410 Correction of Inaccuracies in the Letters of a Wanderer. [Dec. 1,

measure:

1. Each line must consist of five feet, and none to be less than twelve; nor any to exceed fourteen syllables in length. I have perceived the subsequent exceptions to this rule. Sometimes, when a line contains a trochee, or spondee, eleven syllables may be allowed; and where two syllables coalesce so completely that they may be pronounced either as one or two, fifteen syllables may be admitted. Of these latter are the words, million, companion, ocean, &c. which may be pronounced mil-le-on, or mill yon, &c.

2. The leading measures, or principal feet, must be the jambus and the anapæst. The amphibrach may be frequently substituted for the anapest, but the dactyle not so frequently. In fact, a mix ture of iambic and anapastic feet may often be scanned so as to form either amphibrachs or dactyles.

The trochee may begin a line, but must not be admitted elsewhere, except to follow an amphibrach or dactyle, after a pause.

The spondee may be used in the 1st, 3d, or 4th, foot of a line, but in no other part of it. The spondee counts the Same as a long, or foot of three syllables. The tribrach and pyrrhic are rarely, if ever, to be used.

3. More than four long, or four short feet in succession, must not be allowed; whether counted in one line, or at the end of one, and the beginning of ano

ther.

larity of movement, which, I conceive, is requisite to the unity of composition, and essential where an uninterrupted flow of melody is to be preserved." It will, with cultivation, be capable of being made the source of endless variety. It will associate, without strangeness, all the beauties of our rhythmatical lan guage. On solemn subjects, it will ap proximate to the majestic sublimity of the hexameter; yet, in cheerful passages, will it not be inimical to the more sprightly current of lyrical measures?

It will perhaps be disrelished until the ear becomes accustomed to its mo dulations, and the understanding ac quainted with its powers and regula tions. Familiarity often cherishes that which novelty abhors. There are few kinds of beauty that are self-evident. All beauty implies possession of superior qualities; and we do not perceive and allow them, but from a reference to, and comparison with, previously-acknow ledged points of perfection.

As soon as we have discovered its graces, and taught ourselves properly to estimate and relish them, then is the moment of fruition, beyond which there is no maximum; but afterward, if too often presented to our observation, it gradually diminishes in the effect of its charms. From greatly admiring the com mon heroic metre, I have, by accustom ing my ear to the movement of this, worked myself into a predilection for it; and am persuaded that it is equally susceptible of power and elegance, in every respect, with a greater degree of harmony and variety. In the grandeur of its movement, it is as much superior to the iambic pentameter line, as that line is to the trochaic measure of six syl lables.

I have made but little essay of this metre in rhyme. It appears to me a though the jingle would impart to it a nore uniform smoothness; but, at the same time, would humble its majestic dignity, and circumscribe its diversi fying powers, by reducing it to a regular five-feet anapastic measure.

J. B.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazme.

SIR,

Hof pleasure through Derbyshire, f AVING last year made a tour am able to appreciate the justice of most of the remarks of your correspon dent, a "Wanderer," in the three last Numbers of your Magazine.

The ebbing and flowing Well, which he describes, page 211, appeared to me

as undoubtedly the work of art, and to be made in an old stone-pit.

The Wanderer is inaccurate in describing the shivering mountain at Castleton as composed of "loose gravel" (page 212) instead of argillaceous shist, or shale, as the natives call it. The en trance to Peak's Hole is not "very lofty," as might indeed be inferred from the darkness in its first apartment: the width of the natural arch, at the entrance of this cave, is its greatest wonder, and this it probably was which the writer meant to have noticed. In describing Chatsworth House, the Wanderer's usual discernment, and justness of description, seems to have failed him (page 213, at the bottom), since few rock and wood scenes are more romantically bold and striking, than the rides and walks at the back or east side of Chatsworth House. I need not point out the injustice done to the magnificent paintings and ornaments of this place; but it is absolutely necessary to refute the calumnies on the agents of his Grace of Devonshire, who are in charge of the place, Mrs. Gregory, the housekeeper, and Mr. Travis, the gardener; whose polite attentions to the which I joined in viewing this company fine mansion, and their satisfaction becomingly expressed at the small remunerations which were offered them, (without any demand on their parts) for the trouble we had given them, were the very reverse of what the Wanderer has described.

The marble pillars at Kedleston (not Reddlestone) are made of gypsum (page 214), as, doubtless, the servants there informed Mr. Wanderer.

