A Season at Harrogate: In a Series of Poetical Epistles, from Benjamin Blunderhead, Esquire, to His Mother, in Derbyshire. With Useful and Copious Notes, Descriptive of the Objects Most Worthy of Attention in the Vicinity of HarrogateHofland, Mrs. (Barbara)
General
A Season at Harrogate: In a Series of Poetical Epistles, from Benjamin Blunderhead, Esquire, to His Mother, in Derbyshire. With Useful and Copious Notes, Descriptive of the Objects Most Worthy of Attention in the Vicinity of Harrogate
Hofland, Mrs. (Barbara)
Harrogate (England) -- Poetry
Then fare ye well Harrogate--dear to my heart,
Be the joys you inspire and the health you impart,
May your springs ever flow an immutable treasure,
And the breeze that blows o'er you be freighted with pleasure;
Farewell to your Doctors--more skilful and kind,
Not a Spa on the Island can promise to find,
But chiefly my own must I leave with regret,
For a sigh to our parting is gratitude's debt,
His suavity, modesty, knowledge, and truth,
Where the wisdom of age, joins the candour of youth,
Have made me so truly esteem and respect him,
While I value true worth I can never neglect him.
No more must I saunter along the Parade,
Or fly for a tune to the gay Promenade,
At Wilson's exhibit my knowledge or wit,
Or step into Wright's for my picture to sit,
At Robey's or Bachelor's loiter to chuse,
A broach or a ring while I hear all the news,
Or ride on the common and gladly inhale,
The spirit of strength from the heath-scented gale
But tho' to your pleasures I now bid adieu,
Be assur'd that next year shall those pleasures renew,
Renew and exceed for on Hymen's white wing,
To these haunts so belov'd I my Agnes may bring,
The hopes of that blessing my cares shall beguile,
And I leave thee dear Harrogate now with a smile.
NOTES.
NOTES.
_Our respects to the beauties of Knaresbro' &c._ _Verse
342._--Knaresbro' is a considerable Town, situated on a rock almost
encompassed by the river Nidd. Near the town are the ruins of an ancient
magnificent castle built soon after the Conquest, and in one side of a
neighbouring rock is a cell where an hermit lived, still called St.
Robert's Chapel. The altar is cut out of one piece of solid rock, and on
it are engraved the figures of three heads, supposed to represent the
Trinity. This Robert founded himself a new order of monks, called
Robertines, but it is probable that they soon diminished to nothing, as
we do not meet with their name either in the Breviary or Baronius.
But the greatest curiosity at Knaresbro' is the petrifying spring
commonly called the Dropping-Well. This natural curiosity is a spring
that rises about two miles from the town, and after running above a mile
under ground, comes to the top of a rock sixteen feet high, after which
it drops through in fifty or sixty places into a bason below, formed by
nature for its reception. Every drop has something of a musical sound as
if it were small stones falling on brass, and near it are many pieces of
moss reduced to a state of petrefaction; there is a fine walk on one
side of the well shaded with tall trees that makes the whole extremely
delightful.
_Extract from British Traveller, page_ 621.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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