318 



Ropal Institution of CornwalL 



THE PEESIDENT'S ADDEESS. 



Cornish Scenery— The Artists who have Painted it— The Newlyn 

 School —Some Cornish Artists. 



We are justly very proud of our magnificent Cornish 

 scenery, and every year more and more people are coming 

 to tlie far west and every year better railway travelling and 

 increased accommodation is provided for tliem. But a little 

 more than a hundred years ago Gilpin, the author of " Forest 

 Scenery," in his "Tour in the West of England,'" seems to see 

 no beauty in Cornwall, to which he devotes only the following 

 short mention : 



" From Launceston we travelled as far into Cornwall as 

 Bodmin, through a coarse, naked country, and in all resjiects 

 as uninteresting as can well be conceived. Of wood, in 

 every shape, it was utterly destitute. 



Having heard that the country beyond Bodmin was 

 exactly like what we had already passed we resolved to 

 travel no farther into Cornwall ; and instead of visiting the 

 Land's End, as we had intended, we took the road to 

 Lescard, proposing to visit Plymouth in our return." 



And in this way Mr. Gilpin finished with Cornwall ! But 

 now, perhaps in some measure owing to Wilkie Collins' 

 "Rambles beyond Railways," written in 1851, how different is 

 public sentiment to-day ! We are no longer insensible to the 

 impressive grandeur of the bleakest and wildest moorlands. 

 Indeed, speaking for myself, I enjoy immensely the wide 

 stretches where the Cornish heath has its home Yes, now that 

 time has softened some of the ruggedness of the old scoria 



I. The full title of this book is " Observation on the Western parts of England, 

 relative chiefly to picturesque beauty," by Tom Gilpin, M.A. (London. 1798.) The 

 passage in the text is from Section XIX. 



