Virginia illustrated : containing a visit to the Virginian Canaan, and the adventures of Porte Crayon and his cousins . aight downbelow. Ugh! it was mizzible. I am glad I found you, sureenough. And, during the rest of the exploration, Mice stuckcloser to his master than his sense of respect Avould have permittedany where on the earths surface. If the first chambers through which they passed excelled in therich profusion and brilliancy of their ornaments, they are thrownfar in the background by the superior grandeur and sublimity of those apartments which our adventur-ers are now entering, and


Virginia illustrated : containing a visit to the Virginian Canaan, and the adventures of Porte Crayon and his cousins . aight downbelow. Ugh! it was mizzible. I am glad I found you, sureenough. And, during the rest of the exploration, Mice stuckcloser to his master than his sense of respect Avould have permittedany where on the earths surface. If the first chambers through which they passed excelled in therich profusion and brilliancy of their ornaments, they are thrownfar in the background by the superior grandeur and sublimity of those apartments which our adventur-ers are now entering, and which, likethe scenes of a well-arranged drama,go on increasing in interest and mag-nificence to the end. Now they groupthemselves at the entrance of the GreatHall. Good Mr. Moler, permit us to dropyour puerile and inappropriate nomen-clature, and let fancy run riot. The complaisant guide bows, andwalks on with both hands full of lights. At ev-ery step strangeand beautiful ob-jects flash intobeing. Pillaredwalls, hung withlong, sweeping_ folds of tapestry;banners flaunt-ing from over-jAcoB s LADDER hauglug gallcr-. 92 rORTE CRAYON AND HIS COUSINS. ies; canopied niches filled with shadowy sculpture; the groinedand vaulted ceiling dimly appearing at a majestic height, and longpendents dropping from out of the thick darkness that the feebletorches can not penetrate. Then the white, startling giant, whichimposes so completely on the senses that it is difficult to conceiveit was not sculptured by the hand of man, and pedestaled whereit stands, precisely in the centre of the Hall. Then the weirdtowers that rise beyond on either side, so draped and fluted, whosetops are lost in the upper gloom. This must be the Palace of theKing of the Gnomes, and the gigantic figure there is his seneschal.


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectvirginiasociallifean