科贝特出身于农民家庭，后来办报评论时政，是改革派的竭力支持者。其代表作有《骑马乡行记》，记录了他行游乡村时的所见所闻。他笔下的英国景色美丽，风俗淳朴，并对当时腐败的政治进行了强烈的谴责。他的作品思想犀利，文笔朴实无华。 I came off this morning on the Marlborough road about two miles，orthree，and then turned off,over the downs，in a northwesterlY direction．in search of the source of the Avon river，which goes down to Salisbury．I had once been at Netheravon，a village in this valley。but I had oftenheard this valley described as one of the finest pieces of land in allEngland；I knew that there were about thirty pari sh churches．standing ina length of about thirty miles，and in an average,width of hardly a mile；and 1 was resolved to see a little into the reasons that could have inducedour fathers to build all these churches，especially if,as the Scotch wouldhave US believe，there were but a mere handful of people in England untilof late years． In steering across the down，I came to a large farm，which a shepherdtold me was Milton Hill Farm．This was upon the high land．and before Icame to the edge of this Valley of Avon，which was my land of promise，or at least，of great expectation；for I could not imagine that thirty Churches had been built for nothing by the side of a brook(for it is no more during the greater part of the way)thirty miles long．The shepherd showed me the way towards Milton；and at the end of about a mile，from the top of a very high part of the down，with a steep slope towards the valley，I first saw this Valley of Avon；and a most beautiful sight it was!Villages，hamlets，large farms，towers，steeples，fields，meadows，orchards，and very fine timber trees，scattered all over the valley．The shape of the thing is this：on each side downs，very lofty and steep in some places，and sloping miles back in other places；but each outside of the valley are downs．From the edge of the downs begin capital arable fields generally of very great dimensions，and，in some places，running a mile or two back into little cross valleys，formed by hills of downs．After the cornfields come meadows on each side，down to the brook or fiver．The farmhouses，mansions，villages，and hamlets are generally situated in that part of the arable land which comes nearest the meadows．
Great as my expectations had been，they were more than fulfilled．I delight in this sort of country；and I had frequently seen the vale of the Itchen，that of the Bourn，and also that of the Teste in Hampshire；I had seen the vales amongst the South Downs；but I Bever before saw anything to please me like this valley of the Avon．I sat upon my horse and looked over Milton and Easton and Pewsey for half an hour．though I had not breakfasted．The hill was very steep．A road，going slanting down it，was still SO steep，and washed SO very deep by the rains of ages，that I did not attempt to ride down it，and I did not like tO lead my horse，the path was SO nalTOW．So seeing a boy with a drove of pigs going out to the stubbles，I beckoned him to come up to me；and he came and led my house down for me．But now，before I begin to ride down this beautiful valley．1et me give，as well as my means will enable me，a plan or map of it，which I have made in this way．A friend has lent me a very old map ofWiltshiredescribing the spots where all the churches stand，and also all the spots where manor—houses or mansion-houses stood．I 1aid a piece of verythin paper upon the map，and thus traced the river upon my paper，puttingfigures to represent the spots where churches stand，and putting stars torepresent the spots where manor-houses or mansion—-houses formerlystood．Endless is the variety in the shape of the high lands which formthis valley．Sometimes the slope is very gentle，and the arable lands goback very far．At others．the downs come out into the valley almost likepiers into the sea，being very steep in their sides，as well as their ends：indeed they have no back ends，but run into the main high land．There isalso great variety in the width of the valley；great variety in the width ofthe meadows；but the land appears all to be ofthe very best；and it mustbe SO，forthe farmers confeSS it． It seemed to me that one way，and that not，perhaps，the leaststriking，of exposing the folly，the stupidity，the：inanity，the presumption，the insufferable emptiness and insolence and barbarity．of those numerouswretches who have now the audacity tO propose 1=O transport the people ofEngland，upon the principle of the monster Malthus，who has furnishedthe unfeeling oligarchs and their toad——eaters with the pretence thatman has a natural propensity to breed faster than food can be raised forthe increase；it seemed to me that one way of exposing this mixture ofmadness and of blasphemy was to take a look，now that the harvest is in，at the produce，the mouths，the condition，and the changes that have takenplace，in a spot like this，which God has favoured with every good that hehas had to bestow upon man． From the top of the hill 1 was not a little surprised to see．in everypart of the valley that my eyes could reach，a due，a large，portion offields of Swedish turnips，all looking extremely well．I had found theturnips of both sorts by no means bad from Salt Hill to Newbury；butm Newbury through Brughclere，Highclere，Uphusband，and Tangley，I had seen but few．At and about Ludgarshall and Everley I had seen hardly any．But when I came this morning to Milton Hill Farm，I saw a very large field of what appeared to me to be fine Swedish turnips．In the valley，however，I found them much finer，and the fields were very beautiful objects，forming，as their colour did，SO great a contrast with that of the fallows and the stubbles，which latter are，this year，singularly clean and bright．
Having gotten to the bottom ofthe hill，I proceeded on to the village of Milton，the church of which is，in the map，represented by the figure(3)，I left Easton(2)away at my right，and I did not go up to Watton Rivers(1)where the river Avon rises，and which lie、s just close to the south—west corner of Marlborough Forest，and at about 5 or 6 miles from the town of Marlborough．Lower down the river，as I thought，there lived a friend，who was a great farmer，and whom I intended to call on．It being my way，however，always tO begin making inquiries soon enough，I asked the pig-driver where this friend lived；and，to my surprise，I found that he lived in the parish of Milton．After riding up to the church，as being the centre of the village，1 went on towards the house of my friend，which lay on my road down the valley．I have many，many times witnessed agreeable surprise；but I dO not knOW that I ever in the whole course of my life saw people SO much surprised and pleased as this farmer and his family were at seeing me．People often tell you that they are glad to see you；and in general they speak truth．I take pretty good care not to approach any house，with the smallest appearance of a design tO eat or drink in it。unless I be quite sure of a cordial reception；but my friend at Fifield(it is Milton parish)and all his family really seemed to be delighted beyond a11 expression．induce v．劝诱；导致；促使timber n．木材，木料
v用木材建造meadow n．草地；牧场stubble n．断株，剪成短短的头发茬inanity n．空洞；愚蠢；浅薄；空洞的言行turnip n．芜菁；大头菜padsh n．教区
