Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country: With Copious NotesWhite, John Pagen
General
Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country: With Copious Notes
White, John Pagen
Lake District (England) -- Poetry; Legends -- England -- Lake District
The causes of spirits appearing after death were generally three.
Murdered persons came again to haunt their murderers, or to obtain
justice by appearing to other persons likely to see them avenged.
Persons who had hid any treasure, were doomed to haunt the place
where that treasure was hid; as they had made a god of their wealth
in this world, the place where their treasure lay was to be their
heaven after death. If any person could speak to them, and give
them an opportunity of confessing where their treasure was hid,
they could then rest in peace, but not otherwise. Those who died
with any heavy crimes on their consciences, which they had not
confessed, were also doomed to wander on the earth at the midnight
hour.
Spirits had no power over those who did not molest them; but if
insulted, they seem to have been extremely vindictive, and to have
felt little compunction in killing the insulter. They had power to
assume any form, and to change it as often as they pleased; but
they could neither vanish nor change, while a human eye was fixed
upon them.
Midway on Windermere, below the range of islands which intersect
the lake, extends the track along which ply the Ferry boats between
the little inn on the western side and the wooded promontory on
the opposite shore. The Ferry House, with its lawn in front and
few branching sycamores, occupies a jutting area between the base
of a perpendicular cliff and the lake. Few finer prospects can be
desired than that afforded from the summit which overhangs the
Mere at this point. The summer house, which has been built for the
sake of the views it commands of the surrounding country, is a
favourite resort of lovers of the beautiful in nature, whence they
may witness, in its many aspects afar, the grandeur of the mountain
world; and near and below, the beauty of the curving shores and
wooded isles of this queen of English lakes. From the Ferry House
to the Ferry Nab, as the promontory is called, on the western
shore, is barely half a mile. It was from thence that in the dark
stormy night the Evil voice cried "Boat!" which the poor ferryman
obeyed so fatally. No passenger was there, but a sight which sent
him back with bloodless face and dumb, to die on the morrow.
THE CUCKOO IN BORRODALE.
Far within those rocky regions
Where old Scawfell's hoary legions,
Robed and capped with storms and snow,
Here like rugged Vikings towering,
There like giants grimly cowering,
Look into the vales below;
Once where Borrhy wild and fearless,
Once where Oller brave and peerless,
Hew'd the forest, cleared the vale,
Gave their names to cling for ever
Round thy dells by crag and river,
Dark and wintry Borrodale!
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account