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I bequeath to you the beauty of this land and the loveliness of its changing seasons - the eager
green hope of Spring, the Sunday-blue splendour of Summer, the golden promise of Autumn, and
the pure white peace of a Winter's day.
I leave you the quiet of an English hilltop and a vision of the smiling world that opens out
below; the patchwork quilt of fields and pathways that stretch until they touch the sky.
I give you the joyous hymn of Nature - the lilt of the lark, the chatter of sparrows and the proud
song of the little wren.
I pass on to you the love and companionship of dumb animals... the nuzzle of a donkey, the neigh
of a horse, the welcoming bark of a dog and the contented purr of a cat upon your window sill. But
I also charge you with the care and protection of such creatures and all living things. They, too,
share this land of ours and are part of its heritage. It was never intended for man alone.
I bequeath to you the plentiful waters - the majesty of the mighty sea as it growls against our rocky
shores; the refreshing rivers and the simple streams where you can sit a while and dream.
I leave you the multiple bounty of the earth for food - the choice fruits and golden crops, the
stately avenues of trees and the glory of the hedgerows, the mystic beauty of wildflowers and the
soothing sight of herbs and ferns that grow in secret corners.
My legacy to you includes the love of quiet places in this England of ours, where the many
burdens of life can be put down, where cares shall fall away and the will to persevere shall come
upon you.
I give you the power to remember the joys you have known, and the healing grace to forget,
which is the foundation of all forgiveness.
I give you the seeds of English justice and the charity to scatter them at will throughout the garden
of this world, so that one day all men of all races and creeds shall be free and equal in the
eyes of man, as they are already in the sight of God.
I endow you with a sense of calm so that you may look out upon the troubles of this world and
yet not be discomforted. I give you a heart that does not quail at danger, and a courage that will not
flinch at whatever task lies ahead of you. For your belief in the everlasting spirit of England is a
faith well founded.
You are to inherit a scorn for all manner of things ignoble - a deep hatred of Evil and the strength
to fight against its forces, in their many disguises, until they are defeated.
Finally, I ask you to believe in Him. For if you have faith you shall live to see the new Dawn that is
yet to come.
Until then, treasure these bequests above all those contrived by man.
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This is my legacy to you.
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