cattle land？ Were these hills covered by forests？ I don't know。 These archaeologists don't know。 Or if they do they haven't told me； which is just as bad。 I don't believe they know。 〃What trade came here along these tracks？ So far as I know； they had no beasts of burthen。 But suppose one day someone were to find a potsherd here from early Knossos； or a fragment of glass from Pepi's Egypt。〃 The place had stirred up his imagination。 He wrestled with his ignorance as if he thought that by talking he might presently worry out some picture of this forgotten world； without metals； without beasts of burthen； without letters； without any sculpture that has left a trace； and yet with a sense of astronomical fact clear enough to raise the great gnomon of Silbury； and with a social system complex enough to give the large and orderly community to which the size of Avebury witnesses and the traffic to which the green roads testify。 The doctor had not realized before the boldness and liveliness of his companion's mind。 Sir Richmond insisted that the climate must have been moister and milder in those days； he covered all the downlands with woods； as Savernake was still covered； beneath the trees he restored a thicker； richer soil。 These people must have done an enormous lot with wood。 This use of stones here was a freak。 It was the very strangeness of stones here that had made them into sacred things。 One thought too much of the stones of the Stone Age。 Who would carve these lumps of quartzite when one could carve good oak？ Or beecha most carvable wood。 Especially when one's sharpest chisel was a flint。 〃It's wood we ought to look for；〃 said Sir Richmond。 〃Wood and fibre。〃 He declared that these people had their tools of wood； their homes of wood； their gods and perhaps their records of wood。 〃A peat bog here； even a few feet of clay； might have pickled some precious memoranda。 。 。 。 No such luck。 。 。 。 Now in Glastonbury marshes one found the life of the early iron agehalf way to our own timesquite beautifully pickled。〃 Though they wrestled mightily with the problem； neither Sir Richmond nor the doctor could throw a gleam of light upon the riddle why the ditch was inside and not outside the great wall。 〃And what was our Mind like in those days？〃 said Sir Richmond。 〃That； I suppose； is what interests you。 A vivid childish mind； I guess； with not a suspicion as yet that it was Man ruling his Planet or anything of that sort。〃 The doctor pursed his lips。 〃None；〃 he delivered judicially。 〃If one were able to recall one's childhoodat the age of about twelve or thirteenwhen the artistic impulse so often goes into abeyance and one begins to think in a troubled； monstrous way about God and Hell； one might get something like the mind of this place。〃 〃Thirteen。 You put them at that already？ 。 。 。 These people； you think； were religious？〃 〃Intensely。 In that personal way that gives death a nightmare terror。 And as for the fading of the artistic impulse； they've left not a trace of the paintings and drawings and scratchings of the Old Stone people who came before them。〃 〃Adults with the minds of thirteen…year…old children。 Thirteen…year…old children with the strength of adultsand no one to slap them or tell them not to。 。 。 。 After all； they probably only thought of death now and then。 And they never thought of fuel。 They supposed there was no end to that。 So they used up their woods and kept goats to nibble and kill the new undergrowth。 DID these people have goats？ 〃 〃I don't know；〃 said the doctor。 So little is known。〃 〃Very like children they must have been。 The same unending days。 They must have thought that the world went on for ever… just as they knew itlike my damned Committee does。 。 。 。 With their fuel wasting away and the climate changing imperceptibly； century by century。 。 。 。 Kings and important men followed one another here for centuries and centuries。 。 。 。 They had lost their past and had no idea of any future。 。 。 。 They had forgotten how they came into the land 。 。 。 When I was a child I believed that my father's garden had been there for ever。 。 。 。 〃This is very like trying to remember some game one played when one was a child。 It is like coming on something that one built up with bricks and stones in some forgotten part of the garden。 。 。 。 〃
〃The life we lived here；〃 said the doctor； has left its traces in traditions； in mental predispositions； in still unanalyzed fundamental ideas。〃 〃Archaeology is very like remembering；〃 said Sir Richmond。 〃Presently we shall remember a lot more about all this。 We shall remember what it was like to live in this place； and the long journey hither； age by age out of the south。 We shall remember the sacrifices we made and the crazy reasons why we made them。 We sowed our corn in blood here。 We had strange fancies about the stars。 Those we brought with us out of the south where the stars are brighter。 And what like were those wooden gods of ours？ I don't remember。 。 。 。 But I could easily persuade myself that I had been here before。〃 They stood on the crest of the ancient wall and the setting sun cast long shadows of them athwart a field of springing wheat。 