one of
surprise, as he scrambled out of bed.

"'Yes, guv'ner.'

"'What was it like?'

"'I hardly know what it was like, guv'ner,' said
Phil, considering.

"'How did you know it was the country?'

"'On accounts of the grass, I think. And the swans
upon it,' says Phil, after further consideration.

"'What were the swans doing on the grass?'

"'They was a eating of it, I expect,' says
Phil. . . .

"'The country,' says Mr. George, applying his
knife and fork, 'why I suppose you never clapped
your eyes on the country, Phil?'

"'I see the marshes once,' says Phil, contentedly
eating his breakfast.

"'What marshes?'

"'_The_ marshes, commander,' returns Phil.

"'Where are they?'

"'I don't know where they are,' says Phil, 'but I
see 'em, guv'ner. They was flat. And miste.'"

Forster says:--"About the whole of this Cooling churchyard, indeed, and
the neighbouring castle ruins, there was a weird strangeness that made
it one of his [Dickens's] attractive walks in the late year or winter,
when from Higham he could get to it across country, over the stubble
fields; and, for a shorter summer walk, he was not less fond of going
round the village of Shorne, and sitting on a hot afternoon in its
pretty shady churchyard."

Altogether, the place has a dreary and lonesome appearance in the close
of the summer evening, and we can picture with wonderful vividness the
remarkable scenes described in _Great Expectations_, as the lurid purple
reflection from the setting sun spreads over the Thames valley, and
lights up the marshes; the tall pollards standing out like spectres
contribute to the weirdness and beauty of the scene.

Dickens was not the only admirer of the Marshes. Turner also visited
them, and painted some of his most famous pictures from observation
there, namely "Stangate Creek," "Shrimping Sands," and "Off Sheerness."

A few paces from the church brings us to Cooling Castle, built by Sir
John de Cobham, the third Baron Cobham, in the reign of Richard II.,
whose arms appear on the gatehouse, together with a very curious motto
in early English characters. We extract the following interesting
account of the tower from the _Archaeologia Cantiana_ (vol. xi.):--

[Illustration: Gateway Cooling Castle]