AndthenwhatahillistheWhiteHorseHill！Thereitstandsrightupabovealltherest，ninehundredfeetabovethesea，andtheboldest，bravestshapeforachalkhillthatyoueversaw。Letusgouptothetopofhim，andseewhatistobefoundthere。Ay，youmaywellwonderandthinkitoddyouneverheardofthisbefore；butwonderornot，asyouplease，therearehundredsofsuchthingslyingaboutEngland，whichwiserfolkthanyouknownothingof，andcarenothingfor。Yes，it’samagnificentRomancamp，andnomistake，withgatesandditchandmounds，allascompleteasitwastwentyyearsafterthestrongoldroguesleftit。Here，rightuponthehighestpoint，fromwhichtheysayyoucanseeelevencounties，theytrenchedroundallthetable-land，sometwelveorfourteenacres，aswastheircustom，fortheycouldn’tbearanybodytooverlookthem，andmadetheireyrie。Thegroundfallsawayrapidlyonallsides。Wasthereeversuchturfinthewholeworld？Yousinkuptoyouranklesateverystep，andyetthespringofitisdelicious。Thereisalwaysabreezeinthe“camp，“asitiscalled；andhereitlies，justastheRomansleftit，exceptthatcairnontheeastside，leftbyherMajesty’scorpsofsappersandminerstheotherday，whentheyandtheengineerofficerhadfinishedtheirsojournthere，andtheirsurveysfortheordnancemapofBerkshire。Itisaltogetheraplacethatyouwon’tforget，aplacetoopenaman’ssoul，andmakehimprophesy，ashelooksdownonthatgreatValespreadoutasthegardenoftheLordbeforehim，andwaveonwaveofthemysteriousdownsbehind，andtotherightandleftthechalkhillsrunningawayintothedistance，alongwhichhecantraceformilestheoldRomanroad，“theRidgeway““theRudge，“asthecountryfolkcallit，keepingstraightalongthehighestbackofthehills——suchaplaceasBalakbroughtBalaamto，andtoldhimtoprophesyagainstthepeopleinthevalleybeneath。
Andhecouldnot，neithershallyou，fortheyareapeopleoftheLordwhoabidethere。
Andnowweleavethecamp，anddescendtowardsthewest，andareontheAshdown。Wearetreadingonheroes。ItissacredgroundforEnglishmen——moresacredthanallbutoneortwofieldswheretheirbonesliewhitening。ForthisistheactualplacewhereourAlfredwonhisgreatbattle，thebattleofAshdown“Aescendum“inthechroniclers，whichbroketheDanishpower，andmadeEnglandaChristianland。TheDanesheldthecampandtheslopewherewearestanding——thewholecrownofthehill，infact。“Theheathenhadbeforehandseizedthehigherground，“
asoldAssersays，havingwastedeverythingbehindthemfromLondon，andbeingjustreadytoburstdownonthefairVale，Alfred’sownbirthplaceandheritage。AnduptheheightscametheSaxons，astheydidattheAlma。“TheChristiansleduptheirlinefromthelowerground。Therestoodalsoonthatsamespotasinglethorn-tree，marvellousstumpywhichweourselveswithourveryowneyeshaveseen。“Blesstheoldchronicler！
Doeshethinknobodyeversawthe“singlethorn-tree“buthimself？Why，thereitstandstothisveryday，justontheedgeoftheslope，andIsawitnotthreeweekssince——anoldsinglethorn-tree，“marvellousstumpy。“Atleast，ifitisn’tthesametreeitoughttohavebeen，forit’sjustintheplacewherethebattlemusthavebeenwonorlost——“aroundwhich，asIwassaying，thetwolinesoffoemencametogetherinbattlewithahugeshout。Andinthisplaceoneofthetwokingsoftheheathenandfiveofhisearlsfelldownanddied，andmanythousandsoftheheathensideinthesameplace。“*Afterwhichcrowningmercy，thepiousking，thattheremightneverbewantingasignandamemorialtothecountry-side，carvedoutonthenorthernsideofthechalkhill，underthecamp，whereitisalmostprecipitous，thegreatSaxonWhiteHorse，whichhewhowillmayseefromtherailway，andwhichgivesitsnametotheVale，overwhichithaslookedthesethousandyearsandmore。