THE　SKETCH　BOOK
  RURAL　LIFE　IN　ENGLAND
  by　Washington　Irving
  Oh！　friendly　to　the　best　pursuits　of　man；
  Friendly　to　thought；　to　virtue；　and　to　peace；
  Domestic　life　in　rural　pleasures　past！
  COWPER。
  THE　stranger　who　would　form　a　correct　opinion　of　the　English
  character　must　not　confine　his　observations　to　the　metropolis。　He　must
  go　forth　into　the　country；　he　must　sojourn　in　villages　and　hamlets；　he
  must　visit　castles；　villas；　farm…houses；　cottages；　he　must　wander
  through　parks　and　gardens；　along　hedges　and　green　lanes；　he　must
  loiter　about　country　churches；　attend　wakes　and　fairs；　and　other　rural
  festivals；　and　cope　with　the　people　in　all　their　conditions　and　all
  their　habits　and　humors。
  In　some　countries　the　large　cities　absorb　the　wealth　and　fashion
  of　the　nation；　they　are　the　only　fixed　abodes　of　elegant　and
  intelligent　society；　and　the　country　is　inhabited　almost　entirely　by
  boorish　peasantry。　In　England；　on　the　contrary；　the　metropolis　is　a
  mere　gathering…place；　or　general　rendezvous；　of　the　polite　classes；
  where　they　devote　a　small　portion　of　the　year　to　a　hurry　of　gayety　and
  dissipation；　and；　having　indulged　this　kind　of　carnival；　return
  again　to　the　apparently　more　congenial　habits　of　rural　life。　The
  various　orders　of　society　are　therefore　diffused　over　the　whole
  surface　of　the　kingdom；　and　the　most　retired　neighborhoods　afford
  specimens　of　the　different　ranks。
  The　English；　in　fact；　are　strongly　gifted　with　the　rural　feeling。
  They　possess　a　quick　sensibility　to　the　beauties　of　nature；　and　a　keen
  relish　for　the　pleasures　and　employments　of　the　country。　This
  passion　seems　inherent　in　them。　Even　the　inhabitants　of　cities；　born
  and　brought　up　among　brick　walls　and　bustling　streets；　enter　with
  facility　into　rural　habits；　evince　a　tact　for　rural　occupation。　The
  merchant　has　his　snug　retreat　in　the　vicinity　of　the　metropolis；　where
  he　often　displays　as　much　pride　and　zeal　in　the　cultivation　of　his
  flower…garden；　and　the　maturing　of　his　fruits；　as　he　does　in　the
  conduct　of　his　business；　and　the　success　of　a　commercial　enterprise。
  Even　those　less　fortunate　individuals；　who　are　doomed　to　pass　their
  lives　in　the　midst　of　din　and　traffic；　contrive　to　have　something　that
  shall　remind　them　of　the　green　aspect　of　nature。　In　the　most　dark
  and　dingy　quarters　of　the　city；　the　drawing…room　window　resembles
  frequently　a　bank　of　flowers；　every　spot　capable　of　vegetation　has　its
  grassplot　and　flower…bed；　and　every　square　its　mimic　park；　laid　out
  with　picturesque　taste；　and　gleaming　with　refreshing　verdure。
  Those　who　see　the　Englishman　only　in　town　are　apt　to　form　an
  unfavorable　opinion　of　his　social　character。　He　is　either　absorbed
  in　business；　or　distracted　by　the　thousand　engagements　that
  dissipate　time；　thought；　and　feeling；　in　this　huge　metropolis。　He　has；
  therefore；　too　commonly　a　look　of　hurry　and　abstraction。　Wherever　he
  happens　to　be；　he　is　on　the　point　of　going　somewhere　else；　at　the
  moment　he　is　talking　on　one　subject；　his　mind　is　wandering　to　another；
  and　while　paying　a　friendly　visit；　he　is　calculating　how　he　shall
  economize　time　so　as　to　pay　the　other　visits　allotted　in　the
  morning。　An　immense　metropolis；　like　London；　is　calculated　to　make　men
  selfish　and　uninteresting。　In　their　casual　and　transient　meetings；
  they　can　but　deal　briefly　in　commonplaces。　They　present　but　the　cold
  superficies　of　character…　its　rich　and　genial　qualities　have　no　time
  to　be　warmed　into　a　flow。
  It　is　in　the　country　that　the　Englishman　gives　scope　to　his
  natural　feelings。　He　breaks　loose　gladly　from　the　cold　formalities　and
  negative　civilities　of　town；　throws　off　his　habits　of　shy　reserve；　and
  becomes　joyous　and　free…hearted。　He　manages　to　collect　round　him　all
  the　conveniences　and　elegancies　of　polite　life；　and　to　banish　its
  restraints。　His　country…seat　abounds　with　every　requisite；　either
  for　studious　retirement；　tasteful　gratification；　or　rural　exercise。
  Books；　paintings；　music；　horses；　dogs；　and　sporting　implements　of
  all　kinds；　are　at　hand。　He　puts　no　constraint　either　upon　his　guests
  or　himself；　but　in　the　true　spirit　of　hospitality　provides　the　means
  of　enjoyment；　and　leaves　every　one　to　partake　according　to　his
  inclination。
  The　taste　of　the　English　in　the　cultivation　of　land；　and　in　what
  is　called　landscape　gardening；　is　unrivalled。　They　have　studied　nature
  intently；　and　discover　an　exquisite　sense　of　her　beautiful　forms　and
