Landor's Cottage by Edgar Allan Poe
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Landor's cottage

a pendant to " the domain of Arnheim"

by Edgar Allan Poe

during a pedestrian trip last summer, through one_or_two of_the river counties of New_York, I_found myself, as_the day declined, somewhat embarrassed about_the road i_was pursuing . the land undulated very remarkably; and my path, for_the_last hour, had wound about and about so confusedly, in its effort to_keep in_the valleys, that I no longer knew in what direction lay the sweet village of B-, where I had determined to stop for_the night . the sun had scarcely shone -- strictly speaking -- during the day, which nevertheless, had_been unpleasantly warm .a smoky mist, resembling that of_the Indian summer, enveloped all things, and of_course, added to my uncertainty . not that I cared much about_the_matter . if I_did_not hit upon_the village before sunset, or even before dark, it_was more than possible that a little Dutch farmhouse, or something of_that kind, would soon make its appearance -- although, in_fact, the neighborhood ( perhaps on account of being more picturesque than fertile) was very sparsely inhabited . at all events, with my knapsack for a pillow, and my hound as a sentry, a bivouac in_the open air was just the thing which would_have amused me .I sauntered on, therefore, quite at ease -- Ponto taking charge of_my gun -- until at_length, just as I had begun to consider whether the numerous little glades that led hither and thither, were intended to_be paths at all, i_was conducted by one_of_them into an unquestionable carriage track . there could_be no mistaking it . the traces of light wheels were evident; and although the tall shrubberies and overgrown undergrowth met overhead, there_was no obstruction whatever below, even to_the passage of aVirginian mountain wagon -- the most aspiring vehicle, I take it, of_its kind . the road, however, except in being open through_the wood -- if wood be not too weighty a name for such an assemblage of light trees -- and except in_the particulars of evident wheel-tracks -- bore no resemblance to any road I had before seen . the tracks of_which I speak were but faintly perceptible -- having been impressed upon_the firm, yet pleasantly moist surface of -- what looked more like green Genoese velvet than any thing else . it_was grass, clearly -- but grass such as_we seldom see out of England -- so short, so thick, so even, and so vivid in color . not a single impediment lay in_the wheel- route -- not even a chip or dead twig . the stones that once obstructed the way had_been carefully placed -- not thrown- along the sides of_the lane, so as_to define its boundaries at bottom with a kind of half- precise, half- negligent, and wholly picturesque definition .Clumps of wild flowers grew everywhere, luxuriantly, in_the interspaces .

what to_make of all this, of_course I_knew not . here was art undoubtedly -- that did_not surprise me -- all roads, in_the ordinary sense, are works of art; nor can I_say that there_was much to wonder at in_the mere excess of art manifested; all that seemed to_have_been done, might_have_been done here -- with_such natural " capabilities" ( as_they_have it in_the books on landscape Gardening) -- with very little labor and expense . no; it_was not the amount but the character of_the art which caused me to_take a seat on one_of_the blossomy stones and gaze up and down this fairy -- like avenue for half an hour or more in bewildered admiration . one_thing became more and more evident the longer I gazed: an artist, and one with a most scrupulous eye for form, had superintended all these arrangements . the greatest care had_been taken to preserve a due medium between_the neat and graceful on_the one hand, and_the pittoresque, in_the true sense of_the Italian term, on_the other . there were few straight, and no long uninterrupted lines . the same effect of curvature or of color appeared twice, usually, but not oftener, at any_one point of view . everywhere was variety in uniformity . it_was a piece of " composition," in_which_the most fastidiously critical taste could scarcely have suggested an emendation .

