diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/64218-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/64218-0.txt | 6764 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 6764 deletions
diff --git a/old/64218-0.txt b/old/64218-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c320fc0..0000000 --- a/old/64218-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6764 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, A Journey Made in the Summer of 1794, through -Holland and the Western Frontier of Germany, with a Return Down the Rhine, -Vol. II (of 2), by Ann Ward Radcliffe - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: A Journey Made in the Summer of 1794, through Holland and the Western Frontier of Germany, with a Return Down the Rhine, Vol. II (of 2) - To Which Are Added Observations during a Tour to the Lakes of Lancashire, Westmoreland, and Cumberland; Second Edition - - -Author: Ann Ward Radcliffe - - - -Release Date: January 5, 2021 [eBook #64218] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A JOURNEY MADE IN THE SUMMER OF -1794, THROUGH HOLLAND AND THE WESTERN FRONTIER OF GERMANY, WITH A RETURN -DOWN THE RHINE, VOL. II (OF 2)*** - - -E-text prepared by Delphine Lettau and the Distributed Proofreaders Canada -team (http://www.pgdpcanada.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/journeymadeinsum02radcuoft - - Project Gutenberg has Volume I of this work: - see http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62795 - - - - - - A JOURNEY - - MADE IN THE SUMMER OF 1794, - - THROUGH HOLLAND AND THE - - WESTERN FRONTIER OF GERMANY, - - WITH A RETURN DOWN THE RHINE: - - TO WHICH ARE ADDED - - OBSERVATIONS DURING A TOUR TO - - THE LAKES OF - - LANCASHIRE, WESTMORELAND, AND CUMBERLAND. - - IN TWO VOLUMES. - - VOL. II. - - SECOND EDITION. - - BY ANN RADCLIFFE. - - - _LONDON_: - PRINTED FOR G. G. AND J. ROBINSON, PATERNOSTER-ROW. - MDCCXCV. - - - - -A JOURNEY, &c. - - - - -FRIBURG - - -Is an antient Imperial city and the capital of the Brisgau. Its name -alludes to the privileges granted to such cities; but its present -condition, like that of many others, is a proof of the virtual -discontinuance of the rights, by which the Sovereign intended to -invite to one part of his dominions the advantages of commerce. Its -appearance is that, which we have so often described; better than -Cologne, and worse than Mentz; its size is about a third part of the -latter city. On descending to it, the first distinct object is the -spire of the great church, a remarkable structure, the stones of which -are laid with open interstices, so that the light appears through its -tapering sides. Of this sort of stone fillagree work there are said to -be other specimens in Germany. The city was once strongly fortified, -and has endured some celebrated sieges. In 1677, 1713, and 1745 it -was taken by the French, who, in the latter year, destroyed all the -fortifications, which had rendered it formidable, and left nothing but -the present walls. - -Being, however, a frontier place towards Switzerland, it is provided -with a small Austrian garrison; and the business of permitting, or -preventing the passage of travellers into that country is entrusted to -its officers. The malignity, or ignorance of one of these, called the -Lieutenant de Place, prevented us from reaching it, after a journey of -more than six hundred miles; a disappointment, which no person could -bear without severe regret, but which was alloyed to us by the reports -we daily heard of some approaching change in Switzerland unfavourable -to England, and by a consciousness of the deduction which, in spite -of all endeavours at abstraction, encroachments upon physical comfort -and upon the assurance of peacefulness make from the disposition to -enquiry, or fancy. - -We had delivered at the gate the German passport, recommended to us -by M. de Schwartzkoff, and which had been signed by the Commandant -at Mentz; the man, who took it, promising to bring it properly -attested to our inn. He returned without the passport, and, as we -afterwards found, carried our voiturier to be examined by an officer. -We endeavoured in vain to obtain an explanation, as to this delay -and appearance of suspicion, till, at supper, the Lieutenant de Place -announced himself, and presently shewed, that he was not come to -offer apologies. This, man, an illiterate Piedmontese in the Austrian -service, either believed, or affected to do so, that our name was not -Radcliffe, but something like it, with a German termination, and that -we were not English, but Germans. Neither my Lord Grenville's, or M. -de Schwartzkoff's passports, our letters from London to families in -Switzerland, nor one of credit from the Messrs. Hopes of Amsterdam to -the Banking-house of Porta at Lausanne, all of which he pretended to -examine, could remove this discerning suspicion as to our country. -While we were considering, as much as vexation would permit, what -circumstance could have afforded a pretext for any part of this -intrusion, it came out incidentally, that the confirmation given -to our passport at Mentz, which we had never examined, expressed -"returning to England," though the pass itself was for Basil, to which -place we were upon our route. - -Such a contradiction might certainly have justified some delay, if we -had not been enabled to prove it accidental to the satisfaction of -any person desirous of being right. The passport had been produced at -Mentz, together with those of two English artists, then on their return -from Rome, whom we had the pleasure to see at Franckfort. The Secretary -inscribed all the passports alike of England, and M. de Lucadou, the -Commandant, hastily signed ours, without observing the mistake, though -he so well knew us to be upon the road to Switzerland, that he politely -endeavoured to render us some service there. Our friends in Mentz being -known to him, he desired us to accept an address from himself to M. de -Wilde, Intendant of salt mines near Bec. We produced to Mr. Lieutenant -this address, as a proof, that the Commandant both knew us, and where -we were going; but it soon appeared, that, though the former might -have honestly fallen into his suspicions at first, he had a malignant -obstinacy in refusing to abandon them. He left us, with notice that we -could not quit the town without receiving the Commandant's permission -by his means; and it was with some terror, that we perceived ourselves -to be so much in his power, in a place where there was a pretext for -military authority, and where the least expression of just indignation -seemed to provoke a disposition for further injustice. - -The only relief, which could be hinted to us, was to write to the -Commandant at Mentz, who might re-testify his knowledge of our -destination; yet, as an answer could not be received in less than -eight days, and, as imagination suggested not only all the possible -horrors of oppression, during that period, but all the contrivances, by -which the malignant disposition we had already experienced, might even -then be prevented from disappointment, we looked upon this resource as -little better than the worst, and resolved in the morning to demand -leave for an immediate return to Mentz. - -There being then some witnesses to the application, the Lieutenant -conducted himself with more propriety, and even proposed an -introduction to the Commandant, to whom we could not before hear of -any direct means of access; there being a possibility, he said, that -a passage into Switzerland might be permitted. But the disgust of -Austrian authority was now so complete, that we were not disposed to -risk the mockery of an appeal. The Lieutenant expressed his readiness -to allow our passage, if we should choose to return from Mentz with -another passport; but we had no intention to be ever again in his -power, and, assuring him that we should not return, left Friburg -without the hope of penetrating through the experienced, and present -difficulties of Germany, into the far-seen delights of Switzerland. - -As those, who leave one home for another, think, in the first part -of their journey, of the friends they have left, and, in the last, -of those, to whom they are going; so we, in quitting the borders of -Switzerland, thought only of that country; and, when we regained the -eminence from whence the tops of its mountains had been so lately -viewed with enthusiastic hope, all this delightful expectation occurred -again to the mind, only to torture it with the certainty of our loss; -but, as the distance from Switzerland increased, the attractions of -home gathered strength, and the inconveniences of Germany, which had -been so readily felt before, could scarcely be noticed when we knew -them to lie in the road to England. - -We passed Offenburg, on the first day of our return, and, travelling -till midnight, as is customary in Germany during the summer, traversed -the unusual space of fifty miles in fourteen hours. Soon after passing -Appenweyer we overtook the rear-guard of the army, the advanced party -of which we had met at that place three nights before. The troops -were then quartered in the villages near the road, and their narrow -waggons were sometimes drawn up on both sides of it. They had probably -but lately separated, for there were parties of French ladies and -gentlemen, who seemed to have taken the benefit of moon-light to be -spectators, and some of the glow-worms, that had been numerous on the -banks, now glittered very prettily in the hair of the former. - -At Biel, a small town, which we reached about midnight, the street was -rendered nearly impassable by military carriages, and we were surprised -to find, that every room in the inn was not occupied by troops; but one -must have been very fastidious to have complained of any part of our -reception here. As to lodging, though the apartment was as bare as is -usual in Germany, there was the inscription of "Chambre de Monsieur" -over the door, and on another near it "Chambre de Condé le Grand"; -personages, who, it appeared, had once been accommodated there, for the -honour of which the landlord chose to retain their inscriptions. Their -meeting here was probably in 1791, soon after the departure of the -former from France. - -The second day's journey brought us again to Schwetzingen, from whence -we hoped to have reached Manheim, that night; but the post horses were -all out, and none others could be hired, the village being obliged to -furnish a certain number for the carriage of stores to the Austrian -army. Eighteen of these we had met, an hour before, drawing slowly in -one waggon, laden with cannon balls. We stayed the following day at -Manheim, and, on the next, reached Mentz, where our statement of the -obstruction at Friburg excited less surprise than indignation, the want -of agreement between the Austrian and Prussian officers being such, -that the former, who are frequently persons of the lowest education, -are said to neglect no opportunity of preying upon accidental mistakes -in passports, or other business, committed by the Prussians. Before our -departure we were, however, assured, that a proper representation of -the affair had been sent by the first estaffette to the Commandant at -Friburg. - -Further intelligence of the course of affairs in Flanders, was now -made known in Germany; and our regrets, relative to Switzerland, were -lessened by the apparent probability, that a return homeward might in a -few months be rendered difficult by some still more unfortunate events -to the allies. Several effects of the late reverses and symptoms of -the general alarm were indeed already apparent at Mentz. Our inn was -filled with refugees not only from Flanders, but from Liege, which the -French had not then threatened. Some of the emigrants of the latter -nation, in quitting the places where they had temporarily settled, -abandoned their only means of livelihood, and several parties arrived -in a state almost too distressful to be repeated. Ladies and children, -who had passed the night in fields, came with so little property, and -so little appearance of any, that they were refused admittance at -many inns; for some others, it seemed, after resting a day or two, -could offer only tears and lamentations, instead of payment. Our good -landlord, Philip Bolz, relieved several, and others had a little -charity from individuals; but, as far as we saw and heard, the Germans -very seldom afforded them even the consolations of compassion and -tender manners. - -Mentz is the usual place of embarkment for a voyage down the Rhine, -the celebrated scenery of whose banks we determined to view, as some -compensation for the loss of Switzerland. We were also glad to escape -a repetition of the fatigues of travel by land, now that these were to -be attended with the uncertainties occasioned by any unusual influx of -travellers upon the roads. - -The business of supplying post-horses is here not the private -undertaking of the innkeepers; so that the emulation and civility, -which might be excited by their views of profit, are entirely wanting. -The Prince de la Tour Taxis is the Hereditary Grand Post-master of the -Empire, an office, which has raised his family from the station of -private Counts, to a seat in the College of Princes. He has a monopoly -of the profits arising from this concern, for which he is obliged to -forward all the Imperial packets gratis. A settled number of horses and -a post-master are kept at every stage; where the arms of the Prince, -and some line entreating a blessing upon the post, distinguish the door -of his office. The post-master determines, according to the number of -travellers and the quantity of baggage, how many horses must be hired; -three persons cannot be allowed to proceed with less than three horses, -and he will generally endeavour to send out as many horses as there are -persons. - -The price for each horse was established at one florin, or twenty pence -per post, but, on account of the war, a florin and an half is now paid; -half a florin is also due for the carriage; and the postillion is -entitled to a trinkgeld, or drink-money, of another half florin; but, -unless he is promised more than this at the beginning of the stage, he -will proceed only at the regulated pace of four hours for each post, -which may be reckoned at ten or twelve English miles. We soon learned -the way of quickening him, and, in the Palatinate and the Brisgau, -where the roads are good, could proceed nearly as fast as we wished, -amounting to about five miles an hour. - -If the post-master supplies a carriage, he demands half a florin -per stage for it; but the whole expence of a chaise and two horses, -including the tolls and the _trinkgeld_, which word the postillions -accommodate to English ears by pronouncing it _drinkhealth_, does not -exceed eight pence per mile. We are, however, to caution all persons -against supposing, as we did, that the chaises of the post must be -proper ones, and that the necessity of buying a carriage, which may -be urged to them, is merely that of shew; these chaises are more -inconvenient and filthy, than any travelling carriage, seen in England, -can give an idea of, and a stranger should not enter Germany, before -he has purchased a carriage, which will probably cost twenty pounds in -Holland and sell for fifteen, at his return. Having neglected this, we -escaped from the _chaises de poste_ as often as possible, by hiring -those of voituriers, whose price is about half as much again as that of -the post. - -The regular drivers wear a sort of uniform, consisting of a yellow -coat, with black cuffs and cape, a small bugle horn, slung over the -shoulders, and a yellow sash. At the entrance of towns and narrow -passes, they sometimes sound the horn, playing upon it a perfect and -not unpleasant tune, the music of their order. All other carriages -give way to theirs, and persons travelling with them are considered -to be under the protection of the Empire; so that, if they were -robbed, information would be forwarded from one post-house to another -throughout all Germany, and it would become a common cause to -detect the aggressors. On this account, and because there can be no -concealment in a country so little populous, highway robberies are -almost unknown in it, and the fear of them is never mentioned. The -Germans, who, in summer, travel chiefly by night, are seldom armed, -and are so far from thinking even watchfulness necessary, that most -of their carriages, though open in front, during the day-time, are -contrived with curtains and benches, in order to promote rest. The -post-masters also assure you, that, if there were robbers, they would -content themselves with attacking private voituriers, without violating -the sacredness of the post; and the security of the postillions is so -strictly attended to, that no man dare strike them, while they have -the yellow coat on. In disputes with their passengers they have, -therefore, sometimes been known to put off this coat, in order to shew, -that they do not claim the extraordinary protection of the laws. - -These postillions acknowledge no obligation to travellers, who -usually give double what can be demanded, and seem to consider them -only as so many bales of goods, which they are under a contract with -the post-master to deliver at a certain place and within a certain -time. Knowing, that their slowness, if there is no addition to their -_trinkgeld_, is of itself sufficient to compel some gratuity, they do -not depart from the German luxury of incivility, and frequently return -no answer, when they are questioned, as to distance, or desired to call -the servant of an inn, or to quit the worst part of a road. When you -tell them, that they shall have a good _drinkhealth_ for speed, they -reply, "Yaw, yaw;" and, after that, think it unnecessary to reply to -any enquiry till they ask you for the money at the end of a stage. They -are all provided with tobacco boxes and combustible bark, on which they -stop to strike with a flint and steel, immediately after leaving their -town; in the hottest day and on the most dusty road, they will begin -to smoke, though every whiff flies into the faces of the passengers -behind; and it must be some very positive interference, that prevents -them from continuing it. - -As long as there are horses not engaged at any post-house, the people -are bound to supply travellers, within half an hour after their -arrival; but all the German Princes and many of their Ministers are -permitted to engage the whole stock on the road they intend to pass; -and it frequently happens, that individuals may be detained a day, or -even two, by such an order, if there should be no voiturier to furnish -them with others. At Cologne and Bonn, when we were first there, all -the horses were ordered for the Emperor, who passed through, however, -with only one carriage, accompanied by an Aide-de-camp and followed -by two servants, on horseback. It happens also frequently, that a -sudden throng of private travellers has employed the whole stock of the -post-masters; and the present emigrations from Liege and Juliers, we -were assured, had filled the roads so much, that we might be frequently -detained in small towns, and should find even the best overwhelmed with -crowds of fugitives. - -During a stay of five days at Mentz, we often wandered amidst the -ruins of the late siege, especially on the site of the Favorita, from -whence the majestic Rhine is seen rolling from one chain of mountains -to another. Near this spot, and not less fortunately situated, stood -a Carthusian convent, known in English history for having been the -head-quarters of George the Second, in the year 1743, soon after -the battle of Dettingen. The apartments, used by this monarch, were -preserved in the state, in which he left them, till a short time -before the late siege, when the whole building was demolished, so that -scarcely a trace of it now remains. - -By our enquiries for a passage vessel we discovered the unpleasant -truth, that the dread of another invasion began now to be felt at -Mentz, where, a fortnight before, not a symptom of it was discernible. -Several of the inhabitants had hired boats to be in readiness for -transporting their effects to Franckfort, if the French should approach -much nearer to the Rhine; and our friends, when we mentioned the -circumstance, confessed, that they were preparing for a removal to -Saxony. The state of the arsenal had been lately enquired into, and -a deficiency, which was whispered to have been discovered in the -gunpowder, was imputed to the want of cordiality between the Austrians -and Prussians, of whom the latter, being uncertain that they should -stay in the place, had refused to replenish the stores, at their own -expence, and the former would not spare their ammunition, till the -departure of the Prussians should leave it to be guarded by themselves. -The communication with the other shore of the Rhine, by the bridge and -the fortifications of Cassel, secured, however, to a German garrison -the opportunity of receiving supplies, even if the French should occupy -all the western bank of the river. - - - - -VOYAGE down the RHINE. - - -The boats, to be hired at Mentz, are awkward imitations of the Dutch -trechtschuyts, or what, upon the Thames, would be called House-boats; -but, for the sake of being allowed to dispose of one as the varieties -of the voyage should seem to tempt, we gave four louis for the use of a -cabin, between Mentz and Cologne; the boatmen being permitted to take -passengers in the other part of the vessel. In this we embarked at six -o'clock, on a delightful morning in the latter end of July, and, as -we left the shore, had leisure to observe the city in a new point of -view, the most picturesque we had seen. Its principal features were the -high quays called the Rheinstrasse, the castellated palace, with its -gothic turrets, of pale red stone, the arsenal, the lofty ramparts, -far extended along the river, and the northern gate; the long bridge of -boats completed the fore-ground, and some forest hills the picture. - -We soon passed the wooded island, called _Peters-au_, of so much -consequence, during the siege, for its command of the bridge; and, -approaching the mountains of the Rheingau to the north, the most -sublime in this horizon, saw their summits veiled in clouds, while the -sun soon melted the mists, that dimmed their lower sides, and brought -out their various colouring of wood, corn and soils. It was, however, -nearly two hours before the windings of the Rhine permitted us to -reach any of their bases. Meanwhile the river flowed through highly -cultivated plains, chiefly of corn, with villages thickly scattered on -its banks, in which are the country houses of the richer inhabitants of -Mentz, among pleasant orchards and vineyards. Those on the right bank -are in the dominions of the Prince of Nassau Usingen, who has a large -chateau in the midst of them, once tenanted, for a night, by George the -Second, and the Duke of Cumberland. - -The Rhine is here, and for several leagues downward, of a very noble -breadth, perhaps wider than in any other part of its German course; and -its surface is animated by many islands covered with poplars and low -wood. The western shore, often fringed with pine and elms, is flat; -but the eastern begins to swell into hillocks near Wallauf, the last -village of Nassau Usingen, and once somewhat fortified. - -Here the _Rheingau_, or the country of the vines, commences, and we -approached the northern mountains, which rise on the right in fine -sweeping undulations. These increased in dignity as we advanced, and -their summits then appeared to be darkened with heath and woods, which -form part of the extensive forest of _Landeswald_, or, _Woodland_. -Hitherto the scenery had been open and pleasant only, but now the -eastern shore began to be romantic, starting into heights, so abrupt, -that the vineyards almost overhung the river, and opening to forest -glens, among the mountains. Still, however, towns and villages -perpetually occurred, and the banks of the river were populous, though -not a vessel besides our own appeared upon it. - -On the eastern margin are two small towns, Ober- and Nieder-Ingelheim, -which, in the midst of the dominions of Mentz, belong to the Elector -Palatine. On this shore also is made one of the celebrated wines of the -Rhine, called Markerbrunner, which ranks next to those of Johannesberg -and Hockheim. At no great distance on the same shore, but beneath a -bank somewhat more abrupt, is the former of these places, alienated -in the sixteenth century from the dominions of Mentz, to those of the -Abbot, now Prince Bishop of Fulde. - -The wine of the neighbouring steeps is the highest priced of all the -numerous sorts of Rhenish; a bottle selling upon the spot, where it is -least likely to be pure, for three, four, or five shillings, according -to the vintages, the merits and distinctions of which are in the memory -of almost every German. That of 1786 was the most celebrated since -1779; but we continually heard that the heat of 1794 would render this -year equal in fame to any of the others. - -Behind the village is the large and well-built abbey of Johannesberg, -rich with all this produce, for the security of which there are immense -cellars, cut in the rock below, said to be capable of containing -several thousand tons of wine. The abbey was founded in 1105; and -there is a long history of changes pertaining to it, till it came into -the possession of the Abbot of Fulde, who rebuilt it in its present -state. This part of the Rheingau is, indeed, thickly set with similar -edifices, having, in a short space, the nunnery of Marienthal, and the -monasteries of Nothgottes, Aulenhausen, and Eibingen. - -Further on is the large modern chateau of Count Ostein, a nobleman of -great wealth, and, as it appears, of not less taste. Having disposed -all his nearer grounds in a style for the most part English, he has -had recourse to the ridge of precipices, that rise over the river, -for sublimity and grandeur of prospect. On the brink of these woody -heights, several pavilions have been erected, from the most conspicuous -of which Coblentz, it is said, may be distinguished, at the distance -of forty miles. The view must be astonishingly grand, for to the -south-east the eye overlooks all the fine country of the Rheingau to -Mentz; to the west, the course of the Moselle towards France; and, to -the north, the chaos of wild mountains, that screen the Rhine in its -progress to Coblentz. - -So general was the alarm of invasion, that Count Ostein had already -withdrawn into the interior of Germany, and was endeavouring to dispose -of this charming residence, partly protected as it is by the river, -at the very disadvantageous price now paid for estates on the western -frontier of the Empire. - -The vineyards, that succeed, are proofs of the industry and skill to -which the Germans are accustomed in this part of their labours, the -scanty soil being prevented from falling down the almost perpendicular -rocks, by walls that frequently require some new toil from the careful -farmer. Every addition, made to the mould, must be carried in baskets -up the steep paths, or rather stair-cases, cut in the solid rock. -At the time of the vintage, when these precipices are thronged -with people, and the sounds of merriment are echoed along them, the -spectacle must here be as striking and gay as can be painted by fancy. - - - - -BINGEN. - - -About eleven o'clock, we reached Bingen, a town of which the antiquity -is so clear, that one of its gates is still called Drusithor, or, the -gate of Drusus. Its appearance, however, is neither rendered venerable -by age, or neat by novelty. The present buildings were all raised in -the distress and confusion produced in 1689, after Louis the Fourteenth -had blown up the fortifications, that endured a tedious siege in the -beginning of the century, and had destroyed the city, in which Drusus -is said to have died. - -It has now the appearance, which we have often mentioned is -characteristic of most German towns, nearly every house being covered -with symptoms of decay and neglect, and the streets abandoned to a -few idle passengers. Yet Bingen has the advantage of standing at the -conflux of two rivers, the Nahe making there its junction with the -Rhine; and an antient German book mentions it as the central place of -an hundred villages, or chateaux, the inhabitants of which might come -to its market and return between sun-rise and sun-set. - -Since the revolution in France, it has occasionally been much the -residence of emigrants; and, in a plain behind the town, which was -pointed out to us, the King of Prussia reviewed their army before the -entrance into France in 1792. A part of his speech was repeated to -us by a gentleman who bore a high commission in it; "Gentlemen, be -tranquil and happy; in a little time I shall conduct you to your homes -and your property." - -Our companion, as he remembered the hopes excited by this speech, -was deeply affected; an emigrant officer, of whom, as well as of an -Ex-Nobleman of the same nation, with the latter of whom we parted here, -we must pause to say, that had the old system in France, oppressive as -it was, and injurious as Englishmen were once justly taught to believe -it, been universally administered by men of their mildness, integrity -and benevolence, it could not have been entirely overthrown by all the -theories, or all the eloquence in the world. - -Soon after this review, the march commenced; the general effect of -which it is unnecessary to repeat. When the retreat was ordered, the -emigrant army, comprising seventy squadrons of cavalry, was declared by -the King of Prussia to be disbanded, and not any person was allowed -to retain an horse, or arms. No other purchasers were present but -the Prussians, and, in consequence of this order, the finest horses, -many of which had cost forty louis each, were now sold for four or -five, some even for one! It resulted accidentally, no doubt, from this -measure, that the Prussian army was thus reprovided with horses almost -as cheaply as if they had seized them from Dumourier. - -Bingen was taken by the French in the latter end of the campaign of -1792, and was then nearly the northernmost of their posts on the Rhine. -It was regained by the Prussians in their advances to Mentz, at the -commencement of the next campaign, and has since occasionally served -them as a depôt of stores. - -This town, seated on the low western margin, surrounded with its old -walls, and overtopped by its ruined castle, harmonizes well with the -gloomy grandeur near it; and here the aspect of the country changes -to a character awfully wild. The Rhine, after expanding to a great -breadth, at its conflux with the Nahe, suddenly contracts itself, and -winds with an abrupt and rapid sweep among the dark and tremendous -rocks, that close the perspective. Then, disappearing beyond them, it -leaves the imagination to paint the dangers of its course. Near the -entrance of this close pass, stands the town of Bingen, immediately -opposite to which appear the ruins of the castle of Ehrenfels, on a -cliff highly elevated above the water, broken, craggy and impending, -but with vines crawling in narrow crevices, and other rocks still -aspiring above it. On an island between these shores, is a third ruined -castle, very antient, and of which little more than one tower remains. -This is called Mausthurm, or, The Tower of the Rats, from a marvellous -tradition, that, in the tenth century, an Archbishop Statto was -devoured there by these animals, after many cruelties to the poor, whom -he called Rats, that eat the bread of the rich. - - - - -EHRENFELS. - - -Ehrenfels is synonymous to Majestic, or Noble Rock; and Fels, which is -the present term for rock in all the northern counties of England, as -well as in Germany, is among several instances of exact similarity, as -there are many of resemblance, between the present British and German -languages. A German of the southern districts, meaning to enquire -what you would have, says, "_Was woll zu haben?_" and in the north -there is a sort of Patois, called _Plat Deutsche_, which brings the -words much nearer to our own. In both parts the accent, or rather -tone, is that, which prevails in Scotland and the adjoining counties -of England. To express a temperate approbation of what they hear, the -Germans say, "So--so;" pronouncing the words slowly and long; exactly -as our brethren of Scotland would. In a printed narrative of the siege -of Mentz there is this passage, "_Funfzehn hundert menschen, meistens -weiber und kinder ... wanderten mit dem bundel under dem arm uber -die brucke_;"--Fifteen hundred persons, mostly wives and children, -wandered, with their bundles under their arms, upon the bridge. So -permanent has been the influence over our language, which the Saxons -acquired by their establishment of more than five centuries amongst -us; exiling the antient British tongue to the mountains of Scotland -and Wales; and afterwards, when incorporated with this, resisting the -persecution of the Normans; rather improving than yielding under their -endeavours to extirpate it. The injuries of the Bishop of Winchester, -who, in Henry the Second's time, was deprived of his fee for being "_an -English ideot, that could not speak French_," one would fondly imagine -had the effect due to all persecutions, that of strengthening, not -subduing their objects. - -After parting with some of the friends, who had accompanied us -from Mentz, and taking in provision for the voyage, our oars were -again plyed, and we approached Bingerloch, the commencement of that -tremendous pass of rocky mountains, which enclose the Rhine nearly as -far as Coblentz. Bingerloch is one of the most dangerous parts of the -river; that, being here at once impelled by the waters of the Nahe, -compressed by the projection of its boundaries, and irritated by hidden -rocks in its current, makes an abrupt descent, frequently rendered -further dangerous by whirlpools. Several German authors assert, that -a part of the Rhine here takes a channel beneath its general bed, -from which it does not issue, till it reaches St. Goar, a distance of -probably twenty miles. The force and rapidity of the stream, the aspect -of the dark disjointed cliffs, under which we passed, and the strength -of the wind, opposing our entrance among their chasms, and uniting -with the sounding force of the waters to baffle the dexterity of the -boatmen, who struggled hard to prevent the vessel from being whirled -round, were circumstances of the true sublime, inspiring terror in some -and admiration in a high degree. - -Reviewing this now, in the leisure of recollection, these nervous lines -of Thomson appear to describe much of the scene: - - The rous'd up river pours along; - Resistless, roaring, dreadful, down it comes - From the rude mountain, and the mossy wild, - Tumbling thro' rocks abrupt, and sounding far, - ... ... ... ... again constrain'd - Between two meeting hills, it bursts away, - Where rocks and woods o'erhang the turbid stream; - There gathering triple force, rapid, and deep, - It boils, and wheels, and foams, and thunders through. - -Having doubled the sharp promontory, that alters the course of the -river, we saw in perspective sometimes perpendicular rocks, and then -mountains dark with dwarf-woods, shooting their precipices over the -margin of the water; a boundary which, for many leagues, was not -broken, on either margin, except where, by some slight receding, the -rocks embosomed villages, lying on the edge of the river, and once -guarded them by the antient castles on their points. A stormy day, -with frequent showers, obscured the scenery, making it appear dreary, -without increasing its gloomy grandeur; but we had leisure to observe -every venerable ruin, that seemed to tell the religious, or military -history of the country. The first of these beyond Bingen, is the old -castle of Bauzberg, and, next, the church of St. Clement, built in -a place once greatly infested by robbers. There are then the modern -castle of Konigstein, in which the French were besieged in 1793, -and the remains of the old one, deserted for more than two hundred -years. Opposite to these is the village of Assmans, or Hasemanshausen, -celebrated for the flavour of its wines; and near them was formerly a -warm bath, supplied by a spring, now lost from its source to the Rhine, -notwithstanding many expensive searches to regain it. About a mile -farther, is the antient castle of Falkenburg, and below it the village -of Drechsen; then the ruins of an extensive chateau, called Sonneck, -beneath which the Rhine expands, and encircles two small islands, that -conclude the district of the Rheingau. - -After passing the small town of Lorrich, on the eastern bank, the Rhine -is again straightened by rocky precipices, and rolls hastily past the -antient castle of Furstenberg, which gives its name to one of the -dearest wines of the Rhine. - -We now reached Bacharach, a town on the left bank of the river, forming -part of the widely scattered dominions of the Elector Palatine, who has -attended to its prosperity by permitting the Calvinists and Lutherans -to establish their forms of worship there, under equal privileges with -the Roman Catholics. - -It has a considerable commerce in Rhenish wine; and its toll-house, -near which all vessels are compelled to stop, adds considerably to the -revenues of the Palatinate. For the purpose of enforcing these, the -antient castle called Stahleck, founded in 1190, was probably built; -for Bacharach is the oldest town of the Palatinate, and has scarcely -any history between the period when it was annexed to that dominion and -the departure of the Romans, who are supposed to have given it the name -of _Bacchi ara_, and to have performed some ceremonies to that deity -upon a stone, said to be still concealed in the Rhine. In the year -1654, 1695, 1719, and 1750, when the river was remarkably low, this -stone is recorded to have been seen near the opposite island of Worth, -and the country people have given it the name of the _Aelterstein_. As -this extreme lowness of the waters never happens but in the hottest -years, the sight of the Aelterstein is earnestly desired, as the -symptom of a prosperous vintage. The river was unusually low when we -passed the island, but we looked in vain for this stone, which is -said to be so large, that five-and-twenty persons may stand upon its -surface. - -Bacharach is in the list of places, ruined by Louis the Fourteenth in -1689. The whole town was then so carefully and methodically plundered -that the French commander, during the last night of his stay, had -nothing to sleep on but straw; and, the next day, this bedding was -employed in assisting to set fire to the town, which was presently -reduced to ashes. - - - - -PFALTZ. - - -About a mile lower is the island of Pfaltz, or Pfalzgrafenstein, a -place of such antient importance in the history of the Palatinate, -that it has given its name to the whole territory in Germany called -Pfaltz. It was probably the first residence of the Counts, the -peaceable possession of which was one means of attesting the right to -the Palatinate; for, as a sign of such possession, it was antiently -necessary, that the heir apparent should be born in a castle, which -still subsists in a repaired state upon it. This melancholy fortress -is now provided with a garrison of invalids, who are chiefly employed -in guarding state prisoners, and in giving notice to the neighbouring -toll-house of Kaub, of the approach of vessels on the Rhine. Being much -smaller than is suitable to the value placed upon it, it is secured -from surprise by having no entrance, except by a ladder, which is drawn -up at night. - - - - -KAUB. - - -Kaub, a Palatine town on the right bank of the river, is also -fortified, and claims a toll upon the Rhine, notwithstanding its -neighbourhood to Bacharach; an oppression, of which the expence is -almost the least inconvenience, for the toll-gatherers do not come to -the boats, but demand, that each should stop, while one at least of -the crew goes on shore, and tells the number of his passengers, who -are also sometimes required to appear. The officers do not even think -it necessary to wait at home for this information, and our boatmen -had frequently to search for them throughout the towns. So familiar, -however, is this injustice, that it never appeared to excite surprise, -or anger. The boatman dares not proceed till he has found and -satisfied the officers; nor has he any means of compelling them to be -punctual. Ours was astonished when we enquired, whether the merchants, -to whom such delays might be important, could not have redress for -them. - -The stay we made at Kaub enabled us, however, to perceive that fine -slate made a considerable part of its traffic. - -The Rhine, at Bacharach and Kaub, is of great breadth; and the dark -mountains, that ascend from its margin, form a grand vista, with -antient chateaux still appearing on the heights, and frequent villages -edging the stream, or studded among the cliffs. - -Though the district of the Rheingau, the vines of which are the most -celebrated, terminated some miles past, the vineyards are scarcely -less abundant here, covering the lower rocks of the mountains, and -creeping along the fractures of their upper crags. These, however, -sometimes exhibit huge projecting masses and walls of granite, so -entire and perpendicular, that not an handful of soil can lodge for the -nourishment of any plant. They lie in vast oblique strata; and, as in -the valley of Andernach, the angles of the promontories on one shore of -the river frequently correspond with the recesses on the other. - - - - -OBERWESEL - - -Is another town, supported by the manufacture and trade of wines, which -are, however, here shared by too many places to bestow much wealth -singly upon any. Wine is also so important a production, that all the -Germans have some degree of connoisseurship in it, and can distinguish -its quantities and value so readily, that the advantage of dealing -in it cannot be great, except to those, who supply foreign countries. -The merits of the different vineyards form a frequent topic of -conversation, and almost every person has his own scale of their rank; -running over with familiar fluency the uncouth names of Johannesberg, -Ammanshausen, Hauptberg, Fuldische Schossberg, Rudesheim, Hockheim, -Rodtland, Hinterhauser, Markerbrunner, Grafenberg, Laubenheim, -Bischeim, Nierstein, Harscheim and Kapellgarren; all celebrated -vineyards in the Rheingau. The growth and manufacture of these wines -are treated of in many books, from one of which we translate an -account, that seems to be the most comprehensive and simple. - - -OF THE RHENISH VINEYARDS AND WINES. - -The strongest and, as they are termed, fullest-bodied wines, those, -of course, which are best for keeping, are produced upon mountains -of a cold and strong soil; the most brisk and spirited on a warm and -gravelly situation. Those produced near the middle of an ascent are -esteemed the most wholesome, the soil being there sufficiently watered, -without becoming too moist; and, on this account, the vineyards -of Hockheim are more esteemed than some, whose produce is better -flavoured; on the contrary, those at the feet of hills are thought so -unwholesome, on account of their extreme humidity, that the wine is -directed to be kept for several years, before it is brought to table. -The finest flavour is communicated by soils either argillaceous, or -marly. Of this sort is a mountain near Bacharach, the wines of which -are said to have a Muscadine flavour and to be so highly valued, that -an Emperor, in the fourteenth century, demanded four large barrels of -them, instead of 10,000 florins, which the city of Nuremberg would have -paid for its privileges. - -A vineyard, newly manured, produces a strong, spirited and