In describing the entrance to Matlockbath Vale, (page 307) the Wanderer mentions "Worksworth," where Matlock-bridge was intended. Sir Richard Arkwright, as is well known, died several years ago, (and the title is extinct), never having occupied the elegant mansion called "Willersley Castle," and not "Cromfit-House," where his eldest son, Richard Arkwright, esq. resides; which is not above a quarter of a mile, in a direct line across the river, from the principal part of Matlock-bath village, instead of two miles beyond it. "Cromfit," the place of departure for Ashburn, (page 308) is Cromford, I suppose. The "extremity of the dale," (page 309) where the carriages met Mr. Wanderer and his friends after viewing part of Dove-Dale, was, I conceive, from his description, Harson-Grange Farm, but a

very short way up this truly wonderful dale, compared with its whole length. The "Middleton," mentioned pages 211 aud 309, of which there are three in the county is Stoney-Middleton,

I have been at the pains to correct these things, that your readers who may neglect to consult good maps to detect them, may not, by repeating these misnomers, ren. der themselves ridiculous, as Mr. Wan derer does by committing them to print. LONDINENSIS. Nov 12, 1810.

P.S. I am truly sorry to see a minister of Christ's church, the Rev. T. D. Fosbrooke, at page 314, recommending voluntary bounties by the people for enlisting in the army and navy, in prosecution of the senseless crusade of almost twenty years standing, in which this devoted country is engaged, and applauding the impressing of landsmen! I hope that a bishopric forms no part of the

views of this reverend divine. What kind

of a school of morality a tender and a ship of war are, the robberies, burglaries, and murders, which follow any general discharge of seamen from the navy, sufficiently testity.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

spondent, Mr. Capel Loft, appears OUR learned and ingenious correanxious to ascertain some particulars relative to the invention of the pianoforte.

It has been the received opinion, generally, that it was invented in Germany; but doubts having taken place in my mind in consequence of that gentleman's enquiries, I have taken some pains to investigate the subject.

A very ingenious musical-instrument maker, Mr. 1. A. Stumpff, a native of Saxony, has assured me, that it was the invention of a member of the academy of Dresden.

* Musi

In corroboration of which, he has kindly furnished an extract from a recent German publication, entitled kalisches Lexikon, von H. C. Koch,” The following is a translation: "The piano-forte was invented by J. C. Schrö. der, of Dresden, in Saxony, in the year 1717. He had a model made of this invention, and presented it to the court of Dresden for inspection. The hammers recoiled, and were covered with leather. Some time after, Mr. G. Silvermann, a musical-instrument maker, began to manufacture some, and succeeded in bringing them to a tolerable degree of perfection. It has been questioned however, whether Schuöder, or B. Cas

3

tofali,

the caves in the West-Riding of Yorkshire; Charles taking a place in my curricle, while our servants occupied the travelling seat; and crossing the country without accident or material occurrence to Lancaster, we passed from thence to Kirkby-Lonsdale, a pretty little town on the banks of the Loyne, situated in a fertile pretty vale, diversified by many rural objects, and the beautiful windings of the river, over which there is a good stone bridge at the end of the town.

From Kirkby we proceeded about seven miles to Ingleton, a large village, where we passed the night; and at an early hour in the morning, having pro. cured a guide to conduct us on the way, we set out on foot by the side of a brook called Doe-Beck, when we shortly reached the base of a tremendous precipice, partly covered with wood, and in height nearly a hundred yards; while, on the opposite side of the stream, another rocky eminence hemmed us completely in, and seemed so closely united with its neighbour, that there was scarcely room for the rivulet to pass betwixt the boundaries of the romantic dell; at the extremity of which, a grand cascade is formed by the waters of the brook already named, which, rushing impetuously through an aperture of the rock, falls above thirty yards in height, in one unbroken sheet, from the summit of a rocky ledge of considerable width; when, dashing down the steep, it precipitates itself into a dark deep pool, whence it boils up with prodigious force, foaming and dashing its spray around on every side.

This cataract is known by the name of Thornton-Force, and when viewed from where we stood below, is one of the finest scenes of the kind I have ever seen; the tops and sides of the crags being beautifully adorned by shrubs of various hues, shooting from crevice to crevice, and creeping, intermingled with a darkish-coloured moss, over the rocky precipices, with almost incredible luxuriance and richness of colouring. A wildness and solemnity pervade this scene, that is inexpressibly pleasing to a meditative mind; and I had a fuil opportunity of indulging my reflections, as I sat upon a stone beside the roaring stream, while B made a beautiful sketch of the surrounding view.

⚫ Beck, in Westmoreland and the adjoining counties, is the name for a small brook or rivulet.

