ENGLISH SCENERY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 725, 26 January 1910, Page 13

ENGLISH SCENERY.

REMINISCENCE.

' (Bi Edwin Cox.) ; ■^;MT/ : ;;Qwge':'!Penwiot^'-frank' :! \avo\ralV "Greatly -as .1;low; ife ! Zealand's: uniquo 6cenery, I was charmed with.' the' peaceful beauty of the- Unglisli '• landscape," will.; awaken. responsivo'joy 1 in tiio heart of many..'an English-born.-^ tire; notsurprised:-; a flying visit to Oxford, Stratford, and ■Warwick should.atorioo enoharm, : .;They of English in.' full .view dis-. : oloM'diVwpulddeeponVtho: Mnsd-'bf..'charm into;; tender" passion j and. that iyears of iutimacywould . deepen.' .!passion t! into' roverbneo: and" the'.'iu'ystio joy,of; invisible. communion'. Do'not .the :tnio proplietsour loftiest ■ writers!' and, poetV-runder. the spoil■;-' of! -.this,. divine/:charm', •;"mate passionate .our sense'.'of;hearing," purify and enlarge .our vvision p, .v: "And: aro not!: we exiled ; Englishmen; 'conscious Vwithr-tiieiit' : : .that;7the; : ;-historio , '' , ' ; ttenturies'\:hayß';;left'. around l our Fatherland ''/ .'an 1 atmosphere of; Inspiring traditions, : 'of / uniting: - and ennobling rassooiations/- and sacred-ances-tral influences? -Do'ive not know, that be r.who with open'iecoptive .soul makes through .her realms of.marvel '..andisufprise,-- will; heat" a voicebehind3him:.: The Historic Charm, i A'^gh^;tieadJi^tis'jfiaUd^M'. , '^Md!Cv • Hark!: Above, below, iaround'. . • Fairy bands their .vigils Keep, • . . While frail mortals idly, sleep!"

Andydo !feei v;!th!ati:!'these i"^airy':bands,"., the encircling 'memories;, tho relationships,' relics and xecords, and symbqlsof.the Past.atondolmllov/ our lovpj and'heighteh our ;'admiraUoii:of.,tbo. laild that .gave ..us! birth, ..and ■: remain ;to:us as T a'lbvirig presenco;and fellowship: of; souls?-!:'. Wars,from;::the ;::Ronian'!,'lnv vasion. through , long. ages. of strife,'. have' , left"-:th6ir;::gr>m:':pathetib':>mohuments-''in: shattered.' castles,:: in 'ofwalls! arid c moats! ■; iirid V.camping ;»grolihds,;- : ini . tombs aid .< tiiMets," in: Staties,■'. • and ■!■ in ;battjeflelda; - stillr : :blood-!staiiied'. •'and \"'tis; said; still V. haunited .by'fthe shades of. . and vmediaeval,'.; has": left! ' its : sad-eyed ,- 'stately., witnesses'-in ivy-grown- cnunbling cathedrals and abbeys, • minsters . and phapcls, whilo. all;around a '-sacred ! spell '.still.'lingers Scarco .Is; .there-. a:- single J landscape that is not -t®:- Ine . historic.: victory; -nor. a highway ■ that ''does* -not?bear' .the..footprints, of,"the;departed; great : and good.What bathos' ;ind; rof mah&e 'this .intense; humaiv interest give? ;tq( ! £n.-;! Englishman's 7 Ipatriotisril;)-!■ what Reality .'to-his-worship: of-- 'gracious . prodigality -' of what .' fervour-, this cry

'".A'l'ivea .there' a man with soul "so' dead/: Who never.,to • Jiimself Thath', said,'- v.- \ This is. my own,. my. Native Xand" ? •. r.^^; Hersclfi : 'eon-. joins; four - lands—distinct/and iyet ! . Sumptuously i endowed I; 'Four jlofty.'.domos a grandtNataro'.es-: •hibition, and who shall'adjudge in which .is 'seen;:tho;ihasfe mbst wonderful, tlie" gems mosfcrich' abd-rurc?;:; ; ..The:.naturalibeaiityWf .'lreland; except the'.bfteung;;cbarms'of the Lakes of : Killarnoy' and of County T9icklovfj are tb ,tho. . world 'at-.-large Has :'a' ■ veiled; "statue, 1 - un-. 1 known';* ! .and ; , soyloig \"a^;X ! peeping for her .refusea to ■Do comforted,.; andgsits; nursing'^:, •tent/; and tho :.memoryof.Hwrongs/•'ilongt ; ance'; repented,: yea,'* atoned,-' .will;, still re-: .inain. unveiled, unknown. ,- '; 'H/'-v j;iWalos!'i Do not its bards sing its praiso' ;a9.\-"a sea of music"?- As. tho.-fftvour'd haunt and iStudio bf 'thG 'nal :: ArtistP ': Walfjs' had at/last/, found, and. only found' to.lose, its descriptive genius, •: > the ■: pure,'?/'lbving; f high-'sonlcd Allein Eeine! • Hor .^legacy. is - a .weird charm : of 'Nafarer iiNow, tho rdillions ,who : Wffles,'"or.wander 'tfcb'ughrher ,'yolea and : ; gifted;,pen; •realise I ;the/ quiet spell,..'',the' -,ro'niaihc;- , ; power •• and Velevatiofeof' Welsh scenery.' >••

