20 
cottage. at Shankhn, whose windows 
sere half concealed by jessamine and ho- 
neysuckles ; and the green door of whose 
simple parlour opened on a small or- 
chard, under the shade of whose trees 
seats were placed, and on a board amidst 
the branches of one of them, the word 
“ Lodgings” appeared. Tn ‘towns, to the 
insulated individual wanderer, this word 
excites ideas of all that is dirty, gloomy, 
and uncomfortable; but here a new com- 
bination awoke emotions of pleasure. 
The sweet tranquillity of the place, the 
novelty of the abode, andthe grand sce- 
nery of the neighbourhood, all impelled 
us to retrace the romantic road we had 
passed, and secure the charming retreat. 
The variety of objects which this road 
comprehends, assume new forms, and ex- 
cite new ideas, when contemplated from 
different aspects, and we reached our hit- 
tle gate with additional impressions of 
its gi randeur and sublimity. The good- 
bumoured hostess jomed us in a mo- 
ment; in five minutes her parlour-was 
cur own, and the fortnight’s delicious 
tranquillity enjoyed there, is stored 
amongst the swectest periods memory 
loves to recall. The Chine is a promi- 
nent object with most of the ramblers to 
the island, and we used to hear some of 
the cay parties exclaiming, as they pass- 
ed our little abode, “ O, “this is just the 
spot; what a sweet place!” The air here 
is uncommonly mild, soft, and salubri- 
ous; the village being w holly sheltered by 
an ainphitheatre of hills, from the north- 
erly winds. The climate much resem- 
bles that of the south of France,’and is 
particularly beneficial in pulmonary com- 
plaints. To those who can bear the fa- 
tigue of descending and ascending the 
Chine, the beach afiords a singular and 
interesting walk. In an evening, the 
crimson rays of the departing sun ’ steal 
ing down this grand chasm, and tinging 
the more prominent foliage with which it 
is enriched, produces a very fine effect. 
ane little church attached to this hamlet, 
s, from its situation, a very picturesque 
dhject, being placed on a green knoll, 
hanging woods on curving hills forming 
the back ground. The parsonage, at a 
little distance, is an old stone house, $i- 
tuatéd in a garden, in the thidst of which 
is a apeci gus Sh formed of one large 
venerable old box-tree, which, without 
fetters, flings 1 its broad arms around, and 
SWEEDS the ground with its thick “dark 
shade. The house opens on a neat lit- 
tle grass PIO 5 ; the lower part of it is en- 
iwely covered ‘with mnyrtles, which thickly 
Tour in the Isle of Wight. 
fAug. 1, 
shade the door, and blossom here, dur- 
ing the changing year, unchanged. The 
liberal owner filled our hands with large 
bunches of this fragrant exotic, which, 
during our stay, decorated our parlour 
window. Those who feel sufficiently te 
suffer the beauties of nature “to awaken 
either pensiveness or enthusiasm,’ will 
perhaps pardon the followmg effusion 
which a solitary ramble produced: —_ 
Thou world of wonders, mighty deep, 
I love to hear thy awful roar 5 _ 
To watch, thy wide waves while they sweep 
Shanklin’s secluded, sheltered snore. 
Far from the world’s rude den of care, 
Thy hamlet knows the sweets of peace; 
The gentlest breezes whisper there 5 
All but the gentlest passions cease. 
Qn the shorn lawn the whitened coty, 
Beneath the tall elm’s sombre shade, 
The wanderer lures to fix ‘his lot 
Amidst the lovely, quiet glade. 
Peeping beneath a jes’mine bower, 
The casement opens on the green; 
And the low ‘door, ’midst many a flower, 
Unfolds upon the fragrant scene. 
Above my head tal! myrtles climb, 
(Shanklin nofrigid season knows), 
Through winter here they smile sublime 
At passing storms and distant ‘snows. 
The guardian Genius of the place 
To the rude north-wind fixt a bound; 
And, with inimitable grace, . 
Threw hanging woods on mountains round, 
Over the wide waves ” expansive deep, 
Shanklin, the suu’s first beams are thine; 
And down thy grand romantic steep 
His crimson rays departing shine. 
Dear hamlet, with thy wave-washed shore, 
Still lend thy covert to this breast ; 
Still whisper, life’s sharp storm is @ Per, 
And all to come is peace and rest. 
On the highest eminence in this neigh- 
Bodshobd a sional house is placed, com- 
manding an ‘extensive view along the 
coast. Proceeding. a little farther on 
these Downs, agodd bir ‘d’s-eye prospect of 
a considerable “part of the island is ob- 
tained. These views, where hill and dale, 
villages and farms, are agreeably blended, 
with the ocean appearing at digerent, 
and sometimes opposite, points, are 
highly interesting. But there is one de- 
fect which, in-vyiewing the interior of the 
island frown the most elevated parts, the 
lover of nature gannot but lament; this 
is the deficiency of wood. The rage for 
war hag doubtless contributed to daa 
islan 
