DowntheValley
威廉·科貝特/WilliamCobbett
IcameoffthismorningontheMarlboroughroadabouttwomiles,orthree,andthenturnedoff,overthedowns,inanorthwesterlydirection,insearchofthesourceoftheAvonriver,whichgoesdowntoSalisbury.IhadoncebeenatNetheravon,avillageinthisvalley,butIhadoftenheardthisvalleydescribedasoneofthef?inestpiecesoflandinallEngland;Iknewthattherewereaboutthirtyparishchurches,standinginalengthofaboutthirtymiles,andinanaveragewidthofhardlyamile;andIwasresolvedtoseealittleintothereasonsthatcouldhaveinducedourfatherstobuildallthesechurches,especiallyif,astheScotchwouldhaveusbelieve,therewerebutamerehandfulofpeopleinEnglanduntiloflateyears.
Insteeringacrossthedown,Icametoalargefarm,whichashepherdtoldmewasMiltonHillFarm.Thiswasuponthehighland,andbeforeIcametotheedgeofthisValleyofAvon,whichwasmylandofpromise,oratleast,ofgreatexpectation;forIcouldnotimaginethatthirtychurcheshadbeenbuiltfornothingbythesideofabrook(foritisnomoreduringthegreaterpartoftheway)thirtymileslong.TheshepherdshowedmethewaytowardsMilton;andattheendofaboutamile,fromthetopofaveryhighpartofthedown,withasteepslopetowardsthevalley,If?irstsawthisValleyofAvon;andamostbeautifulsightitwas!Villages,hamlets,largefarms,towers,steeples,f?ields,meadows,orchards,andveryf?inetimbertrees,scatteredalloverthevalley.Theshapeofthethingisthis:oneachsidedowns,veryloftyandsteepinsomeplaces,andslopingmilesbackinotherplaces;buteachoutsideofthevalleyaredowns.Fromtheedgeofthedownsbegincapitalarablef?ieldsgenerallyofverygreatdimensions,and,insomeplaces,runningamileortwobackintolittlecrossvalleys,formedbyhillsofdowns.Afterthecornf?ieldscomemeadowsoneachside,downtothebrookorriver.Thefarmhouses,mansions,villages,andhamletsaregenerallysituatedinthatpartofthearablelandwhichcomesnearestthemeadows.
Greatasmyexpectationshadbeen,theyweremorethanfulf?illed.Idelightinthissortofcountry;andIhadfrequentlyseenthevaleoftheItchen,thatoftheBourn,andalsothatoftheTesteinHampshire;IhadseenthevalesamongsttheSouthDowns;butIneverbeforesawanythingtopleasemelikethisvalleyoftheAvon.IsatuponmyhorseandlookedoverMiltonandEastonandPewseyforhalfanhour,thoughIhadnotbreakfasted.Thehillwasverysteep.Aroad,goingslantingdownit,wasstillsosteep,andwashedsoverydeepbytherainsofages,thatIdidnotattempttoridedownit,andIdidnotliketoleadmyhorse,thepathwassonarrow.Soseeingaboywithadroveofpigsgoingouttothestubbles,Ibeckonedhimtocomeuptome;andhecameandledmyhorsedownforme.Butnow,beforeIbegintoridedownthisbeautifulvale,letmegive,aswellasmymeanswillenableme,aplanormapofit,whichIhavemadeinthisway.AfriendhaslentmeaveryoldmanofWiltshiredescribingthespotswhereallthechurchesstand,andalsoallthespotswheremanor-housesormansion-housesstood.Ilaidapieceofverythinpaperuponthemap,andthustracedtheriveruponmypaper,puttingf?iguretorepresentthespotswherechurchesstand,andputtingstarstoreprentthespotswheremanor-housesormansion-housesformerlystood.Endlessisthevarietyintheshapeofthehighlandswhichfromthisvalley.Sometimestheslopeisverygentle,andthearablelandsgobackveryfar.Atothers,thedownscomeoutintothevalleyalmostlikepiersintothesea,beingverysteepintheirsides;aswellastheirends:indeedtheyhavenobackends,butrunintothemainhighland.Thereisalsogreatvarietyinthewidthofthevalley;greatvarietyinthewidthofthemeadows;butthelandappearsalltobeoftheverybest;anditmustbeso,forthefarmersconfessit.
Itseemedtomethatoneway,andthatnot,perhaps,theleaststriking,ofexposingthefolly,thestupidity,theinanity,thepresumption,theinsufferableemptinessandinsolenceandbarbarity,ofthosenumerouswretcheswhohavenowtheaudacitytoproposetotransportthepeopleofEngland,upontheprincipleofthemonsterMalthus,whohasfurnishedtheunfeelingoligarchsandtheirtoad-eaterswiththepretencethatmanhasanaturalpropensitytobreedfasterthanfoodcanberaisedfortheincrease;itseemedtomethatonewayofexposingthismixtureofmadnessandofblasphemywastotakealook,nowthattheharvestisin,attheproduce,themouths,thecondition,andthechangesthathavetakenplace,inaspotlikethis,whichGodhasfavouredwitheverygoodthathehashadtobestowuponman.