to Rye, and extending eastwards
into that greater flat, the Romney Marsh; and, farther on, Guestling.
Not hastily, however, must Guestling be passed by, for though the
village is commonplace enough to the eye, the name is charged with
ancient memories. Originally the "Guestling" was a sort of conference
between the Ports and distant fishing colonies such as Yarmouth; but
gradually it developed into a local Parliament held to settle disputes
among the folks of the rival fisher towns as to questions of rights and
privileges. It met in the church itself, and possessed a Speaker and
something of the paraphernalia of full judicial power. Here is what
the good old Jeake says about it in his ancient _History of the Cinque
Ports_: "By the same name of _Guestling_, is also a Court called, that
consisteth but of _part_ of the _Ports_ and _two Towns_, as suppose
Hastings, Winchelsea, and Rye, raised upon request of one of them;
where by consent, and as by brotherly invitation, they appear to agree
on something necessary to their respective Towns."

The old canal, like the Martello towers, roused the scorn of Cobbett:
"Here is a canal _to keep out the French_; for these armies who had so
often crossed the Rhine, and the Danube, were to be kept back by a
canal, made by Pitt, thirty feet wide at the most". But despite
Cobbett's words it was no mean feat of military engineering for those
days, as the following particulars, culled from Horsfield, the old
county historian, will show: "The Military Canal, which was cut, during
the late war with France, as a protection to the lowlands in the
eastern part of this county and the adjoining portion of the county of
Kent, by impeding the progress of an enemy, in the event of a landing
on this shore, commences at Cliffe End, in the parish of Pett, and
following the course of the rising ground, which skirts the extensive
flat forming Walland and Romney Marsh, crosses the Roman Road near
Hythe, and extends, in nearly a straight direction, along the coast to
its termination at Shorne Cliffe, in Kent; a distance of about
twenty-three miles. Its breadth is about twenty yards, and its depth
three; with a raised bank or redan on the northern side to shelter the
soldiery, and enable them to oppose the foe with greater advantage."
Now everything is changed; this monument of warlike stupidity has
become a haunt of peace. Thus has Time effected another of its little
travesties.

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