From This Gorge
Branch Off, On Either Side, Small Dingles Or Glens, Some Of Them So
Overgrown With Trees And Copse-Wood, That The Eye Is Unable To
Penetrate The Obscurity Beyond A Few Yards.
"Fine places would some of these dingles prove for hermitages,"
said I to Martin of Rivadeo.
"Holy men might lead a happy life
there on roots and water, and pass many years absorbed in heavenly
contemplation, without ever being disturbed by the noise and
turmoil of the world."
"True, your worship," replied Martin; "and perhaps on that very
account there are no hermitages in the barrancos of the seven
bellotas. Our hermits had little inclination for roots and water,
and had no kind of objection to be occasionally disturbed in their
meditations. Vaya! I never yet saw a hermitage that was not hard
by some rich town or village, or was not a regular resort for all
the idle people in the neighbourhood. Hermits are not fond of
living in dingles, amongst wolves and foxes; for how in that case
could they dispose of their poultry? A hermit of my acquaintance
left, when he died, a fortune of seven hundred dollars to his
niece, the greatest part of which he scraped up by fattening
turkeys."
At the top of this bellota we found a wretched venta, where we
refreshed ourselves, and then continued our journey. Late in the
afternoon we cleared the last of these difficult passes. The wind
began now to rise, bearing on its wings a drizzling rain.
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