He describes Middle Mill just as it is situated8: “At the back of the mill was an orchard9, where the pink and red cider apples looked pleasant—they could not look sweet. Beyond the orchard was a piggery, and then you came to the bed of a stream, which was dry in summer, save for a[5] little green damp among the stones, by the side of which was a coppice of alder-trees, and behind the alders10 a dark, deep wood, into which you might peer all a summer’s day and dream boundless11 things.”
The only objection that can be taken to the verisimilitude of this description is the reference to the cider apples. As a matter of fact, they do look sweet—and are not. The novelist refers to the richly ruddy “Devonshire reds,” whose beautiful colour presupposes in the mind of strangers to cider-apples a fruit luxuriously12 sweet and juicy. Devonshire farmers take little care to fence their cider-apples from the stranger, who steals and tastes as a rule only one, finding with[6] the first bite that sweetness is by no means necessarily housed within that captivating exterior13.
The story is one of smuggling14 and of rival loves. At Middle Mill lived the miserly Joshua Meech, whose unrequited affection for Pleasance Noel, and whose revengeful jealousy15, bring about all the trouble. To punish him for his betrayal of his friends to the Revenue Officers, Pleasance by night steals eight bags of his hoarded16 wealth from under the hearthstone, where Joshua kept his domestic bank, and hides them under the millwheel. The wheel “stood there, under a broad, sloping penthouse of heavy thatch3, which made it dark in the brightest day”; and so you may find it, exactly as described, except that the penthouse is tiled, and not thatched.
The actual coast, for the six miles between Lyme Regis and Seaton is a roadless, and in parts an almost trackless, stretch of strenuous17 clambering among rocks and tangled19 thickets20; among landslips old and new, and undercliffs overgrown with such a wilderness21 of trees and shrubs22 and bracken, and blackberry brakes as only Devon can produce. But for all these difficulties, perhaps because of them, the way is preferable to the hard high road that goes, a little way inland. Here, at least, “exploration” is no straining after effect, no misuse23 of the word.
When you have left the Cobb at Lyme Regis behind and passed the coastguard station, you have come to sheer wildness; the deserted24 cement works, standing25 amid a waste of wrecked26[7] earthy cliffs, themselves forming a not inappropriate prelude27 to the perfect abandonment of nature. Here the low promontory28 of Devonshire Point ends the Ware29 Cliffs; and the tangle18, with the gaping30 fissures31 between the rock and earth half hidden by grass and bushes, becomes so nearly impenetrable as to render a retreat up along the boulders32 into Holmbush Fields absolutely necessary; Holmbush Fields, with their rustic33 stiles and hedgerow timber, and the winding34 footpath35 across, giving a sober and graceful36 interlude; and then you come upon a mile or so of wonderful pathway, roughly shaped amid the wild jungle that here has overgrown a tract37 of oozy38 and boggy39 undercliff, formed by a century or more of continual landslides40. There surely is no more beautiful wilderness of the particular type in England, than this: a very great deal of its beauty being due to the happy circumstance that neither Lyme Regis nor Seaton are as yet large enough to admit of it being overrun. Hardy41 pioneers have beaten out the devious42 pathway, and the few who have followed in their footsteps have kept it from being again overgrown. Spring—the month of May—is the ideal time for this part of the coast; when the birds have again wakened to song, and the young foliage43 is tender and the landsprings have not been dried up.
Even the pioneers have not made all the way easy; for you come at last to what Devonshire people call “zoggy plaaces,” where the willow44 and hazel bushes stand in mossy ground, and the[8] primroses45 grow an unwonted size, by reason of the excessive moisture. Here you must calculate every step and nicely test the mossy hummocks46 before fully47 trusting them; finally emerging upon an open plain midway between the sea below and tall cliffs above; a plain where rocks of every shape and size have been hurled48 down in extraordinary confusion. Here the explorer requires not a little of the suppleness49 and agility50 of the chamois, and growing at last weary of bounding hazardously51 from crag to crag, climbs with extraordinary labour, past monstrous52 grey, ivy-grown spires53 and pinnacles54 of limestone55, up a winding footpath in the face of the cliff, to where the Whitlands Coastguard station looks down upon the tumbled scene. From this point the coastguard-path lies along the cliffs’ edge, to where the cliffs die down to the waterside in the deep coombe in whose woods the sea comes lapping at Charton Bay. Here a limekiln, that looks romantic enough for a castle, stands on the beach, with the dense56 woods climbing backwards57, and on the skyline the roofs and tower and chimneys of Rousdon.
Rousdon is a remarkable58 place. It shows you what may be done in the wholesale59 grocery way of business, for the estate was enclosed, and the great mansion60 built by Sir Henry Peek61, between 1871 and 1883. When that wealthy baronet set about becoming a landed proprietor62 here, he found a wild expanse stretching down from the high land by the main road between[9] Lyme and Seaton, toward the sea, and he enclosed some two hundred and fifty acres, and on the upper part built a magnificent house, whose beauties we will not stop to describe in this place, because, if a beginning were made with it, and the collections of various sorts within, it would be no easy task to conclude. He found here, amid these solitudes63, the ruinous little church of St. Pancras, of Rousdon, used as the outhouse of a farm. Its rector was an absentee, not greatly needed, for the entire parish numbered but sixteen persons, all employed on the farm itself. A new church[10] was built in the grounds, and a member of the Peek family appointed rector; and thus we see the remarkable spectacle of a parish as self-contained as any box of sardines64; with the whole of the inhabitants employed upon the estate, and free trade in religion abolished. I think no monarchy65 is quite so absolute.
