East, or as it is sometimes denominated, Market Lavington, distant from London 89 miles, is situated2 about the middle, rather inclining to the western, part of the county of Wiltshire, on the north side of the extensive downs celebrated3 for the relics4 of a barbaric age, when human victims were supposed to appease5 the anger of the gods, of which a distant view is obtained on the road from Salisbury, near the Bustard Inn, so called from a bird once found on this plain. It graced the table of the new Mayor of Salisbury in former times on the day of his election to the civic6 office; but is now obsolete7. The hunting of this bird once constituted a chief amusement to the neighbouring gentry8. Lavington runs in a north-easterly direction, forming a portion of the celebrated Vale of Pewsey, reckoned the best and most fertile part of the county.
The etymology of this place like that of many others has probably suffered by local corruptions9, it is p. 2either of Saxon or Norman origin—a word compounded of two others, Lav or Lave and ton. The former might describe its position, the latter its quality or nature.
The names of places are frequently very descriptive of their situation, as Wilton, near Salisbury, or, as it known in ancient records, Willytown—the town on the Willy, a river running through it to Salisbury, where it unites with other streams, and flows into the English Channel at Christchurch. We propose to take this as our guide on the present occasion, and establish our hypothesis by several concurrent10 facts.
The term Lav or Lave may either mean watered—washed, left, or hidden; and the termination ton, which is a very general one, a town, as Easterton, Littleton, Maddington, and Shrewton.
Situated as Lavington is at the foot of the downs, which rise to a considerable altitude above it, with hills on the opposite side of nearly equal height, seen from either it appears to lie in a complete basin, every way adapted to act as a drain or receiver of water from the uplands—a fact illustrated11 in the years 1841–2, when a great destruction of property-took place at Shrewton, through inundations occasioned by the accumulation of water by the rapid thawing12 of the snow in various natural basins in the vicinity, as at Candown Bottom and other places. The soil of the valley, so favourable13 to the cultivation14 of edible15 roots, being marked by the combined characters of the surrounding barriers.
In some parts of the kingdom there are places where well-defined and specific geological features conduct to certain conclusions, such as the primeval deposits of virgin16 soil—the annual product of rank foliage17 where the foot of man for ages never trod, which, when brought to tillage, yields successive crops of abundance—the subsidence of a vast and overwhelming inundation—the retreat of the watery18 p. 3element after ages of possession, leaving its hitherto submerged bed high and dry. As an illustration, we may refer to the subsoil of Bath, which is stone of so friable19 a nature as to be easily affected20 by the elements, and, if examined, will be found a combination of various shells, which plainly tell its former state, or the severance21 of some great and terrible convulsion, forming vast chasms22, and exhibiting the various strata23 of rocks far down in the womb of the earth. There is a very good display of this at villas24 in the neighbourhood of Frome, Somersetshire, and at Clifton Hotwells, near Bristol, or in places round the Isle25 of Wight, and in the coal-fields at Radstock, and each of these present their own peculiar26 characters; but here we have on either side of the valley a separate and distinct formation. The downs predominate in chalk, on a stony27 brackish28 soil, with but a thin layer of vegetable earth on a substratum of flint and gravel29; the exception of the hollows no way interfering30 with the general state. On the opposite side there is sand to the depth of several feet resting upon sandstone, with occasional layers of granite31, then again sand and sandstone, ultimating in a subsoil of granite, and this extends for several miles. The washings of the two barriers by the repeated rains, together with the humid atmosphere, so striking a character in the climate of this country, combining in various degrees, produces the fertile soil of the valley from the sandy loam32 to the stiff clay.
If we recur33 to the times of invasion when hordes34 of barbarians35 sought the subjugation36 of this island, the predatory warfare37 with the ravages38 to which the inland parts of the country were exposed, there would naturally be a disposition39 and desire of secrecy40 and seclusion41. Now no place could be better adapted for this purpose, surrounded as it is by the uplands before referred to, lying, too, at a distance from the p. 4main road on either hand, and possessing within itself the chief resources of subsistence, it could remain unknown as long as needful. We must remember, when speaking of by-gone times their facilities of information were very rude and simple. How, in the absence of the appliances of transit42 and intercommunication which we possess, they would denote the direction of various towns we know not; their proximity43 to certain well known objects, or as occupying particular situations, might afford them means and facilities, especially if we allow the progress of improvement. Let us apply this theory in the present case, and it might be the town left on quitting the downs, and emerging towards the chief towns, as Bath, or the last town prior to ascending44 them. The name, therefore might mean the washed or watered—the hidden or left town.
As but very few of the older buildings remain, and what traditions there are being very vague, it is impossible to fix the date of its formation. The church, of which we shall speak more fully45 elsewhere, has doubtless stood for some hundreds of years. The old parsonage, with its gables and cress-muntained windows, carries the visitor into by-gone times. A large mansion46 on the road to Urchfont, at the turn to Eastcott, has undoubtedly47 the marks of age; its ponderous48 appearance, numerous gables, heavy stacks of chimnies, and ballustraded gallery—tell of times when profuse49 hospitality was common. There is one at Easterton, of which we have more definite accounts: it is now in the occupation of Mr. Neville. Report states it to have been erected50 by the Protector, Oliver Cromwell, about the year 1657, for his general, Kinson; and to which he himself oft repaired, either when commanding in the wars between Charles II. and the parliament (of whose armies Cromwell was commander-in-chief), one of which took place at Bratton, about eight miles p. 5distant, a spot celebrated from the time of Alfred the Great, where, after rallying his troops at Clay hill, near Frome, he gave the Danes battle and routed them, the spot is shown where the Danes encamped and where Alfred penetrated51 in the disguise of an harper,—or probably the Protector here sought for seclusion and rest to a mind perturbed52 and alarmed to suspicion by the publication of a work, supposed to allude53 to him, entitled, “Killing no Murder.”
