124 HISTORY OF 



are become more distinct, and appear with a bro- 

 ken and perpendicular line. What at first seem- 

 ed a single hill, is now found to be a chain of 

 continued mountains, whose tops, running along 

 in ridges, are embosomed in each other ; so that 

 the curvatures of one are fitted to the promi- 

 nences of the opposite side, and form a winding 

 valley between, often of several miles in extent ; 

 and all the way continuing nearly of the same 

 breadth. 



Nothing can be finer, or more exact, than Mi- 

 Pope's description of a traveller straining up the 

 Alps. Every mountain he comes to he thinks 

 will be the last ; he finds, however, an unexpect- 

 ed hill rise before him ; and that being scaled, he 

 finds the highest summit almost at as great a dis- 

 tance as before. Upon quitting the plain, he 

 might have left a green and a fertile soil, and a 

 climate warm and pleasing. As he ascends, the 

 ground assumes a more russet colour ; the grass 

 becomes more mossy, and the weather more mo- 

 derate. Still as he ascends, the weather becomes 

 more cold, and the earth more barren. In this 

 dreary passage, he is often entertained with a lit- 

 tle valley of surprising verdure, caused by the re- 

 flected heat of the sun collected into a narrow 

 spot on the surrounding heights. But it much 

 more frequently happens that he sees only fright- 

 ful precipices beneath, and lakes of amazing 

 depths; from whence rivers are formed, and 

 fountains derive their original. On those places 

 next the highest summits, vegetation is scarcely 

 carried on ; here and there a few plants of the 



