FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   >>  
t Yates would have travelled fifty miles to witness; "the like of that's what I now hear every day. Hang that fellow Chantee, or Cantee, or what you call him; I wish he had never been born!" The Ashbourne people are naturally proud of the monument. With them it is a kind of idol, to which every stranger is required to do homage. Among others, when Prince Leopold passed through Ashbourne, and inquiries were made by some of his royal highness's suite as to the "lions" of the neighbourhood--"We have one of our own, Sir," was the ready reply; "a noble piece of sculpture in the church." To the church the royal mourner was on the very point of repairing, when Sir Robert Gardiner suddenly inquired the description to which the sculpture in question belonged. "It is a monument, Sir, no one passes through without seeing it; for its like is not to be met with in England--it is a monument to an only child, whose mother died--" "Not now," said the prince faintly; "not now. I too have lost--" and he turned away from the carriage in tears. MR. CANNING. It may be observed, too, by the way, that to Ashbourne the late Mr. Canning was remarkably partial. Near it lived a female relative to whom he was warmly attached, and under whose roof many of his happiest hours were spent. It is stated, that a little poem, entitled, "A Spring Morning in Dovedale," one of the earliest efforts of his muse, is still in existence; and I have good reasons for knowing, that but a very few weeks previous to his death, he stated, in conversation, what delight he should feel in "going into that neighbourhood, and revisiting haunts which to him had been scenes of almost unalloyed enjoyment." I could scarcely believe, so exquisitely tranquil is the scene, the very murmur of the stream which flows around seems to soften itself in unison with the stillness of the landscape--that Ashbourne had ever been other than the abode of rural peace and comfort; and yet I was assured that during the war there was scarcely any limit to the bustle and gaiety which pervaded it. MR. MOORE, THE POET. At Mayfield, near Ashbourne, is a cottage where Moore, it is stated, composed _Lalla Rookh_. "For some years this distinguished poet lived at the neighbouring village of Mayfield; and there was no end to the pleasantries and anecdotes that were floating about its coteries respecting him; no limit to the recollections which existed of the peculiarities of the poet, of the w
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   >>  



Top keywords:
Ashbourne
 

stated

 

monument

 

church

 

sculpture

 

scarcely

 

neighbourhood

 
Mayfield
 

revisiting

 
haunts

respecting

 

recollections

 

unalloyed

 

floating

 

coteries

 
delight
 

enjoyment

 
scenes
 

conversation

 

Morning


Spring

 
peculiarities
 

Dovedale

 

earliest

 

entitled

 

efforts

 

existed

 
previous
 

knowing

 

existence


reasons
 

anecdotes

 
tranquil
 

composed

 

comfort

 

assured

 

pervaded

 

gaiety

 

cottage

 

bustle


soften

 

exquisitely

 

murmur

 
stream
 
unison
 

stillness

 
distinguished
 

village

 

neighbouring

 

landscape