Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L.) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1832

by Letitia Elizabeth Landon

Letitia Elizabeth Landon
(L. E. L.)
in
Fisher’s Drawing Room Scrap
Book, 1832

compiled by
Peter J. Bolton

INTRODUCTION.

Though a Preface be the first page seen in a volume, it is always the last page written. By that time, the golden age of hope has darkened into the iron age of fear. The ideas that seemed at first so delightful, are grown common, by passing through the familiarizing process of writing, printing, and correcting. A proof-sheet is a terrible reality; and you look upon your work with much the same feeling as people look upon the prospect to which they are accustomed—they are much more alive to its faults than its beauties.

For the Volume now offered to the public, I must plead for indulgence. It is not an easy thing to write illustrations to prints, selected rather for their pictorial excellence, than their poetic capabilities; and mere description is certainly not the most popular species of composition. I have endeavoured to give as much variety as possible, by the adoption of any legend, train of reflection, &c., which the subject could possibly suggest; and, with the same view, have inserted the two poems marked "C," for which I am indebted to a friend, whose kindness l gratefully acknowledge. A book like this is a literary luxury, addressed chiefly to a young and gentler class of readers: may I therefore hope, that the judgment I seek to interest will err on the side of kindly allowance.

There are three portraits, to which only brief prose notices are affixed;—the days of poetical flattery are as much past, as those of hoops and minuets. What the genius of Dryden could not redeem, I may be excused from even attempting.

There is an old proverb, "Leave well alone;" I shall, therefore, say little more of the embellishments than to mention, that the voluminous and expensive works from which they are selected, were "fountains sealed" to the many. I need not entreat for the Engravings that indulgence which myself required, but may trust them, as the Grecian orator did his client, to plead and win the cause by their own beauty.

⁠L. E. L.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Princess Victoria	4
Pile of Fouldrey Castle	7
Carrick-a-Rede, Ireland	10
Palace of the Seven Stories, Beejapore	12
The Deaf Schoolmaster	14
Storrs, Windermere Lake	16
Tiger Island	18
The Upper Lake of Killarney, Ireland	21
Hurdwar, A Place of Hindoo Pilgrimage	23
The Black Rock Fort and Lighthouse, Liverpool	25
Tâj Mahal, Agra	27
The Volcano of Ki-Rau-E-A in Hawaii	29
Grass Rope Bridge at Teree, Gurwall	31
Restormel Castle, Cornwall	33
The Water Palace, Mandoo	35
Right Honble. John Philpot Curran	38
The Vale of Lonsdale	41
Fowey Harbour, St. Saviour’s Chapel & Polruan Castle	43
Skeleton Group in the Rameswur, Caves of Ellora	45
Furness Abbey, in the Vale of Nightshade, Lancashire	47
Benares	49
The African	51
Curraghmore, Waterford	54
Carclaze Tin Mine, near St. Austle	57
El Wuish, Red Sea	59
The House in which Roscoe was Born	61
Jumma Musjid, Agra	63
The Giant’s Causeway, Ireland	65
Delhi	67
Blarney Castle, Co. Cork	69
The Valley of Rocks, near Linton	73