  harmonious　combinations。　Those　charms；　which　in　other　countries　she
  lavishes　in　wild　solitudes；　are　here　assembled　round　the　haunts　of
  domestic　life。　They　seem　to　have　caught　her　coy　and　furtive　graces；
  and　spread　them；　like　witchery；　about　their　rural　abodes。
  Nothing　can　be　more　imposing　than　the　magnificence　of　English　park
  scenery。　Vast　lawns　that　extend　like　sheets　of　vivid　green；　with
  here　and　there　clumps　of　gigantic　trees；　heaping　up　rich　piles　of
  foliage：　the　solemn　pomp　of　groves　and　woodland　glades；　with　the
  deer　trooping　in　silent　herds　across　them；　the　hare；　bounding　away
  to　the　covert；　or　the　pheasant；　suddenly　bursting　upon　the　wing；　the
  brook；　taught　to　wind　in　natural　meanderings　or　expand　into　a　glassy
  lake；　the　sequestered　pool；　reflecting　the　quivering　trees；　with　the
  yellow　leaf　sleeping　on　its　bosom；　and　the　trout　roaming　fearlessly
  about　its　limpid　waters；　while　some　rustic　temple　or　sylvan　statue；
  grown　green　and　dank　with　age；　gives　an　air　of　classic　sanctity　to　the
  seclusion。
  These　are　but　a　few　of　the　features　of　park　scenery；　but　what　most
  delights　me；　is　the　creative　talent　with　which　the　English　decorate
  the　unostentatious　abodes　of　middle　life。　The　rudest　habitation；　the
  most　unpromising　and　scanty　portion　of　land；　in　the　hands　of　an
  Englishman　of　taste；　becomes　a　little　paradise。　With　a　nicely
  discriminating　eye；　he　seizes　at　once　upon　its　capabilities；　and
  pictures　in　his　mind　the　future　landscape。　The　sterile　spot　grows　into
  loveliness　under　his　hand；　and　yet　the　operations　of　art　which　produce
  the　effect　are　scarcely　to　be　perceived。　The　cherishing　and　training
  of　some　trees；　the　cautious　pruning　of　others；　the　nice　distribution
  of　flowers　and　plants　of　tender　and　graceful　foliage；　the　introduction
  of　a　green　slope　of　velvet　turf；　the　partial　opening　to　a　peep　of　blue
  distance；　or　silver　gleam　of　water：　all　these　are　managed　with　a
  delicate　tact；　a　pervading　yet　quiet　assiduity；　like　the　magic
  touchings　with　which　a　painter　finishes　up　a　favorite　picture。
  The　residence　of　people　of　fortune　and　refinement　in　the　country　has
  diffused　a　degree　of　taste　and　elegance　in　rural　economy；　that
  descends　to　the　lowest　class。　The　very　laborer；　with　his　thatched
  cottage　and　narrow　slip　of　ground；　attends　to　their　embellishment。　The
  trim　hedge；　the　grassplot　before　the　door；　the　little　flower…bed
  bordered　with　snug　box；　the　woodbine　trained　up　against　the　wall；
  and　hanging　its　blossoms　about　the　lattice；　the　pot　of　flowers　in
  the　window；　the　holly；　providently　planted　about　the　house；　to　cheat
  winter　of　its　dreariness；　and　to　throw　in　a　semblance　of　green
  summer　to　cheer　the　fireside：　all　these　bespeak　the　influence　of
  taste；　flowing　down　from　high　sources；　and　pervading　the　lowest　levels
  of　the　public　mind。　If　ever　Love；　as　poets　sing；　delights　to　visit　a
  cottage；　it　must　be　the　cottage　of　an　English　peasant。
  The　fondness　for　rural　life　among　the　higher　classes　of　the
  English　has　had　a　great　and　salutary　effect　upon　the　national
  character。　I　do　not　know　a　finer　race　of　men　than　the　English
  gentlemen。　Instead　of　the　softness　and　effeminacy　which　characterize
  the　men　of　rank　in　most　countries；　they　exhibit　a　union　of　elegance
  and　strength；　a　robustness　of　frame　and　freshness　of　complexion；　which
  I　am　inclined　to　attribute　to　their　living　so　much　in　the　open　air；
  and　pursuing　so　eagerly　the　invigorating　recreations　of　the　country。
  These　hardy　exercises　produce　also　a　healthful　tone　of　mind　and
  spirits；　and　a　manliness　and　simplicity　of　manners；　which　even　the
  follies　and　dissipations　of　the　town　cannot　easily　pervert；　and　can
  never　entirely　destroy。　In　the　country；　too；　the　different　orders　of
  society　seem　to　approach　more　freely；　to　be　more　disposed　to　blend　and
  operate　favorably　upon　each　other。　The　distinctions　between　them　do
  not　appear　to　be　so　marked　and　impassable　as　in　the　cities。　The　manner
  in　which　property　has　been　distributed　into　small　estates　and　farms
  has　established　a　regular　gradation　from　the　nobleman；　through　the
  classes　of　gentry；　small　landed　proprietors；　and　substantial
  farmers；　down　to　the　laboring　peasantry；　and　while　it　has　thus
  banded　the　extremes　of　society　together；　has　infused　into　each
  intermediate　rank　a　spirit　of　independence。　This；　it　must　be
  confessed；　is　not　so　universally　the　case　at　present　as　it　was
  formerly；　the　larger　estates　having；　in　late　years　of　distress；
  absorbed　the　smaller；　and；　in　some　parts　of　the　count