Page:A tour through the northern counties of England, and the borders of Scotland - Volume I.djvu/150

 for composition; and if the poet's metaphorical language had ever been exemplified in reality, if ever the actual personification of an abstract idea could take place, here, amid the shades of Congreve's walk, we might expect to perceive "inspiration breathe around."

From this sequestered scene we wound down the face of the rock, and gently dropped into the lime-tree walk, so called from the friendly shade which it receives from a noble row of these trees. A semi-circular meadow spreads itself to the left, bounded by the magnificent wooded bank before- mentioned, which here forms itself into an august amphitheatre. A seat in this meadow commands the most beautiful view the grounds afford; embracing a rich and picturesque home scene, terminated by the mountain Thorp-Cloud, which lifts its very singular form in the centre of the distance.

Curiosity led us into the church, where we found some ancient monuments of the Cromwell family; but two of still greater antiquity attracted attention in the church-yard, which, from the Runic knots and other Scandinavian ornaments carved on their faces, we supposed to be Danish, and attributed to the 10th century.

The intricacy of the road from the Dog and Partridge to Matlock rendered it prudent to take