A remarkable feature of Rousdon mansion is the extensive use, internally, of Sicilian marble. The great staircase, and other portions of the house are built of it, and a beautiful dairy is wholly decorated with this material. It came here in a romantic and wholly unexpected way; having been the cargo66 of a ship wrecked on the rocks off Rousdon at the time when plans for the building were being made.
By more undercliff footpaths67 you come at length, through the steamy hollows of Rousdon, to that “lion” of this district, the great Dowlands landslip, an immense wedge of cliff and agricultural land that on the Christmas night of 1839 suddenly parted its moorings with the mainland and made for the sea, halting before quite immersing itself, and ever since presenting the extraordinary spectacle of a jagged gorge68 winding between two sheer walls of cliff, with weird69 isolated70 limestone pillars, from one to two hundred feet in height, thrusting up here and there. It is the Landscape of Dream, and only saved from being that of nightmare by the soft beauty of the enshrouding verdure that has clothed the place since then. The well-known landslip in the Isle71 of Wight is[11] altogether smaller and inferior to this: and more hackneyed.
The cause of this extraordinary happening is found in the geological features of this immediate72 neighbourhood; the limestone and other rock resting on a deep stratum73 of sand, which in its turn was based on blue clay. Springs percolating74 through the sand were probably obstructed75, and the water found its way in unusual quantities to the blue clay, which in course of time became one vast butterslide, and thus brought about a landslip that engulfed76 fields and orchards77, and sunk two cottages, unharmed fortunately, to a level one hundred and seventy feet lower than they had before occupied.
A charge of sixpence is attempted at a farm at the Seaton end, to view this remarkable place, and it is worth an entrance-fee; but explorers coming from Lyme Regis are not unlikely to stumble into the place, unaware78; and in any case the attempt is an impudent79 and illegal imposition, for the question of free access was fought out successfully some years ago by the Lyme Regis corporation.
Word-painting is all very well as a pastime, but the result makes poor reading. We will, therefore, not emulate80 the local guide-books; which, to be sure, transcend81 the descriptive art so greatly as to come out at the other end, as works of unconscious humour. Thus, when in those pages we read of “Dame Nature,” and “Old Father Time,” working these miracles of landslides,[12] we get a mental picture of a stupendous old couple that fairly takes the breath away. Moreover, the scene is compared with “the island home of Robinson Crusoe,” and likened to “the wildness of Salvator Rosa or the fairy scenes of Claude,” while “the huge boulders you can convert into sphinxes,” and find “deep and thickly wooded dingles, in which lions and tigers could lurk82 unseen.” Still more, we read: “If you give full scope to your imagination, you may fancy that the pale moonlight would inhabit the ruins with the spirits of those who lived in the ages of mythology83.” In short, if these directions are faithfully followed, and these lions and tigers and these spirits of mythological84 creatures—the[13] “Mrs. Harrises” of ancient times—are duly conjured85 up, the too-imaginative explorer is likely to emerge fully qualified86 for a lunatic asylum87.
The exceptional beauty of the scene does not require any of these fantastical aids to appreciation88, and the hoar ivied rocks, the fairy glades89, the brakes and willow woods are sufficient in themselves.
The mile-long beauty of the great Dowlands Landslip having been traversed, the way lies across the down over Haven90 Cliff, the striking headland that shuts in Seaton from the east.