〃Perhaps we shall come here again；〃 the doctor carried on Sir Richmond's fancy； 〃after another four thousand years or so； with different names and fuller minds。 And then I suppose that this ditch won't be the riddle it is now。〃 〃Life didn't seem so complicated then；〃 Sir Richmond mused。 〃Our muddles were unconscious。 We drifted from mood to mood and forgot。 There was more sunshine then； more laughter perhaps； and blacker despair。 Despair like the despair of children that can weep itself to sleep。 。 。 。 It's over。 。 。 。 Was it battle and massacre that ended that long afternoon here？ Or did the woods catch fire some exceptionally dry summer； leaving black hills and famine？ Or did strange men bring a sicknessmeasles； perhaps； or the black death？ Or was it cattle pest？ Or did we just waste our woods and dwindle away before the new peoples that came into the land across the southern sea？ I can't remember。 。 。 。 〃 Sir Richmond turned about。 〃I would like to dig up the bottom of this ditch here foot by footand dry the stuff and sift itvery carefully。 。 。 。 Then I might begin to remember things。〃 Section 5 In the evening； after a pleasant supper； they took a turn about the walls with the moon sinking over beyond Silbury； and then went in and sat by lamplight before a brightly fussy wood fire and smoked。 There were long intervals of friendly silence。 〃I don't in the least want to go on talking about myself； 〃 said Sir Richmond abruptly。 〃Let it rest then；〃 said the doctor generously。 〃To…day； among these ancient memories； has taken me out of myself wonderfully。 I can't tell you how good Avebury has been for me。 This afternoon half my consciousness has seemed to be a tattooed creature wearing a knife of stone。 。 。 。 〃 〃The healing touch of history。〃 〃And for the first time my damned Committee has mattered scarcely a rap。 〃 Sir Richmond stretched himself in his chair and blinked cheerfully at his cigar smoke。 〃Nevertheless；〃 he said； 〃this confessional business of yours has been an excellent exercise。 It has enabled me to get outside myself； to look at myself as a Case。 Now I can even see myself as a remote Case。 That I needn't bother about further。 。 。 。 So far as that goes； I think we have done all that there is to be done。〃 〃I shouldn't say thatquiteyet；〃 said the doctor。 〃I don't think I'm a subject for real psychoanalysis at all。 I'm not an overlaid sort of person。 When I spread myself out there is not much indication of a suppressed wish or of anything masked or buried of that sort。 What you get is a quite open and recognized discord of two sets of motives。〃 The doctor considered。 〃Yes； I think that is true。 Your LIBIDO is； I should say； exceptionally free。 Generally you are doing what you want to dooverdoing； in fact； what you want to do and getting simply tired。〃 〃Which is the theory I started with。 I am a case of fatigue under irritating circumstances with very little mental complication or concealment。〃 〃Yes；〃 said the doctor。 〃I agree。 You are not a case for psychoanalysis； strictly speaking； at all。 You are in open conflict with yourself； upon moral and social issues。 Practically open。 Your problems are problems of conscious conduct。〃 〃As I said。〃 〃Of what renunciations you have consciously to make。〃 Sir Richmond did not answer that。 。 。 。 〃This pilgrimage of ours；〃 he said； presently； 〃has made for magnanimity。 This day particularly has been a good day。 When we stood on this old wall here in the sunset I seemed to be standing outside myself in an immense still sphere of past and future。 I stood with my feet upon the Stone Age and saw myself four thousand years away； and all my distresses as very little incidents in that perspective。 Away there in London the case is altogether different； after three hours or so of the Committee one concentrates into one little inflamed moment of personality。 There is no past any longer； there is no future； there is only the rankling dispute。 For all those three hours； perhaps； I have been thinking of just what I had to say； just how I had to say it； just how I looked while I said it； just how much I was making myself understood； how I might be misunderstood； how I might be misrepresented； challenged； denied。 One draws in more and more as one is used up。 At last one is reduced to a little； raw； bleeding； desperately fighting； pin…point of SELF。 。 。 。 One goes back to one's home unable to recover。 Fighting it over again。 All night sometimes 。 。 。 。 I get up and walk about the room and curse 。 。 。 。 Martineau； how is one to get the Avebury frame of mind to Westminster？〃 〃When Westminster is as dead as Avebury；〃 said the doctor； unhelpfully。 He added after some seconds； 〃Milton knew of these troubles。 'Not without dust and heat' he wrotea great phrase。〃 〃But the dust chokes me；〃 said Sir Richmond。 He took up a copy of THE GREEN ROADS OF ENGLAND that lay beside him on the table。 But he did not open it。 He held it in his hand and said the thing he had had in mind to say all that evening。 〃I do not think that I shall stir up my motives any more for a time。 Better to go on into the west country cooling my poor old brain in these wide