well -flavoured, but usually an unwholesome wine; because the manure contains -a corrosive salt and a fat sulphur, which, being dissolved, pass with -the juices of the earth into the vines. A manure, consisting of street -mud, old earth, the ruins of houses well broken, and whatever has been -much exposed to the elements, is, however, laid on, once in five or six -years, between the vintage and winter. - -The sorts of vines, cultivated in the _Rheingau_, are the low ones, -called the _Reistinge_, which are the most common and ripen the first; -those of _Klebroth_, or red Burgundy, the wine of which is nearly -purple; of Orleans and of Lambert; and lastly the tall vine, raised -against houses, or supported by bowers in gardens. The wines of the two -first classes are wholesome; those of the latter are reputed dangerous, -or, at least, unfit to be preserved. - -The vintagers do not pluck the branches by hand, but carefully cut -them, that the grapes may not fall off; in the Rheingau and about -Worms the cultivators afterwards bruise them with clubs, but those -of Franckfort with their feet; after which the grapes are carried to -the press, and the wine flows from them by wooden pipes into barrels -in the cellar. That, which flows upon the first pressure, is the most -delicately flavoured, but the weakest; the next is strongest and most -brisk; the third is sour; but the mixture of all forms a good wine. The -skins are sometimes pressed a fourth time, and a bad brandy is obtained -from the fermented juice; lastly, in the scarcity of pasturage in this -part of Germany, they are given for food to oxen, but not to cows, -their heat being destructive of milk. - -To these particulars it may be useful to add, that one of the surest -proofs of the purity of Rhenish is the quick rising and disappearance -of the froth, on pouring it into a glass: when the beads are formed -slowly and remain long, the wine is mixed and factitious. - - - - -OBERWESEL. - - -The account of which has been interrupted by this digression, is the -first town of the Electorate of Treves, on this side, to which it has -belonged since 1312, when its freedom as an imperial city, granted by -the Emperor, Frederic the Second, was perfidiously seized by Henry the -Seventh, and the town given to him by his brother Baldwin, the then -Elector. The new Sovereign enriched it with a fine collegiate church, -which still dignifies the shore of the river. If he used any other -endeavours to make the prosperity of the place survive its liberties, -they appear to have failed; for Oberwesel now resembles the other -towns of the Electorate, except that the great number of towers and -steeples tell what it was before its declension into that territory. -The Town-house, rendered unnecessary by the power of Baldwin, does not -exist to insult the inhabitants with the memory of its former use; but -is in ruins, and thus serves for an emblem of the effects, produced by -the change. - -Between Oberwesel and St. Goar, the river is of extraordinary breadth, -and the majestic mountains are covered with forests, which leave space -for little more than a road between their feet and the water. A group -of peasants, with baskets on their heads, appeared now and then along -the winding path, and their diminutive figures, as they passed under -the cliffs, seemed to make the heights shew more tremendous. When they -disappeared for a moment in the copses, their voices, echoing with -several repetitions among the rocks, were heard at intervals, and with -good effect, as our oars were suspended. - -Soon after passing the island of Sand, we had a perspective view of -St. Goar, of the strong fortress of Rhinfels, on the rocks beyond, -and of the small fortified town of Goarhausen, on the opposite bank. -The mountains now become still more stupendous, and many rivulets, or -_becks_, which latter is a German, as well as an English term, descend -from them into the river, on either hand, some of which, in a season -less dry than the present, roar with angry torrents. But the extreme -violence, with which the Rhine passes in this district, left us less -leisure than in others to observe its scenery. - - - - -ST. GOAR. - - -We soon reached St. Goar, lying at the feet of rocks on the western -shore, with its ramparts and fortifications spreading far along the -water, and mounting in several lines among the surrounding cliffs, so -as to have a very striking and romantic appearance. The Rhine no where, -perhaps, presents grander objects either of nature, or of art, than -in the northern perspective from St. Goar. There, expanding with a -bold sweep, the river exhibits, at one coup d'œil, on its mountainous -shores, six fortresses or towns, many of them placed in the most wild -and tremendous situations; their antient and gloomy structures giving -ideas of the sullen tyranny of former times. The height and fantastic -shapes of the rocks, upon which they are perched, or by which they are -overhung, and the width and rapidity of the river, that, unchanged by -the vicissitudes of ages and the contentions on its shores, has rolled -at their feet, while generations, that made its mountains roar, have -passed away into the silence of eternity,--these were objects, which, -combined, formed one of the sublimest scenes we had viewed. - -The chief of the fortresses is that of Rhinfels, impending over St. -Goar, on the west shore, its high round tower rising above massy -buildings, that crown two rocks, of such enormous bulk and threatening -power, that, as we glided under them, it was necessary to remember -their fixed foundations, to soften the awe they inspired. Other -fortifications extend down the precipices, and margin the river, at -their base. Further on in the perspective, and where the east bank of -the Rhine makes its boldest sweep, is the very striking and singular -castle of Platz, a cluster of towers, overtopped by one of immense -height, that, perched upon the summit of a pyramidal rock, seems ready -to precipitate itself into the water below. Wherever the cliffs beneath -will admit of a footing, the sharp angles of fortifications appear. - -On another rock, still further in the perspective, is the castle of -Thumberg, and, at its foot, on the edge of the water, the walled tower -of Welmick. Here the Rhine winds from the eye among heights, that close -the scene. - -Nearly opposite to St. Goar, is Goarshausen, behind which the rocks -rise so suddenly, as scarcely to leave space for the town to lie -between them and the river. A flying bridge maintains a communication -between the two places, which, as well as the fortress of Rhinfels, are -under the dominion of the Prince of Hesse Cassel. - -The number of fortresses here, over which Rhinfels is in every respect -paramount, seem to be the less necessary, because the river itself, -suddenly swoln by many streams and vexed by hidden rocks, is a sort -of natural fortification to both shores, a very little resistance -from either of which must render it impassable. Whether the water -has a subterraneous passage from Bingen hither or not,--there are -occasionally agitations in this part, which confound the skill of -naturalists; and the river is universally allowed to have a fall. Near -St. Goar, a sudden gust of wind, assisted by the current, rendered our -boat so unmanageable, that, in spite of its heaviness and of all the -efforts of the watermen, it was whirled round, and nearly forced upon -the opposite bank to that, on which they would have directed it. - -St. Goar is a place of great antiquity. A dispute about the etymology -of its name is remarkable for the ludicrous contrariety of the two -opinions. One author maintains, that it is derived from an hermit -named Goar, who, in the sixth century, built a small chapel here. -Another supposes that Gewerb, the name of a neighbouring fall in the -Rhine, has been corrupted to Gewer, and thence to Goar; after which, -considering that there is an island called _Sand_ in the river, and -that a great quantity of that material is hereabouts thrown up, he -finds the two words combine very satisfactorily into a likeness of the -present denomination. The former opinion is, however, promoted by this -circumstance, which the advocates of the latter may complain of as a -partiality, that a statue of St. Goar is actually to be seen in the -great church, founded in 1440; and that, notwithstanding the robberies -and violences committed in the church by a Spanish army, the following -inscription is still entire: - - S. GOAR - MONACHUS GALLUS - OBIIT 611. - -St. Goar is one of the largest places we had yet passed, and has a -considerable share of the commerce carried on by the Rhine. Having -in time of war a numerous garrison, and being a little resorted to -on account of its romantic situation, it has an air of somewhat more -animation than might be expected, mingling with the gloom of its walls, -and the appearance of decay, which it has in common with other German -towns. We were here required to pay the fifth toll from Mentz, and -were visited by a Hessian serjeant, who demanded, that our names and -condition should be written in his book. These being given, not in the -Saxon, but the Roman character, he returned to require another edition -of them in German; so that his officer was probably unable to read any -other language, or characters. This being complied with, it seemed, -that the noble garrison of St. Goar had no further fears concerning us, -and we were not troubled by more of the precautions used, - - "Lest foul invasion in disguise approach." - -The fortress of Rhinfels, which commands St. Goar, is frequently -mentioned in the histories of German wars. In the year 1255 it endured -forty assaults of an army, combined from sixty towns on the Rhine. In -1692, the French General Tallard besieged it in vain, retreating with -the loss of four thousand men, and nearly two hundred officers; but, -in 1758, the Marquis de Castries surprised it with so much ingenuity -and vigour, that not a life was lost, and it remained in possession of -the French till 1763, when it was restored by the treaty of peace. - - - - -BOPPART. - - -We next reached the dismal old town of Boppart, once an imperial city, -still surrounded with venerable walls, and dignified by the fine -Benedictine nunnery and abbey of Marienberg, perched upon a mountain -above; an institution founded in the eleventh century, for the benefit -of noble families only, and enriched by the donations of several -Emperors and Electors. Boppart, like many other towns, is built on -the margin of the Rhine, whence it spreads up the rocks, that almost -impend over the water, on which the clustered houses are scarcely -distinguishable from the cliffs themselves. Besides the Benedictine -abbey, here is a convent of Carmelites, and another of Franciscans; and -the spot is such as suited well the superstition of former times, for - - --"O'er the twilight groves, and dusky caves, - Long-sounding aisles, and intermingled graves, - Black Melancholy sits, and round her throws - A death-like silence, and a dread repose; - Her gloomy presence saddens all the scene, - Shades every flower, and darkens every green, - Deepens the murmur of the sailing floods, - And breathes a browner horror o'er the woods." - -The river, expanding into a vast bay, seems nearly surrounded by -mountains, that assume all shapes, as they aspire above each other; -shooting into cliffs of naked rock, which impend over the water, or, -covered with forests, retiring in multiplied steeps into regions -whither fancy only can follow. At their base, a few miserable cabins, -and half-famished vineyards, are all, that diversify the savageness of -the scene. Here two Capuchins, belonging probably to the convent above, -as they walked along the shore, beneath the dark cliffs of Boppart, -wrapt in the long black drapery of their order, and their heads -shrowded in cowls, that half concealed their faces, were interesting -figures in a picture, always gloomily sublime. - - - - -PLACE OF ANTIENT ELECTIONS. - - -Passing the town of Braubach and the majestic castle of Marksberg, -which we had long observed, above the windings of the stream, on a -steep mountain, we came to Rense, a small town, remarkable only for its -neighbourhood to a spot, on which the elections of kings of the Romans, -or, at least, the meetings preliminary to them, are believed to have -antiently taken place. This is distinguished at present by the remains -of a low octagonal building, open at top, and accessible beneath by -eight arches, in one of which is a flight of steps. Within, is a stone -bench, supposed to be formed for the Electors, who might ascend to it -by these steps. In the centre of the pavement below is a thick pillar, -the use of which, whether as a tribune for the new king, or as a table -for receiving the attestations of the electors, is not exactly known. -That the building itself, now called Koningstuhl, or King's Throne, -was used for some purposes of election, appears from several German -historians, who mention meetings there in the fourteenth and fifteenth -centuries, and impute them to antient customs. - - - - -INTERMIXTURE OF GERMAN TERRITORIES. - - -Nearly opposite to _Rense_ is the small town of _Oberlahnstein_, -which belongs to the Elector of Mentz, though separated from his -other dominions by those of several Princes. To such intersections -of one territory with another the individual weakness of the German -Princes is partly owing; while their collected body has not only -necessarily the infirmities of each of its members, but is enfeebled -by the counteraction arising from an arrangement, which brings persons -together to decide a question, according to a common interest, who are -always likely to have an individual one of more importance to each than -his share in the general concern. - -The banks of the Rhine afford many instances of this disjunction of -territory. The Elector of Cologne has a town to the southward of nearly -all the dominions of Treves; the Elector Palatine, whose possessions -on the east bank of the Rhine are intersected by those of five or six -other Princes, crosses the river to occupy some towns between the -Electorates of Mentz and Treves; the Landgrave of Hesse Cassel does -the same to his fortress of Rhinfels; and the Elector of Mentz, in -return, has a strip of land and his chief country residence, between -the dominions of the two houses of Hesse. - -That this intermixture of territory exists, without producing domestic -violences, is, however, obviously a proof, that the present state -of the Germanic body, weak as it may be, with respect to foreign -interests, is well formed for the preservation of interior peace. -The aggrandizement of the Houses of Austria and Prussia, which has -been supposed dangerous to the constitution of the Empire, tends -considerably to secure its domestic tranquillity, though it diminishes -the independence of the lesser Sovereigns; for the interests of the -latter are known to be ranged on one, or the other side; and, as the -House, to which each is attached, is likely to interfere, upon any -aggression against them, the weaker Princes are with-held from contests -among themselves, which would be accompanied by wars, so very extensive -and so disproportionate to their causes. - -Nor is the Chamber of Wetzlaar, or the Court for deciding the causes -of Princes, as well as all questions relative to the constitution, to -be considered as a nullity. The appointment of the Judges by the free -but secret votes of all Princes, subject to their decrees, is alone -wanting to make its purity equal to its power. In minute questions, -the chief Princes readily receive its decision, instead of that of -arms, which, without it, might sometimes be adopted; and the other -Sovereigns may be compelled to obey it, the Chamber being authorised -to command any Prince to enforce its decrees by his army, and to -take payment of the expences out of the dominions of his refractory -neighbour. An instance of such a command, and of its being virtually -effectual, notwithstanding the ridicule, with which it was treated, -occurred, during the reign of the late Frederic of Prussia; the story -is variously told, but the following account was confirmed to us by an -Advocate of the Chamber of Wetzlaar. - -The Landgrave of Hesse Cassel had disobeyed several injunctions of -the Chamber, relative to a question, which had been constitutionally -submitted to them. At length, the Judges had recourse to their power -of calling out what is called the _Armée Exécutrice de l'Empire_, -consisting of so many troops of any Prince, not a party in the cause, -as may be sufficient for enforcing submission. The Sovereign of Hesse -Cassel was not to be conquered by any of his immediate neighbours, -and they were induced to direct their order to the King of Prussia, -notwithstanding the probability, that so unjust a monarch would shew -some resentment of their controul. - -Frederic consented to the propriety of supporting the Chamber, but did -not choose to involve himself with the Landgrave, on their account. He, -therefore, sent him a copy of their order, accompanied by a letter, -which, in his own style of courteous pleasantry, yet with a sufficient -shew of some further intentions, admonished him to obey them. The -Landgrave assured him of his readiness to conform, and the two Princes -had privately settled the matter, when the King of Prussia resolved -to obey and to ridicule the Chamber of Wetzlaar. He sent, by a public -diligence, a serjeant of foot, who, at the first Hessian garrison, -delivered a paper to the captain of the guard, declaring himself to -be the commander of the _Armée Exécutrice_, set on foot by order of -the Chamber; and the army consisted of two corporals, who waited at -the door! The Judges of Wetzlaar did not shew, that they knew the -disrespect, and were contented that the King of Prussia had reduced the -Landgrave of Hesse Cassel to obedience. - -To this Court subjects may make appeals from the orders of their -immediate sovereigns, when the question can be shewn to have any -general, or constitutional tendency. Such a cause we heard of in -Germany, and it seemed likely to place the Chamber in somewhat a -delicate situation. The Elector of Treves had banished a magistrate, -for having addressed himself to Custine, during the invasion of the -French, in 1792, and requested to know whether he might remain on a -part of his property, near their posts, and perform the duties of his -office, as usual. The magistrate appealed to Wetzlaar; admitted the -facts charged; and set forth, that, in this part of his conduct, he had -exactly followed the example of the Chamber itself, who, though at a -greater distance, had made a similar application. - - * * * * * - -Soon after leaving Oberlahnstein, we passed the mouth of the Lahn, a -small river, which descends from the mountains of Wetteravia on the -right, and washes silver and lead mines in its course. It issues from -one of those narrow and gloomy forest-glens, which had continually -occurred on the eastern bank since we left Boppart, and which were once -terrible for more than their aspect, having been the haunt of robbers, -of whose crimes some testimonies still remain in the tombs of murdered -travellers near the shore. In the ruins of castles and abandoned -fortresses within the recesses of these wild mountains, such banditti -took up their abode; and these are not fancied personages, for, in -the year 1273, an Elector of Mentz destroyed the deserted fortress of -Rheinberg, because it had been a rendezvous for them. - -Towards sun-set, the rain, which had fallen at intervals during the -day, ceased; a fiery flush from the west was reflected on the water, -and partially coloured the rocks. Sometimes, an oblique gleam glanced -among these glens, touching their upper cliffs, but leaving their -depths, with the rivulets, that roared there, in darkness. As the boat -glided by, we could now and then discover on the heights a convent, or -a chateau, lighted up by the rays, and which, like the pictures in a -magic lanthorn, appeared and vanished in a moment, as we passed on the -current. - -But the shores soon begin to wear a milder aspect; the mountains of -the western bank soften into gradual heights; and vineyards, which had -disappeared near Boppart, again climb along them. The eastern shore -is more abrupt, still bearing on its points some antient buildings, -till, opposite to Coblentz, it shoots up into that enormous mass, which -sustains the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein. - -Having passed a Benedictine convent, seated on the island of -Oberworth, we reached Coblentz as the moon began to tint the rugged -Ehrenbreitstein, whose towers and pointed angles caught the light. Part -of the rock below, shaded by projecting cliffs, was dark and awful, but -the Rhine, expanding at its feet, trembled with radiance. There the -flying-bridge, and its sweeping line of boats, were just discernible. -On the left, the quay of Coblentz extended, high and broad, crowned -with handsome buildings; with tall vessels lying along its base. - - - - -EHRENBREITSTEIN. - - -We were now somewhat more pleasantly lodged than before, at an inn -near the Rhine, almost opposite to the fortress, the importance of -which had, in the mean time, greatly increased by the approach of the -French armies. The strength of it was somewhat a popular topic. Being -considered as one of the keys of Germany towards France, the Governor -takes the oaths not only to the Elector of Treves, but to the Emperor -and the Empire. As it can be attacked but on one side, and that is -not towards the Rhine, a blockade is more expected than a siege; and -there are storehouses in the rock for preserving a great quantity of -provisions. The supply of water has been provided for so long since -as the fifteenth century, when three years were passed in digging, -with incredible labour, a well through the solid rock. An inscription -on a part of the castle mentions this work, and that the rock was -hewn to the depth of two hundred and eighty feet. The possession of -the fortress was confirmed to the Elector of Treves by the treaty of -Westphalia in 1650. - -In the morning, our boatmen crossed the river from Coblentz, to pass -under the walls of Ehrenbreitstein, perhaps an established symptom -of submission. The river is still of noble breadth, and, after the -junction with the Moselle, which immediately fronts the old palace, -flows with great, but even rapidity. Its shores are now less romantic, -and more open; spreading on the left into the plains of Coblentz, and -swelling on the right into retiring mountains. - - -CONVERSATION RELATIVE TO FRANCE. - -But our attention was withdrawn from the view, and our party in the -cabin this day increased, by a circumstance, that occurred to our -emigrant friend. Having found a large sabre, which he thought was of -French manufacture, he was enquiring for the owner, when it was claimed -by a gentleman, whom he recognised to be an old friend, but with whose -escape from France he was unacquainted; so that he had supposed, from -his rank, he must have fallen there. The meeting, on both sides, was -very affecting, and they shed some tears, and embraced again and again, -with all the ardour of Frenchmen, before the stranger was introduced to -us, after which we had the pleasure of his company as far as Cologne. - -This gentleman, a Lieutenant-Colonel before the Revolution, had made -his escape from France so lately as May last, and his conversation -of course turned upon his late condition. There were in most towns -many persons who, like himself, were obnoxious for their principles, -yet, being unsuspected of active designs, and unreached by the private -malice of Roberspierre's agents, were suffered to exist out of prison. -They generally endeavoured to lodge in the houses of persons favourable -to the Revolution; went to no public places; never visited each other; -and, when they met in the street, passed with an hasty or concealed -salutation. Their apartments were frequently searched; and those, -who had houses, took care to have their cellars frequently dug for -saltpetre. - -With respect to the prospect of any political change, they had little -hopes, and still less of being able, by remaining in France, to give -assistance to the Combined Powers. They expected nothing but some -chance of escape, which in general they would not attempt, without -many probabilities in their favour, knowing the sure consequences of -being discovered. It was impossible for them to pass by the common -roads, being exposed to examination at every town, and by every patrol; -but, in the day-time, they might venture upon tracts through forests, -and, at night, upon cultivated ground; a sort of journey, to which -they were tempted by the successes of others in it, but which could -not be performed, without experienced guides. It will be heard with -astonishment, that, notwithstanding the many difficulties and dangers -of such an employment, there were persons, who obtained a living -by conducting others to the frontiers, without passing any town, -village, or military post; who, having delivered one person, returned, -with his recommendation, to another, and an offer to escort him for -a certain sum. Our companion had waited several months for a guide, -the person, whom he chose to trust, being under prior engagements, -in all of which he was successful. They set out, each laden with his -share of provisions, in the dress of peasants; and, without any other -accident than that of being once so near the patrols as to hear their -conversation, arrived in the Electorate of Treves, from whence this -gentleman had been to Rastadt, for the purpose of presenting himself to -M. de Condé. - -It was remarkable, that some of these guides did not share the -principles of those, whom they conducted; yet they were faithful to -their engagements, and seemed to gratify their humanity, as much as -they served their interests. Considering the many contrivances, which -are behind almost every political transaction, it seems not improbable, -that these men were secretly encouraged by some of the rulers, who -wished to be disencumbered from their enemies, without the guilt of a -massacre, or the unpopularity of appearing to assist them. - -The attachment to the new principles seemed to be increased, when any -circumstances either of signal disadvantage, or success, occurred -in the course of a campaign. The disasters of an army, it was said, -attracted sympathy; their victories aroused pride. Such a change of -manners and of the course of education had taken place, that the -rising generation were all _enragées_ in favour of the Revolution; -of which the following was a remarkable instance: Two young ladies, -the daughters of a baron, who had remained passively in the country, -without promoting, or resisting the Revolution, were then engaged in -a law-suit with their father, by which they demanded a maintenance, -separate from him, "he being either an Aristocrat, or a Neutralist, -with whom they did not choose to reside." They did not pretend to any -other complaint, and, it was positively believed, had no other motive. -Yet these ladies had been previously educated with the nicest care, -by the most accomplished instructors, and, in fact, with more expence -than was suitable to their father's income, having been intended for -places at the Court. The children of the poorer classes were equally -changed by education, and those of both sexes were proficients in all -the Revolutionary songs and catechisms. - -This conversation passed while we were floating through the vale of -Ehrenbreitstein, where the river, bending round the plains of Coblentz, -flows through open and richly cultivated banks, till it enters the -valley of Andernach, where it is again enclosed among romantic rocks. -The places, washed by it in its passage thither, are the villages of -Neuralf, Warschheim, Nerenberg, Malter, the old castle of Malterberg, -the village of Engus, the fine electoral palace of Schonbornust, the -neat town and palace of Neuwied, and the chateau of Friedrichstein, -called by the country people the Devil's Castle, from that love of the -wonderful, which has taught them to people it with apparitions. - - - - -NEUWIED - - -Was now the head-quarters of a legion raised by the Prince of Salm, for -the pay of Great Britain; and a scarlet uniform, somewhat resembling -the English, was frequent on the quay. We heard of several such _corps_ -in Germany, and of the facility with which they are raised, the English -pay being as eight-pence to two-pence better than those of Austria and -Prussia. Recruits receive from one to two crowns bounty: whether it -is equally true, that the officers are, notwithstanding, allowed ten -pounds for each, we cannot positively assert; but this was said within -the hearing of several at Cologne, and was not contradicted. _La solde -d'Angleterre_ is extremely popular in Germany; and the great wealth of -the English nation begins to be very familiarly known. - - - - -ANDERNACH - - -Was occupied by Imperial troops; and, as we entered the gorge of its -rocky pass, it was curious to observe the appearances of modern mixed -with those of antient warfare; the soldiers of Francis the Second lying -at the foot of the tower of Drusus; their artillery and baggage waggons -lining the shore along the whole extent of the walls. - -In this neighbourhood are three celebrated mineral springs, of which -one rises in the domain of the Carmelite monastery of Jonniesstein; -the second, called Ponterbrunnen, is so brisk and spirited, that the -labourers in the neighbouring fields declare it a remedy for fatigue as -well as thirst; and a third, called Heilbrunnen, has so much fixed air, -as to effervesce slightly when mixed with wine. - -The interesting valley of Andernach has been already described. Its -scenery, viewed now from the water, was neither so beautiful, or -so striking, as from the road, by which we had before passed. The -elevation of the latter, though not great, enabled the eye to take a -wider range, and to see mountains, now screened by the nearer rocks of -the shore, which added greatly to the grandeur of the scene. The river -itself was then also a noble object, either expanding below, or winding -in the distance; but, now that we were upon its level, its appearance -lost much both in dignity and extent, and even the rocks on its margin -seemed less tremendous, when viewed from below. Something, however, -should be allowed in this last respect to our having just quitted -wilder landscapes; for, though the banks of the Rhine, in its course -from Bingen to Coblentz, are less various and beautiful, than in its -passage between Andernach and Bonn, they are more grand and sublime. - -But the merits of the different situations for the view of river -scenery have been noticed and contended for by the three persons most -authorised by their taste to decide upon them; of whom GRAY has left -all his enthusiasm, and nearly all his sublimity, to his two surviving -friends; so that this opinion is to be understood only with respect -to the scenery of the Rhine, and does not presume to mingle with the -general question between them. The Rhine now passes by the village and -castle of Hammerstein, which, with those of Rheineck, were nearly laid -waste by Louis the Fourteenth, the castle of Argendorff and the towns -of Lintz and Rheinmagen, all exhibiting symptoms of decay, though Lintz -is called a commercial town. - -ROLAND's Castle appears soon after, and, almost beneath it, the island, -that bears Adelaide's convent, called Rolands Werth, or the Worth of -Roland. - -We were now again at the base of the Seven Mountains, whose summits had -long aspired in the distance, and, as we passed under the cliffs of -Drakenfels, hailed the delightful plain of Goodesberg, though much of -it was concealed by the high sedgy bank of the Rhine on the left. The -spreading skirts of these favourite mountains accompanied us nearly to -Bonn, and displayed all their various charms of form and colouring in -this our farewell view of them. - -The town and palace of Bonn extend with much dignity along the western -bank, where the Rhine makes a very bold sweep; one wing of the former -overlooking the shore, and the want of uniformity in the front, which -is seen obliquely, being concealed by the garden groves; the many tall -spires of the great church rise over the roof of the palace, and appear -to belong to the building. - -After leaving Bonn, the shores have little that is interesting, -unless in the retrospect of the Seven Mountains, with rich woodlands -undulating at their feet; and when these, at length, disappear, the -Rhine loses for the rest of its course the wild and sublime character, -which distinguishes it between Bingen and Bonn. The rich plain, which -it waters between the latter place and Cologne, is studded, at every -gentle ascent, that bounds it, with abbeys and convents, most of them -appropriated to the maintenance of noble Chapters. - -Of these, the first is the Ladies Chapter of Vilich, founded in the -year 1190, by Megiegor, a Count and Prince of Guelderland, who endowed -it richly, and made his own daughter the first abbess; a lady, who had -such excellent, notions of discipline, that, when any nuns neglected -to sing in the choir, she thought a heavy blow on the cheek the best -means of restoring their voices. This Chapter is one of the richest in -Germany, and is peculiarly valuable to the nobility of this Electorate -from its neighbourhood to Bonn, where many of the ladies pass great -part of the year with their families. On the other side of the river -is the Benedictine abbey of Siegberg, appropriated also to nobles, -and lying in the midst of its own domains, of which a small town, at -the foot of its vineyards, is part. Admission into this society is -an affair of the most strict and ceremonious proof, as to the sixteen -quarterings in the arms of the candidate, each of which must be -unblemished by any plebeian symptoms. Accompanied by his genealogy, -these quarterings are exposed to view for six weeks and three days, -before the election; and, as there is an ample income to be contended -for, the candidates do not hesitate to impeach each others' claims by -every means in their power. The prelate of this abbey writes himself -Count of Guls, Strahlen and Neiderpleis, and has six provostships -within his jurisdiction. - -Besides this, and similar buildings, the Rhine passes not less than -twenty villages in its course from Bonn to Cologne, a distance of -probably five-and-twenty English miles. - - - - -COLOGNE - - -Now began to experience the inconveniences of its neighbourhood to -the seat of war, some of which had appeared at Bonn from the arrival -of families, who could not be lodged in the former place. We were no -sooner within the gates, than the throng of people and carriages in a -city, which only a few weeks before was almost as silent as gloomy, -convinced us we should not find a very easy welcome. The sentinels, -when they made the usual enquiry as to our inn, assured us, that there -had been no lodgings at the Hotel de Prague for several days, and one -of them followed us, to see what others we should find. Through many -obstructions by military and other carriages, we, however, reached -this inn, and were soon convinced that there could be no room, the -landlord shewing us the chaises in which some of his guests slept, and -his billiard table already loaden with beds for others. There was so -much confusion meanwhile in the adjoining square, that, upon a slight -assurance, we could have believed the French to be within a few miles -of the city, and have taken refuge on the opposite bank of the Rhine. - -At length, our host told us, that what he believed to be the worst -room in the place was still vacant, but might not be so half an hour -longer. We followed his man to it, in a distant part of the city, and -saw enough in our way of parties taking refreshment in carriages, and -gentlemen carrying their own baggage, to make us contented with a -viler cabin than any person can have an idea of, who has not been -out of England. The next morning we heard from the mistress of it -how fortunately we had been situated, two or three families having -passed the night in the open market-place, and great numbers in their -carriages. - -The occasion of this excessive pressure upon Cologne was the entry -of the French into Brussels, their advances towards Liege, and the -immediate prospect of the siege of Maestricht, all which had dispeopled -an immense tract of territory of its wealthier inhabitants, and -driven them, together with the French emigrants, upon the confines of -Holland and Germany. The Austrian hospitals having been removed from -Maestricht, five hundred waggons, laden with sick and wounded, had -passed through Cologne the day before. The carriages on the roads from -Maestricht and Liege were almost as close as in a procession, and at -_Aix la Chapelle_, where these roads meet, there was an obstruction for -some hours. While we were at Cologne, another detachment of hospital -waggons arrived, some hundreds of which we had the misfortune to see, -for they passed before our window. They were all uncovered, so that -the emaciated figures and ghastly countenances of the soldiers, laid -out upon straw in each, were exposed to the rays of a burning sun, as -well as to the fruitless pity of passengers; and, as the carriages had -no springs, it seemed as if these half-sacrificed victims to war would -expire before they could be drawn over the rugged pavement of Cologne. -Any person, who had once witnessed such a sight, would know how to -estimate the glories of war, even though there should be a mercenary -at every corner to insult his unavoidable feelings and the eternal -sacredness of peace, with the slander of disaffection to his country. - -We had some thoughts of resuming our course by land from this place, -but were now convinced, that it was impracticable, seeing the number -of post-horses, which were engaged, and judging of the crowds of -travellers, that must fill the inns on the road. Our watermen from -Mentz were, however, not allowed to proceed lower, so that we had to -comply with the extortions of others, and to give nine louis for a boat -from Cologne to Nimeguen. Having, not without some difficulty, obtained -this, and stored it with provisions, we again embarked on the Rhine, -rejoicing that we were not, for a second night, to make part of the -crowd on shore. - -Cologne, viewed from the river, appears with more of antient majesty -than from any other point. Its quays, extending far along the bank, -its lofty ramparts, shaded with old chesnuts, and crowned by many massy -towers, black with age; the old gateways opening to the Rhine, and the -crowd of steeples, overtopping all, give it a venerable and picturesque -character. But, however thronged the city now was, the shore without -was silent and almost deserted; the sentinels, watching at the gates -and looking out from the ramparts, or a few women gliding beneath, -wrapt in the nun-like scarf, so melancholy in its appearance and so -generally worn at Cologne, were nearly the only persons seen. - -The shores, though here flat, when compared with those to the -southward, are high enough to obstruct the view of the distant -mountains, that rise in the east; in the south, the wild summits of -those near Bonn were yet visible, but, after this faint glimpse, we saw -them no more. - -About two miles below Cologne, the west bank of the Rhine was covered -with hospital waggons and with troops, removed from them, for the -purpose of crossing the river, to a mansion, converted by the Elector -into an hospital. About a mile lower, but on the opposite bank, is -Muhleim, a small town in the dominions of the Elector Palatine, which, -in the beginning of the present century, was likely to become a rival -of Cologne. A persecution of the Protestant merchants of the latter -place drove them to Muhleim, where they erected a staple, and began to -trade with many advantages over the mother city; but the pusillanimity -of the Elector Palatine permitted them to sink under the jealousy of -the Colonese merchants; their engines for removing heavy goods from -vessels to the shore were ordered to be demolished; and the commerce of -the place has since consisted chiefly in the exportation of grain. - -The shores are now less enlivened by villages than in the _Rheingau_ -and other districts to the southward, where the cultivation and produce -of the vineyards afford, at least, so much employment, that six or -seven little towns, each clustered round its church, are frequently -visible at once. The course of the river being also wider and less -rapid, the succession of objects is slower, and the eye is often -wearied with the uniform lowness of the nearer country, where the -antient castle and the perched abbey, so frequent in the Rheingau, -seldom appear. Corn lands, with a slight intermixture of wood, border -the river from hence to Dusseldorff, and the stream flows, with -an even force, through long reaches, scarcely distinguished from -each other by any variety of the country, or intervention of towns. -Those, which do occur, are called Stammel, Niel, Flietert, Merkenich, -Westdorff, Langelt, and Woringen; in which last place, the burgesses -of Cologne, at the latter end of the thirteenth century, stood a siege -against their Archbishop, and, by a successful resistance, obtained -the enjoyment of some commercial rights, here so rare as to be called -privileges. After Dormagen, a small town very slightly provided with -the means of benefiting itself by the river, we came opposite to Zons, -the fortifications of which are so far preserved, as that the boatmen -on the Rhine are required to stop before them and give an account of -their cargoes. - -We were listening to an old French song, and had almost forgotten the -chance of interruption from any abuses of power, when the steersman -called to us in a low, but eager voice, and enquired whether we would -permit him to attempt passing the castle, where, if we landed, we -might probably be detained an hour, or, if the officer was at supper, -for the whole night. By the help of twilight and our silence, he -thought it possible to glide unnoticed under the opposite bank, or -that we should be in very little danger, if the sentinels should obey -their order for firing upon all vessels that might attempt to pass. -The insolent tediousness of a German customhouse, and the probable -wretchedness of inns at such a placed as this, determined us in favour -of the man's proposal; we were silent for a quarter of an hour; the men -with-held their oars; and the watchful garrison of Zons saw us not, or -did not think a boat of two tons burthen could be laden with an army -for the conquest of Germany. - -The evening was not so dark as entirely to deny the view of either -shore, while we continued to float between both, and to trace the -features of three or four small towns upon them. Neuss, being at some -little distance from the river, was concealed; but we had an accurate -remembrance of its hideousness, and, recognizing it for the model of -many towns since seen, were pleased with a mode of travelling, which -rendered us independent of them. The same mode, however, prevented -us from visiting Dusseldorff, which we did not reach, till after the -shutting of the gates; so that, had we stayed, we must have passed -the night in our boat on the outside, a sacrifice of too much time -to be made, while an army was advancing to the opposite shore. Being -compelled to remain in the boat, we thought it desirable to be, at -the same time, proceeding with the stream, and suffered the steersman -to attempt passing another garrison, by whom, as he said, we should -otherwise be inevitably detained for the night. He did not effect this, -without being noticed by the sentinels, who called and threatened -to fire; but, as