Pursuing the course of the rivulet, we passed beneath a number of terrific precipices, and crossing a tolerably pleasant, but very small, valley, we again pro ceeded by the water's edge to Yordas Cave, an awful chasm, to which we descended through a rudely-formed archway, and were instantly struck with the loud resounding noise of a waterfall, which however was for some time longer invisible to our sight; when our guide, who had made preparation for the expedition, struck a light, and sticking several candles in a piece of wood affixed to the end of a poie, we journeyed on with caution, and entered a cavern of prodigious extent, so spacious indeed, that even the number of lights he carried scarcely served to enable us to distinguish its boundaries. Imagination cannot conceive a more awe-inspiring place than that in which we then found ourselves; not the most distant aperture admitted a ray of day-light; no sound, save that of the unseen cataract, broke in upon the stillness of the scene; and that appeared to gain strength as we the longer listened to its roaring noise. A subterranean stream, into which we were in no small danger of being frequently precipitated by the slipperiness of the ground amongst the loose stones at the bottom of the cave, flowed just immediately beneath our path; but having surmounted some of our difficulties by climbing a ledge of rock that impeded the way, our eyes become accustonred to the darkness of the place, and we could look fearlessly around upon a number of curious petrifactions, hanging from the roof and sides of the cave; while our guide informed us, one of an immense size was denominated the Bishop's Throne; and several others on the opposite side, he also said, bore strong resemblance to the heads of animals. This, however, we could neither of us perceive; and I am apt to think the resemblances are more in the imagination of the visitor, than any real likeness they display to any thing in nature: just as we fancy we perceive likenesses and resemblances in the fire, upon a wintry night.

From this prodigious recess we were next conducted by a narrow pass, sufficiently wide for only one person to stand in at a time, and which is difficult, if not dangerous also, as the moisture of the ground precludes the possibility of ma King a sure footing, and the stream being just below this sort of path, there is a

chance

chance of tumbling into it. We were, however, fortunate in escaping every accident of that unpleasant nature, and thought ourselves well rewarded for the tronble we had undergone by the sight of the cascade, whose noise had echoed So tremendously through the cave.

Nothing can be more strikingly grand and beautiful than the scene which here presented itself, which, though the cataract is not so large as some I have seen, is astonishingly magnificent. Figure to yourself a sheet of water tumbling over a precipice of about five yards in height, into a sort of circular apartment, adorned by inumerable petrifactions, brilliantly illuminated by the lights carried by our guide; and producing altogether an effect to which no language can do justice, and Lo scenic representation ever equal.

Boch B and myself were enchanted with a scene so new to us: for though we had both at different periods visited the Peak and Poole's Hole, this was so different and superior in grandeur, that we could not pass a thought on either, but were lost in admiration of this sublime and awful work of Nature.

Tradition says, a giant of the name of Yordas once inhabited this cave; and there are several gloomy recesses shewn in the large cavity, which bear the appellation of his bed-chamber, his oven, and other necessary accommodations. The walls are composed of a blackish stone, or marble, veined with red and white, nearly sixty yards in length, of a proportionate width, and in height about fifty yards.

On the mountain above there is a quarry of marble, which receives a fine polish; and many elegant ornaments have been manufactured at Keudal, from the produce of that quarry.

Having returned to behold the glorious light of day, we seated ourselves upon a rocky ledge not far from the entrance of the cave, and partook of some refreshment we had the precaution to make our servants bring with them, and which we found both agreeable and necessary to recruit our strength and spirits for the remainder of our excursion over the mountains, about three miles to Chapel in the Dale; a long uninteresting valley, sprinkled with inean cottages and indifferent farm-houses, enclosures surrounded by bare stone walls, and scarce a tree, or bush, to give beauty or an apof animation to the sterile pearance scene. As we purposed completing our ramble by a visit to Weathercote-Cave,

we proceeded forwards with considerable speed, notwithstanding the sultriness of the air, which was really often overcoming; and when we least expected to arrive at the end of our journey, we reached a field in which, overshaded by some low trees and shrubs, was a door, which, on being thrown open for our reception, we beheld with astonishment indescribable, a sheet of water dashing down a craggy steep, the height of at least sixty feet, roaring and foaming as it fell into a frightful chasm, whence it in a moment disappeared beneath the earth, and for upwards of a mile was no more seen or head so it agai becomes visible to human eyes, in a çalı unruffled state.

Descending a rocky steep, crawling and clambering over rocks and broken stones for the space of twenty yards, we found ourselves beneath a rude-constructed arch; and passing onward, nearly the same distance further, we reached the margin of the pool, where the force of the tumbling waters seems to shake the rocks themselves, and a white foam rising high around, casts a conti nual spray over the objects upon either hand. As the precipices do not here unite at top, the effect of the light admitted through the aperture is astonishThe walls are nearly ingly beautiful. perpendicular, a hundred feet in height, and covered with a beautiful intermixture of shrubs and coloured mosses; while the grandeur of the scene is greatly heightened by a large stone being sus pended over the aperture from whence the water issues, where it must have hung for ages; and, though placed in an apparently insecure foundation, it will in all probability remain for centuries to come. There are several passages be neath, and near to, the cataract, which some persons have been hardy enough to visit; but we did not venture to explore any of their gloomy recesses; we were satisfied with a sight of the truly beauti ful scene before us, which we continued long to admire and wonder at, and considered infinitely more deserving of a visit than the Peak, or Poole's Hole, those so-much-talked-of wonders in the neighbourhood of Buxton.

In the vale of Langdale, near Elter Water, there is a scene that bears a great similarity to Weathercote Cave, casier of access, and scarcely less beautiful.

As the day was far spent when we returned again to the open field, we could not visit, nor were we, in truth, very moch