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Bºrº - ºwd phewººd c.faa.ºz. - c to aºzo R&rº CHE SHIRE -º-º: *a* pronº º * * D. E. R. F. Y. ºf a - * alºnere 12,`..., º 3.32°3 r 3 Shrewsbºº -- - ºede” *…, ºr * º te * &º 2 - … . prº- º ºrvºº-º-º: - o a - **ſade 3 º' º N ºwrºorowah Hanºvančre a R^ E. A. * +. I zºº - --- EN G.I.AN A3 – and *A. Aſ , E S. Zºzzº &zzzzze Aºzº ==-z-z-z Mozza, or º fº (, Z Zºº AM 4 ZY -- ** fºur-ºn tº ºarº -...ſº *wē), - ºr. -- º º | \, . Aſarº a º ** * Zºrºaſ. ºrd ... ferºes: ** - Afterwarden. - ºre.… - #º o 2ſ. St. *parº 3 guidiara :-º- --- s f Zºº”, “…a vºy ºzº...] ºr Zºe ozcºz. THE BRITISH TOURIST’S, S$ Kººg. &rºg * on, tº trä7; * º TRAVELLER'S “wº POCKET COMPANION, - ranovan - . . . ENGLAND, WALES, SCOTLAND, AND IRELAND. r - Comprehending the most CELEBRATED MODERN TOURS IN THE f 15titigh 3Giant,8, - and SE W .E. R.A. L. . OR I.G INA I. S. IN SIX VOLUMES. ---sºm-- * VOL. III. THE THIRD EDITION, IMPROVED AND MUCH ENLARGED. By WILLIAM MAVOR, LL. D. &c. &c. LONDON, painted for RICHARD PHILLIPS, BRIDGE-streET, stack- FRIARS ; AND SOLD BY EVERY BOOKSELLER IN THE ". . UNITED KINGDOM, 1809. 2 * ~ ***…* {z : … “º -. [Price one Pound sixteen Sillings , in Boards.] CONTENTS OF WOL. III. TOUR THROUGH DIFFERENT PARTS OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES, BY RICHARD JOSEPH SULIVAN, ESQ. PERFORMED IN 1778 tº tºº, - PAGE i TOUR TO THE WEST OF ENGLAND, IN 1788, BY THE REV. STEBBING SHAW, M. A. F.E. LLOW OF QUEEN'S COL- LEGE, CAMBRIDGE & sº sº i:35 TOUR IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND, PERFORMED IN 1785, BY THOMAS NEWTE, ESQ. - - - - - 227 TOUR OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT, BY MR. J. HASSELL, PERFORMED IN THE SUM- MER OF 1789 &º & ſº gº gº 293 T O U R \ , * Originally published under the title of Observations made during a Tour through parts of England, Scotland, &c. ºn 3 series of £etters. " ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' " ºf ºrg Rou GH DIFFERENT PARTS O ş ENGLAND, scot.AND, AND WALES. ur Richard Joseph sullivan, esq. - rººroºp IN 1778. - isºs { rTºp is such an air of easy gaiety and benevo- lence, so much mildness and philosophy, run through Mr. Sulivan's Tour*, that to alter the struc- ture of the composition would be to injure the fame of the author, and to lessen the interest in his re- marks. We have therefore been induced to give a fair, connected abridgment ºf his letters, as far as possible in the spirit and manner of this truly amiable writer; warmly recommending the original to those who wish for farther gratification. º . . After descanting on the benefits of travel, and the propensity of the human mind to change, our author Voi. Hiſ, B - t 2 suli v AN's to UR THR ouch gives a catalogue of travellers, either through choice or necessity, arranging them in the following ludi- erous manner. - Chemists and musicians, naturalists and tooth- drawers, astronomers and quacks, philosophers and taylors, poets and frizieurs, travellers of ton, heirs apparent of diseases, titles, and distinction, spend- thrifts laughing at their creditors, and dilletanti skim- ming the shores of knowledge for a gaping world: and, last of all, travellers by compulsion, who are in search of health, and those of sentiment, among whom Mr. Sulivan may justly be classed, who seek for happiness, and enjoy the blessing wherever they find it. - He next makes some judicious remarks on the fatal effects of an overgrown capital, which never fails to encourage dissipation. On the misery of seduction, both to the deluder and the deluded, he speaks with feeling and truth; and having slightly reviewed the antiquity, consequence, and amusements of London, sets out on his tour, in which we accompany him with pleasure and improvement. Leaving London, June 1778, by way of retrograde -- motion, in our route to Bath, we stopped at Rich- mond, in Surry, between nine and ten miles from London, a place so delightfully situated, that it is impossible to see it without pleasure and admiration. The town itself, it is true, is low, and void of pros- pect; but take it altogether, the vicinity of the park, the extensive views from the hill, the beautiful wind- ings of the Thames, and the innumerable villas, which are lavishly scattered on its banks, and there is not, perhaps, a more beautiful spot in any corner of the globe. The park, which is certainly the most elegant of any belonging to the crown, was made in the reign of Charles I. and enclosed with a wall, said to be eleven miles in circumference. ENG LAND, sco TLA Nºd, AND w AL ES. 3 On the ascent of Richmond Hill are wells of purging mineral-water, and on the top of it is an alms-house, for the support of ten widows. There is another alms-house, endowed with above 1001. a year, besides two charity-schools; one for fifty boys, and the other for fifty girls. From Richmond, crossing the Thames, we pro- ceeded to Runnemede, celebrated for the conference held there between King John and his barons; and where, after a debate of a few days, the king signed and sealed the Magna Charta of our liberties. - Our next stage was Windsor, distant twenty-two miles from London. , x-> William the Conqueror, charmed with the conve- nient situation of this place for hunting, built a castle here, which has ever since been the favourite retreat of some one of our princes; but the castle, which now is in being, was built by Edward III. ; and his method of conducting the work is recorded as a speci- men of the slavery of the people in that age ; for he assessed every county in England with a certain number of masons, tilers, and carpenters, as if he had been levying an army. This building, however, has undergone several al- terations and improvements, particularly with respect to the platform, which surrounds it, called the "I'er- race, added by queen Elizabeth. It was remarkable for containing the kings of France and Scotland at one time, as prisoners of Edward III. St. George's Chapel, in which the knights of the most noble order of the garver are installed, is one of the most beau- tiful and stately Gothic buildings in the world. In the choir are the stalls of the twenty-six knights of the order, and the banners over them, with a throne for the sovereign. As the knights die, their banners are taken down, and their titles and coats of arms are engraved on little copper-plates, and perma- ºnently nailed to the stalls. This order, from its insti- '...- -E 2 4. so Liv AN's row R T H rough in the world, - ". . Not long before this institution, Edward III. found- ed a college for twenty-six alms-knights, to the honour of St. George and Edward the Confessor, and styled them the Poor Knights of Windsor, all of whom ' ', were to be gentlemen, wounded in the wars, or im- paired by indigence or age. They are now reduced. to eighteen, with an allowance of 401. per annum tution, has been reputed the most honourable of any each. .” - . . From the terrace you enter into a beautiful park, which surrounds the castle, and is called the Little or Home Park, to distinguish it from another ad- joining, of much larger extent. Windsor Great Park, as it is called, lies on the south side of the town, and is fourteen miles in circumference. It is well stocked with deer, and a variety of game. Thé forest is of great extent, computed thirty miles, and was appropriated to hunting, and the keeping of the king's deer, by William I. In this track of land are several towns and villages, of which Workingham is one of the principal. Here hills and vales, the woodland and the plain, Here earth and water seem to meet again. Not chaos like, together crush'd and bruis'd, But, as the world, harmoniously confus'd : Where order in variety we see, And where; tho' all things differ, all agree. .* Here waving groves, a chequerºd scene display, And part admit, and part exclude the day; - There interspers'd in lawns, and op'ning glades, Thin trees arise that shun each other’s shades. Here in full light, the russet plains extend; .There wrapt in clouds the blueish hills ascend. Ev’n the wild heath displays her purple dyes, * And 'midst the desert, fruitful fields arise, . . . . . That crown d-with tufted trees and springing corn, Like verdant isles, the sable waste adorn. - Pope's Windsor Forest. ENG LAND, scot LAND, AND w A LEs. 5 In the apartments of the castle, which are com- modious, and in the old style, elegantly furnished, are many capital paintings of the first masters *. In a closet is the banner of France, annually deli- vered, on the second of August, by the Duke of Marlborough; by which tenure he holds Blenheim Palace, built in the reign of Queen Anne, as a na- tional reward to the great Churchill, for his many glorious victories over the French. g . At this place also, it is recorded, Cromwell secretly called a council of his chief officers, in order to de- liberate concerning the settlement of the nation, and the future disposal of the king's person. In the conferences held on this subject, and which always commenced with devout prayers, poured forth by Cromwell himself, and other inspired persons, (for the officers of his army received inspiration with their commissions,) was first opened the daring and un- heard-of counsel of bring Charles I. to justice, and of punishing, by a judicial sentence, their unhappy sovereign for his mal-administration. - At the distance of about two miies from Windsor Castle, stands the College of Eton, in Buckingham- shire, separated from Windsor by the Thames, over which there is an old bridge. It was founded by Henry VI. for the maintenance of a provost and seven fellows, one of whom is vice-provost; and for the instruction of seventy king's scholars; who, when qualified, are elected, on the first Tuesday in Au- gust, to King's College, Cambridge; but they are hot removed till vacancies fall in the college, and then they are called according to seniority. The school is divided into upper and lower, and each into three classes. There is a master to each school, and . * The various princely improvements at Windsor, under the auspices of his present majesty, do equal honour to his taste and munificence. This palace, with its accompaniments, is ºw worthy of being the residence of the first monarch on &; ii), * - B 3 6 surrv AN's rot. R THR ov G H & four assistants to each master; there being seldom less than three hundred children, besides those on the foundation, who board at the masters’ houses, or elsewhere, within the college bounds. - . The vast number of great men which not only Eton, but the other public seminaries of learning in this country have produced, has often led me to the long-disputed point, whether a public or a private education is prefereble. To many men the advan- tages of a public school are demonstratively evident; but much, as in most cases, may be advanced on both sides. Public schools, as society now is regu- lated, are gertainly possessed of many recommendatory essentials in the point of education. The masters are generally men of the first abilities: the diet of the pupils is carefully attended to, and their learning is less neglected, than the number of boys, and the variety of their talents, would at first give one rea- son to apprehend. A private tutor, on the other hand, undoubtedly, has it in his power to give more attention to his scholar's education than the master of a large academy. He can watch over the pro- gress of the understanding, and, by constant care, can take advantage of every effort of the mind, and turn it by culture to its proper ends. The morals too he has rigidly under his inspection. The man, therefore, cannot but spring up in theoretic perfec- tion; but the passions will have hitherto been silent, because they will not have had sufficient objects to stimulate, them to action; and the passions may pro- perly be called the very elements of life, as they influence our every action; and no one can be con- sidered as good or bad, virtuous or vicious, till they have had scope to display themselves in, and shew. their native bias, , On the contrary, the man who has been early sent to school, enters at once into a world in minia- ture, similar to the one in which he is afterwards ENG LAN p, sco'ſ LAND, AND w ALEs. 7 | doomed to move. The whole circle of the passions is there to combat and be combated with. Love, hatred, jealousy, revenge, ambition, courage, cow- ardice, in short, all the most opposite Sentiments of the human heart, are there to be found in their dif- ferent degrees. The dispositions of his fellow-crea- tures thus come experimentally to be made known to him. He soon perceives the delights of good- ness, as well as the turpitude of baseness. Pride makes him emulate his superiors. He feels an exul- tation in rising to be foremost of his class. His in- citements to morality become equally strong. Ap- plause attends him in every step of his career. Self feels its native dignity, and is pleased in the exertion: he rises to be a man with a knowledge of books, and, what is of much more consequence, with a know- ledge of his species, in another light, likewise, the advantages of pub- lic, are apparently infinitely superior to those of private education. The mingling together draws forth the exertion of ehildren's bodily as well as mental faculties; their nerves in this manner become strong;-by feats of strength they gradually acquire degrees of gourage : their little spirits become imper- ceptibly inured to resent an injury, and to protect the oppressed. Exercise gives an invigorating priº- ciple to their system ; and they break into the world with health, with spirit, and with understand- ing, fit to encounter the innumerable vicissitudes which are incident to their existence”, f * It is evident Mr. Sulivan gives the preference to public schools, and, in general, with good reason: for boys intended for the professions of a public life, there can be no comparison of advantages ; but in the humbler walks of life, private edu: cation is certainly best adapted for youth. It tends to check *g âmbition and extravagance, and to give ideas consonant to that moderate sphere in which by far the greater part of mankind are doomed to move. Take a boy from a public school, and ** * , - * y p -- place him behind a counter, he will feel himself º degraded. At - f § sur. Iv AN’s To U R T H R ou G H From Windsor, where we dined, we struck into the high Bath road, and halted at Maidenhead Bridge ; so called, according to Leland, from a head kept there of one of the eleven thousand virgins who accompanied St. Ursula to Germany, where they all suffered martyrdom. The distance of this place from Taplow, a small village to the northward of it, is about one mile. Here is a house belonging to the Earl of Inchiquin, which, from its appear- ance, has more the air of a monastery, than the habitation of a nobleman. From his lordship's gar- den at Taplow, you enter inamediately upon the grounds belonging to his seat at Chiefden. This place is remarkable, both on account of its beautiful situa- tion, and because it was the ordinary residence of the late Prince of Wales, father to the present king. The house was built by John Sheffield, duke of Bucks, and in much the same style as her majesty's palace in St. James's Park”. The house and gardens, though they may have been praised, are certainly -far from elegant. The former consists of two stories, neither magnificent nor convenient; and the latter of parterres, and circumscribed avenues of close-set trees, which impress one with an idea of a place allotted for the dead, more than of an improvement destined for the recreation of the living. The situ- ation, indeed, is fine, particularly the back front, which, on one side, looks upon a highly cultivated, champaign country, and on the other upon an exten- sive wood, running along a hill, which is washed by a beautiful winding of the Thames. The capabilities of this place, to adopt the lan- guage of a celebrated gardener, are certainly great; the university, or in a public office, he knows himself to be in his element. * It was lately consumed by an accidental fire, together “with the furniture and many valuable pictures, and has not since been rebuilt. • ? - * - EN G L AND, SCOT LAND, A N p W A Y, E.S., 9 and the present Earl of Inchiquin, it is said, has appropriated a large sum towards proving it. The two houses are distant from each other about two miles and a half, with sylvan walks of communi- cation. - * After viewing Cliefden we returned to our inn, whence we prosecuted our journey to Bath. In our way, indeed, we halted a few hours to pay our respects to the mitred and parliamentary Abbey of Reading, and one of the most considerable in Eng- land. King Henry I. laid the foundation, anno 1121, and his body was buried in it *; though, ac- cording to Dr. Ducarrel, in his Anglo-Norman anti- quities, his heart, eyes, tongue, brains, and bowels, were deposited under a handsome monument, before the high altar, in the ancient priory church of the Bonnes Nouvelles, at Rouen. The last abbot of Reading was Hugh Farringdon, who, refusing to deliver up his abbey to the visitors, was attainted of high treason; and, in the month of November, 1539, with two of his monks, named Rugg, and , Onion, was hanged, drawn, and quartered. This A happened on the same day on which the Abbot of Glastonbury suffered the like sentence, for the same provocation. - . The following anecdote of one of the abbots, as related by Fuller, is worth preserving. “ King Henry VIII. as he was hunting in Windsor Forest, either casually lost, or (more probably) wilfully losing himself, struck down, about dinner-time, to the Abbey of Reading, where disguising himself, (much for delight, and more for discovery, to see * Of the A' bey of Reading there are now very few remains, but still enough to shew its amazing solidity and extent. A few years ago, when the county-prison was built on the site, Several coffins were dug up, one of which was supposed to coſy- tain the dust of Henry I. 10 su LI v AN’s ‘rou R T H Rou GH unseen) he was invited to the abbot's table, and passed for one of the king's guards; a place to which the proportion of his person might properly entitle him. A sirloin of beef was set before him, (so knighted, saith this tradition, by this King Henry) on which the king laid on lustily, not disgracing one of that place, for whom he was mistaken. “Well fare thy heart, quoth the abbot; ‘ and here, in a cup of sack, I remember the health of his grace, your master. I would give an hundred pounds on the con- dition I could feed so heartily on beef as you do. Alas ! my weak and squeazie stomach will hardly di- gest the wing of a small rabbit or chicken.’ The king pleasantly pledged him, and heartly thanked him for his good cheer; after dinner he departed, as undiscovered as he came thither. Some weeks after, the abbot was sent for by a pursuivant, brought up to London, clapt into the Tower, kept close prisoner, fed for a short time with bread and water; yet not so empty his body of food, as his mind was filled with fears, creating many suspicions to himself, when and how he had incurred the king's displeasure. At last a sirloin of beef was set before him, on which the abbot fed as the farmer of his grange, and verified the proverb, ‘That two hungry meals make the third a glutton. In springs King Henry out of a private lobby, where he had placed himself, the invisible spectator of the abbot’s behaviour. “My lord, quoth the king, ‘presently deposit your hundred pounds in gold, or else no going hence all the days of your life. I have been your physician to cure you of your squeazie stomach; and here, as I deserve, I demand my fee for the same.’ ‘The Abbot down with his dust, and glad he had escaped: so returned to Read- ing, as somewhat lighter in purse, so much more merrier in heart, than when he came thence.” Bath is one hundred and seven miles from London. This city took its name from its natural hot-baths ; / ENG LAN D, scot LAN D, AND WALES. 11 for the medicinal virtues of which it has long been celebrated, and much frequented. Even in the time of the Romans, it was famous for its salubrious waters. Upon the spot where the cathedral now stands, a temple is said to have formerly been dedi- cated to Minerva, who was the tutelar deity of those springs, and from thence the ancient Britons called this city Caer Palladur, i. e. The City of the Water of Pallas. It was afterwards called by the Saxons, Accmannesceaster, which signifies, the City of Valetudinarians; and upon Lansdown Hill, near this city, there are still to be seen the remains of a fortification, thought to have been thrown up by the Saxons in the year 520, when they defended themselves against the victorious King Arthur. Bath stands in a valley, upon the north bank of the river Avon, and is encircled by hills forming an amphi- theatre. It is surrounded by walls, which, though slight and almost entire, are supposed to be, the work of the Romans. It contains five hot-baths, called the King's Bath, the Queen's Bath, the Cross Bath, the Hot Bath, and the Leper's Bath. There is also a cold bath. - - The King's Bath is sixty feet square, supplied by many hot springs that rise in the middle of it. In this bath there is the figure of an ancient British king, called Bleyden the Soothsayer, with an inscrip- tion, importing, that he discovered the use of these springs three hundred years before the Christian era. The Queen's Bath is separated from the King's only by a wall. It has no spring of its own; but receives its water from the King's Bath. - The Cross Bath receives its appellation from a cross that formerly stood in the middle of it. Its heat is also less than that of the King's Bath, be- cause it has fewer springs. - The Hot Bath was so called from having been fore 12 suitv AN's Tour TH Roug # , - cities in the world. merly hotter than the rest; but was not then so large as it is now. . . . . . . . . . . The Leper's Bath is formed by the overflowings of the Cross Bath, and is appropriated for the use of the poor. . . . . The Cold Bath is supplied by a fine cold spring, The hot springs were fenced in by the Romans with a . wall, to separate them from the common cold springs, with which this place abounds. As this city lies in a valley, surrounded with hills, the heat of these waters, and their milky detergent -quality, are ascribed to the admixture and fermentation of two different waters filtrating through two of those hills, one called Claverton Down, and the other Lansdown, The water from Claverton Down is supposed to be sulphurous or bituminous, with a portion of nitre ; and the water from Lansdown is thought to be tinc- tured with iron ore. These waters, so justly cele- brated, are recoramended in various disorders, par- ticularly those denominated chronic. The town itself is remarkably elegant and clean, especially those buildings called the Crescent and the Circus, and which are inhabited by people of conse- quence. The former is probably one of the most beautiful structures in the world”. The rides about Bath are agreeable; but the hills up to them are so steep and wearisome, that it requires no small degree of resolution, to take that exercise which the physi- cians invariably recommend. No place in England, in the proper season, affords so brilliant a circle of good company as Bath. The aged, the young, the infirm, and the hale, all resort to this vortex of * * * •. ~~ * { ... s. * Since the period of our auth o: tour, *Bath has been so much enlarged and embellished, as tº becºme one of the finest ºf , - . . . ; ! ~~ . . ~ ( , , . - - x NG LAND, SC or LAN p, AN tº w A LEs. 3 ‘. amusement. Ceremony, beyond the essential rules of politeness, is, totally exploded : everyone mixes upon an equality ; and the entertainments are so wisely regulated, that although there is never a cessation of them, there is never a lassitude from bad hours, or from an excess of dissipation. In the morning, the rendezvous is at the Pump-room; from that time, till noon, in walking on the parades, or in the different quarters of the town ; thence to the Pump-room again: from the Pump-room to a fresh stroll, and then to dinner; and from dinner to the rooms, where dancing, or the card-table eonclude: the evening. -- Every thing being regulated at Bath, with respect to the accommodation of strangers, there is no dan- ger of imposition if a person will but take the trou- ble to purchase a small pamphlet”, which clearly points out the different customs and usages of that to Włł. . . On one side of the road to Claverton Down, is Prior Park, a seat of the late Mr. Allen, situated al- most on the summit of Charlton Hill. This place has been much admired, but will ever derive its principal celebrity from its being the residence of the benevolent and generous Allen, the friend of Pope, and of mankind. Having satisfied our curiosity at Bath, we deter- mined on the route we should take into the more distant parts of Somerset and Wiltshire, and pro- ceeded as far as Pensford, a small, inconsiderable town, situated on the river Thew. From Pensford we continued our journey to Catterworth; near { * To every travell , we would earnestly recommend the lo- cal printed guides. The expenditure of a shilling or two fre- ‘īuently saves twery; and besides gains information that canº not easily be procured by a stranger. . . . . . s . G, . . . . . & ..Y #4 sº Liv Ax’s roux ºf Rov Gº - which is Bow Ditch, where there are still the remains of a Roman camp, almost in a circular form, and”, being on the summit of a hill, cemmands a fine prospect. Within a small distance are sorae considerable coal-pits, together with the remains of a place of druidical worship. From Catterworth we proceeded on our way to Chūtenham, a small in- different looking village; and thence to the Mendip Hills, distant about three or four miles. * Never did travellers begin a jaunt with more un- propitious omens than we did ; the morning was darkened with heavy, lowering clouds; the places we had planned for observation were, in general, exposed to every inelemency that could possibly affect us; and, to mend the matter, the major part of our present liff- tle society consisted of ladies. Fortune, however, be- friended us when we least expected it; for scarce had * we come in wiew of the delightful _Mendip Hills, covered to a vast extent with heath and fern, and charmingly dotted with sheep, and a variety of eaf- tle, than the clouds began to wear away. A threat- ening fog at first began to gather round us; but this soon dispersed, and by the time we reached the summit, the sun had taken possession of the day, and every thing assumed a face of re-animated beauty. The landscape was most delightful. On the one side were towering hills, whose side we were travers- ing, and whose loftiest brows slowly declined; while, on the other, the highly-cultivated lands of Somerset, smiling in all the luxuriancy of art and nature, burst upon our view. I do not exaggerate when I say, we were lost in admiration. - Proceeding slowly on, and cautious of not losing a single object which might' present itself, we descended the hills. On the right, and in the front, with hills, woods, and dales, delight- fally intermixed; and on the left, with the town * This figure is very unusual for a Roman castrametation, a ... • -- - - W. r - ... - \ *... - - - j ENG LAND, scori, AN p, AND w ALEs. 13 of Wells, and a bold romantic prospect of the tower of Glastonbury at a distance. To Wells we next bent our course. . . . . . . . . . This city is sixteen miles from Bath, and one hundred and twenty-seven from London : it is situated at the foot of the Mendip Hills; and is a clean, pretty town. John de Villula, the sixteenth bishop of this see, removed his residence and spiritual autho- rity to Bath; but the contest