1800. |) 
per{pective of retiring arches is heightened 
in its effeét by appearing to terminate in- 
furrounding woods. I do not regret that 
the age of fupetitition is departed, but I 
could have wi/hed for a moment to have 
recalled a. proceflion of monks anid tapers, 
and ‘o have heard the deep tones of the 
organ, revyerberating from aich to arch, 
and gradually meliing away in thofe foft 
notes, ) 
*¢ Which. take the prifonedsfoul, and lap it 
in eiyfium,” 
Here imagination was lefi.to do its utmoft, 
and the effect of the whole ruin was pro- 
bably heightened by having no one with 
me who could aflign the original deitina- 
tion to its particular parts. A few ill- 
carved monumental figures and {ome mu- 
tilated infcriptions ftill paint out the re- 
ceptacle for the dead: butas neither name 
nor date are difcoverable, they only ferve 
to fhew that ‘*the place which knew them, 
knows them no more!”?” Whiat is called the 
{chool-houfe, is detached from the prin- 
cipal building, and is in higher preferva- 
tion than the reft; it has a ftone bench 
extending roundit, anda low ftone piliar 
in the eaftern corner, probably for the ufe 
of theteacher. Imperfect as are mottof the 
apartments, enough 1s left to convince the 
beholder that the whole was on a fcale of 
magnificenceand grandeur, which few of our 
ruins have left veltiges of ; but that gran- 
deur now only ferves to fealt the admira- 
tion of the palling traveller, and is become 
the undifturbed abode of owls and jack- 
daws! After indulging in our various 
wanderings, our little group aflembled on 
the eaftern fide, svhich affords the finet 
view of the abbey; and feating ourfelves on 
one of thofe little knolis formed of crum- 
bled towers and fallen arches, we renewed 
our delight by communicated remark and 
participated emotion. Oppolite to us 
was the grand frame of ftone-work, which 
had furrounded the princip |] window of the 
church, ** majeftic though in ruins !”’ be- 
yond is feen a perfpective* of the choir, 
and of diftant arches ; fouthward from the 
window extend beautiful pillars’ and ar- 
cades of chapels, not deformed, though 
fomewhat defaced, by time; the chaprter- 
houfe and cloifers continue the range; 
and beyond all the fchool-houfe. To the 

* This perfpetive of the ruin is faid to be 
two hundred and eighty-feven feet in length; 
the choir-part of it is unly twenty-eight feet 
wide, but the nave jis feventy : the walls are 
fifty-four feet high, and in thicknefs five. 
AnTiq. of FuRNESS. 
Journal written during a hafty Ramble to the Lakes. 
is! 
north, the whole is terminated’ by ftupen. 
dous towers. We bid adieu to this inte- 
refting fcene with extreme reluétance, and: 
returacd to Uivertton to fleep, The next 
morning we fet out early to go to Co- 
nifton, which we were tald-was oaly eight 
miles off, to breakiaft. The road !oon- 
lofes all appearance of common turnpike ; 
it becomes. narrow and varied, fometimes 
Jeading us near'the windings of a rapid 
ftream, rolling fantaftically amongf clut 
ters of little iflands, and refrething on its 
margin plots of tolerably rien palturage ; 
while mountain fcenery bounds you on ei. 
ther fide. It is fo fequefiered, that we 
could’ not trace it many yards before us ; 
and when it led us amid the pigs an‘ poul- 
iry of a fatm yard, we began :o queftion 
whether we had not mifiasen our route. 
At leneta we hada glimpie cf Conilton 
wafer, from whence the ttream we had ac. . 
companied proceeded. Winding through 
a wood on the margin of the lake, interelt- 
ing views of which are afforded by the 
moft judicious openings, we began to feel 
that glow of delight which this {cenery is 
calculated tointpire, and wondered not that 
the lakes had either been fo much talked 
of, or fo often vidted. On our right was 
one ftupendous line of mountains, rifing 
from our feet, ornamented with fine woods, 
The road is. formed amid a deep fhacde of 
oaks and alders, the latter fringing the 
border of the lake. On the oppofite fide 
of it, along range of magnificent rocks, 
of widely different forms, extend a grand 
inclofure, to which almoft every turn of 
the wheels cave fome varying appearance ; 
and, as we approached the head of the lake, 
a vatt amphitheatre of mountains appear- 
ed, inclofing others of lefs magnitude, but 
of more grotefque forms, while the fie'ds 
flsping to the lake were ornamented with 
neat white houfes. On the margin of the 
water ftood the ruins of a mantion, one 
ide of which, with its mafly chimnies, was 
covcred with a thick fhade of ivy. A lit. 
tle farther on food the village of Conifon, 
the church forming a beautiful feature in 
the picture, though alinoft diminifhed, from 
the contrat of the furrounding mountains, 
to the fize of a child’s toy. We paffed fe- 
veral houfes fweetly fequeftered on the fide 
of the lake, but faw no appearance of an 
inn; and although we were obliged to drive 
on round the head of the water, the road 
was fo interefting, and the fcenery fo grand, 
that we almoft forgot time and diftance. 
On entering the fmal! houfe of entertain- 
ment, we found that we had travelled more 
than twenty miles, and that it’ was one 
o'clock! On one fide of our ffone-floored 
parlour 
