head is, that he led his army by the most direct way to the territories of Cassibelan, which lay upon the Thames, and were divided by that river from the maritime states at about eighty miles' distance from the sea, and that the river was fordable only in that one place where he passed it.

The statements of ancient writers seem to be fully confirmed by undeniable modern testimony. In 1807, Mr. Bray was informed by a fisherman, who has lived here and known the river all his life, that at this place he has weighed up several stakes of the size of his thigh, about six feet long, shod with iron, the wood very black, and so hard as to turn an axe. The boats sometimes run against them. The late Earl of Sandwich used to come to Shepperton to fish, and gave him half a guinea a piece for some of these stakes. There are none in any other part of the river that he ever heard of. One still remains which they have not been able to weigh; it is visible when the water is clear, and his net has been caught and torn by it. His tradition is, that they formed part of a bridge built by Julius Cæsar, and he describes them to have stood about four feet apart, in two rows, running across the river, about nine feet asunder. It has been observed, that in this situation they would not impede the passage of an enemy who should ford it; but Geoffrey of Monmouth says, that they were placed to prevent the passage of Caesar's ships.*

Aubrey was informed by the celebrated antiquary, Elias Ashmole, that the old current of the Thames had been changed here, and that part of Middlesex opposite to this place was formerly in Surrey, from which it had been divided two or three hundred

strinxerat, quarum vestigia sudium ibidem usque hodie visuntur; et videtur inspectantibus quod singulæ earum admodum humuni femoris grossæ et circumfuse plumbo immobiliter hæreant in profundo fluminis infixæ. (Beda Eccl. Hist. L. 1, c. 2, p. 187.)

The latter observes; "Præterea alveo Tamesis fluminis quo ad urbem Trinovantum Cæsar navigaturus erat paleis ferreis atque plumbatis instar femoris grossis subter amnem infixit ut naves Julü superventuræ adventum hostium expectent. (Hist. Reg. Britan. L. 4.)

• Manning and Bray's Surrey, II, 759.

years before when a church was swallowed up by the water." Of this circumstance some tradition still exists; for Mr. Bray informs us, that in 1807, an old man of seventy-five acknowledged having heard that Shepperton church was carried away by the water, and the present church built in a new place; but when this happened he could not tell. That the current has been in some degree diverted seems actually to be the fact, as there is a piece of land on the Surrey side, which is part of the parish of Shepperton in Middlesex; but there is none on the other side which is deemed part of any Surrey parish. This piece of land, called Cowey, lies near Walton-bridge, and contains between eight and nine acres, and is used by the inhabitants of Shepperton only. Another meadow directly opposite to Shepperton Point, on the Surrey side, containing between five and six acres, is also part of the same parish,†

Walton has a considerable fair for cattle on the Wednesday in Easter week; and another of less consequence on St. Peter's day, held under a grant from Henry VIII.

In this parish are several capital houses. Apse Court is a mansion, to which belong about 220 acres: 145 of these are inclosed by a brick wall, covered with fruit trees, which, with a border round it, are lett to a gardener, the land in the middle being occupied as fields. It is the property of Edmund Hill, Esq. In the Testa de Nevil, we find that half a hide of land was held in Apse of the king in capite, by the service of distributing bread and ale on All Saints' Day, for the souls of all the kings of England. On that day the owner still gives a barrel of beer and a quarter of corn in bread to the poor.

At Hersham, or Heversham, the celebrated William Lilly, the astrologer, resided in a house which he purchased, and which, at his death in 1681, he devised to a son of Sir Bulstrode Whit lock.

Burwood Park, formerly the seat of the Lattons, is an ele

gant house, built by the present Sir John Frederick in a park, which, with additional purchases made by him, contained 300 acres, without any road or foot-path, before the late inclosure of the waste ground, which has added to it 150 acres. The arins of Latton, and others, are in one of the windows.

Burhill belonged early in the last century to Peter de la Porte, one of the South Sea Directors, who, in 1720, gave it by will to General Johnson. It now belongs to his grandson, whose father, on succeeding to the estate of the late Sir Charles Kemys Tynte, assumed that name.

Ashley, a mansion, with a park of 136 acres, was the seat of Christopher Villiers, Earl of Anglesea, and afterwards the property of Sir Richard Pyne, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, who died here in 1710. It next belonged to the Earl of Shannon, who left it to his daughter and heir, Grace, wife of the Earl of Middlesex. At length it descended to Henry Fletcher, Esq. who was created a baronet in 1802; and dying in 1807, was succeeded in his title and estate by his son, Henry, who has pulled down a considerable part of the mansion. The grounds contain fir-trees of remarkable height and size.

