more vigourous vegetative powers than can be seen in most other places, have great merit; and the following are pro bably unparalleled in point of execution in soft-ground, while they are extremely interesting as picturesque features of this The various modes of rustic masonry which are employed in these northern counties, with all their native graces and local peculiarities, are here described with a fidelity and taste of outline, and a degree of picturesque feeling, that might boldly challenge competition. A short account of the subject of each plate, occupies, in the whole, about eight pages, which accounts are, in general, simple, and to the purpose. The public will not, perhaps, be displeased to read from the pen of a local inhabitant, whilst employed in describing the little inn at Buttermere (see page 7), that "This is the place where Mary Robinson sometimes called the "Beauty of Buttermere for some years made a considerable ad. "vantage [but the advantage was surely not to poor Mary herself] "of public curiosity. She was a fine girl when fourteen, and a " most interesting one at sixteen: what she was between that age "and twenty-four, is not known to the writer; but at the latter " period, many were disappointed; and Mary must certainly have "been distressed, when the undiscerning were eager to be in. "formed from herself, when modestly waiting upon them, how "they might procure a sight of the Beauty?" Of Rydal park, and its advantages to a landscape-painter, the author writes as follows: (see page 10.) "Rydal park is a fine spot for study. In the springs are valu. "able foreground materials; some at the roots of trees: Nos. 55 " and 56 are two of them. The trees are majestic; and the lakes " of Windermere and Rydal, in composition with the woods and " mountains, exhibit some very extraordinary pictures. Some 66 66 years ago, it was the opinion of gentlemen, who had been in many parts of the United Kingdom, and on the Continent, that they had seen nothing equal to Rydal park. Although a great " deal of the wood has recently heen cut down, it is even at pre"sent, a charming place. The writer has enjoyed much pleasure " in contemplating the scenes of Rydal park; and is grateful for "the privilege of studying there. He has frequently been in the " park from ten to fifteen hours, without seeing a human being." Yet the following passage is pregnant with such serious mischief to the charming scenery of Grasmere, that I cannot do less than point it out. "Grasmere has been many times celebrated. The lake and the "church, when connected with the surrounding scenery, from " many points in the valley, will wonderfully impress the mind "with ideas of beauty. But if this bottom be at present beau"tiful, how much more so might it be rendered, if every pro" prietor were anxious to do his best to add to it!" Yes Mr. Green closes this sentence with a note of admiration, as if he anticipated in imagination, the future glories of Grasmere. But, let him be asked, is taste the invariable attendant on property, or is flattery inseparable from publication? Nothing has perhaps been more destructive to the real beauty of the landscape scenery of England, than the vanities, and anxieties to do their best, of proprietors and improvers. Who has not heard how ridiculously Mr. Pocklington, by mere meddling, and with the best intentions, has prettyfied the grandest island of Derwentwater? Who that has travelled that way before and since, and possesses the least glimmering of taste, has not felt the deeper sentiment of regret ? Mr. Green may, perhaps, please a few of his idly-busy neighbours, who may be possessed by the unfortunate ambition of distinguishing themselves as improvers, or landscape-gardeners, by this deleterious passage; but it would have been. misprision of treason to landscape in me, to have passed it without reprehension. Let the proprietors of the beautiful vale and lake of Gras • mere, be satisfied with what Nature and Fortune have done for them. In enjoying the gifts of the latter, let them rather attend to the precepts of the poet, than to this inadvertency of the artist, and "Be busy for themselves and for their friends:" The "Observations with respect to the Mode in which " Plantations ought to be conducted," with which the literary part of the volume closes, are so well written, and the precepts contained in these eight pages are so much to the purpose, that what the writer has said of the treatise, called "Hints to Planters, by Francis Dukenfield Astley, Esq." may be with equal justice repeated of his own "Observations:" namely, that it is " a work replete with accurate " observation and good sense, and contains much valuable " information in a small compass." If any