up a valley, appears a bold cafcade, gufhing fiercely from three diftin&t falls among rocks, broken, ragged, and bold; evergreens are tufted artlessly about the foaming current, which give the water a more lively brightnefs, and firengthen the gloom that furrounds it. Above this well-defigned cafcade, in the midst of a noble afcent, covered with a thick wood, appears a chapel; and, more on the left, the farm houfe, both of which, peeping among the trees, have a pleafing effect. From hence, till farther on the left, the fcene becomes more open; the lawn fpreads and rifes gently up to a grove and fingle detached trees. This bounds the view that way, and affords a beautiful contraft to the other fide more gay and animated.

Thofe noble woods that grace the oppofite hills fteal down their gay fides, clad in the sweeteft verdure, then sweep between the deep vales up again to a large L 2 building,

building, called the Gothic Gateway, backed by a rich grove of firs, from whence the ample lawn precipitately falls to the water's edge, and ftretches itfelf towards the house, till, catched by farther woods, it is loft in them, and clofes the lovely scene.

The Boat-houfe, from whence fo many beauties are collected, is an octangular building, prettily adorned within by fef toons of flowers and medallions in ftucco : A large window which opens to the water, ornamented with painted glafs, in whimfical groupes of grotesque figures, is entertaining; but this ftained glafs, agreeable as it is, excludes a landscape before it, in my opinion, infinitely more interesting.

A thick, close plantation of evergreens from this delicate fummer-houfe, happily hides the art which very feldom can be avoided in the forming of a piece of water. A dam, wherever it appears, is in

every

every respect odious; and there is but one way of making it in any fhape tolerable, and that by clofe interwoven fhrubs and

trees.

The path from hence winds under these fheltering pines, on the margin of the pool, and ftrikes into the lawn before noticed, but in its progreffion catches it in feveral places to a greater advantage, as well as the groves which adorn the brow, and runs into the vale below. The front of the houfe makes an object from hence over the water; and a little farther, a fmall wicket leads into a neat shrubbery on the banks of the cafcade, which are abrupt, steep, and broken; in fome places perpendicular; worn fo by the plunging of the water, and the driving of the current from one fall to another. Any attempt of art to impede the water from forming thefe whirlpools, as they may be called, by confining or forcing them into any other fhape, is ridi

culous; becaufe all the efforts in the world, will never throw it into, fo pleafing a figure, as that which nature gives it.

From a small feat in the bofom of this retirement is feen the Boat-house, over the fhining lake, and through the laurels of the fhrubbery, which fringe its fteep floping banks; this is caught to great advantage, and gives a lively colouring to the rural landscape. I never fit here but I think of those beautiful lines of Thomson:

Befide the dewy borders let me fit,

All in the freshnefs of the humid air;
There in that hollow'd rock, grotesque and wild,'
An ample chair mofs lin'd, and over head
By flow'ring umbrage shaded.

This is a moft agreeable recefs; but I imagine would be rendered full as defirable and contemplative, were its banks more shaded, particularly on the oppofite fide, by the darkeft evergreens, as thefe

places

places can never be too much fecluded or folitary. The twift a little higher, between the bold falls of the cascade, is natural and expreffive; and the fimple fingle plank bridge, tho' perhaps not much. obferved, is one of the prettieft ornaments of the place.

The fhady walk from this rural spot, winds precipitately by fome ponds of water into a wild uncultivated copfe; the contraft is extremely ftriking, and the fcene becomes intirely pastoral, by taking in the farm houfe, and the adjoining fields, full of cows and fheep these and the deep dingle, overfpread with alders and hazles, is no contemptible acquifition to grace this plain and humble picture.

I cannot help obferving, as we are now upon the only ground within the whole domain, where more ftriking beauties, both to give pleasure and to employ the genius of the defigner, may be collected,

that