tly considered one of the noblest and wisest of the English
sovereigns; and the thousandth anniversary of his birth was
celebrated in 1849, at Wantage, Berks.

[50] #Asser#: a contemporary of Alfred; he wrote his life.

[51] #Saxons#: a name given to certain German tribes who
conquered Britain, in the fifth century. The name England came
from the Angles, a people of the same stock, who settled in
the east and north of the island. From these Anglo-Saxons the
English have in great part descended.

[52] #Alma#: a river in the Crimea where a desperate battle
was fought between the Russians and the allied English and
French in 1854.

[53] #Chronicler#: Asser, from whom this is quoted.

Right down below the White Horse is a curious deep and broad gully
called "the Manger," into one side of which the hills fall with a
series of the most lovely sweeping curves, known as the "Giant's
Stairs"; they are not a bit like stairs, but I never saw anything like
them anywhere else, with their short green turf, and tender bluebells,
and gossamer and thistle-down gleaming in the sun, and the sheep-paths
running along their sides like ruled lines.

The other side of the Manger is formed by the Dragon's Hill, a curious
little round self-confident fellow, thrown forward from the range, and
utterly unlike everything round him. On this hill some deliverer of
mankind--St. George[54] the country folk used to tell me--killed a
dragon. Whether it were St. George, I cannot say; but surely a dragon
was killed there, for you may see the marks yet where his blood ran
down, and more by token[55] the place where it ran down is the easiest
way up the hill-side.

[54] #St. George#: the patron saint of England.

[55] #More by token#: as a sign or proof that this is so.

Passing along the Ridgeway to the west for about a mile, we come
to a little clump of young beech and firs, with a growth of thorn
and privet[56] underwood. Here you may find nests of the strong
down-partridge and pewit, but take care that the keeper[57] isn't down
upon you; and in the middle of it is an old cromlech,[58] a huge flat
stone raised on seven or eight others, and led up to by a path, with
large single stones set up on each side. This is Wayland Smith's
cave,[59] a place of classic fame now; but as Sir Walter[60] has
touched it, I may as well let it alone, and refer you to Kenilworth
for the legend.

[56] #P