■analogous to the word Jezoro, ft ill ufcd by the Poles, to expreis
a1 lake, or Handing pool o f water. It requires- no fuperior
-knowledge to judge of the beauty o f this lake, as it prefents a
mod agreeable fpeftacle to the unlearned as well as the learned.
It is forrounded by a chain o f little hills for the moft part o f
eafy afcent, though in fome places deep; its circumference feems
■to be four or five miles, -though fome call it feven. All that
traft o f country is wild and uninhabited. Its bed, as far as can
be feen, though the water near the fides, feems to be hollowed
•out o f the hard ftone. ;Being fituated at the foot of wild hills,
not well covered with wood, and having too (hallow and too
weak a foil to refill the force o f the rains, a quantity o f earth
and other matter has been carried down towards the middle o f
the lake, fufficient-to nourilh various plants. Its depth is from
twelve to fourteen feet; in fome places it is more, and the
inhabitants fay, perhaps exaggerating, that in fome places its
depth cannot be meafured. The figure o f this beautiful lake is
near elliptical, only in fome parts it is altered by fmall fmuofi-
ties, which follow the winding of the roots o f the hills.
In former'times, there flood a caftle on the brink o f the lake
but, now, the principal walls and-fome part o f the underbuilding
only; remain. Below thefe ruins there is a kind o f pier to
which a boat is made fall, that has ferved for common ufe, heaven
knows how many years. It is leaky, rotten, and takes in
water on all fides; fo there is need o f conftant attention to
throw out the water to prevent finking. Perhaps there is not a
bark in the whole world which more refembles that o f Charon
which has been paffing and repalfing the Stygian lake from the
hr ft mythological times to thofe o f the modern Pqftor-Arcadi
1 went on board this antique velfel, together with a gentleman
o f
o f the country, who was fo kind to accompany us in our excur-
fions, and a man to row, and to throw out the water: and truly
on our ftepping in>
■ — gemuit Jub ponders cymha
Sutilis, & mukam accepit rimofa paMdem. Virg. Tib. VI* •
This would be a delicious habitation for a philolbpher diveiled1
o f the paffions that are neceflary to live in fociety ! what peace,,
and undifturbed mediocrity might he enjoy! or how charming
a retirement would it be- to the melanchoily man, • who would
willingly bury himfelf there,-to be out of the way o f creating
gloominefs in others-; or of daily increafing his own. From the
tops o f the hills; the fea is difcovered-all round, and all the
neighbouring illands.- The barren! wildnefs o f the fituation
might eafily be adorned, and rendered, fertile ’by art, i f the intention
was to reftore it to its former natural Hate. On the
north fide, there is a divifion between the hills, probably made
by the rain waters; and that opens-the entry into a valley covered
with old oaks of an immenfe fize,-and other very beautiful
trees, which maintain there a perpetual verdure, and (hade; the
ruftick variety o f their difpofition could not have been better-
concerted by-human tafte. On the left hand, and in frontot this
wood, , are feen immenfe. rocks and precipices,-: which form a
magnificent profpedl.
The lake is not always conftant in its confines,- Sometimes
it leaves a part dry for three or four year's;, and then r ife again.
A t other time3 it rifes above its ufual level, and after a certain
time, forfakes the ufurped ground. The proprietors o f the contiguous
lands ufe to fow them when free of the water, and know
how