RURAL LIFE IN ENGLAND.docx

RURAL LIFE IN ENGLAND.docx

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RURALLIFEINENGLAND

1819-20

THESKETCHBOOK

RURALLIFEINENGLAND

byWashingtonIrving

Oh!

friendlytothebestpursuitsofman,

Friendlytothought,tovirtue,andtopeace,

Domesticlifeinruralpleasurespast!

COWPER.

THEstrangerwhowouldformacorrectopinionoftheEnglish

charactermustnotconfinehisobservationstothemetropolis.Hemust

goforthintothecountry;hemustsojourninvillagesandhamlets;he

mustvisitcastles,villas,farm-houses,cottages;hemustwander

throughparksandgardens;alonghedgesandgreenlanes;hemust

loiteraboutcountrychurches;attendwakesandfairs,andotherrural

festivals;andcopewiththepeopleinalltheirconditionsandall

theirhabitsandhumors.

Insomecountriesthelargecitiesabsorbthewealthandfashion

ofthenation;theyaretheonlyfixedabodesofelegantand

intelligentsociety,andthecountryisinhabitedalmostentirelyby

boorishpeasantry.InEngland,onthecontrary,themetropolisisa

meregathering-place,orgeneralrendezvous,ofthepoliteclasses,

wheretheydevoteasmallportionoftheyeartoahurryofgayetyand

dissipation,and,havingindulgedthiskindofcarnival,return

againtotheapparentlymorecongenialhabitsofrurallife.The

variousordersofsocietyarethereforediffusedoverthewhole

surfaceofthekingdom,andthemostretiredneighborhoodsafford

specimensofthedifferentranks.

TheEnglish,infact,arestronglygiftedwiththeruralfeeling.

Theypossessaquicksensibilitytothebeautiesofnature,andakeen

relishforthepleasuresandemploymentsofthecountry.This

passionseemsinherentinthem.Eventheinhabitantsofcities,born

andbroughtupamongbrickwallsandbustlingstreets,enterwith

facilityintoruralhabits,evinceatactforruraloccupation.The

merchanthashissnugretreatinthevicinityofthemetropolis,where

heoftendisplaysasmuchprideandzealinthecultivationofhis

flower-garden,andthematuringofhisfruits,ashedoesinthe

conductofhisbusiness,andthesuccessofacommercialenterprise.

Eventhoselessfortunateindividuals,whoaredoomedtopasstheir

livesinthemidstofdinandtraffic,contrivetohavesomethingthat

shallremindthemofthegreenaspectofnature.Inthemostdark

anddingyquartersofthecity,thedrawing-roomwindowresembles

frequentlyabankofflowers;everyspotcapableofvegetationhasits

grassplotandflower-bed;andeverysquareitsmimicpark,laidout

withpicturesquetaste,andgleamingwithrefreshingverdure.

ThosewhoseetheEnglishmanonlyintownareapttoforman

unfavorableopinionofhissocialcharacter.Heiseitherabsorbed

inbusiness,ordistractedbythethousandengagementsthat

dissipatetime,thought,andfeeling,inthishugemetropolis.Hehas,

therefore,toocommonlyalookofhurryandabstraction.Whereverhe

happenstobe,heisonthepointofgoingsomewhereelse;atthe

momentheistalkingononesubject,hismindiswanderingtoanother;

andwhilepayingafriendlyvisit,heiscalculatinghowheshall

economizetimesoastopaytheothervisitsallottedinthe

morning.Animmensemetropolis,likeLondon,iscalculatedtomakemen

selfishanduninteresting.Intheircasualandtransientmeetings,

theycanbutdealbrieflyincommonplaces.Theypresentbutthecold

superficiesofcharacter-itsrichandgenialqualitieshavenotime

tobewarmedintoaflow.

ItisinthecountrythattheEnglishmangivesscopetohis

naturalfeelings.Hebreaksloosegladlyfromthecoldformalitiesand

negativecivilitiesoftown;throwsoffhishabitsofshyreserve,and

becomesjoyousandfree-hearted.Hemanagestocollectroundhimall

theconveniencesandeleganciesofpolitelife,andtobanishits

restraints.Hiscountry-seataboundswitheveryrequisite,either

forstudiousretirement,tastefulgratification,orruralexercise.

Books,paintings,music,horses,dogs,andsportingimplementsof

allkinds,areathand.Heputsnoconstrainteitheruponhisguests

orhimself,butinthetruespiritofhospitalityprovidesthemeans

ofenjoyment,andleaveseveryonetopartakeaccordingtohis

inclination.

ThetasteoftheEnglishinthecultivationofland,andinwhat

iscalledlandscapegardening,isunrivalled.Theyhavestudiednature

intently,anddiscoveranexquisitesenseofherbeautifulformsand

harmoniouscombinations.Thosecharms,whichinothercountriesshe

lavishesinwildsolitudes,arehereassembledroundthehauntsof

domesticlife.Theyseemtohavecaughthercoyandfurtivegraces,

andspreadthem,likewitchery,abouttheirruralabodes.

