus reverence and wonder with 
the surrounding peasantry, on account of 
the interment of sundry giants within its 
holy walls. To these extraordinary per- 
sonages, the natives ascribe surprising 
strenyth of body, and intrepidity of tem- 
per; and they characterise them accord- 
ingly by different emblematical appel- 
lations; but those persons who are pos- 
sessed of less historical ingenuity, and 
are consequently less fond of the mar- 
vellous, believe these tombs to have been 
erected for different members of the 
potent family of De la Beche, who, al- 
though somewhat gigantic in regard to 
influence and authority, were probably 
# 
Walks in Berkshire.—Black Plague. 
527 
not mach taller than their neighbours. 
There are eight of these monuments re-= 
maining in the church, and though mach 
mutilated, they are still interesting and 
remarkable. 
Several are placed under arches 
richly ornamented with trefoils, roses, 
pinnacles, and other modes of carving 
prevalent in:the reign of Edward LIf.; 
and one presents the efiigies of a female, 
clad in a long flowing robe, her left haad 
reposing on her breast. Some rude vios 
lator of the privileges of the dead has 
committed a petty larceny on this sculp- 
tured semblance of one of the ladies De’ 
la Beche; and has stolen, without re- 
buke, though to his marked discredit, 
the chiselled copy of that right hand 
which was once so dearly prized, and 
which perhaps was not bestowed, even 
on the elevated and the worthy, without 
much reflection, and many an appre- 
hensive sigh. 
Up the steep acclivity of the Ickleton 
Way, queen Elizabeth once-travelled, ia 
‘“‘ tedious march and long array,” for the | 
purpose of visiting Aldworth, At that 
period, a pedigree of the De Ja Beche 
family, fairly written on parchment, was 
fixed, inall the pomp of baronial he- 
raldry, on the east end of the principal 
aisle of the church. But it is recorded, 
that: the earl of Leicester tonk down 
this scroll, for the inspection of her ma- 
jesty, and it was never replaced. 
On quitting the melancholy but ins, 
teresting neighbourhood of Aldwerth, 
I entered on the downs to the left of 
the village, and crossed the modern high 
road to Bath, at a small distance from 
Thatcham. It was here, according ta 
the conjecture of the bishop of Cloyne, 
that the ancient Roman road from 
Spine to London, met.that from Streatly 
to Silchester; thus compressing, Into one 
great confluence of traffic, the chief 
thoroughfares then existing in this part 
of the country. The knowledge of this 
conjecture, roused the feelings and_ sti- 
mulated expectation, Claudius, Ves- 
pasian, Constantius, and Antoninus, 
passed in august review before the 
fancy; and I involuntarily hastened those 
steps which led me towards the frags 
mentary memorials of Silchester. 
(To be continued.) 
aaa 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
accounT of the BLACK PLAGUE, fron 
the yEans 1346 to 1348, inclusive. 
LOUDS of black vapours, passing, 
_/ during a space of three years, over 
an 
