Hence returning back into the wood, and crossing Pan's Temple,' we go directly down the slope into another part of Mr. Shenstone's grounds, the path leading down through very pleasing homescenes of well-shaped ground, exhibiting a most perfect concave and convex, till we come at a seat under a noble beech, presenting a rich variety of fore-ground; and at, perhaps, half a mile's distance, the gothic alcove on a hill well covered with wood, a pretty cottage under trees in the more distant part of the concave, and a farm-house upon the right, all picturesque objects. The next and the subsequent seat afford pretty much the same scenes a little enlarged, with the addition of that remarkable clump of trees, called Frankly Beeches, adjoining to the old family seat of the Lytteltons, and from whence the present Lord Lyttelton derives his title. We come now to a handsome gothic screen, backed with a clump of firs, which throws the eye in front full upon a cascade in the valley, issuing from beneath a dark shade of poplars. The house appears in the centre of a large swelling lawn, bushed with trees and thicket. The pleasing variety of easy swells and hollows, bounded by scenes less smooth and cultivated, affords the most delightful picture of domestic retirement and tranquillity. We now descend to a seat enclosed with handsome pales, and backed with firs, inscribed to Lord Lyttelton. It presents a beautiful view up a valley, contracted gradually, and ending in a group of most magnificent oaks and beeches. The righthand side is enlivened with two striking cascades, and a winding stream seen at intervals between tufts of trees and woodland. To the left appears the hanging wood already mentioned, with the gothic screen on the slope in the centre. Winding still downwards, we come to a small seat, where one of the offices of the house, and a view of a cottage on very high ground, is seen over the tops of the trees of the grove in the adjacent valley, giving an agreeable instance of the abrupt inequality of ground in this romantic well-variegated country. The next seat shows another face of the same valley, the water gliding calmly along betwixt two seeming groves without any cascade, as a contrast to the former one, where it was broken by cascades: the scene very significantly alluded to by the motto, Rura mihi, et rigui placeant in vallibus amnes, · We descend now to a beautiful gloomy scene, called Virgil's Grove,' where, on the entrance, we pass by a small obelisk on the right hand, with this inscription: 'P. Virgilio Maroni Lapis iste cum luco sacer esto 14.' Before this is a slight bench, where some of the same objects are seen again, but in a different point 13 IMITATION. Woods, vales, and running streams, my mind enchant ; *Note. It was customary with the Romans to give a prænomen, or first name, in the manner of our Christian names; accordingly, Virgil had that of Publius. He derived the addition of Maro from his father, who was so called. of light. It is not very easy either to paint or describe this delightful grove: however, as the former has been more than once attempted, I will hope to apologize for an imperfect description, by the difficulty found by those who have aimed to sketch it with their pencil. Be it, therefore, first observed, that the whole scene is opaque and gloomy, consisting of a small deep valley or dingle, the sides of which are enclosed with irregular tufts of hazel and other underwood, and the whole overshadowed with lofty trees rising out of the bottom of the dingle, through which a copious stream makes its way through mossy banks, enameled with primroses, and variety of wild wood-flowers. The first seat we approach is thus inscribed: 'Celeberrimo Poetæ Sedem hanc ornavit 15.' Quæ tibi, quæ tali reddam pro carmine dona? How shall I thank thy Muse, so form'd to please? For not the whispering of the southern breeze, This seat is placed upon a steep bank on the edge of the valley, from which the eye is here drawn down into the flat below, by the light that glimmers in front, and by the sound of various cascades, by which the winding stream is agreeably broken. Opposite to this seat the ground rises again in an easy concave to a kind of dripping fountain, where a small rill trickles down a rude nich of rock-work, through fern, liverwort, and , aquatic weeds; the green area in the middle, through which the stream winds, being as well shaped as can be imagined. After falling down these cascades, it winds under a bridge of one arch, and then empties itself into a small lake which catches it a little below. This terminates the scene upon the right; and after these objects have for some time amused the spectator, his eye rambles to the left, where one of the most beautiful cascades imaginable is seen, by way of incident, through a kind of vista or glade, falling down a precipice overarched with trees, and strikes us with surprise. It is impossible to express the pleasure which one feels on this occasion: for though surprise alone is not excellence, it may serve to quicken the effect of what is beautiful. I believe none ever beheld this grove without a thorough sense of satisfaction; and were one to choose any particular spot of this perfectly Arcadian farm, it should, perhaps, be this; although it so well contrasts both with the terrace and with some other scenes, that one cannot wish them ever to be divided. We now proceed to a seat at the bottom of a large root on the side of a slope, with this inscription : INSCRIPTION. O let me haunt this peaceful shade, The tenants of this leafy bower, That shun her paths, and slight her power. Hither the peaceful halcyon flies 'The trout, bedropp'd with crimson stains, And sure I hear the Naiad say, "Flow, flow, my Stream! this devious way; Thy waters lovely, cool, and fair. "Flow, gentle Stream! nor let the vain Thy small unsullied stores disdain ; Nor let the pensive sage repine, Whose latent course resembles thine." The view from it is a calm tranquil scene of water gliding through sloping ground, with a sketch through the trees of the small pond below. The scene in this place is that of water stealing along through a rude sequestered vale, the ground on each side covered with weeds and field flowers, as that before is kept close shaven. Further on we lose all sight of water, and only hear the noise, without having the appearance; a kind of effect which the Chinese are fond of producing in what We now they call their scenes of enchantment. turn, all on a sudden, upon the high cascade which we admired before in vista. The scene around is quite a grotto of native stone running up it, roots of trees overhanging it, and the whole shaded over |