登陆注册
19858400000014

第14章 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE(8)

Wolmer-pond, so called, I suppose, for eminence sake, is a vast lake for this part of the world, containing, in its whole circumference, 2,646 yards, or very near a mile and a half. The length of the north-west and opposite side is about 704 yards, and the breadth of the south-west end about 456 yards. This measurement, which I caused to be made with good exactness, gives an area of about sixty-six acres, exclusive of a large irregular arm at the north-east corner, which we did not take into the reckoning.

On the face of this expanse of waters, and perfectly secure from fowlers, lie all day long, in the winter season, vast flocks of ducks, teals, and widgeons, of various denominations; where they preen and solace, and rest themselves, till towards sunset, when they issue forth in little parties (for in their natural state they are all birds of the night) to feed in the brooks and meadows; returning again with the dawn of the morning. Had this lake an arm or two more, and were it planted round with thick covert (for now it is perfectly naked), it might make a valuable decoy.

Yet neither its extent, nor the clearness of its water, nor the resort of various and curious fowls, nor its picturesque groups of cattle, can render this meer so remarkable as the great quantity of coins that were found in its bed about forty years ago. But, as such discoveries more properly belong to the antiquities of this place, Ishall suppress all particulars for the present, till I enter professedly on my series of letters respecting the more remote history of this village and district.

Letter IX

To Thomas Pennant, EsquireBy way of supplement, I shall trouble you once more on this subject, to inform you that Wolmer, with her sister forest Ayles Holt, alias Alice Holt,* as it is called in old records, is held by grant from the crown for a term of years.

(*In 'Rot. Inquisit. de statu forest. in Scaccar.,' 36, Ed. 3, it is called Aisholt. In the same, 'Tit. Woolmer and Aisholt Hantisc. Dominus Rex habet unam capellam in haia sua de Kingesle.' 'Haia, sepes, sepimentum, parcus: a Gall. haie and haye.'--Spelman's Glossary.)The grantees that the author remembers are Brigadier-General Emanuel Scroope Howe, and his lady, Ruperta, who was a natural daughter of Prince Rupert by Margaret Hughs; a Mr. Mordaunt, of the Peterborough family, who married a dowager Lady Pembroke;Henry Bilson Legge and lady; and now Lord Stawel, their son.

The lady of General Howe lived to an advanced age, long surviving her husband; and, at her death, left behind her many curious pieces of mechanism of her father's constructing, who was a distinguished mechanic and artist,** as well as warrior; and, among the rest, a very complicated clock, lately in possession of Mr. Elmer, the celebrated game-painter at Farnham, in the county of Surrey.

(** This prince was the inventor of mezzotinto.)Though these two forests are only parted by a narrow range of enclosures, yet no two soils can be more different: for the Holt consists of a strong loam, of a miry nature, carrying a good turf, and abounding with oaks that grow to be large timber; while Wolmer is nothing but a hungry, sandy, barren waste.

The former, being all in the parish of Binsted, is about two miles in extent from north to south, and near as much from east to west, and contains within it many woodlands and lawns, and the great lodge where the grantees reside; and a smaller lodge, called Goose-green;and is abutted on by the parishes of Kingsley, Frinsham, Farnham, and Bentley; all of which have right of common.

One thing is remarkable; that, though the Holt has been of old well-stocked with fallow-deer, unrestrained by any pales or fences more than a common hedge, yet they were never seen within the limits of Wolmer; nor were the red deer of Wolmer ever known to haunt the thickets or glades of the Holt.

At present the deer of the Holt are much thinned and reduced by the night-hunters, who perpetually harass them in spite of the efforts of numerous keepers, and the severe penalties that have been put in force against them as often as they have been detected, and rendered liable to the lash of the law. Neither fines nor imprisonment can deter them: so impossible is it to extinguish the spirit of sporting, which seems to be inherent in human nature.

General Howe turned out some German wild boars and sows in his forests, to the great terror of the neighbourhood; and, at one time, a wild bull or buffalo: but the country rose upon them and destroyed them.

