Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-11-14


have received the 10Th and Goth Num-
bers of a beautiful work, published in
London, called " American Scenery, or
Land, Lake and River Illustrations of
Trans atlantic Nature. Among them
there is an exquisite engraving of UN-
DERcLIrr, the country seat of General
GEORGE p. MORRIS, on the Hudson
River, just above West Point on the
opposite side. The description of the
Mansion and surrounding scenery has
been attributed to the pen of ~ p.
WILLIS, the accomplished and talented
editor of the work, and pronounced to
be his most able production in that style.
This impression is erroneous, as ,ce
kaor, that it was written by our towns
man, HENRY j. FINN, Esq. while on II
visit to General Morris. Indeed the
article itself, which we copy below, af-
fords from its graphic fidelity the most
conclusive proof that the author drew
the picture from the life Of Nature.
DERCLlFF,
THE SEAT OF GENERAL NORRIS.
The pen of The poet and the pencil of the
artist have so frequently united to record The
grandeur and sublimity of the Hudson, and
with such graphic fidelity, that little Of in
tcrest remains unsnid or unsketchcd. But
when every point of its bold and beautiful
scenery might be made the subject Of pic
ture, and every incident of its past history
the theme of poem, it requires no great re-
search to discover new and prominent objects
Of attraction. Perhaps there is no portion OF
this beautiful river which partakes more Of
tho picturesque, or combines more Of the wild
and wonderful, than the vicinity of the pre-
sent View; and when time shall touch the
history Of the present with the wand Of ira.
dition, and past events shall live in the memo
ry Of the future as legends, romance will
never revel in more bewitching rcglon.-
Fiction shall then fling its imaginative veil
over the things we have secn-covcring, but
not concealiDg them-and, in the plcniiude
Of poetic genius, people the drama of futurity
with a thousand exquisite creations, clothed
in the venertcd garb of antiquity.
UNDERCLTFF, the mansion of GENERAL
GEORGE. +. Morn which forms the princi
pal object in the engraving, is situated upon
an elevated plateau, rising from the eastern
shore of the river; and the selection of such
a commanding and beautiful position at once
decides The taste Of its intellectual proprietor.
In The rear of the villa, cultivation has placed
her fruit and forest trees with profuse hand,
and frriized the fields with variety Of
vegetable products. The extent of tho
grounds is abruptly terminated by the base
Of a rocky mountain, that rises nearly per-
pcndicular to its summit, and affords in win
| ter secure shelter from the bleak blasts OF
the north. 10 front, circle Of greenswurd is
refreshed by fountain in the centre, gush.
ing from n Grecian vase, and encirclcd by
orname ntnl shrubbery; froro thence gravel
led walk winds down gentle declvty to a
second plateau, and again descends 10 the
entrance of the carriage road, which leads
upwards along the left slope of the hill,
through noble forest, the growth Of many
years, until suddenly emerging from lis SOM
Dre shades, the visiter beholds the mansion
before him in The bright blaze Of day. A
few openings in the wood afford an opportu-
nifty 10 catch glimpse Of the water, sparkl-
ing with reflected light /; and the immediate
transition from shadow to sunshine is pecu
liarly pleasing.
Although the sunny prospects from the
villa, Of the giant mountains in their eternal
vcrdure-the noble stream, when frequent
gusts rniile its surface into a thousand waves
the cluster Of white cottages collected into
the distant village, are glorious; it is only by
the lovely light of the moon, when nature is
in repose, that their magic influence is fully
felt We were fortunate in having an oppor-
tunity TO contemplate the scene nt such an
hour: the moon had risen from mass of
clouds which formed a line across The sky so
level that fancy saw her ascending from the
dark sea, and her sivery light lay softencd
on the landscape; silence was over oil, save
where the dipping Of distant oar was echoed
from the deep shadows Of the rocks. Some
tunes the white sail Of a sloop would steal
into sight from the deep gloom, like some
shrouded split gliding from the confines of a
giants cavern, aud recalled the expressive
lines by Moore -
| The stream is like n silvery lake,
| And DER it's fhre each vessel glides
| Gently, as II IL feared To wake
The sinber al the silent tides"
| In the view of Undcrclilf. the artist has
been peculiarly happy in producing On effect
hs.ll IL