means uniformly. On its way it passes by Rugby, Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon, Evesham, and Pershore, before it arrives at Tewkesbury.

Although the Avon is one of the most famous of our rivers, it is by no means one of the most beautiful. Its interest arises mainly from its associations, but in them it is alone among English rivers -perhaps among the rivers of the world. Some there are wise men too in their generations-who look with contempt upon such associations, and would almost deem themselves degraded were they to permit their feelings to be excited by visiting the birth-places or the graves of the mighty, or the spots that have been sanctified by noble deeds. May such apathy never be ours! Rather let us

cherish every feeling that leads the mind to venerate the intellectually or morally beautiful or great, as among the worthiest in the human breast; and cast aside none of the aids to a closer union with them. There is a real tangible advantage, too, in such associations. To stand thus where one, who has done so nobly, was born, dwelt, or acted, seems to bring us into closer contact with him. A livelier and vivider conception of the man seems to arise; and we not only come near, but hold converse—a closer converse than in his pages, though perhaps an humbler with the master mind; because we, in a manner, approach his human nature, his homely state. It is not a shadow or a name only, but a real human being, we now see. It is the next thing to knowing the living man; and what freshness and life are imparted to the page by being conversant with its author, all know who have had experience of it. And who has not experienced

this in some degree? Who has not, in looking on the portrait of his favourite author, felt that he knows him better? Who, that has read Shakspere, does not long for his true portraiture? And in treading in his footsteps a similar feeling is aroused, but deeper and more impressive. We cannot afford to part with these feelings. We do well to cherish them as among the most precious of the intellectual gifts. Feelings not sterile, but yielding richest fruit.

Of such associations abundant will be the harvest we may gather beside our stream; and though, it may be, we shall speak of them unworthily-and to speak worthily of them were a task for the wisest yet as well as it is given us to speak we will. What scenes and men are before us! Naseby, Evesham, Tewkesbury, Stratford: Wiclif, Shakspere, Butler. Places among the most celebrated in our history, and each, in the events connected with it, productive of large results. Men each among the notablest of his age and countryeach embodying and giving expression to its thought -one the notablest of any age, and destined to shape the thoughts of men through many ages.

While, then, the associations connected with the Avon must be most prominent, we shall find enough of loveliness, and even of grandeur in its scenery, to afford abundant and substantial pleasure. Let us, therefore, without more delay prepare to follow his guidance as

"By many winding nooks he strays
With willing sport,"

not "to the wild ocean," but to his "Sabrina fair.”

Our river, watering spots so dear to every Englishman-to all men-has its birth-place in one that no Englishman can visit without deep emotion -Naseby. That portion of our history is, unhappily, so entangled with the threads of party spirit, that it is scarcely possible to touch any circumstance connected with it without disturbing some; but whatever opinion may be formed as to the superior merit of either of the parties engaged in that fierce struggle, or even though the mind may not go entirely with either, scarcely any can have considered it without having arrived at the conclusion that the battle of Naseby was productive of greater results to this country than any other since the battle of Hastings. "Immediately," as Clarendon said, truly enough, "there was lost the king and the kingdom in it;" while the ulterior effect has been to colour, if not to change, the whole aftercourse of our history, and to set a-going a series of events, of which the end is not yet perhaps near. The source of the Avon is some little distance from Naseby field: we shall look at the village first, and then examine the site of the battle as we proIceed onwards.

Naseby itself is as rude and out-of-the-way a place as you are likely to meet with in the midland counties: a village of mud huts, away from any main road, and some five or six miles from any town. You may best reach it from the Crick station of the Birmingham Railway, by a pleasant road of eight or nine miles' length. The pedestrian may follow some bye-roads, leaving West Haddon on his right, and thence by Thornley and Cold-Ashby, where he will cross the Holyhead

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road, and a lane will lead him directly to the village; the truncated spire of Naseby church serving as a landmark from Cold-Ashby. If he wishes to explore the battle-field at his leisure, Naseby will serve as a resting-place, there being two little inns in it, at either of which he may take up his quarters for the night. About fifty years ago a History of Naseby' was published by its vicar, the Rev. John Mastin, a tolerably full and careful account of the place. The good author has a little quiet enthusiasm in him, and relates all he knew, or could collect about his parish, with a direct and undoubting earnestness, that makes his book more pleasant reading than such books generally are. He liked the place and the people, and the people liked him. He does not fail to point out their faults, but it is in a gentle manner, such as we may suppose Dr. Primrose would have used in descanting on his parishioners. It is pleasing to find his memory cherished still among them. Except the battle, there is nothing of importance to record, however, in the history of the parish. Placed on some of the highest table-ground in the island, it affords, from many parts, very extensive, if not very remarkable views. Its church is ancient, but not important as an architectural object. The spire has a somewhat singular appearance, terminating abruptly, as if the apex had been at some time knocked off; but it is believed that it was left so originally, from a fear that the tower was not strong enough to allow of its being carried any higher. It is surmounted by a large copper ball, that was originally brought from Boulogne by Sir Gyles Allerton, when that place was taken by the

English in the reign of Henry VIII. So elevated is the ground here, that from the spire Boston deeps, in Lincolnshire, sixty miles distant, may, according to Mr. Mastin, be seen on a clear day. In the late Ordnance Survey, reflectors were placed on the spire, and it formed a rather important point in their investigations. The churchyard is, like most in these parts, raised above the street, and open. There is a gate at one end, but towards the street it is quite unprotected.

Naseby was once a market-town, and the marketcross still stands near the church; but it is now a poor place, consisting of a few clay huts, which look just like those which Rushworth figured at the foot of his plan of the fight two centuries ago. The houses are scattered very irregularly about the village; the cottages are thatched, but not with the neat-looking thatch you see on a Hampshire or Berkshire cottage. The walls of almost all the houses are clay, and are composed in a manner of which the description is worth quoting. "The houses are principally built with a kind of Kealy earth, dug near the village:" this is mixed with straw, and the walls thus formed are very lasting. "There are walls in some of the houses said to be two hundred years old built of this earth; and were they drawn over with lime-mortar, and marked or lined to appear as stone-work, their appearance would be respectable :" as it is, the vicar thinks they are by no means respectable;

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for, instead of this, the new coat which they have once a year consists of cow-dung, spread upon them to dry for firing." This coat, one of the villagers told me, when scraped off against the winter, used