The Summits of Mountains only perceived. 397 



whole country. Under other circumstances 

 this would have been the most cruel of dis- 

 appointments y but on the present occasion, 

 truth obliges me to confess, I felt relieved and 

 comforted in being freed from an immediate 

 decision. We were too well versed in these 

 casualties of climate to wait for the precarious 

 chance of the fog's dispersing ; and in descend- 

 ing the hill we were now and then gratified 

 with a momentary glimpse of the rugged tops 

 of some of the stupendous mountains before us; 

 Occasionally a peak was seen towering far 

 above the fog, and magnified by the medium 

 through which it was observed. The undefined 

 outline of this imposing obscurity gave end- 

 less scope for the exercise of the imagination, 

 leaving it to fancy to supply and fill up the 

 chasm. I much question whether a more sub- 

 lime and exalted impression was not made on 

 our minds, by this partial and imperfect dis- 

 closure of beauties, than would have been pro- 

 duced had the whole landscape burst at once 

 upon our sight. Rousseau, when speaking of 

 the dress of the sex, observes, " that the most 

 faultless and exquisite form loses nothing of 

 its powers of fascination by being partially and 

 indistinctly seen ; the lover's fancy depicts 

 what is hid from the eye, in beauties co-equal, 

 if not superior to perfection itself." 



