the days of my life

第69部分 (第1/7頁)

e。　It　was　to　the　effect　that　I　should　like　to　emulate　Arthur　Young；　who　more　than　a　century　before　had　travelled　through　and　written　of　the　state　of　agriculture　in　the　majority　of　the　English　counties。　Second　thoughts　showed　me　that　the　enterprise　was　very　vast。　It　had　taken　Arthur　Young　about　thirty　years；　if　I　remember　right；　not　to　plete　it　—　for　this　neither　he　nor　any　one　else　ever　did　—　but　to　deal　with　about　twenty…six　counties；　travelling　leisurely　on　horseback　and　for　the　most　part；　I　think；　as　an　official　of　what　in　those　days　answered　to　the　present　Board　of　Agriculture。

I　may　add　that　about　a　year　ago　I　paid　a　visit　to　Arthur　Young’s　home；　Bradfield　bust；　more　monly　called　Burnt　Bradfield；　near　Bury　St。　Edmunds；　which　was　then　for　sale。　The　house；　of　course；　is　rebuilt；　but　all　the　rest　—　park；　ancient　oaks；　and　little　lake　—　remain　much　as　they　were　in　his　day；　a　hundred　years　ago。

Readers　of　his　Life　will　remember　how　he　instructed　his　delicate　daughter　—　who　afterwards　died；　poor　child　—　to　walk　in　certain　places；　such　as　in　the　Round　Garden　or　on　the　flagged　path　where　it　was　dry　—　“the　little　garden　where　I　have　so　many　times　seen　her　happy。”

There　they　are　to　this　day；　and；　standing　among　them　alone；　I　could　almost　re…create　the　figure　of　pale　little　Bobbin　as　she　obeyed　the　orders　sent　from　France　in　her　father’s　letters。　There；　too；　is　the　great　avenue　of　limes　which　were；　I　believe；　planted　by　Mr。　Arthur　Young；　running　from　the　house　across　the　timbered　grounds　to　the　highway　by　the　church。　Here　in　the　churchyard　lie　the　mortal　remains　of　this　great　man；　for；　when　his　prescience　and　his　patient　industry　are　taken　into　account；　I　think　he　may　be　fairly　described　as　great。　In　the　church；　actually　underneath　his　pew；　is　buried