eviate from bridle-path, to clamber
cliff for a bird's-eye view, or dive into dells for some rare plant?
Well, well--there is a tradition, that once we were young ourselves; and
so redolent of youth are these hills, that we are more than half
inclined to believe it--so blush and titter, and laugh and look down, ye
innocent wicked ones, each with her squire by her palfrey's mane, while
good old Christopher, like a true guide, keeps hobbling in the rear on
his Crutch. Holla there!--to the right of our friend Mr Benson's
smithy--and to Rothay-bridge. Turn in at a gate to the right hand,
which, twenty to one, you will find open, that the cattle may take an
occasional promenade along the turnpike, and cool their palates with a
little ditch grass, and saunter along by Millar-bridge and Foxgill on to
Pelter-bridge, and, if you please, to Rydal-mere. Thus, and thus only,
is seen the vale of Ambleside; and what a vale of grove, and glade, and
stream, and cliff, and cottage, and villa, and grassfield, and garden,
and orchard, and--But not another word, for you would forthwith compare
our description with the reality, and seeing it faint and feeble, would
toss it into the Rothay, and laugh as the Vol. plumped over a waterfall!

The sylvan--or say rather the forest scenery--(for there is to us an
indescribable difference between these two words)--of Rydal-park, was,
in memory of living men, magnificent, and it still contains a treasure
of old trees. Lady Diana's white pea-fowl, sitting on the limbs of that
huge old tree like creatures newly alighted from the Isles of Paradise!
all undisturbed by the waterfalls, which, as you keep gazing on the
long-depending plumage illumining the forest gloom, seem indeed to lose
their sound, and to partake the peace of that resplendent show--each
splendour a wondrous Bird! For they stretch themselves all up, with
their graceful crests, o'ercanopied by the umbrage draperied as from a
throne. And never surely were seen in this daylight world such
unterrestrial creatures--though come from afar, all happy as at home in
the Fairies' Oak.

By all means ride away into these woods, and lose yourself for half an
hour among the cooing of cushats, and the shrill shriek of startled
blackbirds, and the rustle of the harmless slow-worm among the last
year's red beech-leaves. No very great harm in a kiss under the shadow
of an oak (oh fie!) while the magpie chatters angrily at safe distance,
and the more innoc