CURRAGHMOOR. 183 



immediate fhade of very noble oaks ; the whole 

 wood rifes boldly from the bottom, tree above 

 tree, to a vaft height, of large oak, the maffes 

 of fhade are but tints of one colour, it is not 

 chequered with a variety, there is a majeftic 

 fimplicity, a unity in ihe whole, which is at- 

 tended with an uncommon impreflion, and 

 fuch as none but the moft magnificent fcenes 

 can raife, 



Defcending from hence through the roads, 

 the riding crofles the river, pafTes through 

 the meadow, which has fuch an effect in the 

 preceding fcene, from which alfo the view is 

 very fine, and leads home through a continu- 

 ed and an extenfive range of fine oak, partly 

 on a declivity, at the bottom of which the 

 river murmurs its broken courfe. 



Befides this noble riding, there is a very 

 agreeable walk runs immediately on the banks 

 of the river, which is perfect in its ftile; it is 

 a fequeftered line of wood, fo high on the de- 

 clivities in fome places, and fo thick to the ve- 

 ry edge in others, overfpreading the river,' 

 that the character of the fcene is gloom and 

 melancholy, heightened by the noife of the 

 water falling from flone to ftone ; there is a 

 confiderable variety in the banks of it, and in 

 the figures and growth of the wood, but none 

 that hurts the impreflion, which is well pre- 

 ferved throughout. 



Oclober 



