Page:A tour through the northern counties of England, and the borders of Scotland - Volume I.djvu/291

 picture which unfolds itself from the building called the point; whose foreground, a rapid river pent up between steep rocks, and midnight woods; middle distance, a wide sheet of inexhaustible fertility; and boundary, a long line of mountains; form a combination better imagined than described.

Quitting this spot, we follow the new walk, which skirts the western side of the grounds, and admits, as we proceed, a pleasing peep to the left of the alum spring, seen now from above, and falling into the rock immediately under the eye, but losing much of its beauty and effect by the foreshortening. Here the entertainment is concluded; the walk pursuing its darkling course through a shady wood for a quarter of a mile, reaches the little wicket which admitted us into this enchanted region; a place of which it may be said, that Art has gone hand in hand with Nature, to unfold her beauties and heighten her attractions. Not considering her as a rival, she has kindly assisted her on her course, rather than jostled her out of it. Indeed, when we compare Hackfall with Studley, and recollect that both the places were laid out under the direction of the same gentleman, we are tempted to consider them as having been intended by their owner as contrasts to each other; as a sort of practical argument held out to the public, to convince