the boatmen assured us this would scarcely be done, -without leave from an officer, who might not be immediately at hand, -we yielded to their method of pressing forward as hastily as possible, -and were presently out of sight of Dusseldorff, of which we had seen -only the walls and the extensive palace, rising immediately above the -water. In the next reach, the boatmen stopped to take breath, and -then confessed, that, though we had escaped being detained, as they -had said, they had saved some florins due for tolls here and at Zons; -which saving was their motive for running the risk. Though we would -not have encouraged such a purpose, had we been aware of it, since the -neglect of an unjust payment might produce an habitual omission of a -just one, it did not seem necessary to say much, in behalf of a toll on -the Rhine, for which there is no other pretence and no other authority -than the power to enforce it. - -The loss of Dusseldorff, we were assured, was the less, because the -pictures of the celebrated gallery had been carried off to meet those -of Manheim, at Munich. - -It was now dark for two or three hours, but we did not hear of any town -or view worth waiting to observe. The first object in the dawn was the -island of Kaiserwerth, on which there is a small town, twice besieged -in the wars of Louis the Fourteenth, and now in the condition, to which -military glory has reduced so many others. One of the mines in the last -siege blew so large a part of the walls over the island into the Rhine, -that the navigation of the river was, for some time, obstructed by -them. The dominion of this island, for which the Elector of Cologne and -the Elector Palatine contended, was decided so lately as 1768 by the -authority of the Chamber of Wetzlaar, who summoned the King of Prussia -to assist them with his troops, as the _Armée exécutrice de l'Empire_, -and the Elector Palatine was put in possession of it, notwithstanding -the remonstrances of his rival. - -As the morning advanced, we reached the villages of Kreuzberg, -Rheinam and Einingen; and, at five, stopped at Urdingen, a town on -the west bank of the Rhine, at which the Elector of Cologne takes his -northernmost toll, and a place of more commerce than we had expected to -see short of Holland. Great part of this is in timber, which it adds -to the floats annually sent to that country; a sort of expedition so -curious and useful, that we shall make no apology for introducing the -following account of it. - - -TIMBER FLOATS ON THE RHINE. - -These are formed chiefly at Andernach, but consist of the fellings of -almost every German forest, which, by streams, or short land carriage, -can be brought to the Rhine. Having passed the rocks of Bingen and -the rapids of St. Goar in small detachments, the several rafts are -compacted at some town not higher than Andernach, into one immense -body, of which an idea may be formed from this list of dimensions. - -The length is from 700 to 1000 feet; the breadth from 50 to 90; the -depth, when manned with the whole crew, usually seven feet. The trees -in the principal rafts are not less than 70 feet long, of which ten -compose a raft. - -On this sort of floating island, five hundred labourers of different -classes are employed, maintained and lodged, during the whole voyage; -and a little street of deal huts is built upon it for their reception. -The captain's dwelling and the kitchen are distinguished from the other -apartments by being somewhat better built. - -The first rafts, laid down in this structure, are called the -foundation, and are always either of oak, or fir-trees, bound together -at their tops, and strengthened with firs, fastened upon them crossways -by iron spikes. When this foundation has been carefully compacted, the -other rafts are laid upon it, the trees of each being bound together in -the same manner, and each _stratum_ fastened to that beneath it. The -surface is rendered even; storehouses and other apartments are raised; -and the whole is again strengthened by large masts of oak. - -Before the main body proceed several thin and narrow rafts, composed -only of one floor of timbers, which, being held at a certain distance -from the float by masts of oak, are used to give it direction and -force, according to the efforts of the labourers upon them. - -Behind it, are a great number of small boats, of which fifteen or -sixteen, guided by seven men each, are laden with anchors and cables; -others contain articles of light rigging, and some are used for -messages from this populous and important fleet to the towns, which -it passes. There are twelve sorts of cordage, each having a name used -only by the float-masters; among the largest are cables of four hundred -yards long and eleven inches diameter. Iron chains are also used in -several parts of the structure. - -The consumption of provisions on board such a float is estimated for -each voyage at fifteen or twenty thousand pounds of fresh meat, -between forty and fifty thousand pounds of bread, ten or fifteen -thousand pounds of cheese, one thousand or fifteen hundred pounds of -butter, eight hundred or one thousand pounds of dried meat, and five or -six hundred tons of beer. - -The apartments on the deck are, first, that of the pilot, which is near -one of the magazines, and, opposite to it, that of the persons called -masters of the float: another class, called masters of the valets, have -also their apartment; near it is that of the valets, and then that of -the sub-valets; after this are the cabins of the _tyrolois_, or last -class of persons, employed in the float, of whom eighty or an hundred -sleep upon straw in each, to the number of more than four hundred in -all. There is, lastly, one large eating-room, in which the greater part -of this crew dine at the same time. - -The pilot, who conducts the fleet from Andernach to Dusseldorff, quits -it there, and another is engaged at the same salary, that is, five -hundred florins, or 42 l.; each has his sub-pilot, at nearly the same -price. About twenty tolls are paid in the course of the voyage, the -amount of which varies with the size of the fleet and the estimation -of its value, in which latter respect the proprietors are so much -subject to the caprice of customhouse officers, that the first signal -of their intention to depart is to collect all these gentlemen from the -neighbourhood, and to give them a grand dinner on board. After this, -the float is sounded and measured, and their demands upon the owners -settled. - -On the morning of departure, every labourer takes his post, the rowers -on their benches, the guides of the leading rafts on theirs, and each -boat's crew in its own vessel. The eldest of the valet-masters then -makes the tour of the whole float, examines the labourers, passes them -in review, and dismisses those, who are unfit. He afterwards addresses -them in a short speech; recommends regularity and alertness; and -repeats the terms of their engagement, that each shall have five crowns -and a half, besides provisions, for the ordinary voyage; that, in case -of delay by accident, they shall work three days, gratis; but that, -after that time, each shall be paid at the rate of twelve creitzers, -about four pence, per day. - -After this, the labourers have a repast, and then, each being at his -post, the pilot, who stands on high near the rudder, takes off his hat -and calls out, "Let us all pray." In an instant there is the happy -spectacle of all these numbers on their knees, imploring a blessing on -their undertaking. - -The anchors, which were fastened on the shores, are now brought on -board, the pilot gives a signal, and the rowers put the whole float in -motion, while the crews of the several boats ply round it to facilitate -the departure. - -Dort in Holland is the destination of all these floats, the sale of -one of which occupies several months, and frequently produces 350,000 -florins, or more than 30,000 l. - - - - -URDINGEN. - - -Has a neat market-place and some symptoms of greater comfort than are -usual in the towns of the Electorate of Cologne; but it is subject to -violent floods, so much so, that at the inn, which is, at least, an -hundred and fifty yards from the shore, a brass plate, nailed upon the -door of the parlour, relates, that the river had risen to that height; -about five feet from the ground. - -After resting here, five hours, we returned to our little bark, with -the spirits inspired by favourable weather, and were soon borne away on -the ample current of the Rhine. - -Large Dutch vessels, bound to Cologne, now frequently appeared, -and refreshed us once again with the shew of neatness, industry and -prosperity. The boatmen learned, that several of these were from -Rotterdam, laden with the effects of Flemish refugees, brought thither -from Ostend; and others were carrying military stores for the use, -as they said, of the Emperor. The ordinary trade of the Dutch with -Germany, in tea, coffee, English cloths and English hardware, which we -had heard at Mentz was slackened by the expected approach of armies, -now seemed to be exchanged for the conveyance of property from scenes -of actual distress to those not likely to be long exempted from it. - -A little beyond Urdingen, the town of Bodberg marks the northern -extremity of the long and narrow dominions of Cologne, once so far -connected with Holland, as that the Archbishop had jurisdiction over -the Bishop of Holland, and the Chapter of Utrecht. But Philip the -Second, before the States had resisted his plundering, obtained of -the Pope, that they should not be subject to any foreign see; and the -Bishop had a residence assigned to him at Haerlem. - -The Rhine is now bounded on the left by the country of Meurs; and, -having, after a few miles, part of the Duchy of Cleves on the right, -it becomes thus enclosed by the territories of the King of Prussia, -under whose dominion it rolls, till the States of Guelderland repose -upon one bank, and, soon after, those of Utrecht, on the other. We were -here, of course, in the country of tolls; and our waterman could not -promise how far we should proceed in the day, since it was impossible -to estimate the delays of the collectors. Meurs has no place, except -small villages, near the river; but, at the commencement of the Duchy -of Cleves, the influx of the Ruhr into the Rhine makes a small port, -at which all vessels are obliged to stop, and pay for a Prussian pass. -Some Dutch barks, of probably one hundred and twenty tons burthen, -we were assured would not be dismissed for less than fifty ducats, -or twenty guineas each. The town is called the Ruhort, and we had -abundance of time to view it, for the Collector would not come to the -boat, but ordered that we should walk up, and make our appearance -before him. - -It is a small place, rendered busy by a dock-yard for building vessels -to be employed on the Rhine, and has somewhat of the fresh appearance, -exhibited by such towns as seem to be built for present use, rather -than to subsist because they have once been erected. In the dock, which -opens to the Ruhr, two vessels of about sixty tons each were nearly -finished, and with more capital, many might no doubt be built for the -Dutch, timber and labour being here much cheaper than in Holland. - -After the boatman had satisfied the Collector, we resumed our voyage, -very well contented to have been detained only an hour. The woody -heights of Cleves now broke the flat monotony of the eastern shore, the -antiquity of whose forests is commemorated by Tacitus in the name of -_Saltus Teutoburgensis_, supposed to have been bounded here by the town -now called Duisbourg: - - ... ... ... "_haud procul Teutoburgensi saltu, in quo reliquiæ - Vari legionumque insepultæ dicebantur_"-- - - "Unburied remain, - Inglorious on the plain." - -These forests were also celebrated for their herds of wild horses; and -the town of Duisbourg, having been rendered an University in 1655, is -thus panegyrized by a German poet: - - _Dis ist die Deutsche Burg, vor langst gar hochgeehrt_ - _Von vielen König und auch Kaiserlichen Kronen:_ - _Der schöne Musenthron, wo kluge Leute wohnen;_ - _Und wo die Kaufmannschaft so manchen Bürger nährt._ - - This is the German town, that's fam'd so long - By throned Kings, and gentle Muses' song; - Where learned folks live well on princely pay, - And commerce makes so many Burghers gay. - -Of the commerce there were still some signs in half a dozen vessels, -collected on the beach. Whether the University also subsists, or is -any thing more than a free school, which is frequently called an -University in Germany, we did not learn. - - - - -WESEL. - - -After five or six small towns, or villages, more, the Rhine reaches -the well known fortified town and state prison of Wesel; a place, -not always unfavourable to freedom, for here RAPIN, driven from the -district now called La Vendée in France, by Louis the Fourteenth's -persecution of Protestants, retired to write his History; recollecting, -perhaps, that it had before sheltered refugees from the tyranny of the -Duke of Alva, and our sanguinary Mary. - -The towers and citadel of Wesel give it the appearance of a military -place, and it is frequently so mentioned; but the truth is, that the -late King of Prussia, with the same fear of his subjects, which was -felt by Joseph the Second in Flanders, demolished all the effectual -works, except those of the citadel; a policy not very injurious to -the Monarch in this instance, but which, in Flanders, has submitted -the country to be twice over-run in three years, and has in fact been -the most decisive of passed events in their influence upon present -circumstances. - -The reformed worship is exercised in the two principal churches, but -the Catholics have two or three monasteries, and there is a Chapter -of Noble Ladies, of whom two thirds are Protestants, and one third -Catholic; an arrangement which probably accounts for their having no -settled and common residence. - -Opposite to Wesel is Burick, the fortifications of which remain, and -are probably intended to serve instead of the demolished works of -the former place, being connected with it by a flying-bridge over -the Rhine. A little lower are the remains of the old chateau of -Furstemberg, on a hill where the ladies of the noble Cistercian nunnery -of Furstemberg had once a delightful seat, now deserted for the society -of Xanten. - -Xanten, the first place at which we had stopped in Germany, and the -last, for a long tract, which we had seen with pleasure, Xanten, now -distinguishable, at a small distance from the river, by its spires, -reminded us of the gay hopes we had formed on leaving it; with a new -world spread out before us, for curiosity, and, as we thought, for -admiration; yet did not render the remembrance of disappointment, as -to the last respect, painful, for even the little information we had -gained seemed to be worth the labour of acquiring it. - -The exchange of indefinite for exact ideas is for ever desirable. -Without this journey of eleven or twelve hundred miles we should have -considered Germany, as its position in maps and description in books -represent it, to be important, powerful and prosperous; or, even if -it had been called wretched, the idea would have been indistinct, and -the assertion, perhaps, not wholly credited. The greatest and, as it -is reasonable to believe, the best part of Germany we have now seen, -and, in whatever train of reasoning it is noticed, have an opinion how -it should be valued. Those, who cannot guess at causes, may be sure of -effects; and having seen, that there is little individual prosperity -in Germany, little diffusion of intelligence, manners, or even of the -means for comfort, few sources of independence, or honourable wealth, -and no examples of the poverty, in which there may be pride, it was -not less perceptible, that there can be no general importance, no -weight in the balance of useful, that is, peaceful power, and no place, -but that of an instrument, even in the desperate exercises of politics. - -A respect for the persons of learning, or thought, who live, as the -impertinence of high and the ignorance of low society forces them to -live, in a strict and fastidious retirement, cannot alter the general -estimation of the country, in any respect here considered; their -conversation with each other has no influence upon the community; -their works cannot have a present, though they will have a general and -a permanent effect. The humbler classes, from whom prosperity should -result in peace, and strength in war, give little of either to Germany; -and man is very seldom negatively stationed; when not useful to his -fellow-creatures, he is generally somewhat injurious. The substantial -debasement of the German peasantry, that is, their want of ordinary -intelligence, re-acts upon the means that produced it, and, continuing -their inferiority, continues many injurious effects upon the rest of -Europe. - -That Germany should be thus essentially humble, perhaps, none would -have ventured to foresee. The materialist could not have found it -in the climate. The politician might hastily expect it from the -arbitrary character of the governments, but must hesitate, when he -recollects how France advanced in science and manufactures, under -the dominion of Louis the Fourteenth, greatly more despotic than the -usual administrations in Germany. Perhaps, the only solution for this -difference of effects from apparently similar causes is, that the -greater extent of his territory, as well as the better opportunities -of his subjects for commerce, enabled Louis to gratify his taste -for splendour, at the same time that they shewed his ambition a -means of indulgence, by increasing the means of his people. Germany, -frittered into several score of sovereignties, has no opulent power; -no considerable income, remaining after the payment of its armies; -few wealthy individuals. The Emperor, with fifty-six titles, does -not gain a florin by his chief dignity; or Granvelle, the Minister -of Charles the Fifth, would have been contradicted when he said so -in the Chamber of Princes. The Elector Palatine is almost the only -Prince, whose revenue is not absorbed by political, military and -household establishments; and though, in an advanced state of society, -or in opulent nations, what is called patronage is seldom necessary, -and must, perhaps, be as injurious to the happiness as it is to -the dignity of those who receive it, nothing is more certain than -that there have been periods in the history of all countries, when -the liberality of the Prince, or the more independent protection of -beneficed institutions, was necessary to the existence of curiosity and -knowledge. At such times, a large expenditure, if directed by taste, -or even by vanity, afforded a slow recompense for the aggressions, -that might support it, by spreading a desire of distinction for some -intellectual accomplishment, as the claim to notice from the court; and -the improvement of mind circulated, by more general encouragement, till -every town and village had its men of science. Thus it was that the -despotism of Louis the Fourteenth had a different effect from that of -his contemporary German Princes, who, by no oppressions, could raise a -sufficient income, to make their own expenditure the involuntary means -of improving the intellectual condition of their people. - -From the neighbourhood of Xanten, in which we were induced thus to -estimate what had been gained, since we saw it last, and from a shore -that gradually rises into the many woody heights around Calcar and -Cleves, the Rhine speedily reaches Rees, a town on the right bank, -built advantageously at an angle, made by a flexure of the river to the -left. - -We landed to view this place, and were soon persuaded, by the -Dutch-like cleanliness and civility of the people at the inn, to remain -there for the night, rather than to attempt reaching Emmerick. - -Rees is near enough to Holland to have some of its advantages; -and, whatever contempt it may be natural for English travellers, -at the commencement of their tour, to feel for Dutch dullness and -covetousness, nothing but some experience of Germany is necessary -to make them rejoice in a return to the neatness, the civility, the -comforts, quietness, and even the good humour and intelligence to be -easily found in Holland. Such, at least, was the change, produced in -our minds by a journey from Nimeguen to Friburg. The lower classes of -the Dutch, and it is the conduct of such classes, that every where has -the chief influence upon the comforts of others, are not only without -the malignant sullenness of the Germans, and, therefore, ready to -return you services for money, but are also much superior to them in -intelligence and docility. Frequent opportunities of gain, and the -habit of comparing them, sharpen intellects, which might otherwise -never be exercised. In a commercial country, the humblest persons -have opportunities of profiting by their qualifications; they are, -therefore, in some degree, prepared for better conditions, and do not -feel that angry envy of others, which arises from the consciousness of -some irremediable distinction. - -The inhabitants of Rees speak both Dutch and German; and it was -pleasing to hear at the inn the sulky _yaw_ of the latter exchanged for -the civil _Yaw well, Mynheer_, of the Dutch. The town is built chiefly -of brick, like those in Holland; the streets light; the market-place -spacious, and the houses well preserved. It is of no great extent, -but the space within the walls is filled, though this must have been -sometimes partly cleared by the sieges, to which Rees was subject in -the war of Philip the Second upon the Dutch. A few emigrants from -Brussels and Maestricht were now sheltered in it; but there was no -garrison and no other symptom of its neighbourhood to the scenes of -hostilities, than the arrival of a Prussian commissary to collect -hay and corn. We were cheered by the re-appearance of prosperity in a -country, where it is so seldom to be seen, and passed a better evening -in this little town, than in any other between Friburg and Holland. - -In the morning, having no disgust to impel us, we were somewhat tardy -in embarking; and the boatmen, who had found out the way of reviving -our impatience, talked of the great distance of Holland, till they had -us on board. Five or six well-looking villages presently appear after -leaving Rees, the next port to which is Emmerick, once an Hanseatic -town, and still a place of some dignity, from spires and towers, but -certainly not of much commerce, for we could not see more than two -vessels on the beach. - -This is the town, at which a Governor and General, appointed by -Philip the Second, with probably half a dozen titles, asserting his -excellence, serenity and honour, gave an instance of baseness, scarcely -ever exceeded even by Philip himself. Approaching the place, which -was then neutral, the inhabitants went out to him with an entreaty, -that he would not send troops into it, and, probably by something more -than entreaty, obtained his promise, that they should be spared. In -spite of this promise, of the remonstrances of the inhabitants, and -of the representations of a clergyman, that the Spanish assurances of -having engaged in the war chiefly for the interests of the Catholic -religion could not be credited, if acts, contrary to the precepts of -all religion, were daily perpetrated; in spite of these, Mendoza, -the Spanish commander, sent in four hundred troops, but with another -promise, that their number should not be increased, and with this -consolation for the burgesses, that the Spanish Colonel of the -detachment was directed to swear in their presence, to admit no more, -even if they should be offered to him. - -Mendoza had estimated this man's heart by his own, and considered his -oath only as a convenient delusion for preventing the resistance of the -inhabitants. He accordingly sent other troops to him, under the command -of a foreign hireling, and with a peremptory order for their admission; -but the honest Spaniard gave him this reply, "Though the General has -set the example, I will not violate my faith." - -Passing Emmerick with much pleasure, we speedily came to the point -at which the Rhine, dividing itself into two streams, loses its name -immediately in the one, and presently after in the other. Some writer -has compared this merging to the voluntary surrender of exertions -and views, by which affectionate parents lose themselves in their -children. The stream, which bends to the west, takes the name of the -Waal; that, which flows in the general direction of the river, retains -its name, for a few miles, when another stream issues to the northward, -and takes that of the Yssel. The old river is still recognized, after -this separation, and the town of Rhenen takes its name from it; but, -about a mile lower, it yields to the denomination of the Leck, which, -like that of the Waal, does not long enjoy its usurped distinction. The -Waal, or Wahl, being joined by the Maas, as the Dutch, or the Meuse, -as the French call it, near Bommel, takes the name of that river, and, -soon after, the Leck merges in their united stream, which carries the -title of the Maas by Rotterdam, Schiedam and Flaarding, into the German -ocean. - -We did not yield to this artificial distinction, so far as to think -ourselves taking leave of the Rhine, or losing the stream, that had -presented to us, at first, features of the boldest grandeur, mingled -with others of the sweetest beauty, and then borne us safely past a -shore, pressed by the hasty steps of distress, as well as threatened by -those of ravage from a flying and a pursuing army. Nor does the river -change the character it has lately assumed; but still passes with an -even, wide and forceful current between cultivated or pastoral levels, -bounded, at some distance, by gradual, woody ascents. - -Among these heights and woods, Cleves is visible to the left, and -those, who see it only at this distance, may repeat the dictionary -descriptions of its grandeur and consequence as a capital. Soon -after, Schenckenkanze, a small fort, built on the point of the long -island, round which the Rhine and the Waal flow, occurs; and then the -southern extremity of the province of Utrecht. We were glad to see this -commencement of the dominions of the United States, though the shore -opposite to them was still Prussian; and, telling the boatmen, if they -had occasion to stop at any town, to touch only upon the free bank, -they humoured us so far as to row out of the current for the sake of -approaching it; in short, we stepped no more upon German land; and, -within a few miles, were enveloped, on both sides, by the prospering, -abounding plains of the Dutch provinces. _Italiam! Italiam!_ - - * * * * * - -Early in the afternoon, the lofty tower of the Belvidere, or -prospect-house at Nimeguen, came in sight; then the bright pinnacles -of the public buildings, and the high, turf-coloured angles of the -fortifications. The town was thronged with fugitives from Flanders, -but we found sufficient accommodation, as before, at the inn in the -market-place, and were not in a tone of spirits to be fastidious about -any thing, heightened as the appearance of prosperity was to us by -contrast, and happy as even the refugees appeared to be at finding -peace and safety. The mall before the Prince of Orange's house was -filled with parties of them, as gay as if they had left their homes in -Flanders but for an holiday excursion. - -We were at the Belvidere till evening, lingering over the rich prospect -of probably forty miles diameter, from Arnheim and Duisbourg in the -north to Cleves and Guelders in the south, with an eastern view over -half the forests of Guelderland to those of Westphalia. Such an extent -of green landscape, richly varied with towns, villages and woods, -spreading and gradually ascending to the horizon, was now almost as -novel to us, as it was placidly beautiful. On the east, the blue -mountainous lines of Germany broke in upon the reposing character of -the scene. - -In the Waal below, two or three vessels bore the Emperor's flag, and -were laden, as it was said, with some of his _regalia_ from Flanders. -Near them, several bilanders, the decks of which were covered with -awnings, had attracted spectators to the opposite bank, for to that -side only they were open; and the company in all were objects of -curiosity to the Dutch, being no less than the sisterhood of several -Flemish convents, in their proper dresses, and under the care of their -respective abbesses. These ladies had been thus situated, for several -days and nights, which they had passed on board their vessels. They -were attended by their usual servants, and remained together, without -going on shore, being in expectation, as we were told, of invitations -to suitable residences in Germany; but it was then reported at -Nimeguen, that Prince Cobourg was re-advancing to Brussels, and these -societies had probably their misfortunes increased by the artifices -of a political rumour. We could not learn, as we wished, that they -had brought away many effects. Their plate it was needless to enquire -about; the contributions of the preceding spring had no doubt swallowed -up that. Having dismissed our Cologne watermen, we embarked upon the -Waal, the next day, in a public boat for Rotterdam; a neat schuyt, -well equipped and navigated, in which, for a few florins, you have the -use of the cabin. Our voyage, from the want of wind, was slow enough -to shew as much as could be seen of the Waal; which, at Nimeguen, -runs almost constantly downward, but is soon met by the tide, and -overcome, or, at least, resisted by it. The breadth, which varies but -little above Bommel, is, to our recollection, not less than that of the -Thames, at Fulham; the depth, during the beginning of the same space, -is probably considerable, in the stream, for, even upon the shore, our -dextrous old steersman found water enough to sweep the rushy bank at -almost every tack, with a boat, drawing about five feet. The signs of -activity in commerce are astonishing. A small hamlet, one cannot call -any place in Holland contemptible, or miserable, a hamlet of a dozen -houses has two or three vessels, of twenty tons each; a village has a -herring boat for almost every house, and a trading vessel for Rotterdam -two or three times a week. Heavy, high rigged vessels, scarcely -breasting the stream, and fit only for river voyages, we frequently -met; many of them carrying coals for the nearer part of Germany, such -as we saw on the banks between Rees and Nimeguen, and, with much -pleasure, recognized for symptoms of neighbourhood to England. - -The first town from Nimeguen, on the right bank of the Waal, is Thiel, -which we had only time to see was enclosed by modern fortifications, -and was not inferior in neatness to other Dutch towns, at least not so -in one good street, which we were able to traverse. A sand bank before -the port has much lessened the trade of the place, which, in the tenth -century, was considerable enough to be acknowledged by the Emperor -Otto, in the grant of several privileges. - -About a league lower, on the opposite side of the Waal, or rather on -the small island of Voorn, stood formerly a fort, called Nassau, which -the French, in 1672, utterly destroyed. Near its site, at the northern -extremity of the island of Bommel, which lies between the Maas and the -Waal, a fort, built by Cardinal Andrew of Austria, still subsists, -under the name of _Fort St. André_. The founder, who built it upon the -model of the citadel of Antwerp, had no other view than to command by -it the town of Bommel; but, in the year 1600, Prince Maurice of Nassau -reduced the garrison, after a siege of five weeks, and it has since -contributed to protect what it was raised to destroy, the independence -of the Dutch commonwealth. - -In the evening, we came opposite to the town of Bommel, where we were -put on shore to pass the night and the next day, being Sunday; the boat -proceeded on the voyage for Rotterdam, but could not reach it before -the next morning. - -Bommel is a small town on the edge of the river, surrounded by wood -enough to make it remarkable in Holland; light, neat and pretty. -The two principal streets cross each other at right angles, and are -without canals. Being at some distance from the general roads, it is -ill provided with inns; but one of them has a delightful prospect, -and there is no dirt, or other symptom of negligence within. The -inhabitants are advanced enough in prosperity and intelligent curiosity -to have two _Sociétés_, where they meet to read new publications; a -luxury, which may be found in almost every Dutch town. At the ends of -the two principal streets are gates; that towards the water between -very old walls; those on the land side modern and stronger with -drawbridges over a wide fosse, that nearly surrounds the town. - -On the other side of this ditch are high and broad embankments, well -planted with trees, and so suitable to be used as public walks, that -we supposed them to have been raised partly for that purpose, and -partly as defences to the country against water. They are, however, -greater curiosities, having been thrown up by Prince Maurice in -1599, chiefly because his garrison of four thousand foot and two -thousand horse were too numerous for the old works; and between these -intrenchments was made what is thought to have been the first attempt -at a covered way, since improved into a regular part of fortifications. -This was during the ineffectual siege of three weeks, in which Mendoza -lost two thousand men, Maurice having then a constant communication -with the opposite bank of the Waal by means of two bridges of boats, -one above, the other below the town. - -Bommel was otherwise extremely important in the struggle of the -Dutch against Philip. It was once planned to have been delivered by -treachery, but, that being discovered, the Earl of Mansfeldt, Philip's -commander, raised the siege. It adhered to the assembly at Dort, though -the Earl of March, the commander of the first armed force of the -Flemings, had committed such violences in the town, that the Prince of -Orange found it necessary to send him to prison. In the campaign of -1606, when Prince Maurice adopted defensive operations, this was one of -the extreme points of his line, which extended from hence to Schenck. - -The natural honesty of mankind is on the side of the defensive party, -and it is, therefore, that in reading accounts of sieges one is always -on the side of the besieged. The Dutch, except when subject to some -extraordinary influence, have been always defensive in their wars; from -their first astonishing resistance to Philip, to that against the -petty attack, which Charles the Second incited the Bishop of Munster -to make, who had the coolness to tell Sir WILLIAM TEMPLE, that he had -thought over the probabilities of his enterprise, and, if it failed, -he should not care, for he could go into Italy and buy a Cardinal's -cap; but that he had first a mind to make some figure in the world. The -territory of the United Provinces is so small, that, in these wars, the -whole Dutch Nation has been in little better condition, than that of a -people, besieged in one great town; and Louis the Fourteenth, in the -attempt, which Charles the Second's wicked sister concerted between the -two Monarchs, sent, for the first time, to a whole people, a threat, -similar to those sometimes used against a single town. His declaration -of the 24th of June, 1672, after boasting how his "just designs" and -undertakings had prospered, since his arrival in the army, and how he -would treat the Dutch, if, by submission, they would "deserve his great -goodness," thus proceeds: - - "On the contrary, all of whatever quality and condition, - who shall refuse to comply with these offers, and shall - resist his Majesty's forces, either by the inundation of - their dyke, or otherwise, shall be punished with the utmost - rigour. At present, all hostilities shall be used against - those, who oppose his Majesty's designs; and, when the ice - shall open a passage on all sides, his Majesty will not - give any quarter to the inhabitants of such cities, but - give order, that their goods be plundered and their houses - burnt." - -It is pleasant, in every country, to cherish the recollections, which -make it a spectacle for the mind as well as the eye, and no country -is enriched by so many as Holland, not even the West of England, where -patriotism and gratitude hover in remembrance over the places, endeared -by the steps of our glorious WILLIAM. - -Bommel is built on a broad projection of the island of the same name -into the Waal, which thus flows nearly on two sides of its walls, and -must be effectually commanded by them. But, though it is therefore -important in a military view, and that the French were now so near to -Breda, as to induce families to fly from thence, whom we saw at Bommel, -yet the latter place was in no readiness for defence. There was not a -cannon upon the walls, or upon the antient outworks, which we mistook -for terraces, and not ten soldiers in the place; a negligence, which -was, however, immediately after remedied. - -The Dutch tardiness of exertion has been often blamed, and, in such -instances, deservedly; but, as to the influence of this sparingness in -their general system of politics and in former periods, a great deal -more wit than truth has been circulated by politicians. The chief value -of power is in the known possession of it. Those who are believed to -have exerted it much, will be attacked, because the exertion may be -supposed to have exhausted the power. The nation, or the individual, -that attempts to rectify every error and punish every trivial offence -of others, may soon lose, in worthless contests, the strength, that -should be preserved for resisting the most positive and unequivocal -attacks. - -Ministers have appeared in Holland, who could plan unnecessary -contests, and meditate the baseness, falsely called ambition, of -putting the whole valour and wealth of a nation into exercise, for -the purpose of enforcing whatever they may have once designed, or -said; and, as there is, perhaps, no country in Europe, which cannot -justly allege some injury against another, they have exaggerated the -importance of such injuries, for the purpose of impelling their own -country, by aggravated anger, or fear, into precipitate hostilities. -But the Dutch, accustoming themselves to as much vigilance, as -confidence, have with-held encouragement from such artifices, and hence -that general tardiness in beginning wars, which every politician, -capable of an inflammatory declamation, thinks it wisdom to ridicule. - -We left Bommel at seven in the morning, in a stout, decked sea-boat, -well rigged, and, as appeared, very dextrously navigated. The wind was -directly contrary, and there are sometimes islands, sometimes shoals -in the Waal, which narrowed the channel to four or five times the -length of the vessel; yet there was not any failure in tacking, and -the boom was frequently assisted to traverse by the reeds of the bank, -which it swept. The company in the cabin were not very numerous, but -there was amongst them at least one lamentable group; the minister of -a Protestant church at Maestricht, an aged and decrepid gentleman, -flying with his wife and two daughters from the approaching siege of -that place; himself laid on pillows upon the floor of the cabin; his -daughters attending him; all neglected, all victims to the glories of -war. - -The boat soon passed Louvenstein, on the left bank of the Maese, -a brick castellated building apparently about two centuries old, -surrounded by some modern works, which render it one of the defences -of the river. Count Byland, the late commander of Breda, was then -imprisoned in this fortress, which has been long used for state -purposes. Here those friends of Barneveldt were confined, who derived -from it, and left to their posterity the name of the Louvenstein party; -and hence Grotius, who was of the number, made his escape, concealed -in a trunk, which the sentinels had so often seen filled with Arminian -books, that his wife persuaded them they carried nothing more than -their usual cargo. - -From Louvenstein, near which the Waal unites with the Maese, and -assumes the name of that river, we soon reached Gorcum, where the short -stay of the boat permitted us only to observe the neatness of the town, -and that the fortifications had the appearance of being strong, though -small, and seemed to be in most exact repair. This, indeed, is one -of the forts chiefly relied upon by the province of Holland; for, in -1787, their States made Gorcum and Naarden the extreme points of their -line of defence, and ordered a dyke to be thrown across the Linge, -which flows into the Maese at the former place, for the purpose of -overflowing the surrounding country. - -The next town in the voyage is Dort, formerly one of the most -considerable in Holland, and still eminent for its wealth, though the -trade is diminished by that of Rotterdam. This is the town, which -Dumourier strove to reach, in the invasion of 1792, and forty thousand -stand of arms were found to have been collected there for him. Our boat -passed before one quarter, in which the houses rise immediately over a -broad bay of the Maese, with an air of uncommon gaiety and lightness; -but the evenness of the town prevented us from seeing more than the -part directly nearest. - -In the bay was one of those huge timber floats, the construction of -which has been before described. It was crowded with visitors from -the town; and the wooden huts upon it, being ornamented with flags, -had the appearance of booths at a fair. Large as this was, it had -been considerably diminished, since its arrival at Dort, and several -hundreds of the workmen had departed. - -A little further on, and within sight of this joyous company, was -the melancholy reverse of nearly an hundred ladies, driven from some -convent in Flanders, now residing, like those near Nimeguen, in -bilanders moored to the bank. Their vessels being open on the side -towards the water, we caught as full a view of them as could be had -without disrespect; and saw that they still wore their conventual -dresses, and were seated, apparently according to their ages, at -some sort of needle-work. It might have been censured, a few years -since, that mistakes, or deceptions, as to religious duties, should -have driven them from the world; but it was certainly now only to be -lamented, that any thing short of the gradual and peaceful progress of -reason should have expelled them from their retirement. - -We reached Rotterdam, in the evening, and stayed there, the next day, -to observe whether the confidence of the Dutch in their dykes and -fortresses was sufficient to preserve their tranquillity in a place -almost within hearing of the war, the French being then besieging -Sluys. There was no perceptible symptom of agitation, or any diminution -of the ordinary means for increasing wealth. The persons, with whom -we conversed, and they were not a few, spoke of the transactions of -the campaign with almost as much calmness and curiosity, as if these -had been passing in India. They could not suppose it possible, that -the French might reach the city; or, if they did, seemed to rely upon -the facility, with which their property could be removed by the canals -through Leyden and Haerlem, to the shore of the Zuyder Zee, then across -it by sailing barges, and then again by the canals as far as Groningen, -whither the French would certainly not penetrate. So valuable was water -thought in Holland, not only as a means of opulence in peace, but of -defence, or preservative flight in war. An excessive selfishness, which -is the vice of the Dutch, appeared sometimes to prevent those, who -could fly, from thinking of their remaining countrymen. - -An intention of dispensing with the customary fair was the only -circumstance, which distinguished this season from others at Rotterdam, -and that was imputed to the prudence of preventing any very numerous -meetings of the populace. - -About three weeks sooner than was necessary, for it was so long before -a convenient passage occurred, we went from hence to Helvoetsluys, and -there remained, a fortnight, watching an inflexible north-westerly -wind, and listening to accounts but too truly certified of French -frigates and privateers, almost unopposed in those latitudes. Lloyd's -List brought the names of five, or seven, French ships, then known to -be cruising in the north; and one packet was delayed in its voyage by -the sight of several Dutch vessels, set on fire within a few leagues -of _Goree_. The Dutch lamented, that the want of seamen crippled the -operations of their Admiralty Board: an Englishman, who was proud to -deny, that any such want, or want in such a degree, existed, as to his -country, was reduced to silence and shame, when it was enquired: Why, -then, have these seas been, for twelve months, thus exposed to the -dominion of the French? - -At length, a convoy arrived for a noble family, and we endeavoured -to take the benefit of it by embarking in a packet, which sailed at -the same time; but the sloop of war was unable to pass over what are -called the Flats, and our captain had resolved to proceed without it, -notwithstanding the contrarieties of the wind; when, with much joy, -we discerned a small boat, and knew it to be English by the skilful -impetuosity of the rowers. Having induced the people of the packet -to make a signal, by paying them for the passage to Harwich, we were -fortunately taken on board this boat, at the distance of about three -leagues from Helvoetsluys, and soon re-landed at that place; the packet -proceeding on her voyage, which, supposing no interruption from the -French vessels, was not likely to be made in less than three days. We -rejoiced at the release from fatigue and from fear, at least, if not -from danger; and, seeing little probability of an immediate passage, -returned, the next day, to Rotterdam, with the hope of finding some -neutral vessel, bound to an English port. - -We were immediately gratified by the promise of an American captain -to meet us with his vessel at Helvoetsluys, and, the next day, had a -delightful voyage thither, in a hired yacht, partly by the Maese, and -partly by channels inaccessible to large vessels. - - - - -FLAARDING. - - -The Maese presently brought us opposite to this small port, the -metropolis of the herring fishers; rendered interesting by the patient -industry and useful courage of its inhabitants. We landed at it, but -saw only what was immediately open for observation. Like most of the -Dutch towns, on the banks of rivers, it is protected from floods by -standing at the distance of three or four hundred yards from the shore, -and communicates with the stream only by a narrow, but deep canal. -The best street is built upon the quays of this channel, on which the -herring boats deposit their cargoes before the doors of the owners. We -did not see more than fifty, a great number being then at sea. Except -the business in this street, and the smell of herrings, which prevailed -every where, there was nothing to shew that we were in a place -supported solely by the industry of fishermen; no neglected houses, no -cottages, no dirty streets, no inferiority, in point of neatness and -brightness, to the other towns of Holland. - -The inhabitants are remarkable for adhering to the dress, as well as -the employments of their ancestors; so much so, that their clothing is -mentioned in other towns as the representation of the antient national -dress, common throughout all the provinces two centuries since; and it -is certain, that their appearance is exactly such as is delineated in -pictures of that date. - - * * * * * - -Some miles further, we entered the old Maese, a channel in several -parts very narrow, and evidently preserved by art, but in others nobly -expansive, and filled almost to the level of the luxuriant pastures and -groves that border it. In one part, where the antient stream takes a -circuitous course, a canal has been cut, that shortens the voyage, for -light vessels, by several miles, and barks in one channel are sometimes -visible from the other, their sails swelling over fields, in which, at -a distance, no water is discernible. Neat and substantial farmhouses, -with meadows flaming from them to the river, frequently occurred; and -there were more appearances of the careful labours, peculiar to the -Dutch, than in the great Maese itself, the banks being occasionally -supported, like their dykes, by a compact basket-work of flags and -faggots. - -Passing many small villages, or hamlets, we came, at sun-set, to -the large branch of the sea, which spreads from Williamstadt to -Helvoetsluys, and from thence to the German ocean. The former fortress -was faintly visible at a great distance over the water; and, while -we were straining our sight towards it, there was proof enough of a -nearness to the present theatre of war, the sounds of the siege of -Sluys coming loudly and distinctly in the breeze. The characters of -evening had fallen upon the scene in mild and deep solemnity; but the -glories of nature were unfelt, while a dreadful estimation of the -miseries, produced at each return of the sullen roar, pressed almost -exclusively upon the mind; considerations, which were soon after -prolonged by the melancholy view of several English transports, filled -with wounded soldiers, whose blythe music, now at the firing of the -evening gun, was rendered painful by its contrast to the truth of their -conditions. - -At Helvoetsluys, nothing was to be heard, but accounts, derived from -many respectable officers, on their way to England, of the unexampled -difficulties borne, cheerfully borne, by the British army, within the -last three months, and deservedly mentioned, not as complaints, but -as proofs of their firmness. There were, however, mingled with these, -many reports as to the contrary conduct even of those continental -troops, which still kept the field with us; of their tardiness, -their irregularity, of the readiness with which they permitted the -British to assume all the dangers of attacks, and of their little -co-operation even in the means of general resistance. _Brave Anglois! -Brave Anglois!