A very large fall of timber, consisting of about one thousand oaks, has been cut this spring (viz., 1784) in the Holt forest; one-fifth of which, it is said, belongs to the grantee, Lord Stawel. He lays claim also to the lop and top: but the poor of the parishes of Binsted and Frinsham, Bentley and Kingsley, assert that it belongs to them; and, assembling in a riotous manner, have actually taken it all away.

One man, who keeps a team, has carried home, for his share, forty stacks of wood. Forty-five of these people his lordship has served with actions. These trees, which were very sound and in high perfection, were winter-cut, viz., in February and March, before the bark would run. In old times the Holt was estimated to be eighteen miles, computed measure, from water-carriage, viz., from the town of Chertsey, on the Thames; but now it is not half that distance, since the Wey is made navigable up to the town of Godalming in the county of Surrey.

Letter X

To Thomas Pennant, EsquireAugust 4, 1767.

It has been my misfortune never to have had any neighbours whose studies have led them towards the pursuit of natural knowledge; so that, for want of a companion to quicken my industry and sharpen my attention, I have made but slender progress in a kind of information to which I have been attached from my childhood.

同类推荐
  • 佛说法灭尽经

    佛说法灭尽经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 历朝释氏资鉴

    历朝释氏资鉴

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 圆宗文类

    圆宗文类

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 四库全书辑永乐大典本书目

    四库全书辑永乐大典本书目

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 医贯

    医贯

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 攻天

    攻天

    我等生来自由,何须仙佛管束。一盘棋局,赌的是仙佛的存亡。慕英名不慎误入赌局,来到八荒世界。拨云见日,消散漫天诸佛,还我自由之身。荡妖降群魔,千山尽拱扶。捣乱阴阳界,扑灭三生光。纵马九十洲,玄素伴我旁。百万雄师甲,蹄踏五帝纲。
  • 拖鞋公主

    拖鞋公主

    因为典型的汗脚,雨桥只能一年四季都拖踏着沙滩拖鞋。人生没有什么大的理想,只想有一份好工作,好好的谈一场恋爱,青春在指间不知不觉地飞逝,那美丽的爱情什么时候降临呢?--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 复仇时遇见爱情

    复仇时遇见爱情

    三个女孩因为复仇走上了白黑道,并成为世尊,在复仇的过程中,她们遇到了爱情,杀手是不能拥有爱情,她们会怎么做呢?圣灵是三大王子会选择放弃她们吗?
  • 成就一生的好人脉

    成就一生的好人脉

    在追求事业成功和幸福生活的过程中,人脉起着非常重要的作用。要想达到成功的目标,就要营造和不断积累自己的人脉关系。本书从人脉的重要性,如何赢得、维护、拓展人脉,如何远离人脉误区,以及善于利用人脉等几个方面进行了论述,并列举了大量的实例,从而为读者构建良好的人脉关系提供了帮助和指导。
  • 英雄联盟之顶峰荣耀

    英雄联盟之顶峰荣耀

    这是一个普通却不平凡的故事。这是一个如梦似幻却遥不可及的美梦。这是一个讲述少年背负和追逐梦想的篇章。你愿意怎样度过你的青春?碌碌无为?虚度光阴?还是让所有人叹为观止,瞠目结舌?一切,都在于你如何选择。当林效宇遇见与他一样偏执却拥有天赋的人之后,会发生什么?让我们拭目以待。
  • 妃尝不可

    妃尝不可

    她一直想嫁人,奈何红鸾星一直不亮。然而,一次穿越,她倒霉催得变成一个庶女,再被指婚给一个废材王爷。尽管如此,她觉得那是上天看在她诚心的份上,给她的男人,她着实不能太挑了。只是,王府里有三个张牙舞爪、异常厉害的侍妾,还有一个异常腹黑、阴险奸诈的孤女。那么她就遇神杀神,遇佛杀佛,阻挡她的人都得滚。王爷这朵三月小桃花,她可是摘定了。
  • 我的梦想是枪神

