11 



The rustic seat in the orchard, entwined by honeysuckle 

 and sheltered by quaint old apple trees, has afforded 

 rest and quietude for thousands of the Poet's admirers. 

 By the way, these trees were planted by Wordsworth and 

 his sister Dorothy ; and, though the fruit is inferior, they 

 still blossom in rich profusion. There are herbs and 

 other beautiful I/akeland flowers here white heathers, 

 roses, jasmines, rosemary, violets, gowans, and columbines. 

 There is still another important plant the royal fern 

 (psmunda regalis) towering majestically above all others in 

 a secluded corner of the garden, and which formerly grew 

 so luxuriantly by the margin of the lake. Wordsworth's 

 poetical reference thereto which De Quincey pronounced 

 to be the most beautiful passage in the whole wide range 

 of English poetry runs as follows : 



" Many such there are. 



Fair ferns and flowers, and chiefly that tall fern 

 So stately, of the Queen Osmunda named ; 

 Plant lovelier in its own retired abode v 

 On Grasmere beach, than Naiad by the side 

 Of Grecian brook, or Lady of the Mere 

 Sole sitting by the shores of old romance." 



And as we look at the marked change in and about Dove 

 Cottage in the past few years, we must feel what a deep 

 debt of gratitude we owe to those great writers, thinkers, 

 and preachers Rev. Stopford Brooke, Canon Rawnsley, 

 Professor Knight, Matthew Arnold, and others who have 

 given their valuable services and financial support so 

 ungrudgingly to this noble scheme. 



There are other historical places, where Nature has 

 been lavish in her distribution of wealth. Fox Ghyll, with 

 its noble pines, ferns, and flowers ; and, closely situated,' 

 Fox How (the home of the late Dr. Arnold), where daffodils, 

 snowdrops, primroses, roses, brooms, and ferns grow in 

 rich luxuriance. Trees, sown by Nature into the crevices 

 of the rock-work bordering on the River Rothay, with 



