Mrs. Hofland

“ That however divided still man is man's brother;
But judge my emotion on ent'ring the cot,
Where once love and innocence hallow'd the spot,
To see love and innocence burst on my sight,
In a form more endearing and beauty more bright,
'Twas my Cumberland maiden embracing each child
Like the Angel of pity that wept as she smil'd,
She had heard the poor babes as they wander'd around,
Lament their dear mammy laid deep in the ground,
And stole from her party tho' splendid and gay,
To wipe their sad tears and to show them their way,
Now I gaz'd!—my heart throbb'd! ”

“ No charmer that equals thy form or thy face,
Tho' W—m—ld such majesty dwells in thy mien,
And in W—ts—n's mild eyes such true sweetness is seen,
That really my muse is perplex'd to declare,
How one can excel where so many are fair,
Oh woman! dear woman! without you all nature,
Would be to my mind like a draught of this water,
And may he whose cold heart and dull head would disprove,
The magic of beauty the solace of love,
And seek from rude man your soft claims to dissever,
Be condemn'd without mercy to drink it for ever,
Ye are stars of the night! ye are gems of the morn! ”

“ Tho' I wish to describe you at least half-a-score;
'Tis an old fashion'd gentleman drest like a show,
As his grandfather was just a cent'ry ago,
While his wife in like habit obedient to him,
Tho' still a fine woman complies with the whim,
But his daughter an elegant lovely young creature,
Steals a spice of the mode in her dress tho' not nature,
For a being so lively, yet modest, and charming,
So simple so wild to the heart so alarming, 630
This world or its customs e'er form'd I believe,
From the very first days of our grandmother Eve. ”

“ Lady Shufflecut oft from his spleen gets a hit,
But she pockets his money which pays for his wit,
As beauties the ——nds are at present the rage,
And one has two strings to her bow I'll engage,
But I'm sorry to say that the elegant Julie,
Has the fault of the day and forgets to love truly,
For a fine showy rake whose pretension to merit,
Is a far distant title he ne'er may inherit,
She forsakes a most excellent well manner'd youth,
Who deserves her no less for his virtue than truth. ”

“ Some came from the Granby and some from the Dragon,
But these are all belles that our own house may brag on,
For at present the Crown is much fuller than any,
Tho' the Inns at High Harrogate boast a good many
The Crescent our neighbour is full to o'erflowing,
And numbers I see to the White Hart are going.
As bad as the times are John Bull makes a shift,
To give the gay world an effectual lift,
And so long as these places can live by their trading
We may smile at Napoleon's threats of invading. ”

“ On the bosom of Agnes just fainting she lay,
While the gallant Latouche from his vehicle sprung,
And in speechless delight o'er his Ellinor hung;
While adown his brown face roll'd the gracefullest tear,
Which the hero could shed or the lover hold dear,
'Twas a moment of bliss so intense in delight,
It concenter'd whole ages of joy in its flight,
And as Ellinor's eyes in transported amaze,
Again, and again, on her Henry would gaze,
The Elysium of extacy glow'd in their beam,
The world was forgot, and past sorrow a dream. ”

“ Oh then might I sing lovely Hackfall, v. 453.—To those who seek in landscape gardening for the wilder features of nature harmonized yet unsubdued by art, this sequestered vale will present an exquisite treat and afford to the contemplative mind a scene of such deep retirement and romantic seclusion adorned with objects of such exquisite and concentred beauty as must meet the eye ere they can be appreciated by the imagination, which may people these fairy regions with every object of terror, or delight with equal propriety. ”

“ And this castle crown'd scene will ne'er rise to my mind,
Without claiming a sigh that I've left it behind,
Thro' a beautiful grove we were led to be shewn,
The fam'd Dropping-Well which turns all things to stone,
Yet in silver ton'd tinkling the Naiad departs,
Like ladies whose tears only harden their hearts. ”

“ To awake the full heart and entrance the fond eye,
And to gaze on a speck when a world was before 'em,
Seem'd foolish to me tho' so much I adore 'em;
And I could'nt help thinking good madam between us,
Philosophy's seldom the study of Venus;
'Tis hers the bright flame of the poet to swell,
Lead the gay mystic dance or resound the sweet shell,
To guide the soft pencil with delicate finger,
And scatter life's roses whilst o'er them we linger,
Concentring the charms we should never dispart,
The gifts of the mind with the truth of the heart. ”

“ Here's a young widow Jointurewell lately come dashing,
But the Countess of Allwit's the woman for splashing,
Her bays in their coach are as constantly prancing,
As the widow's black eyes on the strangers are glancing. ”

“ There's no med'cine on earth like the Harrogate well,
But the worm which gnaws gripe will ne'er yield to its mixture,
'Tis lodg'd in the heart an indelible fixture,
But truce to my preaching—who makes his approach
In such dashing array, and so splendid a coach?
'Tis the great Doctor Solomon stooping to take,
A dose of this water by way of a freak, 148
Tho' all the world knows that his own balmy bottle,
(More warm to the heart and more sweet to the throttle)
Not only cures patients but makes 'em so merry,
One spoonful is worth a whole bottle of sherry. ”