between this church and that of Bath being afterwards compromised, it was determined that the bishops should thereafter be styled bishops of Bath and Wells, and that the canons of each should, on the vacancy of the see, appoint deputies to elect the bishop, who was to be installed in both churches. Its church, at first a monastery, was built by Ina, king of the West Saxons; and in the year 905, was erected into an episcopal see. The west front of the cathedral seems to have been magnificent, being an entire pile of statues; but the taste being wildly Gothic, or, Saracenic, it does not strike a common observer with either elegance or simplicity. The cloisters adjoining to it are spacious and fair. The chapter house is a rotund, supported by a pillar in the middle; and the vicar's dwellings, in the close, are commodious. The bishop's palace, with its walls and mote, bas the air of a castle; but, altogether, it presents a most unfavourable aspect to a traveller. The deanry is a fine house; and there are likewise good habitations for the prebendaries: but the cathedral is by much, as of course it should be, the finest building. The exterior carries a venerable and awful appearance, and the inside is carefully attended to, both with respect to neatness and conveniency. On one side of the altar stands a monument of Bishop Still in his espicopal robes, and on the other an emblematical representation of Miss Kidder, who, in the year 1703, fell a martyr to filial affection. This young lady was daughter of a bishop . . . . . . . . C 2 S. #6 . st Liv AN’s Tou R T H R ou G H of that name, who, with his wife, were both crushed to death, in the town of Wells, by the falling of a chimney. The catastrophe so afflicted the daughter, then no more than sixteen years of age, that it dis- ordered her senses, and she died distracted a few months afterwards. She is represented in the atti- tude of looking at two urns, supposed to contain the ashes of her parents. • . - In one of the aisles is shewn the tomb and repre- sentation of Bishop Beckington, who, in an impolitic fit of religious phrensy, attempted to fast during lent. It is said to be well authenticated, that, for an ex- traordinary number of days, some say thirty-nine, he absolutely did refrain from food. His punishment was what his presumption was entitled to. He fell a victim to it: nor did commiseration attend his fall. Scattered up and down the church are also many an- cient monumental figures, dug out of the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey, but transplanted to Wells. The windows, too, of this cathedral are curious, although the principle one of the chapel is rather too much crowded with stained and whimsically-ornamented glass. - - • Thus having observed the body of the cathedral, we next ascended to the library by a flight of stairs. Like most of those of orthodox societies, it is filled with folios of law and polemical divinity, but the fathers apparently sleep in quietness on the shelves. Turning over the pages of these subtle, but absurd remnants of human imposition, I was suddenly called by one of the ladies, who, with much exultation, told Ine of a book which had been put into her hands by the person who was our guide, and who informed her, it was the wonder of all wonders; nothing less than a book composed, printed, and bound, before the in- vention of paper, of which Europeans so much boast. How such a matter as this could possibly exist, or, if it did exist, how it could have found its way into the ENGLAND, scor LAND, A N p w A LEs. I? library of Wells, was a point not easy to determine; but judge my surprise, when I found it neither more nor less, than a Chinese octavo. Never did people laugh more heartily than we did, at the extravagance of this literary imposition. But our guide was still tenacious, and would not believe us, when we told him what it was ; neither could we reconcile him to the doctrine, until we offereu to procure him a hun- dred similar productions, and to submit them all, if he pleased, to the learned of the diºcese, for their decision. This gained us at length some credit; and he them, with confusion and disappointment in his countenance, vowed he would throw it aside, and never more be the instrument of imposition on the credulity of the public. It appeared to have been presented by a waggish doctor, who perhaps meant to play on the ignorance of his brethren. - - Concluding our observations at Wells, we proceed- ed to a famous cavern in the Mendip Hills, called Okey-hole, one of the most celebrated natural curio- sities in that part of England. The distance of this cavern from Wells is about two miles. Arrived at the bottom of the hill, we enquired for a guide; and having procured one, whose age and visage most in- evitably would have condemned her to the flames a century ago, we followed her up a narrow path of a cliff, the perpendicular height of which could not be less than two hundred feet; the old woman herself bear- ing a lanthorn in one hand, and a bundle of lights in the other. The ascent was wonderfully fine and ro- mantic. Being arrived at the distance of about fifty yards from the place where we left our carriage, we found ourselves close to the entrance of this dreary cavern. The first order we received from Oilſ . Têes generated Hecate, was to leave our hats behind us. Handkerchiefs were of course tied round our heads, and a lighted taper was then presented to each of the party. Thus prepared to encounter the gloomy C 3 - 18 su Liv AN’s Tour. T H Rou G.H. horrors of the scene, we formed ourselves in the order in which we were to enter, following our totter- ing conductress. On entering the cave, we perceived a vast number of large stones, confusedly scattered about, over some of which, we were told, lay the path-way of our journey. As you advance the cavern widens, and continues to increase until you come to about thirteen steps, which you descend into a narrow passage, in which is shewn the tomb, as they call it, of the Old Witch of Okey, who resided at this place. This tomb is a misshapen piece of rock, incrusted. From the passage you enter into the kitchen, and from the kitcher, into an immense cavern called the Church, many parts of which are upwards of forty feet high. Here the footing is in- different ; for the rocks being irregularly scattered on one side, and the river Axe winding itself along on the other, you can scarcely find room to make your way either with firmness or safety. Nothing can be conceived more awful than the appearance of this chasm. The spar too, which is as it were brilliantly placed along the confines of the river, with crystal drops, like diamonds, pendant around it, are beauties with which it is impossible not to be highly de- lighted; particularly when contrasted with the sur- rounding scenery. - The next objects of admiration are, the arm-chair and the cooler, both of them fine incrustations; the former shaped in the rural garden style, with ribs, and the latter surrounding a small bason of delicious water, From the passage which immediately leads from this, you descend eight steps, and continue till you come to another figure of spar, denominated the Lion's Head, and situated in the corner of a prodigi- ous cupola, called the Servant's Hall. This ball has the appearance of being the loftiest of all the chasms. Hence we proceeded to what is styled the Great Hall, passing in our way the hall chimney, a narrow cavern A. - ENG E A N p, SC GT CAN D, A N S W A Ligs, #9 of considerable height. This hall has infinitely the largest area in the cave, being in the figure of a rotunda, and measuring in its centre about the height of five and twenty feet. The ceiling is exquisitely even ; and the echo, as may be supposed, prodigi- ously distinct and awful. Here indeed we might say, we experienced something of the effect of the sublime and beautiful. As we advanced, we had gradually met with new and suprising objects; here we had them as it were gathered together in one point of view. - Exploring with silent admiration, and reflecting on the wonderful operation of those parts of matter, which, in a convulsion, must certainly have formed this cavern, we determined on ascertaining the truth of what we had heard advanced, relative to the body of water winding at our feet, and which was once considered as the source of the river Axe. Our guide, however, soon satisfied us on this head, by saying, that when the Axe was low, many people had traced it from the place where we then stood, to a considerable distance beyond us; that it did not rise even in the hill in the body of which we were, but that it had its source in a neighbouring one, whence it proceeded through other caverns into that of Okey. - * Satisfied in this point, and pleased with every thing we had met with in the cave, we returned in the manner we had entered ; nor did we do this sooner than was necessary, for the humidity and coldness of the place, together with the unwhole- someness of the air, rendered a change of climate necessary. Take it all in all, however, no man of curiosity should visit Somersetshire without seeing Okey-hole. - - t Returning from the cave by the path-way we had ascended, at the bottom of the hill, we stopped at a malfufactory of paper, worked by the waters of 20 sui, Iv AN’s Tou R T H R GUGH the Axe ; which we examined under the direction of the proprietor. . Wearied not a little with what we had already seen, and reflecting on that which was yet to be observed, we thankfully quitted our new acquaintance, and getting into our carriages, proceeded to the village of Glastonbury, distant from Wells about six miles. Glastonbury, for riches and grandeur almost with- out a rival in England, was early in repute among the West Saxons, as appears from Nennius and Geoffry of Monmouth, who both tell us that our , great Arthur was buried there; and Giraldus Cam- brensis, who lived in the time of Henry II. says, he saw his coffin dug up. King Ina, the WestSaxon, founded the Abbey, and it continued to receive so many donations, that, in the time of Canute the Great, they obtained a charter, whereby every per- son, even the king himself, was excluded from com- ing within any part of its bounds without leave of the abbot. Some idea may be formed of the ancient grandeur of this monastery, from what yet remains of the different buildings. There were constantly one hundred monks resident in the cloisters, and the abbot had seldom less than three hundred domes- tics, many of whom were the sons of the principal nobility. Its revenues exceeded those of Canterbury or Durham. lt stands in a peninsula near the river Bry, called the Isle of Avalon; and ever since the dissolution of religious houses, the chief support of the town has consisted in the great numbers of people who have resorted thither to visit the ruins ; but the inhabitants having removed many of the stones to repair their houses, the number of travel- łers has of late years decreased. The church was a prodigious pile of building, and great part of the walls of the choir is still standing. Two of the great pillars that supported the middle tower are yet remaining, but mostly overgrown with ivy; and Ex G R AND, Scots. A ND, AND w A Les. 21 part of the high altar in the choir, where the West- Saxon kings were buried, is still to be seen, but in the same ruinous condition as the church. Indeed, such are the devastations made by the devouring hard of time, and the depredations committed by avarice, that the chapel of St. Mary, on the north side of the church, has been converted into a stable, the manger being placed on the altar. Near this chapel of St. Mary, was a smaller chapel, built by king Edgar ; but the walls are almost totally des- troyed. The floor, was of stone, and many of the Saxon nobility were buried under it, in coffins of lead, which have since indeed been taken away, and melted into cisterns. . . . The only thing that remains entire of this magni- ficent structure, which was erected to bid defiance to the ravages of time, is the Abbot's Kitchen, built wholly of stone, but converted to a use for which it was never intended ; and probably in a few years it wiłł experience the same fate with the rest of the apartments. As many pilgrims visited Glastonbury, the abbots found it necessary to build all inn for their reception, where they were furnished with all the necessaries of life, in a truly royal style. It is still standing in the town, and known by the sign of the George, having the arms of the Saxon kings over On a hill, called the Torr, adjoining to the town, was formerly a church dedicated to St. Michael, where Richard Whiting, the last and most celebrated abbot, and whose hospitality was so great, that he often entertained five hundred horsemen at a time, was hanged by order of King Henry VIII. toge- ther with two of his monks, for having dared to let fall some hasty expressions, when the king's com- #issioners arrived to seize upon his revenues. The history of his condemnation and execution reflects. w . . . . * 32 su LT v AN’s To U R TH Rou G H eternal disgrace on the memory of that tyrannical monarch. " . The shepherd being slain, the sheep were easily dis- persed; nor were there many religious men found afterwards to oppose the king's tyranny. Henry, like a conqueror, invaded, threw down, plundered, and demolished all ; but, the possessions and reve- nues of the monasteries he, for the most part, dis- tributed amongst the nobility, that they might ne- wer after be reclaimed or restored to the church by any of the princes his successors, exchanging some for other lands and revenues, and disposing of others for ready money; and he compelled the Catholics, against their wishes, to buy those spoils of the church, to the end he might, by that means, oblige them to defend his unjust act. Such was the end of the monasteries and monks in England, almost a thousand years after they had brought the Christian faith into that island; increasing with it, and being advanced by the generosity of all the kings. It would be reckoned unpardonable in this place to omit the mention of Glastonbury Thorn, which, in the dark and ignorant ages of popery, was denomi- nated holy. The monks tell us, that when Joseph of Aramathea arrived at this place, and preached the gospel to the natives, he took up his residence on the hill called Torr, where many people flocked to hear him, though, as may be reasonably supposed, the greatest part doubted of his mission. But the holy man, conscious of his innocence, yet eager to vindicate himself from the imputation of imposture, struck his stick into the ground, and, lifting his eyes up to heaven, prayed that God would remove their unbelief by some signal act of his power. The prayer was no sooner heard than complied with ; for, behold a miracle! the staff took root, spread out its blossoms, and the obstinate Britons immediately embraced the faith of Christ. In the reign of Queen ENGLAND, scoºr LAND, AND w A LEs. 23 Elizabeth, however, an over-zealous Protestant, not having the fear of God before his eyes, hewed down one of the branches of this holy thorn, and having brought his destroying axe to another, aimed a dread- ful blow, which happily did not escape with impu- nity; for one of the chips, we are told, flew into his eye, and blinded him; while the axe itself, as in revenge for being put to such horrid purposes, fell on his foot, and wounded him in a terrible manner. The last attack that was made on it, (for frequent were its sufferings) was in the civil wars between Charles H. and his parliament, when the whole tree, even to the roots, was torn up by the soldiers of £romweli, who considered it as a relic of idolatry; but some slips having been afterwards engrafted on the other shrubs, there are still remaining three of the trees for the observation of the curious. It is certainly of a remarkable species in this country; but is very common in the Levant and Asia Minor. “ It differs,” says Mr. Miller, “ from our common hawthorn, by putting out its leaves early in the spring, and flowering twice a year; for, in mild seasons, it often flowers in November and Decem- ber, and again at the usual time of the common sort; but the stories which are told of its budding, blos- soming, and fading on Christmas-day, are ridicu- lous, and destitute of foundation *. - The whole of this place of Glastonbury is worth seeing. One cannot, however, but regret the inat- tention which is paid to the ruins, and the violation of the ashes of the dead. Regard should, no doubt, be had to the comforts of the living; but some little respect should be shewn to the relics of the dead. Leaving Giastonbury, we proceeded to Somerton, situated on a branch of the Parret; it is a post town, * The present Glastonbury Thorn is only a variety of the Crataegus Oxyacantha of Linnaeus; or common white thorn. 24 sul i v AN’s rou R rB Roo G H ‘y and was once much celebrated. The county took its º name from it. It is a healthy place, though so near the moors; but, in wet winters, people have been known to come from Parret in boats to the very doors. It is remarkable for having in its neighbour- hood a moor of twenity thousand acres of ground for grazing the cattle of such as have a right to com- mon. . . From Somertoſ, we continued our journey to Ilchester, one hundred and twenty-nine miles from London, situated on the Ivel. Some say the castle was built by the Romans, to curb the Britons, after Boadicea's insurrection, and that the Roman foss- way passed through the town. That Roman coins have been dug up at Ilchester, and that it was a po- pulous and important place about the time of the conquest, is unquestionable. It is noted for having been the birth-place of the famous Friar Bacon. From Ilchester we proceeded, to Yeovil, called Evil or Ivil, a very neat and handsome little town, situated ºn a branch of the Parret, one hundred and twenty-three miles from Londón.—Nothing remark- able occurred to us during this little progress from Glastonbury. A fine view, indeed, presented itself on leaving Somerton ; but it soon vanished, and the remainder of the road was neither fine rior pic- turesque. From Yeovil, our next stage was Mºiſ- bourne Port, a small inconsiderable town on the borders of Somerset; and thenée our road lay to r;"| Shaftesbury, in Dorsetshire. This place stands upon a hill, in the post road to Exeter, fourteen miles from Salisbury, and commands a prospect both of Somersetshire and Wiltshire. It is supposed to have been built in the eighth century, and to have been enlarged by Alfred. King Edward the Confessor lies buried here. However, it has but a miserable ap- pearance, the houses are old and dirty, and the streets are narrow and ill paved. Here, we continued one night, and next morning set off for Wardour • * - - * : - - A - - - - - - ENGLAND, scot LAND, AND waſ Es. 35 Castle, a seat of Lord Arundel's, in Wiltshire. The ertrance to the grounds, by the road we came from Shaftesbury, was wild and picturesque, but in a state of improvement. Proceeding along this road, which has a gentle winding round a hill, the new mansion opens to the view. Its appearance, from this point, is truly magnificent; and the grounds are swelled and disposed of to advantage. The site of the edifice, however, is too low. In many points of view it appears buried. The next objects, as you advance, are the ruins of the old castle, distant about a mile from the road. This pile has still the ap- pearance of Gothic magnificence. In the civil wars it was rendered conspicuously remarkable by Blanch, relict of Thomas Lord Arundel, who died in the garrison of Oxford attending King Charles I. having held out the castle, with but five and twenty men, against the parliamentary army of thirteen hundred, and surrendered it at last only on honourable terms ; terms which were not kept, as both she and her children were iniquitously imprisoned, and despoiled of a property estimated at 25,00l. The new seat, more than a mile distant, is built on a heavy plan, one hundred and sixteen feet long, and, including the two wings, three hundred and forty-seven, with very little sweep ; but the inside repays the want of beauty on the out. The rooms are large and well disposed, and the furniture simply magnificent. The staircase is grand, and the offices on the ground floor both handsome and convenient. - The ball or grand drawing-room, as it is styled, is fifty-four feet long, twenty-seven broad, and twen- ty-seven high ; and a smaller one adjoining to it, is of those dimensions which are suitable to the con- nection. The views from this latter room are, how- ever, better than those from the large room, espe- cially from the side window. The music room is pretty, with an eliptic, or flat arch. The common J * \ - - A. 26 suli v AN's rou R TH Rou G H dining room has the look of elegance and neatness. It is well proportioned, and the furniture is happily chosen. Among other pictures in this room are the following: i A storm and a moonlight, by Verney: a portrait, by Vandyke, most highly animated ; some family pieces, by Sir Peter Lely ; a Hugo Grotius, by Ru- bens; and a St. Michael leading Peter out of prison, by Michael Angelo. From the music-room you enter the saloon which, opens upon the grand stair-case. This room has no paintings worthy of observation, excepting one of the lady Arundel, who defended the castle. This picture cannot but attract the kindest attention, as the countenance beams forth softness and hu- mility. . - . . - In the library, which is a handsome room, are two paintings: one of Etna and Vesuvius, in the rages of an eruption, by Volaire; and a duke of Saxony, who, when living, must have been most hideous, by Giorgione. . - The corrodores leading from the common hall to the apartments in the wings, are elegant and grand. Passing through one of these, you come to a bed- chamber, in which are some paintings. Lady Arundel's dressing room, the next in order, is handsomely fitted up. The chimney-piece is of old Mosaic, brought from Italy; and the paintings are worth observation. - - - . A closet adjoining to this room is likewise pos- sessed of many curious articles; particularly, a beau- tiful Mary and child, by Raffaelle; a holy family, well coloured and finely grouped ; the descent from the cross ; and a representation of the Graces, most exquisitely finished in ivory. Between this and the next apartment is an anti-_ chamber, in which are the following capital per- formances: Our Saviour taken from the cross, by “… ENGLAND, scot LAND, AND wa Les. 27 Spagnoletto; a holy family, by Albani; a head, by Camanci; a country lad playing upon a bagpipe, by Michael Angelo Carravagio ; and a Regulus quitting Rome, the artist unknown. From this apartment, you enter the dressing-roo of Lord Arundel, which is decorated with some ca- pital performances, by the most celebrated masters. We now quitted the house and turned our obser- vations to the pleasure grounds. On entering the shrubbery, a little to the right of the house, we opened a fine view of the old castle of Wardour, whose sides and back were closely surrounded with groves, extending along the hill. Proceeding on- ward through a variety of windings, elegantly con- ceived, we continued down a hill, one side of which we found we had but just ascended. We then got to the bottom of a vale, most rurally picturesque, from the sides of which a wood arises to the summit of the hill; and from this vale, through the bosom of the wood, advanced to what is called the Terrace. The beauties of this walk have met with general ad- miration : nor am I indeed surprised at it; for they are certainly such as afford the most pleasing imagery to minds intent upon rural gratification. - Getting into our carriages, we continued our jour- ney to Fonthill, the seat of Mr Beckford, in Wiltshire. On entering these grounds, there is nothing remark- able that strikes a traveller. A shrubbery is con- tinued on the left, which leads into a narrow road, walled in on each side, and shaded with trees, which seemingly terminates at a river. On coming to the end of this road, however, you suddenly turn to the left, which leads you to the back front of the house. The appearance of this building, when you approach it, is certainly grand. The whole is of stone dug out of neighbouring quarries, and the plan is elegant and superb. The entrance is peculiarly handsome, as are all the rooms. The style of furniture, it must be :* - D 2 - 28 suprv AN’s Tou R T H Rouch S. confessed, is rather gaudy; but the whole is rich, and has been fashionable in its day. The paintings are too numerous to specify ; but many of them are by the very first masters. A From viewing the house, in which, besides the pictures, there is an original statue in marble of • * x a … - - ‘. * , . * .*x . * * - - w .