Scottish Heather and - Poesy.

i. But now, ho - thought/; speed oil northwards ! j -Far.lup! the iheights yptf jhear the .'piercing ;, slnrl/of'lthe..;immeMoHalv'.b'ag--pipes !v:Lpoming:vKtiin-tbeimorning,mi6t : . the traifiiy, liiltod Highland piper comes'. .marching down, .redolent of-mountain:air; landi.heather! iadiniratibh,: . veneratiori, Jbj;;'patriotism, ,na-; ; tional character/'it.has go largely:formed;'» '.and;byvthfellitcrature;it:has. inspired—tho'; gloryi'and.;grahde'uri : .are;-unrivafled. : ;:':i Listen (' to '',the" yearning passion; ■; revel ';of; T delight,.stho-jcling-, :ing. ; attachmeht";:t'd: its'-::banks-'and' : braesj its rushing :stream's and .mountainlr'anges,. .this giant Hiplilander pours -through his b'agDipes and' through ■ his proud stately danqei;-';\yK;' < i Wno has '.not,: in; fancy,'. wandered with .that;: lovable' child of -.Nature, Robert: Burns, as ho "Walked in glory and in joy . ;... > ■:BtondxWs';V^'ugH^.u^n'4,tfi9'- r .;mbiijitaSn side," or along tho lnnks of: "Bonnie Boon" and "Allan; i Wa i mossy'' mountain"sides, sae lofty and wide"? Who n»s not :felt with "Carlyle that "a ; virtue - of, green fields and mountain breeze dwells in hispoetry''?- '^Who'..that,;'has ' taken.' I-??™?-from ;thc .bold; eagle-rock of ' Edin- 1 burkli;,Castle—who -that 'has'; rested lupch. AHhurs: Seat,': and .:felt ';thankful! . that has walkod; through the shady. Trossachs—glided' down Loch ; . and Loch- -- Lomond; ' who ' ' has; steamed down y- the . Clyde, - , pastDunoon, on' to. the ;Kylcs of.-Bute—will wonder at ..the. still depths' of. a Scotchman's'.'-love,for his --native . scenery-'.and that. -it ;'should ovoke the immortal'-, ffNovels,"'- "Border' .rales," .and. "Poems" of - Sir .Walter Scott," and, - the ; noblestefforts ■of such*modern;master writers as .William:Braok,. .George'Macdonald.v'R.vLv Stevenson, and Jv M. . Barrio; ■ ;Np .; flash; of .-erivy,; but joy gleams, from;the;proud;.eye'of : an -Ehglishho bows in' homage to the' over-' whelming -Brandenr-;;and..'-.boaufcrf-thess. kindred: realms. ._ In ■ his; heart: no": esteems ■ them the'' 'magnificent'? -pendant --- to" - the central;, glory., of old England.\ ,'lf nof- in : : .magrutudo ;and iinpressiveness,; in"i varioty. ;grace;' iu. "brilliancß and in: exquisite finish and' setting, ; are; the -;Reyal ,: jewels tho;' Central Dome—tho historic scenery': of ' Lngland. And of - to him, tho Koh-i-r.oor, tho "enchanted ground,.:. is; , the; English take:. District.; if borne on high, by the impassioned loye ftand: reverence ■ of our greatest'poets; in proso -and in. verse, for ' tho "sublime and beautiful, from Chaucer and Spenser, Shakespeare, and;,Milton,-Scott and H'or- ; .berttyto- Blackiaore: and -Kingsley, . Mere-'dith-iand :Merrimnnj. or :if wo' : talce' the' wing's of :the: morning, our early, happy -memories,; and make fond fugitivo survey of . the: beauty "of: Old . England,- its boundloss .'diversity, 'its :.- queenly 'grace" ''and dignity, its strong,', noblo; features',', its modest, loving,:•irresistible expression— from the, bay-belted, granite-fenced Channol Isles to the hill country of 'Berwick-on-Tweed—we shall end our flight in the chosen ; :hom6 :; of - Wordsworth,' ' Southey,' Coleridge, and De Quincoy. How by ono •flash-; 'of' scientific.:thought—the- application; of steam .to . machinery—the,'-; charm ■as well as;the solitude : of that .'homo .was, as they, thought, for ever broken, wo allknow;; and: how. by: the network of. railways' and-'by summer excursion;.- trains and almost nominal- fares,-wliat was 1 - tho prf.'Hlegp-of tho'fcw. ihas become joy. andfr«dom:.of.ltho ; hiany,';ahd;,the glorious attractions , of ; their, . native*:; land; ; are thrown .open' from';Land'B' End. to'. John p' Groats, refusing no teholder. And what a jpric'eicSslboon to wohried .workers those week-end Eumnier excursions! ': .