of these precepts are more worthy of being remembered than the rest, it appears to me to be those of a precautionary nature. After stating that wood should be felled with a very sparing hand, the writer proceeds "Even from the best situation, should a tree offensively obtrude " itself upon the eye, thereby obscuring some favourite object, it " will be proper to consider in what degree all other stands from "which that tree may be seen, may be affected by its removal, and " a balance of loss and gain deduced from that consideration." "If in a situation hiding nothing good, an ugly tree should pre" sent itself, that tree ought not rashly to be destroyed, particu"larly if its top be fine; for by planting others near it, it may " become an useful appendage to the scene." "If from various stands, there appear upon the premises un" pleasant lines of wood, those lines must either be broken by " occasional thinning, or be partially planted out, should suc" planting be practicable, but this, as before, must be carefully "done, and, as in the instance of single trees, these unpleasant " lines must be examined from every point where they can be " seen. That which is a straight or monotonous line from one "point, may, owing to a variety of circumstances, be good from "another point." These sentiments are certainly not absolutely incompatible with an endeavour to improve Lowdore waterfall. Yet a landscape-painter will pause, in reasonable apprehension of danger, at the temerity of such experiments, as appear to be recommended in the concluding paragraph of the author's observations : "The trees about Lowdore (he says) are in too great profusion: " to take one half of them away would be much to improve this "deservedly-admired place. The chasm through which the river 66 passes is immense; and therefore the fall of water is generally "subdivided and obscured: the course of the stream ought to be "conducted on the western side of the chasm to that part of.the "rock, which is nearest to the mill, from the summit of which it "would tumble in one grand unbroken sheet down to the channel "below; and thereby be rendered the most splendid waterfall among the Lakes." 66 Lowdore is already, after the rainy season, when it is seen in perfection, the most splendid and the most picturesque waterfall among the Lakes, as Grasmere is of those lakes, already one of the most delightful. He must be bold, and should be supremely tasteful and judicious, who attempts to improve nature where she is most beautiful. Upon the whole, in recollection of the justness of the tenour of these preliminary observations, I cannot say less-nor can I say more, than that if the improvement of Lowdore waterfall, or Grasmere lake, should be undertaken, I hope no man will presume to lift an axe there, who has not previously shewn himself as well qualified for the task as Mr. Green, or whoever else may be the writer of these "Observations." 368 TRAVELS IN ASIA AND AFRICA. BY ABRAHAM PARSONS, ESQ. CONSUL AND FACTOR-MARINE AT SCANDEROON. 4to. pp. 346. Longman and Rees. We are induced to notice this work, as well from the general interest which every class of readers must feel for whatever relates to those regions of Asia, so celebrated in classical story, and so dear to us from the connection they bear with our religion, as from another cause of a more trivial nature. The coast of Asia Minor has been visited by certain modern travellers, who appear to us at least, highly to excel in those powers of description, which, according to a celebrated antient critic, always indicate a sublime imagination; we mean, a great command over the surprising and the marvellous: and we must candidly confess, we turned to the work of so plain a man as Mr. Parsons, with the hope, that we might either be enabled to overcome those doubts which clouded our minds, in spite of the extraordinary degree of faith with which as Reviewers we are gifted, or else that we might be reconciled to the tales we see related. The feelings which we experienced, after a long and painful examination of these Travels, we hasten to give to our readers, with that liberality which, in this point, ever has characterized the profession of a critic. The writer before us is introduced with a pomp answerable to his rank of British consul, in a preface by Mr. Barjew of Bristol. Whatever was the excellence of Mr. Parsons as a factor-marine (on which, among his other eulogies, it is strange Mr. Barjew has not dwelt), we can only venture to praise him for one merit, which may, for aught we know, be of a novel kind. It is obvious that many travel-writers, and authors of various other descriptions, have had an eye, of late, in the composition of their labours, to the double but 1 |