*, * Marcus Aurelius ; a full length figure of the late Mr. Beckford, by Moore; and several chimney-pieces, we next proceeded to the shrubbery. Nothing worthy of observation is to be met with, either of nature or of art, in the improvements. The shrub- bery continues round the park, for nearly three miles, in the same regular zig-zag. The grounds, however, though not variegated, are pretty. The river is not inelegantly shaped ; nor does any part convey the idea of a want of care or cultivation*. From Fonthill, our next stage was Hindon, where we dined ; and thence, in the evening, to Stourton, where we slept ; resolved to devote the next morning to Mr. Hoare's celebrated grounds at Stourton Park. The early morn, however, was ushered in with de- luges of rain. The wind was high, and a dreary gloom finished in an elegant manner, by the same artist, scudded along the fields: in short, every thing pro- mised as unfavourably as the most adverse stars could possibly denounce ; but this momentary dis- appointment was only to enliven us the more to joy. About ten o'clock the atmosphere began to clear; and the whole country, in an hour, bore the vivid colourings of nature. Properly prepared, off then we set, opening to our view, almost immediately from the inn, a beautiful cross, and elegantly-wind- ing river, with an airy bridge thrown across it ; an obelisk erecting its head above the trees, and the pantheon, all charmingly disposed of to the right; * The recent improvements at Fonthill are of the first order, and of necessity leave every former descri, tion in- ENG LAND, sco T1. AND, AND wa Les. 29 while the left presented the Temple of Apollo, and an inspiring grove gently ascending to the summit of the hill. From this, passing along, we came to the venerable remains of a mouldering arch, thrown over the road, and then proceeded along the borders Still continuing our progress along a winding road, through flowery meads, swelled in a happy taste, we next opened a prospect of woods and water, summer- houses and pavilions, all most charmingly diversified and picturesque. Thence passing through a grove, and along the borders of some delightful fields, we came to an extensive wood, where some cottages are interspersed, and where Alfred's Tower is seen to rear its lofty head on the very summit of the hill. Pro- ceeding onward, we got into the wood, crowned with the profusest charms of luxuriant nature ; while, to the left, a little monastery discovered its slender spires through the verdant foliage of the trees. Hence we descended almost imperceptibly into a vale, whose sides on either hand were covered with fern, heath, and a variety of shrubs; and thence we entered the bosom of a deep-sequestered wood, the road through which led us, by a gentie ascent, to a rustic pile called the Convent. From the Convent we descended the opposite side of the hill, and then entered into an extensive wilder- ness, which led us to the summit of the brow, on which the Tower of Alfred was placed, commanding an almost boundless view. This tower is of a trian- gular form, of modern date, and built of brick. The perpendicular height is one hundred and fifty-five feet; and the number of steps, to the top, two hundred and twenty-one. Nothing can be conceived more striking than the prospects from every side of this structure, round one turret of which, for the benefit D 3 - 30. sur. I v AN’s To U R T H R ou GH of the view, a gallery has been railed in. Over the portal, on the outside, is this inscription : “ Alfred the Great, A D. 879, on this summit erected his standard against Danish invaders : to him we owe the origin of juries, and the creation of a naval force. Alfred, the light of a benighted age, was a philosopher and a Christian, the father of his people, and the founder of the English monarchy and liberty.” - r Leaving the tower, we transversed a meadow, till we came to the head of the river Stour, which has a little building around it, called Peter's Pump. From its source it winds in a gentle stream. Still proceed- ing on our way, we entered on a lawn, exquisitely green, and on either side bounded by a grove, which leads to an avenue on the brow of the hill ; the left formed by a regular range of trees, and the right by clumps of evergreens and holly. From the end of this avenue are some delightful views. In the vale, the natural windings of the river are carefully embanked, and terminated by the Temple of Apollo; and, along the opposite hills, the groves are gracefully planted and diversified. From the avenue, we again enter- ed on the lawn, at the end of which is an obelisk, encircled by a range of elms; and thence through another avenue to the house, which though a good one, has no appearance of correspondent magnificence. The lawn, however, before it, together with the prospects which it commands, are most enchantingly firie and picturesque. - . * Among other productions of art, in the hall, are an animated painting of Carlo Moratti, represented in the act of drawing the portrait of the Marquis Palwoginio ; an Augustus and Cleopatra, by Minx; a Henry the Fourth of France, and Madame d'Etrés, done in the school of Paul Veronese ; also several good bustos. - \ Kn the drawing-room are, a highly finished land- E N G LAND, sco TL AND, AND w AI. Es. 31 scape, by Mr. Bampfield; a view of the middle of St. Peter's, by Paul Vanneni; two fine paintings, by Wotton. * - In the cabinet room, a Grecian lady, by Angelica Kauffman ; the departure from Egypt, by Carlo, Moratti ; the meeting of Jacob and Esau, by Roza de Tivoli ; a morning and evening, by Luccotelli; a holy family, from the school of Rafaelle; the mar- riage of St. Catharine, a most beautiful and highly cołotired painting, by Barocci of Urbin. In the state bedchamber, Noah sacrificing, on his descent from the ark, by Imprioli ; Rachel and f Laban, by the same master. In the dressing room to that chamber, a setting sun and a moonlight, by Verney ; a landscape, by Pominicini; a landscape, by Gasper Poussin ; our Saviour restoring the blind to sight, by Sebastian Ricci ; and seventy-nine miniature pictures, many of them of English monarchs, found in the cabinet of Pope Sixtus V. - < In the library, a fine marble bust, by Rysbrack; and an admired painting of Venus, Mars, and Cupid, front Corregio. . . . . in the palm-tree room, an exquisitely finished piece of Elisha restoring the widow's son to life, by Rembrandt ; Penelope, by Angelica Kauffman; David with Goliah's head, by Mola; the triumphs of Bac- chus and Ariadne, by Dominicini; a Bacchanalian subject, by Titian ; a virgin and child, by Leonardo de Vinci; St. John's head in a charger, by Carlo Dolci ; the rape of the Sabines, by Nicholas Poussin; and a celebrated painting of our Saviour, the Virgin, and St. John, from Raffaelle. In the saloon, the judgment of Midas between Pan and Apollo, by Sebastian Bourdon; the departure of Helen with Paris, from Guido ; and Hercules and Minerva, from Paul Veronese. w Pieased with the paint ngs, and satisfied altogether 32 sty LIV A N’s ‘rou R T H Rou Gh . with the style and furniture of the house, we finished the tour of the pleasure-grounds, visiting the pan- theon, the grotto, and the temples of Flora and A- pollo, and soon after set out to Longleat, a seat of Lord Weymouth. - . - Here we have a different scene. The approach to the house through the park, with the shrubbery to to the left, is grand, and the appearance of the struc- ture itself both venerable and superb. The paintings are in general good, especially a head of the unfortunate Jane Shore; in which the artist has transfused into the looks every mingled passion that ought to characterize this unhappy woman. In passing through the grounds of Lord Weymouth, one is struck with the capabilities they possess. Very little of art is required; nature has done her share ; not indeed in the wildest, or in the grandest style, but in such a mode as must make Longleat beautiful, whenever it becomes a peculiar object of its owner's attentIQn. F * * From Longleat we took our departure for War- minster, in Wilts, six miles from Frome. This town stands on the Deveril, near the source of the Willy- bourne, and had formerly certain privileges, which exempted it from tax or tribute. From Warminster we continued our route to a small village called Deptford, and thence to Stonehenge. 6 Stonehenge, about six miles from Salisbury, is justly reckoned one of the wonders of this island; and it certainly fills the mind with astonishment. Antiquaries have been greatly divided in their opinions with regard to it: at present, they seem to acquiesce in the opinion of Dr. Stukely, that it was one of the grand temples of the British Druids. . . . It is situated near the summit of a hill, and consists of the remains of two circular and two oval ranges of rough stones, having one common centre. ENG LAND, sco TL AND, AND wa LFs. 33 The outer circle is one hundred and eight feet in diameter, and, when perfect, consisted of thirty upright stones, of which there are seventeen still standing, and seven more lying upon the ground. either whole or in fragments. The upright stones' are from eighteen to twenty feet high, from six to seven feet broad, and about three feet thick; and, being placed at the distance of three feet and a half from each other, are joined at top by imposts, or stones laid across, with tenons fitted to mortises in the uprights for keeping them in their due position. Of the imposts, or cross stones, there are six still standing, each of which is seven feet long, and about three feet and a half thick. The upright stones are something tapered towards the top ; but the imposts are quite plain : all the uprights are fixed in a kind of sockets, dug in a chalky soil, with small flints Tammed in between the stone and the socket. The inner circle, which never had imposts, is somewhat more than eight feet from the inside of the exterior one, at1d consisted originally trf forty stones, about half the dimensions of the uprights of the outer circle. Of the forty original stones which com- posed this circle, there are about nineteen left, and of these only eleven standing. The walk between these circles is three hundred feet in circumference; and from this walk the structure has a surprising and awful appearance. At the distance of about nine feet from the inner circle, is the outward oval range, which is supposed to be the principal part of the work, and by most writers styled the cell, or Adytum. The stones that compose it are stupendous, some of them measuring thirty feet in height. This range consists of five compages, being formed of two up- rights, with an impost at top like the outer circle; and of these compages three are entire, but some- what decayed. The inner oval is eomposed of twenty stones, each about six feet high; and near §4. st Liv AN’s rou R T H Rou G H * its eastern extremity is a stone of coarse blue marble, about sixteen feet long and four feet broad, which lies flat upon the ground, and is supposed to have been an altar. This work is inclosed by a ditch about thirty feet broad, and upwards of one hundred feet from the outer circle. Over this trench are three entrances, the most considerable of which faces the north-east. At each entrance, on the outside of the trench, there appear to have been two huge stones, set up in man- 11er of a gate, and parallel to those, on the inside, two other stones of a smaller size. The whole number of stones of which this structure consisted is computed to be just one hundred and forty. - A tin tablet, on which were some unknown charac- ters, supposed to be Punic, was dug up near this place in the reign of Henry VIII. but is unfortunately lost; for probably it might have conveyed some useful information to the learned. The common name, Stone- henge, is Saxon, and signifies a stone gallows, to which those stones, having transverse imposts, bear some resemblance. In Welch, it is called Choir Gour, or the Giants' Dance. About half a mile north of Stonehenge, Dr. Stukely discovered a hippodrome, or horse-course, crossing a valley. It is inclosed by two ditches, running parallel east and west, three hundred and fifty feet asunder ; it is one hundred thousand feet long. The barrows round this monument are numerous and remarkable, being generally bell fashion. These were sepulchral monuments, as ap- pear from many that have been opened. About Stonehenge, likewise, there are a vast number of barrows. The heads of oxen, deer, and other beasts, have been dug up in and about the ruins, together with arches, wood, and other undoubted relics of sacrifices. - From Stonehenge we continued our journey to Salisbury, a city which has risen out of the ruins of *; ENGLAND, scot LAND, AND wa LEs. 35 Old Sarum, distant eighty-three miles from London. It is a large, clean, well-built town, situated in a valley, and watered by the Upper Avon on the west and south, and by the Bourne on the east. The streets are generally spacious, and built at right angles. The cathedral, which was erected in 1258, is one of the most elegant and regular Gothic build- ings in the kingdom”. It is in the form of a lantern, with a beautiful spire of freestone in the middle, which is four hundred feet high, being the tallest in England. The length of the church is four hundred and eighty feet, the breadth seventy-six feet, and the height of the vaulting eighty-four feet . . . . '... This magnificent pile was begun early in the reign of Henry III. when the circular began to give place to the pointed arch, and the massive column to yield. S. ** to the slender pillár. The vaulting is highly pitched any farther decorations. between arches and cross springers only, without Salisbury, besides the cathedral, has many other public buildings. It is, however, situated too low, The soil is exceedingly moist; and the Avon runs through its streets in canals lined with brick, which must infallibly add to its humidity. . ** From Salisbury we proceeded to visit the remains of Old Sarum. This place stands at the distance of one mile north of the city of Salisbury, and was formerly the see of a bishop, who had a castie and a. cathedral here ; but King Stephen, having a dispute with the diocesan, seized the castle, and put a garrison into it, which was the first occasion of the ruin of this ancient city; for; not long after, Bishop Poor ~. * This cathedral has lately been beautified and improved, under the auspices of Dr. Barrington, then bishop of that see, and by the taste and skill of Mr. Wyatt. The removal, how. ever, of so many ancient tombs and sºonuments of the illustri. ous dead, in consequence of such extensive alterations, has been loudly and justly censured. t 36 sv Liv AN's rova rh Rovci, * translated the episcopal seat to the valley below it, where the city of Salisbury now stands. Old Sarum is now reduced to a single remnant of a wall, and yet it sends two members to parliament, who are elected by the proprietors of certain adjacent lands. This town is as ancient as the old Britors. From Old Sarum we continued to Wilton, the celebrated seat of the Earl of Pembroke ; three miles distant from Salisbury. An indifferent road brought us to the edifice,substantial in appearance, but rather calculated for conveniency than show. We had superior objects, however, to mere architecture, to attract our attention ; wherefore, after the purchase of a catalogue, and the entrance of our names in the porter’s book, we proceeded to the investigation of a most valuable collection of antiquities: a collection, indeed, not to be equalled by any person's in Eng- land, or, perhaps, by any subject's in Europe. In the court, before the grand front of the house, . stands a column of white Egyptian marble, from the Arundel collegtion ; the shaft weighs between sixty and seventy hundred weight, of oſie piece; the height is thirteen feet and a half, and the diameter twenty- two inches. Julius Cæsar set it up before the Temple of Venus Genitrix. The statue of Venus standing on its top is highly esteemed. . . . . . . . in the front of the house, on each side of the en- trance, are two statues of black marble, out of the A ruins of the palace of Egypt, in which the viceroys of Persia lived many years after Cambyses had con- quered Egypt, and returned to Persia. . In the porch, (built by Hans Holbein) leading into the vestibule, is the busto of Hannibal. - . - In the vestibule are, the bustos of Theophrastus ºnd Caligula; Assinius Pollio, with an elegant turn of the neck, and strong expression of the muscles; Julia, third wife of Augustus, of incomparable fine &reek sculpture; and Calius Caldus. . . . . . s? `-- \ Eng LAND, scot LAND, A ND w A Les. 3 • \. Here are likewise two columns of the Pavonazzo, or peacock marble, both of them with holes in the capitals, which served for urns. 'The different apartments, aud the staircases, are replete with the finest pieces of sculpture, or the choicest productions of the pencil ; but in a place so well known as Wilton House, to enumerate them would be useless. It could only be a copy from the Local Guide. The apartments generally shewn at Wilton are the great hall, the old billiard-room, the white marble table-room, the new dining-room, the hunting-room, the cube-room, the great-room, the colonnade-room, the stone-hall, and the bugle-room. Wearied not a little with the survey of the curiosi- ties, many of which are exquisitely beautiful, we at length dragged ourselves into the garden, in the hope that more rural subjects would dispel the heaviness, which a close investigation of every bust and, picture had unavoidably impressed us with ; and there having refreshed ourselves, we proceeded to Longford, wº •. . - - } --- r &º 2 the seat of Lord Radnor. Here we were much de- lighted. The park and grounds, on entrance, carry the comfortable appearance of neatness and attention. All is order; nor is the house behind hand in perfec- tion. Never was furniture more happily disposed, or elegance and simplicity more perfectly combined. Unfortunately, however, the house stands too low, and the ground is too flat, to admit of a variety of Improve- ment; but, altogether, it is a charming place. Some of the paintings well deserve the notice of con- noisseurs. In short, take Longford as a nobleman's residence, and it cannot but, be admired by every • ,- person who has the good fºrtune to visit it, either for curiosity or amusement: Rumsey, the next place we proceeded to, is sitãated on the river Tese, which pours itself into Southampton Bay, and is seventy- eight miles from London. Adjoining to this place is Broadlands, a seat of Vol. III. E. . . . . 38 su LIVAN's To UR TH Rov G H Lord Palmerston. The entrance into Broadlands’ Grounds is immediately from the high road. The park is flat and extensive, planted at irregular and proper distances with clumps of trees, which, in a few years, will give it a much more cultivated ap- pearance. The house, as well as the improvements, are from designs of the ingenious Mr. Browne. The apartments are decorated by some excellent paintings; but there is an elegant simplicity in the furniture of the house, which does not afford a less degree of satisfaction to men who are not professed amateurs of the fine arts. All is neatness and un- presuming modesty; nor are little matters less at- tended to, than those which may be supposed to fall more immediately under observation. Of these is the dairy, rurally but tastefully fitted up, placed at the end of a shady walk, on the banks of a little rivu- det, whose sides are covered with the drooping willow, and whose waters, artlessly diverted, murmur as ahey glide to the whispering breeze. From Broadlands we continued our route to South- ampton, lying between the rivers Tese and Itching, at the distance of seventy-eight miles from London. Southampton is surrounded by a wall built of hard stone, of a honey-comb appearance. The principal street is one of the broadest in England, and near three quarters of a mile long, well paved on each side, and ending in a commodious quay. Upon the whole, Southampton seems a pleasant, healthy town; and the country around it is well cultivated. It has several gentlemen's seats immediately in its vicinity. It is, likewise, much resorted to in Summer for the benefit of sea-bathing, - - This town stands near the site of the Roman sta- tion of Clausentum”. It was consumed by the *-->--~~ * Clausentum stood on the Itchin, about two miles to the Worthward. . . * - . ENGLAND, scot LAND, AND wa LEs. 39 French; or, as some say, Genoese pirates, anno 1338, being the twelfth of Edward III. during the contest for the crown of France between that mo- narch and Philip de Valois. Stowe, in his annals, gives the following description of the destruction of this place: “ The fourth of October, fiftie gallies, well manned and furnished, came to Southampton, about nine of the clocke, and sacked the towne, the townsmen running away for feare. By the breake of the next day, they which fled, by help of the country thereabout, came against the pyrates, and fought with them; in the which skirmish were slaine to the number of three hundred pyrates, together with their captaine, a young soldiour, the King of Sicilis sonne. To this younge man, the French king had given whatsoever he got in the kingdome of England; but he being beaten downe by a certaine man of the countrey, cryed Rancon : notwithstand- ing the husbandman laid him on with his clubbe till he had slaine him, speaking these words: “ Yea, (quoth he) I know well enough thou art a Francon, and therefore shalt thou dye; for he understood not his speech, neither had he any skile to take gentle- men prisoners, and to keep them for their ransome ; wherefore the residue of these Genoways, after they had set the towne a fire, and burned it up quite, fledde to their galleys: and in their flying, certain of them were drowned; and after this the inhabitants of the towne Compassed it about with a strong and great wall.” - - From Southampton we made an incursion into the New Forest, to visit the villa of Mr. Staniey, which much disappointed us. The house is poor, and the furniture not of a very modern complexion; the grounds are fine, and seemingly well adapted to a much more elegant mansion. New Forest contains many sweet situations, and many grand and romantic Views. It was formed by the Conqueror, at the ex- 40 suli v AN's Tour THR ouch pence of every private and sacred right, to favour his taste for hunting; and in it his son, William Rufus, while pursuing the same pastime, accidentally lost his life. - The next place we came to was the ancient city of Winchester, the capital of the Belgian Britons, and, after the decline of the Roman empire, the chief residence of the West Saxon kings, as well as that of the English monarchs, after the dissolution of the Heptarchy. During the ways between Charles I. and his parliament, this city suffered considerably ; but it recovered again at the restoration, the king and his courtiers spending great part of their time. there. The bishopric of Winchester is one of the richest in England. The cathedral is old and large, though not beautiful; and is famous for being the burying-place of the West Saxon kings, and for having the remains of William Rufus interred near the high altar. On the south side of the city, Wil- . liam Wickham founded and endowed one of the noblest colleges for classical learning that was ever established by any subject in Europe. Winchester is pleasantly situated in a vale on the banks of the river Itching; and the plains and downs, in the vici- Inity under it, both pleasant and healthful. At this place, however, like other vagrants, we found the stern inconveniency of justice. The assizes were at hand, and the judges expected ; so that it was morally impossible to obtain decent accommo- dation for a night. Driven by necessity, therefore, we pursued our journey with more than half-foun- dered horses to Alresford, situated on the river itch- ing, and near one of the Roman highways, part of which remains. . . Here, as at Winchester, ill fortune attended us; lawyers snored in every apartment of the house; so that we were again obliged, at a most uncomfortable hour of the night, to continue our route to Alton, a neat market town on the road f * ENGLAND, scot LAND, AND wa LEs. 41 from London to Winchester, where at last we met with admittance, and tolerable accommodation. Leaving Alton the next day, we paid a visit to the Duke of Bolton's seat at Hackwood. The park is extensive, and filled with groves of fine old oak, through which are many pleasant walks. The house itself is indifferent, although the back-front is not destitute of elegance in its design. From Hackwood we proceeded to Basingstoke, a town pleasantly situated in a rich, fertile soil, and formerly surrounded with woods. Thence our jour- ney continued to Overton, a small town, distant eight miles. Adjoining to Overton, we stopped to observe a silk manufactory carrying on at that place by Mr. Stratwell. Nothing in the whole progress of our little journey afforded us more satisfaction. The first process was carried on by children of six and eight years of age, and consisted simply in winding from the skain upon the bobbin ; the second was put- ting the threads together, to be twisted, by other children of a somewhat more advanced age, and by women ; the third in twisting four threads together by a tram mill; and the fourth and fifth in sorting and making it ready for the weaver. Though the process in itself is curious, the little creatures, who so innocently, and yet so advantageously, were em- ployed for themselves and their families, were the objects which chiefly rivetted our attention. They amounted, in all, to about one hundred and forty ; independent of which, Mr. Stratwell, who origi- nally projected this manufactory from a principle of benevolence, constantly maintains, in an adjoining building, another little group of about fifty children, whom he likewise protects from their infant state. Women he appoints to take care of them ; and they are fed and clothed, at his expence, until they are capable of work, when they are entered at the looms, and receive a regular stipend for their daily - ſ - 42 suitv AN's Tour TH Rough labour. Delighted at this unusual, but highly praise- worthy and sensible exertion of charity, we begged the permission of the people to let us see the chil- dren. We were accordingly admitted into a room, where we observed a party of them gathered round their old mistress, decently dressed, and with health and cheerfulness speaking in their countenances. The sight was affecting, we could not refrain from expressing it ; and we thereby gained the blessings of the venerable matron. “God protects them,” said she, “ and, sure I am, he will reward their generous benefactor with peace and happiness here- after l’’ Happy man thought we, the feelings of his own heart will afford him ample recompénce in this life, and, in that to come, may blessings attend him and all his generation . With pleasant emotions we proceeded till we arrived at Whitchurch, an an- cient borough, situated on the skirts of the forest of Chate. . . . . . . From thence continuing our route through Ando- ver, Luggershall, and Everley, we at length reached the devizes, where we slept; resolved to devote the next morning to the inspection of the choice col- lection of paintings of Mr. Methuen at Corsham, which gratified us to the full. Most of them are executed by the very first masters, Exclusive of the pictures, however, there is no- thing to be seen at Corsham. The house is a good one, though neither grand nor elegant ; and the grounds, though they may be pleasant, are neither sufficiently extensive nor improved, to demand the observation of a traveller. Quitting Corsham, we proceeded to Bath, where we rested a few days. . We next proceeded to Bristol, where we resolved upon remaining some time for the benefit of the waters. Bristol, one hundred and fifteen miles from Iondon, is the second eity in the British dominions for trade, wealth, and population. It properly lies ENG LAN D, Scot LAND, AND WA LEs. 43 in the two counties of Somerset and Gloucester, but in the reign of Edward III. it was erected into a coun- ty of itself. Bristol does not make any great figure in history before the Norman conquest. The naviga- bie river Avon runs through it, and forms the har- bour. - * When we consider Bristol as a place of commercial opulence, we are greatly surprised to find the houses so meanly built, and the streets so narrow, dirty, and ill-paved. This is in some measure owing to an ill judged parsimony : for the houses being mostly built. with the upper stories projecting in the streets, are patched up and repaired from time to time: but this is a very impolitic measure; for, besides the expence at- tending the different repairs, and the low price of the rents, were a fire to happen in Bristol, it would be attended with the most dreadful consequences. Their method of carrying goods through the city, although in some degree suited to the inconveniencies of the place, is the most awkward that can be imagined ; for, instead of carts, which they allege would injure the pavement over the cellars, they use sledges, or sleds, which, rubbing continually against the pave- ment, renders it smooth, and, in frosty weather, slippery and dangerous. Another instance of their unaccountable prejudice is, with respect to their Exchange, in which the merchants will not transact their business, although an act to build it was procur- ed with much difficulty and expence, and although, by their meeting in the open street, they are constant- ly exposed to the inclemency of the weather. The whole expence of this building, erected at the public cost, and in fact, of no utility whatsoever, amounted, to fifty thousand pounds. The public nuisance of their glass-houses is likewise another instance of their insuperable obstinacy: the city, from the continual §moke arising from them, being constantly darkened, *. 44 su liv AN’s rou R T H Rou G H while the inhabitants are almost suffocated with nox- ious effluvia. s , On the north of the Avon, and issuing from St. Vincent's Rock, is the celebrated mineral spring. The properties of this water are different from those of Bath. They are generally supposed to possess a cooling and a healing quality, to strengthen the sto- mach, promote an appetite, and assist digestion. They are not, however, recommended in all cases; neither are they to be trified with, any more than the stronger mineral waters that are to be met with in this kingdom. On a vising ground on the back of the Wells is the beautiful village of Clifton, where there are lodgings provided for the reception of com- - pany, and where we took up our abode. The pro- spect from this hill is romantic and delightful; and from the purity of its air and its situation, it has ge- nerally been termed the Montpellier of England. Clifton is at all times preferable to any place of re- sidence in or about Bristol; for it not only is con- venient for the Wells, but is so happily situated with respect to Durdham Downs, that, without fatigue, valetudinarians are in a few minutes conveyed to them, and thereby enjoy an advantage equal, if not supe- rior in effect, to that of the waters. Indeed this the physicians themselves acknowledge; and therefore the sick drive hither for health, and the unailing for amusement. - . At the extremity of Durdham Downs is a prepos- terous building, properly denominated Cook’s Folly, It seems to have been erected in the extravagance of caprice. Its form is that of a tower, and its use, I know not what. From Durdham Downs a very plea- sant road leads directly to King's Weston Downs, which command a prospect over the Severn, and in their environs contain Blaze Castle, and a seat of Lord Clifford. Blaze Castle has nothing remarkable ENGLAND, scot IAND, AND wales. 45 about it, save a similar, though in some respects ra- ther a better view than that from the downs. Lord Clifford's however, has many advantages. The grounds are well sweiled in lawn, and the trees, in general, are not inelegantly planted. The house it- self is comfortable though heavy, in the usual style of its architect, Vanbrugh. it is decorated with . many family pictures, and other pieces by capital masters. The prospect down and across the Severn into Wales, is grand and picturesque. * : Having visited the most remarkable places in the vicinity of Clifton, we proceeded down the Avon from the Hot-wells to King's Road, at the entrance of that river from the Severn. Nothing can be con- ceived more highly romantic, than some of the views from the winding of the Avon. At one moment stu- pendous rocks séem towering over head, at another a wild valley opens to the view. Sometimes the eye becomes charmed with a highly cultivated country; at others delighted with shipping and the appearances of traffic and industry. On our arrival, however, at King's Road, we found ourselves too late to save the tide to Wales, and were therefore under the necessity of dropping with the stream to a small neck of land in Somersetshire, where, in the hospitable bosom of a cavern, we regaled ourselves till the tide of flood told us it was time to prosecute our voyage, when we hur- ried into the boat with all the expedition that a rocky shore, over which we were obli ged to clamber, would admit of, and cheerily plying the oars, is the Space of about four hours, reached Chepstow, in South Wales. Chepstow, one hundred and thirty-three miles from London, is situated near the efflux of the Wye, over which it has a bridge, and was formerly a place of . * f great note. Part of the walls and castle still remain, the latter in tolerable repair. Thé name is of Saxon original, and denotes it to have been a town of trade 46 su Liv AN's Tour THRou G H and commerce. The Old Venta Silurum, which flou- rished in the time of Antonius, is only about four miles distant, and some affirm it rose out of the ruins of that ancient city. It is the port for all the towns that §tand on the rivers Wye and Lug ; ships of good burden come up to it, the tide flowing here in a re- markable manner, rising frequently from six fathoms to six fathom and a half at the bridge. A beautiful Roman pavement was discovered here in 1689. Chep- stow, if ever it was a populous and beautiful town, has now very few vestiges of either; the houses are poor and dirty, the streets narrow, and the inns wretchedly bad. In the troubles under Charles I. this town and castle were garrisoned for the king ; and, according to Rushworth, in October 6, 1645, Colonel Morgan, governor of Gloucester, at the head of three hundred horse, four hundred foot, and assisted by the Mon- mouthshire men, with little difficulty made himself master of the town; and summoning Colonel Fitz- morris, an Irishman, governor of the castle, soon after carried it by capitulation. - Two miles distant from Chepstow is Piercefield, the seat of Mr. Morris”. On the entrance of this gentleman's ground, the eye is somewhat offended by a long straight walk, which has neither clumps of trees nor avenues to confine or variegate the scene. The house too is but indifferent, and so whimsically placed, as not to admit of a determination with respect to its front until it is examined nearly. The lawn, however, which reaches towards the river, is beautiful, and so carefully swelled and planted, as to afford a most delightful scene. On one side of this lawn, and to _* Piercefield has undergone some important changes since Mr. Sulivan's tour; but under any master, its native majestie scenery will ever attract the admiration of persons of taste. EN e LAN D, SCOT LAND, AND WAL ES. 47 the back of the house, is the shrubbery, at the entrance of which is a fine view of the old castle of Chepstow. Here you become involved in the ser- pentine windings of the wood, and continue so until you reach a grotto in an artificial hill, whence there is a most romantic view of Land-caught Clift, the rivers Severn and the Wye. Still proceeding in the shrubbery, you ascend a small eminence, which opens an enchanting prospect of the town of Land-caught. The neighbourhood of this town, or rather village, as it consists but of a few cottages, is famous for pro- ducing fine Styre eyder. Next you come to a spot which affords a wild and extensive view. On the one side Land-caught village, on a beautiful ascent from the river Wye, rears its little head, with the cliff of the same name serving as a back ground to the picture. On the other, Chepstow, with its ivy- mantled towers, the lordly Severn receiving its tribu- tary streams, and the distant but fertile regions of Gloucester and of Somerset. Still continuing in the shrubbery, which possesses rather too much regularity and sameness to be pleasing, you come to a cave excavated in a rock, from the mouth of which the report of a gun, or any other violent concussion of air, is heard to reverberate among the neighbouring hills and cliffs, thereby forming a continued echo, until it gradually loses itself in the distant woods. How far this shrubbery may answer the expectations of other visitants I will net determine; for my part, I must confess, I was disappointed. If extent alone, with a number of tress, can render a place worthy of admiration, it certainly possesses those advantages, with the additional ones of good prospects here and there. Nature has indisputably thrown together all those points, which, taken either seperate or together, form pleasing.views; and yet the whole has such a sameness, that the imagination wearied, as well as the sight, pants for a scene mºre variegated and en- s nature. . . Af ,” 48. suliv AN’s Tour T H Rough livened. Most people are pleased with the effect of wood and water properly diversified, and they are certainly warranted by the true criterion of taste ; a plain meadow, however, has to me beauties, surpass- ing many even of the most celebrated artificial im- provements. And never did this unfashionable pre- dilection so feelingly express itself as on our quitting the shrubbery and entering an extensive field ready for the seythe, and wildly interspersed with trees. This meadow, adjoining to the shrubbery, extends itself to the high road, and from the top of it, where a turret has happily been erected, yields one of the finest prospects, within the precincts of Piercefield. From the meadow you enter into a small shrubbery, which leads to an inclosed spot, called, from its fright- ful eminence, the Lover's Leap ; the perpendicular height of which is computed three hundred feet. At the bottom is a beautiful wood, spreading itself along the sides of the adjacent hills, while the Wye ser- pentizes between in the most elegant and striking form. After viewing Piercefield, we returned to Chep- stow, where we were obliged to take up our abode for the night; but early the next morning, mounting our carriages, we set out for the abbey of Tintern, a most beautiful ruin, situate in the bottom of a vale, about six miles distant. Never did the eye behold a more venerable object than this abbey. The ruthless hand of time has effectually despoiled it of its proudest ornaments. Nothing remains now but walls, some of the arches, and the stone casements of the win- dows: but yet such is the charming simplicity of the whole, the ground, spread with a verdant turf, while festoons of ever-green tendrils, climbing through the interstices of the Gothic pillars, throw an awful solemnity round its head, that one might easily con- ceive the fervour of enthusiasm, which frequently prevades the mind in contemplating a subject of this ENGLAND, "scot LAND, AND wa LEs. 49 This abbey, dedicated to God and St. Mary of Tintern, was founded by Walter Fitz Richard de Clare, lord of Caerwent and Monmouthshire, in the year 1131. William, earl of Pembroke and marshal of England, who married the daughter and heir of Richard de Clare, surnamed Strongbow, gave divers lands and privileges to the abbot and monks, who were of the Cistertian order, on condition they should pray for his and his wife's souls, and for those of his wife's ancestors. Roger Debigot, duke of Norfolk, added to these benefactions. It has been famous for the tombs and monuments of several great personages, particularly the above-named Rich- ard de Clare earl of Pembroke, called Strongbow, and Walter earl of Pembroke, who was taken prisoner in Banbury fight, and beheaded. The length of the abbey from east to west is two hundred and thirty- one feet, and the breadth from north to south one hundred and fifty-nine feet; the pillars are twenty- four, and the windows eighty-four. * > The road from Chepstow to Tintern, or at leas from the commencement of the cross road, is very marrow, rugged, and steep ; but it still is pleasing from the romantic hills, covered with trees, which ise from the road to a considerable height on either side. In all events, a traveller of curiosity would amply be repaid for a tiresome journey, by views in which so much simplicity and elegance are combined. Returning from Tintern, we struck into the high Newport road, and in the parish of Kerwent, about five miles from Chepstow, were informed of an an- cient relic of the Romans. We accordingly repaired to the garden where this curiosity was to be seen, and were conducted to the door of a small building, in which we found neither tables, chairs, nor any thing else for even a momentary accommodation; neither could our conductress, who was an illiterate Welciſ girl, say to us much more in English, than to - F . - 5* su Liv AN’s rot. R TH Rou GH desire us to walk in. On our entrance, however, we were shewn the object of our enquiry: a tessellated Roman pavement, in high preservation, around which the room had recently been built. * i Though possibly upwards of sixteen hundred years have elapsed from its first being laid, we yet found the colours incomparably brilliant. The borders, to- gether with the ornamental compartments of the centre and the sides, were perfect, and astonishingly clear; and an uniformity ran through the whole, except at one end, where there were a few rows of Roman plain brick. The general opinion is, that this beautiful piece of Mosaic was the entrance to a bath. However this might have been, it is assuredly a valuable relic, and well worthy of the care it has met with from Mr. Lewis, the proprietor of the estate. It is to be regretted, however, that the room was not built a little larger; with a rail round, which would have prevented idle people from breaking off little bits of the pavement, and from purloining them, as matters of curiosity. * º After having amused ourselves with this tessellated carpet, not so much for its extraordinary beauty, as for its being the production of that proud people. the Romans, we proceeded through a delightful and highly cultivated country to Newport, a small town, situated on the river Usk, between the mouth of that river and the Caerleon. The road from Chepstow to this place is excellent, and the prospects on either side lively and picturesque. Newport contains no- thing worthy of remark, except its loosely-planked bridge, by no means very agreeable for a stranger to pass. The inns too are indifferent. From Newport we continued our route through Monmouth, and thence into Glamorganshire, where we again halted. Cardiff, at which place we put up, is tolerably well built, on the river Taff, and is esteemed one of the most considerable towns in South Wales. Both ENG LAN p, scot LAND, AND wales. § { the assizes and country courts are held in it; and the river is navigable for vessels of burden. The castle, however, is the only object worth a traveller's atten- tion: it carries the appearance of having been in former times a large and stately edifice. It was built by Robert Fitz-Haimon, a powerful Norman baron, about the year 1 100, and has been famous for the captivity of Robert, duke of Normandy, son of Wil- Jiam the Conqueror, who, by order of his brother Henry I. was confined here for eight and twenty years; and for the death of Robert, earl of Gloucester, natural son of Henry I. who died there 1147. The situation of the castle itself is so low, and the country around so devoid of prospect, that a worse spot for either health 'r pleasure, could not well have been pitched upon. By what tenure this catle is held by Lord Cardiff, we could not discover. It indeed must be somewhat singular, else his Lordship would scarcely be induced to lavish such considerable sums as he now does in repairs and alterations; which, by the bye, ill assi- milate with the original design. The largest room of this castle seems to have been the magazine raised in the centre of the ground, on an artificial eminence: it is an exact polygon of twelve sides, of a diameter of seventy-four feet. The inn at Cardiff, called the Red House, was by much the best we met with in our tour through Wales. - From Cardiff we proceeded to Landaff, a place of great antiquity, as appears from its having been the seat of a bishop about the time the Romans left the island. At present, it is but a small, deeayed place, without any thing; worthy of notice, except the cathedral. The ruins of the castellated mansion of the Bishop of Landaff are still indeed to be seen. It is con- , jeetured to have been built about the year 1120. Mr. Wotton speaks thus of this búilding: “The Bishop's Castle stood, before it was demolished, south-east of the church. It was heretofore a very stately build- F 2 s f *x : 52 suit v AN's Tour THROUGH ing, if we may judge by the gate-house, which is still remaining, it was destroyed by Owen Glendower, who made great devastation in this country, when he rose in arms against Henry IV. He, at the same time that he destroyed the episcopal mansion, burned and demolished the archidiaconal castle, which was . also a noble edifice. , , Passing through Landaff, we proceeded along the - beautiful borders of the Taff to an old ruin on the side of a romantic hill, called Red Castie. The prospects from this castle, distant seven miles from Cardiff, are fine and picturesque, especially from the windows of an arched room in the centre. Much of it, however, has already tumbled down, and the re- mainder seems to totter. The path-way to the castle is carried, in Serpentine windings, through a shrub- bery, charmingly wild in its present appearance, but probably in its you ger days the effect of art and cultivation. Still continuing our journey along the verdant confines of the Taff, we next arrived at the celebrated bridge of Pontipriethe, commonly called New Bridge. This bridge, erected at a considerable expence, has but one areh, the span of which is one hundred and forty feet, and the height thirty-six feet; and justly challenges the admiration of strangers. The river too, that winds on either side, transparent as a mirror, and hung with variety of trees, together with the multiplicity of hills which surround it, cloth- ed in green, are assemblages of such choice and va- riegated beauties, that we could scarcely tear ourselves from a scene so charmingly romantic. The next place of our intended observation, was Caerphilly. From Pontipriethe, we accordingly set out, and after remeasuring soune part of the road we - N. ! - . . . * * . . . * * • , . . . . . . . . - had already travelled, we turned into a cross road, so rugged, steep, and difficult of ascent, that we wer under the necessity of dismounting from our carriages, and of walking to the summit. Our descent, however, gº E N G L AND, SC OT L A N p, A N p w A LEs. §3 on the other side, rewarded us for our fatigue, being delightfully pleasant the whole of the way to Caer- philly. This town is situated among the hills, on the banks of the river Rimney, where there are still the remains of a castle, which, for strength and mag- nifiesnce, is only inferior to Windsor. The hall is seventy feet in length, thirty-four broad, and seven- teen high. The ascent to it is on the south side, by a large staircase, eight feet broad, with a vaulted roof, supported by twenty arches, rising gradually, and the entrance is near the west end; opposite to which on the north is a chimney ten feet broad, with two Gothic windows on each side, continued in length from the floor to the roof of the building. Many curious figures are carved on the sides of these win- dows, and there are seven triangular pillars, placed at equal distances on the side of the walls, each of them being supported by three bustos. Some have imagined that this was a Roman work, called Bullaeum Silurum ; but nothing can be more extravagant, as the whole of the architecture is Go- thic, and it was, no doubt, the principal residence of one of the kings of South Wales, although history is silent as to the time when it was built. The situa- tion of this stupendous edifice, the strength of the walls, and the grand proportions of the rooms, give us some idea of the customs of the inhabitants, and the sumptuous manner in which those princes lived in days of yore. Some coins have been found here, but none of them of remarkable antiquity, being either Saxon, or such as seem to have been struck about the time the Romans left the island. The circumference of such parts of this castle as can be traced, is computed at two miles and three quarters. Many of the walls, and some of the roofs, are still remaining, especially one half of a high tower, which has declined about eleven or twelve feet from its original situation, and now goes by the name of - F 3 54 su I, I v AN’s To U R T H Rotr G H the Hanging Tower, from its extraordinary position. The stairs in this castle, as well as in most other Gothic structures, are spirally formed. The cement is infinitely stronger than any of modern composi- tion; and the whole erected with stone, instead of brick. The old name of this castle was Sanghennith. Camden speaks of it thus: “The river Rhymny, coming down from the mountains, makes the eastern limit of this country, whereby it is divided from Monmouthshire; and in the British, signifies, to di- vide. In a moorish bottom, not far from this river, where it runs through places scarce passable, among the hills are seen the ruinous walls of Caer- philly Castle, which has been of that vast magnitude, and such an admirable structure, that Iñost affirm it. to have been a Roman garrison ; nor shall I deny it, though I cannot yet discover by what name they called it; however, it should seem to be re-edified, in regard it has a chapel built after the Christian man- ner, as I was informed by the learned and judici- ous Mr. J. Sandford, who took an accurate survey of it. It was once the possession of the Clares, earls of Gloucester; but we find no mention of it in our annals, till the reign of Edward II. for at that time, the Spensers having, by underhand practices, set the king and queen and the barons at variance, we read that Hugolin Spenser was a long time besieged in this castle, but without success.” . . . After viewing Caerphilly, we found it convenient to put an end to our excursion into South Wales ; and accordingly returned by a different road, through Glamorganshire to Newport, where we embarked, and after a five hours row across the Severn, at length arrived at King-Road; and thence proceeding up the Avon, landed at Bristol Hot Wells, highly de- lighted with our excursion”. ... " -” * From the subsequent letter, it appears that a lady of Mr. ENG LAND, scort, AND, AND wales. 55 Bidding adieu to Bristol, in the month of August, we proceeded to Thornbury, in Gloucestershire, a town situated on the banks of a rivulet, on the eastern side of the Severn, and distant one hundred and twenty miles from London. This place is sup- posed to be of great antiquity, and was formerly en- dowed with many privileges. It is now, however, only worthy of regard for the remnant of an old castle, or rather palace, begun by the great Duke of . Buckingham, in the reign of Henry VIII. but left unfinished, that Wobleman having fallen a victim to the enmity of Cardinal Wolsey. Great part of this elegant structure is still standing, in high preserva- tion. It has mostly been built with square stones, and parts of it in a more elegant and airy form than is usually seen even in modern buildings. The whole manifesus taste and judgment. The walls and win- lows are wonderfully slight, though durable; the roofs are well pitched, and the rooms are of good proportion. One part of the ruin is still inhabited; and from one wing of it throws forth a reverberated echo, which has a surprising, and at the same time, a very pleasing effect. In a word, this castle is entitled to observation, not only for the elegance of the building itself, but likewise for the prospect of the Severn and South Wales, which it commands in an eminent degree. - Leaving "T hornbury, we proceeded to Berkeley. not, indeed, in its first design, elegant, or grand; To dissipate melancholy, the tour was soon after resumed. -- ºº {" ' Sulivan's party here paid the debt of nature. We are sorry that the nature of our work does not allow us to insert some pretty elegiac verses, written by our author on this occasion. ſ This is in every respect inferior to the former ; nor is the castle, though kept in better repair, in any wise comparable. It was erected in the reign of Henry II. and is still, in general, perfect. It was 56 sui. Iv AN’s Tou R TH Rou G H but whatever it might have been then, it is now destitute of even the commonest pretension to mag- nificence—Neither are the grounds or the prospects to be spoken of ; the whole being as indifferent as they well can be. How travellers can be so in- fatuated themselves, or how they can venture to play with the credulity of the world, in loading objects with praise, that, in fair description, are unworthy of them, is to me astonishing. Some people may be delighted with mouldering chairs and a faded tapestry ; and, perhaps, in so doing, may shew the exquisite perfection of their gusto. But, in the name of common sense, what is there to be admired in an old oaken, japanned bed, daubed with gold, the work of some needy upholsterer in 1330, or of one of a similar complexion, honoured by the royal limbs of Charles I. or of that on which Sir Francis Drake composed himself in a crazy ship, or Lord Berkeley slumbered on in his cruises in the Chan- nel? These are venerable relics to be sure, and ought to be preserved, together with the archives, in the museum of the family; but, truly, they are little attractive of the observation of common personages”. Almost adjoining to the castle, is the parish church, a respectable-looking building. Unfor- tunately, the parishioners found a church was somewhat uncouth without a steeple. A steeple was, therefore, agitated in a vestry, and it was * We confess we are of a different opinion from our author in this respect. A bed made four hundred years ago is in itself a curiosity; but if it has been used by some person of eminence, the sight of it is doubly interesting. The modern spirit of im- provement has left few remains of ancient furniture as decorative, and if Berkeley Castle still presents us with some, there are not , many persons who would wish to see them destroyed. Some of our dearest delights are retrospective ; and we are often, with a melancholy satisfactiºn, pleased to combine what is left with what is for ever lost. is f ENGLAND, sco TLAND, AND w A Les. 57 solemnly resolved it should be erected. How vain are all the determinations of mortals the church could not bear the steeple; and it was built at the distance of about twenty yards only from the edifice it was intended for. - Berkeley is farther noted for having been the place where the unfortunate Edward II. was confined, after he had been dethroned, by the machinations of his queen. He had, indeed, been deposed by his sub- jects; and was the first instance in this kingdom of the assumption of that great authority. He was compelled formally to relinquish his crown into the hands of his son Edward III. on which occasion the Archbishop of Canterbury preached a sermon on these words: - s' * *- - “The voice of the people, the voice of God.” The deposed monarch was at first confined in Kenelworth Castle, where he was obliged to lead a melanchgly life. He wrote from time to time to his queen, entreating her to render his imprisonment more easy; but nothing was capable of moving that inexorable monster of a woman, from whose hands at least he deserved a milder fate. From Kenelworth he was removed to Berkeley Castle, and in his journey was subjected to a thousand indignities; he was even crowned with hay, and never permitted to sleep. His enemies hoped thus by vexation and fatigue to put an end to his days; but though they were served with a most barbarous zeal by his merciless guard, yet the goodness of his constitution prevented , them from Sticceeding. . . . . . t . . . . ;--- Yºs - - -- - . . . . . . . Thomas Berkeley, lord of the castle, from the humanity and greatness of his nature, was inclined to ; , • *. ---. . - 2 r - - have relieved him from the burden of his miseries, but he was prevented; they would not suffer him to have access to the king's person. In this dismal - - o “s p ~ 3 $8. su Liv AN’s To U R T H Rou GH manner the devoted monarch languished, till the bloody order at length came for his murder. The keeper then entered his room, while he was in bed; and laying a pillow on his face to drown his cries, with a cruelty not to be paralleled, thrust a horn pipe up his body, through which a red-hot iron was passed, which threw him into agonies not to be de- scribed, and soon put an end to his miserable ex- istence. * * From Berkeley we proceeded towards Tetbury, stopping within two miles of it to take a view of the ruins of Beverston Castle. This castle is of great reputed antiquity, and possibly may have been strong; a moat still surrounds it. Some Roman antiquities have been dug up here, but there are not sufficient proofs of its having been a Roman station. Tetbury is situated at the distance of ninety-nine miles from London. It is a populous town, and healthy, but, in dry summers, is deficient in that es- sential article, water. . The Avon has its source in the vicinity, in a place called Magdalen Meadow ; but, to our great surprise, we found that the stream was dried up, as it in general is in the summer season. How far this, therefore, can be called the source of the Avon, I will not pretend to determine. The spring, indeed, is always at work; but then it does not overflow its own little bason, until the rainy season commences. N. - In the course of our progress hitherto, we have met with the ruins of some venerable castles; and as we go on, we shall probably encounter more. It may not be amiss, therefore, to look a little into the subject of castles, and to ascertain a few data relative to them. Castles, the ruins of which are now re- maining, are in general snpposed to be of no higher antiquity than the time of the Conqueror. Those which the ancient Britons, Romans, or Saxons had erected, are not now to be traced. They were almost 'Z ENGLAND, scot LAND, AND w A LEs. 59 either all destroyed, or crumbled to dust, before William’s invasion of England. The estates conferred by William on his military followers, led to the erection of the profusion of castles, with which this devoted land was crowded in the feudal ages. Daniel maintains, that about the middle of King Stephen’s reign, there were one thousand one hundred and seventeen castles. And Selden finishes this picture of multiplied tyranny, by saying, each owner of a castle was a kind of petty prince, coining his own money, and exercising sove- reign jurisdiction over his people. These nests, of devils, and dens of thieves, as Matthew Paris styles then, were ordered to be demolished, by an agreement between King Stephen and Duke Henry, afterwards Henry the Second, in the year 1154. But this agreement was in general evaded : nor did the barons and great men quit these dreary lurking places, until a change took place in the art of war, occasioned by the invention of gunpowder; which rendered their battlements and towers of less avail, than when, with impunity, they were enabled to insult both their sovereign and his subjects. In Charles the First's reign, an enquiry was made into the state of the castles; and many of them, during the civil war, served as places of defence. But, since that unhappy epoch, they have fallen a prey to time, weather, and ruthless dilapidation. They now serve for us to look at ; and with an ex- ultation of heart, to pride ourselves in the change of manners, which guards the privileges and liberty of the peasant, with the same pertinacity that it does the possessions and honours of the proudest peer of the realm. \ Leaving Tetbury, we entered upon the high road; at the third mile-stone of which we, turned to the left, and, after a short progress, found ourselves in the extensive and beautiful woods of Lord Bathurst, 60 su Liv AN's Tou R TH Rou G H - through which there are elegant lawns for seven or eight miles together. If, at any time, straight walks can be pleasing or agreeable, it is at the moment a man is in the midst of an unknown place, and he thereby is presented with a clue to extricate himself from the difficulties by which he is surrounded. This we found to be our case in the wood and park, of which I am speaking; for having undertaken the journey without a guide, we most probably should have been entangled, had we not followed the direc- tions that were thus rectangularly afforded us. According to modern ideas, however, there are too many unbroken avenues in the wood of Cirencester. As it is, indeed, it possesses a great degree of beauty; nor do I ever remember to have enjoyed a more pleasant ride, in any of the countries I have tra- versed. The mansion is immediately adjoining to Cirencester; nor is it remarkable for any thing more, than that of having been the abode of Allen, Lord « Bathurst, who was justly esteemed the favourite of the Muses. . . . . * * , . . . . . The sense to value riches, with the art …' . . . Tº enjoy them, and the virtue to impart, - - : Not meanly, nor ambitiously pursu’d, fºot stink by sloth, nor rais’d by servitude; To balange, fortune by a just expence; * Join with economy, magnificence; / With splendor, charity; with plenty, health. . . . Oh! teach us, Bathurst yet unspoil’d by wealth, , , , That secret rare, between th’ extremes to move . . . . . . Of mad good-nature, and of mean self-love. 