whilethevividgreenofthegrassinthevalleywasreflectedmoreorlessuponallobjectsfromthecurtainofvaporthatstillhungoverhead，asiflothtotakeitstotaldeparturefromascenesoenchantinglybeautiful。
　　ThelittlevaleintowhichIthuspeereddownfromunderthefogcanopycouldnothavebeenmorethanfourhundredyardslong；whileinbreadthitvariedfromfiftytoonehundredandfiftyorperhapstwohundred。Itwasmostnarrowatitsnorthernextremity，openingoutasittendedsouthwardly，butwithnoverypreciseregularity。
　　Thewidestportionwaswithineightyyardsofthesouthernextreme。
　　Theslopeswhichencompassedthevalecouldnotfairlybecalledhills，unlessattheirnorthernface。Hereaprecipitousledgeofgranitearosetoaheightofsomeninetyfeet；and，asIhavementioned，thevalleyatthispointwasnotmorethanfiftyfeetwide；butasthevisiterproceededsouthwardlyfromthecliff，hefoundonhisrighthandandonhisleft，declivitiesatoncelesshigh，lessprecipitous，andlessrocky。All，inaword，slopedandsoftenedtothesouth；andyetthewholevalewasengirdledbyeminences，moreorlesshigh，exceptattwopoints。OneoftheseI
　　havealreadyspokenof。Itlayconsiderablytothenorthofwest，andwaswherethesettingsunmadeitsway，asIhavebeforedescribed，intotheamphitheatre，throughacleanlycutnaturalcleftinthegraniteembankment；thisfissuremighthavebeentenyardswideatitswidestpoint，sofarastheeyecouldtraceit。Itseemedtoleadup，uplikeanaturalcauseway，intotherecessesofunexploredmountainsandforests。Theotheropeningwasdirectlyatthesouthernendofthevale。Here，generally，theslopeswerenothingmorethangentleinclinations，extendingfromeasttowestaboutonehundredandfiftyyards。Inthemiddleofthisextentwasadepression，levelwiththeordinaryfloorofthevalley。Asregardsvegetation，aswellasinrespecttoeverythingelse，thescenesoftenedandslopedtothesouth。Tothenorthonthecraggyprecipiceafewpacesfromthevergeupsprangthemagnificenttrunksofnumeroushickories，blackwalnuts，andchestnuts，interspersedwithoccasionaloak，andthestronglateralbranchesthrownoutbythewalnutsespecially，spreadfarovertheedgeofthecliff。Proceedingsouthwardly，theexplorersaw，atfirst，thesameclassoftrees，butlessandlessloftyandSalvatorishincharacter；thenhesawthegentlerelm，succeededbythesassafrasandlocusttheseagainbythesofterlinden，red-bud，catalpa，andmapletheseyetagainbystillmoregracefulandmoremodestvarieties。Thewholefaceofthesoutherndeclivitywascoveredwithwildshrubberyaloneanoccasionalsilverwilloworwhitepoplarexcepted。Inthebottomofthevalleyitselfforitmustbeborneinmindthatthevegetationhithertomentionedgrewonlyonthecliffsorhillsides
　　weretobeseenthreeinsulatedtrees。Onewasanelmoffinesizeandexquisiteform：itstoodguardoverthesoutherngateofthevale。Anotherwasahickory，muchlargerthantheelm，andaltogetheramuchfinertree，althoughbothwereexceedinglybeautiful：itseemedtohavetakenchargeofthenorthwesternentrance，springingfromagroupofrocksintheveryjawsoftheravine，andthrowingitsgracefulbody，atanangleofnearlyforty-fivedegrees，faroutintothesunshineoftheamphitheatre。Aboutthirtyyardseastofthistreestood，however，theprideofthevalley，andbeyondallquestionthemostmagnificenttreeIhaveeverseen，unless，perhaps，amongthecypressesoftheItchiatuckanee。Itwasatriplestemmedtulip-treetheLiriodendronTulipiferumoneofthenaturalorderofmagnolias。Itsthreetrunksseparatedfromtheparentataboutthreefeetfromthesoil，anddivergingveryslightlyandgradually，werenotmorethanfourfeetapartatthepointwherethelargeststemshotoutintofoliage：thiswasatanelevationofabouteightyfeet。Thewholeheightoftheprincipaldivisionwasonehundredandtwentyfeet。Nothingcansurpassinbeautytheform，ortheglossy，vividgreenoftheleavesofthetulip-tree。Inthepresentinstancetheywerefullyeightincheswide；buttheirglorywasaltogethereclipsedbythegorgeoussplendoroftheprofuseblossoms。Conceive，closelycongregated，amillionofthelargestandmostresplendenttulips！OnlythuscanthereadergetanyideaofthepictureIwouldconvey。Andthenthestatelygraceoftheclean，delicatelygranulatedcolumnarstems，thelargestfourfeetindiameter，attwentyfromtheground。Theinnumerableblossoms，minglingwiththoseofothertreesscarcelylessbeautiful，althoughinfinitelylessmajestic，filledthevalleywithmorethanArabianperfumes。
