England -- Description and travel; Wales -- Description and travel
crosses on it, and within the church, built into the south wall of
the chancel, is a curious stone chair. But I think perhaps Corhampton
church is of more interest to the archaeologist than to the average
tourist. I suppose there are still trout in the Meon as there were in
Izaak Walton's past days when he fished in that river, for as we left
I observed a woman on its banks patiently and deftly casting the fly,
though the water was so clear and the sun so bright she could hardly
hope for much sport. But anglers live greatly on hope. Good Izaak
Walton knew when to stop fishing, for of one day he writes: "We went
to a good honest ale-house, and there played shovel-board half the day
... and we were as merry as they that fished." He was no slave to his
hobby, and owned it. Again I must confess that fishing with me is more
an excuse to get out in the country with something to do than the mere
catching of fish; possibly to others its chief charm lies in this. But
it does not do to analyse one's pleasures.
After Corhampton the country grew more open for a time, and at one spot
on the top of a hill that rose across the river I caught sight of a
quaint-looking, remote village with a fine church possessing a noble
tower that dominates the landscape. I could not understand why so small
and out-of-the-way a village (it seemed but a hamlet) should possess so
fine a church. A sudden desire took me to explore it, so I turned down
the narrow lane that led to the spot and climbed the opposite hill. I
pulled up at the first cottage I came to; there were only a few, but
this attracted my attention, being creeper-covered and with a porch
all overgrown with fragrant honeysuckle just as a poet would have it.
Then I noticed its name painted over its garden gate; this struck me as
strange, for it was "Naboth's Vineyard." As I was standing close by,
its owner came forth and bade me good-day; I think curiosity brought
him out to learn what a stranger did there, in a motor-car too, where
I should imagine strangers or motor-cars very seldom or hardly ever
appear. We got chatting together about nothing in particular; then I
asked why he had given his pretty cottage so strange a name. I thought
there might be some story connected with it. "Can't you guess?" said
he, smiling; "it's because so many people envy me it and would like
to possess it. I thought it a very suitable name"--and he was simply
the village blacksmith who had conceived this conceit. "Would you
care to come into the garden and see what a fine view I've from it?"
So I went into the garden and duly admired the view looking south far
away down the valley, then bathed in the glow of the afternoon sun,
and the garden I noticed was a pleasant one, gay with the bright,
old-fashioned, hardy flowers so familiar to the Elizabethan poets,
flowers that Mrs. Allingham has pictured to us in many of her charming
drawings of cottage homes. How I love those hardy flowers, never hurt
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