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handsovne columns (on the whole, an imitation of the front of the Temple of Fortuna Virilis at Rome), presents its side:; but the Sea draws from the power and effect of masses of architecture. Towards the ocean the eye may stretci "free and far ;" and take tout et isemble." I consider this section of the view, with whatsoever defects,. superior to the opposite; but of course less regarded, as the Sea and Downs, of which it is composed, are familiar.

en

On the North-east circumference, with every advantage of a bright day, we plused to regard the composition of this very large subjacent prospect. The hills are sufficiently in distance, but not bold. Hence the background is not imposing. Box and Leith hills form a wing of the most colossal part of the amphitheatre.

The fore-ground is formed of an abundance of thicket, clumps of brush-wood; the old borough of Steyning and Bramber Castle; Whiston Park; deer reposing under the shade of some noble and wide-spread oaks; hillocks every way are displayed, but neither in the tints of the foliage, or the ground, was there much variety; if a river could gush from a hanging rock, and cover part of the glade with its silvery stream, it would turn the sameness of surface into life. Its faults are a want of dissimilarity in its parts, and the lowness and disproportion of the hills, to the extent of the fore-ground. In fact, it should be more la Brule. Its great merit is its immense scope, being not inferior in scale to any in Sussex, if we except the Devil's Dyke.

Mr. Gilpin alludes to this landscape in the following description: "Hav ing travelled several miles on these lofty Downs, we fell into a woody bottom, and in our descent had a very extensive view into Surrey, as far as Box Hill. In this bottom lies the town of Bramble (Steyning), once a place of note, and defended by a casile, of which at this time little remains but the fragment of a Tower. From hence the Downs expand again, smooth, hilly, and extensive. They are solitary tracks of land. Here and there a shepherd and his flock appeared on the side of a hill, which were almost the only objects we met."

We formed what is called a gipsey party in Sussex and Hampshire; all excursions to chosen spots is in re

2

fined imitation of the vagabondizing and unceremonious freedom of those tawny wanderers, nor is it altogether a bad counterfeit of Arcadian happiness. It is said of happiness, that imagination persuades some that they have found it, but it is while their reason is asleep. The illusory interval during the operation of imagination, and the oblivious slumber of reason, is realized in such hours as these people meet together with a mutual impulse to reciprocate cheerfulness; and in the pure contemplation of the grand aspect of Nature, they become for the passing hour superior to the infelicity, coarseness, and abasement of the common intercourse of life. What is the antiquity of this practice? I would be obliged to any of your Correspondents who could inform me.

;

The weather became mutable, aud gave me an opportunity of seeing it under many different lights and shades. Our cloth was spread on the grass, and we were feeding in the Oriental posture, as delighted as Horace in a similar situation, quaffing Sabine and renowned Falernian, when we heard the sound of distant thunder vibrating on the opposite side to that from which it proceeded; a heavy and portentous cloud began to sail partially over us; the rain fell, and with a precipitate scramble for the food, we began to decamp and rush for shelter under the foliage of the Ring, where we sat

Like extatic wonder, Listening the deep applauding Thun

der."

None of the party happily evinced any of that silly timidity so common to weak minds, when exposed to physical dangers under the immediate dispensation of Providence. While our pseudo-gypsies were not telling fortunes, but singing plaintively Burns's "Ye flowery banks o' bonie Doon," I silently marked the progress of the storm; a superb Iris,

"Mille trabens varios adverso sole colores,"

arched in the longest diagonal from the hills of the fore-ground to those of the back, across the broad vale. The sunbeams again appeared, "Driving back shadows o'er low'ring hills,"

At eight o'clock we began to see the eve, strictly speaking, on "purple peaks

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512 Visit to Corscombe, Seat of the celebrated Mr. Hollis. [June,

peaks descending," some dense clouds gathering in the West. From this we prognosticated that another storm was organizing; we proposed to depart, and mounted horses and vehicles on the other side of the hill. Here a grand scene presented itself. Collins's lines rushed on my fancy;

"Dim Night now veils the solemn view, See the fairy valleys fade."

We

Where Vecta* "checks the Westering tide," the sun was declining majesti cally into the sea; his crimson disk, heightened by the pitchy clouds, which were conglomerating rapidly, seemed to emblaze the waters. determined to pass over the ridge or chine of the Downs into the road; and our presages of a storm were soon realized-night closed in total blackness; the thunder and lightning, which had died away, now grew tremendous. Its approximation was awfully accelerated, and an uncontrollable tendency of volition towards home produced a disorderly and straggling flight. The most atrocious darkness was followed by vast and luminous 'displays of the electric fluid, which frequently dashed the horses, and dimmed their vision by its supreme brilliancy, as it appeared to roll along and ignite the earth under our feet. "Brief as the lightning in the colly'd [and earth, That in a spleen unfolds both Heaven And ere a man hath power to say, Be

night,

hold!

The jaws of Darkness do devour it up!" Midsummer Night's Dream.

I was too much absorbed in meditating the terrible sublimity of that agency which appeared to be disintegrating the world, to be much appalled; but, at the "signal of a thunder clap," down came the rain in a tremendous torrent, and wetted us through instantaneously; it followed the lightning as if intended to extinguish its blaze. But as we had endured the greater horrors with the intrepidity of old Lear, we bore the latter, though not the most emphatical, yet the most durably felt, with cheerfulness and fortitude.

Mr. URBAN,

J. F.

May 20.

HE late Mr. Thomas Hollis was in

THE

the fullest sense of the word a

vate life, was incorruptible. His numerous acts of liberality and munif cence knew no bounds. His love of Liberty in general, and of the British Constitution in particular, was warm and lasting. Such men appear but seldom; they are, however, occa sionally presented to our view, perhaps to inform us to what a degree of perfection human nature can attain.

Hollis retired to Corscombe, where he Towards the close of his life, Mr. possessed a large estate; he died there, and was buried according to his desire in a field near his house, and which was ploughed up immediately after, at his particular request. I happened to be lately on a visit in the vicinity of Corscombe; and although the season was unfavourable, I could not resist the pleasure of visiting a spot which had been the residence of such a man; I was conscious that I should

feel no small degree of satisfaction in beholding the place where the bones of a Patriot were mingling with their parent dust.

Corscombe is a retired village near the borders of Somersetshire.

The

The

surrounding country is hilly and rather romantic, being on the verge of and not altogether destitute of trees; the Dorsetshire Downs; it is inclosed, and cheerless; and it was the remembut the general aspect is rather cold brance of Mr. Hollis alone, that gave such a degree of dignity and interest to the shades of Corscombe. village is small, and on the side of a hill; a narrow path through a dell conducted us up a hill to Urles*, the house occupied by Mr. Hollis. It faces the South East, and is protected by some trees, the situation being high and rather exposed; behind the house is a neat piece of water, and a grove of fir trees. It is a mere farmhouse, now inhabited by a farmer; it is not large, and apparently out of repair; the part occupied by Mr. Hol lis consists only of a small low parlour, having a sash window; and a died; though it appears from the chamber above, in which, I am told, he

account in his Memoirs that he died suddenly in one of the adjoining fields.

* A view of Urles Farm, was communicated in 1815, by its then owner,

patriot. His public, as well as his pri- the late Rev. Dr. Disney, to the new and

* Isle of Wight.

greatly improved edition of Hutchins's "History of Dorsetshire." EDIT.

The

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