I had long ago determined to leave London as soon as the means should be in my power, and, now that they were, I determined to leave the Great City; yet I felt some reluctance to go. I would fain have pursued the career of original authorship which had just opened itself to me, and have written other tales of adventure. The bookseller had given me encouragement enough to do so; he had assured me that he should be always happy to deal with me for an article (that was the word) similar to the one I had brought him, provided my terms were moderate; and the bookseller's wife, by her complimentary language, had given me yet more encouragement. But for some months past I had been far from well, and my original indisposition, brought on partly by the peculiar atmosphere of the Big City, partly by anxiety of mind, had been much increased by the exertions which I had been compelled to make during the last few days. I felt that, were I to remain where I was, I should die, or become a confirmed [Pg 117]valetudinarian. I would go forth into the country, travelling on foot, and, by exercise and inhaling pure air, endeavour to recover my health, leaving my subsequent movements to be determined by Providence.  
But whither should I bend my course? Once or twice I thought of walking home to the old town, stay some time with my mother and my brother, and enjoy the pleasant walks in the neighbourhood; but, though I wished very much to see my mother and my brother, and felt much disposed to enjoy the said pleasant walks, the old town was not exactly the place to which I wished to go at this present juncture. I was afraid the people would ask, Where are your Northern Ballads? Where are your alliterative translations from Ab Gwilym—of which you were always talking, and with which you promised to astonish the world? Now, in the event of such interrogations, what could I answer? It is true I had compiled Newgate Lives and Trials, and had written the life of Joseph Sell, but I was afraid that the people of the old town would scarcely consider these as equivalents for the Northern Ballads and the songs of Ab Gwilym. I would go forth and wander in any direction but that of the old town.
 
But how one's sensibility on any particular[Pg 118] point diminishes with time; at present, I enter the old town perfectly indifferent as to what the people may be thinking on the subject of the songs and ballads. With respect to the people themselves, whether, like my sensibility, their curiosity has altogether evaporated, or whether, which is at least equally probable, they never entertained any, one thing is certain, that never in a single instance have they troubled me with any remarks on the subject of the songs and ballads.
 
As it was my intention to travel on foot, with a bundle and a stick, I despatched my trunk containing some few clothes and books to the old town. My preparations were soon made; in about three days I was in readiness to start.
 
STONEHENGE
 
After standing still a minute or two, considering what I should do, I moved down what appeared to be the street of a small straggling town; presently I passed by a church, which rose indistinctly on my right hand; anon there was the rustling of foliage and the rushing of waters. I reached a bridge, beneath which a small stream was running in the direction of the south. I stopped and leaned over the parapet, for I have always loved to look upon[Pg 119] streams, especially at the still hours. "What stream is this, I wonder?" said I, as I looked down from the parapet into the water, which whirled and gurgled below.
 
Leaving the bridge, I ascended a gentle acclivity, and presently reached what appeared to be a tract of moory undulating ground. It was now tolerably light, but there was a mist or haze abroad which prevented my seeing objects with much precision. I felt chill in the damp air of the early morn, and walked rapidly forward. In about half an hour I arrived where the road divided into two, at an angle or tongue of dark green sward. "To the right or the left?" said I, and forthwith took, without knowing why, the left-hand road, along which I proceeded about a hundred yards, when, in the midst of the tongue of sward formed by the two roads, collaterally with myself, I perceived what I at first conceived to be a small grove of blighted trunks of oaks, barked and grey. I stood still for a moment, and then, turning off the road, advanced slowly towards it over the sward; as I drew nearer, I perceived that the objects which had attracted my curiosity, and which formed a kind of circle, were not trees, but immense upright stones. A thrill pervaded my system; just before me were two, the mightiest of the whole, tall as the stems of proud oaks, supporting on their[Pg 120] tops a huge transverse stone, and forming a wonderful doorway. I knew now where I was, and, laying down my stick and bundle, and taking off my hat, I advanced slowly, and cast myself—it was folly, perhaps, but I could not help what I did—cast myself, with my face on the dewy earth, in the middle of the portal of giants, beneath the transverse stone.
 
The spirit of Stonehenge was strong upon me!
 
And after I had remained with my face on the ground for some time, I arose, placed my hat on my head, and, taking up my stick and bundle, wandered around the wondrous circle, examining each individual stone, from the greatest to the least; and then, entering by the great door, seated myself upon an immense broad stone, one side of which was supported by several small ones, and the other slanted upon the earth; and there in deep meditation, I sat for an hour or two, till the sun shone in my face above the tall stones of the eastern side.
 
And as I still sat there, I heard the noise of bells, and presently a large number of sheep came browsing past the circle of stones; two or three entered, and grazed upon what they could find, and soon a man also entered the circle at the northern side.
 
"Early here, sir," said the man, who was[Pg 121] tall, and dressed in a dark green slop, and had all the appearance of a shepherd; "a traveller, I suppose?"
 
"Yes," said I, "I am a traveller; are these sheep yours?"
 
"They are, sir; that is, they are my master's. A strange place this, sir," said he, looking at the stones; "ever here before?"
 
"Never in body, frequently in mind."
 
"Heard of the stones, I suppose; no wonder—all the people of the plain talk of them."
 
"What do the people of the plain say of them?"
 
"Why, they say—How did they ever come here?"
 
"Do they not suppose them to have been brought?"
 
"Who should have brought them?"
 
"I have read that they were brought by many thousand men."
 
"Where from?"
 
"Ireland."
 
"How did they bring them?"
 
"I don't know."
 
"And what did they bring them for?"
 
"To form a temple, perhaps."
 
"What is that?"
 
"A place to worship God in."
 
"A strange place to worship God in."
 
"Why?"
 
[Pg 122]
 
"It has no roof."
 
"Yes, it has."
 
"Where?" said the man, looking up.
 
"What do you see above you?"
 
"The sky."
 
"Well?"
 
"Well!"
 
"Have you anything to say?"
 
"How did those stones come here?"
 
"Are there other stones like these on the plains?" said I.
 
"None; and yet there are plenty of strange things on these downs."
 
"What are they?"
 
"Strange heaps, and barrows, and great walls of earth built on the top of hills."
 
"Do the people of the plain wonder how they came there?"
 
"They do not."
 
"Why?"
 
"They were raised by hands."
 
"And these stones?"
 
"How did they ever come here?"
 
"I wonder whether they are here?" said I.
 
"These stones?"
 
"Yes."
 
"So sure as the world," said the man; "and as the world, they will stand as long."
 
"I wonder whether there is a world."
 
"What do you mean?"
 
[Pg 123]
 
"An earth and sea, moon and stars, sheep and men."
 
"Do you doubt it?"
 
"Sometimes."
 
"I never heard it doubted before."
&n............