unbroken sheet; then it divides and leaps from rock to rock in wild tumultuous grandeur, foaming and wreathing, boiling and surging, uniting and again dividing, fair as an avalanche, brilliant as a cornucopia of pearls, hissing amongst the smaller rocks, thundering into the black chasms, rushing, freighted with fury and noise and violence, away through a dark narrow gorge to the lake. Tor Cascade comes over a broken wall of rock, forming numerous cascades in its progress, but, from the nature of the rock, has less of the 66 Falling, and brawling, and sprawling, MUCKROSS ABBEY. Muckross demesne, for a distance of about two miles, is traversed by an exceedingly beautiful walk, extending through the woods, and carried into Brickeen and Dinis Islands by means of connecting bridges. The whole way is varied by a succession of open lawns and dark masses of clustering groves, occasionally diversified by most picturesque glimpses of the lakes at either side. The great attraction at Muckross, in addition to the scenery, is its venerable and interesting ruins, consisting of an abbey, with church. Muckross, formerly called Irrelough, "the building at the lake," was founded for Franciscans on the site of a church that existed here prior to the 12th century, by McCarthy Mor, Prince of Desmond, in 1440. In the centre of the choir is the vault of the McCarthy's, marked by rudely sculptured monuments, and the other Irish chieftains have burialplaces therein, amongst whom are O'Sullivan, Mors, and O'Donoghues. The plan of the church is that of nave and choir, between which is a low, square tower. On the south side of the nave is a transept, and on the north the cloisters with the conventual buildings, consisting of refectory and vaulted apartment underneath, dormitory, and abbot's house. The chief beauty of Muckross is the cloisters, in the form of a sombre piazza, surrounding a sombre court-yard, rendered still more gloomy by the presence in its centre of a magnificent Irish yew tree of immense age, with a girth of 13 feet. The different offices connected with the abbey are still in a state of tolerable preservation. ROSS CASTLE. Ross Castle is a noble ruin, clothed in the most picturesque manner. It was the stronghold of the O'Donoghues, who assumed kingly jurisdiction in these parts, an example which probably influenced the Desmond to be as good as his neighbours. In 1645 the rebellious Irish were masters of every fortress in Kerry, with the exception of Ballingarry, and the county was not finally reduced until 1652. Ross Castle was then defended by Lord Muskerry, and General Ludlow brought a force of 4,000 horse and foot against it. The great strength of the place and the difficulty of attacking it would probably have stoutly tested the endurance of the Parliamentary troops, had not the garrison been intimidated by some old prophecy which told that the castle would be impregnable until surrounded by ships of war. With characteristic energy Ludlow caused some boats to be dragged up from Castlemaine and launched on the lake. Their appearance, filled with soldiers and munitions for the siege, so frightened the superstitious defenders that they at once surrendered. The grounds are prettily laid out and intersected with beautiful walks. In conclusion, I must recite to you the following sonnet as a fit ending of these lectures : 66 The works of human artifice soon tire The curious eye, the fountain's sparkling rill, The river moving on its ceaseless sway, The verdant reach of meadows fresh and green, At the conclusion of the lecture, a vote of thanks was proposed to Mr. Costley by the Rev. E. E. STUTTARD, Who said: I am sure we have listened with very great interest to the lecture, and heard with equal interest of the charms and delights of Killarney. I believe I am right in saying that it was Lord Macaulay who said that the love of natural scenery is quite the result of modern education; that a hundred years ago men looked upon the hilly country of Scotland as a wild and terrible district, which was haunted with hobgoblins; a country which was impossible of being traversed, and that ought to be avoided by everyone who had the good fortune not to be called upon to traverse those trackless districts. (Laughter.) I was much surprised when I read that. At the same time, one could, I think, realise that when one first of all comes into contact with the great works of Nature-the imposing mountain scenery, the great powers of the cataract-there is something awe-inspiring and terrible about them. It is only when we get used to them, and are able to appreciate their highest characteristics that, perhaps, the feeling of dismay passes away. We are indebted to the modern method of travelling the