68 A CONTINENTAL TOUR. 



of places very luckily remain pretty much the same, and 

 also the great leading features of external nature, it would 

 be frequently impossible to discover that the same scene 

 was the object of those various descriptions which the 

 generosity of tourists has afforded us. A man of lively 

 imagination and enthusiastic soul is apt to describe the 

 beauties of nature in too glowing colours — to swell rivulets 

 into torrents, a few trees into a forest, and little eminences 

 into lofty mountains. This is more peculiarly the case 

 when the scene before him is really delightful, when his 

 heart is expanded by the loveliness around him, and the 

 fancy ready to people the surrounding scenery with the 

 imaginary beings of its creation. In those hallowed 

 moments of existence, it would discover a wisdom little 

 to be envied, to destroy the dear delusion, to attend to 

 those defects in beauty which eveiy reality possesses, and 

 with the cold glance of heartless criticism dwell dissatis- 

 fied on a few imperfections, amid the many beauties 

 of untouched, unprofaned nature. Whenever, therefore, 

 my admiration of any rural scenery falls short of that 

 expressed in any description of it, there are other feelings 

 arise in my mind in ample recompence for the disap- 

 pointment I may have sustained. I think that on the 

 spot where my emotions are of little value, hearts either 

 more enthusiastically framed than mine, or, at the par- 

 ticular time, more kindly disposed, have enjoyed great 



