Gaston de Blondeville, vol. 1 of 4 : $b or the court of Henry III. keeping festival in Ardenne, a romance. St. Alban's abbey, a metrical tale; with some poetical piecesRadcliffe, Ann Ward
History
Gaston de Blondeville, vol. 1 of 4 : $b or the court of Henry III. keeping festival in Ardenne, a romance. St. Alban's abbey, a metrical tale; with some poetical pieces
Radcliffe, Ann Ward
Gothic fiction; Great Britain -- History -- Henry III, 1216-1272 -- Fiction; Historical fiction
“After dark, a storm, with thunder and lightning; listened to the
strong, steady force of the wind and waves below. The thunder rolled and
burst at intervals, and often the sound was so mingled with that of the
wind and waves, as to be scarcely distinguished from it. No complaining
of the wind, but a strong and awful monotony. Lightning, very blue,
showed at moments the foaming waves far out: utter darkness between the
flashes. Glad to hear from the other side of the house, cheerful voices
talking, or singing. When the storm subsided, the thunder rolled away
towards the Sussex coast. This display of the elements was the grandest
scene I ever beheld; a token of God directing his world. What
particularly struck me was the appearance of irresistible power, which
the deep monotonous sound of the wind and surge conveyed. Nothing
sudden; nothing laboured; all a continuance of sure power, without
effort.”
From Steephill the travellers proceeded to Ryde, where Mrs. Radcliffe
made the following characteristic remarks:—“Rejoice to look again on a
peopled sea, and prefer this point of the Isle, for animated and
beautiful scenery, to any other. The back of the island has very
extensive views; and, for that extensiveness, may be called grand; but
there are no mountain lines, no shapes, that overwhelm us with
admiration: the want of wood forbids them magnificence. The undercliff
is wild and romantic, rather than grand; but the sea horizon from it, is
often very grand. Upon the whole, I prefer rich beauty to wild beauty,
unless accompanied by such shapes of grandeur as verge upon the sublime.
Lovely sunset; a roseate, melting into saffron and shades of blue; some
light purple streaks. Below, the dark woody line of shore bending
towards Cowes; the bay at its feet, purpled from the clouds. All this
seen from our bed-room windows, above and between lofty trees.”
Mr. and Mrs. Radcliffe returned by Salisbury. We extract from the
journal the approach to Salisbury and the description of its Cathedral.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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