The Thrilling Metropolis -- Edinburgh (Part I)

Edinburgh Castle

The statues of Robert Bruce and William Wallace

                                                                                         
 
 For most of us Scotland brings a picture of a mountainous region with icy winds and uncultivated wilderness  without much sophisticated European prudery and fashionable styles.But after our visit to Edinburgh our conception underwent a thorough sea-change and showed us the mysterious spell cast by this historic city decked with so many monuments and memorials.We went to Edinburgh by flight from Gatwyck Airport in London. It took just one and half an hour to cover a distance of 355 miles. Soon after we got down, we caught a taxi to reach our lodgings, Hotel Ritz, located in the heart of the city. The taxi driver was a tall, hefty woman with reddish hair revealing the typical Scottish vigor and dynamic energy. Though Scotland is a part of the Great Britain, she has got her own currency and administrative system. The weather was quite chilly with strong blowing winds. Edinburgh, like London, was a big city with many old buildings and monuments standing like strong citadels resisting the ravages of time with their stone-built construction, carved designs and big arched windows. The houses were comparatively bigger and more spacious than those of London.

The figure of St.Margaret

St.Margaret's  Chapel

 First we made our way to the famous Edinburgh Castle firmly set upon a tall volcanic rock in the center of the city. We approached the fort through a busy street flanked by many shops, restaurants and pubs.This main street is called "Royal Mile". Perched on the top a huge imposing rock, the castle seemed very majestic with many turrets and towers. This is one of the oldest castles from where many Scottish kings ruled and so many patriotic heroes laid down their lives to win back their precious national symbol of pride and prestige from the warring British kings and Barons. The Scottish War Memorial designed by Lorimer was built within the premises of the castle shortly after the World War I. The broad walk or esplanade near the castle is the place where the world-famous Tattoo (military band music festival) is held annually over a three-week period in August. This castle is at the west end of the old town and was constructed in the twelfth century in the reign of King David I and continued to be the royal residence till the union of the crowns in 1603. From the fifteenth century onwards, the castle gradually lost its importance as the residential place of the royalty. By the seventeenth century this castle had been used as military barracks. St.Margaret's Chapel is the oldest surviving structure built in 12th century that withstood many invasions by the British monarchs. King David I, built this church in memory of his mother St.Margaret, who died in this castle in 1093.  In 1174, the Scottish King William I gave away this castle along with three other castles to the English King Henry II as personal ransom. In 1186 this castle was restored to King William again. During the Scottish wars of Independence this castle changed hands many times. In 1314 Robert Bruce won this castle from Edward III of England and built a new castle in 1335 but held it only till 1341. After the wars of Independence (1286-1328)  David II constructed most part of the castle. In his honor, David's Tower was erected. In 1571 the English forces laid siege for two years and destroyed David's Tower. After the death of the English Virgin Queen Elizabeth I, King James I (James VI, son of Mary, Queen of Scots ) became the king of  England uniting both the Scottish and English kingdoms.

 The coat of arms of this city bears the castle as one of its important symbols with three towers  The anchor wreathed about with a cable refers to the office of the Admiral of the Forth held by the Lord Provost of this town.The maiden on the left indicates this place as a haven for royal princesses and the doe represents the symbol associated with St.Giles, the patron saint of this city. The Latin phrase over the anchor"Nisi Dominus Frustra"is a heraldic contraction of a verse taken from the 127th psalm with the meaning " Except the Lord Build the house, Thy labor in vain that build it / Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman walketh in vain."  The images of this castle are used on postal stamps and on various bank notes issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland.
 
This castle, having different types of construction in different times, still preserves the basic structure in tact with strong defenses at three levels. At every level one can find turrets with circular stone steps that makes enemies very difficult to enter. Many canons were kept to defend this fort. Even now at 10' clock, a canon is fired from the castle as a reminder to break for the lunch, except on Sundays. The Great Hall, built by James IV was used for the State Assembly meetings. In 1650 Cromwell invaded and occupied this castle and converted it into soldiers' barracks.

