That is,

To the genius and friendship

Of WILLIAM SOMERVILE
WILLIAM SHENSTONE erected this urn,
Sprinkling with tears the afhes
Of his poetical friend.

A little farther within the umbrage of a thick fet grove of horfe chefnuts and larches, is

THE WOOD-HOUSE,

Dedicated to the Earl of Stamford, On the entrance of this moffy root feat, the fpectator is not only ftruck with furprize and pleasure at the romantic scene before him, but likewise at the genius of the defigner who could thus from an infignificant gutter, call in fuch beauty and. invention. A bold artless cascade precipitately rufhes down a rugged mass of rocky ftones, at least one hundred and fifty paces, in a conftant fucceffion of

falls;

Falls; the fore ground on a rifing hillock is ftudded with tall diftinct oaks, and each fide the plunging torrent is thickly planted with variety of different shrubby bushes, alders, yews, afhes, fpindling among others of a larger growth, whofe naked roots half dead and old, left fo by the impetuofity of the ftream, while others tottering and projecting over it, give the rudest appearance, and afford an addition to its fimplicity: the interweaving of the branches of the trees above, from whence the foaming water feems to iffue, is intirely romantic, and the gloom it throws around tints the dashing current with a peculiar brightness. It is impoffible to defcribe this lovely fcene as it deferves; every spectator is ravished with its inimitable graces, and leaves it with regret.

The ftranger will not forget before he retires from this inchanting recefs, to take the walk up the path to the first water-fall; he will find it the rudest, the C 3

most

moft fimple, and the moft captivating fcene, that perhaps was ever formed, even by imagination.

Through an opening of the Woodhouse, the road ranges within the cool fhade up the valley before. mentioned, among an odd compofition of briers, gofs, and thorny bushes; whether this is meant to give the place a more perfect air of natural wildness, or, as likely, the effect of negligence, it in my opinion offends the eye, and fhould be confidered as a blemish: if we are every where to carry, with us, the idea of a farm, as it is meant, it is unpardonable, because flovenlinefs always reflects difgrace upon the poffeffor of the land.

A little further the scene becomes more chearful, by its extending parts being engagingly blended with the stately fpreading

fpreading trees. A bench here is inscribed to Mr. Dodfley.

Come then my friend, thy fylvan taste display,
Come hear thy Faunus * tune his rustic lay;
Ah! rather come, and in these dells difown
The care of other's ftrains, and tune thine own,

This circular feat is within a knot of young oaks, and looks down the rural valley, finely wooded on each fide, and closed by the grove running down into the bottom.

From this agreeable retreat, the walk gently defcends under the sheltering arms of fome large beeches, croffes the dale, and precipitately wanders up the other fide, to an obfcure corner, where another feat has these lines,

me gelidum nemus,

Nympharumque leves cum fatyris chori,
Skcernant populo-

That is,

Be mine, amid the breezy grove,
In facred folitude to rove;

To fee the nymphs and fatyrs bound,

Light dancing thro' the mazy ground.

FRANCIS

Here a fine opening amongst the trees, rifing and clofing the lovely valley, dif covers a folitary urn, dedicated to the brother of Mr. Shenstone; and a little .further is a feat which takes in one of the most picturefque views in the whole farm: it looks immediately down the dell, catching the priory in all its beauty, between the spreading branches of the lofty trees; this building is only a fimple cottage, dreffed up in the form of a fmall ruin, which the firft generous poffeffor of the grounds gave, as a calm retreat, to old age, and indigence: it has from hence a most striking appearance, and the bold

church