The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-08-17
CORRESPONDENCE.
Letter from England.
WINcHEsTER, ENGLAND. July

WlNCHESTER, ENGLAND. july 20.
MeSsrs Edstors,-Given "a harbor like
that of Southampton water for an ancient
enemy to make landing, and courageous
invaders like the Romans to establish a
foothold on the southwestern coast of
England, and it is no difficult matter to
conclude that an old Roman road must
soon have been opened up leading to the
interior, and
An Old Roman City
must have been built not far from the
coast That city is undoubtedly Win
chester, the most ancientin all this island
and on the top of Twyford down, behind
St. GATHERINGS, the vestiges discover
themselves of the great Roman thorough
fare from Porta Magma to Vinta Belga-
rum, or Winchester. AS near as possible
we follow this high road, through the
meadows that stretch away from the
Itchen, by Alresford, where the valley
broadens into an amphitheatre of consid-
cradle extent and beauty, and over the
downs of St. GATHERINGS to the cathedral
city. The ride carries us through some
of the most
Engaging Scenery
IL.
Here and there, delicate and tempting
wales open up their vistas of exquisite
green, provoking you to little pedes-
trianism on your own account, and filling
you with an almost insupportable longing
for long ramble. Singly or in pairs are
scattered cottages which bespeak love
of beauty, if not of luxury, unknown
amongst us. If it be indeed true that
wherever you see flower in cottage or
bird-cage at the cottage easement, you
may feel sure that the inmates are better
and wiser than their neighbors, then the
English peasantry are the best and wisest
in the world; for nothing impressed US
in this short journey so much as the cot
tages hidden away in vines and flowers,
like birds nests in the -boughs. All
the architectural baroness of the cottager's s
home is covered down by the craft of
nature. The jasmine here, there the rose
or creeper clustered over the lattice and
threshold, and oft running over and cloth
ing with green the whole bricken wall
give humble but emphatic tokens of at
tention to something beyond the mere
sterile labor of life. From peasant to
peer, in England, the love of flowers seems
to be deeply rooted, and, though the
Anglo-Saxon be never 30 rude by hered-
itation of nature, this love will inevitably
develop q higher taste, finer aesthetic
sense, through the whole mass of society.
Indeed, travelling anywhere in England,
there is the impression that the English
mans reverence for nature is very strong
and he reluctates in no wise to sacrifice
to it the instinct of utility. Much of this
fair isle could be put to more productive
uses than parks and preserves for gen.
tleman's enjoyment. The fields would
, grow more corn if the great spreading
oaks were cut down, and the purse of the
owner would be fuller, but nature would
be robbed of half its loveliness. So we
mediate as we roll on toward the village
of st. Cross. On the left bank of the river
is st. GATHERINGS Hill, the northern slope
Of which is covered by the boys of Win
chester College at play; hence its other
name, College Hill. Near the summit of
the hill there are traces of an ancient for
tlfication. On every side stretch the va
rlous ramifcations Of the river, here en-
ployed to irrigate exceedingly beautiful
and highly productive meadows, and i'm
mIediately under the hill, as if to add by
Its silvern sheen last touch of beauty
to the landscape, the river meanders, on
Which barges go floating away with the
current to the sea. The clarity of the
waters, and the rich, virile green of the
meadows, which extend upwards to Win
chester and downward as far as the eve
can reach, with the occasional trees and
htedgerows all in richest verdure, render
this one Of the sweetest spots that can be
imagined. On this hill, where I linger
eGntranced with the beauty of the scene,
cromwell stood and from its summit bat