MATLOCK. 513 



point of interest is " Dorothy Vernon's Walk ;" for it, lias both ro- 

 mance and ' reality about it. Borothy was the beautiful daJtighter ' 

 and heiress' o^ the last Vernon. The son of the first Duke of Eut- 

 lai)d fell so violently in love with her, when she was but eighteen, 

 that (his -suit not being favor'ed by her father) he lived soine time 

 in the woods of Haddon, disguised as a gamekeeper ; and finally 

 (during a masked ball), eloped with the fair Dorbthy, heiiPess of 

 Haddon, through the door from the long galleiyj which leadfe down 

 to this walk. ■ "■ 



And this gives me the opportunity to say, that this ra towage, of 

 course, brought Haddon Hall into the family of the Dukes'-of Rut- 

 land, whof for a time, inhabited it in great state; but aboitt a hun- 

 dred years ago abandoned ' it for their more -modern residence — 

 Belvoir Castle. Haddon Hall is, however, though uninhabited, 

 wisely prevented from' falling into complete decay by the present 

 Duke of Rutland, and is open to the inspection of visitors at all 

 times. 



Matlock, considered the most picturesqu& spot in Derbyshire, is 

 in the' ordinary route of travellers, but would, I think, disappoint 

 any one accustomed to the Hudson; as would, indeed, any'scenery 

 in England (I will except Wales) in point of picturesquenessV The 

 village of Matloqk Bath is a watering-place, nestled in a pretty, 

 quiet dale, suri'ounded by rocky cliflFs some 200 or -300 feet high. 

 Excellent walks, charmingly laid out and well kept, sparry caverns, 

 petrifying wells, 'with mineral springs, make up' the attractions of 

 this rural neighborhood. The- real beauty of Matlock, to my eyes — 

 and it is the essentially English feature — is in the luxuriance of the 

 vines and shrubbery that clamber over and enwreath every objects- 

 natural, artificial, and picturesque. A bare, rocky bank, unless it 

 has great magnitude or grandeur of outline, is hard and r6j)ulsive.' 

 But let that same barik be covered with rich masse?of ivy, aild 

 overhung with verdure of luxuriant shrubs and trees^ and what was 

 ugly and harsh is transformed into something exceedingly beautiful. 

 In this jrespect, both, climate and culture conspire to make English 

 scenery of this character very captivating; Tlje ivy springs up and 

 grows readily. any where; and the people, with an instinctive feel- 

 ing foi- rural expression, encourage this and other drapery, wherever 

 33 . , 



