ribed　as　one　of　the　finest　pieces　of　land　in　all　England；　I　knew　that　there　were　about　thirty　parish　churches；　standing　in　a　length　of　about　thirty　miles；　and　in　an　average　width　of　hardly　a　mile；　and　I　was　resolved　to　see　a　little　into　the　reasons　that　could　have　induced　our　fathers　to　build　all　these　churches；　especially　if；　as　the　Scotch　would　have　us　believe；　there　were　but　a　mere　handful　of　people　in　England　until　of　late　years。

In　steering　across　the　down；　I　came　to　a　large　farm；　which　a　shepherd　told　me　was　Milton　Hill　Farm。　This　was　upon　the　high　land；　and　before　I　came　to　the　edge　of　this　Valley　of　Avon；　which　was　my　land　of　promise；　or　at　least；　of　great　expectation；　for　I　could　not　imagine　that　thirty　churches　had　been　built　for　nothing　by　the　side　of　a　brook　（for　it　is　no　more　during　the　greater　part　of　the　way）　thirty　miles　long。　The　shepherd　showed　me　the　way　towards　Milton；　and　at　the　end　of　about　a　mile；　from　the　top　of　a　very　high　part　of　the　down；　with　a　steep　slope　towards　the　valley；　I　first　saw　this　Valley　of　Avon；　and　a　most　beautiful　sight　it　was！　Villages；　hamlets；　large　farms；　towers；　steeples；　fields；　meadows；　orchards；　and　very　fine　timber　trees；　scattered　all　over　the　valley。　The　shape　of　the　thing　is　this：　on　each　side　downs；　very　lofty　and　steep　in　some　places；　and　sloping　miles　back　in　other　places；　but　each　outside　of　the　valley　are　downs。　From　the　edge　of　the　downs　begin　capital　arable　fields　generally　of　very　great　dimensions；　and；　in