1823.] 
ing more than ordinary propensity to 
meditation and solitude, when twilight 
began to close its shades around the 
various objects of nature’ which had 
recently shone in the mild radiance of 
a clear.autumnal day, Pleft the social 
board, and strolled abroad into the 
fields which skirted the village at the 
extremity of which was situated the 
house of my friend. 
The summer had been unusually 
fine and dry, and the season, in -con- 
sequence, exhibited a more advaneed 
appearance than generally characte- 
rizes it'at the commencement of this 
period. The forest and the brake, 
painted with the exquisite colouring of 
nature, held forth their unnumbered 
tints and hues, proclaiming to the 
spectator that their gay and motley 
dress was only an ephemeral costume, 
preparatory to those ravages wuich 
the silent but steady hand of winter 
was soon to make upon them. ‘The 
fall of leaf had already, in some dis- 
tricts, commenced among the minor 
shrubs and saplings which diversified 
the: plain; and while the poplar and 
willow, half stripped of their verdure, 
associated the forlom majesty and 
“Jatest glooms” of ‘‘dread winter” 
with the fading honours of ‘sober 
autumn ;” the oak and the sycamore, 
monarchs of the field, extended their 
umbrageous shadows, scarcely as yet 
impaired by declining suns and inno- 
vating frosts. 'The elements were now 
hushed toserenity ; and nature, lately 
agitated by equinoxial blasts, which 
had swept over the field and the moor 
its desolating storms, now reigned in 
that calm and repose which is wont to 
awaken the latent energies of thought, 
and bid them flow with spontaneity of 
utterance. 
I turned my footsteps towards the 
coppice which formed a boundary: to 
the small domains of my friend’s pos- 
sessions, and, having reached it, stood 
in pensive, though pleasing, musing, 
surveying the tall forms of the beech, 
the plane, the chesnut, ard the oak, 
as, swelling with ample volume against 
the blue ether of the darkening sky, 
they lorded the ascendancy over the 
minor tenants of the grove. Nature, 
fast fading around me, dimly reflected 
her objects through a veiled medium ; 
and the increased chilliness of the 
atmosphere proclaimed that the sun, 
after having for a time performed the 
functions of invigoration in the coun- 
tries an this side our tropic, was gone 
An Evening’s Walk near Bath in Autumn, 
219 
to visit and to perform the like office 
of resuscitation on lands of the southern 
hemisphere of our globe. 
An unusual light presently bright- 
ened in the east; and the moon, with 
surpassing splendor and majesty, and 
erimsoned with that ruddy and meteor- 
like aspeet whichrshe is wont to assume 
when near the full, emerged from the~ 
bosom of the horizon, and, glowing 
hike some vast furnace through the 
trees, illumined the surrounding bhea- 
vens with a fiery circlet, and shed 
over terrestrial objects a deep tinge of 
renovated animation. 
Inspired by the rising beauty of the 
seene, 1 continued my walk, and 
passed over various meadows; and at 
length found myself about a mile from 
home, on a “sequestered spot, where 
during the summer I had frequently 
adjourned to enjoy, in my moments of 
retirement, the pleasures of a book 
heightened by the beauty of Jand- 
scape. Sheltered by the overhanging 
beeches, and finding a spet well co- - > 
vered with dried grass and fallen 
leaves, i here remained stationary, 
and stood for some moments regarding 
the scenery which rose before me. 
‘The hum of the distant village, ren- 
dered not less distinct by the approach 
of nightfall, sti:l! broke on the listen- 
ing ear; the famt sounds of revelry, 
partly absorbed by the hollow gale, 
disturbed at intervals the growing 
stillness; while the solitary bark of. the 
house-dog, from the neighbouring 
farms, diversified the surrounding si- 
lence, if not with the melody of the 
summer choristers, yet with the power 
of contrast, which was not lost on the 
meditative breast. 
The moon now beamed from the 
eastern sky, and poured a full flood of 
mild butrefulgent glory upon all the ob- 
jects within my circle of vision. A thin 
haziness or exhalation, rising from the 
carth, obscured the distance, and man- 
tled the surface of the ground with a 
flecey veil, indicative of the advanced 
season. Before me, and at the foot of 
the declivity on which I was standing, 
the Avon rolled its deep and tranquil 
waters; its sluggish wave, reflected 
by the light of the moon, scarce gave 
motion to the fallen leaf, or disturbed 
with its hoarse murmurs the tranquil- 
lity of the hour. The soft pellucid 
light shot from the cerulean of the 
heavens slumbered upon the stream, 
from whence it reflected in its turn to 
the mirror of the soul its mild radi-~ 
ance, 
