Page:Pleasant Memories of Pleasant Lands.djvu/81

 56 DISTINGUISHED RESIDENTS.

&quot;Wonderfully distinguished has that portion of the West of England been, by the residences of cele brated men. Beside Wordsworth and Southey, and Coleridge, that most eloquent of all talkers, De Quin- cey, the talented author, and Dr. Arnold, who is becom ing more and more endeared to the lovers of right education, have made it their abode ; and Professor Wilson, turning from the &quot; lights and shadows of Scot tish life,&quot; passes the vacations at his pleasant villa of Elleray. Such men have power to quicken lifeless nature with the soul of genius.

Westmoreland boasts bold mountains of some two or three thousand feet in height, deep gorges of the loveliest green, and lakes of crystal. Driving, as we did, among them, in an open carriage, plunging sud denly into ravines, and emerging thence at an angle of forty-five degrees, requires strong nerves to har monize high enjoyment with such headlong exercise. The beauty of Grassmere is inexpressible ; but some of the cottages in its neighborhood would require a poet s enthusiasm to embellish or recommend their unfloored rudeness.

Winandermere, during our visit, was much wrapped in mist and cloud. Still, we had some glimpses of its beautiful expanse, which will be long remembered. Sails were in perpetual motion among its islets, and it has a dark background of distant mountains. Accus tomed to hear it spoken of as the largest of English lakes, we were surprised to find it but ten miles in length, and so narrow, at some points, as to make the

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