                                                                      
                                           

The Chamber where James I was born

The Great Hall

Inside the War Museum

National War Museum

The Royal Palace is the official residence of Scottish kings and royal family. Queen Mary's mother, Marie De Guise, died here in 1650. We saw the painted portraits of James I and Queen Mary I. James I was born here in 1566. There are many vaults beneath the castle which were used for storing goods and for keeping prisoners. We saw the prison vaults where the French soldiers captured during the war were kept. It was like a dungeon. The prisoners had to sleep in swings made of coarse material. Each prisoner was given just the minimum quantity of food and drink. Some prisoners with artistic talent made some toys and artifacts with the material they could get. Some scratched their names as sad reminders of their fate. During the Napoleonic wars(1803-1815), prisoners from various countries like France, Germany, Holland, Spain and Italy  were kept here in captivity.

                                                                

The Coat of arms of the city of Edinburgh

The Royal Crown , scepter and the sword

 In the Crown Room of the royal palace one can see the Crown, Scepter and sword of the Scottish kings which dated from the fifteenth century.The crown was made by the Edinburgh goldsmith, John Mosman in 1540 and was first worn by James V at the coronation ceremony of his second queen, Marie De Guise. The scepter was presented to James IV by the Pope Alexander VI in 1494, and the sword in1508 by the Pope Julius II. Mary, Queen of Scots, was crowned and was given the sword and the scepter at her coronation ceremony on 9th September, 1543, when she was just an infant.

Inside the prison

Prison for war captives

The National War Museum was opened here in 1933. Originally this building was an ordnance store built in 1755. One can see various weapons, scenes from wars, Scottish weapons and the typical Scottish uniform. Owing to their sturdy and martial qualities and their enduring grit and brave qualities, mostly Scottish people were recruited by the British Govt.The Scot soldiers rendered commendable service and occupied high positions in the British army. We can see the portraits of those brave colonels and majors here. This castle stands as a silent witness to so many historic incidents and happenings and still reveals the past glory of Scottish kingdom and the sacrifices made by so many martyrs to defend their country. Let me end this article with the inspiring lines Sir Walter Scott that breathe the true spirit of Scottish Patriotic feelings.

                                         
                                          " Breathes there the man with soul so dead
                                          ' Who never to himself hath said',
                                           This is my own, my native land
                                           Whose heart hath never within him burned
                                           As home his footsteps he hath turned
                                           From wandering on a foreign strand?"

                                               *************************** 
  
        November 5th 2013                                                      Somaseshu Gutala

At Rydal Mount

Rydal Mount House

The Garden

Another spacious and more comfortable dwelling where Wordsworth spent more than thirty seven years of his life is the house on a hill called "Rydal Mount" on the outskirts of Ambleside, from where one can have a fine view of the lakes, Rydal Water and Grasmere Lake surrounded by hills and valleys. Wordsworth led a very frugal life in his humble residence of Dove Cottage in  1808. Due to lack of sufficient  accommodation he moved to Allan Bank in 1810 at the north end of Grasmere. The poet disliked the damp and humid place and moved to the parsonage at Grasmere. His two children  Catherine and Thomas died in the same year1812. The poet, unable to stay there with his loss of beloved children, shifted his  residence to Rydal Mount in 1813. He took this on rent from Lady Diana de Fleming of Rydal Hall. This house is very spacious with four bed rooms, a study room and a kitchen. Wordsworth wrote many poems here and revised his earlier works.Though  Wordsworth passed away in 1850, his family continued to live here till 1859, the year of Mary Hutchinson's death. Wordsworth's great-great grand daughter Mary Henderson purchased this property in 1969 and since then has been managed by the descendants of Wordsworth's family. Here we can see the portraits of Wordsworth's family as well as many of his manuscripts. In the room at the entrance there are many published books and works on Wordsworth. My younger daughter, sensing my zeal, bought a copy of the "Prelude"and gifted it to me by which my long cherished desire of owning the masterpiece has been  been fulfilled. Later when I expressed my desire to meet the descendants of Wordsworth's family, the lady near the counter informed me that they had gone to London to spend their vacation.

Drawing Room

Dining Room

St. Mary Church

Inside View of St.Mary Church

 The main attraction of this house is the garden in a spacious area of four acres. Wordsworth, interested in landscape gardening, planted many varieties of herbs, flower plants and trees. Even now nearly twenty-six varieties of plants are seen. It is a very colorful garden with flowers like daffodils, blue bells, rhododendrons etc. The poet liked Nature in her wild and natural state and so he preserved the touch of wilderness with clumps of thickly grown bushes and trees and with a steep slope down providing a view of the distant lakes. In stead of sitting in his study room, he preferred to sit on the wooden bench on the elevated mound in midst of Nature and put down his poetic feelings as if he got instant communication with Nature. His beloved daughter, Dora, inherited some of the poetic qualities of her father and wrote a traveller's journal. At the age of 39 she married Edward Quillinan much against her father's wishes in 1843. Unfortunately she died in the prime of her youth due to Tuberculosis  in 1847. This tragic incident affected the old poet very much and later he could not write much.

Mary Hutchinson

Rydal Mt. Garden

In her memory Wordsworth planted hundreds of daffodils in a field near St.Mary's Church. The chapel of St.Mary is just a few yards away from Rydal Mount. Wordsworth used to visit this church often and also acted as church warden from 1833 to 1834. In 1838 Wordsworth was conferred with honorary doctorate  by Durham University in and by the Oxford University in 1839. He was given a civil pension of 300 pounds a year by the Government and was honored with the prestigious position  as Poet Laureate of England in 1843 after Robert Southey's  death.


 As a tireless walker Wordsworth used to undertake long walking tours around the lakes and hills and  recorded his observations and knowledge about the Lake District in his prose book "Guide to the Lakes". Many critics think that his shorter poems have more poetic appeal to the readers as they seem to be more spontaneous and creative without any prosaic and tiresome passages. But to get at the true spirit of Wordsworth's poetry and enjoy the majestic rhythm of his verse, one should have patience to read his long poems like "Tintern Abbey", "Prelude"and "Excursion". In his sonnets also one can find diversity, personal feelings and reflections on various themes and incidents. Just like Nature his poetry is simple and plain without any artificial beauty and is as bare as a rocky mountain with crystal-clear springs here and there, dotted with pretty clusters of wild flowers peeping through unexpected corners. As W.H. Hudson says "Wordsworth finds a never failing principle of joy in Nature" and added spiritual beauty to her natural beauty. As Matthew Arnold said," (When inspired) Nature Herself seems... to take the pen out of his hand and to write for him with Her own bare, sheer, penetrating power." In his letter to Lady Beaumont in 1807, Wordsworth wrote:"to be incapable of a feeling poetry, in my sense of the word, is without love of human nature and reverence for God."  How true of his own feelings and of his poetry!

 Dr. Thomas Arnold, father of Matthew Arnold, after visiting Rydal Mount described the abode of Wordsworth in glowing terms. " No where on earth have I seen a spot of more perfect and and enjoyable beauty." A visit to Rydal Mount really gives us a clear idea about Wordsworth's love for Nature and his attachment to his native rural surroundings.

Dora Wordsworth

Dora's Field

 Let me conclude my article with the following sonnet composed by me when my younger daughter apprised me of her first visit to Grasmere, --- a fitting tribute to this great lover of Nature and humanity.


                              "Dear Daughter! Blest art thou indeed to see
                               The holy dwelling of the eminent bard
                               Of Nature born in Nature's lap, and trod
                               On grassy plains surrounded by the valleys green;
                               Grasmere, the very sound evokes untarnished beauty
                               With country pleasures still alive unscarred
                               By urban ways; a real pastime you had;
                               The clear blue sky and lakes with verdant scene 
                               May flash upon your visionary mind 
                               Cute daffodils, Reaper's Song and Leech-Gatherer's skill
                               The slopes of Rydal Mount and Alfoxden
                               Where the noble poet enjoyed and bliss did find 
                               The rural hospitality you tasted with thrill
                               A feast indeed-- no doubt-- beyond pollution's ken.


                                                   *******************************
                                                                                                                                                                              October 20, 2013,                                              SOMA SESHU G.

           

A Brief Note On William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

Lake District

                                                                         



  Dear readers,
                         I thought it would be more fitting to acquaint you with some important information about
   William Wordsworth before describing his place of residence as the surroundings he selected for his
   dwelling, are closely connected with his views about nature ans his peaceful way of life. Besides you
   may get some useful lessons for your own lives too.