's. Pope. Cirencester is an ancient and well-inhabited town. When the Romans were in this island, they settled a colony at this place, and fortified the town with strong lofty walls and a castle, the remains of which are still to be seen ; and many antiquities have at intervals been dug up. On searching after some of & ENG LAND, scot LAN p, AND w ALEs. 61 these, we found that all of them, excepting a small - piece of Mosaic, had fallen into decay, or had been entirely lost, from the ignorance of the people. We visited, however, the Mosaic work; where, instead of any thing in perfection, we found a fragment of it most unaccountably doomed as a threshold to a door a leading from the hall of an indifferent house to the kitchen. The injury which it must have received in such a situation, is evident; but that which on en- quiry we found to be still worse, was the obstinate boorishness of the proprietor of the spot where it was discovered, who, divested of every principle of taste or consideration, in a fit of contradiction, de- molished a whole pavement of it, together with the remains of an elegant Roman bath, although earnestly entreated by those of better taste to save them from destruction. - Cirencester, when the Romans left England, was garrisoned by Britons, and defended on several oc- casions, and for many years, against the Saxons. It at length submitted. In 879 it was taken by the panes; aud afterwards had a share in the revolutions of the times. . . From Cirencester we took our departure for Fair- ford; stopping in our way to take a view of the old Fosse, or Roman highway, which, at an immensity of trouble, was continued from Cirencester to Broad Campden. Fairford is situated on the river Coln, eighty-one miles from London, and is noted chiefly - for its church, which is possessed of a remarkable fine collection of painted glass”. The figures and countenances of some of these paintings are ad- * The work of Albert Durer, taken, in its way to Rome, by. a ship belonging to John Tame, Esq. merchant of London, and by him presented to his native place, where he built a ehurch to receive it, and in which his ashes repose. . . . . . e. 62 su LIVAN's Tov R T H Rough mirably executed, and the drapery in general is flowing and well softened. The perspective, likewise, is tolerably good, especially in the representation of an old castle in one of the back grounds. Hell, with its appendages, is, however, the best performance. The devil really cuts an awful figure; while the animated characters around him shew the plenitude of his power, and the different species of his punish- ments. In one quarter, shrews hurdled away in wheelbarrows; in another, a party driven off in a cart. Here a harlequin monkey, branched about the head, just emblem of a petit-maitre ; and there, a Dives gnawing his own existence, and panting after wealth. The whole group, in short, exquisitely Iudicrous, and the colouring glowing and full of richness. - - . Quitting this scene, we proceeded to a seat adjoin- ing to the town, belonging to a widow lady of the name of Lamb". Modern compilers have loaded this place with praise for its improvements; but we found none of them. The era of ill taste is discernible throughout. On the one side, a row of methodistical yews, starched and prim as Whitfieldites; and on the other, a sluggish stream, tortured into the resem- lance of an inverted L. Much, indeed, might be done at this place; for Nature has not been deficient ; and, in reality, she wants but the assistance of a little art to make her appear in all the pride of loveliness. ~ * * . From Fairford we again returned to Cirencester, and thence proceeded towards Gloucester. Notiling remarkable occurred in the route, excepting a pros- pect, which most delightfully opened itself on Hamp- den Common, about the one hundred and first mile- --- - * Now the property of John Raymond Barker, Esq. | * ENG LAND, scor LAND, AND w AL ES. 63 stone from London. Nothing could surpass the view we here enjoyed, either in richness or diversified imagery. On the right, a deep vale, highly cul- tivated and picturesque ; and on the left, another of a more considerable extent, with a grand romantic winding of the Severn, and range of lofty mountains serving as a back ground. The town of Stroud too, which presents itself, happily situated on a small river of the same name, whose banks, for a consider- able extent, are covered with the seats of manufac- turers, presents a scene of comfort and opulence not often to be paralleled. w - The distance from Stroud to Gloucester is about eight miles, hilly most of the way. Not having arrived at Gloucester till late at night, and the next day being Sunday, we resolved on taking an excursion to Cheltenham, distant about ten miles, and famous for its scorbutic mineral waters. The road to this inconsiderable town is as bad on the side of Glouces- ter as it is possible to conceive. Rugged for the first seven or eight miles, and a complete heap of sand for the remainder, insomuch that it inevitably must be the bed of a river in the rainy season. Chelten- ham is situated on a flat, sandy soil, surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills. The springs have the re- putation of being salubrious, and the air of being healthful. Altogether, however, it is but a poor place”. No rides, no amusements, nor any walks, excepting about the Spa, where there are one or two s *- * Such is our author’s account of a town, which is now be- come one of the most fashionable and elegant watering places in the kingdom, if we except Bath. Within the last twenty or thirty years, indeed, it is almost entirely rebuilt, and nearly doubled in population and the number of houses. Its amusements are : various and elegant: its waters have gained the highest celebri- ty, and travellers will have no reason to complain of the badness of the roads which lead to it, in any direction. G 2 --~~" f # 64 sui.; v A N's Tou R TH Rou & Hº - straight ºaſis, terminated through a vista of elms by the steeple of the church. It is, indeed, of great antiquity, as appears from Doomsday Book, where it is mentioned as one of the royal manors. But age, , though respectable, is not always captivating.—Here, having met with some of our friends, we passed the day, and in the evening returned to Gloucester. Gloucester is a large and populous city, eligibly situated,on the banks of the Severn, and distant from London about one hundred and two miles. It was formerly remarkable for being dirty; it is now quite the contrary. The streets are new paved, and the signs, which hung over passengers' heads, are entirely taken down, or placed against the houses, in like manner with those of London. This kind of im- - provement is commendable in the inhabitants : it shews care likewise in the magistrates, which it is to be lamented is not more generally prevalent. . . . The cathedral of Gloucester, although much cele- brated, is but an inelegant, heavy pile of building. The outside is handsomely ornamented, but the inside is clumsy. The roof, which is generally handsome in Gothic structures, is here indifferent, and the sup- º porters of it are so far from being elegant or light, that the pillars measure at least, one with another, eight feet in diameter. . . . . . in the time of the Romans, Gloucester was one of . their stations, and goverried by a proconsul. And Camden says, that the famous Roman way, called Ermin street, which begins at St. David's, in Pem- brokeshire, and reaches to Southampton, passes through this city. Formerly it had many manufac- s tories ; but Bristol hath since supplanted it ; and there is now nothing remaining worthy of observation, except that of pins". In this small branch it is as- * It has also a glass manufactoy; and the new canal, should it ever be completed, will render it a port capable of réceiving . . . . . . . . ,” . - - * . . . ." • * | -- - - - • º Ex G L AND, sco TL AND, AND w A LEs. 65 tonishing the number of people who are employed : for, independent of the digging the ore out of the earth, the smelting it, and afterwards the forming it into wire, in which state it comes to the pin-makers, there are at least fourteen or fifteen different pro- cesses, before the little article is completed. - Tewksbury, the next town we visited, is situated at the conflux of the rivers Severn and Avon, and is distant ten miles from Gloucester. It is a large, cleari, and well-inhabited town, and has a church, erected in the year 715, which is in high preserva- tion, and is the largest in England that is not cathe- dral or collegiate. The pavement of it, however, like that of many other churches that we have met with, is indifferent”. The only manufactory now carried on at Tewksbury is stocking-weaving. Here a battle was fought anno 1471, in the reign of Edward IV. between Margaret and her sou's forees, against that sovereign; it was the twelfth which had happened, from the commencement of the quarrel between the two Roses. Margaret lost three thousand men on that day, and was herself taken º' prisoner. The Prince of Wales was likewise made captive ; and being brought into Edward’s presence, it is said, behaved worthy of his high birth and pre- tensions. The king was astonished at his resolution ; and still more, when asking him how he came to be so rash, as thus to enter his kingdom in arms, the “--— w ships of considerable burden. In short, Gloucester bids fair for becoming a commercial city, at the expence of its great rival, Bristol. * Tewksbury church has, within the last few years, been beautified, as it is called, to a very great degree. Some of the improvements are truly elegant; but we cannot help reprobating that want of taste that has suffered the ancient coats of arms, blazoned on some of the monuments, to be scraped off, and the shields white-washed - - G 3 66 st; Liv AN’s Tour THROUGH prince replied, “He had come to recover his own inheritance, which had been unjustly usurped.” But Edward was hºwed by those sentiments of genero- sity, which as a cººlai to magnani; the contrary ºf 3 said to have struck him on the mouth with ºf geºliº, and turned from him. This was, as it wº, ºe ºignal. The Dukes of Glouces- ºter and Ciarence, we are told, with the Earl of Dorset, ànd the Lord ‘iastings, fell with merciless hands upon 3 y the royal youth, and stabbed him to the heart. He 2 lies buried, with many noble personages, in this church. , . . . . . . With him and his mother the House of Lancaster - failed, excepting a single. branch in the person of the Earl of Richmond. The elevation of this nobleman afterwards conciliated all discordant pretensions, and stopped the farther effusion of blood. The Field of Bosworth groaned with the wounds of civil strife. It was there Richard fell. - From Tewksbury, proceeding on our journey, we arrived at the seat of Lord Coventry, in Worcester- shire, called Crome Court. The entrance of this place bespeaks nothing extraordinary. It has powers, however, which might be highly improved. On getting to the park-gate, the first striking object is a part of a sheet of water, which at a great expence has been carried on for the distance of a mile and a half, but apparently at first with too much regularity. It afterwards, indeed, winds and spreads itself with elegance along the park, and in some views is charm- ing. The house, which, though heavy, has the look of a modern building, is large, but situated too low. The rooms are handsome and convenient; especially a drawing-room, hung and furnished with Gobeliń tapestry, the finest, perhaps, in England. The grounds are elegant, and kept in the finest order. On leaving the house, you turn through a shrub- bery, filled with a choice assemblage of plants, to a magnanimous Souls. On *C. S- w -4 § –4 ENG LAND, scot LAND, AN 0 w A LEs. 67 small building on an eminence, called the rotunda, whence is a prospect of hill, wood, and dale, and of every beauty that can give richness to a scene. Na- ture has, in this view, poured out a profusion of her - Yi 1 ! }.3 bounties. Still continuing through the shrubbery, which affords a pleasant variety, you arrive at a meat modern built church, in the Gothic style. Here the scenery diversifies, and opens a somewhat more extensive prospect. No situation could have afforded more conveniency for the mansion, nor could the eye have wished for a more commanding view. His lordship, however, found the house where it now stands, and contented himself with altering a few of the rooms, and in general, with giving it a fashionable exterior. Leaving the church, you enter a shrubbery, which is much inferior to the preced- ing; but at the end is adorned with green-houses, amply stocked with a variety of exotics. From the green-houses, you pass through a nursery of young trees of all denominations, and come at length to a machine, which, by the labour of one horse, supplies the canal with water in the summer season. Quit- ting this, you descend on one side of the church int another shrubbery, in the same degree of order, but superior in beauty to that which commences at the house; and abont the centre of it come to another green-house, considerably larger than the former, and serving the purpose of a lively apartment, upon the removal of the plants into the open air. Thence proceeding, you pass under the high road, and enter upon a highly delightful and picturesque walk along the borders of the river. Here, indeed, Mr. Brown has exerted his taste and judgment with the greatest success; for, instead of a marshy piece of ground, as he found it, it is now worked into a beautiful sheet . of water, with several little islands irregularly in- terspersed. To one of these islands, where a small pavilion is erecting, there are two bridges, over both 68 su Liv AN’s Tou R T H Rou GH of which we passed. And thence for a considerable way tracing the confines of the water, and encounter- ing fresh beauties at every step we advanced, we at length arrived at a small boat, which, worked by the aid of pullies, carried us across the water, and landed us within a few paces of our carriage. Altogether, this seat of Lord Coventry's is worthy of attention. Much pains has evidently been taken in the laying out of the grounds, and the whole is kept in the most proper order. - From Crome-Court we proceeded to Upton, a small town on the banks of the Severn, and thence continued our route to the Malvern Hills. Here, as at Cheltenham, we found a party of valetudinary friends. The spring at Malvern is perfectly trans- parent and cool. It is reckoned good in many cases, especially where a disease has made no greater lodg- ment than to be merely cutaneous. One house ac- commodates the whole of the company; they pass their time agreeably enough: the terrace along the hills affords them a delightful walk; and the air is exquisitely pure. - - - On the approach to the Malvern Hills, they ap- pear much more elevated than they really are: still, however, they are lofty; and, rising in the midst of a level country, strike one with a degree of gran- deur, which in any other situation they would be divested of Ali matters are judged of by compa- rison. Shenstone, if I mistake not, had a view of Malvern from the Leasowes. Tender-hearted being ! had he but approached them in the manner we did, he certainly would have realized the beauty of his own imagery, “My hills are white over with sheep,” they being to the very summit covered with them. The evening itself too was still, and in short every thing breathed the air of calmness and Serenity. Soon after we reached the old and venerable city of Worcester. This town has been long famous in ENGLAND, scot LAND, AND wa LEs. 69. ** the annals of this country; Romans and Saxons have successively flourished here, and in more mo" -- . - - ... • . * - - j . . . . dern times, it has been signalized by the decisive engagement of Oliver Cromwell with his royal op- ponent, supported by the Scots. An engagement which afforded him what he called his crowning mercy. So elected was he, that he intended to have knighted, in the field two of his generals, Lambert and Fieet- wood; but was dissuaded by his friends from exert- ing that act of regal authority. His power and am- bition, however, were too great to brook submission to the empty name of a republic, which stood chiefly by his influence, and was supported by his victories. y 2 £ 3. Y. * …' a" w He now became solicitous to assume the title as well as the authority of a king, an office he had with so much apparent zeal contributed to abolish. The population of Worcester is considerable. Some of the streets are spacious and well-built, and many of the edifices are fine; in particular the ca- - thedral is in high preservation, and of great anti- quity. Like many others, however, of early erec- tion, it is in the heavy style of Gothic architecture, though superior in elegance to several in this coun- try. The whole nave is paved with large square stones; and an uncommon degree of neatness is ob- servable through every part of it. The monuments, however, are, but few in comparison with those in other cathedrals. That erected to the memory of Bishop Hough, the work of Roubilliac, is well wor- - /~ . r. . . . 4-3 º, Y • 1, . 4. H-5 - - & - . . - thy of observation *. Besides this, there is nothing worthy of attention in Worcester, excepting the manufactures of China and of carpeting. On visit- ing the first, we found a degree of suspicion to run through the overseers. The materials of which the *. - . . / . . . . . . * Our author seems to forget that the pusillanimous and un- fortunate King John lies buried here. if his tomb is not the object of Venelation, it is at least of curiosity. . . - . - . .” - * .. * . . ; f . - -- - . . . . . 70 suliv AN’s Tou R TH Rou GH ware is composed is scrupulously kept a secret, even from the workmen who are employed in the forming of the utensils. We discovered, indeed, that soap- stone and glass make two of the principal ingre- dients; but it was impossible to describe precisely the different processes they undergo. The following operations we were in some degree made acquainted with. - - - - The grinding the materials; the sifting them when formed into a liquid; the drying that mixture by a furnace into a consistency like dough ; the trading and turning it; the rough forming of it into uten- sils by means of a wheel, a very curious process. A man with a round piece of ebony before him, turning horizontally by means of a small hand-wheel, which is kept in motion by a boy, fixes a lump of clay upon the wood, and then with his fingers moulds it into form almost as quick as thought: these lumps being first compressed and squeezed into proper sizes for his use. The chipping, paring, and giving these utensils their first polish ; the forming and putting on of handles, spouts, and ornaments; the baking, which is done twice; the painting, or printing, the latter of which is kept a secret ; the dipping or glossing it in a whitish liquid ; and the burning in the colours. Every part is curious, and should be looked at with attention. One hundred and sixty men are employed in this manufactory in the city of Worcester. - - . . . . . . Leaving the China, we visited the carpeting ma- nufactory. This, though probably simple, was yet more complicated to our ideas than that which we had just seen. The first operations are familiar enough; but how the threads were formed into pat- terms, or how those patterns were wrought into a complete whole, was more than we could compre- hend, although the people showed us, and, to the ENG LAND, SCOT L AND, AND w A LEs. 71. best of their ability, endeavoured to dissipate our stupidity. . Bidding adieu to Worcester, we proceeded to Whit- ley, a seat of Lord Foley. This place disappointed our expectations. From the elegancy of this noble- man's town residence, and from Whitley's having been the constant residence of his forefathers, we expected to have found something superb. The house, however, is indifferent : it is large; but far from magnificent. The apartments are low, and some of them so overcharged with gold, that they immediately indicate the taste of other times: in one of them is a picture of John Lacy, in the character of Parson Souple, Sandy, and Monsieur idevice; and in another, a well-executed painting of Flora; nymphs and shepherds; and a Father Dominic. The church, which adjoins to the house, is really an elegant building; the whole is beautified at a great expence; the sides are white and gold; the ceiling is divided into handsome compartments, with good scripture pieces, and the glass windows exqui- sitely painted by Price, 1719. Uncommonly hand- Some as this edifice is, its situation would not be agreeable to many. Being the parish church, the graves and tomb-stone are absolutely in the area of the house. This I noticed to the old lady who con- ducted us through the apartments; on which she very sagaciously observed, “ If people are shocked, at the sight of mortality, it is very easy for them to shut the windows.” - The grounds are evidently neglected, though they present many facilities of improvement, whenever Whitley shall become the favourite residence of its 0Wher. ," . . From this place we proceeded to the banks of the Severn, which we crossed in a ferry-boat; and thence passing through Ombersley, and along the borders of Some improvements at Westwood, we next arrived 72. su Liv AN’s Tour. Ta Rough - at Droitwich, a town remarkable for its salt-springs. On visiting these springs, we found that the brine was thrown up from pits, some of which are one hundred and sixty feet deep. The pay of the poor creatures engaged in this manufactory, and whose persons and children bear evident marks of poverty and distress, is no more than a shilling a day, one with another, although for this they are constantly deprived of rest. i : s Droitwich was famous for its salt-pits even in the reign of Alfred ; and we find an account of them in Doomsday Book, where the town is spoken of as a place of great repute, and one of the royal demesnes. - From Droitwich we continued our route to Broms- grove, a fair and populous town, distant from Lon- don about one hundred and twenty-three miles. The inext day, passing by Hagley, we proceeded on to Enville, a seat of Lord Stamford's, in Staffordshire, This mansion is unfortunately situated too low; and has neither prospect nor airiness, being in fact bu- ried at the foot of a hill. Had the present possessor razed it entirely to the ground, and erected another on some more chosen spot, instead of the additions and improvements, which, at a considerable expence, he is making, it would, perhaps, have been economy in the end, and certainly would have rendered his resi- dence more attractive. In the front of the house, in the true old style, spreads a large, triangular piece of water, which possesses little beauty. From a pavilion, called the Boat House, on one side of this pond, there is a good view of a cascade tumbling down a valley, well planted with trees. Passing from this, along the banks of the water, you are conducted into a shrub- bery, which winding along the stream formed by the caseade, and afterwards by the cascade-itself, affords a wild and romantic assemblage. Still coatinuing ni \ . t 2. ENG LAND, sco TL AND, AND w AL ES. 73 the shrubbery, you soon come to another fall, but devoid of all the essential beauties of the first. Be- hind this, the grounds begin to swell in a pleasing manner; the woods carefully to spread, and the whole to form an agreeable variety. But still you are without prospect; nor is the Scene much diver- sified even from the top of the hill. The next object you meet with, after leaving the cascade, is an in- different building in the wood, called the Chapel, whence you have a glimmering of the water through the foliage of the trees. . At length you get to what is denominated the High Meadow, from every: side of which the eye wanders over the most variegated and commanding prospects. This view, indeed, is charming. Leaving the meadow, we descended into another part of the wood, to a rotunda, which has neither prospect nor, elegance, Here the walks begin to widen, and to bear the appearance of care, and still increasing towards the bottom, conduct to a bil- liard-room, built in the Gothic style, and afterwards to a lawn, interspersed with trees, and a variety of shrubs. On the whole, Enville has certainly beau- ties; but it is capable of so many more, that the eye of taste is dissatisfied with what exist. We next returned to Hagley, which is really a terrestrial paradise. The mansion was newly built by the late Lord Lyttleton, whose memory will ever be revered. It is large and commodious, and most exquisitely fitted up, Nothing tawdry, nothing ex- pensive, but all conceived with the happiest taste, and most admirably executed. In passing through these rooms, I could not but feet a glow of vene- ration at every step we took. On entering the hall, the first thing which strikes is an artless simplicity and neatness, Presiſ ºption seems to have been entirely banished from the house, On two pedestals in the hall are the marble bustos - vol., III, Jä . . . . . . ; - . x^ 74 su LIVAN's Tou R T H Rou G H of Rubens and Vandyke ; and on one side, the bustog of Heliogabalus and Maximim. - In the saloon, whence there is a beautiful view of the park, is the original picture of Charles the First's family, by Vandyke ; and in the drawing-room, which is elegant, and furnished with English ta- pestry, are the portraits of his friends and co-patriots, Lord Bath, Lord Chesterfield, Lord Cobham, Lord Hardwicke, and Mr. Henry Pelham. This room conducts to the Long Gallery, which, of all the rooms I have seen in England, is the most to my faney. It is completely furnished with chairs, tables, and brackets of carved work, done by an artist in the neighbourhood of Hagley. The follow- ing are some of the pictures with which it is adorned: Oliver Cromwell and the Duke of Monmouth; a vir- gin and child, by Vandyke; Lord Brounker, by Sir Peter Lely; Countess of Exeter, by Vandyke; Sir Charles Lyttelton, by Sir Peter Lely. In an adjoining parlour are Lord-keeper Lyttelton, by Wright; Judge Lyttelton, a copy, by Paine, from a picture in the Middle Temple Hall; and Sir Richard Lyttelton, by Pompeia Baptista. - From this room we entered the library, filled with the choicest collection of books, and ornamented with the marble bustos of Spencer, Shakespeare, Milton, and Dryden, left to the late lord as a legacy by Pope, together with the finely executed pictures of Pope himself and his dog Bounce; of Thomson and West. Passing from this room, we searcely fancied any other worth looking at, although all are admirably proportioned, and ornamented with some choice works of art. - - . . Leaving the lower floor, we ascended to the bed- chambers, which we found elegantly arranged and turnished ; but what was our sad surprise when, in ºne of the humblest apartments of the range, our old ENG LAND, SCOTL AND, AND WA L ES. 75 conductress told us that there her good Lord had died. *-- The chamber where the good man meets his fate, is privileg'd beyond the common walk Of virtuous life, quite in the verge of heaven. - You Ng. Awe and reverence immediately seized hold of us. We contemplated in silence the place in which so good a man had winged his soul to immortality. The floor seemed hallowed as we trod. - - Charmed with the house, we next entered the park; but here my pen is inadequate to the task of descrip- tion. Conceive, however, a beautifully enamelled lawn, swelled in all the elegancy of art and nature, for a distance of about four miles; while hill, dale, and grove, deſightfully interspersed, render it as per- fect an elysium as possibly can be conceived. The church, which is the nearest building to the house, is totally concealed from it; a close embowering wood shades it entirely. In this are the simple mo- numents of George Lord Lyttelton himself, and of his beloved Lucy. On that of the latter, are the subsequent beautiful lines, from the ekegant pen of her husband: “ Made to engage all hearts, and charm all eyes; Tho' meek, magnanimous : tho’ witty, wise; Polite, as all her life in courts had been, Yet good as she the world had never seen ; The noble fire of an exalted mind, With gentlest female tenderness combin'd. Her speech was the melodious voice of love; Her song the warbling of the vernal grove; Her eloquence was sweeter than her song, Soft as her heart, and as her reason strong; Her form each beauty of her mind express'd, Her mind was virtue by the Graces dress'd. Åleaving the church, you ascend a finely sloping H 2 . : * * 76 suli v AN's Tou R THRough hill, with trees on each side, forming a beautiful amphitheatre, at the top of which is a monumental pillar, inscribed to the memory of the late Prince of Wales. From this spot, sacred to gratitude, you proceed through various ways, each displaying some new beauty, till you arrive at the seat of Thomson. This is a spot dedicated to that poet; the inscription on it bespeaks an approbation of the man and of his works. Hence you ascend to a tower, erected on the brow of a hill, bearing the mouldering appearance of antiquity, and commanding a most extensive prospect. The whole, indeed, of the heights in this park afford a fine assemblage of objects; a fertile and highly cultivated country in every quarter, interspersed with woods, and bounded by the Clent Hills, the Malvern Hills, the Black Mountains in Wales, the Wrekin, and the Radnor Tump. From the tower you arrive at the root-house, or hermitage, in which are the following lines from Il Penseroso of Milton ; And may at last my weary age Find out the peaceful hermitage," The hairy gown and mossy cell Where i may sit and rightly spell - Of ev'ry star that heav'n doth shew × And ev'ry herb that sips the dew, Till old experience doth attain To something like propheticstrain; These pleasures melancholy give, ‘s And I with thee will chuse to live. Winding along this embellished path, you come to a seat inscribed to Quiet and the Muses. Here all is still and shady, Nothing breathes, saving echo, to the tinkling riſi. The spot was a favourite of Pope's, It bears his name, and immediately conducts you to an urn inscribed to his memory. Beneath, and at the other side of the lawn, is a truly-charming spot. The woods surround it; water, in murmurs, wanders at its side; and carefully-formed vistos present a £NG LA N D, SCOT L AND, AND WA LES. 77 happy disposition of pavilions. Wildness predomi- nates every where; but, behind, another scene ap- pears, to the full as lovely; a rustic glen, in all the simplicity of nature, receives the bubbling of three lucid streams. These, wandering through the dale, at length lose themselves; but again bursting from the thicket, they form a cascade, and foam down a precipice, immediately in front of a building dedi- cated to Mr. Pitt. This glen has charms beyond description. All in all, Hagley has the advantage of every thing I have yet met with. -- The evening being far spent when we quitted Hagley, we proceeded to Birmingham, where we slept, and early the next day set off for Shenstone's Walks”, as they are called, in a temper of mind more easily felt than described. We felt a degree of veneration as we approached the spot. The first entrance strikes with delight. The improvement is almost at the bottom of a deep glen, well planted with trees, and laved by a little stream. The priory gate gives you admittance. This, by a narrow walk, conducts you along the sides of a translucent wave, formed by a small fall of water from a rude eminence, until you come to a pool, which, it must be confessed, is less happy both in figure and termination, than the other embellishments of the place. Proceeding from this spot, you pass by another stream, which leads to the wood-house, rustically formed, and presenting a pros- pect of a cascade in its back ground, which has, I think, the finest effect I ever saw. This cascade is not forced from an eminence in one large column: it foams in a continued declension from a great distance, and is broken here and there with artless simplicity. *--— * The Leasowes, the original property, and the creation of Shenstone. - 4 , - - 78 su'liv AN's Tour THROUGH - --~~ ſ p Hence you proceed to a statue, erected to Faunus, with these lines: . - Come, then, my friend, thy sylvan taste display; Come, hearthy Faunus tune his rustic lay. Ah! rather come, and in these dells disown The care of other’s strains, and tune thine own. Leaving this, proceed along the brow of a corn- field, which yields a prospect of Briesly Castle, and an extensive, fertile country, and from the top of the hill there is a fine view of Hagley, the Wrekin, and of a highly picturesque and variegated country. Pass- ing along a meadow, in which is a resting-place un- der a beech tree, that commands a good prospect, you enter the lover's walk, a simple path-way, through rather an indifferent wood. This walk leads to a piece of water, and then winds to a long, straight avenue, at the end of which is the Temple of Pan. Here descending you come to a seat, inscribed to the late Lord Lyttelton, which affords a pleasing view. The grounds swell picturesquely round, it, and the mur- muring of the water that falls in sight gives it a great degree of brilliancy. And here, bidding adieu to prospect, you descend into a glen, and soon arrive at Virgil’s ebelisk, surrounded with trees, and so delight- fully situated with respect to a transparent stream, which runs rapidly beneath, that you cannot but fancy yourself in the abodes of the sylvan deities. - Near to Virgil's is the seat of his brother poet, Thomson, if possible, better placed than the former. The cascade here tumbles in artless majesty; the stream rushes impetuously along; and the obelisk, peering through the trees, gives a solemnity and me- Hancholy grandeur to the scene. . . . . In contemplating the whole of this spot, the work of a favourite of the Musés, we could not but lament that his means had been too small to enable him to carry the improving bent of his génius into full exer } , - - - . - - . - . . - \; - - & * - - - - ENG LAND, Scot LAND, AND wal. E.g. 79 eution. Two hundred and fifty pounds a year were by no means sufficient. Few can live upon that sum; much less bring a place from barrenness to be gene- rally admired, and at the same time keep up a noble independence in society—Peace be to thy ashes, thou gentlest of human beings!—Thou didst this. Heaven ne'er smiled upón thee; but thou didst smile upon the wretched. The tear of pity was ready at their suf- ferings. What thou hadst, thou gavest:—Charity herself could not have yielded more. - — Nor, Shenstone, thou º - Shalt pass without thy meed, thou son of peace Who knew'st perchance, to harmonize thy shades, Still softer than thy song; yet was that song - Nor rude, nor inharmonious, when attun’d To pastoral plaint, or tale of slighted love. - r º MAso N. From the Leasowes we again returned to Birming- ham, and in our way stopped to ascend a whimsical tower, which has been erected within about two miles of that town. The prospect from this tower is abundantly fine; but the structure appears too high and too slight for durability. • * Arrived at Birmingham, we paced it nearly from one end to the other. This place is really wonder- ful; for, although it sends no members to parliament, and is without a magistracy, it is one of the largest and most populous towns in the kingdom. It is si- tuated in Warwickshire, and on the borders ot Staf- fordshire. The houses are well built; the streets are broad and well paved; and the spirit of industry is so universally predominant, that scarcely a child is unemployed. - * - - Messrs. Bolton and Fothergill carry on the greatest manufactory at this place, Their house and works are about two miles distant from the town : we went to see them. To attempt an account of the va- rious articles which are made there, would be fu- § {} su Liv AN’s To UR THROUGH .* tile : a traveller has not time to visit them with de- liberation, much less to describe them *. From Birmingham we departed for Litchfield. In our way to this town, we observed an elegant man- sion, situated on the confines of Sutton Wood. On sending our compliments to know whether we might have permission to see it, we received the most polite answer, in the affirmative, from Doctor B y, the gentleman to whom it belongs. Nothing could exceed the civility with which he conducted us through every apartment of the house, nor the earnestness with which he pressed us to take some refreshment. In this respectable pillar of the church, indeed, we experienced hospitality in its genuine form; no study, no affectation, all the pure effusion of the heart. Leaving this hospitable mansion, we proceeded to Litchfield, a large and handsome town in Staffordshire, one hundred and nineteen miles from London, and thence to Burton, situate on the river Trent, and fa- mous for its ale. Almost all these inland towns we had lately visited, have a communication with London, Bristol, and Hull, by means of navigable canals. Quitting Burton, we continued our route to Derby, the principal town in the county of that name. Der- by is pleasantly situated on the river Derwent: it is a well-built town, and boasts of a perfection in many manufactures. The Cicerone, who conducted us to the places worthy of our curiosity, was a brisk old man, of eighty-five years of age. His remarks, in general, were shrewd and applicable, though simple in the extreme. First of all, he would conduct us to an old house of a late Lord Exeter, where the Pre- tender’s son had taken up his residence in 1745, and where he remembered him; then he insisted on our * The Soho Manufactory is famous throughout Europe; and Mr. Bolton wiłł long be remembered as one of the most inge- nious and enterprizing men that eyer this country produced. ^- • * “ ENG LAND, Scoti, AND, AND wa LEs. 81 seeing the spot where he had heard the proclamation of James Stewart, as king of England; and then to other places of equal celebrity. In short, the garrulous old creature drove us at last to the necessity of entreat- ing him to lead us to the silk, china, or some other manufactory. Lombe's, manufactory for silk is erected on the banks of a rapid branch of the river. It is famous for its machinery; and no less so for the Emanner in which that mac.inery was purloined from Sardinia. From the silk manufactory we walked to the houses, where marbles and petrifactions are wrought into ornamental figures, and thence would have proceeded to the china-shops, but that our old Ci- cerone, stopping and looking at the sun, cried, “Come, come, gentlemen, if you have a mind to see Lord Scarsdale's, you must go directly; it is now noon, and travellers have admittance but from ten till two.” Off to Lord Scarsdale’s we accordingly set; nor were we at all displeased with our old friend for hurrying us, The approach to this palace, for a palace it cer- tainly is, is through an avenue of old lofty oaks, over a bridge, which brings you immediately in front of the mansion. Here you first pause. The building is Sufficiently large to admit of every idea of grandeur and of magnificence. It is situated on a gently declining hill, with woods and lawns diversified, and a winds ing rivulet running in front. On entering the house, you get into a most superb hall, the sides and ceil- ings of which are most beautifully ornamented, and the whole supported by four and twenty massive, fluted pillars, of variegated alabaster. Here, indeed, the coup-d'ail is most beautiful. In a word, the whole strikes as if it were designed for a more than mortal residence, nor are the other rooms of the mansion inferior, either in their proportions or deco- rations. Some of the paintings are very fine. In the drawin g-room, which has the most magni. ficent appearance of any apartment I have ever yet / J $2 suilrv AN's Tour THROUGH seen, the pillars and pediments to the doors and win- dows are of the most beautiful kind of alabaster. In the library, a well-proportioned room, is a choice collection of books. The music saloon is a most elegant apartment. Altogether this house is really magnificent: the hand of taste is evident in every part of it; nor can it be otherwise, when known to be the work of Messrs. Adam ; neither does any cost seem to have been spared in rendering it coamplete. The grounds, however, are not in uni- son with this grandeur and chastity of design; there is an attempt at prettiness, which lessens the effect of the whole. - Leaving this place, which no traveller should omit visiting, we returned to Derby, and joined our little old man, who merrily conducted us to the china-ware manufactory. In our way we could not but remark the briskness with which he trod, and the degree of ease with which he kept pace with us. This led us to enquire in what manner he contrived to keep him- self so hale and firm. “ Ah! my good gentlemen,” said he, “if you would but follow my course, I could almost promise you equal success to that which I have met with. Three score and ten years have I regularly drank tea, and scarce any thing else. Wine and spi- rituous liquors have had no charms for me; tea has been my constant beverage : nature, from use, has preferred it to any other liquid, and I never forced her. Some people, indeed, say, tea is unwholesome : it may be so ; and it may be, as it is called, a slow poison : but this I know, and from experience I can pronounce it, that if it be a poison, it is a very slow one, for it takes a long time in killing me”.” Here we could x A * No argument can be drawn for or against the use of tea from a solitary instance; but if it is admitted that the constitu- tions of the people of this country, in general, have undergone a ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES. 83 not refrain from laughter; the thought was waggishly turned, and the old man seemed to enjoy it heartily. Here we parted. A look of cordial farewell was mu- tually interchanged. He wished us happiness; and we as fervently prayed that the Sweetest comfort might still attend him in his journey. - A' ~ Ashburn, our next stage, is situated on the borders of Stafford and of Derbyshire. Here we halted for a might, and the next morning proceeded to Okeover, a seat belonging to a gentleman of that name, where we found nothing worth our observation, besides a few pictures. -- - From Okeover we proceeded to Ilam, a seat of Mr. Porte. On entering this gentleman's grounds, which alone deserve notice, you get into a deep glen, on either side well covered with trees, while the river Manifold rolls with rapidity at the bottom. Hence, continuing your progress, you come to a rude seat in a rock, fa- mous, as being the spot where Congreve, then scarcely nineteen, wrote his Old Bachelor. Thence descend- ing by a number of steps, you continue along the path way, at the side of which are many considerable trees growing through the interstices of the rocks; and from this spot you get upon a flat, where you are en- circled by a range of beautiful and lofty wood, except at one end where the Thorp Cloud, at the entrance of Dove Dale, peeps through the trees. Hence, continu- ing along the borders of a canal, you come to the spot where the rivers Hemps and Manifold issue from two apertures in a rock, at the distance of fifteen yards from each other, after losing themselves in different parts of the country, and at five miles distance from complete change for the worse, since this plant was commonly introduced as a beverage, for an aliment it cannot be called, lit- tle more need be said on ti e subject. To the advocates for tea, we begieave to recommend an attention to Mr. Hanway's Jour- ney from Portsmouth to Kingston, 84 sulliv AN's Tour THROUGH each other. Many people might be led to suppose, that by shewing themselves so very close to each other at Ilam, it was probable they joined in their Subterranean passage; but this is put beyond a doubt by experiment”. The gardener being a man of a more extensive way of thinking than generally falls to the lot of people of his class, threw above two gross of corks into the Manifold, where it loses itself, and watching the next two days unremittingly in his mas- ter's grounds, he at length found about two dozen of them issue from the chasm of the Manifold; the others being stopped in their progress, or ground to pieces by the sharpness of the rocks. And farther to ascertain this, he told us, a similar trial had been made with the Hemps, and that it answered in the same manner. At Ilam, they join their stream to that of the Dove, and there form a river, - From this place we proceeded to Dove Dale, so called from the river of that name. The approach to this place, along the side of Thorp Cloud, has been much admired. On entering the Dale, you follow the course of the river, which winds beautifully, and is clear and transparent as a brook. The rocks too, on either side, misshapen and grotesque, with a pro- fusion of wood scattered up and down, give a wild and romantic variety to the scene. Not far within the Dale is shewn the frightful eminence, whence a clergy- man of dignity and a young lady feil with their horse. The divine was bruised in so horrid a degree, that he died two hours afterwards; but to the great surprise of every one, the lady and the horse were entirely un- injured by the fall. . . - - The Staffordshire side of the Dale, the Dove divid- ing it from Derbyshire, is well clothed with trees; ~ - - - - -- * See Mr. Bray’s Tour in the former volume, where the same fact is stated. - ---- ENGLANT), SCOTLAN p, AND WALES. 8á while the opposite shore, which is totally bereft of wood, is barren and rugged, and presents a striking contrast. A chasm to the right soon opens itself. Hence you have a delightful view of the traversings of the river, and of an assemblage of rocks, which, almost shrouded by the trees, gives an idea of a mouldering monastery. From this spot, the rocks still continue ; some stupendous, and others rent asunder, in an astonishing mariner. Proceeding on, you come to a grand arch in a rock, called Reynard's Hole, whence you have a wild diversified scene before you, and passing through it, you next ascend Reynard's Hall and Reynard's Kitchen. Leaving this, continue along the river for the distance of about two miles, and then return by the same path. Before I quit the Däle, I must not forget a cold fountain, which, issuing initmediately into the river from a spring almost on the same level, renders it difficult sometimes to be found out. The water, however, is transparent and Sweet, and resembles, in a great measure, those of Malvern. * From Dove Dale we returned to Ashbourn, and thence, taking fresh horses, we proceeded to Buxton, through a country as barren and desolate as can well be conceived. Bounded on every side by stone fences, which at the best give but a wild appearance, and freed from every vestige of cultivation. Strange that Such a waste of land should be found in a country re- markable for the industry of its inhabitants. Buxton is a small, inconsiderable town, surrounded by hills of a most steril aspect. Of late years it has been rendered, however, of some consequence by its mineral springs, one of which is cold and the other hot ; and, as chemical people say, possessing the effi- cacious qualities of both the Bath and Bristol waters. The resort of company to Buxton is considerable : for at three or four houses, which are, entirely fitted up for the accorºmodition of strangers, they reckoned to .* T; - - - - w - - 36 suitv AN's Tour THROUGH r - t l \ - us at least three hundred. Here, as at Malvern, the lodgers in each house board together. Åbout a mile from Buxton is the first wonder of the Peak, called Poole's Hole. This cavern at the entrance is small, and promises but little; after advancing, however, a few paces, and creeping as close to the ground as you possibly can, you come to a chasm, where you are shewn Poole's Saddle and his Turtle, both of them good incrustations. Passing hence, you come to other fine pieces of spar, variously twisted round the rocks, called Poole's Tripe and his Woolsack, both inimitably honeycombed in the finest kind of white petrifaction: whilst a spring of clear, transparent water issues from one side, and an exact resemblance of an elephant strikes you at the other. From this place, creeping upon all fours, and ascending a most slippery path, you open a prodigi- ous dome, sixty or seventy feet high, where you per- ceive an extraordinary large piece of spar pendent from the roof, called the Flitch of Bacon; and, star- ing in the side, the fanciful resemblance of old Poole himself. Hence you come to the Lion and the Lady's Toilet; the former spreading upwards, and the latter hanging down in all the carelessness of ease and ele- gance. These, however, conduct you but to greater beauties; the Dark Lantern, as it is called; a vast quantity of incrustation falling down in folds, and the roof sparkling with transparent pieces of petriſac- tion of the shape of icicles. From this you come to an apartment, at least fifty feet high, in which you have a small black figure in spar, resembling a mouse, and a range of organs, as it were, immediately above it. Leaving this, you get to the Queen of Scots Pil- lar, so called from the unfortunate Mary, when she by the spirit of curiosity, we dared to venture far. visited this place ; a column, most beautifully sur- rounded with curtains of fine incrustation, airily dis- played. Here most people chuse to stop; but, urged # , f : , , ;" i.' ... * * : * º w ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND walEs. 