DowntheValley
威廉·科贝特/WilliaCobbett
IcaoffthisontheMarlbhroadaboutoiles，orthree，andthenturnedoff，overthedowns，anorthwesterlydire，searchofthesourceoftheAvonriver，whichgoesdowntoSalisbury.Ihadoncebeenatheravon，avilgethisvalley，butIhadoftenheardthisvalleydescribedasoneofthef？estpiecesofndallEngnd；Ikhattherewereaboutthirtyparishchurches，standgalengthofaboutthirtyiles，andanaveragewidthofhardlyaile；andIwasresolvedtoseealittletothereasonsthatuldhaveducedourfatherstobuildallthesechurches，especiallyif，astheStchwouldhavebelieve，therewerebutarehandfulofpeopleEngnduntilofteyears.
Insteergacrossthedown，Iheshadbeenbuiltfornothgbythesideofabrook(foritisnooredurgthegreaterpartoftheway)thirtyileslong.TheshepherdshowedthewaytowardsMilton；andattheendofaboutaile，frotheofaveryhighpartofthedown，withasteepslopetowardsthevalley，If？irstsawthisValleyofAvon；andaostbeautifulsightitwas！Vilges，halets，rgefars，towers，steeples，f？ields，adows，orchards，andveryf？etibertrees，scatteredalloverthevalley.Theshapeofthethgisthis：oneachsidedowns，veryloftyandsteepsopces，andslopgilesbackotherpces；buteachoutsideofthevalleyaredowns.Frotheedgeofthedownsbegcapitalarablef？ieldsgenerallyofverygreatdsions，and，sopces，runngaileorobacktolittlecrossvalleys，fordbyhillsofdowns.Afterthernf？ieldseadowsoneachside，downtothebrookorriver.Thefarhoes，ansions，vilges，andhaletsaregenerallysituatedthatpartofthearablendwhichesheadows.
Greatasyexpectationshadbeen，theywereorethanfulf？illed.Idelightthissortofuntry；andIhadfrequentlyseenthevaleoftheIt，thatoftheBourn，andalsothatoftheTesteHapshire；IhadseenthevalesaongsttheSouthDowns；butIneverbeforesawanythgtopleaselikethisvalleyoftheAvon.IsatuponyhorseandlookedoverMiltonaonandPewseyforhalfanhour，thoughIhadnotbreakfasted.Thehillwasverysteep.Aroad，gogsntgdownit，wasstillsosteep，andwashedsoverydeepbytherasofages，thatIdidnotattepttoridedownit，andIdidnotliketoleadyhorse，thepathwassonarrow.Soseegaboywithadroveofpigsgogouttothestubbles，Ibeedhitoeupto；andhedledyhorsedownfor.Butnow，beforeIbegtoridedownthisbeautifulvale，letgive，aswellasyanswillenable，apnorapofit，whichIhaveadethisway.AfriendhaslentaveryoldanofWiltshiredescribgthespotswhereallthechurchesstand，andalsoallthespotswhereanor-hoesoransioood.Iidapieceofverythpaperupontheap，andthtracedtheriveruponypaper，puttgf？iguretorepresentthespotswherechurchesstand，andputtgstarstoreprentthespotswhereanor-hoesoransion-hoesforrlystood.Endlessisthevarietytheshapeofthehighndswhichfrothisvalley.Sotistheslopeisverygentle，andthearablendsgobackveryfar.Atothers，thedowtothevalleyalostlikepierstothesea，begverysteeptheirsides；aswellastheirends：deedtheyhavenobads，butruntotheahighnd.Thereisalsogreatvarietythewidthofthevalley；greatvarietythewidthoftheadows；butthendappearsalltobeoftheverybest；andittbeso，forthefarrsnfessit.
Itseedtothatoneway，andthatnot，perhaps，theleaststrikg，ofexposgthefolly，thestupidity，theanity，thepresuption，thesufferableeptessandsolendbarbarity，ofthosenurowretcheswhohavenowtheaudacitytoproposetotransportthepeopleofEngnd，upontheprcipleoftheonsterMalth，whohasfurheunfeelgoligarchsandtheirtoad-eaterswiththepretehatanhasanaturalpropensitytobreedfasterthanfoodberaisedforthecrease；itseedtothatonewayofexposgthisixtureofadnessandofbspheywastotakealook，nowthattheharvestis，attheproduce，theouths，thendition，andthegesthathavetakenpce，aspotlikethis，whichGodhasfavouredwitheverygoodthathehashadtobestowuponan.