Lake country sketchesRawnsley, H. D. (Hardwicke Drummond)
General
Lake country sketches
Rawnsley, H. D. (Hardwicke Drummond)
Lake District (England); Wordsworth, William, 1770-1850 -- Homes and haunts -- England -- Lake District
'Could you follow up your science by winging your way to the highest
star of observation, you would there see other skies expanded and
other planets and systems established, each giving harmony and
perfection of attention to time by the nicest rule. Then wend your
way past other ten thousand worlds, and at the end of this vast tour
you would still be muddling in the suburbs of creation, only to find
that no imagination can {164} fix the limits of His creating hand,
and that conceited, ignorant, and insignificant man is absolutely
unable to comprehend the grandeur and correctness of His magnificent
workmanship. Then am I to be told that the builder of this
stupendous structure is incapable of such a paltry performance as
taking possession of our souls and restoring our lifeless bodies at
His own good will and pleasure?
'I find,' he adds, 'Carlyle's work very instructive, and many of the
passages furnish evidence of the existence of the great Disposer of
all events.'
I said this should stand as Joseph Hawell's last will and testament.
No; there was another letter, written evidently just at the end of
last year, in which he begs of a neighbour the loan of a horse and
gear to enable him to bring down on a sledge from Lonscale Crag one
of the finest single stones there. He wishes to set it up in some
field on the farm, and have his father's name upon it and his
father's deeds and prowess as a breeder of Herdwick sheep, with a
single verse of descriptive poetry beneath, and he feels sure that
his friend will lend a hand 'to erect a monument to at least one
member of the Hawell family whose stainless, honourable, {165} and
straightforward life will always be pointed to with pride by his
descendants.'
Joseph Hawell! the horses have gone, and the sledge has brought its
heavy burden to the home-farm; and on it are engraved two names
instead of one, for there are those who honour the son who would so
have honoured his sire. There by that mountain path they both of
them knew so well of old is the grey memorial cross set, and on it is
carved, in symbol of eternity, the endless knot their Norse
forefathers used. A simple verse is engraved at the base.
Those who pass the 'gale' for the meadows of Lonscale, to breast the
back of Blencathra, or to climb the slopes of Skiddaw, shall surely
learn that our Cumberland mountains still as of old breed men of high
purpose and noble endeavour; and that still, from following the
sheep, God calls His chosen ones by lives of kindliness, simplicity,
and straightforward goodness, to guide their brothers in the path of
duty, righteousness, and truth.
{166}
A FAMOUS YEW-TREE.
There is a passage in George Fox's _Journal_ that brings one face to
face with a brave man of God, reveals the spirit of true martyrdom,
and makes one envious of his dazzling courage:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account