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1 ponderously | |
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2 revolving | |
adj.旋转的,轮转式的;循环的v.(使)旋转( revolve的现在分词 );细想 | |
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3 thatch | |
vt.用茅草覆盖…的顶部;n.茅草(屋) | |
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4 picturesque | |
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 | |
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5 sketch | |
n.草图;梗概;素描;v.素描;概述 | |
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6 irresistibly | |
adv.无法抵抗地,不能自持地;极为诱惑人地 | |
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7 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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8 situated | |
adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
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9 orchard | |
n.果园,果园里的全部果树,(美俚)棒球场 | |
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10 alders | |
n.桤木( alder的名词复数 ) | |
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11 boundless | |
adj.无限的;无边无际的;巨大的 | |
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12 luxuriously | |
adv.奢侈地,豪华地 | |
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13 exterior | |
adj.外部的,外在的;表面的 | |
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14 smuggling | |
n.走私 | |
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15 jealousy | |
n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 | |
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16 hoarded | |
v.积蓄并储藏(某物)( hoard的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17 strenuous | |
adj.奋发的,使劲的;紧张的;热烈的,狂热的 | |
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18 tangle | |
n.纠缠;缠结;混乱;v.(使)缠绕;变乱 | |
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19 tangled | |
adj. 纠缠的,紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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20 thickets | |
n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 );丛状物 | |
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21 wilderness | |
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠 | |
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22 shrubs | |
灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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23 misuse | |
n.误用,滥用;vt.误用,滥用 | |
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24 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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25 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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26 wrecked | |
adj.失事的,遇难的 | |
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27 prelude | |
n.序言,前兆,序曲 | |
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28 promontory | |
n.海角;岬 | |
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29 ware | |
n.(常用复数)商品,货物 | |
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30 gaping | |
adj.口的;张口的;敞口的;多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 );张开,张大 | |
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31 fissures | |
n.狭长裂缝或裂隙( fissure的名词复数 );裂伤;分歧;分裂v.裂开( fissure的第三人称单数 ) | |
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32 boulders | |
n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 );巨砾;(受水或天气侵蚀而成的)巨石;漂砾 | |
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33 rustic | |
adj.乡村的,有乡村特色的;n.乡下人,乡巴佬 | |
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34 winding | |
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
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35 footpath | |
n.小路,人行道 | |
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36 graceful | |
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的 | |
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37 tract | |
n.传单,小册子,大片(土地或森林) | |
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38 oozy | |
adj.软泥的 | |
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39 boggy | |
adj.沼泽多的 | |
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40 landslides | |
山崩( landslide的名词复数 ); (山坡、悬崖等的)崩塌; 滑坡; (竞选中)一方选票占压倒性多数 | |
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41 hardy | |
adj.勇敢的,果断的,吃苦的;耐寒的 | |
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42 devious | |
adj.不坦率的,狡猾的;迂回的,曲折的 | |
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43 foliage | |
n.叶子,树叶,簇叶 | |
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44 willow | |
n.柳树 | |
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45 primroses | |
n.报春花( primrose的名词复数 );淡黄色;追求享乐(招至恶果) | |
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46 hummocks | |
n.小丘,岗( hummock的名词复数 ) | |
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47 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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48 hurled | |
v.猛投,用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 );大声叫骂 | |
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49 suppleness | |
柔软; 灵活; 易弯曲; 顺从 | |
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50 agility | |
n.敏捷,活泼 | |
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51 hazardously | |
adv.冒险地,有危险地 | |
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52 monstrous | |
adj.巨大的;恐怖的;可耻的,丢脸的 | |
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53 spires | |
n.(教堂的) 塔尖,尖顶( spire的名词复数 ) | |
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54 pinnacles | |
顶峰( pinnacle的名词复数 ); 顶点; 尖顶; 小尖塔 | |
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55 limestone | |
n.石灰石 | |
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56 dense | |
a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的 | |
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57 backwards | |
adv.往回地,向原处,倒,相反,前后倒置地 | |
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58 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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59 wholesale | |
n.批发;adv.以批发方式;vt.批发,成批出售 | |
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60 mansion | |
n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
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61 peek | |
vi.偷看,窥视;n.偷偷的一看,一瞥 | |
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62 proprietor | |
n.所有人;业主;经营者 | |
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63 solitudes | |
n.独居( solitude的名词复数 );孤独;荒僻的地方;人迹罕至的地方 | |
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64 sardines | |
n. 沙丁鱼 | |
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65 monarchy | |
n.君主,最高统治者;君主政体,君主国 | |
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66 cargo | |
n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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67 footpaths | |
人行小径,人行道( footpath的名词复数 ) | |
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68 gorge | |
n.咽喉,胃,暴食,山峡;v.塞饱,狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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69 weird | |
adj.古怪的,离奇的;怪诞的,神秘而可怕的 | |
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70 isolated | |
adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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71 isle | |
n.小岛,岛 | |
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72 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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73 stratum | |
n.地层,社会阶层 | |
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74 percolating | |
n.渗透v.滤( percolate的现在分词 );渗透;(思想等)渗透;渗入 | |
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75 obstructed | |
阻塞( obstruct的过去式和过去分词 ); 堵塞; 阻碍; 阻止 | |
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76 engulfed | |
v.吞没,包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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77 orchards | |
(通常指围起来的)果园( orchard的名词复数 ) | |
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78 unaware | |
a.不知道的,未意识到的 | |
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79 impudent | |
adj.鲁莽的,卑鄙的,厚颜无耻的 | |
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80 emulate | |
v.努力赶上或超越,与…竞争;效仿 | |
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81 transcend | |
vt.超出,超越(理性等)的范围 | |
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82 lurk | |
n.潜伏,潜行;v.潜藏,潜伏,埋伏 | |
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83 mythology | |
n.神话,神话学,神话集 | |
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84 mythological | |
adj.神话的 | |
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85 conjured | |
用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 ); 祈求,恳求; 变戏法; (变魔术般地) 使…出现 | |
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86 qualified | |
adj.合格的,有资格的,胜任的,有限制的 | |
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87 asylum | |
n.避难所,庇护所,避难 | |
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88 appreciation | |
n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨 | |
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89 glades | |
n.林中空地( glade的名词复数 ) | |
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90 haven | |
n.安全的地方,避难所,庇护所 | |
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