tolerable imitation of a natural waterfall,-of ten or more feet in height; and, below this, a shorter fall is seen, without a head of water. UNFORTUNATELY, however, for Art, she could not augment the stream; which is naturally much too slender, to give full effect to this ingenious device; sacred, we understood, to Venus. This cascade only plays occasionally; and we arrived at an uninteresting moment. PURSUING a path, down one side of the waterless channel, we came to a "root house"-a rustic alcove; and, passing through this, soon found ourselves at the principal entrance: happily designed! well calculated to impress the mind with romantic imagery; and those who are desirous of being enchanted, at the Leasowes, should certainly enter here. Indeed, the entire dingle, between this entrance and the reservoir, is delightful; or would be, if its native rill were permitted to gurgle in its own channel; which, by nature or art, is happily strewed with stone and pebbles; and overhung with trees, that stretch their crooked arms, from the high rugged banks which accompany it; filling it with gloom, and an air of solitude; which, in contrast to gayer scenery, is ever delightful to minds bending willingly to contemplation. -- How many passages, equally delightful, has Nature furnished, in this island. All that art can add are rustic paths, to render them pervious to human footsteps, with such resting places as fortuitous circumstances will ever point out; as the shelf of a rock, the trunk of a fallen tree; or natural coves in the banks, furnished with blocks or benches : a species of rural embellishment which is procurable at a small expence. THE path, which accompanies this pebbly channel, leads down to a pool of water, at the junction of the two dells; fed by this and a sister rill, which passes occasionally down the further branch. Over this pool, the church of Hales-owen, backed by a well broken distance, produce a picturable view; and near this piece of water, stands a meanlooking building, or ruin, or either, named the Priory. PROCEEDING up the dell, by a path which leads towards the house, we stooped into another rustic alcove, formed with the roots of trees, and calked with moss ;—above which appeared another dry cascade! WISHING to see the economy and effect of one of these ingenious contrivances, the person who had the care of the grounds obligingly indulged us; and having examined the reservoir a well sized horse pool-and seen the stopple, we took our seats in the root house, last mentioned, where ""Twas silence all and pleasing expectation-" At length, the water gushed out from among some large roots of a tree, falling five or six feet perpendicular; presently we saw it again tumbling down another precipice (of three or four feet high)----and another; until my companion was in extacy, And having made a graceful sweep at our feet, it hid its head among some roots and well formed rocks. Very pretty upon my word!" And pray is not the cascade of tin and horsebeans at Vauxhall very pretty? Quare, Did Vauxhall сору after the Leasowes, or the Leasowes after Vauxhall? LEAVING Our cool retreat, we climbed the steep: an ardous task in a hot day. But the views repaid us amply for the toil. The Clent and Wichbury Hills, Kinver Edge, with other picturable eminences, form a variety of pleasing compositions. This natural gallery abounds with lounging places, and long inscriptions. The path, however, in the part which immediately overlooks the house and grounds of the Leasowes, is well conducted deviating, naturally, and giving variety of view. . BUT, in the farther part of the same steep, and lower down the face of it, a straight walk, with a building at one end (a Temple of Pan, or of any other deity or demon), and with a formal vista in the middle of it, lined out at right angle, in London and Wise's best manner, appear in a fine hanging grove, which overlooks the pasture ground we first entered. This part is probably of more antient date than the rest. FINDING ourselves near our horses, we dispensed with the proffered display of the grand cascade, and set out for Hagley; leaving the Leasowes, notwithstanding the day was peculiarly favorable to shady groves and purling streams, somewhat disappointed. For what is it? An ornamented farm? No such thing. What has farming to do with Temples, Statues, Vases, Mottos, Inscriptions, Mock Priories, and Artificial Cascades? Yet do away these and who would visit the Leasowes: for what would it be then? Why, what it is now held out to be; an ornamented farm; a lovely little spot! Let the paths and the benches (or more simple seats) remain: lay out others across the farm; now seemingly much wanted: let the rills babble in rough stoney channels (no matter whether altogether natural, or assisted by art), and if a head of water be deemed indispensable, let it be applied to the purpose of turning the wheel of poor a corn mill; a natural appendage to a farm; and ever a pleasing object in recluse scenery. Had Shenstone adopted this idea, in the outset of his plan, he might yet (1785) have lived to enjoy his place; or, while he had lived, might have been happy. It was the expensive baubles we have seen, which threw him on the rack of poverty; and probably hastened the dissolution of an amiable and valuable man. Strewing pebbles in the channels of the rills, cutting the paths, and providing a few simple seats; removing the deformities, and shewing the natural beauties of the place, and the distances it commands, to advantage, would have been a comparatively small expence, which he might have coped with. But does not this view of the Leasowes suggest practical ideas? how many places there are, in this island, which, with a similar expence, might be rendered equally delightful. SECTION THE FIFTH. HAGLEY. THIS has long been celebrated as a show place; and is yet in high repute, if we may judge from the concourse of company and carriages which we |