“ Tho' their mutual labours have spread o'er the soil,
Astonishing proofs of their patience and toil.
We trac'd the bold ruins still proudly sublime,
Which yielding to man have found mercy from time,
And adorn the sweet scenes they were rais'd to protect,
With picturesque beauty more fine from defect ”

“ But the greatest curiosity at Knaresbro' is the petrifying spring commonly called the Dropping-Well. This natural curiosity is a spring that rises about two miles from the town, and after running above a mile under ground, comes to the top of a rock sixteen feet high, after which it drops through in fifty or sixty places into a bason below, formed by nature for its reception. Every drop has something of a musical sound as if it were small stones falling on brass, and near it are many pieces of moss reduced to a state of petrefaction ”

“ The Genius of Craven might choose for his dwelling,
(For Genii and Fairies alone should be found,
To people the regions celestial around, 1084
While a Demon of darkness might howl o'er the Strid,
And lash the fierce torrent that roar'd as he chid,)
Yes this is the region for fancy to soar,
Meditation to rove and devotion adore,
For the painter's whole soul to exist in his eye,
And the poet's on pinions new plumag'd to fly! ”

“ The fam'd ——r——n—— he is this moment arriving,
To strangers well known by the style of his driving
For he sports his own mail his own trumpet he blows,
So he well may be known wheresoever he goes,
He's the soul of good humour, of frolic, and whim,
And High Harrogate owes half its pleasures to him.
Lady Shufflecut's here and her husband Sir Ned,
She games all the night while he's snoring in bed,
And tho' handsome and young he's so idle all day,
That he seldom assists in her labours at play ”

“ For he's constantly gaming or quizzing the church,
Where he holds two good livings but leaves in the lurch,
Tho' the "fusty old bishop" has sought to restore him,
To residence, duty, and "stupid decorum." 590
In other bad men I am sorry to say,
We wink at the sin when the humour is gay,
And trusting the evil's not sunk in their hearts
Their errors o'erlook for their temper or parts;
But he who embracing an holy profession,
Thus robs some good man of a needful possession;
While conscious his heart is abandon'd and vicious,
Is disgustingly wicked, thence seldom pernicious ”

“ In short 'tis a mart for all sorts of grimaces,
But all you conceive, of age, infancy, youth,
In contortion and whim must fall short of the truth,
One screws up his lips like the mouth of a purse,
While his neighbour's fierce grin gives the threat of a curse,
And a third gasping begs with his eyes turn'd to heaven,
That his stomach will keep what so lately was given
But feeling the rebel will spurn at his pray'r,
Throws the rest of his bumper away in despair. ”

“ And proves in her tenderness, faithfulness, duty,
Her virtue at least is as great as her beauty,
Twin soul with my charmer I think it no wonder,
(Tho' I'm sorry sometimes) they are seldom asunder,
I fancy whenever I see them conversing,
The wife all the worth of her lord is rehearsing,
But I dare not yet hope that my Agnes replies,
By adverting to poor Mr. Blunderhead's eyes.
But my hopes or my fears I'll no longer intrude,
For this monstrous long scrawl 'tis high time to conclude.
&c. &c. &c.
LETTER IX.
High Harrogate, August 30th. ”

“ Tho' so busy dear heart there's no catching him ever,"
Cries a third "if you really want medical skill,
Mr. Wormald will cure you if any man will,"
"And I know" "said a fourth" "that whatever may ail ye,
"You're sure of relief if you see Doctor Cayley." ”

“ The trees, shrubs, and foliage intermingled with these extensive ruins, are the principal source of its beauties, being combined and contrasted with the mouldering arches and nodding towers in every possible form; of these the ivy and wild currant are the most prominent. ”

“ Howl o'er the Strid, &c.—v. 1085.—In the deep solitude of the woods above Bolton, the Wharfe suddenly contracts itself to a rocky channel little more than four feet wide, and pours through the tremendous fissure with a violence proportioned to its confinement. The place is called the Strid from a feat sometimes exercised by persons of great agility and little prudence, who skip from brink to brink regardless of the destruction which awaits a faltering step. ”

“ But though much beauty may be discovered in a few hours at Knaresbrough, yet its charms will not be exhausted by the residence of a long life.
To Plumpton proceeded, &c. v. 374.—This beautiful spot is rendered extremely attractive to the visitors at Harrogate, not only on account of its intrinsic merit, but its vicinity, as it is scarcely three miles distant from High Harrogate. Plumpton is always most admired by those who have seen it most frequently, being more pleasing than striking; it is open to the public on Tuesdays and Fridays ”

“ Banker, Jeweller, Friseur, and Toyman, his trade is
He's all things for the beaux and still more for the ladies,
But no wonder they like him so much in this place,
For good temper and honesty dwell in his face,
And his shop is so stor'd with all things that are pretty,
He has skimm'd the first cream from Pall Mall and the city.
But from pictures of lounges I'll now give you rest,
For the dinner bell rings and I am not half drest.
&c. &c. &c.
LETTER IV.
Rippon, August 5th. ”

“ Verse 342.—Knaresbro' is a considerable Town, situated on a rock almost encompassed by the river Nidd. Near the town are the ruins of an ancient magnificent castle built soon after the Conquest, and in one side of a neighbouring rock is a cell where an hermit lived, still called St. ”