The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-26
THE ENGLISH
LAKE DISTRICT
A Country That Has Been Seen by a
Great Americans Eyes.
The Cumbrian Peasantry-The Cumbrian Cot
tages Are the Same Now as They We're in
Wordsworth's Time Houss-Proud.


Special TO THE SUNDAY CALI.
KEswIcK England. April 10, 1S91.-It
would not be surprising thing if the Eng
fish Lake District were as well known. in
that almost measureless topography Of SEN
timent and universal geography of litera-
ture, to as many American as English
people. For, out of its tender heart have
issued countless streams of everything
thought and imagery, flowing so deep,
strong and far that they have long ago
penetrated to uttermost lands. and are as
fatherland waters to all who own the good
old Saxon tongue.
Perhaps, too, of late years it is actually
seen. at least from one beaten track through
it, by as many American as English eyes.
But our people as a rule do not know II as
Englishmen or Scotchmen or 1rishmen know
it. We hurry through it to criticize, COM
pare, analyZe, tolerate. and thus lose the
precious charm of those things which, aside
from its occasional sublimity and always ex-
quisite loneliness, make the region almost
consecrated ground. That, too, not from
barbaric ruins, hideous scars of war and
more intolerable monuments of ecelesias-
teal strifes and victories. The tenderest
of all benedction is here. The Almighty
never elsewhere fashioned the lace of the
earth in more enhancing mold. And
then, as If the fat were that still further
grace should shine from every feature,
lofty-souled men and women were born
here, or came here, and in the centuries
worshiped the God through all this tran
scendant handlwork by pouring forth their
hearts and souls in everything psalms.
Thus was the complete magic wrought, until
from MOfPcamDn Raw which pushes IN from
the Irish Sea TO cut grim Lancashire almost
IN twain, TO the %ondrouS tlde-DofeS OF SOL
way Firth over against tie land OIL burns,
you can turn your eyes scarcely upon
mountalnCr vale, lake or river, erag or taru,
rock or rivuet, forest or copse, beck or
waterfall, hamlet or home, that does notsend
thrilling through the vision to eXuitant
memory some tender asso 'iatnn with tender
life, or strike some subtle chord upon the
harp OF fadeieSS song.
Tie Scotch glory in the straths and crags
Of their Highlands and Islands; the Irish
have pathetic and mournfn pride in their
ancient Celtic and later ecclesiastical monu-
ments and an exultant pride in their Giants
CausewaY, their lone peaks OF Donegal
and COnnemara and their matehesS killar-
nry, while the English fondly fancy that,
outside of the Lake District among the
peaks and valleys of North Wales, are
scenic beauties OF surprising Splendor. But
the English Lake District is, as it were,
y
the one spot in the three Kingdoms where
gentle genI of the place are powerful
enough 10 annihilate the race bitterness of
centuries. Indeed IL is the sweet and pensive
lullaby-nest of all Britain.
IT'S GEOGRAPHY,
Ethnology and etymology may have much
10 do with this. The region, from race
standpoint, is almost neutral ground. 1t is
IN the northwestern, and all things consid-
cred, the most remote portion Of England.
Its area comprises the northern, sea-de-
tached part of Lancashire, and ali of the
important shires of Westmoreland and
Cumberland. Three sides = Its northern,
western and southern-are shut in by the
Irish Sea and estuarieS, while natural bar
rier on the eastern side is formed by the
Pennine range of hillS, which furnishes
Yorkshire, Durham and Northumbe rland
their wild and savage feIs and noors. Peo-
pied originally by Cambro-CeltS. their de-
scendants chung to region almost inaccessi-
bic in the pasr and thus sustained, from the
barbaric stone age to the golden age Of
poetry and art, few abrupt divisions and
Improvements from Roman, Danish and
early English invasionS. All influences for
change were consequently gradual and
gentle, and never markedly unequal from
the English on the east and the south, the
Irish on tile west, and the Caledonians on
the north.
During three extended visits to the
region, in which most of my time was
passed among the peasantry, there have
been found very many dissimilaritieS be-
tween these people and the peasant class
in any other portion OF England. Though
the student of books may fail to find this
apparent in the literary remains OF the
host of prose writers and poets who drew
almost their sole inspiration from the
Lake country; and though there may re-
main no evidence that these curious dis
tinctons attracted the everyday attention
Of tile men and women of genius, who so
long lived where these contrasts were con-
stantly apparent; the Interesting TACT still
remains that Cumbrian men and women, as
all the inhabitants of North Lancashire,
Cumberland and WestmOreland are gen.
orally called, are almost as different from
other Iowly English folk in traditions,
superstitions, manners, customs, and par
ticularly in vernacuiar. as are those of
Wales, who so periodically treasure every
vestige OF their ancient Cymric life
and tongue. The Scotch are most
kindly disposed to their Cumbrian
brethren across the Solway, for they know
that in their veins flows an admiXture Of
Caledonian blood. The irish across the
narrow channel are Drawn to them as to the
Welsh, because the Cumbrians have with
the Irish and Welsh common Celtic parent
age, The region is English through centu-
ries of domination and gradual absorption
OF English nationality. Something as the
HighlamderS are to Scotland and as are the
Donegal and Counemara HighlaDders TO
Ireland the Cumbrlans stand to the rest OF
England as type Of mdependent, half-def-
ant folk, whose simplicity, piety, hardwood
and solidarity compel
GENUINE ADMIRATION AND RESPECT
Ii chronological reasons, though but half
consciously recognized. render the English
Lake District common ground Of delight for
all British natiOnalities, the distinctive.
status and character oil its peasantry GER
tainly give it an added charm to the traveller
vail
tains and rocks. The larger proportion of
the rural population, or dalesmen, are the
families OF statesmen" or men owning
and farming their tiny pieces of land.
These have come down 10 them intact from
baronial times. In those old days the bor-
der incursions from Scotland taxed to the
utmost the wits and resource OF the north
ern barons. To provide and retain re-
auired forces for their often sore needs,
the system of parcellng. out the land, in
fee, and enfranehising the vllleln retainerS
to whom they were given, was resorted to.
More fortunate than the poor clansmen of
the Scottish Highlands, whom the decay of
the clan system barbar0usly drove from
their homes and soil, the decay Of ieudalism
left these Cumbrian Statesmen" the actual
possessors of the soil. Many of their little
estates" have been gradually swallowed
up by the nobility, and by rich men who
have become mighty land-nolders in the
Lake region. But there are thousands re-
manning VINO tO-uay occupy Tie very same
parcels of ground, defined by the Identical
metes and bounds, possessed by their yiilein
ancestors of hundreds of years ago.
They have stood STILL" They have sus-
tanned little encrOachment. have found
''statesmen's" houses III remote glens, all
the way from the Solway to Moreeambe Bay,
where can be traced the entire series Of
eyolutions in habitations from cell quar-
ried out of the mountain side to the half-
modern. heavily built, rock-thatched Cum
brian cottage. Along the Solway Firth, at
these SO old that carvings and affairs dug
from the nearly 1700-year- old Roman wall
of Seyerus are built into fireplaces and out
side walls. OF these dalesmen's cottages
Wordsworth, himself born among them.
says: Hence buildings. which Ia their very
form call to mind the processes of nature,
do thus, clothed in part with vegetable