　　ThegeneralflooroftheamphitheatrewasgrassofthesamecharacterasthatIhadfoundintheroad；ifanything，moredeliciouslysoft，thick，velvety，andmiraculouslygreen。Itwashardtoconceivehowallthisbeautyhadbeenattained。
　　Ihavespokenoftwoopeningsintothevale。Fromtheonetothenorthwestissuedarivulet，whichcame，gentlymurmuringandslightlyfoaming，downtheravine，untilitdashedagainstthegroupofrocksoutofwhichsprangtheinsulatedhickory。Here，afterencirclingthetree，itpassedonalittletothenorthofeast，leavingthetuliptreesometwentyfeettothesouth，andmakingnodecidedalterationinitscourseuntilitcamenearthemidwaybetweentheeasternandwesternboundariesofthevalley。Atthispoint，afteraseriesofsweeps，itturnedoffatrightanglesandpursuedagenerallysoutherndirectionmeanderingasitwentuntilitbecamelostinasmalllakeofirregularfigurealthoughroughlyoval，thatlaygleamingnearthelowerextremityofthevale。Thislakeletwas，perhaps，ahundredyardsindiameteratitswidestpart。Nocrystalcouldbeclearerthanitswaters。Itsbottom，whichcouldbedistinctlyseen，consistedaltogether，ofpebblesbrilliantlywhite。
　　Itsbanks，oftheemeraldgrassalreadydescribed，rounded，ratherthansloped，offintotheclearheavenbelow；andsoclearwasthisheaven，soperfectly，attimes，diditreflectallobjectsaboveit，thatwherethetruebankendedandwherethemimiconecommenced，itwasapointofnolittledifficultytodetermine。Thetrout，andsomeothervarietiesoffish，withwhichthispondseemedtobealmostinconvenientlycrowded，hadalltheappearanceofveritableflying-fish。Itwasalmostimpossibletobelievethattheywerenotabsolutelysuspendedintheair。Alightbirchcanoethatlayplacidlyonthewater，wasreflectedinitsminutestfibreswithafidelityunsurpassedbythemostexquisitelypolishedmirror。Asmallisland，fairlylaughingwithflowersinfullbloom，andaffordinglittlemorespacethanjustenoughforapicturesquelittlebuilding，seeminglyafowl-housearosefromthelakenotfarfromitsnorthernshoretowhichitwasconnectedbymeansofaninconceivablylightlookingandyetveryprimitivebridge。Itwasformedofasingle，broadandthickplankofthetulipwood。Thiswasfortyfeetlong，andspannedtheintervalbetweenshoreandshorewithaslightbutveryperceptiblearch，preventingalloscillation。
　　Fromthesouthernextremeofthelakeissuedacontinuationoftherivulet，which，aftermeanderingfor，perhaps，thirtyyards，finallypassedthroughthe“depression“alreadydescribedinthemiddleofthesoutherndeclivity，andtumblingdownasheerprecipiceofahundredfeet，madeitsdeviousandunnoticedwaytotheHudson。
　　Thelakewasdeepatsomepointsthirtyfeetbuttherivuletseldomexceededthree，whileitsgreatestwidthwasabouteight。Itsbottomandbankswereasthoseofthepondifadefectcouldhavebeenattributed，inpointofpicturesqueness，itwasthatofexcessiveneatness。
　　Theexpanseofthegreenturfwasrelieved，hereandthere，byanoccasionalshowyshrub，suchasthehydrangea，orthecommonsnowball，orthearomaticseringa；or，morefrequently，byaclumpofgeraniumsblossominggorgeouslyingreatvarieties。Theselattergrewinpotswhichwerecarefullyburiedinthesoil，soastogivetheplantstheappearanceofbeingindigenous。Besidesallthis，thelawn’svelvetwasexquisitelyspottedwithsheepaconsiderableflockofwhichroamedaboutthevale，incompanywiththreetameddeer，andavastnumberofbrilliantlyplumedducks。Averylargemastiffseemedtobeinvigilantattendanceupontheseanimals，eachandall。
　　Alongtheeasternandwesterncliffswhere，towardtheupperportionoftheamphitheatre，theboundariesweremoreorlessprecipitousgrewivyingreatprofusionsothatonlyhereandtherecouldevenaglimpseofthenakedrockbeobtained。Thenorthernprecipice，inlikemanner，wasalmostentirelyclothedbygrape-vinesofrareluxuriance；somespringingfromthesoilatthebaseofthecliff，andothersfromledgesonitsface。
