Hence it may be regarded as a choice and remarkable
literary production. Some curious particulars of Flamsteed's quarrel
with Sir Isaac Newton, respecting the printing of his "Historia
Coelestis", are given in Mr. Baily's volume, which tend to shew that
the latter, in conjunction with Halley and other persons,
perseveringly annoyed and injured Flamsteed in various ways, and for a
considerable time. Some of the admirers of Newton's moral character
having attempted to extenuate his conduct, Mr. Baily published a
Supplement to his work, in which he shews that such attempts had
completely failed. - J. B.]
PART II. - CHAPTER VIII.
THE DOWNES.
WE now make our ascent to the second elevation or the hill countrey,
known by the name of the Downes, or Salisbury Plaines; and they are
the most spacious plaines in Europe, and the greatest remaines that I
can heare of of the smooth primitive world when it lay all under
water.
These downes runne into Hampshire, Berkshire, and Dorsetshire; but as
to its extent in this county, it is from Red-hone, the hill above
Urshfont, to Salisbury, north and south, and from Mere to
Lurgershall, east and west. The turfe is of a short sweet grasse, good
for the sheep, and delightfull to the eye, for its smoothnesse like
a bowling green, and pleasant to the traveller; who wants here only
variety of objects to make his journey lesse tedious: for here is "nil
nisi campus et aer", not a tree, or rarely a bush to shelter one from
a shower.
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