Where the Lake Posts Wrote. The'memory of such a trip to that celestial homo of tho Lake poets haunts mo still. Let nlo: give, it you. It wa.s in the 'sixties. ; : I '-was 'residing at "Proud Preston," in the Lancashire, cotton district;; * Boarding the Saturday afternoon . "Lake : Express,": and'rushing almost at tho ,rate of one mile a minute, in an hour , and a 'half we steamed into' the Windermere ;, station.- According to our, - programme -I-(for I had " a ■ dear, old' friend with me) ono : at ouce.6et. off on foot for Patterdalo, 'sonie eight miles; distant. V Taking n footpath tjiroueh tho grounds of the latei;Profcs,sor George Wilson, .better, known aa. . "Christopher... North," and ■ gazing ' with 'interest ; upon liis', one-storied comfortables. house, ."Ellerny,"-'.wo .came out . on to, the high road, 1 and pursued our way. Xovely views • lay ■ on either hand, ao' Do

: §?}nS®r ; Tiv»dly. describes : in- his "Coach;, ludo over thissame road. Presently we came, to tho.small brapkisli lake called "Brothers '.Water,?'. from; tho. drowning of two /brothers.'therein,', arid tho shades 01 evening falling, wo availed .-ourselves of a returning ompty cab,'and so ; arrived jt an'early hour' at the primitive irin we luid selected,. glad to get a simple meal . and retire.', 'The next! morning, ■ wo roamed -a few yards : .before breakfast, and,-, that, over, strolled up "Plaeo' Fell," ,a;big mound-like hill, close by, 1000' feet high. It .'.ivas the Sabbath morn—still, Gunny, everyway delightful, but'we. J came doyn in time for the. service in the small grey . lichen-covered stone -church, with small stained-glass v. indoivs, and a small gathering of villagers and visitors. - The seryloe, like-its'surroundings, was/ simplicity: itself, but the /one, happy impression waa ..the. .delightful; view coming out of-'.the church.through tho porch. A few. yards in ./ front ; stood • a stately, . perfectlytrained ' yew -tree, ' arid on - cither sido glimpsos/;of lovely landscape.' i-As'. we sat over - our' frugal dinner, ive decided that'as soon as it was over to attempt the accent/ of Helvellyri. . Questioning our 'landlord,. lio told us we liad first to walk 60ven;miles. to. reach the august presence— that .is, the Patterdalo side,: and then wo •had to take ono of .the two "edges" that rose gradually to tho broad: summit. -.Don't* take tlio 'S-wirrel Edge/ ".'said. he, "lo the left', but tho 'Striding Edge' on , tho • right"—arid - with' this, ■ lent us'' two old "Alpenstocks." .'. /■/,..-' /,