87 Cotton, indeed, throws a damp upon the mind when he speaks of this attempt; for, in his words, “ Over the brook you’re now obliged to stride, And on the left hand by this pillar's side, To seek new wonders, though beyond this stone, {Jnless you safe return, you’il meet with none And that, indeed, will be a kind of one.” 5 On, however, we went ; the place so steep, craggy, and slippery, that had it not been for fast grasps, we should never have been able to have got to the top. Here we stopped some time in admiration. A can- dle, judiciously placed, without our knowledge, at the very extremity, peeped like a star on a fine cloudy night, while another as properly set at the bottom, whence we had ascended, had as singular and as aw- ful an effect. - Hence, still adventuring upwards, you pass by the Lady's Pillion and a curtain, both of them beautiful incrustations; and thence passing through the eye of 8t. Andrew’s Needle, and keeping his throne to the right, you pass over a heap of irregular rocks to a passage, most emphatically and justly styled, Break- Back Passage. Here, crawling again, you at length come to the practicable end of this extensive cavern, at the distance of two thousand and seven feet from the entrance. Quitting Poole's Hole, we rode to the fourth won- der of the Peak, some of the others not being worthy of attention, called Elden Hole. Here we indeed had matter for affright; a tremendous yawning gulph, bottomless, as it is said, opens its wide mouth on the side of a hill. The noise of stones, or any other body thrown into it, gradually, and as at a distance, dies away. Nothing has ever been heard of, that has ſal- len into it; all is inscrutable to man. Trials upon trials have been made with respect to its depth; but * 88. sullivan's Tour THROUGH all without effect. Cotton tried a line and plummet two thousand six hundred and fifty-two feet, but could not touch the bottom ; neither could he at that time hear the water. We, however, fancied the contrary; for two stones, out of a prodigious number, which we plunged into it, most certainly immersed themselves in that element. º - Many stories are told of accidents which have hap- pened at this place; cattle frequently tumble into it. But nothing can be more dreadful than the acknow- ledgment of a villain, who, when on the scaffold, for the perpetration of some other horrid deed, confessed having thrown an unfortunate traveller into it, whom he had robbed, and who had entrusted himself to his guidance. Another instance of an untimely fate hap- pened to a poor hind, who, eager for money, engaged, for a sum, to go to the bottom. His errand proved fruitless; vapour, or fright, disordered his senses : he was drawn to the top, and expired in madness in a few days. - w Satisfied with the dreadful appearance of this place; we again mounted our horses, and, climbing over the hill, descended on the other side into the high road Jeading from Manchester to Sheffield, and passing by Mam-Tor, or the Shivered Mountain, we came to a most romantie turn at the foot of Some stupendous hills. Here, proceeding along, we perceived a small oval aperture in a rock, which we found tenanted only by birds. Continuing our journey to a lead mine, called the Staffordshire Speedwell, we put ourselves under the guidance of the manager, and very shortly perceived an opening on the declivity of the mountain, which, by one hundred and seven steps, almost per- pendicular, brought us to a river, where a boat was ready, with a person in it, and some candles, that he begged we would take charge of. Taking possession of the candles, therefore, and entrusting ourselves to this second Charon, pushed off the boat, when, by ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES., 83. sticks placed on either side in the rocks, at the dis- tance of about six feet from each other, he showed us along for a considerable distance. Unusual as this. subterranean navigation was, it yet was exceedingly awful and sublime. Coasting along in this manner, our attention was suddenly called off by a melodious noise, which, reverberating along the concave of the roof, lost itself with us in the sweetest notes. At length we came to the spot whence it issued; and here indeed our wonder increased. A little boy of about ten or twelve years of age, placed in a niche where he had just room to move, was driving, with a bellows, a supply of fresh air to the farther extremity of the river; and in this situation was warbling forth his notes. Nature had blessed him with a charming voice, and, regardless of his destiny, he worked and sung his eight long hours, the period allotted him to labour. Passing this inhabitant of these nether re- gions, we onward continued our way, and at length, having traversed between sixteen and eighteen hum- dred feet, came to the end, where we found three hale and cheerful men busied at their occupations. In the rocks of this cavern are several veins of lead : the expence, however, has been too great to work it in its natural state ; the idea of a water con- veyance, therefore presented itself. This channel was accordingly planned; and here, as in other useful pro- jects, the world became indebted to the public spirit of . the Duke of Bridgewater. The whole of this pas- sage, excavated in the solid rock, being carried on with his assistance. The miners blow it up, and clear the space by contract. - It was not until we had joined the miners, that we found the vast consequence of the air conveyed to them by the bellows which I have mentioned. The atmosphere, as they proceed along in these subterra- neous works, becomes dank and thick, and without a constant rarefaction, it would certainly destroy them. - I 3 90 suitv AN's Tour THROUGH nevertheless, these people are exceedingly healthy, and full of good hamour. It was now time for us to return ; we accordingly found our way back in the manner we had entered, and thence proceeded to Castleton, a town situated immediately under the Peak of Derby, where we took some refreshment, and then walked to the principal of the wonders, called Peak’s Hole. ~~~ - The approach to this cavern is grand and tremen- dous; a river issuing from its mouth, and a range of rocks, rearing their heads to the skies, surround you. One of these is measured two hundred and fifty-one feet perpendicular. Being arrived at the entrance, which is forty-two feet high, and one hundred and twenty feet wide, the attention is caught by cottages scattered up and down in this dark abode, and a mul- titude of women and children spinning at wheels. The next thing to which the guide calls the atten- tion, is the Flitch of Bacon, a large incrustation, hanging on one side, which you quickly pass by, and then come to a small door, which affords a most stupendous view of a concave. On, however, you go, stooping till you get into the Bell House, and thence passing along, you come to the river, on which there is a boat, into which you get, and lying at full length, are thus ferried over, or rather carried up a winding stream, tili landing, you fancy yourself arrived in the first apartment of the infernal deities. Nothing can be more stupendous than the appearance of this dreary vault. The length of it is two hundred and seventy feet; the width two hundred and ten; and the height one hundred and twenty. Stopping here to enjoy the gloomy horrors of the scene, a number of of candles are dispersed which, twinkling like stars, afford an awful assemblage. - - Leaving this, you get to a winding of the river, which you pass upon the shoulders of your guides, and thence arrive at Roger Rain's House, so called ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND waſ Es. 9i from drops of water, which incessantly filtrate through every part of it. From this you continue to the Chancel, where calmly proceeding, you are sud- denly accosted by the voices of a choir of men chaunt- ing in a niche above you, at the elevation of about fifty-seven feet. Here we stopped. The airs were slow and solemn ; every thing conspired to turn the mind to meditation. Nature appeared in awful, though frightful majesty before us; in a word, we could not but fancy ourselves transported to another world. - From the Chancel you continue to the Devil's Cellar. Hence you proceed by a sandy hillock, de- scending gradually one hundred and fifty feet, and at length come to the Half-way house, as it is called, where you have a fine transparent run of water. Passing on, you proceed through three most regular, naturally-formed arches, near the borders of the river, whence you fancy you hear the rumbling of a cas- cade: and then crossing the river, come to another range of equally beautiful arches, which conduct you, with the river on your right, to the hanging rock. - From this spot you get to the place where the cur- rent rolls rapidly along, and passing through another range of arches, and Tom of Lincoln, so called from its resemblance to a bell, you at length get to the ex- tremity of this wonderful place, two thousand two hundred and fifty feet from the entrance, and six hun- dred and twenty-one feet beneath the surface of the hill, \ - This, however, is not supposed to be the end of the cavern; and experiments are accordingly making, by blowing away the rocks, to open a communication with the cavern already mentioned, through which the same river is supposed to flow. - Before I quit this spot, I must not omit mention- ing the staggering effect of a blast, as they style it, 32 sulfv AN’s Tour THROUGH occasioned by a small quantity of powder crammed into a rock, and set fire to. The explosion is won- derfully grand; heaven and earth seem coming to- gether. All visitors are treated with this salute. This crash over, we returned to the door at which we had entered, and were once more blessed with a peep of day, bursting into the cavern, illumining the objects in a much more sublime manner than they had hitherto presented themselves*. - - Tired not a little, we anxiously desired to return to our inn; but we were told, other objects still soli- cited our attention. Accordingly we were conduct- ed to the summit of the Peak, and shewn the old castle, parts of which are in good preservation: but there sitting down to rest ourselves, we were unex- pectedly and most gallantly serenaded by a band of music from the opposite hill. Nothing could have been more happily timed ; neither could there ever have been people more desirous of being soothed than we were. The day had been a day of labour; quiet was necessary. So that enjoying the welcome sounds, and admiring the serenity of the evening, we peace- fully laid ourselves on the grass; and in that sweetest of all careless indulgencies, banished the languor of fatigue. - - Having heard of a three-mile cavern, and being by this time pretty well familiarized with danger, we were determined next day to explore it. Summon- ing therefore a posse-comitatus of all the miners about Castleton, we in brief told them our intention. As- tonishment at first prevented them from thinking us serious ; none but two or three had ever ventured upon a trial; and even custom had not reconciled the others to so hazardous an enterprize. A promise of * For a farther account of this celebrated cavern, see Mrs Bray's Tour, ENG LAN p, sco T LAND, AND w A LEs. 93 reward, however, prevailed upon the whole, and they agreed to attend us in the morning. Having made the preliminary preparations, and left some memo- randums, and a card of direction to our friends on the inn table, in case of accidents, we sallied out early the next morning, accompanied by a chosen set of our guides, and repaired to the top of the mountain, where the fissure opens itself about three feet in dia- meter. Provided by the miners with proper dresses, we then stripped ourselves of our own outward ap- parei, and putting on each a pair of canvas trowsers, a flannel jacket, and over that a canvas frock, with a handkerchief round our heads, and a miner's cap, we proceeded one by one down this dread abyss, for the distance of about four hundred and twenty feet perpendicular. - Imagination can scarcely form a descent more pe- rilous. The only steps or things to hold by, are bits of oak stuck into the sides, when the cavern was first discovered ; fortunately all was firm, and we arrived at the bottom unhurt. Here ranging ourselves in order, with a large bundle of candles and torches, in- dependent of the candles which each of us carried, we proceeded with tolerable facility through two or three lofty and most beautiful enamelied caverns of spar. This we conceived an earnest of future delight, and the tablets were accordingly set at work ; but, alas ! how great was our mistake. Here our difficul- ties were to commence. - . Following the guide, who besides another who was with us, was the only one of the party who had ever penetrated before, we forced our way with infinite struggles, through a narrow space between two rocks, and thence getting on our hands and knees, were, for the full distance of a mile, obliged to crawl without ever daring to lift up our heads; we still, however, hoped for something better. On we accordingly pro- ceeded, till a dreadful noise, rumbling along the hor- 94 sulfv AN’s Toux T H Roug H '. rible crevices of the cave, gave us to understand we were near a river : to this, we hurried as fast as we were able. But description is inadequate to anything like a representation of the scene. A vast ocean seemed roaring in upon us; in some places bursting with inconceivable impetuosity, and at others fälling through dreadful chasms, burst into shaggy forms to give it vent: through this our journey was to con . tinue. A cry of light, however, alarmed us : the confinement of the air, and the narrowness of our track, had extinguished all our torches ; the candles too, all but one small end, were totally expended.' We knew not what to do. In vain the miners shout- ed for the supply which was to have come behind ; no answer was returned. Our fate seemed inevitable ; but the principals of the party, fortunately, expressed no fear. In this extremity, a gallant fellow, who yet was ignorant of the place, suddenly disappeared, and after groping for a considerable time in the dark and dismal horrors of the place, at length returned to us with a supply of candles, having discovered his com- panions, to whom they were given in charge, almost petrified with fear, and unable to follow us from ap- prehension. Reprieved in this manner from a death which seemed to wait us, in its most horrid form, we onward proceeded with a fresh recruit of spirits ; and plunging into the river above our waists, cautiously picked our steps, and, at length, after a four hours most unspeakable fatigue, arrived at about three hundred yards beyond the spot, where the subter- ranean passage we had the day before explored, was . expected to find an entrance into this dreadful place. But here we were obliged to stop ; a fall into a yawning gulph, from which I was providentially saved by the corner of a rock catching me by the knee, had hitherto given me an inconceivable degree of pain : it now became intolerable. Out, however, I was to crawl. The retreat accordingly began ; but . . . ..) X W. - * >, - N ENG LAND, scot LAND, AND w A LEs. 95 no anguish could surpass what I felt. Often did i wish to remain where I was : no succour or assistance could be given me : every man was painfully busied in the charge of his own safety. At length, having. almost worn out the other knee, I was compelled to call out for help, as we happily came to the first opening where I could be raised. Langour and faint- ness from what I had suffered, had totally deprived me of my strength : I was seated on a rock, where I breathed a little freer, and being refreshed in a few minutes, I tottered through the rest of the cavern, with occasional help, and in that manner got to the blessed sunshine of the day. w º -Altogether, the depth we had descended was about one hundred and forty fatnoms, or nine hundred and eighty feet, and the length about three miles, accord- ing to the miners’ calculation. Neither at this dis- tance were we at the end; a passage still continued, but so filled with water, and so full of peril, that the miners themselves were averse to farther trial. And here, having made this dangerous experiment myself, I would caution others from being so unpardonably led by curiosity, as to tempt destruction, where, indepen- dent of the dangers of maims, cuts, and fractures, the falling of a single stone mightbury him in eternity for ever*. . . . . Leaving Castleton, and passing Maunsel Dale, and Haddon Castle, an old seat of the Rutland fa- mily, we came to Chatsworth, belonging to the Duke of Devonshire. The approach to this house is plea- sant, and the edifice itself, with the river Derwent running in front, is happily situated, and makes a good appearance. The beds and chairs in the apart- **- ‘g * We earnestly join in the prudent advice of our author. It is Sometimes necessary and sometimes honourable to brave danger; but nothing can be more foolish of even contemptible in the łºss ºrigsity. - * ~" eye of reason, than to risk life form mere wantonness or use- 96 sui. Iv AN’s To UR THROUGH ments of the unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots, when she was a captive here under the care of the Earl of Shrewsbury, are melancholy memorials of fallen greatness. Compassion for the fate of this unhappy fair one made us review this part of the mansion with much veneration. The rest was little above the com- mon standard of mediocrity ; although with a little trouble,' I will not say as to the expence, it might readily be rendered not only convenient, but superb. There are but few good pictures here; but the Flight into Egypt, by Hannibal Caraccio, well deserves in Otlee. -- - e . . . The grounds are naturally well adapted to the bold- est beauties; and attention seems to have been paid to them. The old duke planted a considerable extent of ground, and his son is now employed in the same laudable species of improvement. Nature has done a vast deal ; water is in plenty ; and where the temple dedicated to that element is placed, a delightful dis- tribution of it might easily be made. Continuing our route from Chatsworth towards the village of Matlock, we traced a beautiful valley, high- ly romantic and picturesque. Either side is bounded by hills and stupendous rocks, with cottages here and there interspersed, and a profusion of wood, some- times irregularly scattered, and at others, spreading in the closest foliage, with the river Derwent rolling itself pleasantly in the centre of the dale. In this beautiful spot lies Matlock Spa, celebrated for its medicinal qualities. From the lodging houses im- mediately descending, you arrive at the margin of the river, closely embowered by trees, irregularly planted in a shrubbery, and thence proceeding through a . winding path, you pass a cascade precipitating from the right, and then come to a considerable water- work, erected for the purpose of draining a lead mine on the opposite shore. Our late disasters did not pre- ENGLAND, Scot LAND, AND wa LEs. 97 vent us from another attempt into the bowels of the earth. Our subterrene progress, indeed, was short, so that we quickly returned ; and then again, on the opposite side to Matlock, continued through shady walks, till we came to a flight of steps which led us to the top of the hill, which commands an enchant- ing prospect. From Matlock, our next stage was Chesterfield, a large, well-built town, with a nºigable canal. Proceeding, we visited Sheffield in Yorkshire; but this was so thoroughly dirty, and mean in appearance, that after viewing its manufactories, which, by the way, are inferior to those of Birmingham, we advanced to Doncaster; passing by Coningsborough Castle, an ancient pile, with many parts of it in good preserva- tion, and admirably well situated. Doncaster is a meat and populous town : the houses in general are good, and the streets are well paved. In the church, an old Gothic building, is a monument of an earl of Doncaster, with this whimsical inscription: Howe, Howe, who is here 3 I Robin, of Duneastere, And Margaret, my feare, That I ſpent, that I had, That I gave, that I have. That I left, that I lost. A. D. 1597. Quoad Robertus Byrks, who in this world did reign Threescore yeares and seven, but liv'd not one, Doncaster is a place of great antiquity, as appears from the Itinerary of Antoninus, which says, the Crispinian horse were stationed here while the Romans Were in Britain; and that the governor of the province generally resided in its castle, that he might be near the wall to repel the incursions of the Scots and Picts. N Leaving Doncaster, we came to Ferrybridge, thence K 98 still v AN's Tou R T H Roug It to Tadcaster, and from Tadcaster to York. The ex- tent of this town is very considerable; being an archiepiscopal see, and always giving a title to one of the royal family, it has ever been peculiarly attend- ed to. The streets are tolerably broad and well-built. The river Ouse runs through the centre of it, and is covered with vessels of considerable burden. Along the borders of this river, a public walk, well planted with trees, for the space of about a mile, has been carried for the recreation of the inhabitants. Not- withstanding the size and antiquity of York, there is certainly nothing in it that is worthy the observa- tion of a traveller, except the catheral or minster, as it is called, and the castle. The minster is very large ; the extent five hundred and twenty-five feet; the breadth one hundred and ten feet; and the height ninety-nine feet. The nave is four feet and a half wider than that of St. Paul’s, and eleven feet higher. The chapter-house is likewise a monument of good taste and workmanship ; it is sixty-three feet in dia- meter, of an octagonal form, arched, and without a pillar in the centre to support it. The assembly- room, though much admired, is indifferent : the architecture being exceedingly heavy, The Romans had a temple at York dedicated to Bellona, and three of their highways crossed the city. It was also the favourite residence of the Emperor, Severus, and here he resigned his breath, leaving his kingdoms to his two sons. Here too William king of Scotland paid homage to Henry II. in 1174, resign- ing the ancient independence of his crown. Bending our course still northward from York, we proceeded through a pleasant country to Castle How- ard, the seat of the Earl of Carlisle. On opening the mansion, it presents a grand appearance : the approach, however, is too straight and formally plant- ed. At the entrance of the park, which is through an arched gateway, lined and flanked with towers, ty tº © © º º dºr - : a 2: * * : * ~ * * ... a e º e * e 9 e & º e 9 - - . . . o - - sº e & 9 w s º © & & © tº - - - - - \ , EN.si. AND, scori AND, AND waLEs, 99 you come to an eminence, and thence to an obelisk, charged with inscriptions. *... . The dissimilarity of the two wings of the house strikes every traveller; and surely it is a palpable solecism in architecture. The hall is a grand and un- common room ; in it are full lengths in marble of Augustus Caesar and Aurelius, Ceres, Commodus, Scipio Africanus, Marc Anthony, and two females, Supposed to be wives of Roman emperors. The apartments are decorated with numerous family portraits, and many other pieces by distinguished masters, besides several works of virtù. The museum is filled with antique bustos, urns, bronzes, sarcophaguses, tables, and many other arti- cles curious and worthy of observation. Besides which, there is a gallery one hundred and sixty feet in length, in which is a considerable collection of pictures, medals, Spars, &c. . In a conspicuous situation in the park, stands a mausoleum with a chapel upon its top. This repository of the dead has something awful and magnificent about it. The path to it winds through the park; the build- ing itself is surrounded with massive pillars, and co- yered by a dome of good workmanship. From the mausoleum you proceed to Diana's Temple, and thence continuing along a handsome terrace, come to the front of the house, which is elegant and superb. In Short, Castle Howard is a seat suitable to the dignity of the family to whom it appertains. Leaving Castle Howard, we proceeded to Scar- borough. Filled like all other watering places at this season of the year, we found at first some difficulty in procuring a lodging: but this being at length ac- quired, the time we stayed glided pleasantly along. The waters are in many cases reckoned salutary ; but the bathing is the chief inducement for company to resort thither; which, together with the freshness - . . & . . . . - & * . tº º .# . { tº ū 9 ** $ & 3 * , * . * * * c * 9 9 * * *: , sº * : * • & & * $ * r s. º 9. y. 3 Öğ su Liv AN’s Tou R T H Rou G H of the sea-breezes, the regular airings on the beech, in a pure, marine atmosphere, and the cheerful evening recreations at the rooms, are such powerful helps, that few people go there valetudinary who do not ex- perience their good effects. . From Scarborough, which has nothing worthy of attention, except the castle, built by the Earl of Albemarle in the reign of King Stephen, upon a high point of land to the northward of the town, and which must have been, in former days, of much considera- tion, we made an excursion, in an irregular route, over the woulds of Yorkshire, to Driffield, and thence to Beverly. This town, in the East Riding of York- shire, is one hundred" and seventy-nine miles from London, and is remarkable both for the cleanliness of its streets and houses, and for its minster, which, though greatly inferior in size to many in the king- dom, is in point of beauty and symmetry, perhaps, Superior to most. - - Leaving Beverly, we continued our route to Hull, a large and populous sea-port town in the same coun- ty. This place, situated conveniently on the German Ocean, drives a considerable trade with the Baltic, the United Provinces, and all the northern nations: for this purpose a Trinity House has been established on the most laudable foundation. No town can boast of a greater appearance of industry than Hull; the whole mass of the inhabitants seems pervaded by some one principle of commerce or another. From Hull, passing through Fursby, Cave, and Howdon, we arrived at Thorne, a town situated on the confines of the marshes, which have nothing in them but what is dreary and unpleasant, saving the trunks of trees, the relics of former ages. • From Thorne we proceeded through Courick, Snaith, Carlton, Cammelsworth, and Selby, crossed the Ouse in a ferry-boat; then to Escirk, Fulford, York, and again visited Scarborough. …r ENGLAND, scot LAND, AND wales. 10; After a short stay at this northern watering-place, in September we began our progress to the north. Passing through Thornton and Pickering, two incon- siderable villages, we came to Helmsley, a fair-look- ing town, with the remains of an old castle, in tole- rable good preservation. Adjoining to Helmsley is Duncombe Park, a seat belonging to Mr. Duncombe, and well worthy the attention of a traveller. The approach is good ; and the house itself, although the wings, like those of Castle Howard, are of different constructions, is both commodious and elegant. The paintings, in general, are fine, as are the statues and bustos ; a dog, in marble, by a celebrated Grecian artist, is, to connoisseurs, the finest and most valu- able part of the collection. The terrace at Wardour Castle has already been mentioned with eulogium, but that at Duncombe Park excels it. Lord Arundel's, it is true, is more extensive, Mr. Duncombe's, I must confess, I think more beautiful. Surrounding it is a deep vale, covered with trees, and a river glid- ing through it, while a rich hanging wood on the other side gives a wildness, and at the same time a richness to a landscape, romantic in the extreme. it being dark when we left Duncombe Park, and having a cross road to encounter, we had some reason to doubt of the success of our expedition to Thursk that night ; which place, indeed, having lost our way, we did not reach till eleven o’clock. From Thursk, by an exceeding good road, and through a fertile and well-cultivated country, we pro- ceeded to Rippon, a place distant from London about two hundred and eighteen miles. This town is large, though not populous. The church, or minster, is a massy edifice ; but not remarkable for any thing, save the charnel-house, in which some remnants of mor- tality are most piously and methodically arranged. In the vicinity of Rippon, at the distance of about three miles, stands Studley Park, the seat of Mr. - K 3 . ; - - #02 su Liv AN's Tou R THRO U G H Aislabie” –The approach to this spot through the park, which naturally swells with much elegance, and is well planted with trees, is highly agreeable and picturesque. The house itself is large and com- modious; the prospects from the lawn before it are exquisite. On the one side, the town and minster of Rippon ; on the other, Fountaine's Abbey; while an obelisk, a pavilion, and a temple, present themselves in different places in front. Desend- ing from the house by a gradual slope, you come to the garden, as it is called, although, in reality, it is only a part of the park more carefully improved. The hanging-wood, that overshades the pretty little river that washes this spot, is beautiful in the ex- treme. Placing yourself near the figure of a dying gladiator, the prospect is really charming. Proceed- ing on, you open a fine old bridge, with a river rushing through it, and the back ground so darkened by trees, as to give the idea of a cascade foaming through a cavern. At the foot of the bridge, you open a beautiful assemblage of new objects, most elegantly diversified ; the banquetting-house, cold- bath, rotunda, and a small pavilion, peering above the trees. Crossing the bridge, you then come to the reservoir, an extensive sheet of water, on the banks of which are several elegant recesses. Turn- ing to the left, you reach the Temple of Piety, whence you have a pleasing view of the opposite shore, well swelled in lawn and planted. From the Temple of Piety you ascend the hanging-wood, and, passing through a rustic arched way, corne to the tower, whence there is a prodigious assemblage of variegated objects. From this spot, continuing to the right, at every step you open through artless vistos, Foun- taine's Abbey, the banquetting-house, and the other * This charming seat is mentioned with due commendation by every traveller, * - . ENGLAND, scot LAND, AND WALEs. 