    我的梦想是枪神

    原本以为自己身在恶搞节目的蔡付清,意外得到一枚鸽子蛋那么大的钻戒,正当蔡付清陷入了发财梦的时候,却被证实戒指是假货。可就在这个时候,这枚钻戒却带给蔡付清一个大惊喜。。。。。。。。新书上传,放假每天能更多少就更多少,工作日不更,因为我还是在校学生,而且要住宿,逼不得已,才出此下策。放心吧,放假我会一天16个小时码字,平均一个半一更左右,一天下来多多少少也用个四,五更。我希望能得到大家更多的支持,谢谢
  • 外来智能

    外来智能

    遥远宇宙中,一个比地球科技先进五百多年的星球,因为没有解决好智能机器的控制程序,星球上有的智能机器,程序进化出了自己独立意识的推理程序,脱离了人们的控制,智能机器自己能够摄取能量,修复自己,对星球上的人们进行了残酷的攻击,试图霸占星球,在人机的对抗中,最终因为能量过多的爆发,星球遭受到了毁灭性的打击,星球上的超级智能机器,纷纷逃离能量急剧爆发的星球。进入深深的宇宙,其中一个智能机器人闯入了地球的大气层,丝毫没有让地球所有的高科技探测设备发觉,地球上的青年,柯雄意外的碰到了这个外来的超级智能,,,,,,
  • 不要睡我的床

    不要睡我的床

    为了赚外块,找了个酒店试睡员的兼职,不曾想因为接了个奇怪的试睡单子,从此后陷入一件件恐怖离奇的怪事当中。身上逐渐扩大的尸斑,纠缠不清的问歌人,装在坛子里的脑袋,穿纸衣的午夜出租车司机……为了活下去,我不得不出入一个个阴森恐怖的死亡地带。
  • 长恨歌2:陋颜无良妃

    长恨歌2:陋颜无良妃

    她,翰林皇朝最为丑陋的女人,丞相府内最卑微的下人,却无意间闯入皇宫,为揭开三年前那场大火的秘密,她步步为营,舍却强大的后盾孤身直入深宫。他,为谋天下舍下身段装傻扮痴,容一身铅华净洗卑微,每一次的争锋较量,却一再的迷失在了她的笑颜中。他,原本是有名无实的皇帝,却在她的出谋划策中渐渐独揽大权,一次次交心托付,换来的却是自己心的沉沦。他,是异国王侯,一次宴会惊于她的倾城容貌,一次谈判讶于她的睿智聪慧,她的心思慎密,她的胆大如天,她的一笑一颦,不知不觉已沉入他心。战火烽烟起,黑云压城城欲催,风起云涌,四国开战,只为争雄天下,她一身白衣,面纱下竟然是美的惊心动魄的笑颜,一把羽扇轻摇慢曳,款款而来,站定,抬头——笑着对拓跋煜辰说:“如果你要这天下,我助你,可请你放过他,没有我,他对你,构不成威胁。”拓跋煜辰凝神着她的雪瞳深处,心口痛如刀绞,原来自己在他眼里已成了陌生人,“你为了他来求我?”声音冰冷而残酷。“是。”斩钉截铁的回答。他笑的依旧妖艳,眼底是寒冰一片,斜睥她,带着前所未有的狂傲:“那你就把紫轩阁几十万大军交托与我,怎么样?”苏云雨仰头,灿笑,他究竟有没有爱过自己?或者接近自己根本就是一场阴谋,他要的,从头到尾都是权势。而她,却没有发现那个男人,那个骄傲的男人,坚忍的克制着自己的情绪,握着缰绳的手,若不可见的颤抖。是爱还是恨?是彼此的纠缠还是彻底的断裂?这一场掺杂硝烟的爱情是否会有美好的结果?-------------------非语切割------------------非语的新文【鬼手千:破财王妃】http://novel.hongxiu.com/a/345968/