STUDY VII. 97 



Immediately below, there was a feries of fmall 

 farms, the face of which was clothed with grafly 

 verdure, planted with apple-trees in full fruit, and 

 enclofed with tall alder-trees. The cows were 

 feeding among the trees of the orchards, while the 

 country-girls fung, as they were fpinning, around 

 the door. Thefe " native wood-notes wild," re- 

 peated from diftance to didance, under the fliade 

 of the trees, communicated to this little hamlet, a 

 vivacity which increafed flill more the nakednefs, 

 and the depreffing folitude, of the fpot where we 

 were. I alked it's pofleflbr. How it came to pafs, 

 that lands fo contiguous, fhould prefent an afpeâ: 

 fo very different ? 



" They are," replied he, " of the feif-fame na- 

 " ture, and there formerly were, on this very fpot, 

 *' fmall houles fimilar to thofe which you fee be- 

 ** low. I made a purchafe of them, but (adly to my 

 *' lofs. Their late inhabitants having abundance 

 ** of leifure, and a fmall compafs of ground on 

 *' their hands, cleared away the moffes, the thif- 

 " ties, manured it ; up fprung the grafs. Had 

 *' they a mind to plant ? They dug holes, they 

 *' removed the ftones, and filled them with good 

 *^ mould, which they went to colleft from the 

 *^ bottom of the ditches, and along the high-way's 

 *i fide. Their trees took root and profpered. 

 *' But all thefe neceflary operations coll me incre- 



voL. II. H " dible 