railway-for bringing us more into touch with the beauties of Nature. am sure we have all been greatly interested in the charming description of Killarney which has been given us to-night. We may congratulate Mr. Costley for having accomplished what some of us would have thought an almost Herculean task in having given this series of lectures. It has evidently been a labour of love on his part, and I think it has not been a labour, but a joy and pleasure to many of us to come here each Thursday evening for the purpose of listening to Mr. Costley's graphic description of his own experiences, and the result of his reading of literature. (Applause.) Mr. W. ALLEN seconded the motion. He remarked: I have listened to the lecture with great interest, and I was greatly pleased to hear that there will be a balance to hand over to the Salford Hospital. I have been informed that it is Mr. Costley's intention to have this series of lectures published in book form. If this is so I sincerely hope that the work will enjoy the large sale it will deserve. (Applause.) The CHAIRMAN: I feel myself very much instructed to-night by what I have heard. I am sure I shall never be happy until I make a visit to Killarney. (Hear, hear.) How to get there I don't know. (Laughter.) I hope that when I do go I shall have Mr. Costley as a companion. Nothing delights me more than to hear about such places and the legends associated with them. The legend of the buried city is not one peculiar to the Lakes of Killarney. I have read a similar legend in Wales. It has been met with in Switzerland, in Norway and Sweden, in Germany, and also in Yorkshire. There is a small lake in a Yorkshire dale called Semmerwater. It lies between Wharfedale and Wensleydale. Semmerwater has a wonderful legend. It is said that once a beggar went through the city that stood on the area now covered by the lake. He begged from door to door, and was persistently refused help, till he came to one cottage where food was given him. The legend has it that as the beggar left the place he said, "Semmerwater, Semmerwater, Semmerwater, sink all but that one little house where they gave me meat and drink." The conse quence was the city sank and was covered with water, now called Semmerwater, into the depths of which I have looked, but have not seen the buried city. (Laughter.) I heartily share the wish of the previous speaker that, if these lectures are to appear in book form, they will command a large sale. (Hear, hear.) A worthier object than the one Mr. Costley has had in view in giving these lectures there could not be, and we must all rejoice that he will be able to hand over a sum of money to the Hospital. Lectures in these days generally turn out failures in point of support. We cannot get audiences, not because people are less educated, but because they have more things to attract their attention. Again, they read a great deal more themselves than they used to do, and we have no reason to regret that this is so. (Hear, hear.) I think it is rather an improvement than otherwise. We could not have a higher testimony to the appreciation which the people of Pendleton have for Mr. Costley and his lectures than an audience such as this on such a wet evening. Your presence to-night proves that you have taken a great interest in the lectures, and that you would not allow the last one of the series to pass without hearing it. The resolution was then put and carried with acclamation. In response Mr. COSTLEY said: This effort has been to me a labour of love, and I am very pleased, as I said at the outset of the lecture, that it has been appreciated. Poetry has been my delight from my earliest youth. As soon as I could read and write I began to peruse poetry. Poetry and biography have been my favourite studies. Reading the lives of great men, their achievements, struggles, and trials, has been exceedingly interesting to me. Macaulay was certainly a very great critic and a very good historian, but he didn't hit the mark when he said that only a hundred years ago did there begin to grow a love of Nature. Macaulay had not that innate love of poetry that has been manifested by the English poets. Long, long ago, Virgil, after describing a country scene, soliloquised : "Here cooling fountains roll thro' flow'ry meads, Chaucer, Spenser, Milton, and Shakespeare have all written beautiful descriptions of country scenery. We are familiar with Burns' lines on the daisy, which he immortalized. All the poets have had an innate love of Nature. Even King Solomon was strong in description of nature, and he wrote beautiful versc. (Applause.) Mr. R. GUEST proposed a vote of thanks to the Chairman. This was seconded by Mr. Jas. FORD, and carried amid applause. |