That is, Confult the wisdom of each page, FRANCIS The path now croffes the deep glen, and leads to the favourite spot of one of the greatest of geniuses, and first of English poets. It is a chearful, copious, irregular lawn, furrounded entirely by rich hanging woods. Mr. Pope, who had the honor of an intimate acquaintance with his Lordship, was always delighted with the fituation of this quiet and fequestered recefs he used to call it his favourite ground, and it is here his noble friend has has erected an urn, as a monument to his memory, with this infcription: ALEXANDRO POPE.. Ann. Dom. 1744. That is, Sacred to the memory Of ALEXANDER POPE. The feverest fatyrift of vice, Ann. Dom. 1744. From this charming recefs, the afcent becomes bold and steep, but not difagreeably fo; winding among the ftately trees, where the busy rook, in fecurity, caws his rural note; a ruin difplays itself in great beauty, and the Clent hills, rearing their fir-decked I 2 རྟ་ fir-decked heads above, crown the striking landscape. Upon the first fight of THE RUIN, One cannot help being ftruck with its ap pearance, and lament that the mouldering power of time fhould thus wantonly destroy it. But on a nearer approach up the fteep hill, we find it a ufeful modern ftructure, built for a keeper's lodge, and fo difpofed, as to make it a capital object from the several feats in the park, calculated in fome measure to let it in. This venerable pile is very judiciously fituated on a bold eminence, and commands, particularly from the top of one of the turrets which is left intire, a noble and unbounded profpect. To keep the defign in its purity, the maffy ftones which have tumbled from the ruinous walls, are fuffered to lie about the different parts of the the building in the most neglected confufion this agreeably preferves its intention : as a ruin, and the climbing ivy which already begins to embrace the walls with its gloomy arms, will foon throw a deeper folemnity over the whole, and make it carry the strongest face of antiquity. It is feldom that the park beyond this place is vifited; though there is a very handsome gothic feat near the extremity, from which a delightful profpect is collected from the woods, the ruin, and the diftant country. The attention of the spectator is rather taken up with the fight of the Clent hills, which here rise majestically before him; and though rather difficult to climb, it is feldom but curiosity prevails, and he is amply repaid, by the amazing expanfe and variety of the diftant objects which every way furround him. In a thin atmosphere, the black mountains, and the round hill near Radnor in Wales, are distinctly visible, tho' at leaft I 3 leaft fixty or seventy miles diftant. Malvern hills, the Wrekin, and other mountains, skirt the horizon; while towns, villages, and gentlemen's feats, deck the rich vallies, which spread themselves to an amazing distance. From the ruin, a bold and fpacious lawn, in fome places covered with fern, precipitately falls on each fide; but in front of the building, ftretches itself into eafy fwells, then plunges into the woods, through which, in fome places, the ranging country is feen in perfpective. The path leads from hence close to the foot of the Clent hills, and without the spectator chufes to vifit the extremity of the park, which, as I observed before, was feldom done, he pursues the walk to the right, which is truly rural and contemplative. A feat in the midst of it, adorned with fhells, affords a moft pleafing view into the oppofite woods, and has this infcription in the fame fancy. SEDES |