[Illustration:  Byron’s elm in church yard, Harrow.]

XVI

THE HAUNTS OF MILTON AND PENN

Leaving London by the Harrow road, in course of an hour we came to the famous college town, which lies about fifteen miles north of the city.  It is known chiefly for its boys’ school, which was founded early in the reign of Queen Elizabeth and at which many great Englishmen received their early education.  The school is situated on the top of a hill, one of the most commanding positions in the vicinity of London, and on the very summit is the Norman church.  The view from this churchyard is one of the finest in England.  For many miles the fertile valley of the Thames spreads out like a great park, exhibiting the most pleasing characteristics of an English landscape.  On one side the descent is almost precipitous, and at the edge, in the churchyard, stands a gigantic elm—­now in the late stages of decay—­which still bears the sobriquet of “Byron’s Elm.”  It is said that Byron, during his days at Harrow, would sit here for hours at a time and contemplate the beautiful scene which spread out before him.  A descendant of one of the poet’s friends has placed near the spot a brass tablet, inscribed with the somewhat stilted lines, On a Distant view From Harrow Churchyard,

    “Spot of my youth, whose hoary branches sigh,
    Swept by the breeze that fans the cloudless sky;
    O! as I trace again thy winding hill,
    Mine eyes admire, my heart adores thee still. 
    Thou drooping elm!  Beneath whose boughs I lay,
    And frequent mused the twilight hours away;
    How do thy branches, moaning to the blast,
    Invite this bosom to recall the past,
    And seem to whisper, as they gently swell,
    ‘Take, while thou canst, a lingering, last farewell’”

We reached Harrow too late to attend church as we had hoped, the morning services just closing as we entered the churchyard.  We saw everywhere numbers of students in Sunday garb, and an odd appearance these boys of from fifteen to eighteen presented in a costume very nearly the counterpart of an ordinary dress suit, usually set off by a high silk hat.  Harrow is associated with the names of many men who attained high rank in English history and literature, some of whom strove in their boyhood days to anticipate immortality by carving their names on the wooden desks.  Among these may still be seen the rudely cut letters of the names of Byron, Sheridan and Peele.

The town, which slopes away from the top of the hill, has an up-to-date appearance and is a favorite place for suburban residences of wealthy Londoners.  The road leading down the hill from the church turned sharply out of view, and just as we were beginning the descent a gentleman hastened to us and cautioned us not to undertake it.  He said that numerous motors had been wrecked in the attempt.  We went down by a roundabout way, but when we came to pass the hill at its foot, we found it was not nearly so steep as some we had already passed over.