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he protested for the sake of Lakeland quiet. When Wordsworth 

 wrote his Sonnet against railways, it would seem, from a letter 

 Hartley Coleridge penned to a Kendal paper, dated Ambleside, 

 November 20th, 1844, that he was accused of wishing to keep 

 the multitudes from visiting the Lakes. 



"I do protest," says Hartley Coleridge, "against the calumny — 

 calumny, I hope, of ignorance, not of malice — which ascribes to 

 Wordsworth the unworthy wish to make the Lakes a cabinet 

 curiosity, like a unique copy of a book to be shown as a special 

 favour to such of his admirers as come in their own carriage. 



" Mr. Wordsworth does not object to the railroad because it 

 will bring a poorer class to see the Lakes than has hitherto been 

 able to indulge in that luxury, but for the sake of the inevitable 

 violation of domestic privacy, for the stones and trees and the 

 humble homes it must destroy. . . I believe Mr. Wordsworth 

 objects, not for himself, but for Nature and mankind." 



This last reason for protest against railway lines in Lakeland is 

 as forcible to-day as it was in 1844. It is true that the Lake District 

 is fairly girdled with the iron rail, and easy access is possible from 

 all sides. It is equally true that each year brings larger crowds of 

 tourists, who avail themselves of it, into the country. Yet the 

 Cumbrian and Westmorland peasant, for all the attempts to spoil 

 him, for all the tourist prices and presents, is as yet a character 

 unspoiled. It does credit to his moral sinew that it is so ; he is 

 sorely tempted and tampered with. But these dalesmen are made 

 of such rare peasant stuff that it is worth preserving. Slow of 

 song, brief of speech, but sure of word as they are, where else in 

 any much-betouristed part of England will travellers find such 

 freedom of foot to come and go over intakes, and through farms, 

 as is allowed him by the men of Westmorland and Cumberland ? 

 If ever you do find yourself brought up sharp by word of mouth 

 or by notice-board, it will be almost certainly by some one who 

 has bought up the small statesmen, and laid farm to farm, and 

 who brings his city manners with him. 



Where else in England will you find whole valleys in which, 



