n the wild grandeur of the scene, closed nearly on all sides by
alpine steeps, whose tops, peeping over each other, faded from the eye
in misty hues, while the promontories below were dark with woods, that
swept down to their base, and stretched along the narrow vallies. The
rich pomp of these woods was particularly delightful to Emily; and she
viewed with astonishment the fortifications of the castle spreading
along a vast extent of rock, and now partly in decay, the grandeur of
the ramparts below, and the towers and battlements and various features
of the fabric above. From these her sight wandered over the cliffs and
woods into the valley, along which foamed a broad and rapid stream, seen
falling among the crags of an opposite mountain, now flashing in the
sun-beams, and now shadowed by over-arching pines, till it was entirely
concealed by their thick foliage. Again it burst from beneath this
darkness in one broad sheet of foam, and fell thundering into the vale.
Nearer, towards the west, opened the mountain-vista, which Emily had
viewed with such sublime emotion, on her approach to the castle: a thin
dusky vapour, that rose from the valley, overspread its features with a
sweet obscurity. As this ascended and caught the sun-beams, it kindled
into a crimson tint, and touched with exquisite beauty the woods and
cliffs, over which it passed to the summit of the mountains; then, as
the veil drew up, it was delightful to watch the gleaming objects, that
progressively disclosed themselves in the valley--the green turf--dark
woods--little rocky recesses--a few peasants' huts--the foaming
stream--a herd of cattle, and various images of pastoral beauty. Then,
the pine-forests brightened, and then the broad breast of the mountains,
till, at length, the mist settled round their summit, touching them with
a ruddy glow. The features of the vista now appeared distinctly, and the
broad deep shadows, that fell from the lower cliffs, gave strong effect
to the streaming splendour above; while the mountains, gradually sinking
in the perspective, appeared to shelve into the Adriatic sea, for such
Emily imagined to be the gleam of blueish light, that terminated the
view.

Thus she endeavoured to amuse her fancy, and was not unsuccessful.
The breezy freshness of the morning, too, revived her. She raised her
thoughts in prayer, which she felt always most disposed to do, when
viewing the sublimity of nature, and her mind recovered its streng