82 "^^iSiTinlJermere to ©Trasmere, 



Rothay, and encircled by green mountains, is a fitting rest- 

 ing-place for the poet of the region. He chose it himself ; 

 and everyone rejoices that he did. ^ 



Just after entering the mail-road, the driver will point out 

 the cottage in which Wordsworth and his sister lived, many 

 long years ago, when Scott was their guest. Several good 

 houses have sprung up near it, within a few years. The pro- 

 montory which here causes the lake to contract to the little 

 river, (which is called the Rothay in all the intervals of the 

 of lakes,) may be passed in three ways. The mail-road 

 passes round its point, and therefore keeps beside the water ; 

 — the Roman road, where the ~yi3ffis]^ing ©ate used to be, 

 crosses it by rather a steep ascent and descent; — and a 

 shorter road still, steeper and boggy, cuts across its narrowest 

 part, and comes out at Rydal quarries. Our traveller will 

 take the mail-road, probably. It will soon bring him to 

 ^Elgtial J^afee; and he cannot but think the valley very lovely 

 in the summer afternoon. On the opposite side of the lake 

 is ^ougfjtigg with its terrace-walk distinctly visible half-way 

 up. The islands are wooded ; and one of them is a herony ; 

 and the grey bird, with its long flapping wings, is perhaps 

 visible, either in flight, or perched on a tree near its nest, or 

 fishing in the shallows, ^ab ..©car, the blunt end of Fair- 

 field, which overlooks the road and the lake, is very fine, 

 with its water-worn channels, its woods and grey rocks. 

 Nab Cottage, the humble white house on the road-side, on 

 the margin of the lake, is the place where Hartley Coleridge 

 lived and died. Those who knew the lakes of old will re- 



* The village of Grasmere has become a favourite place of abode for 

 summer visitors. Besides the hotels, there are several lodging-houses, 

 where good accommodation may be had. The Walks and Drives are 

 many of them the same as are taken from Ambleside, but there are a 

 few others which will be described at the end of the Ambleside Section. 



