ago　they　came　pirating　into　these　parts；　and　then　there　chanced　a
  mighty　shipwreck；　for　God　was　angry　with　them；　and　He　sunk　them；
  and　their　skulls；　as　they　came　ashore；　were　placed　here　as　a
  memorial。　　There　were　many　more　when　I　was　young；　but　now　they　are
  fast　disappearing。　　Some　of　them　must　have　belonged　to　strange
  fellows；　madam。　　Only　see　that　one；　why；　the　two　young　gentry　can
  scarcely　lift　it！'　　And；　indeed；　my　brother　and　myself　had　entered
  the　Golgotha；　and　commenced　handling　these　grim　relics　of
  mortality。　　One　enormous　skull；　lying　in　a　corner；　had　fixed　our
  attention；　and　we　had　drawn　it　forth。　　Spirit　of　eld；　what　a　skull
  was　yon！
  I　still　seem　to　see　it；　the　huge　grim　thing；　many　of　the　others
  were　large；　strikingly　so；　and　appeared　fully　to　justify　the　old
  man's　conclusion　that　their　owners　must　have　been　strange　fellows；
  but；　compared　with　this　mighty　mass　of　bone；　they　looked　small　and
  diminutive　like　those　of　pigmies；　it　must　have　belonged　to　a　giant；
  one　of　those　red…haired　warriors　of　whose　strength　and　stature　such
  wondrous　tales　are　told　in　the　ancient　chronicles　of　the　north；　and
  whose　grave…hills；　when　ransacked；　occasionally　reveal　secrets
  which　fill　the　minds　of　puny　moderns　with　astonishment　and　awe。
  Reader；　have　you　ever　pored　days　and　nights　over　the　pages　of
  Snorro？　…　probably　not；　for　he　wrote　in　a　language　which　few　of　the
  present　day　understand；　and　few　would　be　tempted　to　read　him　tamed
  down　by　Latin　dragomans。　　A　brave　old　book　is　that　of　Snorro；
  containing　the　histories　and　adventures　of　old　northern　kings　and
  champions；　who　seemed　to　have　been　quite　different　men；　if　we　may
  judge　from　the　feats　which　they　performed；　from　those　of　these
  days；　one　of　the　best　of　his　histories　is　that　which　describes　the
  life　of　Harald　Haardraade；　who；　after　manifold　adventures　by　land
  and　sea；　now　a　pirate；　now　a　mercenary　of　the　Greek　emperor；　became
  king　of　Norway；　and　eventually　perished　at　the　battle　of　Stamford
  Bridge；　whilst　engaged　in　a　gallant　onslaught　upon　England。　　Now；　I
  have　often　thought　that　the　old　Kemp；　whose　mouldering　skull　in　the
  Golgotha　of　Hythe　my　brother　and　myself　could　scarcely　lift；　must
  have　resembled　in　one　respect　at　least　this　Harald；　whom　Snorro
  describes　as　a　great　and　wise　ruler　and　a　determined　leader；
  dangerous　in　battle；　of　fair　presence　and　measuring　in　height　just
  FIVE　ELLS；　neither　more　nor　less。
  I　never　forgot　the　Daneman's　skull；　like　the　apparition　of　the
  viper　in　the　sandy　lane；　it　dwelt　in　the　mind　of　the　boy；　affording
  copious　food　for　the　exercise　of　imagination。　　From　that　moment
  with　the　name　of　Dane　were　associated　strange　ideas　of　strength；
  daring；　and　superhuman　stature；　and　an　undefinable　curiosity　for
  all　that　is　connected　with　the　Danish　race　began　to　pervade　me；　and
  if；　long　after；　when　I　became　a　student　I　devoted　myself　with
  peculiar　zest　to　Danish　lore　and　the　acquirement　of　the　old　Norse
  tongue　and　its　dialects；　I　can　only　explain　the　matter　by　the　early
  impression　received　at　Hythe　from　the　tale　of　the　old　sexton；
  beneath　the　pent…house；　and　the　sight　of　the　Danish　skull。
  And　thus　we　went　on　straying　from　place　to　place；　at　Hythe　to…day；
  and　perhaps　within　a　week　looking　out　from　our　hostel…window　upon
  the　streets　of　old　Winchester；　our　motions　ever　in　accordance　with
  the　'route'　of　the　regiment；　so　habituated　to　change　of　scene　that
  it　had　become　almost　necessary　to　our　existence。　　Pleasant　were
  these　days　of　my　early　boyhood；　and　a　melancholy　pleasure　steals
  over　me　as　I　recall　them。　　Those　were　stirring　times　of　which　I　am
  speaking；　and　there　was　much　passing　around　me　calculated　to
  captivate　the　imagination。　　The　dreadful　struggle　which　so　long
  convulsed　Europe；　and　in　which　England　bore　so　prominent　a　part；
  was　then　at　its　hottest；　we　were　at　war；　and　determination　and
  enthusiasm　shone　in　every　face；　man；　woman；　and　child　were　eager　to
  fight　the　Frank；　the　hereditary；　but；　thank　God；　never　dreaded
  enemy　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　race。　　'Love　your　country　and　beat　the
  French；　and　then　never　mind　what　happens；'　was　the　cry　of　entire
  England。　　Oh；　those　were　days　of　power；　gallant　days；　bustling
  days；　worth　the　bravest　days　of　chivalry　at　least；　tall　battalions
  of　native　warriors　were　marching　through　the　land；　there　was　the
  glitter　of　the　bayonet　and　the　gleam　of　the　sabre；　the　shrill
