Waterfalls; all was
spacious and full of what Mr. Ruskin has called a "great
peacefulness of light." The village was so quiet that it seemed as
though it were deserted; after a minute or so, however, I heard a
cherry fall, and looking up, saw the trees were full of people.
There they were, crawling and lolling about on the boughs like
caterpillars, and gorging themselves with cherries. They spoke not
a word either to me or to one another. They were too happy and
goodly to make a noise; but they lay about on the large branches,
and ate and sighed for content and ate till they could eat no
longer. Lotus eating was a rough nerve-jarring business in
comparison. They were like saints and evangelists by Filippo
Lippi. Again the rendering of Handel came into my mind, and I
thought of how the goodly fellowship of prophets praised God. {4}
[At this point in the book a music score is given]
And how again in some such another quiet ecstasy the muses sing
about Jove's altar in the "Allegro and Penseroso."
Here is a sketch of Primadengo Church - looking over it on to the
other side the Ticino, but I could not get the cherry-trees nor
cherry-eaters.
On leaving Primadengo I went on to Calpiognia, and there too I
found the children's faces all purple with cherry juice; thence I
ascended till I got to a monte, or collection of chalets, about
5680 feet above the sea.
