strike away through the hills of Grasmere,

are each of them within a walk of the little town, and each without a rival in their particular charms.

The little jewel Ambleside, which is thus so gorgeously set, is itself not without some graces peculiarly its own. What is old about it, is pastoral and becoming. What is new is, upon the whole, well ordered and not too pretentious. It has a central market-place with its fragment of an ancient cross still standing; a wonderful bridge-cottage, - very uncomfortable we should imagine as a private residence, but undeniably picturesque —which has made its appearance in every London water-colour exhibition, every summer, and has of late become the prey of the photographist; a bobbin-mill which has suffered the like indignities; a church which has revenged itself, in part, by its hideous steeple, for the same attempted insults, but which is a handsome edifice for all that, to our minds, both inside and out. The streets are none of your rectangular monotonous affairs, with squares and crescents, but perform eccentric curves in all directions; darting away sometimes downward under archways, but chiefly, ascending perpendicular "pitches," which to see a coach attempting with only four horses seems like madness, and which to essay ourselves upon that equipage is abject terror. In consequence however of this elevated arrangement, there is from the windows of almost every house an excellent view; while the succession of visitors constantly passing and re-passing through the place, affords, besides, such a lively scene as is not presented by any other little country town in England. Moreover there is one

AMBLESIDE.

17

summer sight, at least, peculiar to the district, which we hope the tourist may have the good fortune to witness while at Ambleside the Rush-bearing. At the end of July there is a procession to the church, of young girls with garlands, which were formerly rushes, and among which the rushes from Windermere still make an attractive figure. These are hung up on the walls like votive offerings; in gratitude, as we unromantically imagine, for the stone pavement which has long taken the place, even in these primitive regions, of the rushes that were wont to be strewn over the earthen floor. The immediate neighbourhood of the town is thickly dotted with handsome dwelling-houses and well-built villas, and has been the spot fixed upon doubtless by many a poetic heart, as the place where it could beat calmly and happily, until stayed by the hand of death. More than one has already had its wish accomplished. The house of Wordsworth is within two miles of Ambleside: that of Doctor Arnold is even at a less distance: and none had a better appreciation of the glorious scenes in which their feet were set, than they. Miss Martineau still resides at her charming residence, "The Knoll," at that end of the straggling town which stretches towards Rydal. She is the only person of established literary reputation, of all that great array of splendid names that once made the district famous, who at present resides in it: although, at one time or another, the place has been probably visited and sojourned in by almost every notable person in the land.

SCRAMBLES AND RAMBLES AROUND AMBLESIDE.

Of little walks, whether along the roads or by-paths, and of short excursions which require some little scrambling and exertion, there are about Ambleside a great variety. Of the former there is

I. The one mile walk to Waterhead, which can scarcely fatigue the most delicate; and at the end of which will be obtained pleasure-boats of every size, and the most reliable boatmen, for rowing, for sailing, or for fishing. If you sail, however, you had better take a life-belt a-piece, or procure a child's caul at the curiosity shop in the town, beforehand, insomuch as the winds upon the lake are to the last degree vicious and unaccountable. Beside the pleasure always inseperable from being upon the (calm) water at all, there are beautiful views on all sides, and especially exquisite "bits" of bay-scenery, such as that opposite Brathay Hall and Pullwyke. It is pleasant also to an observer of human nature, and to one who, like our reader, delights in the gentlest aspect of it, to observe the boat-loads of two without a boatman who came out of that bay wherein lies the Lowwood Hotel. How, as we inadvertently approach them, they whisper to one another, and the lady draws down (by a curious mechanical contrivance) her wide-awake over her pretty face, and the gentleman scuttles away with her, with an unnecessary vehemence and splashing, after the manner of a startled swan.

II. Instead of going all the way to Waterhead, the visitor may take a rough road leading off to the

FOX HOW. PELTER BRIDGE.

19

left a little way up Wansfell, and through a wood from which there are many enchanting views. Or a footpath on the right of the same Waterhead road will take him, by a pleasant level circuit, past several retired villas, and picturesque nooks, to Rothay Bridge.

III. The most frequented and perhaps the prettiest of the short easy rambles is that of some four miles in all under Loughrigg and round by Rydal. Even this can be shortened by taking the little footpath opposite Mr. Christopher Wilson's, or crossing the fields by the Church, and over the little foot-bridge. The first house on the right is Fox How, where Doctor Arnold lived. It is a good deal shut in from the road, and in turn shuts out the view, but the tourist enjoys from one spot almost the same prospect which is seen from its drawing-room window, of the mighty hollow of Fairfield, with the woods of Rydal climbing up its knees. The next house on the left is called Foxghyll, which will probably arouse the passion of covetousness in the passer by; and there are several other pretty villas under the hill. The Rothay runs sparkling by the road-side, at all times charming, but most picturesque where the stepping-stones, placed edgeways, break its furious little current. Pelter Bridge, some quarter of a mile further, leads us into the Ambleside road at Rydal, when we can either return at once, or ascend the little "pitch" to the entrance of Rydal Park and see the Falls. An excellent prolongation of the walk, in moderately dry weather, may be made by keeping the left bank of Rydal Lake,—at the beginning of which there is a capital echo -- and taking the path

through the wood at its northern end, which leads by a foot-bridge into the main road again; but we are at present considering "rambles" only, and not long "stretches," however pleasant. A guide to both Falls may be obtained at either of the two cottages opposite, only be sure that he shows the lower fall to you, first. This forms a very beautiful and complete little picture, but its appearance is certainly too artificial and "stagey." You enter a place exactly like a mouldy pew from which to see it; and around this always lingers an overpowering and very unromantic savour of leeks. The park is beautifully undulated, and affords lovely peeps of Windermere in the distance, with a most picturesque foreground of Rydal Cottages. The other Fall is situated a very considerable distance higher up the stream, and is in all respects greatly superior to its sister. Leaf and wild flower, fern and stone, foliage and breaks of light, are all disposed about it in the most harmonious and fitting manner possible. Small as it is there is nothing left to be desired and if the "voluminous author" before spoken of, could have craned over that path's end, and looking down into that whirling pool, have designated it "a mere mud-puddle," we confess we should like to have been behind him, to have tipped him in. Immediately opposite the gate through which you return from this beautiful scene is the home of the late William Wordsworth. It is possible you may obtain permission to see the grounds, and if so, they will well indeed repay inspection even apart from the interesting associations which must needs belong to them. From the little

: