Page:A tour through the northern counties of England, and the borders of Scotland - Volume II.djvu/120

 sitefy beautiful recess called Ease-Dale, a picture better deserving the artist's pencil than most of the points about which it is in general employed. On each side the skreen is formed by plantations of young oak and ash trees ; meadows present them- selves in front, scarred with rocks which start abruptly from the ground, bearing on their crests crests groupes of verdant trees; beyond are caught in succession the village, its little church, the tran- quil, lake, and the dark heads of its patron moun- tains. Indeed the character of Grasmere is more properly its own than that of any other lake; a deep repose reigns around, which calls up the ideas of perfect abstraction and tranquility more com- pletely than any scenery we had yet visited. It is, however, but little known, as travellers usually pass through it without tarrying at its comfortable sequestered inn; and by these means miss some of the finest walks among the lakes.

One of these little tours led us by the side of Rydale lake, studded with several small islands, of various, forms and singular appearance; some co- vered with firs, others exposing their unsheltered rocky heads to the storm; and encircled by lofty verdant hills of a different character to the moun- tains of Grasmere. Near this sheet of water Sir Michael Le Fleming's house is happily situated.

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