　　Theslightelevationwhichformedthelowerboundaryofthislittledomain，wascrownedbyaneatstonewall，ofsufficientheighttopreventtheescapeofthedeer。Nothingofthefencekindwasobservableelsewhere；fornowhereelsewasanartificialenclosureneeded：anystraysheep，forexample，whichshouldattempttomakeitswayoutofthevalebymeansoftheravine，wouldfinditsprogressarrested，afterafewyards’advance，bytheprecipitousledgeofrockoverwhichtumbledthecascadethathadarrestedmyattentionasIfirstdrewnearthedomain。Inshort，theonlyingressoregresswasthroughagateoccupyingarockypassintheroad，afewpacesbelowthepointatwhichIstoppedtoreconnoitrethescene。
　　Ihavedescribedthebrookasmeanderingveryirregularlythroughthewholeofitscourse。Itstwogeneraldirections，asIhavesaid，werefirstfromwesttoeast，andthenfromnorthtosouth。Attheturn，thestream，sweepingbackward，madeanalmostcircularloop，soastoformapeninsulawhichwasverynearlyanisland，andwhichincludedaboutthesixteenthofanacre。Onthispeninsulastoodadwelling-houseandwhenIsaythatthishouse，liketheinfernalterraceseenbyVathek，“etaitd’unearchitectureinconnuedanslesannalesdelaterre。”Imean，merely，thatitstoutensemblestruckmewiththekeenestsenseofcombinednoveltyandproprietyinaword，ofpoetryfor，thaninthewordsjustemployed，Icouldscarcelygive，ofpoetryintheabstract，amorerigorousdefinition
　　andIdonotmeanthatmerelyoutrewasperceptibleinanyrespect。
　　Infactnothingcouldwellbemoresimplemoreutterlyunpretendingthanthiscottage。Itsmarvellouseffectlayaltogetherinitsartisticarrangementasapicture。Icouldhavefancied，whileIlookedatit，thatsomeeminentlandscape-painterhadbuiltitwithhisbrush。
　　ThepointofviewfromwhichIfirstsawthevalley，wasnotaltogether，althoughitwasnearly，thebestpointfromwhichtosurveythehouse。IwillthereforedescribeitasIafterwardssawitfromapositiononthestonewallatthesouthernextremeoftheamphitheatre。
　　Themainbuildingwasabouttwenty-fourfeetlongandsixteenbroadcertainlynotmore。Itstotalheight，fromthegroundtotheapexoftheroof，couldnothaveexceededeighteenfeet。Tothewestendofthisstructurewasattachedoneaboutathirdsmallerinallitsproportions：thelineofitsfrontstandingbackabouttwoyardsfromthatofthelargerhouse，andthelineofitsroof，ofcourse，beingconsiderablydepressedbelowthatoftheroofadjoining。Atrightanglestothesebuildings，andfromtherearofthemainone
　　notexactlyinthemiddleextendedathirdcompartment，verysmallbeing，ingeneral，one-thirdlessthanthewesternwing。Theroofsofthetwolargerwereverysteepsweepingdownfromtheridge-beamwithalongconcavecurve，andextendingatleastfourfeetbeyondthewallsinfront，soastoformtheroofsoftwopiazzas。Theselatterroofs，ofcourse，needednosupport；butastheyhadtheairofneedingit，slightandperfectlyplainpillarswereinsertedatthecornersalone。Theroofofthenorthernwingwasmerelyanextensionofaportionofthemainroof。BetweenthechiefbuildingandwesternwingaroseaverytallandratherslendersquarechimneyofhardDutchbricks，alternatelyblackandred：aslightcorniceofprojectingbricksatthetop。Overthegablestheroofsalsoprojectedverymuch：inthemainbuildingaboutfourfeettotheeastandtwotothewest。Theprincipaldoorwasnotexactlyinthemaindivision，beingalittletotheeastwhilethetwowindowsweretothewest。Theselatterdidnotextendtothefloor，butweremuchlongerandnarrowerthanusualtheyhadsingleshutterslikedoorsthepaneswereoflozengeform，butquitelarge。Thedooritselfhaditsupperhalfofglass，alsoinlozengepanesamovableshuttersecureditatnight。Thedoortothewestwingwasinitsgable，andquitesimpleasinglewindowlookedouttothesouth。Therewasnoexternaldoortothenorthwing，anditalsohadonlyonewindowtotheeast。
　　Theblankwalloftheeasterngablewasrelievedbystairswithabalustraderunningdiagonallyacrossittheascentbeingfromthesouth。Undercoverofthewidelyprojectingeavethesestepsgaveaccesstoadoorleadingtothegarret，orratherloftforitwaslightedonlybyasinglewindowtothenorth，andseemedtohavebeenintendedasastore-room。