_ was the constant shout of these troops, when they had -recourse to the British to regain the posts themselves had just lost, -or to make some assault, which they had refused, or had attempted -with ineffectual formality. They would then follow our troops, and, -when an advantage was gained, seemed to think they had share enough -of the victory, if they were at hand to continue the slaughter of the -retreating, and to engross all the plunder of the dead. - -We were as glad to escape from such considerations, as from the crowded -inns of Helvoetsluys, now little more convenient than ships; and, the -next morning, embarked on board the American vessel, then arrived from -Rotterdam. A fair wind soon wafted us out of sight of the low coast of -Holland; but we were afterwards becalmed, and carried by tides so far -towards the Flemish shore as to have the firing before Sluys not only -audible, but terribly loud. For part of three days, we remained within -hearing of this noise; but did not, therefore, think ourselves very -distant from the English coast, knowing that the fire, at the preceding -siege of Nieuport, had been heard as far as the Downs; Nieuport, -the wretched scene of so many massacres, and of distress, which, in -Holland, had been forcibly described to us by eye-witnesses. - -So keenly, indeed were the horrors of this place conceived by those, -who personally escaped from them, that of the emigrants, rescued -by the intrepidity of our seamen, many suppressed all joy at their -own deliverance by lamentations for the fate of their brethren. -One gentleman was no sooner on board a ship, then exposed to the -batteries on shore, than he climbed the shrouds and remained aloft, -notwithstanding all entreaties, till a severe wound obliged him to -descend. Another, who had been saved from the beach by a young sailor, -was unable to swim so far as the ship; and the honest lad, having taken -him upon his back, struggled hard amidst a shower of balls to save both -their lives. At length, he, too, began to falter; and the weakness of -his efforts, not his complaints, seemed to shew his companion, that -one, or both of them, must perish: the latter nobly asked the lad, -whether he could save his own life, if left to himself; and, receiving -a reluctant reply, that probably he might do so, but that he would -strive for both, the emigrant instantly plunged into the ocean and was -seen no more. The glorious sailor reached his ship, just as he began -again to sail, and was saved. - -The calm continued during the day, and the sun set with uncommon -grandeur among clouds of purple, red and gold, that mingling with the -serene azure of the upper sky, composed a richness and harmony of -colouring which we never saw surpassed. It was most interesting to -watch the progress of evening and its effect on the waters; streaks of -light scattered among the dark western clouds, after the sun had set, -and gleaming in long reflection on the sea, while a grey obscurity was -drawing over the east, as the vapours rose gradually from the ocean. -The air was breathless; the tall sails of the vessel were without -motion, and her course upon the deep scarcely perceptible; while, -above, the planet Jupiter burned with steady dignity, and threw a -tremulous line of light on the sea, whose surface flowed in smooth -waveless expanse. Then, other planets appeared, and countless stars -spangled the dark waters. Twilight now pervaded air and ocean, but the -west was still luminous, where one solemn gleam of dusky red edged the -horizon, from under heavy vapours. - -It was now that we first discovered some symptoms of England; the -lighthouse on the South-Foreland appeared like a dawning star above the -margin of the sea. - -The vessel made little progress during the night. With the earliest -dawn of morning we were on deck, in the hope of seeing the English -coast; but the mists veiled it from our view. A spectacle, however, -the most grand in nature, repaid us for our disappointment, and we -found the circumstances of a sun-rise at sea, yet more interesting than -those of a sun-set. The moon, bright and nearly at her meridian, shed -a strong lustre on the ocean, and gleamed between the sails upon the -deck; but the dawn, beginning to glimmer, contended with her light, -and, soon touching the waters with a cold grey tint, discovered them -spreading all round to the vast horizon. Not a sound broke upon the -silence, except the lulling one occasioned by the course of the vessel -through the waves, and now and then the drowsy song of the pilot, as he -leaned on the helm; his shadowy figure just discerned, and that of a -sailor pacing near the head of the ship with crossed arms and a rolling -step. The captain, wrapt in a sea-coat, lay asleep on the deck, wearied -with the early watch. As the dawn strengthened, it discovered white -sails stealing along the distance, and the flight of some sea-fowls, as -they uttered their slender cry, and then, dropping upon the waves, sat -floating on the surface. Meanwhile, the light tints in the east began -to change, and the skirts of a line of clouds below to assume a hue -of tawny red, which gradually became rich orange and purple. We could -now perceive a long tract of the coast of France, like a dark streak -of vapour hovering in the south, and were somewhat alarmed on finding -ourselves within view of the French shore, while that of England was -still invisible. - -The moon-light faded fast from the waters, and soon the long beams of -the sun shot their lines upwards through the clouds and into the clear -blue sky above, and all the sea below glowed with fiery reflections, -for a considerable time, before his disk appeared. At length he rose -from the waves, looking from under clouds of purple and gold; and as he -seemed to touch the water, a distant vessel passed over his disk, like -a dark speck. - - * * * * * - -We were soon after cheered by the faintly seen coast of England, but -at the same time discovered, nearer to us on the south-west, the high -blue headlands of Calais; and, more eastward, the town, with its large -church and the steeples of two others, seated on the edge of the sea. -The woods, that fringe the summits of hills rising over it, were -easily distinguished with glasses, as well as the national flag on -the steeple of the great church. As we proceeded, Calais cliffs, at a -considerable distance westward of the town, lost their aërial blue, and -shewed an high front of chalky precipice, overtopped by dark downs. -Beyond, far to the south-west, and at the foot of a bold promontory, -that swelled above all the neighbouring heights, our glasses gave us -the towers and ramparts of Boulogne, sloping upward from the shore, -with its tall lighthouse on a low point running out into the sea; the -whole appearing with considerable dignity and picturesque effect. The -hills beyond were tamer, and sunk gradually away in the horizon. At -length, the breeze wafting us more to the north, we discriminated the -bolder features of the English coast, and, about noon, found ourselves -nearly in the middle of the channel, having Picardy on our left and -Kent on the right, its white cliffs aspiring with great majesty over -the flood. The sweeping bay of Dover, with all its chalky heights, -soon after opened. The town appeared low on the shore within, and the -castle, with round and massy towers, crowned the vast rock, which, -advancing into the sea, formed the eastern point of the crescent, while -Shakespeare's cliff, bolder still and sublime as the eternal name it -bears, was the western promontory of the bay. The height and grandeur -of this cliff were particularly striking, when a ship was seen sailing -at its base, diminished by comparison to an inch. From hence the cliffs -towards Folkstone, though still broken and majestic, gradually decline. -There are, perhaps, few prospects of sea and shore more animated and -magnificent than this. The vast expanse of water, the character of the -cliffs, that guard the coast, the ships of war and various merchantmen -moored in the Downs, the lighter vessels skimming along the channel, -and the now distant shore of France, with Calais glimmering faintly, -and hinting of different modes of life and a new world, all these -circumstances formed a scene of pre-eminent combination, and led to -interesting reflection. - -Our vessel was bound to Deal, and, leaving Dover and its cliffs on the -south, we entered that noble bay, which the rich shores of Kent open -for the sea. Gentle hills, swelling all round from the water, green -with woods, or cultivation, and speckled with towns and villages, -with now and then the towers of an old fortress, offered a landscape -particularly cheering to eyes accustomed to the monotonous flatness of -Dutch views. And we landed in England under impressions of delight more -varied and strong than can be conceived, without referring to the joy -of an escape from districts where there was scarcely an home for the -natives, and to the love of our own country, greatly enhanced by all -that had been seen of others. - -Between Deal and London, after being first struck by the superior -appearance and manners of the people to those of the countries we had -been lately accustomed to, a contrast too obvious as well as too often -remarked to be again insisted upon, but which made all the ordinary -circumstances of the journey seem new and delightful, the difference -between the landscapes of England and Germany occurred forcibly to -notice. The large scale, in which every division of land appeared in -Germany, the long corn grounds, the huge stretches of hills, the vast -plains and the wide vallies could not but be beautifully opposed by -the varieties and undulations of English surface, with gently swelling -slopes, rich in verdure, thick enclosures, woods, bowery hop-grounds, -sheltered mansions, announcing the wealth, and substantial farms, with -neat villages, the comfort of the country. English landscape may be -compared to cabinet pictures, delicately beautiful and highly finished; -German scenery to paintings for a vestibule, of bold outline and -often sublime, but coarse and to be viewed with advantage only from a -distance. - -Northward, beyond London, we may make one stop, after a country, not -otherwise necessary to be noticed, to mention Hardwick, in Derbyshire, -a seat of the Duke of Devonshire, once the residence of the Earl of -Shrewsbury, to whom Elizabeth deputed the custody of the unfortunate -Mary. It stands on an easy height, a few miles to the left of the -road from Mansfield to Chesterfield, and is approached through shady -lanes, which conceal the view of it, till you are on the confines of -the park. Three towers of hoary grey then rise with great majesty among -old woods, and their summits appear to be covered with the lightly -shivered fragments of battlements, which, however, are soon discovered -to be perfectly carved open work, in which the letters E. S. frequently -occur under a coronet, the initials, and the memorials of the vanity, -of Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury, who built the present edifice. -Its tall features, of a most picturesque tint, were finely disclosed -between the luxuriant woods and over the lawns of the park, which, -every now and then, let in a glimpse of the Derbyshire hills. The -scenery reminded us of the exquisite descriptions of Harewood, - - "The deep embowering shades, that veil Elfrida;" - -and those of Hardwick once veiled a form as lovely as the ideal graces -of the Poet, and conspired to a fate more tragical than that, which -Harewood witnessed. - -In front of the great gates of the castle court, the ground, adorned -by old oaks, suddenly sinks to a darkly shadowed glade, and the view -opens over the vale of Scarsdale, bounded by the wild mountains of the -Peak. Immediately to the left of the present residence, some ruined -features of the antient one, enwreathed with the rich drapery of ivy, -give an interest to the scene, which the later, but more historical -structure heightens and prolongs. We followed, not without emotion, -the walk, which Mary had so often trodden, to the folding doors of the -great hall, whose lofty grandeur, aided by silence and seen under the -influence of a lowering sky, suited the temper of the whole scene. The -tall windows, which half subdue the light they admit, just allowed -us to distinguish the large figures in the tapestry, above the oak -wainscoting, and shewed a colonnade of oak supporting a gallery -along the bottom of the hall, with a pair of gigantic elk's horns -flourishing between the windows opposite to the entrance. The scene of -Mary's arrival and her feelings upon entering this solemn shade came -involuntarily to the mind; the noise of horses' feet and many voices -from the court; her proud yet gentle and melancholy look, as, led by my -Lord Keeper, she passed slowly up the hall; his somewhat obsequious, -yet jealous and vigilant air, while, awed by her dignity and beauty, he -remembers the terrors of his own Queen; the silence and anxiety of her -maids, and the bustle of the surrounding attendants. - -From the hall a stair-case ascends to the gallery of a small chapel, -in which the chairs and cushions, used by Mary, still remain, and -proceeds to the first story, where only one apartment bears memorials -of her imprisonment, the bed, tapestry and chairs having been worked -by herself. This tapestry is richly embossed with emblematic figures, -each with its title worked above it, and, having been scrupulously -preserved, is still entire and fresh. - -Over the chimney of an adjoining dining-room, to which, as well as to -other apartments on this floor, some modern furniture has been added, -is this motto carved in oak: - - "There is only this: To fear God and keep his Commandments." - -So much less valuable was timber than workmanship, when this mansion -was constructed, that, where the stair-cases are not of stone, they -are formed of solid oaken steps, instead of planks; such is that from -the second, or state story to the roof, whence, on clear days, York and -Lincoln Cathedrals are said to be included in the extensive prospect. -This second floor is that, which gives its chief interest to the -edifice. Nearly all the apartments of it were allotted to Mary; some of -them for state purposes; and the furniture is known by other proofs, -than its appearance, to remain as she left it. The chief room, or that -of audience, is of uncommon loftiness, and strikes by its grandeur, -before the veneration and tenderness arise, which its antiquities, and -the plainly told tale of the sufferings they witnessed, excite. - -The walls, which are covered to a considerable height with tapestry, -are painted above with historical groups. The chairs are of black -velvet, nearly concealed by a raised needle-work of gold, silver and -colours, that mingle with surprising richness, and remain in fresh -preservation. The upper end of the room is distinguished by a lofty -canopy of the same materials, and by steps which support two chairs; -so that the Earl and Countess of Shrewsbury probably enjoyed their -own stateliness here, as well as assisted in the ceremonies practised -before Mary. A carpeted table, in front of the canopy, was, perhaps, -the desk of Commissioners, or Secretaries, who here recorded some of -the proceedings concerning her; below which, the room breaks into a -spacious recess, where a few articles of furniture are deposited, not -originally placed in it; a bed of state, used by Mary, the curtains of -gold tissue, but in so tattered a condition, that its original texture -can scarcely be perceived. This and the chairs, which accompany it, are -supposed to have been much earlier than Mary's time. - -A short passage leads from the state apartment to her own chamber, a -small room, overlooked from the passage by a window, which enabled her -attendants to know, that she was contriving no means of escape through -the others into the court. The bed and chairs of this room are of black -velvet, embroidered by herself; the toilet of gold tissue; all more -decayed than worn, and probably used only towards the conclusion of her -imprisonment here, when she was removed from some better apartment, in -which the antient bed, now in the state-room, had been placed. The date -1599 is once or twice inscribed in this chamber; for no reason, that -could relate to Mary, who was removed hence in 1584, and fell, by the -often-blooded hands of Elizabeth, in 1587. - -These are the apartments, distinguished by having been the residence -of so unhappy a personage. On the other side of the mansion, a grand -gallery occupies the length of the whole front, which is 165 feet, and -contains many portraits, now placed carelessly on chairs, or the floor; -amongst them an head of Sir Thomas More, apparently very fine; heads -of Henries the Fourth, Seventh and Eighth; a portrait of Lady Jane -Gray, meek and fair, before a harpsichord, on which a psalm-book is -opened; at the bottom of the gallery, Elizabeth, slyly proud and meanly -violent; and, at the top, Mary, in black, taken a short time before -her death, her countenance much faded, deeply marked by indignation -and grief, and reduced as if to the spectre of herself, frowning with -suspicion upon all who approached it; the black eyes looking out from -their corners, thin lips, somewhat aquiline nose and beautiful chin. - -What remains of the more antient building is a ruin, which, standing -nearly on the brink of the glade, is a fine object from this. A few -apartments, though approached with difficulty through the fragments of -others, are still almost entire, and the dimensions of that called the -Giant's Chamber are remarkable for the beauty of their proportion. - -From Hardwick to within a few miles of Middleton, the beauty of the -country declines, while the sublimity is not perfected; but, from -the north-west brow of Brampton Moor, the vast hills of Derbyshire -appear, in wild and ghastly succession. Middleton, hewn out of the grey -rocks, that impend over it, and scarcely distinguishable from them, is -worth notice for its very small and neat octagon church, built partly -by brief and partly by a donation from the Duke of Devonshire. The -valley, or rather chasm, at the entrance of which it stands, is called -Middleton Dale, and runs, for two miles, between perpendicular walls -of rock, which have more the appearance of having been torn asunder by -some convulsive rent of the earth, than any we have elsewhere seen. -The strata are horizontal, and the edges of each are often distinct -and rounded; one of the characteristics of granite. Three grey rocks, -resembling castles, project from these solid walls, and, now and then, -a lime-kiln, round like a bastion, half involves in smoke a figure, -who, standing on the summit, looks the Witch of the Dale, on an edge of -her cauldron, watching the workings of incantation. - -The chasm opened, at length, to a hill, whence wild moorish mountains -were seen on all sides, some entirely covered with the dull purple of -heath, others green, but without enclosures, except sometimes a stone -wall, and the dark sides of others marked only by the blue smoke of -weeds, driven in circles near the ground. - -Towards sun-set, from a hill in Cheshire, we had a vast view over part -of that county and nearly all Lancashire, a scene of fertile plains -and gentle heights, till some broad and towering mountains, at an -immense distance, were but uncertainly distinguished from the clouds. -Soon after, the cheerful populousness of the rich towns and villages -in Lancashire supplied objects for attention of a different character; -Stockport first, crowded with buildings and people, as much so as -some of the busiest quarters in London, with large blazing fires in -every house, by the light of which women were frequently spinning, -and manufacturers issuing from their workshops and filling the steep -streets, which the chaise rolled down with; dangerous rapidity; then -an almost continued street of villages to Manchester, some miles -before which the road was busy with passengers and carriages, as well -as bordered by handsome country houses; and, finally for this day, -Manchester itself; a second London; enormous to those, who have not -seen the first, almost tumultuous with business, and yet well proved -to afford the necessary peacefulness to science, letters and taste. -And not only for itself may Manchester be an object of admiration, but -for the contrast of its useful profits to the wealth of a neighbouring -place, immersed in the dreadful guilt of the Slave Trade, with the -continuance of which to believe national prosperity compatible, is to -hope, that the actions of nations pass unseen before the Almighty, -or to suppose extenuation of crimes by increase of criminality, and -that the eternal laws of right and truth, which smite the wickedness -of individuals, are too weak to struggle with the accumulated and -comprehensive guilt of a national participation in robbery, cruelty and -murder. - -From Manchester to Lancaster the road leads through a pleasant and -populous country, which rises gradually as it approaches the huge hills -we had noticed in the distance from the brow of Cheshire, and whose -attitudes now resembled those of the Rheingau as seen from Mentz. -From some moors on this side of Lancaster the prospects open very -extensively over a rich tract fading into blue ridges; while, on the -left, long lines of distant sea appear, every now and then, over the -dark woods of the shore, with vessels sailing as if on their summits. -But the view from a hill descending to Lancaster is pre-eminent for -grandeur, and comprehends an extent of sea and land, and a union of the -sublime in both, which we have never seen equalled. In the green vale -of the Lune below lies the town, spreading up the side of a round hill -overtopped by the old towers of the castle and the church. Beyond, -over a ridge of gentle heights, which bind the west side of the vale, -the noble inlet of the sea, that flows upon the Ulverston and Lancaster -sands, is seen at the feet of an amphitheatre formed by nearly all the -mountains of the Lakes; an exhibition of alpine grandeur, both in form -and colouring, which, with the extent of water below, compose a scenery -perhaps faintly rivalling that of the Lake of Geneva. To the south and -west, the Irish Channel finishes the view. - -The antient town and castle of Lancaster have been so often and so -well described, that little remains to be said of them. To the latter -considerable additions are building in the Gothic style, which, -when time shall have shaded the stone, will harmonize well wish the -venerable towers and gatehouse of the old structure. From a turret -rising over the leads of the castle, called John o' Gaunt's Chair, -the prospect is still finer than from the terrace of the church-yard -below. Overlooking the Lune and its green slopes, the eye ranges to the -bay of the sea beyond, and to the Cumberland and Lancashire mountains. -On an island near the extremity of the peninsula of Low Furness, the -double point of Peel Castle starts up from the sea, but is so distant -that it resembles a forked rock. This peninsula, which separates the -bay of Ulverston from the Irish Channel, swells gradually into a -pointed mountain called Blackcomb, thirty miles from Lancaster, the -first in the amphitheatre, that binds the bay. Hence a range of lower, -but more broken and forked summits, extends northward to the fells -of High Furness, rolled behind each other, huge, towering and dark; -then, higher still, Langdale Pikes, with a confusion of other fells, -that crown the head of Windermere and retire towards Keswick, whose -gigantic mountains, Helvellyn and Saddleback, are, however, sunk in -distance below the horizon of the nearer ones. The top of Skiddaw may -be discerned when the air is clear, but it is too far off to appear -with dignity. From Windermere-Fells the heights soften towards the -Vale of Lonsdale, on the east side of which Ingleborough, a mountain -in Craven, rears his rugged front, the loftiest and most majestic in -the scene. The nearer country, from this point of the landscape, is -intersected with cultivated hills, between which the Lune winds its -bright but shallow stream, falling over a weir and passing under a very -handsome stone bridge at the entrance of the town, in its progress -towards the sea. A ridge of rocky eminences shelters Lancaster on the -east, whence they decline into the low and uninteresting country, that -stretches to the Channel. - -The appearance of the northern Fells is ever changing with the weather -and shifting lights. Sometimes they resemble those evening clouds on -the horizon, that catch the last gleams of the sun; at others, wrapt in -dark mist, they are only faintly traced, and seem like stormy vapours -rising from the sea. But in a bright day their appearance is beautiful; -then, their grand outlines are distinctly drawn upon the sky, a vision -of Alps; the rugged sides are faintly marked with light and shadow, -with wood and rock, and here and there a cluster of white cottages, or -farms and hamlets, gleam at their feet along the water's edge. Over the -whole landscape is then drawn a softening azure, or sometimes a purple -hue, exquisitely lovely, while the sea below reflects a brighter tint -of blue. - - - - -FROM LANCASTER TO KENDAL. - - -Leaving Lancaster, we wound along the southern brow of the vale of -the Lune, which there serpentizes among meadows, and is soon after -shut up between steep shrubby banks. From the heights we had some fine -retrospects of Lancaster and the distant sea; but, about three miles -from the town, the hills open forward to a view as much distinguished -by the notice of Mr. GRAY, as by its own charms. We here looked down -over a woody and finely broken fore-ground upon the Lune and the vale -of Lonsdale, undulating in richly cultivated slopes, with Ingleborough, -for the back-ground, bearing its bold promontory on high, the very -crown and paragon of the landscape. To the west, the vale winds from -sight among smoother hills; and the gracefully falling line of a -mountain, on the left, forms, with the wooded heights, on the right, a -kind of frame for the distant picture. - -The road now turned into the sweetly retired vale of Caton, and by the -village church-yard, in which there is not a single gravestone, to -Hornby, a small straggling town, delightfully seated near the entrance -of the vale of Lonsdale. Its thin toppling castle is seen among wood, -at a considerable distance, with a dark hill rising over it. What -remains of the old edifice is a square grey building, with a slender -watch-tower, rising in one corner, like a feather in a hat, which joins -the modern mansion of white stone, and gives it a singular appearance, -by seeming to start from the centre of its roof. - -In front, a steep lawn descends between avenues of old wood, and the -park extends along the skirts of the craggy hill, that towers above. -At its foot, is a good stone bridge over the Wenning, now shrunk in -its pebbly bed, and, further on, near the castle, the church, shewing -a handsome octagonal tower, crowned with battlements. The road then -becomes extremely interesting, and, at Melling, a village on a brow -some miles further, the view opens over the whole vale of Lonsdale. -The eye now passes, beneath the arching foliage of some trees in -the fore-ground, to the sweeping valley, where meadows of the most -vivid green and dark woods, with white cottages and villages peeping -from among them, mingle with surprising richness, and undulate from -either bank of the Lune to the feet of hills. Ingleborough, rising -from elegantly swelling ground, overlooked this enchanting vale, on -the right, clouds rolling along its broken top, like smoke from a -cauldron, and its hoary tint forming a boundary to the soft verdure -and rich woodlands of the slopes, at its feet. The perspective was -terminated by the tall peeping heads of the Westmoreland fells, the -nearer ones tinged with faintest purple, the more distant with light -azure; and this is the general boundary to a scene, in the midst -of which, enclosed between nearer and lower hills, lies the vale -of Lonsdale, of a character mild, delicate and reposing, like the -countenance of a Madona. - -Descending Melling brow, and winding among the perpetually-changing -scenery of the valley, we approached Ingleborough; and it was -interesting to observe the lines of its bolder features gradually -strengthening, and the shadowy markings of its minuter ones becoming -more distinct, as we advanced. Rock and grey crags looked out from -the heath, on every side; but its form on each was very different. -Towards Lonsdale, the mountain is bold and majestic, rising in abrupt -and broken precipices, and, often impending, till, at the summit, -it suddenly becomes flat, and is level for nearly a mile, whence it -descends, in along gradual ridge, to Craven in Yorkshire. In summer, -some festivities are annually celebrated on this top, and the country -people, as they "drink the freshness of the mountain breeze[1]," look -over the wild moorlands of Yorkshire, the rich vales of Lancashire, and -to the sublime mountains of Westmoreland. - -[1] Mrs. Barbauld. - -Crossing a small bridge, we turned from Ingleborough, and passed very -near the antient walls of Thirlham Castle, little of which is now -remaining. The ruin is on a green broken knoll, one side of which is -darkened with brush-wood and dwarf-oak. Cattle were reposing in the -shade, on the bank of a rivulet, that rippled through what was formerly -the castle ditch. A few old trees waved over what was once a tower, -now covered with ivy. - -Some miles further, we crossed the Leck, a shrunk and desolate stream, -nearly choked with pebbles, winding in a deep rocky glen, where trees -and shrubs marked the winter boundary of the waters. Our road, mounting -a green eminence of the opposite bank, on which stands Overborough, the -handsome modern mansion of Mr. FENWICK, wound between plantations and -meadows, painted with yellow and purple flowers, like those of spring. -As we passed through their gentle slopes, we had, now and then, sweet -views between the foliage, on the left, into the vale of Lonsdale, now -contracting in its course, and winding into ruder scenery. Among these -catches, the best picture was, perhaps, where the white town of Kirby -Lonsdale shelves along the opposite bank, having rough heathy hills -immediately above it, and, below, a venerable Gothic bridge over the -Lune, rising in tall arches, like an antient aqueduct; its grey tint -agreeing well with the silvery lightness of the water and the green -shades, that flourished from the steep margin over the abutments. - -The view from this bridge, too, was beautiful. The river, foaming -below among masses of dark rock, variegated with light tints of grey, -as if touched by the painter's pencil, withdrew towards the south in -a straight channel, with the woods of Overborough on the left. The -vale, dilating, opened a long perspective to Ingleborough and many -blue mountains more distant, with all the little villages we had -passed, glittering on the intervening eminences. The colouring of some -low hills, on the right, was particularly beautiful, long shades of -wood being overtopped with brown heath, while, below, meadows of soft -verdure fell gently towards the river bank. - -Kirby Lonsdale, a neat little town, commanding the whole vale, is on -the western steep. We staid two hours at it, gratified by witnessing, -at the first inn we reached, the abundance of the country and the -goodwill of the people. In times, when the prices of necessary articles -are increasing with the taste for all unnecessary display, instances -of cheapness may be to persons of small incomes something more than -mere physical treasures; they have a moral value in contributing to -independence of mind. - -Here we had an early and, as it afterwards appeared, a very -exaggerated specimen of the dialect of the country. A woman talked, -for five minutes, against our window, of whose conversation we could -understand scarcely a word. Soon after, a boy replied to a question, -"_I do na ken_," and "_gang_" was presently the common word for _go_; -symptoms of nearness to a country, which we did not approach, without -delighting to enumerate the instances of genius and worth, that adorn -it. - -Leaving Kirby Lonsdale by the Kendal road, we mounted a steep hill, -and, looking back from its summit upon the whole vale of Lonsdale, -perceived ourselves to be in the mid-way between beauty and desolation, -so enchanting was the retrospect and so wild and dreary the prospect. -From the neighbourhood of Caton to Kirby the ride was superior, for -elegant beauty, to any we had passed; this from Kirby to Kendal is of -a character distinctly opposite. After losing sight of the vale, the -road lies, for nearly the whole distance, over moors and perpetually -succeeding hills, thinly covered with dark purple heath flowers, of -which the most distant seemed black. The dreariness of the scene was -increased by a heavy rain and by the slowness of our progress, jostling -amongst coal carts, for ten miles of rugged ground. The views over the -Westmoreland mountains were, however, not entirely obscured; their vast -ridges were visible in the horizon to the north and west, line over -line, frequently in five or six ranges. Sometimes the intersecting -mountains opened to others beyond, that fell in deep and abrupt -precipices, their profiles drawing towards a point below and seeming to -sink in a bottomless abyss. - -On our way over these wilds, parts of which are called Endmoor and -Cowbrows, we overtook only long trains of coal carts, and, after -ten miles of bleak mountain road, began to desire a temporary home, -somewhat sooner than we perceived Kendal, white-smoking in the dark -vale. As we approached, the outlines of its ruinous castle were just -distinguishable through the gloom, scattered in masses over the top -of a small round hill, on the right. At the entrance of the town, the -river Kent dashed in foam down a weir; beyond it, on a green slope, the -gothic tower of the church was half hid by a cluster of dark trees; -gray fells glimmered in the distance. - -We were lodged at another excellent inn, and, the next morning, -walked over the town, which has an air of trade mingled with that of -antiquity. Its history has been given in other places, and we are not -able to discuss the doubt, whether it was the Roman _Brocanonacio_, or -not. The manufacture of cloth, which our statute books testify to have -existed as early as the reign in which _Falstaff_ is made to allude to -it, appears to be still in vigour, for the town is surrounded, towards -the river, with dyeing-grounds. We saw, however, no shades of "Kendal -green," or, indeed, any but bright scarlet. - -The church is remarkable for three chapels, memorials of the antient -dignity of three neighbouring families the Bellinghams, Stricklands and -Parrs. These are enclosures, on each side of the altar, differing from -pews chiefly in being large enough to contain tombs. Mr. Gray noticed -them minutely in the year 1769. They were then probably entire; but -the wainscot or railing, which divided the chapel of the Parrs from -the aisle, is now gone. Of two stone tombs in it one is enclosed with -modern railing, and there are many remnants of painted arms on the -adjoining windows. The chapel of the Stricklands, which is between this -and the altar, is separated from the church aisle by a solid wainscot, -to the height of four feet, and after that by a wooden railing with -broken fillagree ornaments. That of the Bellinghams contains an antient -tomb, of which the brass plates, that bore inscriptions and arms, are -now gone, but some traces of the latter remain in plaistered stone at -the side. Over it, are the fragments of an helmet, and, in the roof, -those of armorial bearings, carved in wood. On a pillar, near this, is -an inscription, almost obliterated, in which the following words may -yet be traced: - - - "Dame Thomasim Thornburgh - Wiffe of Sir William Thornburgh Knyght - Daughter of Sir Robert Bellingham - Gentle Knyght: the ellventhe of August - On thousand fyue hundreth eightie too." - - * * * * * - -The Saxon has been so strongly engrafted on our language, that, in -reading old inscriptions, especially those, which are likely to have -been spelt, according to the pronunciation, one is frequently reminded -by antient English words of the modern German synonyms. A German of the -present day would say for eleven, eilf, pronounced long like eilve, and -for five, funf, pronounced like fuynf. - -Over the chief seat in the old pew of the Bellinghams is a brass plate, -engraved with the figure of a man in armour, and, on each side of it, a -brass escutcheon, of which that on the right has a motto thus spelled, -_Ains. y L'est_. Under the figure is the following inscription, also -cut in brass: - - Heer lyeth the bodye of Alan Bellingham esquier who - maryed Catheryan daughter of Anthonye Ducket esquier by - whom he had no children after whose decease he maryed - Dorothie daughter of Thomas Sanford esquier of whom he had - ---- sonnes & eight daughters, of which five sonnes & 7 - daughters with the said Dorothie ar yeat lyving, he was - threescore and one yares of age & dyed ye 7 of Maye - Ao dni 1577. - -The correctness of inserting the unpronounced consonants in the words -Eight and Daughters, notwithstanding the varieties of the