  squeak　of　the　fife　and　loud　rattling　of　the　drum　were　heard　in　the
  streets　of　country　towns；　and　the　loyal　shouts　of　the　inhabitants
  greeted　the　soldiery　on　their　arrival；　or　cheered　them　at　their
  departure。　　And　now　let　us　leave　the　upland；　and　descend　to　the
  sea…bord；　there　is　a　sight　for　you　upon　the　billows！　　A　dozen　men…
  of…war　are　gliding　majestically　out　of　port；　their　long　buntings
  streaming　from　the　top…gallant　masts；　calling　on　the　skulking
  Frenchman　to　come　forth　from　his　bights　and　bays；　and　what　looms
  upon　us　yonder　from　the　fog…bank　in　the　east？　a　gallant　frigate
  towing　behind　her　the　long　low　hull　of　a　crippled　privateer；　which
  but　three　short　days　ago　had　left　Dieppe　to　skim　the　sea；　and　whose
  crew　of　ferocious　hearts　are　now　cursing　their　imprudence　in　an
  English　hold。　　Stirring　times　those；　which　I　love　to　recall；　for
  they　were　days　of　gallantry　and　enthusiasm；　and　were　moreover　the
  days　of　my　boyhood。
  CHAPTER　III
  Pretty　D…　…　The　venerable　church　…　The　stricken　heart　…　Dormant
  energies　…　The　small　packet　…　Nerves　…　The　books　…　A　picture　…
  Mountain…like　billows　…　The　footprint　…　Spirit　of　De　Foe　…
  Reasoning　powers　…　Terrors　of　God　…　Heads　of　the　dragons　…　High…
  Church　clerk　…　A　journey　…　The　drowned　country。
  AND　when　I　was　between　six　and　seven　years　of　age　we　were　once　more
  at　D…；　the　place　of　my　birth；　whither　my　father　had　been　despatched
  on　the　recruiting　service。　　I　have　already　said　that　it　was　a
  beautiful　little　town　…　at　least　it　was　at　the　time　of　which　I　am
  speaking　…　what　it　is　at　present　I　know　not；　for　thirty　years　and
  more　have　elapsed　since　I　last　trod　its　streets。　　It　will　scarcely
  have　improved；　for　how　could　it　be　better　than　it　then　was？　　I　love
  to　think　on　thee；　pretty　quiet　D…；　thou　pattern　of　an　English
  country　town；　with　thy　clean　but　narrow　streets　branching　out　from
  thy　modest　market…place；　with　thine　old…fashioned　houses；　with　here
  and　there　a　roof　of　venerable　thatch；　with　thy　one　half…
  aristocratic　mansion；　where　resided　thy　Lady　Bountiful　…　she；　the
  generous　and　kind；　who　loved　to　visit　the　sick；　leaning　on　her
  gold…headed　cane；　whilst　the　sleek　old　footman　walked　at　a
  respectful　distance　behind。　　Pretty　quiet　D…；　with　thy　venerable
  church；　in　which　moulder　the　mortal　remains　of　England's　sweetest
  and　most　pious　bard。
  Yes；　pretty　D…；　I　could　always　love　thee；　were　it　but　for　the　sake
  of　him　who　sleeps　beneath　the　marble　slab　in　yonder　quiet　chancel。
  It　was　within　thee　that　the　long…oppressed　bosom　heaved　its　last
  sigh；　and　the　crushed　and　gentle　spirit　escaped　from　a　world　in
  which　it　had　known　nought　but　sorrow。　　Sorrow！　do　I　say？　　How　faint
  a　word　to　express　the　misery　of　that　bruised　reed；　misery　so　dark
  that　a　blind　worm　like　myself　is　occasionally　tempted　to　exclaim；
  Better　had　the　world　never　been　created　than　that　one　so　kind；　so
  harmless；　and　so　mild；　should　have　undergone　such　intolerable　woe！
  But　it　is　over　now；　for；　as　there　is　an　end　of　joy；　so　has
  affliction　its　termination。　　Doubtless　the　All…wise　did　not　afflict
  him　without　a　cause：　　who　knows　but　within　that　unhappy　frame
  lurked　vicious　seeds　which　the　sunbeams　of　joy　and　prosperity　might
  have　called　into　life　and　vigour？　　Perhaps　the　withering　blasts　of
  misery　nipped　that　which　otherwise　might　have　terminated　in　fruit
  noxious　and　lamentable。　　But　peace　to　the　unhappy　one；　he　is　gone
  to　his　rest；　the　death…like　face　is　no　longer　occasionally　seen
  timidly　and　mournfully　looking　for　a　moment　through　the　window…pane
  upon　thy　market…place；　quiet　and　pretty　D…；　the　hind　in　thy
  neighbourhood　no　longer　at　evening…fall　views；　and　starts　as　he
  views；　the　dark　lathy　figure　moving　beneath　the　hazels　and　alders
  of　shadowy　lanes；　or　by　the　side　of　murmuring　trout　streams；　and　no
  longer　at　early　dawn　does　the　sexton　of　the　old　church　reverently
  doff　his　hat；　as；　supported　by　some　kind　friend；　the　death…stricken
  creature　totters　along　the　church…path　to　that　mouldering　edifice
  with　the　low　roof；　inclosing　a　spring　of　sanatory　waters；　built　and
  devoted　to　some　saint；　if　the　legend　over　the　door　be　true；　by　the
  daughter　of　an　East　Anglian　king。
  But　to　return　to　my　own　history。　　I　had　now　attained　the　age　of
  six：　　shall　I　state　what　intellectual　progress　I　had　been　making　up
  to　this　period？　　Alas！　upon　this　point　I　have　little　to　say
  calculated　to　afford　either　pleasure　or　edification；　I　had
  increased　rapidl