but are negligently kept, when with a small charge they might be purged and rendered infinitely agreeable, and [this] made one of the sweetest towns, but now the common buildings are despicable, and the streets dirty.

22nd July. We departed and dined at a farm of my Uncle Hungerford's, called Darnford Magna, situated in a valley under the plain, most sweetly watered, abounding in trouts catched by spear in the night, when they come attracted by a light set in the stern of a boat.

After dinner, continuing our return, we passed over the goodly plain, or rather sea of carpet, which I think for evenness, extent, verdure, and innumerable flocks, to be one of the most delightful prospects in nature, and reminded me of the pleasant lives of shepherds we read of in

romances.

To

Now we were arrived at Stonehenge, indeed a stupendous monument, appearing at a distance like a castle; how so many and huge pillars of stone should have been brought together, some erect, others transverse on the tops of them, in a circular area as rudely representing a cloister or heathen and more natural temple, is wonderful. The stone is so exceeding hard, that all my strength with a hammer could not break a fragment; which hardness I impute to their so long exposure. number them exactly is very difficult, they lie in such variety of postures and confusion, though they seemed not to exceed 100; we counted only 95. As to their being brought thither, there being no navigable river near, is by some admired; but for the stone, there seems to be the same kind about 20 miles distant, some of which appear above ground. About the same hills, are divers mounts raised, conceived to be ancient entrenchments, or places of burial, after bloody fights. We

now went by the Devizes, a reasonable large town, and came late to Cadenham.

27th July. To the hunting of a sorel deer,1 and had excellent chase for four or five hours, but the venison little worth.

2

29th. I went to Langford, to see my cousin Stephens. I also saw Dryfield, the house heretofore of Sir John Pretyman, grandfather to my wife, and sold by her uncle; both the seat and house very honourable and well-built, much after the modern fashion.

31st. Taking leave of Cadenham, where we had been long and nobly entertained, we went a compass into Leicestershire, where dwelt another relation of my wife's; for I indeed made these excursions to show her the most considerable parts of her native country, who, from her childhood, had lived altogether in France, as well as for my own curiosity and information.

About two miles before coming to Gloucester, we have a prospect from woody hills into a most goodly vale and country. Gloucester is a handsome city, considerable for the church and monuments. The minster is indeed a noble fabric. The whispering gallery is rare, being through a passage of twenty-five yards, in a many-angled cloister, and was, I suppose, either to show the skill of the architect, or some invention of a cunning priest, who, standing unseen in a recess in the middle of the chapel, might hear whatever was spoken at either end. This is above the choir, in which lies buried King Stephen under a monument of Irish oak, not ill carved considering the age. The new library is a noble though a private design. I was

1 [I.e. a buck of the fourth year.] 2 See ante, p. 66.]

8 [See ante, p. 80.] 4 King Stephen was buried at Faversham. The effigy Evelyn alludes to is that of Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy.

likewise pleased with the Severn gliding so sweetly by it. The Duke's house, the castle works, are now almost quite dismantled; nor yet without sad thoughts did I see the town, considering how fatal the siege had been a few years before to our good King.

1st August. We set out towards Worcester, by a way thick planted with cider-fruit. We deviated to the Holy Wells, trickling out of a valley through a steep declivity towards the foot of the great Malvern Hills; they are said to heal many infirmities, as king's evil, leprosy, sore eyes, etc. Ascending a great height above them to the trench dividing England from South Wales, we had the prospect of all Herefordshire, Radnor, Brecknock, Monmouth, Worcester, Gloucester, Shropshire, Warwick, Derby shires, and many more. We could discern Tewkesbury, King's-road, towards Bristol, etc.; so as I esteem it one of the goodliest vistas in England.

2nd. This evening we arrived at Worcester, the Judges of Assize and Sheriff just entering as we did. Viewing the town the next day, we found the Cathedral much ruined by the late wars, otherwise a noble structure. The town is neatly paved and very clean, the goodly river Severn running by it, and standing in a most fertile country.