other -orthography in this inscription, is a proof of the universality of the -Saxon mode of spelling, with great abundance and even waste of letters; -a mode, which is so incorporated with our language, that those, who -are for dispensing with it in some instances, as in the final k in -"publick" and other words, should consider what a general change they -have to effect, or what partial incongruities they must submit to. - -Kendal is built on the lower steeps of a hill, that towers over the -principal street, and bears on one of its brows a testimony to the -independence of the inhabitants, an obelisk dedicated to liberty and -to the memory of the Revolution in 1688. At a time, when the memory -of that revolution is reviled, and the praises of liberty itself -endeavoured to be suppressed by the artifice of imputing to it the -crimes of anarchy, it was impossible to omit any act of veneration to -the blessings of this event. Being thus led to ascend the hill, we had -a view of the country, over which it presides; a scene simple, great -and free as the spirit revered amidst it. - - - - -FROM KENDAL TO BAMPTON AND HAWSWATER. - - -Of two roads from Kendal to Bampton one is through Long Sleddale, -the other over Shap-fell, the king of the Westmoreland mountains; of -which routes the last is the most interesting for simple sublimity, -leading through the heart of the wildest tracts and opening to such -vast highland scenery as even Derbyshire cannot shew. We left Kendal by -this road, and from a very old, ruinous bridge had a full view of the -castle, stretching its dark walls and broken towers round the head of a -green hill, to the southward of the town. These reliques are, however, -too far separated by the decay of large masses of the original edifice, -and contain little that is individually picturesque. - -The road now lay through shady lanes and over undulating, but gradually -ascending ground, from whence were pleasant views of the valley, with -now and then a break in the hills, on the left, opening to a glimpse -of the distant fells towards Windermere, gray and of more pointed form -than any we had yet seen; for hitherto the mountains, though of huge -outline, were not so broken, or alpine in their summits as to strike -the fancy with surprise. After about three miles, a very steep hill -shuts up the vale to the North, and from a gray rock, near the summit, -called Stone-cragg, the prospect opens over the vale of Kendal with -great dignity and beauty. Its form from hence seems nearly circular; -the hills spread round it, and sweep with easy lines into the bottom, -green nearly to their summits, where no fantastic points bend over it, -though rock frequently mingles with the heath. The castle, or its -low green hill, looked well, nearly in the centre of the landscape, -with Kendal and its mountain, on the right. Far to the south, were -the groves of Leven's park, almost the only wood in the scene, and, -over the heights beyond, blue hills bounded the horizon. On the west, -an opening in the near steeps discovered clusters of huge and broken -fells, while other breaks, on the east, shewed long ridges stretching -towards the south. Nearer us and to the northward, the hills rose dark -and awful, crowding over and intersecting each other in long and abrupt -lines, heath and crag their only furniture. - -The rough knolls around us and the dark mountain above gave force to -the verdant beauty and tranquillity of the vale below, and seemed -especially to shelter from the storms of the north some white farms -and cottages, scattered among enclosures in the hollows. Soon after -reaching the summit of the mountain itself - - "A vale appear'd below, a deep retir'd abode," - -and we looked down on the left into Long Sleddale, a little scene of -exquisite beauty, surrounded with images of greatness. This narrow -vale, or glen, shewed a level of the brightest verdure, with a few -cottages scattered among groves, enclosed by dark fells, that rose -steeply, yet gracefully, and, at their summits, bent forward in masses -of shattered rock. An hugely pointed mountain, called Keintmoor-head, -shuts up this sweet scene to the north, rising in a sudden precipice -from the vale, and heightening, by barren and gloomy steeps, the -miniature beauty, that glowed at its feet. Two mountains, called -Whiteside and Potter's-fell, screen the perspective; Stone-crag is at -the southern end, fronting Keintmoor-head. The vale, seen beyond the -broken ground we were upon, formed a landscape of, perhaps, unexampled -variety and grace of colouring; the tender green of the lowland, the -darker verdure of the woods ascending the mountains, the brown rough -heath above them, and the impending crags over all, exhibit their -numerous shades, within a space not more than two miles long, or half a -mile in breadth. - -From the right of our road another valley extended, whose character is -that of simple sublimity, unmixed with any tint of beauty. The vast, -yet narrow perspective sweeps in ridges of mountains, huge, barren -and brown, point beyond point, the highest of which, Howgill-fell, -gives its name to the whole district, in which not a wood, a village, -or a farm appeared to cheer the long vista. A shepherd boy told us -the names of almost all the heights within the horizon, and we are -sorry not to have written them, for the names of mountains are seldom -compounded of modern, or trivial denominations, and frequently are -somewhat descriptive of their prototypes. He informed us also, that -we should go over eight miles of Shap-fell, without seeing a house; -and soon after, at Haw's-foot, we took leave of the last on the road, -entering then a close valley, surrounded by stupendous mountains of -heath and rock, more towering and abrupt than those, that had appeared -in moorlands on the other side of Kendal. A stream, rolling in its -rocky channel, and crossing the road under a rude bridge, was all that -broke the solitary silence, or gave animation to the view, except the -flocks, that hung upon the precipices, and which, at that height, -were scarcely distinguishable from the gray round stones, thickly -starting from out the heathy steeps. The Highlands of Scotland could -scarcely have offered to OSSIAN more images of simple greatness, or -more circumstances for melancholy inspiration. Dark glens and fells, -the mossy stone, the lonely blast, descending on the valley, the roar -of distant torrents every where occurred; and to the bard the "song of -spirits" would have swelled with these sounds, and their fleeting forms -have appeared in the clouds, that frequently floated along the mountain -tops. - -The road, now ascending Shap-fell, alternately climbed the steeps and -sunk among the hollows of this sovereign mountain, which gives its name -to all the surrounding hills; and, during an ascent of four miles, we -watched every form and attitude of the features, which composed this -vast scenery. Sometimes we looked from a precipice into deep vallies, -varied only with shades of heath, with the rude summer hut of the -shepherd, or by streams accumulating into torrents; and, at others, -caught long prospects over high lands as huge and wild as the nearer -ones, which partially intercepted them. - -The flocks in this high region are so seldom disturbed by the footsteps -of man, that they have not learned to fear him; they continued to graze -within a few feet of the carriage, or looked quietly at it, seeming to -consider these mountains as their own. - -Near the summit of the road, though not of the hill, a retrospective -glance gave us a long view over the fells, and of a rich distance -towards Lancaster, rising into blue hills, which admitted glimpses -of sparkling sea in the bay beyond. This gay perspective, lighted up -by a gleam of sunshine, and viewed between the brown lines of the -nearer mountains, shewed like the miniature painting of a landscape, -illuminated beyond a darkened fore-ground. - -At the point of every steep, as we ascended, the air seemed to become -thinner, and, at the northern summit of Shap-fell, which we reached -after nearly two hours' toil, the wind blew with piercing intenseness, -making it difficult to remain as long as was due to our admiration -of the prospect. The scene of mountains, which burst upon us, can be -compared only to the multitudinous waves of the sea. On the northern, -western and eastern scope of the horizon rose vast ridges of heights, -their broken lines sometimes appearing in seven or eight successive -ranges, though shewing nothing either fantastic or peaked in their -forms. The autumnal lights, gleaming on their sides, or shadows -sweeping in dark lines along them, produced a very sublime effect; -while summits more remote were often misty with the streaming shower, -and others glittered in the partial rays, or were coloured with the -mild azure of distance. The greater tract of the intervening hills and -Shap-fell itself were, at this time, darkened with clouds, while Fancy, -awed by the gloom, imaged the genius of Westmoreland brooding over it -and directing the scowling storm. - -A descent of nearly four miles brought us to Shap, a straggling -village, lying on the side of a bleak hill, feebly sheltered by -clumps of trees. Here, leaving the moorlands, we were glad to find -ourselves again where "bells have knolled to church," and in the midst -of civilized, though simple life. After a short rest, at a cleanly -little inn, we proceeded towards Bampton, a village five miles further -in a vale, to which it gives its name, and one mile from Hawswater, -the lake, that invited us to it. As the road advanced, the fells of -this lake fronted it, and, closing over the southern end of Bampton -vale, were the most interesting objects in the view. They were of a -character very different from any yet seen; tall, rocky, and of more -broken and pointed form. Among them was the high blue peak, called -Kidstow-pike; the broader ridge of Wallow-crag; a round and still -loftier mountain--Ickolm-moor, beyond, and, further yet, other ranges -of peaked summits, that overlook Ullswater. - -In a hollow on the left of the road, called the Vale of Magdalene, are -the ruins of Shap-abbey, built in the reign of John, of which little -now appears except a tower with pointed windows. The situation is -deeply secluded, and the gloom of the surrounding mountains may have -accorded well with monastic melancholy. - -Proceeding towards Bampton we had a momentary peep into Hawswater, -sunk deep among black and haggard rocks, and overtopped by the towering -fells before named, whose summits were involved in tempest, till the -sun, suddenly breaking out from under clouds, threw a watery gleam -aslant the broken top of Kidstow-pike; and his rays, struggling with -the shower, produced a fine effect of light, opposed to the gloom, that -wrapt Ickolm-moor and other huge mountains. - -We soon after looked down from the heights of Bampton upon its open -vale, checquered with corn and meadows, among which the slender Lowther -wound its way from Hawswater to the vale of Eden, crossing that of -Bampton to the north. The hills, enriched here and there with hanging -woods and seats, were cultivated nearly to their summits, except where -in the south the rude heights of Hawswater almost excluded the lake -and shut up the valley. Immediately below us Bampton grange lay along -the skirt of the hill, and crossed the Lowther, a gray, rambling and -antient village, to which we descended among rough common, darkened by -plantations of fir, and between corn enclosures. - -The interruption, which enclosed waters and pathless mountains give to -the intercourse and business of ordinary life, renders the district, -that contains the lakes of Lancashire, Westmoreland and Cumberland, -more thinly inhabited than is due to the healthiness of the climate -and, perhaps, to the richness of the vallies. The roads are always -difficult from their steepness, and in winter are greatly obstructed -by snow. That over Shap-fell to Kendal was, some years since, entirely -impassable, till the inhabitants of a few scattered towns subscribed -thirty pounds, and a way was cut wide enough for one horse, but so -deep, that the snow was, on each side, above the rider's head. It is -not in this age of communication and intelligence, that any person will -be credulously eager to suppose the inhabitants of one part of the -island considerably or generally distinguished in their characters from -those of another; yet, perhaps, none can immerge themselves in this -country of the lakes, without being struck by the superior simplicity -and modesty of the people. Secluded from great towns and from examples -of selfish splendour, their minds seem to act freely in the sphere of -their own affairs, without interruption from envy or triumph, as to -those of others. They are obliging, without servility, and plain but -not rude, so that, when, in accosting you, they omit the customary -appellations, you perceive it to be the familiarity of kindness, not of -disrespect; and they do not bend with meanness, or hypocrisy, but shew -an independent well meaning, without obtrusiveness and without the hope -of more than ordinary gain. - -Their views of profit from strangers are, indeed, more limited than we -could have believed, before witnessing it. The servants at the little -inns confess themselves, by their manner of receiving what you give, to -be almost as much surprised as pleased. A boy, who had opened four or -five gates for us between Shap and Bampton, blushed when we called to -him to have some halfpence; and it frequently happened, that persons, -who had looked at the harness, or rendered some little services of -that sort on the road, passed on, before any thing could be offered -them. The confusion of others, on being paid, induced us to suppose, at -first, that enough had not been given; but we were soon informed, that -nothing was expected. - -The inns, as here at Bampton, are frequently humble; and those, who are -disposed to clamour for luxuries, as if there was a crime in not being -able to supply them, may confound a simple people, and be themselves -greatly discontented, before they go. But those, who will be satisfied -with comforts, and think the experience of integrity, carefulness and -goodwill is itself a luxury, will be glad to have stopped at Bampton -and at several other little villages, where there is some sort of -preparation for travellers. - -Nor is this secluded spot without provision for the mind. A beneficed -grammar school receives the children of the inhabitants, and sends, we -believe, some to an University. Bishop GIBSON received his education -at it. Bishop LAW, who was born at Bampton, went daily across one, or -two of the rudest fells on the lake to another school, at Martindale; -an exercise of no trifling fatigue, or resolution; for among the -things to be gained by seeing the lakes is a conception of the extreme -wildness of their boundaries. You arrive with a notion, that you can -and dare rove any where amongst the mountains; and have only to see -three to have the utmost terror of losing your way. - -The danger of wandering in theses regions without a guide is increased -by an uncertainty, as to the titles of heights; for the people of each -village have a name for the part of a mountain nearest to themselves, -and they sometimes call the whole by that name. The circumference of -such heights is also too vast, and the flexures too numerous to admit -of great accuracy. Skiddaw, Saddleback and Helvellyn, may, however -be certainly distinguished. There are others, a passage over which -would save, perhaps, eight or ten miles out of twenty, but which are -so little known, except to the shepherds, that they are very rarely -crossed by travellers. We could not trust to any person's knowledge of -Harter-fell, beyond the head of Hawswater. - - - - -HAWSWATER. - - -This is a lake, of which little has been mentioned, perhaps because it -is inferior in size to the others, but which is distinguished by the -solemn grandeur of its rocks and mountains, that rise in very bold and -awful characters. The water, about three miles long, and at the widest -only half a mile over, nearly describes the figure 8, being narrowed in -the centre by the projecting shores; and, at this spot, it is said to -be fifty fathom deep. - -Crossing the meadows of Bampton vale and ascending the opposite -heights, we approached the fells of Hawswater, and, having proceeded -for a mile along the side of hills, the views over the vale and of the -southern mountains changing with almost every step, the lake began to -open between a very lofty ridge, covered with forest, and abrupt fells -of heath, or naked rock. Soon after, we looked upon the first expanse -of the lake. Its eastern shore, rising in a tremendous ridge of rocks, -darkened with wood to the summit, appears to terminate in Wallow-crag, -a promontory of towering height, beyond which the lake winds from view. -The finely broken mountains on the west are covered with heath, and the -tops impend in crags and precipices; but their ascent from the water -is less sudden than that of the opposite rocks, and they are skirted -by a narrow margin of vivid green, where cattle were feeding, and -tufted shrubs and little groves overhung the lake and were reflected -on its dark surface. Above, a very few white cottages among wood broke -in upon the solitude; higher still, the mountain-flocks were browsing, -and above all, the narrow perspective was closed by dark and monstrous -summits. - -As we wound along the bank, the rocks unfolded and disclosed the second -expanse, with scenery yet more towering and sublime than the first. -This perspective seemed to be terminated by the huge mountain called -Castle-street; but, as we advanced, Harter-fell reared his awful -front, impending over the water, and shut in the scene, where, amidst -rocks, and at the entrance of a glen almost choked by fragments from -the heights, stands the chapel of Martindale, spoken by the country -people Mardale. Among the fells of this dark prospect are Lathale, -Wilter-crag, Castle-crag and Riggindale, their bold lines appearing -beyond each other as they fell into the upper part of the lake, and -some of them shewing only masses of shattered rock. Kidstow-pike is -pre-eminent among the crowding summits beyond the eastern shore, and -the clouds frequently spread their gloom over its point, or fall in -showers into the cup within; on the west High-street, which overlooks -the head of Ullswater, is the most dignified of the mountains. - -Leaving the green margin of the lake, we ascended to the Parsonage, a -low, white building on a knoll, sheltered by the mountain and a grove -of sycamores, with a small garden in front, falling towards the water. -From the door we had a view of the whole lake and the surrounding -fells, which the eminence we were upon was just raised enough to shew -to advantage. Nearly opposite to it the bold promontory of Wallow-crag -pushed its base into the lake, where a peninsula advanced to meet it, -spread with bright verdure, on which the hamlet of Martindale lay -half concealed among a grove of oak, beech and sycamore, whose tints -contrasted with the darker one of the spiry spruce, or more clumped -English fir, and accorded sweetly with the pastoral green beneath. The -ridge of precipices, that swept from Wallow-crag southward, and formed -a bay for the upper part of the lake, was despoiled of its forest; but -that, which curved northward, was dark with dwarf-wood to the water's -brim, and, opening distantly to Bampton vale, let in a gay miniature -landscape, bright in sunshine. Below, the lake reflected the gloom of -the woods, and was sometimes marked with long white lines, which, we -were told, indicated bad weather; but, except when a sudden gust swept -the surface, it gave back every image on the shore, as in a dark mirror. - -The interior of the Parsonage was as comfortable as the situation -was interesting. A neat parlour opened from the passage, but it was -newly painted, and we were shewn into the family room, having a large -old-fashioned chimney corner, with benches to receive a social party, -and forming a most enviable retreat from the storms of the mountains. -Here, in the winter evening, a family circle, gathering round a blazing -pile of wood on the hearth, might defy the weather and the world. It -was delightful to picture such a party, happy in their home, in the -sweet affections of kindred and in honest independence, conversing, -working and reading occasionally, while the blast was struggling -against the casement and the snow pelting on the roof. - -The seat of a long window, overlooking the lake, offered the delights -of other seasons; hence the luxuriance of summer and the colouring -of autumn successively spread their enchantments over the opposite -woods, and the meadows that margined the water below; and a little -garden of sweets sent up its fragrance to that of the honeysuckles, -that twined round the window. Here, too, lay a store of books, and, -to instance that an inhabitant of this remote nook could not exclude -an interest concerning the distant world among them was a history of -passing events. Alas! to what scenes, to what display of human passions -and human suffering did it open! How opposite to the simplicity, the -innocence and the peace of these! - -The venerable father of the mansion was engaged in his duty at his -chapel of Martindale, but we were hospitably received within, and heard -the next day how gladly he would have rendered any civilities to -strangers. - -On leaving this enviable little residence, we pursued the steeps of -the mountain behind it, and were soon amidst the flocks and the crags, -whence the look-down, upon the lake and among the fells was solemn and -surprising. About a quarter of a mile from the Parsonage, a torrent of -some dignity rushed past us, foaming down a rocky chasm in its way to -the lake. Every where, little streams of crystal clearness wandered -silently among the moss and turf, which half concealed their progress, -or dashed over the rocks; and, across the largest, sheep-bridges of -flat stone were thrown, to prevent the flocks from being carried away -in attempting to pass them in winter. The gray stones, that grew among -the heath, were spotted with mosses of so fine a texture, that it was -difficult to ascertain whether they were vegetable; their tints were -a delicate pea-green and primrose, with a variety of colours, which it -was not necessary to be a botanist to admire. - -An hour, passed in ascending, brought us to the brow of Bampton vale, -which sloped gently downward to the north, where it opened to lines -of distant mountains, that extended far into the east. The woods of -Lowther-park capped two remote hills, and spread luxuriantly down their -sides into the valley; and nearer, Bampton-grange lay at the base of a -mountain, crowned with fir plantations, over which, in a distant vale, -we discovered the village of Shap and long ridges of the highland, -passed on the preceding day. - -One of the fells we had just crossed is called Blanarasa, at the -summit of which two gray stones, each about four feet high, and placed -upright, at the distance of nine feet from each other, remain of four, -which are remembered to have been formerly there. The place is still -called Four Stones; but tradition does not relate the design of the -monument; whether to limit adjoining districts, or to commemorate a -battle, or a hero. - -We descended gradually into the vale, among thickets of rough oaks, on -the bank of a rivulet, which foamed in a deep channel beneath their -foliage, and came to a glade so sequestered and gloomily overshadowed, -that one almost expected see the venerable arch of a ruin, peeping -between the branches. It was the very spot, which the founder of a -monastery might have chosen for his retirement, where the chantings -of a choir might have mingled with the soothing murmur of the stream, -and monks have glided beneath the solemn trees in garments scarcely -distinguishable from the shades themselves. - -This glade, sloping from the eye, opened under spreadings oaks to a -remote glimpse of the vale, with blue hills in the distance; and on the -grassy hillocks of the fore-ground cattle were every where reposing. - -We returned, about sun-set, to Bampton, after a walk of little more -than four miles, which had exhibited a great variety of scenery, -beautiful, romantic and sublime. At the entrance of the village, the -Lowther and a nameless rivulet, that runs from Hawswater, join their -waters; both streams were now sunk in their beds; but in winter they -sometimes contend for the conquest and ravage of the neighbouring -plains. The waters have then risen to the height of five or six feet -in a meadow forty yards from their summer channels. In an enclosure -of this vale was fought the last battle, or skirmish, with the -Scots in Westmoreland; and it is within the telling of the sons of -great-grandfathers, that the contest continued, till the Scots were -discovered to fire only pebbles; the villagers had then the folly to -close with them and the success to drive them away; but such was the -simplicity of the times, that it was called a victory to have made one -prisoner. Stories of this sort are not yet entirely forgotten in the -deeply inclosed vales of Westmoreland and Cumberland, where the greater -part of the present inhabitants can refer to an ancestry of several -centuries, on the same spot. - -We thought Bampton, though a very ill-built village, an enviable spot; -having a clergyman, as we heard, of exemplary manners, and, as one -of us witnessed, of a most faithful earnestness in addressing his -congregation in the church; being but slightly removed from one of the -lakes, that accumulates in a small space many of the varieties and -attractions of the others; and having the adjoining lands distributed, -for the most part, into small farms, so that, as it is not thought -low to be without wealth, the poor do not acquire the offensive and -disreputable habits, by which they are too often tempted to revenge, or -resist the ostentation of the rich. - - - - -ULLSWATER. - - -The ride from Bampton to Ullswater is very various and delightful. It -winds for about three miles along the western heights of this green and -open vale, among embowered lanes, that alternately admit and exclude -the pastoral scenes below, and the fine landscapes on the opposite -hills, formed by the plantations and antient woods of Lowther-park. -These spread over a long tract, and mingle in sweet variety with the -lively verdure of lawns and meadows, that slope into the valley, and -sometimes appear in gleams among the dark thickets. The house, of white -stone with red window-cases, embosomed among the woods, has nothing in -its appearance answerable to the surrounding grounds. Its situation -and that of the park are exquisitely happy, just where the vale of -Bampton opens to that of Eden, and the long mountainous ridge and peak -of Cross-fell, aspiring above them all, stretch before the eye; with -the town of Penrith shelving along the side of a distant mountain, and -its beacon on the summit; the ruins of its castle appearing distinctly -at the same time, crowning a low round hill. The horizon to the north -and the east is bounded by lines of mountains, range above range, -not romantic and surprising, but multitudinous and vast. Of these, -Cross-fell, said to be the highest mountain in Cumberland, gives its -name to the whole northern ridge, which in its full extent, from the -neighbourhood of Gillsland to that of Kirkby-Steven, is near fifty -miles. This perspective of the extensive vale of Eden has grandeur -and magnificence in as high a degree as that of Bampton has pastoral -beauty, closing in the gloomy solitudes of Hawswater. The vale is -finely wooded, and variegated with mansions, parks, meadow-land, corn, -towns, villages, and all that make a distant landscape rich. Among the -peculiarities of it, are little mountains of alpine shape, that start -up like pyramids in the middle of the vale, some covered with wood, -others barren and rocky. The scene perhaps only wants a river like the -Rhine, or the Thames, to make it the very finest in England for union -of grandeur, beauty and extent. - -Opposite Lowther-hall, we gave a farewell look to the pleasant vale of -Bampton and its southern fells, as the road, winding more to the west, -led us over the high lands, that separate it from the vale of Emont. -Then, ascending through shady lanes and among fields where the oat -harvest was gathering, we had enchanting retrospects of the vale of -Eden, spreading to the east, with all its chain of mountains chequered -by the autumnal shadows. - -Soon after, the road brought us to the brows of Emont, a narrow -well-wooded vale, the river, from which it takes its name, meandering -through it from Ullswater among pastures and pleasure-grounds, to meet -the Lowther near Brougham Castle. Penrith and its castle and beacon -look up the vale from the north, and the astonishing fells of Ullswater -close upon it in the south; while Delemain, the house, and beautiful -grounds of Mr. Hassel, Hutton St. John, a venerable old mansion, and -the single tower called Dacre-castle adorn the valley. But who can -pause to admire the elegancies of art, when surrounded by the wonders -of nature? The approach to this sublime lake along the heights of Emont -is exquisitely interesting; for the road, being shrouded by woods, -allows the eye only partial glimpses of the gigantic shapes, that are -assembled in the distance, and, awakening high expectation, leaves the -imagination, thus elevated, to paint the "forms of things unseen." Thus -it was, when we caught a first view of the dark broken tops of the -fells, that rise round Ullswater, of size and shape most huge, bold, -and awful; overspread with a blue mysterious tint, that seemed almost -supernatural, though according in gloom and sublimity with the severe -features it involved. - -Further on, the mountains began to unfold themselves; their outlines, -broken, abrupt and intersecting each other in innumerable directions, -seemed, now and then, to fall back like a multitude at some supreme -command, and permitted an oblique glimpse into the deep vales. A close -lane then descended towards Pooly-bridge, where, at length, the lake -itself appeared beyond the spreading branches, and, soon after, the -first reach expanded before us, with all its mountains tumbled round -it; rocky, ruinous and vast, impending, yet rising in wild confusion -and multiplied points behind each other. - -This view of the first reach from the foot of Dunmallet, a pointed -woody hill, near Pooly-bridge, is one of the finest on the Jake, which -here spreads in a noble sheet, near three miles long, and almost two -miles broad, to the base of Thwaithill-nab, winding round which it -disappears, and the whole is then believed to be seen. The character -of this view is nearly that of simple grandeur; the mountains, that -impend over the shore in front, are peculiarly awful in their forms -and attitudes; on the left, the fells soften; woodlands, and their -pastures, colour their lower declivities, and the water is margined -with the tenderest verdure, opposed to the dark woods and crags above. -On the right, a green conical hill slopes to the shore, where cattle -were reposing on the grass, or sipping the clear wave; further, rise -the bolder rocks of Thwaithill-nab, where the lake disappears, and, -beyond, the dark precipices and summits of fells, that crown the second -reach. - -Winding the foot of Dunmallet, the almost pyramidal hill, that shuts -up this end of Ullswater, and separates it from the vale of Emont, we -crossed Barton bridge, where this little river, clear as crystal, -issues from the lake, and through a close pass hurries over a rocky -channel to the vale. Its woody steeps, the tufted island, that -interrupts its stream, and the valley beyond, form altogether a picture -in fine contrast with the majesty of Ullswater, expanding on the other -side of the bridge. - -We followed the skirts of a smooth green hill, the lake, on the other -hand, flowing softly against the road and shewing every pebble on the -beach beneath, and proceeded towards the second bend; but soon mounted -from the shore among the broken knolls of Dacre-common, whence we had -various views of the first reach, its scenery appearing in darkened -majesty as the autumnal shadows swept over it. Sometimes, however, the -rays, falling in gleams upon the water, gave it the finest silvery tone -imaginable, sober though splendid. Dunmallet at the foot of the lake -was a formal unpleasing object, not large enough to be grand, or wild -enough to be romantic. - -The ground of the common is finely broken, and is scattered sparingly -with white cottages, each picturesquely shadowed by its dark grove; -above, rise plantations and gray crags which lead the eye forward to -the alpine forms, that crown the second reach, changing their attitudes -every instant as they are approached. - -Ullswater in all its windings, which give it the form of the letter S, -is nearly nine miles long; the width is various, sometimes nearly two -miles and seldom less than one; but Skelling-nab, a vast rock in the -second reach, projects so as to reduce it to less than a quarter of a -mile. These are chiefly the reputed measurements, but the eye loses -its power of judging even of the breadth, confounded by the boldness -of the shores and the grandeur of the fells, that rise beyond; the -proportions however are grand, for the water retains its dignity, -notwithstanding the vastness of its accompaniments; a circumstance, -which Derwentwater can scarcely boast. - -The second bend, assuming the form of a river, is very long, but -generally broad, and brought strongly to remembrance some of the -passes of the Rhine beyond Coblentz: though, here, the rocks, that -rise over the water, are little wooded; and, there, their skirts -are never margined by pasture, or open to such fairy summer scenes -of vivid green mingling with shades of wood and gleams of corn, as -sometimes appear within the recesses of these wintry mountains. These -cliffs, however, do not shew the variety of hue, or marbled veins, that -frequently surprise and delight on the Rhine, being generally dark -and gray, and the varieties in their complexion, when there are any, -purely aërial; but they are vast and broken; rise immediately from -the stream, and often shoot their masses over it; while the expanse -of water below accords with the dignity of that river in many of its -reaches. Once too, there were other points of resemblance, in the ruins -of monasteries and convents, which, though reason rejoices that they no -longer exist, the eye may be allowed to regret. Of these, all which now -remains on record is, that a society of Benedictine monks was founded -on the summit of Dunmallet, and a nunnery of the same order on a point -behind Sowlby-fell; traces of these ruins, it is said, may still be -seen. - -Thus grandeur and immensity are the characteristics of the left shore -of the second reach; the right exhibits romantic wildness in the rough -ground of Dacre-common and the craggy heights above, and, further -on, the sweetest forms of reposing beauty, in the grassy hillocks and -undulating copses of Gowbarrow-park, fringing the water, sometimes over -little rocky eminences, that project into the stream, and, at others, -in shelving bays, where the lake, transparent as crystal, breaks upon -the pebbly bank, and laves the road, that winds there. Above these -pastoral and sylvan landscapes, rise broken precipices, less tremendous -than those of the opposite shore, with pastures pursuing the crags to -a considerable height, speckled with cattle, which are exquisitely -picturesque, as they graze upon the knolls and among the old trees, -that adorn this finely declining park. - -Leaving the hamlet of Watermillock at some distance on the left, and -passing the seat of Mr. Robinson, sequestered in the gloom of beech and -sycamores, there are fine views over the second reach, as the road -descends the common towards Gowbarrow. Among the boldest fells, that -breast the lake on the left shore, are Holling-fell and Swarth-fell, -now no longer boasting any part of the forest of Martindale, but -shewing huge walls of naked rock, and scars, which many torrents have -inflicted. One channel only in this dry season retained its shining -stream; the chasm was dreadful, parting the mountain from the summit -to the base; and its waters in winter, leaping in foam from precipice -to precipice, must be infinitely sublime; not, however, even then from -their mass, but from the length and precipitancy of their descent. - -The perspective as the road descends into Gowbarrow-park is perhaps -the very finest on the lake. The scenery of the first reach is almost -tame when compared with this, and it is difficult to say where it -can be equalled for Alpine sublimity, and so effecting wonder and -awful elevation. The lake, after expanding at a distance to great -breadth, once more loses itself beyond the enormous pile of rock -called Place-fell, opposite to which the shore, seeming to close upon -all further progress, is bounded by two promontories covered with -woods, that shoot their luxuriant foliage to the water's edge. The -shattered mass of gray rock, called Yew-crag, rises immediately over -these, and, beyond, a glen opens to a chaos of mountains more solemn -in their aspect, and singular in their shapes, than any which have -appeared, point crowding over point in lofty succession. Among these -is Stone-cross-pike and huge Helvellyn, scowling over all; but, though -this retains its pre-eminence, its dignity is lost in the mass of alps -around and below it. A fearful gloom involved them; the shadows of -a stormy sky upon mountains of dark rock and heath. All this is seen -over the woody fore-ground of the park, which, soon shrouding us in its -bowery lanes, allowed the eye and the fancy to repose, while venturing -towards new forms and assemblages of sublimity. - -Meantime, the green shade, under which we passed, where the sultry low -of cattle, and the sound of streams hurrying from the heights through -the copses of Gowbarrow to the lake below, were all that broke the -stillness; these, with gleamings of the water, close on the left, -between the foliage, and which was ever changing its hue, sometimes -assuming the soft purple of a pigeon's neck, at others the silvery -tint of sunshine--these circumstances of imagery were in soothing and -beautiful variety with the gigantic visions we had lost. - -The road still pursuing this border of the lake, the copses opened to -partial views of the bold rocks, that form the opposite shore, and many -a wild recess and solemn glen appeared and vanished among them, some -shewing only broken fells, the sides of others shaggy with forests, -and nearly all lined, at their bases, with narrow pastures of the -most exquisite verdure. Thus descending upon a succession of sweeping -bays, where the shades parted, and admitted the lake, that flowed even -with us, and again retreating from it over gentle eminences, where it -glittered only between the leaves; crossing the rude bridges of several -becks, rapid, clear and foaming among dark stones, and receiving a -green tint from the closely shadowing trees, but neither precipitous -enough in their descent, nor ample enough in their course, to increase -the dignity of the scene, we came, after passing nearly three miles -through the park, to Lyulph's Tower. This mansion, a square, gray -edifice, with turreted corners, battlements and windows in the Gothic -style, has been built by the present Duke of Norfolk in one of the -finest situations of a park, abounding with views of the grand and -the sublime. It stands on a green eminence, a little removed from the -water, backed with wood and with pastures rising abruptly beyond, to -the cliffs and crags that crown them. In front, the ground falls finely -to the lake's edge, broken, yet gentle, and scattered over with old -trees, and darkened with copses, which mingle in fine variety of tints -with the light verdure of the turf beneath. Herds of deer, wandering -over the knolls, and cattle, reposing in the shade, completed this -sweet landscape. - -The lake is hence seen to make one of its boldest expanses, as it -sweeps round Place-fell, and flows into the third and last bend of -this wonderful vale. Lyulph's Tower looks up this reach to the south, -and to the east traces all the fells and curving banks of Gowbarrow, -that bind the second; while, to the west, a dark glen opens to a -glimpse of the solemn alps round Helvellyn; and all these objects are -seen over the mild beauty of the park. - -Passing fine sweeps of the shore and over bold headlands, we came -opposite to the vast promontory, called Place-fell, that pushes its -craggy foot into the lake, like a lion's claw, round which the waters -make a sudden turn, and enter Patterdale, their third and final -expanse. In this reach, they lose the form of a river, and resume -that of a lake, being closed, at three miles distance, by the ruinous -rocks, that guard the gorge of Patterdale, backed by a multitude of -fells. The water, in this scope, is of oval form, bounded on one side -by the precipices of Place-fell, Martindale-fell, and several others, -equally rude and awful that rise from its edge, and shew no lines of -verdure, or masses of; wood, but retire in rocky bays, or projects -in vast promontories athwart it. The opposite shore is less severe -and more romantic; the rocks are lower and richly wooded, and, often -receding from the water, leave room for a tract of pasture, meadow land -and corn, to margin their ruggedness. At the upper end, the village -of Patterdale and one of two white farms, peep out from among trees -beneath the scowling mountains, that close the scene; pitched in a -rocky nook, with corn and meadow land, sloping gently in front to the -lake, and, here and there, a scattered grove. But this scene is viewed -to more advantage from one of the two woody eminences, that overhang -the lake, just at the point where it forms its last angle, and, like -an opened compass, spreads its two arms before the eye. These heights -are extremely beautiful, viewed from the opposite shore, and had -long charmed us at a distance. Approaching them, we crossed another -torrent, Glencoyn-beck, or Airey-force, which here divides not only the -estates of the Duke of Norfolk and Mr. Hodgkinson, but the counties of -Westmoreland and Cumberland; and all the fells beyond, that enclose -the last bend of Ullswater, are in Patterdale. Here, on the right, at -the feet of awful rocks, was spread a gay autumnal scene, in which the -peasants were singing merrily as they gathered the oats into sheafs; -woods, turfy hillocks, and, above all, tremendous crags, abruptly -closing round the yellow harvest. The figures, together with the whole -landscape, resembled one of those beautifully fantastic scenes, which -fable calls up before the wand of the magician. - -Entering Glencoyn woods and sweeping the boldest bay of the lake, while -the water dashed with a strong surge upon the shore, we at length -mounted a road frightful from its steepness and its crags, and gained -one of the wooded summits so long admired. From hence the view of -Ullswater is the most extensive and various, that its shores exhibit, -comprehending its two principal reaches, and though not the most -picturesque, it is certainly the most grand. To the east, extends the -middle sweep in long and equal perspective, walled with barren fells -on the right, and margined on the left with the pastoral recesses and -bowery projections of Gowbarrow park. The rude mountains above almost -seemed to have fallen back from the shore to admit this landscape -within their hollow bosom, and then, bending abruptly, appear, like -Milton's Adam viewing the sleeping Eve, to hang over it enamoured. - -Lyulph's Tower is the only object of art, except the hamlet of -Watermillock, seen in the distant perspective, that appears in the -second bend of Ullswater; and this loses much of its effect from the -square uniformity of the structure, and the glaring green of its -painted window-cases. This is the longest reach of the lake. - -Place-fell, which divides the two last bends, and was immediately -opposite to the point we were on, is of the boldest form. It projects -into the water, an enormous mass of gray crag, scarred with dark hues; -thence retiring a little it again bends forward in huge cliffs, and -finally starts up into a vast perpendicular face of rock. As a single -object, it is wonderfully grand; and, connected with the scene, its -effect is sublime. The lower rocks are called Silver-rays, and not -inaptly; for, when the sun shines upon them, their variegated sides -somewhat resemble in brightness the rays streaming beneath a cloud. - -The last reach of Ullswater, which is on the right of this point, -expands into an oval, and its majestic surface is spotted with little -rocky islets, that would adorn a less sacred scene; here they are -prettinesses, that can scarcely be tolerated by the grandeur of its -character. The tremendous mountains, which scowl over the gorge of -Patterdale; the cliffs, massy, broken and overlooked by a multitude -of dark summits, with the grey walls of Swarth and Martindale fells, -that upheave themselves on the eastern shore, form altogether one of -the most grand and awful pictures on the lake; yet, admirable and -impressive as it is, as to solemnity and astonishment, its effect with -us was not equal to that of the more alpine sketch, caught in distant -perspective from the descent into Gowbarrow-park. - -In these views of Ullswater, sublimity and greatness are the -predominating characters, though beauty often glows upon the western -bank. The mountains are all bold, gloomy and severe. When we saw them, -the sky accorded well with the scene, being frequently darkened by -autumnal clouds; and the equinoctial gale swept the surface of the -lake, marking its blackness with long white lines, and beating its -waves over the rocks to the foliage of the thickets above. The trees, -that shade these eminences, give greater force to the scenes, which -they either partially exclude, or wholly admit, and become themselves -fine objects, enriched as they are with the darkest moss. - -From hence the ride to the village of Patterdale, at the lake's head, -is, for the first part, over precipices covered with wood, whence you -look down, on the left, upon the water, or upon pastures stretching -to it; on the right, the rocks rise abruptly, and often impend their -masses over the road; or open to narrow dells, green, rocky and -overlooked by endless mountains. - -About half way to the village of Patterdale, a peninsula spreads from -this shore into the lake, where a white house, peeping from a grove and -surrounded with green enclosures, is beautifully placed. This is an -inn, and, perhaps the principal one, as to accommodation; but, though -its situation on a spot which on each side commands the lake, is very -fine, it is not comparable, in point of wildness and sublimity, to -that of the cottage, called the King's Arms, at Patterdale. In the way -thither, are enchanting catches of the lake, between the trees on -the left, and peeps into the glens, that wind among the alps towards -Helvellyn, on the right. These multiply near the head of Ullswater, -where they start off as from one point, like radii, and conclude in -trackless solitudes. - -It is difficult to spread varied pictures of such scenes before the -imagination. A repetition of the same images of rock, wood and water, -and the same epithets of grand, vast and sublime, which necessarily -occur, must appear tautologous, on paper, though their archetypes in -nature, ever varying in outline, or arrangement, exhibit new visions to -the eye, and produce new shades of effect on the mind. It is difficult, -also, where these delightful differences have been experienced, to -forbear dwelling on the remembrance, and attempting to sketch the -peculiarities, which occasioned them. The scenery at the head of -Ullswater is especially productive of such difficulties, where a wish -to present the picture, and a consciousness of the impossibility of -doing so, except by the pencil, meet and oppose each other. - -Patterdale itself is a name somewhat familiar to recollection, from the -circumstance of the chief estate in it having given to its possessors, -for several centuries, the title of Kings of Patterdale. The last -person so distinguished was richer than his ancestors, having increased -his income, by the most ludicrous parsimony, to a thousand pounds a -year. His son and successor is an industrious country gentleman, who -has improved the sort of farming mansion, annexed to the estate, and, -not affecting to depart much from the simple manners of the other -inhabitants, is respectable enough to be generally called by his own -name of Mounsey, instead of the title, which was probably seldom given -to his ancestors, but in some sort of mockery. - -The village is very humble, as to the conditions and views of -the inhabitants; and very respectable, as to their integrity and -simplicity, and to the contentment, which is proved by the infrequency -of emigrations to other districts. It straggles at the feet of fells, -somewhat removed from the lake and near the entrance of the wild vale -of Glenridding. Its white church is seen nearly from the commencement -of the last reach, rising among trees, and in the church-yard are the -ruins of an antient yew, of remarkable size and venerable beauty; its -trunk, hollowed and silvered by age, resembles twisted roots; yet the -branches, that remain above, are not of melancholy black, but flourish -in rich verdure and flaky foliage. - -The inn is beyond the village, securely sheltered under high crags, -while enormous fells, close on the right, open to the gorge of -Patterdale; and Coldrill-beck, issuing from it, descends among the -corn and meadows, to join the lake at little distance. We had a happy -evening at this cleanly cottage, where there was no want, without its -recompense, from the civil offices of the people. Among the rocks, that -rose over it, is a station, which has been more frequently selected -than any other on the lake by the painter and the lover of the _beau -idée_, as the French and Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS expressively term what Mr. -BURKE explains in his definition of the word _fine_. Below the point, -on which we stood, a tract of corn and meadow land fell gently to the -lake, which expanded in great majesty beyond, bounded on the right -by the precipices of many fells, and, on the left, by rocks finely -wooded, and of more broken and spiry outline. The undulating pastures -and copses of Gowbarrow closed the perspective. Round the whole of -these shores, but particularly on the left, rose clusters of dark -and pointed summits, assuming great variety of shape, amongst which -Helvellyn was still pre-eminent. Immediately around us, all was vast -and gloomy; the fells mount swiftly and to enormous heights, leaving at -their bases only crags and hillocks, tufted with thickets of dwarf-oak -and holly, where the beautiful cattle, that adorned them, and a few -sheep, were picking a scanty supper among the heath. - -From this spot glens open on either hand, that lead the eye only to -a chaos of mountains. The profile of one near the fore-ground on the -right is remarkably grand, shelving from the summit in one vast sweep -of rock, with only some interruption of craggy points near its base, -into the water. On one side, it unites with the fells in the gorge of -Patterdale, and, on the other, winds into a bold bay for the lake. -Among the highlands, seen over the left shore, is Common-fell, a large -heathy mountain, which appeared to face us. Somewhat nearer, is a -lower one, called Glenridding, and above it the Nab. Grassdale has -Glenridding and the Nab on one side towards the water, and Birks-fell -and St. Sunday's-crag over that, on the other. The points, that rise -above the Nab, are Stridon-edge, then Cove's head, and, over all, the -precipices of dark Helvellyn, now appearing only at intervals among the -clouds. - -Not only every fell of this wild region has a name, but almost every -crag of every fell, so that shepherds sitting at the fire-side can -direct each other to the exact spot among the mountains, where a stray -sheep has been seen. - -Among the rocks on the right shore, is Martindale-fell, once shaded -with a forest, from which it received its name, and which spreading -to a vast extent over the hills and vallies beyond, even as far as -Hawswater, darkened the front of Swarth-fell and several others, that -impend over the first and second reach of Ullswater. Of the mountains, -which tower above the glen of Patterdale, the highest are Harter's -fell, Kidstow-pike, and the ridge, called the High-street; a name, -which reminded us of the German denomination, _Berg-strasse_. - -The effect of a stormy evening upon the scenery was solemn. Clouds -smoked along the fells, veiling them for a moment, and passing on to -other summits; or sometimes they involved the lower steeps, leaving the -tops unobscured and resembling islands in a distant ocean. The lake was -dark and tempestuous, dashing the rocks with a strong foam. It was a -scene worthy of the sublimity of Ossian, and brought to recollection -some touches of his gloomy pencil. "When the storms of the mountains -come, when the north lifts the waves on high, I sit by the sounding -shore, &c." - -A large hawk, sailing proudly in the air, and wheeling among the stormy -clouds, superior to the shock of the gust, was the only animated object -in the upward prospect. We were told, that the eagles had forsaken -their aeries in this neighbourhood and in Borrowdale, and are fled to -the isle of Man; but one had been seen in Patterdale, the day before, -which, not being at its full growth, could not have arrived from a -great distance. - -We returned to our low-roofed habitation, where, as the wind swept in -hollow gusts along the mountains and strove against our casements, the -crackling blaze of a wood fire lighted up the cheerfulness, which, -so long since as Juvenal's time, has been allowed to arise from the -contrast of ease against difficulty. _Suave mari magno, turbantibus -aquora ventis_; and, however we might exclaim, - - ---- ---- ---- "be my retreat - Between the groaning forest and the shore, - Beat by the boundless multitude of waves!" - -it was pleasant to add, - - "Where ruddy fire and beaming tapers join - To cheer the gloom." - - - - -BROUGHAM CASTLE. - - -The next morning, we proceeded from Ullswater along the vale of -Emont, so sweetly adorned by the woods and lawns of Dalemain, the -seat of Mr. Hassel, whose mansion is seen in the bottom. One of the -most magnificent prospects in the country is when this vale opens to -that of Eden. The mountainous range of Cross-fell fronted us, and its -appearance, this day, was very striking, for the effect of autumnal -light and shade. The upper range, bright in sunshine, appeared to rise, -like light clouds above the lower, which was involved in dark shadow, -so that it was a considerable time before the eye could detect the -illusion. The effect of this was inexpressibly interesting. - -Within view of Emont bridge, which divides the counties of Cumberland -and Westmoreland, is that memorial of antient times, so often described -under the name of Arthur's Round Table; a green circular spot of forty -paces diameter, enclosed by a dry ditch, and, beyond this, by a bank; -each in sufficient preservation to shew exactly what has been its -form. In the midst of the larger circle is another of only seven paces -diameter. We have no means of adding to, or even of corroborating -any of the well known conjectures, concerning the use of this rude -and certainly very antient monument. Those not qualified to propose -decisions in this respect may, however, suffer themselves to believe, -that the bank without the ditch and the enclosure within it were places -for different classes of persons, interested as parties, or spectators, -in some transactions, passing within the inner circle; and that -these, whether religious, civil, or military ceremonies, were rendered -distinct and conspicuous, for the purpose of impressing them upon the -memory of the spectators, at a time when memory and tradition were the -only preservatives of history. - -Passing a bridge, under which the Lowther, from winding and romantic -banks, enters the vale of Eden, we ascended between the groves of -Bird's Nest, or, as it is now called, Brougham Hall; a white mansion, -with battlements and gothic windows, having formerly a bird painted -on the front. It is perched among woods, on the brow of a steep, but -not lofty hill, and commands enchanting prospects over the vale. -The winding Emont; the ruins of Brougham Castle on a green knoll of -Whinfield park, surrounded with old groves; far beyond this, the -highlands of Cross-fell; to the north, Carleton-hall, the handsome -modern mansion of Mr. Wallace, amidst lawns of incomparable verdure -and luxuriant woods falling from the heights; further still, the -mountain, town and beacon of Penrith; these are the principal features -of the rich landscape, spread before the eye from the summit of the -hill, at Bird's Nest. - -As we descended to Brougham Castle, about a mile further, its ruined -masses of pale red stone, tufted with shrubs and plants, appeared -between groves of fir, beach, oak and ash, amidst the broken ground of -Whinfield park, a quarter of a mile through which brought us to the -ruin itself. It was guarded by a sturdy mastiff, worthy the office of -porter to such a place, and a good effigy of the Sir Porter of a former -age. Brougham Castle, venerable for its well-certified antiquity and -for the hoary masses it now exhibits, is rendered more interesting by -having been occasionally the residence of the humane and generous Sir -Philip Sydney; who had only to look from the windows of this once noble -edifice to see his own "Arcadia" spreading on every side. The landscape -probably awakened his imagination, for it was during a visit here, that -the greatest part of that work was written. - -This edifice, once amongst the strongest and most important of the -border fortresses, is supposed to have been founded by the Romans; -but the first historical record concerning it is dated in the time of -William the Conqueror, who granted it to his nephew, Hugh de Albinois. -His successors held it, till 1170, when Hugh de Morville, one of the -murderers of Thomas a Becket, forfeited it by his crime. Brougham -was afterwards granted by King John to a grandson of Hugh, Robert de -Vipont, whose grandson again forfeited the estate, which was, however, -restored to his daughters, one of whom marrying a De Clifford, it -remained in this family, till a daughter of the celebrated Countess of -Pembroke gave it by marriage to that of the Tuftons, Earls of Thanet, -in which it now remains. - -This castle has been thrice nearly demolished; first by neglect, during -the minority of Roger de Vipont, after which it was sufficiently -restored to receive James the First, on his return from Scotland, in -1617; secondly, in the civil wars of Charles the First's time; and -thirdly, in 1728, when great part of the edifice was deliberately -taken down, and the materials sold for one hundred pounds. Some of -the walls still remaining are twelve feet thick, and the places are -visible, in which the massy gates were held to them by hinges and bolts -of uncommon size. A fuller proof of the many sacrifices of comfort -and convenience, by which the highest classes in former ages were -glad to purchase security, is very seldom afforded, than by the three -detached parts still left of this edifice; but they shew nothing of the -magnificence and gracefulness, which so often charm the eye in gothic -ruins. Instead of these, they exhibit symptoms of the cruelties, by -which their first lords revenged upon others the wretchedness of the -continual suspicion felt by themselves. Dungeons, secret passages and -heavy iron rings remain to hint of unhappy wretches, who were, perhaps, -rescued only by death from these horrible engines of a tyrant's will. -The bones probably of such victims are laid beneath the damp earth of -these vaults. - -A young woman from a neighbouring farm-house conducted us over broken -banks, washed by the Emont, to what had been the grand entrance of -the castle; a venerable gothic gateway, dark and of great depth, -passing under a square tower, finely shadowed by old elms. Above, are a -cross-loop and two tier of small pointed windows; no battlements appear -at the top; but four rows of corbells, which probably once supported -them, now prop some tufts of antient thorn, that have roots in their -fractures. - -As we passed under this long gateway, we looked into what is still -called the Keep, a small vaulted room, receiving light only from -loops in the outward wall; Near a large fire-place, yet entire, is a -trap door leading to the dungeon below; and, in an opposite corner, a -door-case to narrow stairs, that wind up the turret where, too, as well -as in the vault, prisoners were probably secured. One almost saw the -surly keeper descending through this door-case, and heard him rattle -the keys of the chambers above, listening with indifference to the -clank of chains and to the echo of that groan below, which seemed to -rend the heart it burst from. - -This gloomy gateway, which had once sounded with the trumpets and -horses of James the First, when he visited the Earl of Cumberland, -this gateway, now serving only to shelter cattle from the storm, -opens, at length, to a grassy knoll, with bold masses of the ruin -scattered round it and a few old ash trees, waving in the area. Through -a fractured arch in the rampart some features in the scenery without -appear to advantage; the Emont falling over a weir at some distance, -with fulling-mills on the bank above; beyond, the pastured slopes and -woodlands of Carleton park, and Cross-fell sweeping the back-ground. - -Of the three ruinous parts, that now remain of the edifice, one large -square mass, near the tower and gateway, appears to have contained -the principal apartments; the walls are of great height, and, though -roofless, nearly entire. We entered what seemed to have been the great -hall, now choaked with rubbish and weeds. It was interesting to look -upwards through the void, and trace by the many window-cases, that -appeared at different heights in the walls, somewhat of the plan of -apartments, whose floors and ceilings had long since vanished; majestic -reliques, which shewed, that here, as well as at Hardwick, the chief -rooms had been in the second story. Door-cases, that had opened to -rooms without this building, with remains of passages within the walls, -were frequently seen, and, here and there, in a corner at a vast -height, fragments of a winding stair-case, appearing beyond the arch of -a slender door-way. - -We were tempted to enter a ruinous passage below, formed in the great -thickness of the walls; but it was soon lost in darkness, and we were -told that no person had ventured to explore the end of this, or of -many similar passages among the ruins, now the dens of serpents and -other venomous reptiles. It was probably a secret way to the great -dungeon, which may still be seen, underneath the hall; for the roof -remains, though what was called the Sweating Pillar, from the dew, -that was owing to its damp situation and its seclusion from outward -air, no longer supports it. Large iron rings, fastened to the carved -heads of animals, are still shewn in the walls of this dungeon. Not a -single loop-hole was left by the contriver of this hideous vault for -the refreshment of prisoners; yet were they insulted by some display -of gothic elegance, for the pillar already mentioned, supporting the -centre of the roof, spread from thence into eight branches, which -descended the walls, and terminated at the floor in the heads, holding -the iron rings. - -The second mass of the ruin, which, though at a considerable distance -from the main building, was formerly connected with it, shews the walls -of many small chambers, with reliques of the passages and stairs, -that led to them. But, perhaps, the only picturesque feature of the -castle is the third detachment; a small tower finely shattered, having -near its top a flourishing ash, growing from the solid walls, and -overlooking what was once the moat. We mounted a perilous stair-case, -of which many steps were gone, and others trembled to the pressure; -then gained a turret, of which two sides were also fallen, and, at -length, ascended to the whole magnificence and sublimity of the -prospect. - -To the east, spread nearly all the rich vale of Eden, terminated by the -Stainmore hills and other highlands of Yorkshire; to the north-east, -the mountains of Cross-fell bounded the long landscape. The nearer -grounds were Whinfield-park, broken, towards the Emont, into shrubby -steeps, where the deep red of the soil mingled with the verdure of -foliage; part of Sir Michael le Fleming's woods rounding a hill on the -opposite bank, and, beyond, a wide extent of low land. To the south, -swelled the upland boundaries of Bampton-vale, with Lowther-woods, -shading the pastures and distantly crowned by the fells of Hawswater; -more to the west, Bird's Nest, "bosomed high in tufted trees;" at its -foot, Lowther-bridge, and, a little further, the neat hamlet and bridge -of Emont. In the low lands, still nearer, the Lowther and Emont united, -the latter flowing in shining circles among the woods and deep-green -meadows of Carleton-park. Beyond, at a vast distance to the west and -north, rose all the alps of all the lakes! an horizon scarcely to be -equalled in England. Among these broken mountains, the shaggy ridge of -Saddleback was proudly pre-eminent; but one forked top of its rival -Skiddaw peeped over its declining side. Helvellyn, huge and misshapen, -towered above the fells of Ullswater. The sun's rays, streaming from -beneath a line of dark clouds, that overhung the west, gave a tint of -silvery light to all these alps, and reminded us of the first exquisite -appearance of the mountains, at Goodesberg, which, however, in grandeur -and elegance of outline, united with picturesque richness, we have -never seen equalled. - -Of the walls around us every ledge, marking their many stories, was -embossed with luxuriant vegetation. Tufts of the hawthorn seemed to -grow from the solid stone, and slender saplings of ash waved over the -deserted door-cases, where, at the transforming hour of twilight, -the superstitious eye might mistake them for spectres of some early -possessor of the castle, restless from guilt, or of some sufferer -persevering from vengeance. - - - - -THE TOWN AND BEACON OF PENRITH. - - -Having pursued the road one mile further, for the purpose of visiting -the tender memorial of pious affection, so often described under -the name of Countess' Pillar, we returned to Emont-bridge, and from -thence reached Penrith, pronounced Peyrith, the most southern town of -Cumberland. So far off as the head of Ullswater, fourteen miles, this -is talked of as an important place, and looked to as the store-house of -whatever is wanted more than the fields and lakes supply. Those, who -have lived chiefly in large towns, have to learn from the wants and -dependencies of a people thinly scattered, like the inhabitants of all -mountainous regions, the great value of any places of mutual resort, -however little distinguished in the general view of a country. Penrith -is so often mentioned in the neighbourhood, that the first appearance -of it somewhat disappointed us, because we had not considered how -many serious reasons those, who talked of it, might have for their -estimation, which should yet not at all relate to the qualities, that -render places interesting to a traveller. - -The town, consisting chiefly of old houses, straggles along two sides -of the high north road, and is built upon the side of a mountain, that -towers to great height above it, in steep and heathy knolls, unshaded -by a single tree. Eminent, on the summit of this mountain, stands the -old, solitary beacon, visible from almost every part of Penrith, which, -notwithstanding its many symptoms of antiquity, is not deficient of -neatness. The houses are chiefly white, with door and window cases of -the red stone found in the neighbourhood. Some of the smaller have over -their doors dates of the latter end of the sixteenth century. There -are several inns, of which that called Old Buchanan's was recommended -to us, first, by the recollection, that Mr. Gray had mentioned it, and -afterwards by the comfort and civility we found there. - -Some traces of the Scottish dialect and pronunciation appear as far -south as Lancashire; in Westmoreland, they become stronger; and, at -Penrith, are extremely distinct and general, serving for one among -many peaceful indications of an approach, once notified chiefly by -preparations for hostility, or defence. Penrith is the most southern -town in England at which the guinea notes of the Scotch bank are -in circulation. The beacon, a sort of square tower, with a peaked -roof and openings at the sides, is a more perfect instance of the -direful necessities of past ages, than would be expected to remain in -this. The circumstances are well known, which made such watchfulness -especially proper, at Penrith; and the other traces of warlike habits -and precautions, whether appearing in records, or buildings, are too -numerous to be noticed in a sketch, which rather pretends to describe -what the author has seen, than to enumerate what has been discovered -by the researches of others. Dr. Burn's History contains many curious -particulars; and there are otherwise abundant and satisfactory -memorials, as to the state of the debateable ground, the regulations -for securing passes or fords, and even to the public maintenance of -slough dogs, which were to pursue aggressors with hot trod, as the -inhabitants were to follow them by horn and voice. These are all -testimonies, that among the many evils, inflicted upon countries by -war, that, which is not commonly thought of, is not the least; the -public encouragement of a disposition to violence, under the names -of gallantry, or valour, which will not cease exactly when it is -publicly prohibited; and the education of numerous bodies to habits of -supplying their wants, not by constant and useful labour, but by sudden -and destructive exertions of force. The mistake, by which courage is -released from all moral estimation of the purposes, for which it is -exerted, and is considered to be necessarily and universally a good -in itself, rather than a means of good, or of evil, according to its -application, is among the severest misfortunes of mankind. Tacitus has -an admirable reproof of it-- - - "Ubi manu agitur, modestia et probitas nomina superioris - sunt." - -Though the situation of Penrith, looking up the vales of Eden and -Emont, is remarkably pleasant, that of the beacon above is infinitely -finer, commanding an horizon of at least an hundred miles diameter, -filled with an endless variety of beauty, greatness and sublimity. -The view extends over Cumberland, parts of Westmoreland, Lancashire, -Yorkshire, and a corner of Northumberland and Durham. On a clear day, -the Scottish high lands, beyond Solway Firth, may be distinguished, -like faint clouds on the horizon, and the steeples of Carlisle are -plainly visible. All the intervening country, speckled with towns and -villages, is spread beneath the eye, and, nearly eighty miles to the -eastward, part of the Cheviot-hills are traced, a dark line, binding -the distance and marking the separation between earth and sky. On the -plains towards Carlisle, the nearer ridges of Cross-fell are seen to -commence, and thence stretch their barren steeps thirty miles towards -the east, where they disappear among the Stainmore-hills and the huge -moorlands of Yorkshire, that close up the long landscape of the vale -of Eden. Among these, the broken lines of Ingleborough start above all -the broader ones of the moors, and that mountain still proclaims itself -sovereign of the Yorkshire heights. - -Southward, rise the wonders of Westmoreland, Shapfells, ridge over -ridge, the nearer pikes of Hawswater, and then the mountains of -Ullswater, Helvellyn pre-eminent amongst them, distinguished by the -grandeur and boldness of their outline, as well as the variety of -their shapes; some hugely swelling, some aspiring in clusters of -alpine points, and some broken into shaggy ridges. The sky, westward -from hence and far to the north, displays a vision of Alps, Saddleback -spreading towards Keswick its long shattered ridge, and one top of -Skiddaw peering beyond it; but the others of this district are inferior -in grandeur to the fells of Ullswater, more broken into points, and -with less of contrast in their forms. Behind Saddleback, the skirts of -Skiddaw spread themselves, and thence low hills shelve into the plains -of Cumberland, that extend to Whitehaven; the only level line in the -scope of this vast horizon. The scenery nearer to the eye exhibited -cultivation in its richest state, varied with pastoral and sylvan -beauty; landscapes embellished by the elegancies of art, and rendered -venerable by the ruins of time. In the vale of Eden, Carleton-hall, -flourishing under the hand of careful attention, and Bird's Nest, -luxuriant in its spiry woods, opposed their cheerful beauties to the -neglected walls of Brougham Castle, once the terror, and, even in -ruins, the pride of the scene, now half-shrouded in its melancholy -grove. These objects were lighted up by partial gleams of sunshine, -which, as they fled along the valley, gave magical effect to all they -touched. - -The other vales in the home prospect were those of Bampton and Emont; -the first open and gentle, shaded by the gradual woods of Lowther-park; -the last closer and more romantic, withdrawing in many a lingering -bend towards Ullswater, where it is closed by the pyramidal Dunmallard, -but not before a gleam of the lake is suffered to appear beyond the -dark base of the hill. At the nearer end of the vale, and immediately -under the eye, the venerable ruins of Penrith Castle crest a round -green hill. These are of pale red stone, and stand in detached masses; -but have little that is picturesque in their appearance, time having -spared neither tower, or gateway, and not a single tree giving shade, -or force, to the shattered walls. The ground about the castle is broken -into grassy knolls, and only cattle wander over the desolated tract. -Time has also obscured the name of the founder; but it is known, that -the main building was repaired, and some addition made to it by Richard -the Third, when Duke of Gloucester, who lived here, for five years, -in his office of sheriff of Cumberland, promoting the York interest -by artful hospitalities, and endeavouring to strike terror into the -Lancastrians. Among the ruins is a subterraneous passage, leading to a -house in Penrith, above three hundred yards distant, called Dockwray -Castle. The town lies between the fortress and the Beacon-hill, -spreading prettily along the skirts of the mountain, with its many -roofs of blue slate, among which the church rises near a dark grove. - -Penrith, from the latter end of the last century, till lately, when -it was purchased the Duke of Devonshire, belonged to the family of -Portland, to whom it was given by William the Third; probably instead -of the manors in Wales, which it was one of William's few faulty -designs so have given to his favourite companion, had not Parliament -remonstrated, and informed him, that the Crown could not alienate -the territories of the Principality. The church, a building of red -stone, unusually well disposed in the interior, is a vicarage of small -endowment; but the value of money in this part of the kingdom is so -high, that the merit of independence, a merit and a happiness which -should always belong to clergymen, is attainable by the possessors of -very moderate incomes. What is called the Giant's Grave in the church -yard is a narrow spot, inclosed, to the length of fourteen or fifteen -feet, by rows of low stones, at the sides, and, at the ends, by two -pillars, now slender, but apparently worn by the weather from a greater -thickness. The height of these is eleven or twelve feet; and all the -stones, whether in the borders, at the sides, or in these pillars, -bear traces of rude carving, which shew, at least, that the monument -must have been thought very important by those that raised it, since -the singularity of its size was not held a sufficient distinction. We -pored intently over these traces, though certainly without the hope of -discovering any thing not known to the eminent antiquarians, who have -confessed their ignorance concerning the origin of them. - - - - -FROM PENRITH TO KESWICK. - - -The Graystock road, which we took for the first five or six miles, -is uninteresting, and offers nothing worthy of attention, before the -approach to the castle, the seat of the Duke of Norfolk. The appearance -of this from the road is good; a gray building, with gothic towers, -seated in a valley among lawns and woods, that stretch, with great -pomp of shade, to gently-rising hills. Behind these, Saddleback, -huge, gray and barren, rises with all its ridgy lines; a grand and -simple back-ground, giving exquisite effect to the dark woods below. -Such is the height of the mountain, that, though eight or ten miles -off, it appeared, as we approached the castle, almost to impend over -it. Southward from Saddleback, a multitude of pointed summits crowd -the horizon; and it is most interesting, after leaving Graystock, to -observe their changing attitudes, as you advance, and the gradual -disclosure of their larger features. Perhaps, a sudden display of the -sublimest scenery, however full, imparts less emotion, than a gradually -increasing view of it; when expectation takes the highest tone, and -imagination finishes the sketch. - -About two miles beyond Graystock, the moorlands commence, and, as far -as simple greatness constitutes sublimity, this was, indeed, a sublime -prospect; less so only than that from Shap-fell itself, where the -mountains are not so varied in their forms and are plainer in their -grandeur. We were on a vast plain, if plain that may be called, which -swells into long undulations, surrounded by an amphitheatre of heathy -mountains, that seem to have been shook by some grand convulsion of -the earth, and tumbled around in all shapes. Not a tree, a hedge, and -seldom even a stone wall, broke the grandeur of their lines; what was -not heath was only rock and gray crags; and a shepherd's hut, or his -flocks, browsing on the steep sides of the fells, or in the narrow -vallies, that opened distantly, was all that diversified the vast -scene. Saddleback spread his skirts westward along the plain, and then -reared himself in terrible and lonely majesty. In the long perspective -beyond, were the crowding points of the fells round Keswick, -Borrowdale, and the vales, of St. John and Leyberthwaite, stretching -away to those near Grasmere. The weather was in solemn harmony with -the scenery; long shadows swept over the hills, followed by gleaming -lights. Tempestuous gusts alone broke the silence. Now and then, the -sun's rays had a singular appearance; pouring, from under clouds, -between the tops of fells into some deep vale, at a distance, as into a -focus. - -This is the very region, which the wild fancy of a poet, like -Shakespeare, would people with witches, and shew them at their -incantations, calling spirits from the clouds and spectres from the -earth. - -On the now lonely plains of this vast amphitheatre, the Romans had two -camps, and their Eagle spread its wings over a scene worthy of its -own soarings. The lines of these encampments may still be traced on -that part of the plain, called Hutton Moor, to the north of the high -road; and over its whole extent towards Keswick a Roman way has been -discovered. Funereal urns have also been dug up here, and an altar of -Roman form, but with the inscription obliterated. - -Nearer Saddleback, we perceived crags and heath mingling on its -precipices, and its base broken into a little world of mountains, -green with cultivation. White farms, each with its grove to shelter it -from the descending gusts, corn and pastures of the brightest verdure -enlivened the skirts of the mountain all round, climbing towards -the dark heath and crags, or spreading downwards into the vale of -Threlkeld, where the slender Lowther shews his shining stream. - -Leaving Hutton Moor, the road soon began to ascend the skirts of -Saddleback, and passed between green hillocks, where cattle appeared -most elegantly in the mountain scene, under the crags, or sipping at -the clear stream, that gushed from the rocks, and wound to the vale -below. Such crystal rivulets crossed our way continually, as we rose -upon the side of Saddleback, which towers abruptly on the right, -and, on the left, sinks as suddenly into the vale of Threlkeld, with -precipices sometimes little less than tremendous. This mountain is -the northern boundary of the vale in its whole length to Keswick, the -points of whose fells close the perspective. Rocky heights guard it -to the south. The valley between is green, without wood, and, with -much that is grand, has little beautiful, till near its conclusion; -where, more fertile and still more wild, it divides into three narrower -vallies, two of which disclose scenes of such sublime severity as even -our long view of Saddleback had not prepared us to expect. - -The first of these is the vale of St. John, a narrow, cultivated spot, -lying in the bosom of tremendous rocks, that impend over it in masses -of gray crag, and often resemble the ruins of castles. These rocks -are overlooked by still more awful mountains, that fall in abrupt -lines, and close up the vista, except where they also are commanded -by the vast top of Helvellyn. On every side, are images of desolation -and stupendous greatness, closing upon a narrow line of pastoral -richness; a picture of verdant beauty, seen through a frame of rock -work. It is between the cliffs of Threlkeld-fell and the purple ridge -of Nadale-fell, that this vale seems to repose in its most silent -and perfect peace. No village and scarcely a cottage disturbs its -retirement. The flocks, that feed at the feet of the cliffs, and the -steps of a shepherd, "in this office of his mountain watch," are all, -that haunt the "dark sequestered nook." - -The vale of Nadale runs parallel with that of St. John, from which it -is separated by the ridge of Nadale-fell, and has the same style of -character, except that it is terminated by a well wooded mountain. -Beyond this, the perspective is overlooked by the fells, that terminate -the vale of St. John. - -The third valley, opening from the head of Threlkeld, winds along the -feet of Saddleback and Skiddaw to Keswick, the approach to which, with -all its world of rocky summits, the lake being still sunk below the -sight, is sublime beyond the power of description. Within three miles -of Keswick, Skiddaw unfolds itself, close behind Saddleback; their -skirts unite, but the former is less huge and of very different form -from the last; being more pointed and seldomer broken into precipices, -it darts upward with a vast sweep into three spiry summits, two of -which only are seen from this road, and shews sides dark with heath and -little varied with rock. Such is its aspect from the Penrith road; from -other stations its attitude, shape and colouring are very different, -though its alpine terminations are always visible. - -Threlkeld itself is a small village, about thirteen miles from Penrith, -with a very humble inn, at which those, who have passed the bleak sides -of Saddleback, and those, who are entering upon them, may rejoice to -rest. We had been blown about, for some hours, in an open chaise, -and hoped for more refreshment than could be obtained; but had the -satisfaction, which was, indeed, general in these regions, of observing -the good intentions, amounting almost to kindness, of the cottagers -towards their guests. They have nearly always some fare, which less -civility than theirs might render acceptable; and the hearth blazes in -their clean sanded parlours, within two minutes after you enter them. -Some sort of preserved fruit is constantly served after the repast, -with cream, an innocent luxury, for which no animal has died. - -It is not only from those, who are to gain by strangers, but from -almost every person, accidentally accosted by a question, that this -favourable opinion will be formed, as to the kind and frank manners -of the people. We were continually remarking, between Lancaster and -Keswick, that severe as the winter might be in these districts, from -the early symptoms of it then apparent, the conduct of the people would -render it scarcely unpleasant to take the same journey in the depths of -December. - -In these countries, the farms are, for the most part, small, and the -farmers and their children work in the same fields with their servants. -Their families have thus no opportunities of temporary insight into the -society, and luxuries of the great, and have none of those miseries, -which dejected vanity and multiplied wishes inflict upon the pursuers -of the higher ranks. They are also without the baseness, which such -pursuers usually have, of becoming abject before persons of one class, -that by the authority of an apparent connection with them, they may -be insolent to those of another; and are free from the essential -humiliation of shewing, by a general and undistinguishing admiration -of all persons richer than themselves, that the original distinctions -between virtue and vice have been erased from their minds by the habit -of comparing the high and the low. - -The true consciousness of independence, which labour and an -ignorance of the vain appendages, falsely called luxuries, give to -the inhabitants of these districts, is probably the cause of the -superiority, perceived by strangers in their tempers and manners, -over those of persons, apparently better circumstanced. They have -no remembrance of slights, to be revenged by insults; no hopes from -servility, nor irritation from the desire of unattainable distinctions. -Where, on the contrary, the encouragement of artificial wants has -produced dependence, and mingled with the fictitious appearance of -wealth many of the most real evils of poverty, the benevolence of the -temper flies with the simplicity of the mind. There is, perhaps, not -a more odious prospect of human society, than where an ostentatious, -manœuvring and corrupted peasantry, taking those, who induce them to -crimes, for the models of their morality, mimic the vices, to which -they were not born, and attempts the coarse covering of cunning and -insolence for practices, which it is a science and frequently an object -of education to conceal by flagitious elegancies. Such persons form in -the country a bad copy of the worst London society; the vices, without -the intelligence, and without the assuaging virtues. - - - - -DRUIDICAL MONUMENT. - - -After passing the very small, but neatly furnished church of Threlkeld, -the condition of which may be one testimony to the worthiness of the -neighbourhood, and rising beyond the vales before described, we came -to the brow of a hill, called Castle Rigg, on which, to the left of -the road, are the remains of one of those circular monuments, which, -by general consent, are called Druids' Temples. This is formed of -thirty-seven stones, placed in a circle of about twenty-eight yards -diameter, the largest being not less than seven feet and a half high, -which is double the height of the others. At the eastern part of this -circle, and within it, smaller stones are arranged in an oblong of -about seven yards long, and, at the greatest breadth, four yards wide. -Many of those round the circle appear to have fallen and now remain at -unequal distances, of which the greatest is towards the north. - -Whether our judgment was influenced by the authority of a Druid's -choice, or that the place itself commanded the opinion, we thought -this situation the most severely grand of any hitherto passed. There -is, perhaps, not a single object in the scene, that interrupts the -solemn tone of feeling, impressed by its general characters of profound -solitude, greatness and awful wildness. Castle Rigg is the central -point of three vallies, that dart immediately under it from the eye, -and whose mountains form part of an amphitheatre, which is completed by -those of Derwentwater, in the west, and by the precipices of Skiddaw -and Saddleback, close on the north. The hue, which pervades all these -mountains, is that of dark heath, or rock; they are thrown into every -form and direction, that Fancy would suggest, and are at that distance, -which allows all their grandeur to prevail; nearer than the high lands, -that surround Hutton Moor, and further removed than the fells in the -scenery of Ullswater. - -To the south open the rocks, that disclose the vale of St. John, whose -verdant beauty bears no proportion to its sublimity; to the west, are -piled the shattered and fantastic points of Derwentwater; to the north, -Skiddaw, with its double top, resembling a volcano, the cloudy vapours -ascending from its highest point, like smoke, and sometimes rolling -in wreaths down its sides; and to the east, the vale of Threlkeld, -spreading green round the base of Saddleback, its vast side-skreen, -opened to the moorlands, beyond which the ridge of Cross-fell -appeared; its dignity now diminished by distance. This point then is -surrounded by the three grand rivals of Cumberland; huge Helvellyn, -spreading Saddleback and spiry Skiddaw. - -Such seclusion and sublimity were, indeed, well suited to the deep -and wild mysteries of the Druids. Here, at moon-light, every Druid, -summoned by that terrible horn, never awakened but upon high occasions, -and descending from his mountain, or secret cave, might assemble -without intrusion from one sacrilegious footstep, and celebrate a -midnight festival by a savage sacrifice-- - - ----"rites of such strange potency - As, done in open day, would dim the sun, - Tho' thron'd in noontide brightness." - - CARACTACUS. - -Here, too, the Bards, - - "Rob'd in their flowing vests of innocent white, - Descend, with harps, that glitter to the moon, - Hymning immortal strains. The spirits of air, - Of earth, of water, nay of heav'n itself, - Do listen to their lay; and oft, 'tis said, - In visible shapes, dance they a magic round - To the high minstrelsy." - -As we descended the steep mountain to Keswick, the romantic fells round -the lake opened finely, but the lake itself was concealed, deep in -its rocky cauldron. We saw them under the last glow of sun-set, the -upward rays producing a misty purple glory between the dark tops of -Cawsey-pikes and the bending peaks of Thornthwaite fells. Soon after, -the sun having set to the vale of Keswick, there appeared, beyond -breaks in its western mountains, the rocks of other vallies, still -lighted up by a purple gleam, and receiving strong rays on shaggy -points, to which their recesses gave soft and shadowy contrast. But the -magical effect of these sunshine rocks, opposed to the darkness of the -nearer valley, can scarcely be imagined. - -Still as we descended, the lake of Derwentwater was screened from our -view; but the rich level of three miles wide, that spreads between it -and Bassenthwaite-water in the same vale, lay, like a map, beneath -us, chequered with groves and cottages, with enclosures of corn and -meadows, and adorned by the pretty village of Crossthwaite, its -neat white church conspicuous among trees. The fantastic fells of -Derwentwater bordered this reposing landscape, on the west, and the -mighty Skiddaw rose over it, on the east, concealing the lake of -Bassenthwaite. - -The hollow dashings of the Greta, in its rocky channel, at the foot of -Skiddaw, and in one of the most wizard little glens that nature ever -fancied, were heard long before we looked down its steep woody bank, -and saw it winding away, from close inaccessible chasms, to the vale of -Keswick, corn and meadows spread at the top of the left bank, and the -crags of Skiddaw scowling over it, on the right. - -At length, we had a glimpse of the north end of Derwentwater, and soon -after entered Keswick, a small place of stone houses, lying at the foot -of Castle Rigg, near Skiddaw, and about a quarter of a mile from the -lake, which, however, is not seen from the town. - -We were impatient to view this celebrated lake, and immediately walked -down to Crow-park, a green eminence at its northern end, whence it -is generally allowed to appear to great advantage. Expectation had -been raised too high: Shall we own our disappointment? Prepared for -something more than we had already seen, by what has been so eloquently -said of it, by the view of its vast neighbourhood and the grandeur of -its approach, the lake itself looked insignificant; and, however rude, -or awful, its nearer rocks might have appeared, if seen unexpectedly, -they were not in general so vast, or so boldly outlined, as to retain a -character of sublimity from comparison. Opposed to the simple majesty -of Ullswater, the lake of Derwent was scarcely interesting. Something -must, indeed, be attributed to the force of first impressions; but -with all allowance for this, Ullswater must still retain an high -pre-eminence for grandeur and sublimity. - -Derwentwater, however, when more minutely viewed, has peculiar charms -both from beauty and wildness, and as the emotions, excited by -disappointed expectation, began to subside, we became sensible of -them. It seems to be nearly of a round form, and the whole is seen -at one glance, expanding within an amphitheatre of mountains, rocky, -but not vast, broken into many fantastic shapes, peaked, splintered, -impending, sometimes pyramidal, opening by narrow vallies to the view -of rocks, that rise immediately beyond and are again overlooked by -others. The precipices seldom overshoot the water, but are arranged -at some distance, and the shores swell with woody eminences, or sink -into green, pastoral margins. Masses of wood also frequently appear -among the cliffs, feathering them to their summits, and a white cottage -sometimes peeps from out their skirts, seated on the smooth knoll of a -pasture, projecting to the lake, and looks so exquisitely picturesque, -as to seem placed there purposely to adorn it. The lake in return -faithfully reflects the whole picture, and so even and brilliantly -translucent is its surface, that it rather heightens, than obscures -the colouring. Its mild bosom is spotted by four small islands, of -which those called Lords' and St. Herbert's are well wooded, and adorn -the scene, but another is deformed by buildings, stuck over it, like -figures upon a twelfth-cake. - -Beyond the head of the lake, and at a direct distance of three or -four miles from Crow-park, the pass of Borrowdale opens, guarded by -two piles of rock, the boldest in the scene, overlooked by many rocky -points, and, beyond all, by rude mountain tops which come partially -and in glimpses to the view. Among the most striking features of the -eastern shore are the woody cliffs of Lowdore; then, nearer to the -eye, Wallow-crags, a title used here as well as at Hawswater, of dark -brown rock, loosely impending; nearer still, Castle-hill, pyramidal -and richly wooded to its point, the most luxuriant feature of the -landscape. Cawsey-pike, one of the most remarkable rocks of the western -shore, has its ridge scolloped into points as if with a row of corbells. - -The cultivated vale of Newland slopes upward from the lake between -these and Thornthwaite fells. Northward, beyond Crow-park, rises -Skiddaw; at its base commences the beautiful level, that spreads -to Bassenthwaite-water, where the rocks in the west side of the -perspective soon begin to soften, and the vale becomes open and -cheerful. - -Such is the outline of Derwentwater, which has a much greater -proportion of beauty, than Ullswater, but neither its dignity, nor -grandeur. Its fells, broken into smaller masses, do not swell, or -start, into such bold lines as those of Ullswater; nor does the size -of the lake accord with the general importance of the rocky vale, in -which it lies. The water is too small for its accompaniments; and -its form, being round and seen entirely at once, leaves nothing for -expectation to pursue, beyond the stretching promontory, or fancy to -transform within the gloom and obscurity of the receding fell; and -thus it loses an ample source of the sublime. The greatest breadth -from east to west is not more than three miles. It is not large enough -to occupy the eye, and it is not so hidden as to have the assistance -of the imagination in making it appear large. The beauty of its banks -also, contending with the wildness of its rocks, gives opposite -impressions to the mind, and the force of each is, perhaps, destroyed -by the admission of the other. Sublimity can scarcely exist, without -simplicity; and even grandeur loses much of its elevating effect, -when united with a considerable portion of beauty; then descending to -become magnificence. The effect of simplicity in assisting that high -tone of mind, produced by the sublime, is demonstrated by the scenery -of Ullswater, where very seldom a discordant object obtrudes over the -course of thought, and jars upon the feelings. - -But it is much pleasanter to admire than to examine, and in -Derwentwater is abundant subject for admiration, though not of so high -a character as that, which attends Ullswater. The soft undulations -of its shores, the mingled wood and pasture, that paint them, the -brilliant purity of the water, that gives back every landscape on its -bank, and frequently with heightened colouring, the fantastic wildness -of the rocks and the magnificence of the amphitheatre they form; these -are circumstances, the view of which excites emotions of sweet, though -tranquil admiration, softening the mind to tenderness, rather than -elevating it to sublimity. We first saw the whole beneath such sober -hues as prevailed when - - "the gray hooded Even, - Like a sad votarist, in Palmer's weed, - Rose from the hindmost wheels of Phœbus' wain." - -The wildness, seclusion, and magical beauty of this vale, seem, indeed, -to render it the very abode for Milton's Comus, "deep skilled in all -his mother's witcheries;" and, while we survey its fantastic features, -we are almost tempted to suppose, that he has hurled his - - "dazzling spells into the air, - Of power to cheat the eye with blear illusion - And give it false presentments," - -Nay more, to believe - - "All the sage poets, taught by th' heavenly muse, - Storied of old, in high immortal verse, - Of dire chimæras and enchanted isles;" - -and to fancy we hear from among the woody cliffs, near the shore, - - "the sound - Of riot and ill manag'd merriment," - -succeeded by such strains as oft - - "in pleasing slumbers lull the sense, - And, in sweet madness, rob it of itself." - - - - -SKIDDAW. - - -On the following morning, having engaged a guide, and with horses -accustomed to the labour, we began to ascend this tremendous mountain -by a way, which makes the summit five miles from Keswick. Passing -through bowery lanes, luxuriant with mountain ash, holly, and a variety -of beautiful shrubs, to a broad, open common, a road led us to the foot -of Latrigg, or, as it is called by the country people, Skiddaw's Cub, -a large round hill, covered with heath, turf and browsing sheep. A -narrow path now wound along steep green precipices, the beauty of which -prevented what danger there was from being perceived. Derwentwater was -concealed by others, that rose above them, but that part of the vale -of Keswick, which separates the two lakes, and spreads a rich level of -three miles, was immediately below; Crossthwaite-church, nearly in the -centre, with the white vicarage, rising among trees. More under shelter -of Skiddaw, where the vale spreads into a sweet retired nook, lay the -house and grounds of Dr. Brownrigg. - -Beyond the level, opened a glimpse of Bassenthwaite-water; a lake, -which may be called elegant, bounded, on one side, by well-wooded -rocks, and, on the other, by Skiddaw. - -Soon after, we rose above the steeps, which had concealed Derwentwater, -and it appeared with all its enamelled banks, sunk deep amidst a chaos -of mountains, and surrounded by ranges of fells, not visible from -below. On the other hand, the more cheerful lake of Bassenthwaite -expanded at its entire length. Having gazed a while on this -magnificent scene, we pursued the path, and soon after reached the -brink of a chasm, on the opposite side of which wound our future track; -for the ascent is here in an acutely zig-zag direction. The horses -carefully picked their steps along the narrow precipice, and turned the -angle, that led them to the opposite side. - -At length, as we ascended, Derwentwater dwindled on the eye to the -smallness of a pond, while the grandeur of its amphitheatre was -increased by new ranges of dark mountains, no longer individually -great, but so from accumulation; a scenery to give ideas of the -breaking up of a world. Other precipices soon hid it again, but -Bassenthwaite continued to spread immediately below us, till we turned -into the heart of Skiddaw, and were enclosed by its steeps. We had now -lost all track even of the flocks, that were scattered over these -tremendous wilds. The guide conducted us by many curvings among the -heathy hills and hollows of the mountain; but the ascents were such, -that the horses panted in the slowest walk, and it was necessary to -let them rest every six or seven minutes. An opening to the south, -at length, shewed the whole plan of the narrow vales of St. John and -of Nadale, separated by the dark ridge of rock, called St. John's -rigg, with each its small line of verdure at the bottom, and bounded -by enormous gray fells, which we were, however, now high enough to -overlook. - -A white speck, on the top of St. John's rigg, was pointed out by the -guide to be a chapel of ease to Keswick, which has no less than five -such, scattered among the fells. From this chapel, dedicated to St. -John, the rock and the vale have received their name, and our guide -told us, that Nadale was frequently known by the same title. - -Leaving this view, the mountain soon again shut out all prospect, but -of its own vallies and precipices, covered with various shades of turf -and moss, and with heath, of which a dull purple was the prevailing -hue. Not a tree, or bush appeared on Skiddaw, nor even a stone wall any -where broke the simple greatness of its lines. Sometimes, we looked -into tremendous chasms, where the torrent, heard roaring long before -it was seen, had worked itself a deep channel, and fell from ledge -to ledge, foaming and shining amidst the dark rock. These streams -are sublime from the length and precipitancy of their course, which, -hurrying the sight with them into the abyss, act, as it were, in -sympathy upon the nerves, and, to save ourselves from following, we -recoil from the view with involuntary horror. Of such, however, we -saw only two, and those by some departure from the usual course up the -mountain; but every where met gushing springs, till we were within two -miles of the summit, when our guide added to the rum in his bottle what -he said was the last water we should find in our ascent. - -The air now became very thin, and the steeps still more difficult of -ascent; but it was often delightful to look down into the green hollows -of the mountain, among pastoral scenes, that wanted only some mixture -of wood to render them enchanting. - -About a mile from the summit, the way was, indeed, dreadfully sublime, -laying, for nearly half a mile, along the ledge of a precipice, that -passed, with a swift descent, for probably near a mile, into a glen -within the heart of Skiddaw; and not a bush, or a hillock interrupted -its vast length, or, by offering a mid-way check in the descent, -diminished the fear it inspired. The ridgy steeps of Saddleback, formed -the opposite boundary of the glen, and, though really at a considerable -distance, had, from the height of the two mountains, such an appearance -of nearness, that it almost seemed as if we could spring to its side. -How much too did simplicity increase the sublime of this scenery, in -which nothing but mountain, heath and sky appeared! - -But our situation was too critical, or too unusual, to permit the just -impressions of such sublimity. The hill rose so closely above the -precipice as scarcely to allow a ledge wide enough for a single horse. -We followed the guide in silence, and, till we regained the more open -wild, had no leisure for exclamation. After this, the ascent appeared -easy and secure, and we were bold enough to wonder, that the steeps -near the beginning of the mountain had excited any anxiety. - -At length, passing the skirts of the two points of Skiddaw, which are -nearest to Derwentwater, we approached the third and loftiest, and then -perceived, that their steep sides, together with the ridges, which -connect them, were entirely covered near the summits with a whitish -shivered slate, which threatens to slide down them with every gust of -wind. The broken state of this slate makes the present summits seem -like the ruins of others; a circumstance as extraordinary in appearance -as difficult to be accounted for. - -The ridge, on which we passed from the neighbourhood of the second -summit to the third, was narrow, and the eye reached; on each side, -down the whole extent of the mountain, following, on the left, the -rocky precipices, that impend over the lake of Bassenthwaite, and -looking, on the right, into the glens of Saddleback, far, far below. -But the prospects, that burst upon us from every part of the vast -horizon, when we had gained the summit, were such as we had scarcely -dared to hope for, and must now rather venture to enumerate, than to -describe. - -We stood on a pinnacle, commanding the whole dome of the sky. The -prospects below, each of which had been before considered separately -as a great scene, were now miniature parts of the immense landscape. -To the north, lay, like a map, the vast tract of low country, which -extends between Bassenthwaite and the Irish Channel, marked with the -silver circles of the river Derwent, in its progress from the lake. -Whitehaven and its white coast were distinctly seen, and Cockermouth -seemed almost under the eye. A long blackish line, more to the west, -resembling a faintly formed cloud, was said by the guide to be the Isle -of Man, who, however, had the honesty to confess, that the mountains of -Down in Ireland, which have been sometimes thought visible, had never -been seen by him in the clearest weather. - -Bounding the low country to the north, the wide Solway Firth, with its -indented shores, looked like a gray horizon, and the double range of -Scottish mountains, seen dimly through mist beyond, like lines of dark -clouds above it. The Solway appeared surprisingly near us, though at -fifty miles distance, and the guide said, that, on a bright day, its -shipping could plainly be discerned. Nearly in the north, the heights -seemed to soften into plains, for no object was there visible through -the obscurity, that had begun to draw over the furthest distance; but, -towards the east, they appeared to swell again, and what we were told -were the Cheviot hills dawned feebly beyond Northumberland. We now -spanned the narrowest part of England, looking from the Irish Channel, -on one side, to the German Ocean, on the other, which latter was, -however, so far off as to be discernible only like a mist. - -Nearer than the county of Durham, stretched the ridge of Cross-fell, -and an indistinct multitude of the Westmoreland and Yorkshire -highlands, whose lines disappeared behind Saddleback, now evidently -pre-eminent over Skiddaw, so much so as to exclude many a height -beyond it. Passing this mountain in our course to the south, we saw, -immediately below, the fells round Derwentwater, the lake itself -remaining still concealed in their deep rocky bosom. Southward -and westward, the whole prospect was a "turbulent chaos of dark -mountains." All individual dignity was now lost in the immensity of -the whole, and every variety of character was overpowered by that of -astonishing and gloomy grandeur. - -Over the fells of Borrowdale, and far to the south, the northern end of -Windermere appeared, like a wreath of gray smoke, that spreads along -the mountain's side. More southward still, and beyond all the fells of -the lakes, Lancaster sands extended to the faintly seen waters of the -sea. Then to the west, Duddon sands gleamed in a long line among the -fells of High Furness. Immediately under the eye, lay Bassenthwaite, -surrounded by many ranges of mountains, invisible from below. We -overlooked all these dark mountains, and saw green cultivated vales -over the tops of lofty rocks, and other mountains over these vales in -many ridges, whilst innumerable narrow glens were traced in all their -windings and seen uniting behind the hills with others, that also -sloped upwards from the lake. - -The air on this summit was boisterous, intensely cold and difficult to -be inspired, though the day was below warm and serene. It was dreadful -to look down from nearly the brink of the point, on which we stood, -upon the lake of Bassenthwaite and over a sharp and separated ridge of -rocks, that from below appeared of tremendous height, but now seemed -not to reach half way up Skiddaw; it was almost as if - - "the precipitation might down stretch - Below the beam of sight." - -Under the lee of an heaped up pile of slates, formed by the customary -contribution of one from every visitor, we found an old man sheltered, -whom we took to be a shepherd, but afterwards learned was a farmer -and, as the people in this neighbourhood say, a 'statesman'; that is, -had land of his own. He was a native and still an inhabitant of an -adjoining vale; but, so laborious is the enterprise reckoned, that, -though he had passed his life within view of the mountain, this was his -first ascent. He descended with us, for part of our way, and then wound -off towards his own valley, stalking amidst the wild scenery, his large -figure wrapt in a dark cloak and his steps occasionally assisted by a -long iron pronged pike, with which he had pointed out distant objects. - -In the descent, it was interesting to observe each mountain below -gradually re-assuming its dignity, the two lakes expanding into -spacious surfaces, the many little vallies, that sloped upwards from -their margins, recovering their variegated tints of cultivation, the -cattle again appearing in the meadows, and the woody promontories -changing from smooth patches of shade into richly tufted summits. At -about a mile from the top, a great difference was perceptible in the -climate, which became comparatively warm, and the summer hum of bees -was again heard among the purple heath. - -We reached Keswick, about four o'clock, after five hours passed in this -excursion, in which the care of our guide greatly lessened the notion -of danger. Why should we think it trivial to attempt some service -towards this poor man? We have reason to think, that whoever employs, -at Keswick, a guide of the name of Doncaster, will assist him in -supporting an aged parent. - - - - -BASSENTHWAITE WATER. - - -In a gray autumnal morning, we rode out along the western bank of -Bassenthwaite to Ouse Bridge, under which the river Derwent, after -passing through the lake, takes its course towards the Sea. The road -on this side, being impassable by carriages, is seldom visited, but -it is interesting for being opposed to Skiddaw, which rises in new -attitudes over the opposite bank. Beyond the land, that separates the -two lakes, the road runs high along the sides of hills and sometimes at -the feet of tremendous fells, one of which rises almost spirally over -it, shewing a surface of slates, shivered from top to bottom. Further -on, the heights gradually soften from horror into mild and graceful -beauty, opening distantly to the cheerful country that spreads towards -Whitehaven; but the road soon immerges among woods, which allow only -partial views of the opposite shore, inimitably beautiful with copses, -green lawns and pastures, with gently sweeping promontories and bays, -that receive the lake to their full brims. - -From the house at Ouse Bridge the prospect is exquisite up the -lake, which now losing the air of a wide river, re-assumes its true -character, and even appears to flow into the chasm of rocks, that -really inclose Derwentwater. Skiddaw, with all the mountains round -Borrowdale, form a magnificent amphitheatrical perspective for this -noble sheet of water; the vallies of the two lakes extending to one -view, which is, therefore, superior to any exhibited from Derwentwater -alone. The prospect terminates in the dark fells of Borrowdale, -which by their sublimity enhance the beauty and elegance, united to a -surprising degree in the nearer landscape. - -Beyond Ouse Bridge, but still at the bottom of the lake, the road -passes before Armithwaite-house, whose copsy lawns slope to the margin -of the water from a mansion more finely situated than any we had -seen. It then recedes somewhat from the bank, and ascends the skirt -of Skiddaw, which it scarcely leaves on this side of Keswick. On the -opposite shore, the most elegant features are the swelling hills, -called Wythop-brows, flourishing with wood from the water's edge; and, -below the meadows of the eastern bank, by which we were returning, two -peninsulæ, the one pastoral, yet well wooded and embellished by a white -hamlet, the other narrow and bearing only a line of trees, issuing -far into the lake. But the shores of Bassenthwaite, though elegant -and often beautiful, are too little varied to be long dwelt upon; and -attention is sometimes unpleasantly engaged by a precipice, from which -the road is not sufficiently secured; so that the effect of the whole -upon the imagination is much less than might be expected from its -situation at the foot of Skiddaw, and its shape, which is more extended -than that of Derwentwater. - - - - -BORROWDALE. - - -A serene day, with gleams of sunshine, gave magical effect to the -scenery of Derwentwater, as we wound along its eastern shore to -Borrowdale, under cliffs, parts of which, already fallen near the -road, increased the opinion of danger from the rest; sometimes near -the edge of precipices, that bend over the water, and, at others, -among pleasure-grounds and copses, which admit partial views over the -lake. These, with every woody promontory and mountain, were perfectly -reflected on its surface. Not a path-way, not a crag, or scar, that -sculptured their bold fronts, but was copied and distinctly seen even -from the opposite shore in the dark purple mirror below. Now and -then, a pleasure-boat glided by, leaving long silver lines, drawn to a -point on the smooth water which, as it gave back the painted sides and -gleaming sail, displayed a moving picture. - -The colouring of the mountains was, this day, surprisingly various -and changeful, surpassing every thing of the same nature, that we had -seen. The effect of the atmosphere on mountainous regions is sometimes -so sublime, at others so enchantingly beautiful, that the mention -of it ought not to be considered as trivial, when their aspect is -to be described. As the sun-beams fell on different kinds of rock, -and distance coloured the air, some parts were touched with lilac, -others with light blue, dark purple, or reddish brown, which were -often seen, at the same moment, contrasting with the mellow green of -the woods and the brightness of sunshine; then slowly and almost -imperceptibly changing into other tints. Skiddaw itself exhibited much -of this variety, during our ride. As we left Keswick, its points were -overspread with pale azure; on our return, a tint of dark blue softened -its features, which were, however, soon after involved in deepest -purple. - -Winding under the woods of Barrowside, we approached Lowdore, and heard -the thunder of his cataract, joined by the sounds of others, descending -within the gloom of the nearer rocks and thickets. The retrospective -views over the lake from Barrowside are the finest in the ride; and, -when the road emerges from the woods, a range of rocks rises over -it, where many shrubs, and even oaks, ash, yew, grow in a surprising -manner among the broken slates, that cover their sides. Beyond, at -some distance from the shore, appear the awful rocks, that rise over -the fall of Lowdore; that on the right shooting up, a vast pyramid of -naked cliff, above finely wooded steeps; while, on the opposite side -of the chasm, that receives the waters, impends Gowdar-crag, whose -trees and shrubs give only shagginess to its terrible masses, with -fragments of which the meadows below are strewn. There was now little -water at Lowdore; but the breadth of its channel and the height of the -perpendicular rock, from which it leaps, told how tremendous it could -be; yet even then its sublimity is probably derived chiefly from the -cliff and mountain, that tower closely over it. - -Here Borrowdale begins, its rocks spreading in a vast sweep round -the head of the lake, at the distance, perhaps, of half a mile from -the shore, which bears meadow land to the water's brink. The aspect -of these rocks, with the fragments, that have rolled from their -summits, and lie on each side of the road, prepared us for the scene -of tremendous ruin we were approaching in the gorge, or pass of -Borrowdale, which opens from the centre of the amphitheatre, that binds -the head of Derwentwater. Dark rocks yawn at its entrance, terrific -as the wildness of a maniac; and disclose a narrow pass, running up -between mountains of granite, that are shook into almost every possible -form of horror. All above resembles the accumulations of an earthquake; -splintered, shivered, piled, amassed. Huge cliffs have rolled down into -the glen below, where, however, is still a miniature of the sweetest -pastoral beauty, on the banks of the river Derwent; but description -cannot paint either the wildness of the mountains or the pastoral and -sylvan peace and softness, that wind at their base. - -Among the most striking of the fells are Glaramara, shewing rock on -rock; and Eagle-crag, where, till lately, that bird built its nest; -but the depredations, annually committed on its young, have driven it -from the place. Hence we pursued the pass for a mile, over a frightful -road, that climbs among the crags of a precipice above the river, -having frequently glimpses into glens and chasms, where all passage -seemed to be obstructed by the fallen shivers of rock, and at length -reached the gigantic stone of Bowther, that appears to have been -pitched into the ground from the summit of a neighbouring fell, and is -shaped, like the roof of a house reversed. - -This is one of the spectacles of the country. Its size makes it -impossible to have been ever moved by human means; and, if it fell from -the nearest of the rocks, it must have rolled upon the ground much -further than can be readily conceived of the motion of such a mass. -The side towards the road projects about twelve feet over the base, -and serves to shelter cattle in a penn, of which it is made to form -one boundary. A small oak plant and a sloe have found soil enough to -flourish in at the top; and the base is pitched on a cliff over the -river, whence a long perspective of the gorge is seen, with a little -level of bright verdure, spreading among more distant fells and winding -away into trackless regions, where the mountains lift their ruffian -heads in undisputed authority. Below, the shrunk Derwent serpentized -along a wide bed of pebbles, that marked its wintry course, and left a -wooded island, flourishing amidst the waste. The stillness around us -was only feebly broken by the remote sounds of many unseen cataracts, -and sometimes by the voices of mountaineer children, shouting afar off, -and pleasing themselves with rousing the echoes of the rocks. - -In returning, the view opened, with great magnificence, from the jaws -of this pass over the lake to Skiddaw, then seen from its base, with -the upper steeps of Saddleback obliquely beyond, and rearing itself -far above all the heights of the eastern shore. At the entrance of the -gorge, the village or hamlet of Grange lies picturesquely on the bank -of the Derwent among wood and meadows, and sheltered under the ruinous -fell, called Castle-crag, that takes its name from the castle, or -fortress, which from its crown once guarded this important pass. - -Borrowdale abounds in valuable mines, among which some are known to -supply the finest wadd, or black lead, to be found in England. Iron, -slate, and free stone of various kinds, are also the treasures of these -mountains. - - - - -FROM KESWICK TO WINDERMERE. - - -The road from Keswick to Ambleside commences by the ascent of -Castle-rigg, the mountain, which the Penrith road descends, and which, -on that side, is crowned by a Druid's temple. The rise is now very -laborious, but the views it affords over the vale of Keswick are not -dearly purchased by the fatigue. All Bassenthwaite, its mountains -softening away in the perspective, and terminating, on the west, in the -sister woods of Wythop-brows, extends from the eye; and, immediately -beneath, the northern end of Derwentwater, with Cawsey-pike, -Thornthwaite-fell, the rich upland vale of Newland peeping from between -their bases, and the spiry woods of Foepark jutting into the lake -below. But the finest prospect is from a gate about halfway up the -hill, whence you look down upon the head of Derwentwater, with all the -alps of Borrowdale, opening darkly. - -After descending Castle-rigg and crossing the top of St. John's vale, -we seemed as going into banishment from society, the road then leading -over a plain, closely surrounded by mountains so wild, that neither a -cottage, or a wood soften their rudeness, and so steep and barren, that -not even sheep appear upon their sides. From this plain the road enters -Legberthwaite, a narrow valley, running at the back of Borrowdale, -green at the bottom, and varied with a few farms, but without wood, -and with fells of gray precipices, rising to great height and nearly -perpendicular on either hand, whose fronts are marked only by the -torrents, that tumble from their utmost summits, and perpetually -occur. We often stopped to listen to their hollow sounds amidst the -solitary greatness of the scene, and to watch their headlong fall down -the rocky chasms, their white foam and silver line contrasting with the -dark hue of the clefts. In sublimity of descent these were frequently -much superior to that of Lowdore, but as much inferior to it in mass of -water and picturesque beauty. - -As the road ascended towards Helvellyn, we looked back through this -vast rocky vista to the sweet vale of St. John, lengthening the -perspective, and saw, as through a telescope, the broad broken steeps -of Saddleback and the points of Skiddaw, darkly blue, closing it to -the north. The grand rivals of Cumberland were now seen together; and -the road, soon winding high over the skirts of Helvellyn, brought us -to Leathes-water, to which the mountain forms a vast side-skreen, -during its whole length. This is a long, but narrow and unadorned lake, -having little else than walls of rocky fells, starting from its margin. -Continuing on the precipice, at some height from the shore, the road -brought us, after three miles, to the poor village of Wythburn, and -soon after to the foot of Dunmail Rays, which, though a considerable -ascent, forms the dip of two lofty mountains, Steel-fell and Seat -Sandle, that rise with finely-sweeping lines, on each side, and shut up -the vale. - -Beyond Dunmail Rays, one of the grand passes from Cumberland into -Westmoreland, Helm-crag rears its crest, a strange fantastic summit, -round, yet jagged and splintered, like the wheel of a water-mill, -overlooking Grasmere, which, soon after, opened below. A green -spreading circle of mountains embosoms this small lake, and, beyond, a -wider range rises in amphitheatre, whose rocky tops are rounded and -scolloped, yet are great, wild, irregular, and were then overspread -with a tint of faint purple. The softest verdure margins the water, and -mingles with corn enclosures and woods, that wave up the hills; but -scarcely a cottage any where appears, except at the northern end of -the lake, where the village of Grasmere and its very neat white church -stand among trees, near the shore, with Helm-crag and a multitude of -fells, rising over it and beyond each other in the perspective. - -The lake was clear as glass, reflecting the headlong mountains, with -every feature of every image on its tranquil banks; and one green -island varies, but scarcely adorns its surface, bearing only a rude -and now shadeless hut. At a considerable height above the water, the -road undulates for a mile, till, near the southern end of Grasmere, -it mounts the crags of a fell, and seemed carrying us again into such -scenes of ruin and privation as we had quitted with Legberthwaite and -Leathes-water. But, descending the other side of the mountain, we -were soon cheered by the view of plantations, enriching the banks of -Rydal-water, and by thick woods, mingling among cliffs above the narrow -lake, which winds through a close valley, for about a mile. This lake -is remarkable for the beauty of its small round islands, luxuriant with -elegant trees and shrubs, and whose banks are green to the water's -edge. Rydal-hall stands finely on an eminence, somewhat withdrawn from -the east end, in a close romantic nook, among old woods, that feather -the fells, which rise over their summits and spread widely along the -neighbouring eminences. This antient white mansion looks over a rough -grassy descent, screened by groves of oak and majestic planes, towards -the head of Windermere, about two miles distant, a small glimpse of -which is caught beyond the wooded steeps of a narrow valley. In the -woods and in the disposition of the ground round Rydal-hall there is a -charming wildness, that suits the character of the general scene; and, -wherever art appears, it is with graceful plainness and meek subjection -to nature. - -The taste, by which a cascade in the pleasure-grounds, pouring under -the arch of a rude bridge, amidst the green tint of woods, is shewn -through a darkened garden-house, and, therefore, with all the effect, -which the opposition of light and shade can give, is even not too -artificial; so admirably is the intent accomplished of making all the -light, that is admitted, fall upon the objects, which are chiefly meant -to be observed. - -The road to Ambleside runs through the valley in front of Rydal-hall, -and for some distance among the grounds that belong to it, where again -the taste of the owner is conspicuous in the disposition of plantations -among pastures of extraordinary richness, and where pure rivulets are -suffered to wind without restraint over their dark rocky channels. -Woods mantle up the cliffs on either side of this sweet valley, and, -higher still, the craggy summits of the fells crowd over the scene. Two -miles among its pleasant shades, near the banks of the murmuring Rotha, -brought us to Ambleside, a black and very antient little town, hanging -on the lower steeps of a mountain, where the vale opens to the head of - - - - -WINDERMERE, - - -Which appeared at some distance below, in gentle yet stately beauty; -but its boundaries shewed nothing of the sublimity and little of the -romantic wildness, that charms, or elevates in the scenery of the other -lakes. The shores, and the hills, which gradually ascend from them, are -in general richly cultivated, or wooded, and correctly elegant; and -when we descended upon the bank the road seemed leading through the -artificial shades of pleasure-grounds. It undulates for two miles over -low promontories and along spacious bays, full to their fringed margin -with the abundance of this expansive lake; then, quitting the bank, it -ascends gradual eminences, that look upon the vast plain of water, -and rise amidst the richest landscapes of its shores. The manners of -the people would have sufficiently informed us that Windermere is -the lake most frequented; and with the great sublimity of the more -sequestered scenes, we had to regret the interesting simplicity of -their inhabitants, a simplicity which accorded so beautifully with the -dignified character of the country. The next day, we visited several of -the neighbouring heights, whence the lake is seen to great advantage; -and, on the following, skirted the eastern shore for six miles to the -Ferry. - -Windermere, above twelve miles long and generally above a mile broad, -but sometimes two, sweeps like a majestic river with an easy bend -between low points of land and eminences that, shaded with wood and -often embellished with villas, swell into hills cultivated to their -summits; except that, for about six miles along the middle of the -western shore, a range of rocky fells rise over the water. But these -have nothing either picturesque or fantastic in their shape; they -are heavy, not broken into parts, and their rudeness softens into -insignificance, when they are seen over the wide channel of the lake; -they are neither large enough to be grand, or wooded enough to be -beautiful. To the north, or head of Windermere, however, the tameness -of its general character disappears, and the scene soars into grandeur. -Here, over a ridge of rough brown hills above a woody shore, rise, at -the distance of a mile and half, or two miles, a multitude of finely -alpine mountains, retiring obliquely in the perspective, among which -Langdale-pikes, Hardknot and Wry-nose, bearing their bold, pointed -promontories aloft, are pre-eminent. The colouring of these mountains, -which are some of the grandest of Cumberland and Westmoreland, was this -day remarkably fine. The weather was showery, with gleams of sunshine; -sometimes their tops were entirely concealed in gray vapours, which, -drawing upwards, would seem to ascend in volumes of smoke from their -summits; at others, a few scattered clouds wandered along their sides -leaving their heads unveiled and effulgent with light. These clouds -disappearing before the strength of the sun, a fine downy hue of light -blue overspread the peeping points of the most distant fells, while -the nearer ones were tinged with deep purple, which was opposed to the -brown heath and crag of the lower hills, the olive green of two wooded -slopes that, just tinted by autumn, seemed to descend to the margin, -and the silver transparency of the expanding water at their feet. -This view of Windermere appears with great majesty from a height above -Culgarth, a seat of the Bishop of Landaff; while, to the south, the -lake after sweeping about four miles gradually narrows and disappears -behind the great island, which stretches across the perspective. - -At the distance of two or three miles beyond Culgarth, from a hill -advancing towards the water, the whole of Windermere is seen; to the -right, is the white mansion at Culgarth, among wood, on a gentle -eminence of the shore, with the lake spreading wide beyond, crowned -by the fells half obscured in clouds. To the south, the hills of the -eastern shore, sloping gradually, run out in elegant and often well -wooded points into the water, and are spotted with villas and varied -above with enclosures. The opposite shore is for about a mile southward -a continuation of the line of rock before noticed, from which -Rawlinson's-nab pushes a bold headland over the lake; the perspective -then sinks away in low hills, and is crossed by a remote ridge, that -closes the scene. - -The villages of Rayrig and Bowness, which are passed in the way to the -Ferry, both stand delightfully; one on an eminence commanding the whole -lake, and the other within a recess of the shore, nearly opposite the -large island. The winding banks of Windermere continually open new -landscapes as you move along them, and the mountains, which crown its -head, are as frequently changing their attitudes; but Langdale-pikes, -the boldest features in the scene, are soon lost to the eye behind the -nearer fells of the western shore. - -The ferry is considerably below Christian's island, and at the -narrowest span of the lake, where two points of the shore extend -to meet each other. This island, said to contain thirty acres, -intermingled with wood, lawn and shrubberies, embellishes, without -decreasing the dignity of the scene; it is surrounded by attendant -islets, some rocky, but others, beautifully covered with wood, seem to -coronet the flood. - -In crossing the water the illusions of vision give force to the -northern mountains, which viewed from hence appear to ascend from its -margin and to spread round it in a magnificent amphitheatre. This was -to us the most interesting view on Windermere. - -On our approaching the western shore, the range of rocks that form it, -discovered their cliffs, and gradually assumed a consequence, which -the breadth of the channel had denied them; and their darkness was -well opposed by the bright verdure and variegated autumnal tints of -the isles at their base. On the bank, under shelter of these rocks, a -white house was seen beyond the tall boles of a most luxuriant grove -of plane-trees, which threw their shadows over it, and on the margin -of the silver lake spreading in front. From hence the road ascends the -steep and craggy side of Furness-fell, on the brow of which we had a -last view of Windermere, in its whole course; to the south, its tame -but elegant landscapes gliding away into low and long perspective, -and the lake gradually narrowing; to the north, its more impressive -scenery; but the finest features of it were now concealed by a -continuation of the rocks we were upon. - -Windermere is distinguished from all the other lakes of this country by -its superior length and breadth, by the gentle hills, cultivated and -enclosed nearly to their summits, that generally bind its shores, by -the gradual distance and fine disposition of the northern mountains, -by the bold sweeps of its numerous bays, by the villas that speckle and -rich plantations, that wind them, and by one large island, surrounded -by many islets, which adds dignity to its bosom. On the other lakes -the islands are prettinesses, that do not accord with the character -of the scene; they break also the surface of the water where vast -continuity is required; and the mind cannot endure to descend suddenly -from the gigantic sublimity of nature to her fairy sports. Yet, on the -whole, Windermere was to us the least impressive of all the lakes. -Except to the north, where the retiring mountains are disposed with -uncommon grandeur of outline and magnificence of colouring, its scenery -is tame, having little of the wild and nothing of the astonishing -energy that appears on the features of the more sequestered districts. -The characters of the three great lakes may, perhaps, be thus -distinguished: - -Windermere: Diffusiveness, stately beauty, and, at the upper end, -magnificence. - -Ullswater: Severe grandeur and sublimity; all that may give ideas of -vast power and astonishing majesty. The effect of Ullswater is, that, -awful as its scenery appears, it awakens the mind to expectation still -more awful, and, touching all the powers of imagination, inspires that -"fine phrensy" descriptive of the poet's eye, which not only bodies -forth unreal forms, but imparts to substantial objects a character -higher than their own. - -Derwentwater: Fantastic wildness and romantic beauty, but inferior to -Ullswater in greatness, both of water and rocks; for, though it charms -and elevates, it does not display such features and circumstances of -the sublime, or call up such expectation of unimaged and uncertain -wonder. A principal defect, if we may venture to call it so, of -Derwentwater is, that the water is too small in proportion for the -amphitheatre of the valley in which it lies, and therefore loses much -of the dignity, that in other circumstances it would exhibit. The fault -of Windermere is, perhaps, exactly the reverse; where the shores, -not generally grand, are rendered tamer by the ample expanse of the -lake. The proportions of Ullswater are more just, and, though its -winding form gives it in some parts the air of a river, the abrupt and -tremendous height of its rocks, the dark and crowding summits of the -fells above, the manner in which they enclose it, together with the -dignity of its breadth, empower it constantly to affect the mind with -emotions of astonishment and lofty expectation. - - - - -FROM WINDERMERE TO HAWKSHEAD, THURSTON-LAKE AND ULVERSTON. - - -After ascending the laborious crags and precipices of Furness-fell, -enlivened, however, by frequent views of the southern end of -Windermere, the road immediately descends the opposite side of the -mountain, which shuts out the beautiful scenery of the lake; but -the prospect soon after opens to other mountains of Furness, in the -distance, which revive the expectation of such sublimity as we had -lately regretted, and to Esthwait-water in the valley below. This is -a narrow, pleasant lake, about half a mile broad and two miles long, -with gradual hills, green to their tops, rising round the margin; with -plantations and pastures alternately spreading along the easy shores, -and white farms scattered sparingly upon the slopes above. The water -seems to glide through the quiet privacy of pleasure-grounds; so fine -is the turf on its banks, so elegant its copses, and such an air of -peace and retirement prevails over it. A neat white village lies at the -feet of the hills near the head of the lake; beyond it is the gray town -of Hawkshead, with its church and parsonage on an eminence commanding -the whole valley. Steep hills rise over them, and, more distant, the -tall heads of the Coniston-fells, dark and awful, with a confusion of -other mountains. - -Hawkshead, thus delightfully placed, is an antient, but small town, -with a few good houses, and a neat town-house, lately built by -subscriptions, of which the chief part was gratefully supplied by -London merchants, who had been educated at the free school here; and -this school itself is a memorial of gratitude, having been founded by -Archbishop Sandys for the advantage of the town, which gave him birth. -Near Hawkshead are the remains of the house, where the Abbot of Furness -"kept residence by one or more monks, who performed divine service -and other parochial duties in the neighbourhood." There is still a -court-room over the gateway, "where the bailiff of Hawkshead held -court, and distributed justices in the name of the abbot." - -From the tremendous steeps of the long fell, which towers over -Hawkshead, astonishing views open to the distant vales and mountains of -Cumberland; overlooking all the grotesque summits in the neighbourhood -of Grasmere, the fells of Borrowdale in the furthest distance, -Langdale-pikes, and several small lakes, seen gleaming in the bosom of -the mountains. Before us, rose the whole multitude of Coniston-fells; -of immense height and threatening forms, their tops thinly darkened -with thunder mists, and, on the left, Furness-fells sinking towards the -bay, which Ulverston sands form for the sea. - -As we advanced, Coniston-fells seemed to multiply, and became still -more impressive, till, having reached at length the summit of the -mountain, we looked down upon Thurston-lake immediately below, and saw -them rising abruptly round its northern end in somewhat of the sublime -attitudes and dark majesty of Ullswater. A range of lowers rocks, -nearer to the eye, exhibited very peculiar and grotesque appearance, -coloured scars and deep channels marking their purple sides, as if they -had been rifted by an earthquake. - -The road descends the flinty steeps towards the eastern bank of the -lake, that spreads a surface of six miles in length and generally three -quarters of a mile in breadth, not winding in its course, yet much -indented with bays, and presenting nearly its whole extent at once to -the eye. The grandest features are the fells, that crown its northern -end, not distantly and gradually, like those of Windermere, nor varied -like them with magnificent colouring, but rising in haughty abruptness, -dark, rugged and stupendous, within a quarter of a mile of the margin, -and shutting out all prospect of other mountain-summits. At their feet, -pastures spread a bright green to the brim of the lake. Nearly in -the centre of these fells, which open in a semicircle to receive the -lake, a cataract descends, but its shining line is not of a breadth -proportioned to the vastness of its perpendicular fall. The village -of Coniston is sweetly seated under shelter of the rocks; and, at a -distance beyond, on the edge of the water, the antient hall, or priory, -shews its turret and ivyed ruins among old woods. The whole picture is -reflected in the liquid mirror below. The gay, convivial chorus, or -solemn vesper, that once swelled along the lake from these consecrated -walls, and awakened, perhaps, the enthusiasm of the voyager, while -evening stole upon the scene, is now contrasted by desolation and -profound repose, and, as he glides by, he hears only the dashing of his -oars, or the surge beating on the shore. - -This lake appeared to us one of the most charming we had seen. From -the sublime mountains, which bend round its head, the heights, on -either side, decline towards the south into waving hills, that form -its shores, and often stretch in long sweeping points into the water, -generally covered with tufted wood, but sometimes with the tender -verdure of pasturage. The tops of these woods were just embrowned -with autumn, and contrasted well with other slopes, rough and heathy, -that rose above, or fell beside them to the water's brink, and added -force to the colouring, which the reddish tints of decaying fern, the -purple bloom of heath, and the bright golden gleams of broom, spread -over these elegant banks. Their hues, the graceful undulations of the -marginal hills and bays, the richness of the woods, the solemnity of -the northern fells and the deep repose, that pervades the scene, where -only now and then a white cottage or a farm lurks among the trees, are -circumstances, which render Thurston-lake one of the most interesting -and, perhaps, the most beautiful of any in the country. - -The road undulates over copsy hills, and dips into shallow vallies -along the whole of the eastern bank, seldom greatly elevated above -the water, or descending to a level with it, but frequently opening -to extensive views of its beauties, and again shrouding itself in -verdant gloom. The most impressive pictures were formed by the fells, -that crowd over the upper end of the lake, and which, viewed from a -low station, sometimes appeared nearly to enclose that part of it. The -effect was then astonishingly grand, particularly about sun-set, when -the clouds, drawing upwards, discovered the utmost summits of these -fells, and a tint of dusky blue began to prevail over them, which -gradually deepened into night. A line of lower rocks, that extend -from these, are, independently of the atmosphere, of a dull purple, -and their shaggy forms would appear gigantic in almost any other -situation. Even here, they preserve a wild dignity, and their attitudes -somewhat resemble those at the entrance of Borrowdale; but they are -forgotten, when the eye is lifted to the solemn mountains immediately -above. These are rich in slate quarries, and have some copper mines; -but the latter were closed, during the civil wars of the last century, -having been worked, as we are told in the descriptive language of the -miners, from _the day to the evening end_, forty fathom, and to the -_morning end_ seven score fathom; a figurative style of distinguishing -the western and eastern directions of the mine. The lake, towards the -lower end, narrows and is adorned by one small island; but here the -hills of the eastern shore soar into fells, some barren, craggy and -nearly perpendicular, others entirely covered with coppice-wood. Two of -these, rising over the road, gave fine relief to each other, the one -shewing only precipices of shelving rock, while its rival aspired with -woods, that mantled from the base to the summit, consisting chiefly of -oak, ash and holly. Not any lake, that we saw, is at present so much -embellished with wood as Thurston. All the mountains of _High_ and the -vallies of _Low Furness_ were, indeed, some centuries ago, covered with -forests, part of which was called the Forest of Lancaster; and these -were of such entangled luxuriance as to be nearly impenetrable in many -tracts. Here, wolves, wild boars, and a remarkably large breed of deer, -called Leghs, the heads of which have frequently been found buried at -a considerable depth in the soil, abounded. So secure an asylum did -these animals find in the woods of High Furness, that, even after the -low lands were cleared and cultivated, shepherds were necessary to -guard the flocks from the ravages of the wolves. Towards the end of the -thirteenth century, the upper forests also were nearly destroyed. - -In winter, the shepherds used to feed their stocks with the young -sprouts of ash and holly, a custom said to be still observed; the sheep -coming at the call of the shepherd and assembling round the holly-tree -to receive from his hand the young shoots cropped for them [2]. Whenever -the woods are felled, which is too frequently done, to supply fuel for -the neighbouring furnaces, the holly is still held sacred to the flocks -of these mountains. - -[2] West's "Antiquities of Furness." - -Soon after passing the island, the road enters the village of -Nibthwaite, rich only in situation; for the cottages are miserable. The -people seemed to be as ignorant as poor; a young man knew not how far -it was to Ulverston, or as he called it Ulson, though it was only five -miles. - -On the point of a promontory of the opposite shore, embosomed in -ancient woods, the chimnies and pointed roof of a gray mansion look -out most interestingly. The woods open partially to the north, and -admit a view of the _Swiss_ scenery at the head of the lake, in its -fine position. On the other sides, the oaks so embower the house and -spread down the rocks, as scarcely to allow it a glimpse of the water -bickering between the dark foliage below. - -At Nibthwaite, the lake becomes narrow and gradually decreases, till it -terminates at Lowick-bridge, where it glides away in the little river -Crake, which descends to Ulverston sands. We stopped upon the bridge to -take a last view of the scene; the distant fells were disappearing in -twilight, but the gray lake gleamed at their base. From the steeps of -a lofty mountain, that rose near us on the right, cattle were slowly -descending for the night, winding among the crags, sometimes stopping -to crop the heath, or broom, and then disappearing for a moment behind -the darker verdure of yews, that grew in knots upon the cliffs. - -It was night before we reached Ulverston. The wind sounded mournfully -among the hills and we perceived our approach to the sea only by the -faint roaring of the tide, till from a brow, whence the hills open on -either hand with a grand sweep, we could just discern the gray surface -of the sea-bay, at a distance below, and then, by lights that glimmered -in the bottom, the town of Ulverston, lying not far from the shore and -screened on the north by the heights, from which we were to descend. - -Ulverston is a neat but ancient town, the capital and chief port of -Furness. The road from it to the majestic ruin of Furness Abbey lies -through Low Furness, and loses the general wildness and interest of -the country, except where now and then the distant retrospect of the -mountains breaks over the tame hills and regular enclosures, that -border it. - -About a mile and a half on this side of the Abbey, the road passes -through Dalton, a very ancient little town, once the capital of Low -Furness, and rendered so important by its neighbourhood to the Abbey, -that Ulverston, the present capital, could not then support the weekly -market, for which it had obtained a charter. Dalton, however, sunk -with the suppression of its neighbouring patrons, and is now chiefly -distinguished by the pleasantness of its situation, to which a church, -built on a bold ascent, and the remains of a castle, advantageously -placed for the command of the adjoining valley, still attach some -degree of dignity. What now exists of the latter is one tower, in a -chamber of which the Abbot of Furness held his secular Court; and the -chamber was afterwards used as a gaol for debtors, till within these -few years, when the dead ruin released the living one. The present -church-yard and the scite of this castle are supposed to have been -included within the limits of a _castellum_, built by Agricola, of the -fosse of which there are still some faint vestiges. - -Beneath the brow, on which the church and tower stand, a brook flows -through a narrow valley, that winds about a mile and a half to the -Abbey. In the way thither we passed the entrance of one of the very -rich iron mines, with which the neighbourhood abounds; and the deep red -tint of the soil, that overspreads almost the whole country between -Ulverston and the monastery, sufficiently indicates the nature of the -treasures beneath. - -In a close glen, branching from this valley, shrouded by winding banks -clumped with old groves of oak and chesnut, we found the magnificent -remains of - - - - -FURNESS ABBEY. - - -The deep retirement of its situation, the venerable grandeur of its -gothic arches and the luxuriant yet ancient trees, that shadow this -forsaken spot, are circumstances of picturesque and, if the expression -may be allowed, of sentimental beauty, which fill the mind with solemn -yet delightful emotion. This glen is called the Vale of Nightshade, or, -more literally from its ancient title Bekangs-gill, the "glen of deadly -nightshade," that plant being abundantly found in the neighbourhood. -Its romantic gloom and sequestered privacy particularly adapted it -to the austerities of monastic life; and in the most retired part of -it King Stephen, while Earl of Mortaign and Bulloign, founded, in the -year 1127, the magnificent monastery of Furness, and endowed it with -princely wealth and almost princely authority, in which it was second -only to Fontain's-abbey in Yorkshire. - -The windings of the glen conceal these venerable ruins, till they are -closely approached, and the bye road, that conducted us, is margined -with a few ancient oaks, which stretch their broad branches entirely -across it, and are finely preparatory objects to the scene beyond. A -sudden bend in this road brought us within view of the northern gate of -the Abbey, a beautiful gothic arch, one side of which is luxuriantly -festooned with nightshade. A thick grove of plane-trees, with some -oak and beech, overshadow it on the right, and lead the eye onward -to the ruins of the Abbey, seen through this dark arch in remote -perspective, over rough but verdant ground. The principal features -are the great northern window and part of the eastern choir, with -glimpses of shattered arches and stately walls beyond, caught between -the gaping casements. On the left, the bank of the glen is broken -into knolls capped with oaks, which in some places spread downwards -to a stream that winds round the ruin, and darken it with their rich -foliage. Through this gate is the entrance to the immediate precincts -of the Abbey, an area said to contain sixty-five acres, now called the -Deer-park. It is enclosed by a stone wall, on which the remains of many -small buildings and the faint vestiges of others, still appear; such -as the porter's lodge, mills, granaries, ovens and kilns that once -supplied the monastery, some of which, seen under the shade of the fine -old trees, that on every side adorn the broken steeps of this glen, -have a very interesting effect. - -Just within the gate, a small manor house of modern date, with its -stables and other offices, breaks discordantly upon the lonely grandeur -of the scene. Except this, the character of the deserted ruin is -scrupulously preserved in the surrounding area; no spade has dared to -level the inequalities, which fallen fragments have occasioned in the -ground, or shears to clip the wild fern and underwood, that overspread -it; but every circumstance conspires to heighten the solitary grace of -the principal object and to prolong the luxurious melancholy, which -the view of it inspires. We made our way among the pathless fern and -grass to the north end of the church, now, like every other part of -the Abbey, entirely roofless, but shewing the lofty arch of the great -window, where, instead of the painted glass that once enriched it, are -now tufted plants and wreaths of nightshade. Below is the principal -door of the church, bending into a deep round arch, which, retiring -circle within circle, is rich and beautiful; the remains of a winding -stair-case are visible within the wall on its left side. Near this -northern end of the edifice are seen one side of the eastern choir, -with its two slender gothic window frames, and on the west a remnant of -the nave of the Abbey and some lofty arches, which once belonged to the -belfry, now detached from the main building. - -To the south, but concealed from this point of view, are the -chapter-house, some years ago exhibiting a roof of beautiful gothic -fretwork, and which was almost the only part of the Abbey thus -ornamented, its architecture having been characterised by an air -of grand simplicity rather than by the elegance and richness of -decoration, which in an after date distinguished the gothic style in -England. Over the chapter-house were once the library and scriptorium, -and beyond it are still the remains of cloisters of the refectory, the -locutorium, or conversation-room, and the calefactory. These, with the -walls of some chapels, of the vestry, a hall, and of what is believed -to have been a school-house, are all the features of this noble edifice -that can easily be traced: winding stair-cases within the surprising -thickness of the walls, and door-cases involved in darkness and -mystery, the place abounds with. - -The abbey, which was formerly of such magnitude as nearly to fill up -the breadth of the glen, is built of a pale-red stone, dug from the -neighbouring rocks, now changed by time and weather to a tint of dusky -brown, which accords well with the hues of plants and shrubs that -every where emboss the mouldering arches. - -The finest view of the ruin is on the east side, where, beyond the -vast, shattered frame that once contained a richly-painted window, is -seen a perspective of the choir and of distant arches, remains of the -nave of the abbey, closed by the woods. This perspective of the ruin -is[3] said to be two hundred and eighty-seven feet in length; the choir -part of it is in width only twenty-eight feet inside, but the nave is -seventy: the walls, as they now stand, are fifty-four feet high and in -thickness five. Southward from the choir extend the still beautiful, -though broken, pillars and arcades of some chapels, now laid open to -the day; the chapter-house, the cloisters, and beyond all, and detached -from all, is the school-house, a large building, the only part of the -monastery that still boasts a roof. - -[3] "Antiquities of Furness." - -As, soothed by the venerable shades and the view of a more venerable -ruin, we rested opposite to the eastern window of the choir, where -once the high altar stood, and, with five other altars, assisted the -religious pomp of the scene; the images and the manners of times, -that were past, rose to reflection. The midnight procession of monks, -clothed in white and bearing lighted tapers, appeared to the "mind's -eye" issuing to the choir through the very door-case, by which such -processions were wont to pass from the cloisters to perform the matin -service, when, at the moment of their entering the church, the deep -chanting of voices was heard, and the organ swelled a solemn peal. To -fancy, the strain still echoed feebly along the arcades and died in the -breeze among the woods, the rustling leaves mingling with the close. -It was easy to image the abbot and the officiating priests seated -beneath the richly-fretted canopy of the four stalls, that still remain -entire in the southern wall, and high over which is now perched a -solitary yew-tree, a black funereal memento to the living of those who -once sat below. - -Of a quadrangular court on the west side of the church, three hundred -and thirty-four feet long and one hundred and two feet wide, little -vestige now appears, except the foundation of a range of cloisters, -that formed its western boundary, and under the shade of which the -monks on days of high solemnity passed in their customary procession -round the court. What was the belfry is now a huge mass of detached -ruin, picturesque from the loftiness of its shattered arches and the -high inequalities of the ground within them, where the tower, that -once crowned this building, having fallen, lies in vast fragments, now -covered with earth and grass, and no longer distinguishable but by the -hillock they form. - -The school-house, a heavy structure attached to the boundary wall on -the south, is nearly entire, and the walls, particularly of the portal, -are of enormous thickness, but, here and there, a chasm discloses the -stair-cases, that wind within them to chambers above. The school-room -below, shews only a stone bench, that extends round the walls, and a -low stone pillar in the eastern corner, on which the teacher's pulpit -was formerly fixed. The lofty vaulted roof is scarcely distinguishable -by the dusky light admitted through one or two narrow windows placed -high from the ground, perhaps for the purpose of confining the -scholar's attention to his book. - -These are the principal features, that remain of this once magnificent -abbey. It was dedicated to St. Mary, and received a colony of monks -from the monastery of Savigny in Normandy, who were called Gray Monks, -from their dress of that colour, till they became Cistercians, and, -with the severe rules of St. Bernard, adopted a white habit, which -they retained till the dissolution of monastic orders in England. The -original rules of St. Bernard partook in several instances of the -austerities of those of La Trapp, and the society did not very readily -relinquish the milder laws of St. Benedict for the new rigours imposed -upon them by the parent monastery of Savigny. They were forbidden to -taste flesh, except when ill, and even eggs, butter, cheese and milk, -but on extraordinary occasions; and denied even the use of linen -and fur. The monks were divided into two classes, to which separate -departments belonged.--Those, who attended the choir, slept upon -straw in their usual habits, from which, at midnight, they rose and -passed into the church, where they continued their holy hymns, during -the short remainder of the night. After this first mass, having -publicly confessed themselves, they retired to their cells, and the -day was employed in spiritual exercises and in copying or illuminating -manuscripts. An unbroken silence was observed, except when, after -dinner, they withdrew into the locutorium, where for an hour, perhaps, -they were permitted the common privilege of social beings. This class -was confined to the boundary wall, except that, on some particular -days, the members of it were allowed to walk in parties beyond it, for -exercise and amusement; but they were very seldom permitted either to -receive, or pay visits. Like the monks of La Trapp, however, they -were distinguished for extensive charities and liberal hospitality; -for travellers were so scrupulously entertained at the Abbey, that it -was not till the dissolution that an inn was thought necessary in this -part of Furness, when one was opened for their accommodation, expressly -because the monastery could no longer receive them. - -To the second class were assigned the cultivation of the lands, and the -performance of domestic affairs in the monastery. - -This was the second house in England, that received the Bernardine -rules, the most rigorous of which were, however, dispensed with in -1485 by Sixtus the Fourth, when, among other indulgences, the whole -order was allowed to taste meat on three days of the week. With the -rules of St. Benedict, the monks had exchanged their gray habit for a -white cassock with a white caul and scapulary. But their choir dress -was either white or gray, with caul and scapulary of the same, and a -girdle of black wool; over that a mozet, or hood, and a rochet[4]. When -they went abroad they wore a caul and full black hood. - -[4] "Antiquities of Furness." - -The privileges and immunities, granted to the Cistercian order in -general, were very abundant; and those, to the Abbey of Furness were -proportioned to its vast endowments. The abbot, it has been mentioned, -held his secular court in the neighbouring castle of Dalton, where -he presided with the power of administering not only justice but -injustice, since the lives and property of the villain tenants of the -lordship of Furness were consigned by a grant of King Stephen to the -disposal of my lord abbot! The monks also could be arraigned, for -whatever crime, only by him. "The military establishment of Furness -likewise depended on the abbot. Every mesne lord and free homager, as -well as the customary tenants, took an oath of fealty to the abbot, -to be true to him against all men, excepting the king. Every mesne -lord obeyed the summons of the abbot, or his steward, in raising his -quota of armed men, and every tenant of a whole tenement furnished a -man and horse of war for guarding the coast, for the border-service, -or any expedition against the common enemy of the king and kingdom. -The habiliments of war were a steel coat, or coat of mail, a falce, -or falchion, a jack, the bow, the bill, the cross-bow and spear. The -Furness legion consisted of four divisions:--one of bowmen horsed -and harnessed; bylmen horsed and harnessed; bowmen without horse and -harness; bylmen without horse and harness[5]." - -[5] "Antiquities of Furness." - -The deep forests, that once surrounded the Abbey, and overspread all -Furness, contributed with its insulated situation, on a neck of land -running out into the sea, to secure it from the depredations of the -Scots, who were continually committing hostilities on the borders. On -a summit over the Abbey are the remains of a beacon, or watch-tower, -raised by the society for their further security. It commands extensive -views over Low Furness and the bay of the sea immediately beneath; -looking forward to the town and castle of Lancaster, appearing faintly -on the opposite coast; on the south, to the isles of Wanley, Foulney, -and their numerous islets, on one of which stands Peel-castle; -and, on the north, to the mountains of High Furness and Coniston, -rising in grand amphitheatre round this inlet of the Irish Channel. -Description can scarcely suggest the full magnificence of such a -prospect, to which the monks, emerging from their concealed cells -below, occasionally resorted to sooth the asperities, which the severe -discipline of superstition inflicted on the temper; or, freed from the -observance of jealous eyes, to indulge, perhaps, the sigh of regret, -which a consideration of the world they had renounced, thus gloriously -given back to their sight, would sometimes awaken. - -From Hawcoat, a few miles to the west of Furness, the view is still -more extensive, whence, in a clear day, the whole length of the Isle of -Man may be seen, with part of Anglesey and the mountains of Caernarvon, -Merionethshire, Denbighshire and Flintshire, shadowing the opposite -horizon of the channel. - -The sum total of all rents belonging to the Abbey immediately before -the dissolution, was 946l. 2s. 10d. collected from Lancashire, -Cumberland, and even from the Isle of Man; a sum, which considering the -value of money at that period; and the woods, meadows, pastures, and -fisheries, retained by the society in their own hands; the quantity of -provisions for domestic use brought by the tenants instead of rent, -and the shares of mines, mills, and salt-works, which belonged to the -Abbey, swells its former riches to an enormous amount. - -Pyle, the last abbot, surrendered with twenty-nine monks, to Henry the -Eighth, April the 9th 1537, and in return was made Rector of Dalton, -a situation then valued at thirty-three pounds six shillings and -eight-pence a year. - - - - -FROM ULVERSTON TO LANCASTER. - - -From the Abbey we returned to Ulverston, and from thence crossed the -sands to Lancaster, a ride singularly interesting and sublime. From -the Carter's house, which stands on the edge of the Ulverston sands, -and at the point, whence passengers enter them, to Lancaster, within -the furthest opposite shore, is fifteen miles. This noble bay is -interrupted by the peninsula of Cartmel, extending a line of white -rocky coast, that divides the Leven and Ulverston sands from those of -Lancaster. The former are four miles over; the latter seven. - -We took the early part of the tide, and entered these vast and desolate -plains before the sea had entirely left them, or the morning mists -were sufficiently dissipated to allow a view of distant objects; but -the grand sweep of the coast could be faintly traced, on the left, and -a vast waste of sand stretching far below it, with mingled streaks of -gray water, that heightened its dreary aspect. The tide was ebbing fast -from our wheels, and its low murmur was interrupted, first, only by -the shrill small cry of seagulls, unseen, whose hovering flight could -be traced by the sound, near an island that began to dawn through the -mist; and then, by the hoarser croaking of sea-geese, which took a -wider range, for their shifting voices were heard from various quarters -of the surrounding coast. The body of the sea, on the right, was still -involved, and the distant mountains on our left, that crown the bay, -were also viewless; but it was sublimely interesting to watch the heavy -vapours beginning to move, then rolling in lengthening volumes over -the scene, and, as they gradually dissipated, discovering through their -veil the various objects they had concealed--fishermen with carts and -nets stealing along the margin of the tide, little boats putting off -from the shore, and, the view still enlarging as the vapours expanded, -the main sea itself softening into the horizon, with here and there -a dim sail moving in the hazy distance. The wide desolation of the -sands, on the left, was animated only by some horsemen riding remotely -in groups towards Lancaster, along the winding edge of the water, and -by a muscle-fisher in his cart trying to ford the channel we were -approaching. - -The coast round the bay was now distinctly, though remotely, seen, -rising in woods, white cliffs and cultivated slopes towards the -mountains of Furness, on whose dark brows the vapours hovered. The -shore falls into frequent recesses and juts out in promontories, where -villages and country seats are thickly strewn. Among the latter, -Holker-hall, deep among woods, stands in the north. The village and -hall of Bardsea, once the site of a monastery, with a rocky back-ground -and, in front, meadows falling towards the water; and Conishead priory, -with its spiry woods, the paragon of beauty, lie along the western -coast, where the hills, swelling gently from the isle of Walney, nearly -the last point of land visible on that side the bay, and extending -to the north, sweep upwards towards the fells of High Furness and -the whole assemblage of Westmoreland mountains, that crown the grand -boundary of this arm of the sea. - -We set out rather earlier than was necessary, for the benefit of the -guide over part of these trackless wastes, who was going to his -station on a sand near the first ford, where he remains to conduct -passengers across the united streams of the rivers Crake and Leven, -till the returning tide washes him off. He is punctual to the spot -as the tides themselves, where he shivers in the dark comfortless -midnights of winter, and is scorched on the shadeless sands, under -the noons of summer, for a stipend of ten pounds a year! and he said -that he had fulfilled the office for thirty years. He has, however, -perquisites occasionally from the passengers. In early times the Prior -of Conishead, who established the guide, paid him with three acres of -land and an annuity of fifteen marks; at the dissolution, Henry the -Eighth charged himself and his successors with the payment of the guide -by patent. - -Near the first ford is Chapel Isle, on the right from Ulverston, a -barren sand, where are yet some remains of a chapel, built by the monks -of Furness, in which divine service was daily performed at a certain -hour, for passengers, who crossed the sands with the morning tide. The -ford is not thought dangerous, though the sands frequently shift, for -the guide regularly tries for, and ascertains, the proper passage. The -stream is broad and of formidable appearance, spreading rapidly among -the sands and, when you enter it, seeming to bear you away in its -course to the sea. The second ford is beyond the peninsula of Cartmel, -on the Lancaster sands, and is formed by the accumulated waters of -the rivers, Ken and Winster, where another guide waits to receive the -traveller. - -The shores of the Lancaster sands fall back to greater distance and are -not so bold, or the mountains beyond, so awful, as those of Ulverston; -but they are various, often beautiful, and Arnside-fells have a higher -character. The town and castle of Lancaster, on an eminence, gleaming -afar off over the level sands and backed by a dark ridge of rocky -heights, look well as you approach them. Thither we returned and -concluded a tour, which had afforded infinite delight in the grandeur -of its landscapes and a reconciling view of human nature in the -simplicity, integrity, and friendly disposition of the inhabitants. - - - - -INDEX. - - - Vol. - - Amsterdam, approach to it, i. - The streets and canals, i. - The Stadthouse, i. - The port, i. - City government, i. - Public coaches, i. - - Andernach, valley of, i. - Town of, i. ii. - - André St., fort of, ii. - - Appenweyer, i. - - Arthur's table, ii. - - Austrian troops, i. - - - B - - Bacharach, ii. - - Bampton grange, ii. - Vale, ii. - - Bassenthwaite water, ii. - - Bergstrasse, i. - - Biel, ii. - - Bingen, ii. - - Bingerloch, ii. - - Bommel, ii. - - Bonn, i. ii. - The palace, i. - - Boppart, ii. - - Borrowdale, ii. - - Bowther stone, ii. - - Brougham castle, ii. - Hall, ii. - - - C - - Carlsruhe, forest of, i. - The palace and gardens, i. - - Cassel, i. - - Cleves, approach to it, i. - The city, i. - - Coblentz, i. - Flying bridge, i. - - Cologne, appearance of the city, i. ii. - Government, i. - The fort, i. - Convent of Clarisse, i. - Churches, i. - The Elector, i. - Fugitives there, ii. - - Coniston-fells, ii. - - - D - - Dalton, ii. - - Delft, its extent, i. - - Delft, the Doolen, i. - Palace of WILLIAM I. i. - His tomb, i. - - Derwentwater, ii. - - Dort, ii. - - Dover, straights of, ii. - - Dress of the Dutch, i. - - Druidical Monument, ii. - - Duisbourg, ii. - - Dykes in Holland, i. - - - E - - Ehrenbreitstein, i. ii. - - Esthwait water, ii. - - - F - - Flaarding, ii. - - France, conversation relative to, ii. - - Franckfort, the liberties - and independence of, i. - The surrender and - re-capture of the city in 79, i. - Cabinet Literaire, i. - Theatre, i. - - Franckenthal, i. - - French prisoners, i. - - Friburg, ii. - - Furness Abbey, ii. - - - G - - Gardens in Holland, i. - - German territories, intermixture of, ii. - - Germany, condition of, ii. - - Goar, St. ii. - - Goodesberg, i. - The castle and hill of, i. - - Gorcum, ii. - - Government of the United Provinces, i. - - Grasmere, ii. - - Graystock, neighbourhood of, ii. - - - H - - Haarlem, voyage thither from Leyden, i. - The great church, i. - The city, i. - - Haerlemer Maer, i. - - Hardwick, ii. - - The Hague, palace there, i. - Apartments of the States General, i. - Grand Voorhout, i. - Maison du Bois, i. - - Half Wegen Sluice, i. - - Hawkshead, ii. - - Hawswater, ii. - - Helvoetsluys, i. - - Hockheim, i. - - Hoogstrass, i. - - Hornby, ii. - - - I - - Ingleborough, ii. - - Johannesberg, ii. - - - K - - Kaub, ii. - - Kendal, ii. - - Kirby Lonsdale, ii. - - Koningstuhl, ii. - - Kostheim, i. - - - L - - Lancaster castle, views from, ii. - Sands, ii. - - Landscape, - of England and Germany compared, ii. - - Leek, river, i. - - Leyden, the Fair, i. - The University, i. - - Limbourg, i. - - Long Sleddale, ii. - - Lonsdale vale, ii. - - Louvenstein, ii. - - - M - - Manchester, neighbourhood of, ii. - - Manheim, appearance of the City, i. - - Manheim, the Palace, i. - The surrounding country, i. - Electoral Establishments, i. - - Mentz, approach to it, i. - Ruins made by the siege, i. - La Favorita, i. - Forts, i. - The Siege, i. - The City, i. - The Noble Chapter, i. - - Middleton, ii. - Dale, ii. - - Military Press in Germany, i. - - Montabaur, i. - - Muhlheim, ii. - - - N - - Neuss, i. - - Neuwiedt, i. - - Nieuport, anecdote of the siege of, ii. - - Nimeguen, i. - Bridge of boats, i. - The Belvidere, ii. - - - O - - Oberwesel, ii. - - Offenburg, i. - - Oggersheim, i. - - Oppenheim, i. - - Oudenkirk, i. - - - P - - Parties in Holland, i. - - Patterdale, ii. - - Penrith, town of, ii. - Beacon of, ii. - - Pfaltz, ii. - - Poppelsdorff, the palace of, i. - - Post, German, ii. - - Prince of Orange, i. - - Provisions in Holland, i. - - - R - - Rastadt, i. - - Rees, ii. - - Rheinberg, i. - - Rheingau, ii. - - Rhinfels, ii. - - Rotterdam, road and voyage to, - from Helvoetsluys, i. - Its appearance from the Maese, i. - The city, i. - - Rydal Hall, ii. - - - S - - Saardam, i. - - Saddleback, ii. - - Sanctæ Crucis, the convent and hill, i. - - Schevening and the vista, i. - - Schwetzingen, i. - - Selters, i. - - Seven Mountains, i. ii. - - St. John, vale of ii. - - Skiddaw, ii. - Ascent of ii. - - Sunset and rise at sea, ii. - - - T - - Taxes in Holland, i. - - Thiel, ii. - - Threlkeld, ii. - - Thurston Lake, ii. - - Timber, floats of, on the Rhine, ii. - - Trechtschuyts, i. - - - U - - Ullswater, road thither, ii. - Lake, ii. - - Ulverston, ii. - - Urdingen, ii. - - Utrecht, i. - Canal from Amsterdam thither, i. - View from the tower - of the cathedral, i. - - - V - - Vineyards in Germany, i. - - - W - - Waal, river, i. ii. - - Wesel, ii. - - Wetzlaar, chamber of, ii. - - Windermere, ii. - - Worms, i. - - Wyk de Duerstede, i. - - - X - - Xanten, i. - - - Z - - Zons, castle of, ii. - - - FINIS. - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's note: - -The book cover image was made by the transcriber and is placed in the -public domain. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A JOURNEY MADE IN THE SUMMER OF -1794, THROUGH HOLLAND AND THE WESTERN FRONTIER OF GERMANY, WITH A RETURN -DOWN THE RHINE, VOL. II (OF 2)*** - - -******* This file should be named 64218-0.txt or 64218-0.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/6/4/2/1/64218 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - |