104 THE MOUNTAINS 



its native earth — poised high." And 

 later in the sonnet Wordsworth declares 

 that this one pine tree, in its cloudlike 

 beauty and suggestions, "supplanted the 

 whole majesty of Rome." 



In the midst of this old olive grove rises 

 a massive tower, which several of the 

 guide books affirm to be Roman in origin. 

 However this may be, it was used as a 

 watch tower when Saracen pirates 

 harassed the Ligurian coast after the 

 main Saracen army had been nearly 

 annihilated by Charles Martel at Poitiers. 

 One reason why I most enjoy this par- 

 ticular grove is that the trees are so 

 planted, terrace above terrace, as to afford 

 many open spaces which fill with sunshine 

 and so modify the chill and somberness 

 which often belong to an olive grove. Be- 

 sides, through these open spaces one can 

 catch marvelous glimpses in every direc- 

 tion. To the east you can see the old town 

 of Bordighera, sitting like a fortress on 

 its rugged hill — above the wave-eaten and 



