Page:The English Peasant.djvu/188

 he gave them some excellent advice on the character they should bear at home. "Consult," he said, "your wives, and not your neighbours, in every difficulty of life; cultivate self-respect, and seek to possess true religion." Finally, he inveighed, in the strongest manner, against the sermon that they had heard, which he characterised as an insult to them all.

This is the natural feeling of all poor, unlearned, but pious men. But mediaeval customs, instead of appearing old, are to them newfangled and vain. They infallibly drive all the more earnest ones quite away, making them say as one such did the other day to me, "Why, sir, the Church seem just like a theätre."

Let us, however, cast aside for a time these unpleasing reflections, and refresh our spirits by a walk over the cliffs which rise so picturesquely to the east of Seaford. How full of feature and interest the South Downs become in this neighbourhood!

By the white lumps of chalk placed to guide the wayfarer at night or in gloomy weather, we track our path across the cliffs as it rises and falls with the undulations of the hills. Now and then there are breaks in the cliffy, through which we get wild romantic bits of seascape. The finest of these breaks is about half-a-mile along the coast. The cliffs are split most fantastic-wise, and lead down by precipitous steps from one landing-place to another. It is a dangerous spot to attempt to penetrate too far, but we may advance sufficiently near to note how fine a foreground the white jagged chalk, softened by patches of green sward and yellow poppies, makes to the deep blue sea which fills up the gap. Seen when the moon was up, and the cliffs gleamed out spectrally, while overhead was heard the plaintive cry of the sea-gull, and below, the deep moan of the unseen wave, the place suggested all manner of superstitious fancies to the poor South Saxon. Just the haunt in which the "Pharisees," as they called fairies, would choose for their revels,—a fitting court and temple for Puck, the leading sprite in their frolicsome band. So they named it Puck Church Parlour—a queer combination of ideas.