excerpt from the book..Few of our English cities are more strikingly situated than the onceroyal city of Winchester, which lies on the slopes and along the bed ofa chalk valley watered by the River Itchen. The greater part of thepresent city is situated on the right bank of the river, while the bestgeneral view of it is justly considered to be that obtained by lookingacross the Vale of Chilcomb, from the road to Portsmouth. Of the Itchenvalley, with its rich meadows and tranquil stream, William Cobbett wasan enthusiastic admirer. "There are few spots in England", he exclaims,"more fertile, or more pleasant, none, I believe, more healthy. Thefertility of this vale and of the surrounding country is best proved bythe fact that, besides the town of Alresford, and that of Southampton,there are seventeen villages, each having its parish church, upon itsborders. When we consider these things, we are not surprised that a spotsituated about halfway down this vale should have been chosen for thebuilding of a city, or that that city should have been for a greatnumber of years the place of residence for the kings of England