The grounds
are well laid out, and neatly kept, with the usual lawn and gravelled
walks, and quaint little devices in the ornamental way. These may be of
later date than Southey's time. The gardener spoke respectfully of
Southey, and of his first wife, and observed that "it was a great loss to
the neighborhood when that family went down."
The house stands directly above the Greta, the murmur of which is audible
all about it; for the Greta is a swift little river, and goes on its way
with a continual sound, which has both depth and breadth. The gardener
led us to a walk along its banks, close by the Hall, where he said
Southey used to walk for hours and hours together. He might, indeed, get
there from his study in a moment. There are two paths, one above the
other, well laid out on the steep declivity of the high bank; and there
is such a very thick shade of oaks and elms, planted by Southey himself
over the bank, that all the ground and grass were moist, although it had
been a sunny day. It is a very sombre walk; not many glimpses of the sky
through those dense boughs. The Greta is here, perhaps, twenty yards
across, and very dark of hue, and its voice is melancholy and very
suggestive of musings and reveries; but I should question whether it were
favorable to any settled scheme of thought. The gardener told us that
there used to be a pebbly beach on the margin of the river, and that it
was Southey's habit to sit and write there, using a tree of peculiar
shape for a table.
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