A8il.) Letters ofa Wanderer through England and JWaies. 
~ For the Monthly Magazine. 
THE LETTERS OF A WANDERER. 
LETTER VII. 
FTER sometime spent in viewing this 
\ crand scene, we recrossed the bridge, 
and resolved to gratify that prevailing feel- 
ing implanted in the breast of mankind in 
general, namely, curiosity, even at therisk 
of a tumble into the stream, we scram- 
bled down the rocky bank, and, stepping 
on the large stones that lay in all direc- 
- 'tions_in the channel, reached the depth 
below the second fall, without accident, 
er the thousand difficulties and perils 
our guide to the cataract assured us must 
be the consequence of our undertaking. 
Arrived at the spot we wished to gain, 
we placed ourselves in front of the se- 
cond cascade, which, though neither so 
astonishing nor grand as the one above, 
is well worthy of a visit, and forms a yet 
more pleasing subject for the pencil, than 
does the celebrated fall we had seen, 
This is a sheet of water of about thirty 
feet in height, falling in one unbroken 
gataract, enclosed by dark brown pre- 
cipices, rendered yet-more gloomy in 
their appearance by the profusion of 
trees that overhang the stream, uniting 
their leafy branches from either side of 
the dell, (in that part scarcely thirty 
yards in width,) and forming an almost 
impenetrable shade, beneath which the 
bridge with some of the towering clits 
that bound one side of the principal fall, 
appear with the most picturesque effect, 
and form one of the most romantic, ad- 
mirable scenes I have ever beheld, 
From hence we again descended by the 
margin of the stream, ull we reached the 
bottom of the third fali, which is nearly 
the same height as the one above; but 
the scene of the rustic bridge, and its 
accompaniments, being more in the 
biid’s-eye style, it is less interesting than 
the former. Long did we linger amidst 
this delightful scenery, now passing- 
across the stream upon the stones that 
rose far above the water, now seated on 
a jutting puint of rock, listening to the 
rushing of the different falls, as their 
sounds swept along the dell, and min- 
gling with the gentle whispers of the 
Find, produced an effect that ‘scarce 
could fail in any bosom to awaken emo- 
tions of the most pleasing nature. In 
mine, they produced a melancholy, pen- 
sive calm, while busy thought reverted to 
many a long-past incident and happy 
circumstance; and recalling to memory 
Many an absent or departed friend, my 
eart swelled with emotions indescribs 
621 
able. ‘ Pleasant is the joy of grief, it is 
like the shower of spring, when it softens 
the branch of the oak, and the young 
leaf lifts its green heads” but when the 
heart too surely feels that all the airy 
phantoms of felicity are vanished, its 
hopes crushed by the rude hand of ad- 
versity, and its feelings lacerated by un- 
kindness and ingratitude, then is the 
moment of bitter retrospection; theo 
memory proves @ torturing fiend, blast~ 
ing every present enjoyment, and 
“turning all the past to pain.” But 
away with such reflections, for the pre- 
sent let us “‘ leave dull care behind,” and 
return to the beauties of the Array, and 
the sweet banks of Ullswater, to which 
we hastened after quitting Gowbarrow, 
and again beheld a picture, in which 
there appeared not a single object to 
hurt the eye, or lead the beholder to 
imagine it would have been better omit- 
ted. All was beautiful, sweet, and 
lovely, as fancy could pourtray; while im 
the distant view into the gorge of Pattere 
dale, at the extremity of the lake, there 
is a grandeur and sublimity scarce to 
be equalled in any part of Britain 
Place Fell still claimed the pre-eminence 
over its neighbours, on the opposite’ 
shore; while, on the side on which we 
travelled, thick-wooded knolls, and aw= 
ful precipices, hung almost over the 
road, and obscured the view of the 
stupendous back-ground; the line of 
which is often broken by romantie 
woady glens, through which considerable 
streams of water pour, amidst rocks.and 
stones, roaring and sounding through 
the shade, “ and falling fast from gra- 
dual slope to slope, with wild infracted 
course,” hasten to the lake, and, min> 
gling with its placid flood, steal silently 
“© Along the mazes of the quiet vale.” 
As you approach the entrance into Pats 
terdale, the road winds sometimes close 
to the bases of the mountains, at others, 
passing through rows of thick, umbra- 
geous trees, at length reaches the clean, 
comfortable inn, at the mouth of that 
sequestered vale, where, it being our ins 
tention to remain a day or two, we pros 
cured apartments, and, after partaking 
of anexcellent dinner, we strolled around 
the environs; from a rock behind the 
inn, enjoying one of the finest views 
imaginable, of the scenery which had 
recently affurded us some cause for ad= 
miration; Gowbarrow, forming the 
back-ground of the picture, Place Fell 
the boundary on the right, and a chain 
of lofty mountains that upon the left, 
This is a delightful scene, and we beheld 
: 8 
a ty 
