ASSOCIATIONS. 69 



of his white horse with a rosette of cherry-coloured 

 ribbons. 



Everything is rich, luxuriant, and promising^ in 

 nature. The banks are crowded with the glossy, 

 black-spotted leaves of the Wake-robin, and the young 

 fi-onds of the Hart's-tongue Fern. The Germander 

 Speedwell, that loveliest and most constant of spring 

 flowers, peeps out with its laughing blue eyes every- 

 where from the rank herbage. Eemembrances of last 

 spring, and of its pleasant walks about dear Ilfra- 

 combe, come crowding over our hearts, like gushes of 

 frao-rance, or like the associations of some w^ell remem- 

 bered melody. We see the same flowers again — hear 

 the same music — bask in the same smishine. It is one 

 advantage of the interchange of the seasons, that these 

 associations are continually refreshed : we could not 

 go on enjoying so \dvidly the delightfulness of sum- 

 mer, if it were not interrupted by winter. Every 

 beauty bursts upon us with the charm of novelty, and 

 yet with the peculiar claim of old acquaintance. 



*' eyil day ! if I were sullen, 



^Vllile the earth herself is adorning 

 This sweet May morning ; 

 And the children are pulling, 

 On every side, 

 In a thousand valleys, far and wide, 



Fresh flowers ; while the sun shines warm, 

 And the babe leaps up on his mother's arm : — 

 I hear, I hear, with joy I hear ! " 



A lovely view suddenly opened seaward, which I 

 could not resist the temptation of sketching as I sat 

 on a gate. In front was a dell, chequered and parted 

 into fields by hedge-rows, and merging at length into 