Tho Dark Brow of Helvellyn. ' Wo were tired ' when, we started,but •by.'.the; time: wehad;, reached the sceno we .wei's; glad to lie down and simply gaze. Myr/'friend' confessed,/ .with great regret, ho*:was unable to .make the. ascent; but : "you;go on,'" he';said, "and X, will watch/ and ; wait for you here." Reluctantly X ' complied. 1 had beeii /told that neither •"edge" wits easy to an untrained •olimber,' but-1 : thought':. I.'will' go until I com© to.'an,. impatsablb step. >/ Glance at thi Pattei-dalo aspcct of . Helvellyn. It looked 'aa ...though; a: /niighty giant had; /.with'/ his: monster spade, cut vertically, down, the fnco ofthe : mountain,' - and Hinging,, the[ broken pieces and- debris on either side,'liad lei't two rugged serrated , bracket-like supports, leaving, a • wide hol-low-■•.dell /.'; in' i; irorit,;. whilst; : trickling rivulets gathered at /its.baso' irito: a deep black, tarn. / v. . ; .• .' At:'. first;' the 'ascent - was •'easy, but -as on ( the . path -of Tdal life-: became moro difficiUt..as*.you"advanced:'-. /'Spikes of rock,- 7 irregular: > in'-.shape,and ; .. position,' made: a'./jaggedv','edge,'"/arid I found tho :foptholes .. only. ;:just ' large -enough; Gazing., behind tae- spikes now. : and again,: I saw-iothiiig;but-//a: slopingdeclivity,. as oii.tnedeilßKle, so. I/'just, clipped' spike after; spiko, until'/ I reached; the '.last, and : stood, in an, obtuse'aiiglo fortued 'by ftlj'pi'.top.-": of.;, tUo. f l ''edge,"'-*and/' i tho - : .bulgy summit. .' Just'at ,that riiombnt, suddenly all my strength went consciously out;of . me.'- j'l;:felfc/::it': rush/-downwards' Vntil- I cold and faint, -Mid /tho thought camo, with -an ■ overmastering gioota-. ''I must - fall I "X ishall v rollK down ■ into ' the .tern|/-*.I»-vtti^ , -aw-.TMt' l -bf-ai*'plant* I /^Will-/theUM / stun me so that I cannot swim?"..lter a few seconds W /ate. seemed. ..sealed, and -V- then thoughU of wife and two- young, children -of. its being the ' Sabbath' Bay—was ' I violating it f Happily I had hold of the ..spike, /and:., stood:, perfectly . still,' ■ whcii' ..despair hadvalrea'dy' gripped mb. - Then, 10,. 1 felt my strength return - by, tho same way it ; wont,. arid ,; .l .-■was myself agam. I was agile,./and/with;' one, spring gainod.; tho' summit. , :':I. walked ,•*along to the:;middle .'of-. /thb;shortstableland, and lay down ;.to womlor .at the grandeur .•?*-■■■vjdw.;;-;My:'. friorid.;' - looked - far away, and had lio not. been there, still ', jy'Sß'' ttt-'.-tho.'/doMike - entrance," I' should .MnJWt an/easier 1 descent.. But'noZ /must return, as I camo. So'l crouched ' r angle, ;-and to ponder- : land-, sai'oly: o'n tho -le'dgo of : tlio 1 v.-Xhen/'girdingt up my loins, ' with ! ° n H? ure . .spring • reached , tfio - foothold ,an(l ..jgrasped tho 'spike. The *. descent' i .as ,in vhumanv life)'* •■wag - easv ;;pncyigi-.--'-:My';{'f r ieqd.v:-mouroed'-;--he;..;.]iad'. jiov.attempti.- "l r ou : .neod ; nbt I; ' .^oWmed.h " T^ jr ; w hat is, tho .mat- .>*•. wen irelated.my/ expo'riencej arid: H? n ln i SlS u ? up •" P°uring 'down. my .throat £9 e ■ Jps^teaappo.ufnl, of braridy-'-he ..had - #'baolc : to Patterdale, feli ' I^-our weary,bed. 1 flished j i a i 6li ßlit:-,.incident I uaslied that Patterdale, Sunday into vivid I uaJiery had just, been opened, and' as'1 1 ScHo C n " ' ? I! ° a - r 6 ' s ® all:^ut admirable 1 filr W companion', 'a sister, ■ mirthful and wise,,. suddenly. exclaimed: Cardinal Newmin of tho Ora,toy-. is. . a/. br<wd -of :• officials P-ta; What.a venerable old• maili T like;just:"to"'heir his hear him, say 'something.lV UTho' Cardinal' k? brfnf v one by one, makK c tu re ,^l;ai ! ked..i:"Let/us ,lobk" : Lol nnrnT," *?:' ' cha rf ' scene ; from' the porch of:,the,, rustic .Patterdale: Church! aml'l-l.n oS f'i'®?- tapering .yew: tree; AMMSSi .SinalY cblldljk? o a lb n fs e t en bec a n mo th a houeenpld. word:-;to :• denote- a«ridiouldudy big/and : imposing: oapabihties.,,,.Tha(^s;a:pretty:picture! -, ! - W