Page:Three Years in Europe.djvu/98

72 immortalized by the National Poet of Ireland in one of his Irish melodies which begins thus:—

I cannot however help adding that the poet drew as much upon imagination as upon nature, for the valley though very pretty is nothing extraordinarily so, and hardly deserves the encomiums lavished on it by Moore. The next day we saw the lovely "Glen of the Downs." On both sides are high mountains covered with the most luxuriant foliage, while a lovely path winds through the avenue at the base. The place only wants a purling brook to complete its beauty. The "Devil's Glen" is more rugged and wild than the "Glen of the Downs," but not quite so pretty. A rivulet meanders through this glen. There is a very funny story connected with this glen. Visitors cannot enter it without the keeper opening a gate leading into the glen. It is said that two tourists managed once upon a time to get into this glen without the keeper's permission, and the latter got offended and wanted to send them out rather unceremoniously. The two visitors enquired of the keeper what right he had to send them out. "Why sir," says the surly keeper "this is my glen!" "O yes," rejoined one of the visitors, "we knew this to be the 'devil's glen,' but really, we did not expect to see the proprietor here!"

From that place we went to the vale of the seven churches. It is really a most beautiful valley cooped