Page:A tour through the northern counties of England, and the borders of Scotland - Volume II.djvu/103

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the pleasing adjoining accompaniments, contributes to form a most beautiful picture. A line wood of elm trees, inhabited by a large colony of rooks, defends the failing fabric from the blasts of the east wind; and the united waters of the Emmont and the Lowther murmur by its western walls. On the opposite side of this river, a mill is happily introduced, which is hedged in by a thick wood, above whose head are seen the awful forms of

" Mountains, on whose barren breast <: The lab'ring clouds do often rest."

The castle, built of ferrugineous freestone, is in it- self (like the castle of Penrith, unadorned with ivy) rather a disgusting objecT; but its remains are curious, as they point out Lht jealousy an J jeopardy of the times when it was constructed; gloomy ca- verns, narrow passages, pigeon-hole windows, which, whilst they evince the strength oi the fabric, equally mark the licentiousness oi manners and weakness of government, that rendered tin ;e means

curity necessary to the sn.bjv.cT. 'ii'e oldest

parts or the fabric are pro!:;:!) 1 )' oi . n, u-Sa.non architecture, as ii : recorded ir.S: ry may be traced i ack to the time of V\ illir.m the Conuncror, who granted it to Hugh, de Abrinns. At present it

cs part of Lord Thanct's recessions.

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