APPENDIX 621

mind, but ascended leisurely among the heath, enlarging at each step my view of the pretty valley. We got to the top of the green wave of mountain in half-an-hour or so, and on my intimating to the horse that I should like to go down the other side, he went down the other side at the same tranquil pace. We walked on in this perfect harmony of mind for an hour or two, to my extreme contentment, until I observed that somehow I had put the river between me and the village, and that through it lay much the nearest way home.

Thinking it also about time to turn homewards, and that perhaps my horse might like the shorter way best, I made him understand that I should like to go down to the river-side. It is quite properly what is called in Wales a river-no less indeed than Wye himself rushing bright from Plynlimmon-and had some three-quarters across, very clearly, a place of deepest current. So that I intimated in an extremely gentle and interrogative manner to my friend that I thought we might as well, if he saw no objection, walk through. But he had no objection, and proceeded with the same tranquillity as on the heath, till the water indeed deepened a little more than I myself expected, and presently rippled so high off his breast that I was forced to kneel on the saddle. At this point I observed to him that I thought he should keep his head a little more up stream. Which he did immediately, and finding the water conveniently near his nose, stopped and took a long drink; after which he seemed lost for a minute or two in contemplation of the neighbouring scenery, or at least of the side of it he could see. Tired by this time of kneeling on the saddle, I softly advised him of my wish to proceed-with which he complied on the instant, and placidly pacing through the shallowing water, chose, as I expected, the shortest way home.

I dwell with some complacency on this little excursion-the only occasion in all my life on which I ever arrived at terms of amity and mutual understanding with a horse.

[Then as in ii. § 60 (p. 300), “Next day we went on to Pont-y-Monach, where lay ...”]

THE AUTHOR’S DRAWINGS

[The following passages from the MS. are mainly concerned with the author’s criticism of his drawings, and descriptions of his successive styles. The first comes from the portion of the MS. which was afterwards curtailed into the opening sentences of i. § 108 in the text (p. 95).]

1832

First visit to Oxford, Gloucester, Wales. I got my first drawing lessons in 1830-1831-fifty-six good years ago-and conceive myself now at last to know something about it. But in 1832, I thought I knew a great deal about it. In the summer of that year we were at Gloucester, where I made, though I say it, a really pretty drawing of the Cathedral tower. With extreme industry, and an independence of mind, quite distinct from originality-that is to say, I borrowed or imitated just what pleased myself-

[Version 0.04: March 2008]