NothingcanbemoreimposingthanthemagnificenceofEnglishpark

scenery.Vastlawnsthatextendlikesheetsofvividgreen,with

hereandthereclumpsofgigantictrees,heapinguprichpilesof

foliage:

thesolemnpompofgrovesandwoodlandglades,withthe

deertroopinginsilentherdsacrossthem;thehare,boundingaway

tothecovert;orthepheasant,suddenlyburstinguponthewing;the

brook,taughttowindinnaturalmeanderingsorexpandintoaglassy

lake;thesequesteredpool,reflectingthequiveringtrees,withthe

yellowleafsleepingonitsbosom,andthetroutroamingfearlessly

aboutitslimpidwaters;whilesomerustictempleorsylvanstatue,

growngreenanddankwithage,givesanairofclassicsanctitytothe

seclusion.

Thesearebutafewofthefeaturesofparkscenery;butwhatmost

delightsme,isthecreativetalentwithwhichtheEnglishdecorate

theunostentatiousabodesofmiddlelife.Therudesthabitation,the

mostunpromisingandscantyportionofland,inthehandsofan

Englishmanoftaste,becomesalittleparadise.Withanicely

discriminatingeye,heseizesatonceuponitscapabilities,and

picturesinhismindthefuturelandscape.Thesterilespotgrowsinto

lovelinessunderhishand;andyettheoperationsofartwhichproduce

theeffectarescarcelytobeperceived.Thecherishingandtraining

ofsometrees;thecautiouspruningofothers;thenicedistribution

offlowersandplantsoftenderandgracefulfoliage;theintroduction

ofagreenslopeofvelvetturf;thepartialopeningtoapeepofblue

distance,orsilvergleamofwater:

allthesearemanagedwitha

delicatetact,apervadingyetquietassiduity,likethemagic

touchingswithwhichapainterfinishesupafavoritepicture.

Theresidenceofpeopleoffortuneandrefinementinthecountryhas

diffusedadegreeoftasteandeleganceinruraleconomy,that

descendstothelowestclass.Theverylaborer,withhisthatched

cottageandnarrowslipofground,attendstotheirembellishment.The

trimhedge,thegrassplotbeforethedoor,thelittleflower-bed

borderedwithsnugbox,thewoodbinetrainedupagainstthewall,

andhangingitsblossomsaboutthelattice,thepotofflowersin

thewindow,theholly,providentlyplantedaboutthehouse,tocheat

winterofitsdreariness,andtothrowinasemblanceofgreen

summertocheerthefireside:

allthesebespeaktheinfluenceof

taste,flowingdownfromhighsources,andpervadingthelowestlevels

ofthepublicmind.IfeverLove,aspoetssing,delightstovisita

cottage,itmustbethecottageofanEnglishpeasant.

Thefondnessforrurallifeamongthehigherclassesofthe

Englishhashadagreatandsalutaryeffectuponthenational

character.IdonotknowafinerraceofmenthantheEnglish

gentlemen.Insteadofthesoftnessandeffeminacywhichcharacterize

themenofrankinmostcountries,theyexhibitaunionofelegance

andstrength,arobustnessofframeandfreshnessofcomplexion,which

Iaminclinedtoattributetotheirlivingsomuchintheopenair,

andpursuingsoeagerlytheinvigoratingrecreationsofthecountry.

Thesehardyexercisesproducealsoahealthfultoneofmindand

spirits,andamanlinessandsimplicityofmanners,whicheventhe

folliesanddissipationsofthetowncannoteasilypervert,andcan

neverentirelydestroy.Inthecountry,too,thedifferentordersof

societyseemtoapproachmorefreely,tobemoredisposedtoblendand

operatefavorablyuponeachother.Thedistinctionsbetweenthemdo

notappeartobesomarkedandimpassableasinthecities.Themanner

inwhichpropertyhasbeendistributedintosmallestatesandfarms

hasestablishedaregulargradationfromthenobleman,throughthe

classesofgentry,smalllandedproprietors,andsubstantial

farmers,downtothelaboringpeasantry;andwhileithasthus

bandedtheextremesofsocietytogether,hasinfusedintoeach

intermediaterankaspiritofindependence.This,itmustbe

confessed,isnotsouniversallythecaseatpresentasitwas

formerly;thelargerestateshaving,inlateyearsofdistress,

absorbedthesmaller,and,insomepartsofthecountry,almost

annihilatedthesturdyraceofsmallfarmers.These,however,I

believe,arebutcasualbreaksinthegeneralsystemIhavementioned.

Inruraloccupationthereisnothingmeananddebasing.Itleadsa

manforthamongscenesofnaturalgrandeurandbeauty;itleaveshim

totheworkingsofhisownmind,operateduponbythepurestand

mostelevatingofexternalinfluences.Suchamanmaybesimpleand

rough,buthecannotbevulgar.Themanofrefinement,therefore,

findsnothingrevoltinginanintercoursewiththelowerordersin

rurallife,ashedoeswhenhecasuallymingleswiththelower

ordersofcities.Helaysasidehisdistanceandreserve,andis

gladtowaivethedistinctionsofrank,andtoenterintothe

honest,heartfeltenjoymentsofcommonlife.Indeedthevery

amusementsofthecountrybringmenmoreandmoretogether;andthe

soundofhoundandhornblendallfeelingsintoharmony.Ibelieve

thisisonegreatreasonw