                       William Wordsworth is familiar to most of us as a nature poet who brought in a surprising   and revolutionary change in English Poetry when he propounded the theory that poetry should be written in "a selection of the real language of men in a state of vivid sensation" on familiar and common themes. His preface to the second edition of "The Lyrical Ballads" in 1802 sums up his poetic philosophy. Next as a champion of liberty and democracy he supported French Revolution( 1789-99) but was later  disappointed with the after effects of indiscriminate killings and lawless anarchy that followed. In his poem,"Ode to Duty"'  he praises duty as the cosmic moral order: "Thou dost preserve Stars from wrong/ And the most ancient Heavens, through Thee, are fresh and strong." Though Duty is seen as a "Stern  Law Giver, she is "the Godhead's most benignant grace". The poet is vexed with lawless freedom and humbly appeals to her guidance."I supplicate for thy control/ Me this unchartered freedom tires/I feel the weight of chance desires." Wordsworth's sister, Dorothy, gave him moral support and helped him in overcoming his sense of depression and find solace and faith in Nature. Wordsworth in his poem "Tintern Abbey" says of his sister : " She gave me eyes, she gave me years/ And humble cares, delicate fears / A heart, the fountain of sweet tears / And love, and thought, and joy.  He rebelled against mere bookish knowlege(nowadays information or data from electronic devices) and stressed on individual feelings and experiences.

                                                               " One impulse from a vernal wood
                                                                  May teach you more of man
                                                                  Of moral evil and good
                                                                  Than all the sages can." (The Tables Turned)
                                                         
                   During his long poetic vocation that spans more than fifty years, he repeatedly advocated the
the need for cultivating a harmonious relationship with Nature and denounced the harmful effects of industrial urban atmosphere and sophisticated life style.

                                                             "  The world is too much with us: late and soon
                                                                Getting and spending we lay waste our powers:
                                                                 Little we see in Nature that is ours." (The world is too
                                                                                                                             much with us)

                  Wordsworh is decidedly the first poet who revealed and himself deeply felt the spiritual
 identity between God, Nature and Man. He says that nature is the outer garment of God and the pervading spirit in Nature is a purer manifestation of the  Creator. So man can seek guidance from Nature to tread on the right path to make himself and the society live in a happy and peaceful way. He found the spirit of joy and tranquility in the objects of Nature. The person who has close connection with Nature will imbibe the  same
.

                                                            "A spirit that impels
                                                             All thinking things, all objects of all thought
                                                             And rolls through all things."                    (Tintern Abbey)
                                      
                                                           "Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns
                                                             And the round ocean and the living air
                                                             And the blue sky, and in the mind of man." (Tintern Abbey)

                Wordsworth looked upon Nature not only as object of joy, beauty and spiritual purity, but also
 as a moral teacher guiding him whenever he is in a crisis to show him the right path.

                                                             "Come forth into the light of things
                                                               Let Nature be your teacher ....
                                                               Come forth, and bring with you a heart
                                                               That watches and receives."(The Tables Turned)
                                                                  
                                                             ".Nature never did betray
                                                               The heart that loved her: 'tis her privilege,
                                                               Through all the years of this, our life, to lead
                                                               From joy to joy." (Tintern Abbey)

           Matthew Arnold  rightly said " moral truth is transmuted by him(Wordsworth) into the purest      poetry." John Stuart Mill called Wordsworth's poetry as "the very culture of feeling."


         Wordsworth thought that primary education is the key to help the poor working class free from        poverty, ignorance and the slavery of industrial atmosphere. He took keen interest in the planning and design  of various gardens in his local area. He thought that his role as a poet should be to guide the society on righteous lines.In one of his letters he says;" Every great poet is a teacher, I wish to be considered as a teacher or nothing at all."  In his later years he realized the values of traditional restraint and religious training which provide a sense of direction for a disciplined and well-organized.

        Wordsworth tried to versify his literary autobiography or the growth of a poet's mind with an ambitious design on a grand scale of epic proportions with the title"The Recluse" in three parts. For that as an introduction he wrote a lengthy poem running into twelve books with a simple title "A Poem to
Coleridge" between 1798 and 1805. This poem was later published by his wife Mary Hutchinson after his 
death with the title "The Prelude" in 1850. Coleridge praised it as "an orphic song indeed / A song divine 
of high and passionate thoughts / To their own music chanted." Of the the main poem "The Recluse",
only the second part in nine books, with the title"The Excursion" was published in 1814.

        As an admirer of Milton's sonnets, he was impressed by their 'dignity, simplicity and majestic harmony" and himself composed more than 500 sonnets during his long poetic career.on various  topics extending the range of the sonnet to include social, religious topics and beauty of  Nature.In the majestic and solemn march of the blank verse, Wordsworth comes next to Milton. So there is no wonder that the famous critic and poet, Mathew Arnold ranked Wordsworth next to Shakespeare and Milton in poetic quality and calibre.

    Wordsworth's poetry has universal relevance, especially in this modern age which has been struggling on    the brink of destruction because of its own misdeeds, that is, over-exploitation and pollution of natural      resources.If we care to listen to the words of this poet of Nature, may be we too will feel that intimacy with  Nature and experience spiritual kinship and find out a way out of this perplexing maze of man-made  impending disaster.  
                                       ***************************** 
      3rd October, 2013                                                                      Somaseshu  Gutala

At Grasmere

Dove Cottage

Dove Cottage

Grasmere is a small village located amidst green sloping plains and many lakes. The distance from Windermere to Grassmere is just ten miles. The road wound through an array of dense greenery and spacious pastures where flocks of sheep and herds of cattle were grazing. The houses looked very simple and small with stone-built  construction and gabled roofs. No busy crowds and no rushing vehicles. We found Scottish wilderness and sylvan surroundings here also as this place was just a few miles away from the Scottish border. At first we made our way to St.Oswald's Church where we could see the family graves of Wordsworth. None was seen inside the church as we reached there a little bit early. A bundle of books and pamphlets were seen neatly stacked in rows. I thought about the renowned poet who used to frequent this place and who planted eight yew trees in the churchyard premises. In the shade of one of these yew trees we saw the the tombs of the poet and his wife, Mary Hutchinson. Nearby we saw the graves of his sister, Dorothy, and his children, Dora,William,Thomas and Catherine along with Mary's sister, Sarah Hutchinson. This church is named after St. Oswald, a Northumbrian King, of 7th century A.D., who had preached on this site. Every year on the first Saturday nearest to St.Oswald's Day(5th August), the floor of the church was covered with rushes(Leaves), a custom started when the floor of the church was made of earth. In 1841 the floor was covered with stone slabs.The church built in 13th century appeared strong and solemn with serene atmosphere and greenery.The poet selected a beautiful spot for his final resting place, I thought.

Inner view of St.Oswald Church

The Family Graves of William Wordsworth

 Next we went to "Dove Cottage" the first dwelling place of William Wordsworth from 1799 to 1808. The cottage was located in the scenic surroundings with a spacious backyard. The custodian was an aged lady who spoke eloquently about Wordsworth and his family. When I introduced my self as a student of literature, she felt very much excited and complimented me about my knowledge of the great poet though I spoke very little about his poetry. After a period of disillusionment, William Wordsworth left London and selected this place where he found domestic bliss and much inspiration to compose many of his famous lyrics and poems like"Daffodils", "Ode to Duty", "Intimations of Immortality"and 'When my heart leaps Up" etc. Originally this cottage used to be an inn called "The Dove and the Olive" started in 1617 and later was closed in 1793. William Wordsworth took it on rent from John Benson of Grasmere paying five pounds a year.Dorothy wrote her "The Grasmere Journal", a diary during her stay here. She began writing this journal in May 1800 and kept her record of the journal almost for three years just to preserve the happy and memorable events for her brother to read and enjoy. Earlier she wrote Alfoxden Journal during 1797-98 when her brother and she were near the residence of Coleridge in Somerset. Now a part of that journal is available. In these journals she vividly described places and people they happened to meet along with realistic descriptions of natural scenes and objects. Many of her topics later became material for inspiring the poet to write his famous poems like "The Daffodils" and "The Leech Gatherer" etc.

    There are four rooms on the ground floor.--a drawing and dining  room, a bed room, a kitchen and a store room covered  with oak panels and stone slabs. In the upstairs there were four rooms -- one as Wordsworth's study room, and the remaining as bed rooms. Water had to be carried over from a nearby well. William and Dorothy took keen interest in tending the garden in the backyard without disturbing their wild appearance. There was a shaded shelter on the mound where Wordsworth used to sit with sage-like contemplation and  compose poetry. Dorothy wrote her well-known journal " Grasmere Journal"(1897) during her stay here. Many friends of the poet like S.T.Coleridge, De Quincey, Walter Scott, Charles Lamb and Mary Lamb used to come and spend their time in the company of the learned seer and votary of Nature. Wordsworth's first three children, John(1803), Dora(1804) and Thomas(1806) were born here. This cottage though pretty, could not accommodate so many persons. So Wordsworth moved first to Allan Bank in 1808 but did not like it much. In 1813 he shifted his family to "Rydal Mount", his final place of residence from 1813 to 1859, until  Mary Hutchinson's death. Thomas De Quincey, the famous author of "Confessions of an opium-eater" occupied this cottage after Wordsworth left this place.and stayed here till 1835. In 1890  The Wordsworth Trust under  the supervision of Reverend Stopford Brooke, bought this cottage for 650 pounds. In Dove's Cottage we can see the portraits of Wordsworth, Coleridge and Dorothy.

A Visit to Lake District

Scene of sheep on the pasture

Way to Windermere

     I was told that most people in England would like to spend their holidays in the countryside enjoying country pleasures in stead of idling their time in busy cities crowded with malls and big restaurants. Of course there is a change in the attitude of modern youth who like more noise, crowded places, intoxicating luxuries and sophisticated city life styles. We planned to visit Wordsworth's famous residence "Dove Cottage" and  'Rydal Mount", both located in thebeautiful valley of Grassmere in the Lake District of Cumberland region. We have taken ourlodgings in the nearby town "Windermere" just ten miles before our destination. This town hasits own tourist attractions like rock climbing, cruising, fabulous gardens and woodlands.

Windermere Town

  We went by car through beautiful valleys surrounded by low-topped hills filled with dense 
growth of trees. An entire world of green with no human habitation is seen all along the way
here and there a small farm house nestled in the middle of sloping pastures where white
fluffy sheep were grazing to their belly's content without caring to look at us--so totally 
absorbed in their gastronomic orgies! The road before was so smooth that we had not felt 
any sense of tiredness at all during our long drive from Edinburgh in the hot afternoon heat.
In some places there were steep descending paths with curved bends. We drove through 
dense woods with small bridges here and there on mountain streams. The entrance to 
Windermere was through narrow paths flanked by plain stone-built houses without any
showy coat of plaster or whitewash. They looked quite rustic and simple in structure without
any beautification of color or design.The cluster of chimneys over tiled roofs seemed to be 
the common feature of every English home.In Windermere, obviously a tourist place in 
Lake District, most of the householders provide lodging and breakfast facilities to visitors.
This would fetch them a sizable income during summer and even up to October, the begin-
ning of autumn.  

 Our room was very compact with a low roof reminding me the room in upstairs at Statford-
upon-Avon.The difference is only in having modern comforts like gas, electricity and shower
Our host , a tall English gentleman in seventies, welcomed us with professional warmth and
assured us that all things were easily accessible in that town. He managed eight rooms 
attending to the needs of guests assisted now and then by his aged wife. We could not but
appreciate his diligent nature without showing any signs of vexation or boredom. He 
profusely thanked me when I gifted him a slender volume of my poems. He kept bundles of 
pamphlets on a book shelf to help the tourists with requisite information about the Lake District.

   












  Though Windermere is a small town, it has all facilities to help tourists. There are many res- taurants offering different varieties of meals like Italian, Chinese, Thai, Indian, English and the country type delicacies like Cornish pastries and Ginger bread. We enjoyed the river  cruise on the Windermere Lake, one of the largest lakes in England. As we sailed round, we  saw the distant mansions, small cottages and small boats moored near the bank. Some young couples were rowing with gusto and waving at others with vibrant mirth. Some people were  ready with fishing  rods and nets to go on with their sport of fishing in the waters.Some couples were enjoying their coffee while their children were shouting with innocent bliss, munching candies and sweets.


