第9部分(第4/7 頁)

e　sea　air　I　shall　never　know　again。　My　senses　are　dulled；　I　cannot　get　so　near　to　Nature；　I　have　a　sorry　dread　of　her　clouds；　her　winds；　and　must　walk　with　tedious　circumspection　where　once　I　ran　and　leapt　exultingly。　Were　it　possible；　but　for　one　half…hour；　to　plunge　and　bask　in　the　sunny　surf；　to　roll　on　the　silvery　sand…hills；　to　leap　from　rock　to　rock　on　shining　sea…ferns；　laughing　if　I　slipped　into　the　shallows　among　starfish　and　anemones！　I　am　much　older　in　body　than　in　mind；　I　can　but　look　at　what　I　once　enjoyed。

II

I　have　been　spending　a　week　in　Somerset。　The　right　June　weather　put　me　in　the　mind　for　rambling；　and　my　thoughts　turned　to　the　Severn　Sea。　I　went　to　Glastonbury　and　Wells；　and　on　to　Cheddar；　and　so　to　the　shore　of　the　Channel　at　Clevedon；　remembering　my　holiday　of　fifteen　years　ago；　and　too　often　losing　myself　in　a　contrast　of　the　man　I　was　then　and　what　I　am　now。　Beautiful　beyond　all　words　of　description　that　nook　of　oldest　England；　but　that　I　feared　the　moist　and　misty　winter　climate；　I　should　have　chosen　some　spot　below　the　Mendips　for　my　home　and　resting…place。　Unspeakable　the　charm　to　my　ear　of　those　old　names；　exquisite　the　quiet　of　those　little　towns；　lost　amid　tilth　and　pasture；　untouched　as　yet　by　the　fury　of　modern　life；　their　ancient　sanctuaries　guarded；　as　it　were；　by　noble　trees　and　hedges　overrun　with　flowers。　In　all　England　there　is　no　sweeter　and　more　varied　prospect　than　that　from　the　hill　of　the　Holy　Thorn　at　Glastonbury；　in　all　England　there　is　no　lovelier　musing　place　than　the　leafy　walk　beside　the　Palace　Moat　at　Wells。　As　I　think　of　the　golden　hours　I　spent　there；　a　passion　to　which　I　can　give　no　name　takes　hold　upon　me；　my　heart　trembles　with　an　indefinable　ecstasy。

There　was　a　time　of　my　life　when　I　was　cons