94 NAB SCAE. 



west, Esthwaite Water and Coniston. There are 

 ten. Eig-ht of these may be seen at once from at 

 least one point — Nab Scar, whence he 

 ifAB scAE. jjj^g^ ^ake his last complete survey ; for 

 from hence he must plunge down the steep slope, 

 and bid farewell to all that lies behind the ridge. 

 The day has gone like an hour. The sunshine is 

 leaving the surface of the nearer lakes, and the pur- 

 ple bloom of the evening is on the further moun- 

 tains ; and the gushes of the yellow light between 

 the western passes show that sunset is near. He 

 must hasten down, — mindful of the opening be- 

 tween the fences, which he remarked from below, 

 and, which if he finds, he cannot lose his way. He 

 does not seriously lose his way, though crag and 

 bog make him diverge now and then. Descending 

 between the inclosures, he sits down once or twice 

 to relieve the fatigue to the ancle and instep of so 

 continuous a descent, and to linger a little over the 

 beauty of the evening scene. As he comes down 

 into the basin where Rydal Beck makes its last 

 gambols and leaps before entering the Park, he 

 is sensible of the approach of night. Loughrigg 

 seems to rise : the hills seem to close him in, and 

 the twilight to settle down. He comes to a gate 

 and finds himself in the civilised world again. He 

 descends the green lane at the top of Rydal Mount; 

 comes out just above Wordsworth's gate ; finds his 

 ear at the bottom of the hill, — (the driver be- 

 ginning to speculate on whether any accident has 

 befallen the gentleman on the hills) ; — is driven 

 home ; and is amazed, on getting out, to find how 

 stiff and tired he is. He would not, however, but 

 have spent such a day for ten times the fatigue. 



