Of Streams to Nature's love, where'er they flow; Shrink from thy name, pure Rill, with unpleased ears. XXI SUGGESTED BY A VIEW FROM AN EMINENCE IN INGLEWOOD FOREST [The extensive forest of Inglewood has been enclosed within my memory. I was well acquainted with it in its ancient state. The Hart's-horn tree mentioned in the next Sonnet was one of its remarkable objects, as well as another tree that grew upon an eminence not far from Penrith: it was single and conspicuous; and being of a round shape, though it was universally known to be a Sycamore, it was always called the "Round Thorn," so difficult is it to chain fancy down to fact.-I. F.] THE forest huge of ancient Caledon Is but a name, no 1 more is Inglewood, 5 That swept from hill to hill, from flood to flood: Nor wants the holy Abbot's gliding Shade His church with monumental wreck bestrown; ΙΟ 1 1845. nor 1835. HART'S-HORN tree, near Penrith 305 The feudal Warrior-chief, a Ghost unlaid, That he may watch by night, and lessons con XXII HART'S-HORN TREE, NEAR PENRITH * HERE stood an Oak, that long had borne affixed To his huge trunk, or, with more subtle art, Among its withering topmost branches mixed, The palmy antlers of a hunted Hart, Whom the Dog Hercules pursued his part Each desperately sustaining, till at last Both sank and died, the life-veins of the chased And chaser bursting here with one dire smart. Mutual the victory, mutual the defeat! High was the trophy hung with pitiless pride; Say, rather, with that generous sympathy That wants not, even in rudest breasts, a seat; And, for this feeling's sake, let no one chide Verse that would guard thy memory, HART'S-HORN TREE! † 5 ΙΟ *This tree has perished, but its site is still well known. Compare the note to Roman Antiquities, p. 308.-ED. "In the time of the first Robert de Clifford, in the year 1333 or 1334, Edward Baliol king of Scotland came into Westmoreland, and stayed some time with the said Robert at his castles of Appleby, Brougham, and Pendragon. And during that time they ran a stag by a single greyhound out of Whinfell Park, to Redkirk, in Scotland,1 and back again to this place; where, being both spent, the stag leaped over the pales, but died on the other side; and the greyhound, attempting to leap, fell, and died on the contrary side. In memory of this fact the stag's horns were nailed upon a tree just by, and (the dog being named Hercules) this rhythm was made upon them: Hercules kill'd Hart a greese, And Hart a greese kill'd Hercules. 1 "So say the Countess's Memoirs; but they probably mistake Redkirk for Ninekirks in this parish. A runnel, called Hart-horn Sike, in Whinfell Park, is mentioned in the partition of the Veteripont estate, between Isabella and Idonea."-Burn's History of Westmoreland and Cumberland. -ED. VOL. VII X XXIII FANCY AND TRADITION THE Lovers took within this ancient grove There fell the Hero in this ancient grove MS. 5 ΙΟ The tree to this day bears the name of Hart's-horn Tree. The horns in process of time were almost grown over by the growth of the tree, and another pair was put up in their place."-Nicholson and Burn's History of Westmoreland and Cumberland. The tree has now disappeared, but I well remember its imposing appearance as it stood, in a decayed state, by the side of the high road leading from Penrith to Appleby. This whole neighbourhood abounds in interesting traditions and vestiges of antiquity, viz., Julian's Bower; Brougham and Penrith Castles; Penrith Beacon, and the curious remains in Penrith Churchyard; Arthur's Round Table,2 and, close by, Maybrough; the excavation, called the Giant's Cave, on the banks of the Emont; Long Meg and her Daughters, near Eden, etc., etc.-W. W. 1835. COUNTESS' PILLAR There is an ampler page for man to quote, 307 XXIV COUNTESS' PILLAR* On the roadside between Penrith and Appleby, there stands a pillar with the following inscription : "This Pillar was erected, anno 1656, By ye Rt honoble Anne Countess Dowager of Pembrock etc., Daughter and sole sole heire of ye Rt honoble George Earl of Cumberland, etc., for a memorial of her last parting in this place with her good and pious mother, ye Rt honoble Margaret, Countess Dowag of Cumberland ye 2d of April 1616. In memory whereof she also left an annuity of four pounds to be distributed to ye poor within this parish of Brougham every 2d day of April for ever, upon ye stone table here hard by. Laus Deo !"-W. W. [Suggested by the recollection of Julian's Bower and other traditions connected with this ancient forest.-I. F.] WHILE the Poor gather round, till the end of time Its bloom, unfolding at the appointed day; * The Countess' Pillar is an octagonal one, on the high road from Penrith, a couple of miles out of the town on the Appleby road, a quarter of a mile from Brougham Castle, and over eleven miles from Appleby. It is somewhat weather-worn, but is preserved with care. On the north side of the pillar are the Pembroke Arms, and the date 1654. The inscription is in a copper plate, sunk in the stone. I have copied the "inscription" from the pillar itself, and have corrected, in what is given above, some errata in the poet's transcript of it. -ED. "LAUS DEO." Many a Stranger passing by IO XXV ROMAN ANTIQUITIES [FROM THE ROMAN STATION AT OLD PENRITH] How profitless the relics that we cull, Of the world's flatteries if the brain be full, To have no seat for thought were better doom, : 5 ΙΟ It I am indebted to Dr. Taylor of Penrith for the following note in reference to these "Roman Antiquities" at Old Penrith "I have great pleasure in giving you what information I can, concerning the Roman Station of Old Penrith. is called "Petriana' by Camden, but most archaeologists now allocate it in the 2nd Iter,' as the Station Voreda '-on the road between York and Carlisle. This road passes over Our fond regrets, all that our hopes would grasp 1835. C. |