324 SALMONIA. 



tions, this is the most awful fall of water I 

 have seen, as that of Velino is the most per- 

 x feet and beautiful. I am not sure, that I 

 ought not to place the fall of the Gotha 

 above that of the Rhine, both for variety of 

 effect and beauty; and the river, in my opi- 

 nion, is quite as large, and the colour of the 

 water quite as beautiful. 



HAL. But our horses are ready, and 

 the time of separation arrives. I trust we 

 shall all have a happy meeting in England 

 in the winter. I have made you idlers 

 at home and abroad, but I hope to some 

 purpose; and, I trust, you will confess the 

 time bestowed upon angling has not been 

 thrown away. The most important prin- 

 ciple perhaps in life is to have a pursuit a 

 useful one if possible, and at all events an 

 innocent one. And the scenes you have en- 

 joyed the contemplations to which they 

 have led and the exercises in which we have 

 indulged, have, I am sure, been very salu- 

 tary to the body, and, I hope, to the mind. 

 I have always found a peculiar effect from 

 this kind of life : it has appeared to bring 



