* * MARIA EDGEWORTH Belinda Maria Edgeworth was born at Black Bourton, Oxfordshire, England, Jan. 1, 1767, and eleven years later her father removed to Ireland and settled on his own estate at Edgeworthstown.

Bourton-on-the-Water distinguishes from Bourton-on-the-Hill.

Bourton-on-the-Water distinguishes from Bourton-on-the-Hill.

Some of the pleasantest matches we have ever taken part in have been those at Bourton-on-the-Water.

Owing to the very soft wicket which he found on arriving, this place was once christened by a well-known cricketer Bourton-on-the-Bog.

Indeed, it is often a case of Bourton-under-the-Water; but, in spite of a soft pitch, there is great keenness and plenty of good-tempered rivalry about these matches.

Bourton is a truly delightful village.

In the luncheon tent at Bourton there are usually more wasps than are ever seen gathered together in one place; they come in thousands from their nests in the banks of the Windrush.

Besides the matches at Bourton, there is plenty of cricket at Cirencester, Northleach, and other centres in the Cotswolds.

The hounds, after meeting close to Moreton-in-the-Marsh, in Warwickshire, had found a great hart in the forest near Seizincote, and had hunted him "at force" over the deep undrained vale up on to the Cotswold Hills, away past Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water, towards the great woods of Chedworth.

The second downfall was at the brook by Bourton-Windrush, I think they call it.

Several pleasant vales intersect this country, notably the Bourton and the Gawcombe Vale; and there is excellent grass round Moreton-in-the-Marsh.

A year or two ago three fine young badgers were captured near Bourton-on-the-Water, on the Cotswolds.

The church, which is still intact, and also a good portion of the conventual buildings, are exquisitely situated under the great hill of Penselwood, part of the line of hills that runs from above Bourton almost to Longleat and that forms the high boundary of Somerset and Wiltshire.

Of Norman chancel arches and doorways retained when the body of the church has been re-constructed the examples are numerous; noteworthy are those at Glastonbury, Milborne Port, Stoke-Courcy, Lullington, Huish Episcopi, Portbury, St Catherine, South Stoke, Flax Bourton, Langridge, Clevedon, Chewton Mendip, Englishcombe.

Barrow Gurney is a small village, prettily situated (1 m. from Flax Bourton stat.), with a church about a mile away.

Flax Bourton, a parish 5 m. S.W. of Bristol (with a station), is said to owe the first part of its name to the abbey of Flaxley in Gloucestershire, which possessed the principal estate in the parish.

Winford, a parish 4 m. S.S.E. of Flax Bourton station.