European Travel 109 



strangely; it's past my speaking sensibly of, and yet, as a 

 part of my travelling experience, I would speak of it. At 

 times I seem myself to be her favourite, and she brings me to 

 my knees in deep feeling, such as she blesses no other with ; 

 oftener I see others in ecstasies, while I am left to sentimental- 

 ize and mourn, or to be critical, and sneering, and infidel. 

 Nonsense still ; but tell me, do you think it is only for greed 

 of trouts that your great and sensitive man lingers long, in- 

 tently stooping over dark pools in the spray of the moun- 

 tain torrents, or stealing softly a way through the bending 

 rushes, or kneeling lowly on the darkest verdure of the 

 shaded meadow? What else? I know not what he thinks, 

 but of this I am assured : while his mind is most intent upon 

 his trivial sport, his heart and soul will be far more absorb- 

 ent of the rugged strength, the diffuse, impetuous brilliance, 

 the indefinite gliding grace, or the peaceful twilight loveli- 

 ness, of the scenes around him, than if he went out searching, 

 labouring directly for it as for bread and fame. 



The greater part of the Isle of Wight is more dreary, deso- 

 late, bare, and monotonous than any equal extent of land 

 you probably ever saw in America — would be, rather, if it 

 were not that you are rarely out of sight of the sea ; and no 

 landscape, of which that is a part, ever can be without variety 

 and ever-changing interest. It is, in fact down-land in the 

 interior, exactly like that I described in Wiltshire, and some- 

 times breaking down into such bright dells as I there told of. 

 But on the south shore it is rocky, craggy ; and after you have 

 walked through a rather dull country, though pleasing on 

 the whole, for hours after landing, you come gradually to 

 where the majesty of vastness, peculiar to the downs and the 

 ocean, alternates or mingles with dark, picturesque, rugged 

 ravines, chasms, and water-gaps, sublime rock-masses, and 

 soft, warm smiling inviting dells and dingles; and, withal, 

 there is a strange and fascinating enrichment of half-tropical 

 foliage, so deep, graceful, and luxuriant, as I never saw be- 

 fore any where in the world. All this district is thickly 



