stic river from its width and depth, but
never slow and sluggish; you can always hear its murmur. It travels
through a woody country, now varied with cottages and green meadows, and
now with huge and fantastic rocks.'[43]

21. _At Home again_.

'We are now' (he says in a letter to Cottle) 'in the county of Durham,
just upon the borders of Yorkshire. We left Coleridge well at Gottingen
a month ago. We have spent our time pleasantly enough in Germany, but we
are right glad to find ourselves in England--for we have learnt to know
its value.'[44]

22. _Early Visit to the Lake District_.

On September 2nd [1799] Wordsworth writes from Sockburn to his friend
Cottle: 'If you come down.... I will accompany you on your tour. You
will come by Greta Bridge, which is about twenty miles from this place:
thither Dorothy and I will go to meet you.... Dorothy will return to
Sockburn, and I will accompany you into Cumberland and
Westmoreland.'[45]

[42] Letter to Cottle, _Memoirs_, i. 116.

[43] Ibid. i. 116-17.

[44] 1799: _Memoirs_, i. 145.

[45] Ibid. i. 147.

23. _On a Tour, 1799_.

'We left Cottle, as you know, at Greta Bridge. We were obliged to take
the mail over Stanemoor: the road interesting with sun and mist. At
Temple Sowerby I learned that John was at Newbiggin. I sent a note; he
came, looks very well, said he would accompany us a few days. Next day
we set off and dined at Mr. Myers', thence to Bampton, where we slept.
On Friday proceeded along the lake of Hawes-Water, a noble scene which
pleased us much. The mists hung so low that we could not go directly
over to Ambleside, so we went round by Long Sleddale to Kentmere,
Troutbeck, Rayrigg, and Bowness; ... a rainy and raw day.... Went to the
ferry, much disgusted with the new erections about Windermere; ...
thence to Hawkshead: great change among the people since we were last
there. Next day by Rydal to Grasmere, Robert Newton's. At Robert
Newton's we have remained till to-day. John left us on Tuesday: we
walked with him to the tarn. This day was a fine one, and we had some
grand mountain scenery; the rest of the week has been bad weather. The
evening before last we walked to the upper waterfall at Rydal, and saw
it through the gloom, and it was very magnificent. Coleridge was much
struck with Grasmere and its neighbourhood. I have much to say to you.
You will think my plan a mad one, but I have thought of building a house
there by the lake-side. John w