At Wroughton’s Folly54 there are remains55 of a once extensive erection, which, from its size, would have accommodated a numerous family. Its picturesque56 situation, surrounded with extensive grounds, formed a charming retreat; it was occupied by a retired57 merchant, but has long gone to decay. Report states the ruins were once the retreat of a daring freebooter, who preyed58 upon the surrounding homesteads and laid under contribution the yeoman as he returned from the neighbouring markets: little now remains save the foundations of the cellars. Near this spot are three mounds59 within a small enclosure in the middle of a field, of which tradition thus speaks:—In the time of Charles II., when that dreadful scourge61, the plague, which destroyed upwards62 of one hundred thousand of the inhabitants of London, broke out, three brothers, seeking to avoid the common lot, fled to this spot, thinking thereby63 to escape, but they were overtaken by the fell destroyer, and buried here.
Lavington was formerly64 distinguished65 for its corn market and the manufacture of malt, in which articles business to a very considerable extent was transacted66; this gave it the appellative attached. Its proximity to the rising town of Devizes soon reduced it to its present condition; it is now generally known for its large supplies of vegetables to the market of Devizes, distant 6 miles,—Trowbridge, 12 miles,—Bath, 22 miles,—and Salisbury, p. 619 miles. The market-place continues to maintain its former dimensions, and constitutes the favourite resort of the juvenile67 portion of the population. The stocks, once a terror and punishment to evildoers, have lost their dread60, and the clanking iron has become a musical instrument in their estimation. Near this is the Engine-house, a wooden erection, with a cupulo for a bell whose tongue is happily seldom inclined to speak, the services of the engine is seldom required; fire, as an element of alarm, being of very rare occurrence. The population of the place, including the hamlet of Easterton, is 1700; and the area of the parish about 3036 acres to Lavington, and 1592 to Easterton.
点击收听单词发音
1 etymology | |
n.语源;字源学 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 situated | |
adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 relics | |
[pl.]n.遗物,遗迹,遗产;遗体,尸骸 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 appease | |
v.安抚,缓和,平息,满足 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 civic | |
adj.城市的,都市的,市民的,公民的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 obsolete | |
adj.已废弃的,过时的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 gentry | |
n.绅士阶级,上层阶级 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 corruptions | |
n.堕落( corruption的名词复数 );腐化;腐败;贿赂 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 concurrent | |
adj.同时发生的,一致的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 illustrated | |
adj. 有插图的,列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 thawing | |
n.熔化,融化v.(气候)解冻( thaw的现在分词 );(态度、感情等)缓和;(冰、雪及冷冻食物)溶化;软化 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 favourable | |
adj.赞成的,称赞的,有利的,良好的,顺利的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 cultivation | |
n.耕作,培养,栽培(法),养成 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 edible | |
n.食品,食物;adj.可食用的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 virgin | |
n.处女,未婚女子;adj.未经使用的;未经开发的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 foliage | |
n.叶子,树叶,簇叶 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 watery | |
adj.有水的,水汪汪的;湿的,湿润的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 friable | |
adj.易碎的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 affected | |
adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 severance | |
n.离职金;切断 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 chasms | |
裂缝( chasm的名词复数 ); 裂口; 分歧; 差别 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 strata | |
n.地层(复数);社会阶层 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 villas | |
别墅,公馆( villa的名词复数 ); (城郊)住宅 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25 isle | |
n.小岛,岛 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27 stony | |
adj.石头的,多石头的,冷酷的,无情的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28 brackish | |
adj.混有盐的;咸的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29 gravel | |
n.砂跞;砂砾层;结石 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30 interfering | |
adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31 granite | |
adj.花岗岩,花岗石 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32 loam | |
n.沃土 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33 recur | |
vi.复发,重现,再发生 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34 hordes | |
n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 );部落 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35 barbarians | |
n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 );外国人;粗野的人;无教养的人 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36 subjugation | |
n.镇压,平息,征服 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37 warfare | |
n.战争(状态);斗争;冲突 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
38 ravages | |
劫掠后的残迹,破坏的结果,毁坏后的残迹 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
39 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
40 secrecy | |
n.秘密,保密,隐蔽 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
41 seclusion | |
n.隐遁,隔离 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
42 transit | |
n.经过,运输;vt.穿越,旋转;vi.越过 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
43 proximity | |
n.接近,邻近 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
44 ascending | |
adj.上升的,向上的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
45 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
46 mansion | |
n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
47 undoubtedly | |
adv.确实地,无疑地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
48 ponderous | |
adj.沉重的,笨重的,(文章)冗长的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
49 profuse | |
adj.很多的,大量的,极其丰富的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
50 ERECTED | |
adj. 直立的,竖立的,笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立,建立 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
51 penetrated | |
adj. 击穿的,鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
52 perturbed | |
adj.烦燥不安的v.使(某人)烦恼,不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
53 allude | |
v.提及,暗指 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
54 folly | |
n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
55 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
56 picturesque | |
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
57 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
58 preyed | |
v.掠食( prey的过去式和过去分词 );掠食;折磨;(人)靠欺诈为生 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
59 mounds | |
土堆,土丘( mound的名词复数 ); 一大堆 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
60 dread | |
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
61 scourge | |
n.灾难,祸害;v.蹂躏 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
62 upwards | |
adv.向上,在更高处...以上 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
63 thereby | |
adv.因此,从而 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
64 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
65 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
66 transacted | |
v.办理(业务等)( transact的过去式和过去分词 );交易,谈判 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
67 juvenile | |
n.青少年,少年读物;adj.青少年的,幼稚的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |