66 MEMOIR OF DR. DALTON, AND 



minutes ; after walking up a steep hill, we came to a row of 

 most delightfully situated houses, on an eminence, looking 

 down on the city and the adjacent country. Whether by 

 night or by day it is delightful ; at night, we see the lights of 

 the city forming a circle around us; the general effect is most 

 curious. A darkish cloud hung over the whole foreground ; the 

 lights from London illuminated that part over it, whilst on 

 this side it was dark, and on the other side dark, so as to give 

 the appearance of a luminous cloud, interposed between two 

 black clouds. The night was still and fine, and Mr. L. 

 promised me I should hear the nightingale; for one or two 

 sung every night from a grove, 100 yards below his house. 

 We smoked our segars till twelve, then looked out and 

 listened ; all silent, no nightingale. We went to bed about 

 three, I was awoke by the melodious song of the nightingale, 

 which continued, without any interruption, till four o'clock. 

 Soon after three I also heard the second and third best singing 

 birds that we have, according to Mr. Blackwall, and the first, 

 or nightingale, all singing together. My bedroom window 

 fronted the S.E. In the morning, at eight, I took hold of 

 the blind string with one hand, and put my other to the 

 opposite side to help it up, as usual, with most others ; but 

 to my surprise it spun up to the top of the window of its own 

 accord, in a moment, and such a view as I never witnessed 

 presented itself, except at St. Cloud, near Paris. For half a 

 mile before me rose the tops of trees, from a beautiful grove, 

 belonging to Mrs. Coutts, her house chimneys popping up 

 on the right ; over the tops of the trees the country presented 

 itself, interspersed with houses, and beyond, London with its 

 spires; St. Paul's dome, like Helvellyn, right in the front; 

 the river, the Kent hills over London, &c., &c., the sun 

 shining clear, the birds singing, &c., &c. Quite at the foot 

 of my window, a kind of verandah, entwined with shrubs be- 

 low, about 100 yards square of descending ground, so covered 

 with shrubs as to hold two or three shady seats, and some 



