212 NATURE NEAR LONDON 



There is the sea below to bathe in, the air of the sky 

 up hither to breathe, the sun to infuse the invisible 

 magnetism of his beams. These are the three potent 

 medicines of nature, and they are medicines that by 

 degrees strengthen not only the body but the unquiet 

 mind. It is not necessary to always look out over the 

 sea. By strolling along the slopes of the ridge a little 

 way inland there is another scene where hills roll on 

 after hills till the last and largest hides those that 

 succeed behind it. 



Vast cloud-shadows darken one, and lift their veil from 

 another ; like the sea, their tint varies with the hue of the 

 sky over them. Deep narrow valleys lanes in the hills 

 draw the footsteps downwards into their solitude, but 

 there is always the delicious air, turn whither you will, and 

 there is always the grass, the touch of which refreshes. 

 Though not in sight, it is pleasant to know that the sea 

 is close at hand, and that you have only to mount to the 

 ridge to view it. At sunset the curves of the shore west- 

 ward are filled with a luminous mist. 



Or if it should be calm, and you should like to look at 

 the massive headland from the level of the sea, row out 

 a mile from the beach. Eastwards a bank of red vapour 

 shuts in the sea, the wavelets no larger than those 

 raised by the oar on that side are purple as if wine had 

 been spilt upon them, but westwards the ripples shimmer 

 with palest gold. 



The sun sinks behind the summit of the Downs, and 

 slender streaks of purple are drawn along above them. 

 A shadow comes forth from the cliff; a duskiness dwells 

 on the water ; something tempts the eye upwards, and 

 near the zenith there is a star. 



Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON &* Co. 

 Edinburgh &* London 