 

Beatrice Potter's Museum

Peter Rabbit

  In Windermere we also visited some shops where one could find books and tourist guides
providing a wealth of information on various lakes and neighbouring country houses. There
were two or three cine theaters showing not so much popular movies. The theaters without
much decoration almost looked like houses. Another place worth visiting is Beatrice Potter's
House. Beatrice Potter(1866-1943) was an eminent short story writer of children's stories 
 who became famous with her book"The Tale of Peter Rabbit Series"in 1902. She published
twenty-three books introducing many characters  like Peter Rabbit, squirrels, mice and other tiny creatures with bushy tails. As a fervent student of Natural history she tried to improve the methods  in breeding of Herdwick sheep of the Cumberland region. As a conservationist 
she donated four thousand acres of land in the Lake District to the National Trust. As we  
have not much time,we were not able to visit this museum. So I have not much to say except
that the pretty doll house is picturesque and amusing especially to children.

                                          *****************************
     September 24, 2013.                                                             Somaseshu Gutala                                                                                             

 
 
 

A Visit to Milton's Cottage at Chalfont St.Giles

  

Milton's Bust In the Backyard Garden

Milton's Cottage at Chalfont St.Giles

The Bust of John Milton In the window

John Milton (1608--1673)

  Next to Shakespeare, John Milton won world-wide acclaim as the greatest poet. His   epic poem " Paradise Lost" is the product of his voluminous learning and total dedication and made England assert her own  place in the realm of epic poetry on par with that of Greece and Italy. One would  not find words to appreciate the fortitude and immense sense of dedication of Milton  who had taken up this  most arduous  task after he became totally blind and had been in the most trying circumstances deprived of every means of support and motivation..

 I was fortunate enough to see the only existing cottage where Milton had spent a few  months and where  he undertook the completion of his famous epic. The cottage was located in the interior part of a typical English village called Chalfont St. Giles in Buckingham shire. From Sunbury-on-Thames, we traveled through a main way with leafy branches arching above, which gave a panoramic view through dark woods just like our erstwhile journey through woods to Studley Castle(a big hotel) a few days ago.

 At last we located our destination when we saw a wooden signboard "Milton's Cottage". When we gently knocked at the door, the custodian. a tall old gentleman, welcomed us with a beaming smile on  his face. There were a few visitors inside. He asked us to look at the signatures of the royal family  members who had visited the cottage and extended their support. Queen Victoria donated twenty pounds as Jubilee Fund in 1887. In 1934 Elizabeth, the Queen-Mother, visited this cottage and made a public appeal for the restoration of the cottage. After restoration, this cottage was opened by the Duke of Glouscester. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, paid a visit on 14th July, 1987 to commemorate the Centenary Celebrations of the Milton Cottage Trust.

 In the cottage we saw a small room at the entrance leading to a big room which serves as a drawing room and as dining room as well. A little to the left there was a kitchen. Behind the drawing room there was a study room where Milton used to sit and dictate poetry to his daughters.There was a high-backed wooden chair called Milton's chair used by the great poet during his stay here. In the middle of the room we saw a voluminous 17th century old edition of Milton's poems and writings. On the wall we saw a framed copy of the Royal Proclamation of  Charles II ordering Milton's pamphlets to be burnt in public on the charge of his anti-Royalist views. There was another old document neatly framed wherein we found the signatures and thumb impressions of the people who supported the Republican cause and later most of whom were tried, imprisoned or exiled and were deprived of properties. A receipt signed by Milton's last wife Elizabeth Mynshull , was seen in the frame hung from the wall. Though these papers may seem to be common,  they are rare collections which take us back to those tumultuous times and remind us how people in defence of principles sacrificed their valuable belongings and staked even their precious lives. Milton had served as Latin Secretary to the Republican Leader, Oliver Cromwell, and was later imprisoned for his rebellious  writings against the king. Just because of his old age and blind condition his life was spared when his contemporary and friend Andrew Marvell intervened and obtained an order of remission from the Parliament.

