sufficiently celebrated,
he would have seldom been more excited than by some ordinary Scottish
stream or hill with a tradition attached to it, or which had been the
scene of a favourite ballad or love song. If all this be truly said of
such a man, and the like cannot be denied of the eminent individuals
before named, who to great natural talents added the accomplishments of
scholarship or science, then what ground is there for maintaining that
the poor are treated with disrespect, or wrong done to them or any class
of visitants, if we be reluctant to introduce a railway into this
country for the sake of lessening, by eight or nine miles only, the
fatigue or expense of their journey to Windermere?--And wherever any
one among the labouring classes has made even an approach to the
sensibility which drew a lamentation from Burns when he had uprooted a
daisy with his plough, and caused him to turn the 'weeder-clips aside'
from the thistle, and spare 'the symbol dear' of his country, then
surely such a one, could he afford by any means to travel as far as
Kendal, would not grudge a two hours' walk across the skirts of the
beautiful country that he was desirous of visiting.

The wide-spread waters of these regions are in their nature peaceful; so
are the-steep mountains and the rocky glens; nor can they be profitably
enjoyed but by a mind disposed to peace. Go to a pantomime, a farce, or
a puppet-show, if you want noisy pleasure--the crowd of spectators who
partake your enjoyment will, by their presence and acclamations, enhance
it; but may those who have given proof that they prefer other
gratifications continue to be safe from the molestation of cheap trains
pouring out their hundreds at a time along the margin of Windermere; nor
let any one be liable to the charge of being selfishly disregardful of
the poor, and their innocent and salutary enjoyments, if he does not
congratulate himself upon the especial benefit which would thus be
conferred on such a concourse.

O, Nature, a' thy shows an' forms,
To feeling pensive hearts hae charms!

So exclaimed the Ayrshire ploughman, speaking of ordinary rural Nature
under the varying influences of the seasons, and the sentiment has found
an echo in the bosoms of thousands in as humble a condition as he
himself was when he gave vent to it. But then they were feeling, pensive
hearts; men who would be among the first to lament the facility with
which they had approached this