The King’s England by Arthur Mee

Arthur Henry Mee (21 July 1875 – 27 May 1943) was a British writer, journalist and educator. He is best known for The Harmsworth Self-Educator, The Children’s Encyclopædia, The Children\’s Newspaper, and The King’s England (a guide to the counties of England).

Our Rich Harvest

FISHBOURNE. It lies down a lane outside Chichester, and its church is away in a field, a charming block of red roofs with a tiny bellcap. There is a veteran bell kept for old times’ sake in the nave, a very fine font, two beautiful carved seats in the choir, fragments of ancient glass and lovely bits of carving, and a roll of honour with these lines:

Sons of this place, let this of you be said,
That you who live are worthy of your dead.
These gave their lives that you who live may reap
A richer harvest ere you fall asleep.

The simple chancel has been as we see it about 700 years; quite new compared with it is the sculptured column in the churchyard with figures of Faith, Hope, and Charity. At the door are two good stone heads, one a perky sort of fellow and one a laughing lady.