346 
ciently toadmit hiyhly interefting views 
of its hallowed* arches, and venerable 
towers. The mind infenfibly retraces 
_ the long lapfe of ages, and imagination 
repeoples the fcene with its former in- 
habitants. Although thefe abodes were 
often the refidence of indolence, fuper- 
ftition, and vice, yet they doubtiels were 
fometimes the refuge of refinement, and 
the fanétuary of piety, from the pollu- 
tions of a wicked world, and fancy whii- 
pers, 
Here the ftill dead their holieft-hours have 
given. 
A long range of the New Foreft extends 
on the oppofite fide with its little towns, 
and villas dimly feen, the whole form- 
ing agrand boundary to the view. The 
profpect of Spithead and Portfmouth 
excites, as we approach nearer the ifland, 
a different intereft, and the little chear- 
ful town of Cowes, with its buly harbour, 
is to the frefh-water failor, arriving from 
the continent of Britain, a novel and 
pleafant {cene. 
The magnificent caftle of Lord Henry 
Seymour, recently erected, near Eatt 
Cowes, is a very prominent object, and 
powerfully arrefts the attention. It is fi- 
tuated on aconfiderable elevation ; its 
tall towers, and embattled walls, have a 
very grand and ftriking appearance, and 
in a few.years, when time and tempett 
have tinged the ftone with a fombre _ 
grey, and the ivy, which is rapidly creep- 
ing up the fides, fhall have throuded fome 
of its angles, and fhaded parts of its 
windows, it will afflume additional in- 
tereft. Eaft Cowes was prefered by our 
party asa fleeping place, and here we 
found an excellent hotel, clean and 
quiet, commanding a good view of the 
ocean, and of the neighbouring harbour, 
without being incommoded with its but- 
tle. Lord Seymour’s is the moft intereft- 
ing object in the vicinity of Cowes; the 
folemn fhades of the evening were draw- 
ing around us when we approached to 
take a nearer view, and confiderably. 
heightened the effect of this novel cu- 
riofity, a modern caftle. This building, 
although not completed, has an air of 
grandeur, and produces a fentiment of 
awe, and of durability, which it is im- 
poffible for manfions built in the tafte of 
modern times to awaken. But the mind 
wants fome connecting link between the 
paft and the prefent, it reverts to diftant 
ages; we liften to the bard, we contem- 
plate the tournament, and fancy the 
lofty halls to be hung with armour, and 
the long galleries clothed with tapeftry, 
Tour on the I fle of Wight. 
[May Ty 
while the ftately brocaded dames are 
employed at their looms, and the puif- 
fant knight and efquires are recounting 
their valorous exploits. Alas! the fpruce 
beau of modern days would with difh- 
culty throw open the maifive doors,, and 
the delicate goflamir-clad helle could 
fearcely endure the fatigue of afcending 
one of the turrets, to look out at her 
window. When the owner of every man-: 
fion expected a fiege, it was natural that 
he fhould creét a tortrefs; but when fo 
total a change of time and manners has 
taken place, why we fhould again refort 
to habitations only fuited to the feudal 
fyftem, is an enigma not eafily folved.* 
Fine woods floping to the fea, greatly 
enrich this tcene ; and fhould the planta- 
tions flourith which are now ftruggling 
fer victory againft north-weft winds, the 
approach to the catile will be rendered 
{til more interefting, and the whole do- 
main confiderably enriched. 
Ryde had been recommended to us 
as an agreeable ftation, and thither we 
bent our courfe. The roads through this 
lovely land are fweetly varied, and in 
fome parts highly iterefting. They are 
not open aid {pacious like thofe of the 
mother kingdom) but are narrow, wind- 
inv, and often fhaded ; fometnnes. lead- 
ing through foreft icenery, and affuming 
the appearence rather of a path to a pri- 
vate dwelling, than the mediums of pub- 
* The writer of the prefent article, would 
be gratified by feeing the freafons afligned, 
why our nobility chufe to ereét caftles for 
dwelling-hovfes. ‘They were appropriated to 
the times of danger in which they were for- 
merly built; the dungeon had its viétim, 
and the fubterranean paflage its efcaping fu- 
gitive ; but why imitations to the entrance 
of thefe receffes fhould be made merely to 
cover a duft-hole, or to conceal a pump, is 
unaccountable. Une of thefe fortrefs-abodes 
is now building by a nobleman in the midft . 
of a confiderable town; itis on the fcite of 
an old caftle, but the ground is fo circum- 
{cribed, that there is not room to plant a 
fingle tree around it, andthe eye is obliged to 
look down on all the ‘chimneys of the place! 
Vaulted roofs, and gothic windows, ought 
to be appropriate to the apartments with 
which they are conne@ted. Large folding go- 
thic doors, maffy, and thickly ftudded with 
iron, muft excite attention, and will be open- 
ed with interef{; but what is the refult, 
when they difclofe -only a fcullery? Perhaps 
no obje& ought to be fo conftrudted, as in- 
tentionally to excite falfe ideas. This is ne- 
ver the plan ‘of nature, and whenever it is | 
adopted in works of art, difguit fucceeds to 
difappointment. : 
lic 
