per acre, and better, a great quantity of it.
As to the green circles on the downes, vulgarly called faiery circles
(dances), I presume they are generated from the breathing out of a
fertile subterraneous vapour. (The ring-worme on a man's flesh is
circular. Excogitate a paralolisme between the cordial heat and ye
subterranean heat, to elucidate this phenomenon.) Every tobacco-taker
knowes that 'tis no strange thing for a circle of smoke to be whiff'd
out of the bowle of the pipe; but 'tis donne by chance. If you digge
under the turfe of this circle, you will find at the rootes of the
grasse a hoare or mouldinesse. But as there are fertile steames, so
contrary wise there are noxious ones, which proceed from some
mineralls, iron, &c.; which also as the others, c?teris paribus,
appear in a circular forme.
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In the common field of Winterbourn ...... is the celebrated path
called St. Thomas Becket's path. It leads from the village up to
Clarendon Parke. Whether this field be sown or lies fallow, the path
is visible to one that lookes on it from the hill, and it is
wonderfull. But I can add yet farther the testimonies of two that I
very well know (one of them my servant, and of an excellent sight)
that will attest that, riding in the rode from London one morning in a
great snow, they did see this path visible on the snow. St. Thomas
Becket, they say, was sometime a cure priest at Winter-bourn, and did
use to goe along this path up to a chapell in Clarendon Parke, to say
masse, and very likely 'tis true: but I have a conceit that this path
is caused by a warme subterraneous steame from a long crack in the
earth, which may cause snow to dissolve sooner there than elsewhere:
and consequently gives the dissolving snow a darker colour, just as wee
see the difference of whites in damask linnen.
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