THE PEAK IN THE DAYS OF QUEEN ANNE. 2 T T 



" Castleton is a small village, and takes its name from the 

 Castle on the Top of an adjoining Hill, which seems from its 

 situation to have been impregnable, being fixt on the sumit of 

 a high and dangerous Precipice and having no way to it but 

 one. Distant from this place about half a mile is Monitor a 

 Prodigious Mountain from whose top the earth (they say) is 

 continually mouldring down and yet never wasts. This is an 

 erroneous opinion of the Natives, for any person who examines 

 the place may perceive a Sensible Diminution of the sandy 

 heap by the vast stones and Turfe which hang suspended in 

 the air, and are often seen to fall down by the neighbouring 

 people. Returning again to Castleton we went to see : — 



" The Devil's [Cave] which yawns at the Foot of that Rock 

 which supports y e Castle, I mentioned before. The entrance 

 appears so black and Dreadful that it tries the Resolution of 

 the most daring Adventurer. The nearer you approach the 

 more your surprise encreases, while your eves are terrifyed by 

 the menacing Aspect of Impending Rocks, and your Ears with 

 the strong Bellowing of Subterranean Rivers. We no sooner 

 entered it but many of the Poof People from the Town came 

 with candles and offered themselves as our guides. Ovid's 

 description of the Palace of Somnus agrees very well with this 



place : — 



" Est prope Cimmerios longo spelunca recessu 

 Mons cavus ignavi domus et penetralia somni 

 Quo nunquam radiis oriens mediusve cadensve 

 Phoebus adire potest. Nebula; caligine mistse 

 Exhalantur humo ; dubiaeque crepuscula lucis." 



;< Which may be thus translated — 



" Near Castleton by a steep mountain's side 

 There yawns a dreadful cavern deep and wide, 

 Within the chambers of these dark aboads 

 The Sloathful God of Sleep supinely nods, 

 Where Phoebus ne'er dismissed one beam of Light — 

 The Seat of Chaos and Eternal Night." 



" The Dangers and Horror that surrounded us could not 

 hinder admiration from exerting itself to see the labour of the 

 Almighty Architect. Tis surprising that so spacious an arch 