The beautiful grounds at Pains Hill, which comprehend 213 acres, were formed by the Hon. Charles Hamilton. A considerable part of these grounds on the north side was taken from the barren heath; the south side is a bank above the river Mole, which runs at the foot of it. Availing himself of the inequalities of the land, he made his plantations and placed his buildings with the utmost judgment; and formed a spacious piece of water, which, though considerably above the level of the river, is supplied from it by a simple, but ingenious, contrivance. "There may be scenes," observes an author in his description of this seat, "where Nature has done more for herself; but in no place that I ever saw has so much been done for Nature as at Pains-hill. The beauty and unexpected variety of the scene, the happy situ ation, elegant structure, and judicious form, of the buildings; the flourishing state, uncommon diversity, and contrasted groupage,

of the trees, and the contrivance of the water, will not fail to awaken the most pleasing sensations." In the temple of Bacchus, was a fine antique colossal statue of that deity, with several excellent busts of Roman emperors; and there was a grotto fitted up with the finest spars. Mr. Hamilton indulged the public with a sight of the beauties of this place; and even allowed the use of small chairs drawn by ponies, which were provided at the inns at Cobham. In the latter part of his life he sold this place to Benjamin Bond Hopkins, Esq. who, as the original mansion was but small, erected a house on the brow of a hill which rises from the bank of the Mole near the bridge. It is a handsome white building; the front, which faces the river, being adorned in the centre with a pediment supported by four columns, and bowed sides. When Mr. Hopkins died, this estate was sold agreeably to the provisions of his will; many of the trees were cut down, and the gratification of viewing the beauties of this charming spot was refused to the public. It is now the residence of the Earl of Carhampton.*

The first bridge over the Thames at Walton was built by Samuel Dicker, Esq. It was of timber, which, in 1780, had become so decayed, that the nephew of Mr. Dicker, to whom the property

On the general character of the grounds belonging to this mansion, Ho race Walpole, afterwards Earl of Orford, in his observations on gardening, says, that Whateley distinguishes three kinds of gardens: the garden which connects itself with a park; the ornamented farm; and the forest, or savage garden; but that he has not sufficiently discriminated the third, "I meap," continues he, “that kind of Alpine scenery composed almost wholly of pines and firs, a few birch, and such trees as assimilate with a savage and mountainous country. Mr. Charles Hamilton, at Pains-hill, has, in my opinion, given a perfect example of this mode in the utmost boundary of his garden. All is great, and foreign, and rude; the walks seem not designed, but cut through the wood of pines; and the style of the whole is so grand, and conducted with so serious an air of wild and uncultivated extent, that when you look down on this seeming forest, you are amazed to find it contain only a few acrcs."

property had devolved, was obliged to obtain a new act for rebuilding it, and taking additional tolls. The present structure is of brick, and consists of four principal arches, with several small ones on each side, as well to avoid the inconvenience of floods, as to make the ascent more easy.

In the church of Walton is a magnificent marble monument, executed by Roubillac shortly before his death, for Richard Viscount Shannon, who, at his decease in 1740, held the rank of field-marshal in the army, and commander in chief in Ireland. Upon it is a white marble figure of a man in armour standing, with a truncheon in his right hand, his left resting on a pair of colours, a sword at his side, and jack-boots, a mantle thrown over his shoulders. There are various warlike instruments; and at the foot sits a whole length female figure embracing an urn with her right hand. This monument was erected by his only daughter Grace, Countess of Middlesex.

In the chancel of this church is interred the celebrated astrologer William Lilly. A large black marble which covered his remains lay before the communion rails, but has been removed to the entrance of the south door of the chancel. It has this inscription: Ne oblivione contereretur urna Gulielmi Lilii, Astrologi peritissimi qui fatis cessit Vto idus Junii anno Christi Juliano MDCLXXXI, hoc illi posuit amoris monumentum Elias Ashmole Armiger *.

Here are also memorials for Jerome Weston, Earl of Portland, who died in 1662; Sir Jacob Edwards, Bart. and his lady; she died in 1739, he 1744; several of the Rodney family, and Henry Skrine, Esq. LL. B. author of a Tour in Wales, and an Account of the Principal Rivers in England, who died 1803, aged fortyseven. Beneath the inscription on his monument is represented in relief, a large oak overshadowing (skreening) some young trees. In the church-yard are the tombs of General John Orfeur,

P 4

For an account of Lilly see Beauties, IX. 402-4.

with