28 A CONTINENTAL TOUR. 



myself for visiting such scenes as these, but when T found 

 myself in the midst of them, not even to examine or record 

 my feelings about them, but to remain in what Wordsworth 

 calls a 'wise passiveness' — to spread open, as it were, 

 my mind and heart and senses to the powers and influences 

 that would everywhere surround me, and leave them to 

 work their own effects, believing that if I was worthy to 

 receive the benefit of such influences, they would come to 

 me of themselves, and remain with me ; and that if I was 

 not, no seekings or solicitations could entice them. I 

 therefore wrote nothing about them at the time — I mean, 

 for myself. I did not even endeavour to remember any- 

 thing. I read the poetry of them, as I read written poetry, 

 not for the purpose of criticising it, and getting particular 

 passages by heart, in order to talk about and quote from 

 it, but to feel and enjoy it ; not that I might seem wiser 

 and better in consequence, but that I might be so." 



VOYAGE AND FIEST IMPRESSIONS OF HOLLAND. 



"We are at last safe in Rotterdam after a tedious, 

 though, in other respects, not an unpleasant voyage. For 

 the first forty hours from Leith the wind continued fresh 

 and fair, but on approaching the coast of Norfolk it died 

 away, and left us becalmed in Yarmouth Roads for the 

 greater part of two days. We had then a pretty expedi- 

 tious passage across to Holland, that is, within six or 



