258 THE GRETA, 



people of the country in matters which do not 

 affect their interests. The same man, probably, 

 could tell you the names of all the hills in sight, 

 these localities really interesting him, in con- 

 nexion with the erratic habits of the sheep. 

 Apart from this consideration, his ignorance of 

 the Greta is not surprising, inasmuch, as St. 

 John's Beck, at its origin, is, when low, little infe- 

 rior in volume of water to the Greta so that it 

 might be well called the Greta through its 

 whole course, if its upper portion deserved the 

 name as much as the lower, which we are about 

 to see. 



AMICUS. You allude to the meaning of the 

 word Greta, I infer " the loud lamenter," 

 which, according to Southey, is the plain En- 

 glish of its Norse name, synonymous, I think his 

 friend Coleridge somewhere remarks, with the 

 Cocytus of the Greeks. 



PISCATOR, Exactly so; and when we have 

 explored it, I am sure you will agree with me 

 that it deserves so to be called. 



AMICUS. I am at a loss to understand its 

 course; for if Keswick lies, as you say, to the 

 left, I see no opening in that direction by which 

 it can pass. 



PISCATOR. Truly so ; the gorge it enters, and 