3rd. We passed next through Warwick, and saw the castle, the dwelling-house of the Lord Brooke,1 and the furniture noble. It is built on an eminent rock which gives prospect into a most goodly green, a woody and plentifully watered country; the river running so delightfully under it, that it may pass for one of the most surprising seats one should meet with. The gardens are prettily disposed; but might be much improved.

1 [Francis Greville, third Baron Brooke.]

Here they show us Sir Guy's great two-handed sword, staff, horse-arms, pot, and other relics1 of that famous knight-errant. Warwick is a fair old town, and hath one church full of ancient monuments.

2

Having viewed these, I went to visit my worthy friend, Sir H. Puckering, at the Abbey, and though a melancholy old seat, yet in a rich soil.

Hence, to Sir Guy's grot, where they say he did his penances, and died."8 It is a squalid den made in the rock, crowned yet with venerable oaks and looking on a goodly stream, so as, were it improved as it might be, it were capable of being made a most romantic and pleasant place. Near this, we were showed his chapel and gigantic statue hewn out of the solid rock, out of which there are likewise divers other caves cut, and some very capacious.

The next place to Coventry. The Cross is remarkable for Gothic work and rich gilding, comparable to any I had ever seen, except that of Cheapside in London, now demolished. This city has many handsome churches, a beautiful wall, a fair free-school and library to it; the streets full of great shops, clean and well-paved. At going forth the gate, they show us the bone, or rib, of a wild boar, said to have been killed by Sir Guy, but which I take to be the chine of a whale.

4th August. Hence, riding through a considerable part of Leicestershire, an open, rich, but

1 [Among which Celia Fiennes enumerates "his wives jron slippers" and "the Rib of y Dun-Cow as bigg as halfe a great Cart Wheele" (Diary (1689-94), 1888, p. 95).]

2 [See ante, p. 56.]

32 Miles from the town is his Cave dugg out by his own hands just y dimention of his body as the Common people say" (Diary of Celia Fiennes (1689-94), 1888, p. 95).]

4 [May 2, 1643, Isaac Pennington, the regicide, being Mayor of London. Evelyn was an eye-witness (see ante, vol. i. p. 62).]

unpleasant country, we came late in the evening to Horninghold, a seat of my wife's uncle.1

7th August. Went to Uppingham, the shire-town of Rutland, pretty and well-built of stone, which is a rarity in that part of England, where most of the rural parishes are but of mud, and the people living as wretchedly as in the most impoverished parts of France, which they much resemble, being idle and sluttish. The country (especially Leicestershire) much in common; the gentry free drinkers.

2

9th. To the old and ragged city of Leicester, large and pleasantly seated, but despicably built, the chimney-flues like so many smiths' forges; however, famous for the tomb of the tyrant, Richard the Third, which is now converted to a cistern, at which (I think) cattle drink. Also, here in one of the churches lies buried the magnificent Cardinal Wolsey. John of Gaunt has here also built a large but poor Hospital, near which a wretch has made him a house out of the ruins of a stately church. Saw the ruins of an old Roman Temple, thought to be of Janus. Entertained at a very fine collection of fruits, such as I did not expect to meet with so far north, especially very good melons. We returned to my uncle's.

14th. I took a journey into the northern parts, riding through Oakham, a pretty town in Rutlandshire, famous for the tenure of the Barons (Ferrers), who hold it by taking off a shoe from every nobleman's horse that passes with his lord through the street, unless redeemed with a certain piece of

1 Doubtless Mr. Hungerford (ante, p. 73). Sir Edward Hungerford, K.B.-says Bray-presented to the vicarage of Horninghold [a village N.E. of Market Harborough] in 1676.

2 ["I saw a piece of his tombstone he Lay in"-says Celia Fiennes-"wch was Cut out in exact form for his body to Lye in; y remains to be seen at y Greyhound at Leaster but is partly broken" (Diary (1689-94), 1888, p. 134).]

3

[In Leicester Abbey.]