boring hills ; opens a pleafing front, fmooth and verdant, fmfl-
ing over the country like a gentle generous lord, while th & fells
of Bomwdale frown on it like a hardened tyrant.
Each boundary of the lake feems to take part with the extremities,
and emulates their appearance: the fouthern varies in
rocks of different forms, from the tremendous precipices of
the Lady’s-Leap, the broken front of the Fakm's-Neft, to the
more diftant concave curvature of Lowdore, an extent of precipitous
rock, with trees vegetating from the numerous Mures,
and the foam of a cataraft precipitating amidft.
The entrance into Borrowdale divides the fcene, and the northern
ijde alters into milder forms j a fait fpring, once the property of
the monks of Furnejs, trickles along the fhore; hills (the refort
of Ihepherds) with downy fronts, and lofty fummits, fucceed •
•with woods cloathing their bafes, even to the water’s edge.
Not far from hence the environs appear to the navigator of
the lake to the greateft advantage, for on every fide mountains
clofe the profpecl, and form an amphi-theatre almoft matchlefs.
Loch-Lomond in Scotland, and Lough-Lene in Ireland, are powerful
rivals to the lake in queftion : was a native of either of thole
kingdoms to demand my opinion of their refpectivt: beauties, I
muft anfwer as the fubtile Melvil did the vain Elizabeth : That 'Jhe
eaas the faireft perfon in E ngland ; and mine the faireit in S cot-
LAND.
The ides that decorate this water are few, but finely difpofed, and
very diftinft, rife with gentle and regular curvatures above the
u ace, confift of verdant turf, or are planted with various trees.
e principal is the Lord s ifland, about five acres, where the Rat