14 DECEMBER 1929, Page 15

THE HEART OF ENGLAND.

One passage from Mr. Buchan's Introduction I cannot forbear to quote :-

" For the whole space of our history the valley has been the heart of English life. Cotswold may cease to be the centre of our national wealth and sink to desolate sheep-walks, but the valley does not lose its importance. Its proximity to London links it always with the main wealth of the nation. It is important in another sense. The river washes the confines of those southern midlands, which have produced the majority of our greatest men, whether of letters or of action."