I had turned to_the right as I entered this road, and now, arising, I continued in_the same direction . the path was so serpentine, that at no moment could I trace its course for more than two_or_three paces in advance . its character did_not undergo any material change .

presently the murmur of water fell gently upon my ear -- and in a few_moments afterward, as I turned with_the road somewhat more abruptly than hitherto, I became aware that a building of some kind lay at_the foot of a gentle declivity just before me .I could_see nothing distinctly on account of_the mist which occupied all the little valley below .a gentle breeze, however, now arose, as_the sun was about descending; and while I remained standing on_the brow of_the slope, the fog gradually became dissipated into wreaths, and so floated over the scene .

as it came fully into view -- thus gradually as I describe it -- piece by piece, here a tree, there a glimpse of water, and here again the summit of a chimney, I_could scarcely help fancying that_the whole was one_of_the ingenious illusions sometimes exhibited under the name of "vanishing pictures ."

by_the_time, however, that_the fog had thoroughly disappeared, the sun had made its way down behind the gentle hills, and thence, as it with a slight chassez to_the south, had come again fully into sight, glaring with a purplish lustre through a chasm that entered the valley from_the west . suddenly, therefore -- and as_if by_the hand of magic -- this whole valley and every thing in_it became brilliantly visible .

the first coup d'oeil, as_the sun slid into_the position described, impressed me very_much as I_have_been impressed, when a boy, by_the concluding scene of some well- arranged theatrical spectacle or melodrama . not even the monstrosity of color was wanting; for_the sunlight came out through_the chasm, tinted all orange and purple; while the vivid green of_the grass in_the valley was reflected more or less upon all objects from_the curtain of vapor that still hung overhead, as_if loth to_take its total departure from ascene so enchantingly beautiful .

the little vale into which I thus peered down from under the fog canopy could_not have_been more than four hundred yards long; while in breadth it varied from fifty to one hundred and fifty or perhaps two hundred . it_was most narrow at its northern extremity, opening out as it tended southwardly, but with no very precise regularity . the widest portion was within eighty yards of_the southern extreme . the slopes which encompassed the vale could_not fairly be called hills, unless at their northern face . here a precipitous ledge of granite arose to a height of some ninety feet; and, as I_have mentioned, the valley at_this point was not more than fifty feet wide; but as_the visiter proceeded southwardly from_the cliff, he_found on_his right hand and on_his left, declivities at once less high, less precipitous, and less rocky . all, in a word, sloped and softened to_the south; and yet the whole vale was engirdled by eminences, more or less high, except at two points . one_of_these I_have already spoken of . it lay considerably to_the north of west, and was where the setting sun made its way, as I_have before described, into_the amphitheatre, through a cleanly cut natural cleft in_the granite embankment; this fissure might_have_been ten yards wide at its widest point, so_far as_the eye could trace it . it seemed to lead up, up like a natural causeway, into_the recesses of unexplored mountains and forests . the other opening was directly at_the southern end of_the vale . here, generally, the slopes were nothing more than gentle inclinations, extending from east to west about one hundred and fifty yards . in_the middle of_this extent was a depression, level with_the ordinary floor of_the valley . as regards vegetation, as_well as in respect to every thing else, the scene softened and sloped to_the south . to_the north -- on_the craggy precipice -- a few paces from_the verge -- up sprang the magnificent trunks of numerous hickories, black walnuts, and chestnuts, interspersed with occasional oak, and_the strong lateral branches thrown out by_the walnuts especially, spread far over the edge of_the cliff .Proceeding southwardly, the explorer saw, at first, the same class of trees, but less_and_less lofty and Salvatorish in character; then he_saw the gentler elm, succeeded by_the sassafras and locust -- these again by_the softer linden, red- bud, catalpa, and maple -- these yet again by still more graceful and more modest varieties . the whole face of_the southern declivity was covered with wild shrubbery alone -- an occasional silver willow or white poplar excepted . in_the bottom of_the valley itself -- ( for_it must_be borne in mind that_the vegetation hitherto mentioned grew only on_the cliffs or hillsides) -- were to_be seen three insulated trees . one was an elm of fine size and exquisite form: it stood guard over the southern gate of_the vale . another was a hickory, much larger than_the elm, and altogether a much finer tree, although both were exceedingly beautiful: it seemed to_have taken charge of_the northwestern entrance, springing from a group of rocks in_the very jaws of_the ravine, and throwing its graceful body, at an angle of nearly forty-five degrees, far out into_the sunshine of_the amphitheatre . about thirty yards east of_this tree stood, however, the pride of_the valley, and beyond all question the most magnificent tree I_have ever seen, unless, perhaps, among_the cypresses of_the Itchiatuckanee . it_was a triple -- stemmed tulip- tree -- the Liriodendron Tulipiferum -- one_of_the natural order of magnolias . its three trunks separated from_the parent at about three feet from_the soil, and diverging very slightly and gradually, were_not more than four feet apart at_the point where the largest stem shot out into foliage: this_was at an elevation of about eighty feet . the whole height of_the principal division was one hundred and twenty feet . nothing can surpass in beauty the form, or the glossy, vivid green of_the leaves of_the tulip- tree . in_the present instance they were fully eight inches wide; but their glory was altogether eclipsed by_the gorgeous splendor of_the profuse blossoms . conceive, closely congregated, a million of_the largest and most resplendent tulips ! only thus can the reader get any idea of_the picture i_would convey . and then the stately grace of_the clean, delicately -- granulated columnar stems, the largest four feet in diameter, at twenty from_the ground . the innumerable blossoms, mingling with those of other trees scarcely less beautiful, although infinitely less majestic, filled the valley with more than Arabian perfumes .

