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and seldom more than one hundred yards from it.
Wast Water has, in its composition, more of the sublime than
any other of the English lakes, the mountains are not only
higher than the other mountains of the country, but swelling
proudly above their intersecting bases, each has a distinct
and characteristic appearance.
Mountains frequently appear high or low proportionately to
the quantity of surface disclosed to the eye; thus, Gable,
which is only outtopped by Scho-fell, from the highest
houses at Wastdale Head, does not appear a high mountain,
because a line drawn from the eye of the spectator to its
summit will subtend with the surface of the mountain a very
acute angle, perhaps not more than ten degrees; and were it
not for perspective diminution and atmospheric density,
Gable would not appear higher than any other moun-
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[moun]tain, having its altitude in any part of the line
drawn from the eye to the summit of Gable.
Ascend from this place to Sty Head, which is a great height,
and here Gable, displaying more superficies, appears much
higher than it does from the houses; but rise to the top of
Sprinkling, and it will appear to the spectator's horizon
much higher than it did even from the Sty; though the Sty is
perhaps not more than half the perpendicular height of
Sprinkling above the level of the valley.
View any scene from the surface of an horizontal valley, and
the materials will appear confusedly huddled together;
ascend one of its circumjacent mountains, and you see,
distinctly, every object contained in that valley: Such
choice will not suit the feelings of an artist, nor of the
lover, whose stands for beauty will generally be of a
moderate degree of elevation, and
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