TUBBER TURNER. 339 



scenery there is in plenty, and grand and 

 rocky scenery, and desolate scenery without 

 end; but a bit of real forest, such as one 

 imagines a forest to be when one reads of it — 

 such as, despite its high state of cultivation, 

 is to be found somewhere or other in every 

 county of England, — such as nature left it, with 

 scattered trees and natural clumps of hazle 

 and thorn, and turf which fairies would not 

 be ashamed of dancing on, is a thing scarcely 

 to be found in this country." 



" Yes," said the Parson, who, having com- 

 pleted his task much to his own satisfaction, 

 was contemplating his work and washing his 

 hands at the spring head, " beauty of scenery 

 belongs almost equally to a state of wild 

 nature, and to one of high cultivation ; but 

 the intermediate stage, the transition state, 

 the slovenly and makeshift style of cultiva- 

 tion, with its broken walls, treeless hills, 

 half-drained fields, rushy meadows, and crops 

 of ragwort and poppies, is a sad destroyer of 

 the picturesque. There are spots of greater 

 beauty to be found in Ireland than I have 

 met with anywhere, but over how many 

 miles of wretched demi-semi-civilization must 

 you travel to find them !" 