the general floor of_the amphitheatre was grass of_the same character as_that I had found in_the road; if anything, more deliciously soft, thick, velvety, and miraculously green . it_was hard to conceive how all this beauty had_been attained .

I_have spoken of two openings into_the vale . from_the one to_the northwest issued a rivulet, which came, gently murmuring and slightly foaming, down the ravine, until it dashed against the group of rocks out of_which sprang the insulated hickory . here, after encircling the tree, it passed on a little to_the north of east, leaving the tulip tree some twenty feet to_the south, and making no decided alteration in its course until it came near the midway between_the eastern and western boundaries of_the valley . at_this point, after a series of sweeps, it turned off at right angles and pursued a generally southern direction meandering as it went -- until it became lost in a small lake of irregular figure ( although roughly oval), that lay gleaming near the lower extremity of_the vale . this lakelet was, perhaps, a hundred yards in diameter at its widest part . no crystal could_be clearer than its waters . its bottom, which could_be distinctly seen, consisted altogether, of pebbles brilliantly white . its banks, of_the emerald grass already described, rounded, rather than sloped, off into_the clear heaven below; and so clear was_this heaven, so perfectly, at times, did it reflect all objects above it, that where the true bank ended and where the mimic one commenced, it_was a point of no little difficulty to determine . the trout, and some other varieties of fish, with_which this pond seemed to_be almost inconveniently crowded, had all the appearance of veritable flying- fish . it_was almost impossible to_believe that_they were_not absolutely suspended in_the air .a light birch canoe that lay placidly on_the water, was reflected in its minutest fibres with a fidelity unsurpassed by_the most exquisitely polished mirror .a small island, fairly laughing with flowers in full bloom, and affording little more space than just enough for a picturesque little building, seemingly a fowl- house -- arose from_the lake not far from its northern shore -- to_which it_was connected by_means of an inconceivably light -- looking and yet very primitive bridge . it_was formed of a single, broad and thick plank of_the tulip wood . this_was forty feet long, and spanned the interval between shore and shore with a slight but very perceptible arch, preventing all oscillation . from_the southern extreme of_the lake issued a continuation of_the rivulet, which, after meandering for, perhaps, thirty yards, finally passed through_the " depression" ( already described) in_the middle of_the southern declivity, and tumbling down a sheer precipice of a hundred feet, made its devious and unnoticed way to_the Hudson .

the lake was deep -- at some points thirty feet -- but the rivulet seldom exceeded three, while its greatest width was about eight . its bottom and banks were as_those of_the pond -- if adefect could_have_been attributed, in point of picturesqueness, it was_that of excessive neatness .

the expanse of_the green turf was relieved, here and there, by an occasional showy shrub, such as_the hydrangea, or the common snowball, or the aromatic seringa; or, more frequently, by a clump of geraniums blossoming gorgeously in great varieties . these latter grew in pots which were

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