 The bust of Milton was seen in the window along with portraits of the poet done by various artist The books written by contemporary Quakers of the neighborhood were also kept in another room along with other collections. Milton's Prose works and political pamphlets were also displayed there. The autobiography of Charles Ellwood, Milton's Latin disciple and a Quaker by faith,was another important document . In that book Charles Ellwood narrated how after going through the manuscript of the book"Paradise Lost"(Published in 1667), he asked Milton what the author had to say about the Paradise found. This query  made Milton compose another small epic "Paradise Regained"(published in 1671).

Milton's cottage was opened to the public as a reading room in 1887. Later it was converted as a museum to protect the precious relics and documents connected with the life of the great poet. In the backyard there was a spacious garden with different varieties of plants,herbs and flowers,  the names of which were mentioned by the poet in his lyrics and poems.Under a shady arbor, a  marble bust of the epic poet was erected as if to gratify the poetic soul with the fresh vernal gifts of Nature glorified by him in his beautiful lyrics like"Lallegro", "Il Penseroso" and "Comus".At one   place there is a water fountain surrounded by bushes. The lines from Lycidas (The pastoral elegy    written by  Milton to mourn the death of hid friend Edward King) "weep no more shepherds, for thy  gentle comrade Lycidas is not dead" were labelled there, indirectly suggesting the eternal life of the  immortal poet, Milton, "The organ voice of England."

The custodian kept a few books and some pamphlets giving information about Milton's life. On enquiry he informed us that John Milton, who spent most part of his life near Bunhill Fields in London, came to Chalfont St.Giles in 1665 just to escape from the dread of plague raging in that year. His Latin student,Thomas Ellwood , suggested this cottage which was owned by Colonel George Fleetwood. Having been deprived of the support of his Republican friends and his position as Latin Secretary to Oliver Cromwell, the poet devoted himself entirely to complete his epic "Paradise Lost" which he had earlier planned to write as a drama. His stay at this place also incidentally became a cause for taking up the Paradise Regained" a sequel to his magnum Opus "Paradise Lost".

Thus ended our memorable trip to Milton's cottage which gave us some idea about the surroundings and living conditions of the poet who fought bravely against all odds to accomplish his poetic mission as a champion of freedom and stood by his principles both in politics and in religion as well, with his unshakable faith in divine providence.

  

 Sep.11th 2013.                                                                              Somaseshu Gutala

      

Two Star Attractions of London

London River Cruise

A View of Thames

                    

London Eye

               
 


       



                                                          Inside view of the Capsule

  To get a bird's eye view of London, nothing is more convenient and comfortable than to sit in the   London Eye--a very appropriate name given to the 443 feet high observation giant wheel on the sou   bank of London erected in 2000 as a part of London's Millennium Celebrations. It has thirty-two cages or capsules with glass walls on four sides and each accommodating nearly twenty people It moves so slowly (the wheel moves at ten inches per second i.e 9 Km per hour) that one does not get any nervous feeling of being rotated at a fast speed. It takes nearly thirty minutes to view different locations from a level  such as the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, St.Paul's Cathedral,Shell Tower, Tower  Bridge and Waterloo Station.Many people took photos of the distant view  of London with tall towers, churches, museums and gardens and office buildings.One can watch the city within a range of 25 miles all directions. We were also shown a 4-D documentary film viewing London from the wheel along with some city amusements performed by various ethnic groups before we proceeded to board the wheel.

 Another unforgettable experience is the London River Cruise from Westminster to London Station
 to and  fro.The Cruise Boat was very neat with comfortable seats. A guide gave a running commentary on the various sites and monuments seen on both sides of the banks of the river Thames as we were sailing along.We saw the various bridges, cathedrals, towers and well-known office buildings.She also gave some brief information about Southwark area where Shakespeare's Globe Theater was seen with some old taverns and  inns, the favourite haunts of the poet in those times. She also cracked some jokes but she spoke too  fast for us to understand her humorous remarks. We rounded of Our weekend trip to London with a  refreshing cup of coffee and exotic snacks.

                                                                                                     
  September 3rd, 2013                                                                             Somaseshu Gutala