The artist will chiefly delight in deserted Winchelsea and the foreign element of Rye, in many of the coombes of the South Downs, in the river scenery near Arundel, the wild scenery and ruins of Hurstmonceaux, and the tamer beauties of Cowdray. At Chichester. Bosham, Boxgrove, Pulborough, Scotney, Bodiam, Wilmington, and Michelham, other attractive 'subjects' are to be found.

The few illustrious natives of Sussex are noticed where they occur.

'As for the nativities of archbishops, one may say of this county, "Many shires have done worthily, but Sussex surmounteth them all," having bred five Archbishops of Canterbury.'-Fuller.

Some of the villages have their own proverbs and customs, but there are few of general use in Sussex. Brand's 'Popular Antiquities' says: 'In West Sussex there is a curious belief that when an infant dies, it communicates the fact itself by a visit, as if in the body, to some near relative.'

""Drinker Acres " are so named from the practice of having "a drinking" by spending the rent arising from particular pieces of land, locally called "Drenkers," or Drinker Acres.

Apple-howling is a charm supposed to increase the fruitfulness of the orchard, in which a number of lads congregate, and surrounding the tree sing

'Stand fast, root, bear well, top,

Pray God send me a good howling crop ;

Every twig apples big,

Every bough apples enow;

Hats full, caps full,

Tall quarters, sacks full.'

-J. D. Fenton, ' Once a Week,' Sept. 1865.

The Sussex dialect has many traces of Saxon.

Oi is pro

nounced i (as spile for spoil). A before t is extended to ea ; gate is ge-at. The a is always broad and as if followed by a u, changing words of one syllable into words of two-as taüst (taste), raüs (race). A before double d, becomes ar, as in laäder for ladder. Many French expressions linger in

Rye and Winchelsea, left by the refugees in the XVI. and XVII. c., such as coasts (costes) of beef, and broach (broche) for a spit. Many old English expressions linger. A cold wind is a bleat wind; a pig-stye is a hog-pound; superior is bettermost; a ne'er-do-weel is a runagate; exactly is justly; a pig bought in a sack is a pig in a poke; to work in and about the house is to nestle about the house; a garden in good condition is a garden in good heart; being out of temper is being top of the house; very is lamentable, pronounced lament-able. Frequent use is made of may be and may hap. We hear of I reckon in Sussex, as often as of ‘I guess' in America. The following Sussex whistling song is sung at village taverns to the tune of 'Lilibulero' :

:

There was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell

(Chorus of whistlers),

There was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell,
And he had a bad wife, as many know well
(Chorus of whistlers).

Then Satan came to the old man at the plough—
'One of your family I must have now.

It is not your eldest son I do crave,

But 'tis your old wife, and she I will have.'

'Oh, welcome, good Satan, with all my heart;
I hope you and she will never more part!'

Now Satan he got the old wife on his back,
And he lugged her along like a pedlar's pack.

He trudged away till he came to his gate;
Says he,' Here take an old Sussex man's mate.'

Oh, then she did kick all the young imps about;
Says one to the other, 'Let's try turn her out!'

She spied seven devils all dancing in chains;

She up with her pattens and knocked out their brains.

1 For much interesting information see W. D. Parish, 'Dictionary of Sussex Dialect.'

She knocked old Satan against the house wall:
'Let's try turn her out or she'll murder us all.'

Now he's bundled her up on his back amain,
And to her old husband he's took her again.

'I've been a tormentor the whole of my life;

But I ne'er was tormented till I took your wife!'

The chief materials for the History of Sussex are to be found in the invaluable 'Collections of the Archaeological Society,' published every year since 1848. Dallaway's 'History of Western Sussex' is an admirable book of reference; but Horsfield's History of the entire county is both dull and inaccurate. Tierney's History of the Castle and Town of Arundel' is a valuable work. The contributions of W. H. Blaauw and M. A. Lower to county history are of great interest, though the latter cannot be relied upon. Mantell's 'Sussex Geology' and Borrer's Birds of Sussex' may be studied with advantage.

SUSSEX

TUNE

I.

TUNBRIDGE WELLS.

UNBRIDGE WELLS-half in Kent and half in Sussex-formerly consisted of the three divisions of Mount Ephraim, Mount Sion, and Mount Pleasant, fanciful names which dated from the time when Dudley, Lord North, first brought its mild chalybeate waters into fashion in the first years of the XVII. c. Henrietta Maria, queen of Charles I., liked the place, and visited it several times, and after the Restoration it became one of the most fashionable resorts in England.

'Tunbridge is at the same distance from London as Fontainebleau from Paris. All that are handsomest and best of both sexes meet at the waters during the season. The company there, though always numerous, is always select. As those who seek to amuse themselves always outnumber those who come for their health, a sense of joy and pleasure pervades everything. Constraint is banished, a friendship is established on first acquaintance, and the life which one leads there is delightful.

'For lodgings one has clean, comfortable cottages, standing detached, and scattered at half a mile from the waters. The morning meetingplace is at the point where the fountains are. It is a wide avenue of tufted trees, under which those who take the waters walk up and down. On one side of this avenue is a line of shops, filled with all kinds of trinkets, lace, stockings and gloves, in which there are lotteries as at a fair. On the other side of the avenue is the market, and as every one goes to choose and bargain for his own provisions, nothing is set out which is unpleasant to look upon. Pretty, fresh-coloured village girls,

A