103 beauties of the place. Farther on you come to a seat, where the reservoir shews itself immediately beneath, with a beautiful hill on the other side cover- ed with trees, jutting itself into its bosom, and bind- ing it in a circular formr. Leaving, this, you come to a spot where you catch a wiew of the finest ruin that it is possible for ima- gination to conceive. On the left, a modest river gently glides along its side, tufted with oak and ever- green ; on the right, rocks and woods romantically shew themselves in natural wildness; while in front a fine lawn extends itself to where the abbey rears its awful head, in all the pride and dignity of age. It is built in the most beautiful style of Gothic or Saracenic architecture; the tower and all the walls are still remaining, the roof alone being gone to ruin. Entering the door, instead of a chancel, you find yourself in a grove : Nature having sportively scat- tered through it an enchanting assemblage of shrub- bery and trees. The sward, too, through which they shoot, is exquisitely green; no depredation has been wantonly committed on Fountaine's Abbey; time and age alone have brought it to its present state. The sanctity of the monks of this abbey was in former days in such repute, that it became endowed with most ample revenues. Lord Henry de Percy, one of the principal commanders under Edward the First, in his wars with Scotland, was interred before the high altar of this abbey in 1315; and the Percy family were considered as hereditary benefactors of the establishment. By an inscription over one of the portals, it ap- pears to have been finished in 1202. The length of the grand aisle is three hundred and sixty feet; the cloister garden is quite entire; the chapter-room and library are beautifully filled with trees; the refectory is in high preservation; the cloisters in the same si- s i04. su Liv AN’s Tour THROUGH tuation, as well as the dormitory; and the whole, in short, such as beggars every faculty of description. Leaving this charming spot, return by the oppo- site banks of the river, and thence through an ele- gantly-winding walk, till you come to a seat, which yields a number of scenes, picturesque and diversified; and thence to a handsome building called the Ban- quetting-House. From the banquetting-house, you descend to the cold bath, and thence through some delightful walks to the gate at which you entered the garden, and which conducts you, by another road, through the park, to the first entrance. * Not satisfied with this spot, which contains the united beauties of Stourton Park, Hagley, and Tin- tern Abbey, Mr. Aislabie has purchased another place, within six miles of it, which possesses all the wildness of Matlock and the Leasowes; this is Hack- fall. Never was there seen a finer assemblage of wild and variegated nature. - The yale itself, with a beautiful river running through it, is surrounded with woods, rocks, cata- racts. Much pains have been taken with the walks and terraces from one end to the other. Many little buildings have likewise been erected in it, together with some ruins, which are admirably well placed. Altogether, it is one of the most romantic, and, with a little more expence, might be made one of the most charming places in the kingdom. From Hackfall we proceeded to Marsham, a neat and improving town, and thence to Richmond. The environs are pleasant and well cultivated; but the town itself possesses no particular attractions. The castle, however, is well situated, on an eminence north of the Swale. It was built by Alane, Earl of Bretagne, surnamed Rufus, nephew, to William the Conqueror, who, as a reward for his gallant behavi- our at the battle of Hastings, created him Earl of Richmond, and bestowed on him this shire, The ENGLAN p, sco'ſ LAND, AND WA LEs. 105 charter is preserved by Camden, and is expressed as follows: its brevity is remarkable. “I William, sirnamed the Bastard, king of Eng- land, do give and grant unto thee my nephew Allan, Earl of Bretagne, and to thy heirs for ever, all the villages and lands which of late belonged to Earl Edwin in Yorkshire, with the knight's fees and other liberties and customs, as freely and honourably as the same Edwin held them. Dated from our siege before York.” Leaving Richmond, we proceeded, through a rich and beautiful country, to within a few miles of Ber- nard, where we stopped to admire an elegant bridge, about eighty feet in span and forty feet in height, thrown across the Tees. That river here runs with prodigious violence; bounded on either side with rocks, and declining considerably, it forms a grand and na- tural cascade, almost as far as the eye can reach. Bernard is but a poor town; neither is the castle, though it certainly was extensive and well placed upon the banks of the Tees, at this period, either curious or remarkable. It was built by Bernard Bailol, great grandfather of John Baliol, king of Scot- land, and from its founder, it took the name of Ber- nard's Castle. From the amazing rapidity of the Tees at the bridge I have mentioned, judging that the celebrated fall of that river must have increased, both in velocity and expanse, from the late heavy rains, we almost im- mediately set off, in hopes of seeing it that evening; but night overtook us on the way. The roads in many places were nearly impassable; so that by the time we got to Middleton, about ten miles from Ber- nard, we found it inadvisable to attempt any farther progress. At Middleton, therefore, we halted, and the next morning early we proceeded to the cataract, which, in every respect, came up to our expectations. An immense column of water tumbling for a consi- 160 su Liv AN’s Tour THROUGH derable distance over huge, massive rocks, at length precipitates itself down a frightful precipice, of about sixty feet perpendicular height; roaring in its fall, and throwing up such a quantity of spray, as to wash. the rocks all around. Here again it takes a quiet course ; but after a little progress, another precipice again forms a fall as beautiful as the first, though far less Sublime. * -- - Bleak as the morning was, for the country all around was wild and desolate, and the air pinchingly cold, we continued in admiration of this sport of na- ture for some time, and at length returned well satis- fied with our excursion. On our return, our guide desired us to step on one side, to observe a bridge that has been laid across the Tees, at about a mile from the fall, and which is constructed literally to hang in chains. As may be supposed, it is ricketty and un- pleasant to a passenger, though steadied as much as possible by side-chains, which are fastened to the rocks geneath. . - * . . Returning to Middleton, we proceeded over a large tract of moor-land to Stainthorpe, a meat little town, and thence to Raby Castle. - This castle was built by John de Neville, soon after the year 1378; at which time a licence for its erec- tion was granted by Bishop Hatfield; a duplicate of which is still preserved in the archives of the see of Turham. - - After the accession of Henry II, no one could build a castle without first obtaining the royal licence; but the county of Durham being a palatinate, a power of granting such licence belonged to the bishop, who was there considered as viceroy. . . Raby Castle, however, brilliantly as it may have been spoken of, is certainly not magnificent : it takes up, it is true, a vast extent of ground, and is kept in exceeding good repair; but still it does not answer. one's expectations. The park and other improve- | ENGLAND, scot LAND, AND wa LEs. 107 ments are extensive; but nothing farther. It is al- together worth seeing, and Lord Darlington seems de- sirous of making it more so, by the plantations he has made around it. From Raby Castle we proceeded to Bishop Auk- land, a large and populous town, where the Bishop of Durham has an excellent park and palace, and thence to Durham. This town is charmingly situated on a hill, whose skirts are washed by the windings of the Wear, and over which there are three good bridges. The cathedral is a large edifice, though not so grand . as might be expected in the bishopric of Durham”. It was founded about the year 995, on a desolate spot, called Dunholme, which, according to the legend, was miraculously pointed out. The shrine of St. Cuth- bert, for ages drew numerous devotees to the place. The walks about Durham are rural and romantic; the banks of the Wear afford ample space, and the inhabitants have not been inattentive to their im- provement. The Bishop of Durham is a temporal prince, being Earl of Sadberg, a small town near Stockton, which he holds by barony. He is sheriff paramount of the county, and appoints his deputy, who makes up his audit to him without accounting to the Exchequer. He is also a count palatine, lord of the city, and appoints all officers of justice and other inferior magistrates. queror, about the year 1072, to serve as a retreat or place of safety for the bishop, in case of sudden in- vasions, to which at that time, its situation, both with respect to the sea-coast and Scottish borders, made it subject. Leland, in his Itinerary, thus de- scribes the castle: “ The castile stondith stately on the north est side of the Misire, and the W ere run- * It is now under the improving hand of Mr. Wyatt, with the auspices of the venerable bishop of the diocese, who seems to delight in ornamenting cathedral, A castle built at Durham by William the con- 108 su Liv AN’s rou R TH Rough neth under it. The kepe stondith aloft, and in state, buildid of eight square. Bishop Fox did much repu- tation of this dungeon : and he made beside in the castelle, a new kychen, with the offices, and many praty chambers.” . . Leaving Durham, we bent our course towards Newcastle, stopping in our way at Cocken, a seat belonging to Mr. Carr, delightfully situated on the Wear, and abounding with natural advantages, which have not been fully improved; and at a little dis- tance from it, at Lumley Castle, a large mansion be- * longing to Lord Scarborough ; but which contains nothing worthy of observation, except a good paint- ing of Sir Thomas More. Near to Cocken is Fin- chale Abbey, an old monastery, once honoured with the residence of St. Godric. Chester-le-street, our next stage, was in former days a considerable Roman station. From thence to Newcastle our road was a few miles. - Newcastle, situated on the banks of the Tyne, is a large and populous town, The town itself, though containing good buildings, is far from handsome. Conveniency formerly was attended to more than ele- gancy : a different spirit has now, however, taken place, and a few years more will perhaps sée it upon an equal footing with other more modernly beautified towns. The principal riches derived to Newcastle are from its coal works, and these it has enjoyed from the days † of Henry III. The charter to the town of Newcastle by that monarch, licensing the inhabitants to dig coal, being the first mention we have of that mineral in England. Vast numbers of colliers are conse- quently employed, and these in their frequent voyages 3. 10 London, and different parts of England, encour- tering every vicissitade of season and of weather, rear up a supply of mariners for our navy, of the utmost w -- . .* ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES. 109 . importance to our national strength. North Shields, the Gravesend of Newcastle, absolutely swarms with them. The castle at Newcastle was built by Robert Cur- those, son of William the Conqueror, anno 1080, on which account the town took the name of Newcastle; before that period, it was called Monkchester. At the distance of about ten miles from Newcastle, the Tyne disembogues itself into the German Ocean. The remains of the castle at this spot still shew it to have been a place of considerable strength. To have been at Newcastle, and men of curiosity too, without seeing a coal pit, would have been a sin of the most unpardonable nature. To a pit, there- fore, we repaired, and, as good fortune would have it, to the largest in the county. Arrived at the spot where our expedition was to commence, we found a prodigious large fire engine at work, draining the water from the pit; and adjoining to it a circular aperture, of a tolerable diameter, filled with smoke. To dress ourselves was the first operation; that being done in the true fashion of the place, we next pre- pared for a descent into this suffocating hole. A piece of board, about one foot and a half long, and about the breadth and thickness of three inches, was fastened at each end to a rope reeved through it. This sling, or horse, being hung upon a hook at the end of an iron chain, which was itself fastened to a rope, each of us (for two went at a time) with a leg through it, and our arms twisted round the chain, were in that manner turned off like malefactors at Tyburn, and gently lowered by the operation of six horses employed for that purpose, till we found our- selves at the end of about five minutes safely landed on solid ground, and with a huge fire burning on one side, to keep the air in proper temperature. All safely lodged in these mether regions, we began to explore the pit, with as little inconvenience, saving black faces, as if we had been moving in a drawing Vol. III. I, T 10 sullivan’s Tour THROUGH y room. The quantity of coal in these places is really wonderful. A good vein generally runs seven feet high, and in depth ad infinitum. They do not, how- ever, take all away : prodigious pillars of the same stratum are left between every apartment that is worked, to support the roof. The apartments are never above four yards wide, and the pillars are always ten yards in breadth and twenty yards in depth. Seeing a dozen of these apartments, you, in fact, see the whole; they are all worked upon the same principle. Their extent, as you may suppose, is great; they run into each other, and in time will probably undermine the greatest part of the country. What surprised me the most, were the horses I found living there, in good condition, and many of which are worked for ten or fifteen years before they are rendered incapable of service. The miners do not continue in the pits above twelve hours at a time. Well satisfied with this trip, we began to ascend in the same manner we had descended, and in a short space found ourselves cheerfully seated in the fields again. A whimsical fellow, however, knowing the moment we should begin our journey upwards, set out at the same instant downwards, and, meeting us half way, accosted us in a pleasant strain, with “How do you do, Gentlemen?” . Unable to discern any thing whatever, and knowing ourselves suspend- ed, we could not conceive where the man could have placed himself: but we were soon informed it was a concerted scheme, on purpose to surprise us with a salutation, . . . - - - The coal, which is in such abundance dug from these pits, is wound up in baskets, and these baskets again are emptied into carts, which are placed upon cylindrical wheels; and in those carts, with great ex- pedition, though with very little labour, it is carried along by sleepers to the warehouse or wharf, where it is again thrown into barges for exportation. Leav- ing Newcastle, we proceeded to Morpeth. ~. ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES. I ki This place and its vicinity were, in former days, notorious for the lawless banditti, called Moss Troop- ers, who infested both England and Scotland. Those borderers plundered each country indiscriminately. Pursued by the English, they fled into Scotland. Pursued by the Scots, they took refuge in England. Nor would the animosity of the two nations suffer them to unite their common interest against their common enemies. Various taethods were tried after the Union to root out the Moss Troopers; but, so formidable were they grown, that in the fourteenth of Charles I. an act of parliament was purposely passed for their suppression. The counties were even authorized to levy money within their respec- tive jurisdictions ; and to arm men for the appre- hending and bringing them to justice. From Mor- peth we continued to Alnwick, at the extremity of which is Alnwick Castle, a building which at once unites all the magnificence and grandeur of the old taste with all the elegancy of modern improvement. It belongs to the Duke of Northumberland, and is kept in the most perfect order. The apartinents are all happily fitted up; mostly in the Gothic taste : and the grounds for twenty miles together, to the infinite honour of the present possessor, are laid out in the most advantageous manner *. It being some- what late in the afternſ on when we arrived at Aln- wick, his grace sent to request we would favour him with our company in the castle. We accordingly waited upon him, and were most courteously enter- tained. Alnwick Castle is situated on the south side of the river Alne, on an elevation that gives great dig- nity to its appearance, and in ancient times rendered it a most impregnable fortress, it is believed to. * With what different optics did our author and Mr. Pen nant view Ainwick; yet each, no doubt, wished impartially to Coavey the impression he felt | w L 2. # 2 sulivan's Tour. Túrough have been founded in the time of the Romans, al- though no part of the original structure is now re- maining. But, when part of the dungeon, or castle keep, was taken down to be repaired, some years ago, under the present walls was discovered the founda- tion of other buildings, and some of the stones ap- peared to have Roman mouldings. Malcolm III. king of Scotland, and his eldest son, Prince Edward, lost their lives before this place, .* - The castle properly consists of three courts or di- visions: the entrance of which was defended with three strong massy gates, called the Outer IVard, the Middle ſyard, and Inner Ward. Each of these gates was in a high embattled tower, furnished with a portcullis, and the outward gate with a drawbridge also ; they had each of them a porter's lodge, and a strong prison, besides other necessary apartments for the constable, bailiff, and subordinate officers. Un- der each of the prisons was a deep and dark dungeon; that of the inner ward is still remaining in all its horror. - - f : º The ground plot contains about five acres within its outer walls, which are flanked with sixteen towers and turrets, that now afford a complete set of offices to the castle, and retain many of their original names, as well as their ancient use and destination. From Alnwick, our way led to Belfort; and from Belfort, the next day, we travelled through a wild country to the river Tweed, over which we crossed by a strong stone bridge to Berwick. From thence we proceeded to Press Inn; and fróin Press Inn by a plea- sant winding road, round a capacious bay, to Box- bourne and Dunbar. From Dunbar we again conti- nued our journey to Haddington; and from Hadding- ton, through a highly-cultivated and fertile country, with the Frith of Forth on our right, and a range of romantic hills in our front, to Leith and Edinburgh. Edinburgh, the well-known and often-described capital of North Britain, is pleasantly situated on two 3 ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALEs. | | 3 hills, and is distinguished by the names of the Old and the New Town. Over the hollow, which separates the one from the other, a bridge has been thrown, at much expence. The castle of Edinburgh is well situated, and in those days, when fire-arms were not used, was probably impregnable. Holyrood House, or the Abbey, as it was anciently called, is a large, but inelegant building, famous, however, for having been the place of residence of the monarchs of Scot- land. - ' : - In the apartment, at present possessed by the Duke of Hamilton, the furniture and hangings of the rooms are preserved in which the unhappy Mary lived, and, in particular, of that in which her favourite Rizzio was murdered. The room itself, where he received the first wound, and where he clung round his royal mistress for protection, is small. Hence he was dragged, and with innumerable stabs, expired in an adjoining chamber. The blocd to this hour re- mains on the floor; nay, so deeply has it penetrated, that the boards, although repeatedly planed, are still the recorders of that murderous deed. The university, which is an indifferent pile of building, was founded in 1582 by James VI. on the ruins of a Carthusian monastery, built at the sole ex- pence of the citizens, who still pay the salaries of the professors, except of a few who have been added by government. Besides the principal and professor of divinity, there are professors of all the liberal arts and sciences; so that it is at present the most flou- rishing university in Scotland, and, with respect to the study of the different branches of science, equal, if not superior, to any in Europe, The Lord Provost and magistrates of Edinburgh are its perpetual Chancellors, and by them all professors are tomi- nated, except such as are paid by government. The New Town of Edinburgh is indisputably constructed upon an elegant and convenient plan: the houses are L 3 } 14, sui.iv.AN’s Tour THROUGH ; the 2d of May, 1568. large and well built; the streets broad, and the whole breathes an air of cleanliness and taste. Leaving Edinburgh, we crossed the Frith of Forth at Queen's Ferry, and thence proceeded along a good road to Kin-Ross, situated upon the pleasant banks of Loch Leven. This celebrated loch is about twelve miles in cir- cumference. In one of the islands is a convent, in which Andrew Winton, a monk, wrote his Chronicle, the original copy of which is lodged in the British Museum. But that which renders the lake most remarkable was the confinement of Mary on another of the islands, where she signed an instrument, by which she renounced all title to the crown, and transferred the government to her infant son. From this place she was released by George Douglas, brother of the Laird of Lochleven, who conveyed her away in a small boat, which he rowed himself, From Kin-Ross we proceeded, through a delightful corn country, most industriously cultivated, to the town of Perth, built on the borders of the river Tay; the approach to which is exquisitely meat and plea- Sant. - --- Our next stage was Dundee ; there we did not remain long, but crossed the country to pay a visit to an old and valuable acquaintance, who lived at the distance of about fifteen miles. Much as we had heard of Scots hospitality, we yet did not conceive that it ever could have been carried to the extreme in which we found it. Our first intent was merely to stay a night with our friend ; instead of which, the neighbouring gentle- men leaguing themselves together, agreeably de- tained us a considerable number of days. No sooner had we visited one, than another threw in his claim ; and thus, loading us with a profusion of untnerited, though most gratifying kindness, they ENGLAND, scori.AND, AND WALEs. { {5 baffled our firmest resolves, and compelled us to en- joy as much satisfaction, as enlightened, well-bred, iberal society could afford : and to finish all, some of the principal gentlemen insisted on accompany- ing us through the Highlands, and actually did so. The first place we visited was the castle of Gla- mis, distant from Dundee about eight miles. The appearance of this old mansion is much more sm- guiar and venerable than it is magnificent; it is built in a hollow, with a multitude of turrets start- ing from its nodding top. It was the favourite resi- dence of Macbeth, who assassinated Duncan about the middle of the eleventh century. This place and this deed are immortalized in the page of Shakespearc. - - From the extirpation of the Picts, till the death of Macbeth, Angushire seems to have been the principal residence of the Scottish kings. The church of Glamis stands near the house; and in the church-yard are two stone monuments set up in memory of King Malcolm, who was assassinated there. r . - From Glamis, passing by the spot where the Picts made their last stand, a peninsula in the Tay, and by the celebrated hill of Birnam; on which, by the way, there is not a single stick now growing ; we proceeded to Dunkeld, a handsome town in the Highlands, where the Duke of Athol has a pleasant winter residence. The situation of this place, sur- rounded by hills, many of them covered to the summit with wild, luxuriant oak, and a variety of other trees, and washed by branches of the Tay and Braun, is highly picturesque; especially at the spot called the Hermitage, where the Braun, rush- ing down a precipice, foams through a glen, con- fined by a wood of the most exquisite foliage, and at length falls into the Tay. From Dunkeld, about two miles, stands the Rumbling Bridge, as it is I j6 styliv AN's Tour THROUGH ealled. This is a romantic fall of water, which by its velocity has formed an arch in the centre of a rock through which it now passes, and over which, in former days, the Highlanders, at the hazard of their lives, were obliged to find their way. At pre- sent there is a bridge erected immediately above it, the perpendicular height of which, together with the noise of the fall, the impetuosity of the torrent, the roaring of the Braun for a considerable distance over a series of cataracts, and the wildness of the hills around, form altogether such an assemblage of striking objects as are rarely to be paralleled. Leaving Dunkeld, which was formerly an epis- copal see, as the remains of its cathedral testify, we proceeded to Taymouth, a delightful seat of Lord Braedalbane, in the valley of that name: on either side bounded by hills, covered with wood, and in front by Loch-Tay, which extends itself for the distance of sixteen miles. The pains which have already been taken with this place, pregnant, as it is with natural advantages, are evident; and in time; it will probably be one of the finest places in the kingdom. The beauties of the loch, the river Tay running out of it, and winding through his lordship's pleasure grounds, the romantic girt- ing of the woods, and the roaring of a cataract from the summit of one of the highest hills, are beauties so surpassing most things to be met with, that Taymouth must inevitably stand high in the estimation of all true lovers of the sublime. About one mile from Taymouth lies the Hermi- tage; a deep dell on the southern side of the loch, down which a huge stream rolls from a prodigious height in awful majesty, bursting over heaps of mishapen rocks, and sprinkling the forest trees, which profusely sprout around it. I have already mentioned the attention we expe- rienced on entering Scotland; here we had a fresh ENGLAND, Scotland, AND waits. 117 instance of it from a quarter we did not expect. Hearing of some gentiemen being arrived at Tay- mouth, Lord Braedalbane sent his compliments by his park-keeper, with a present of some game which he had sent him out on purpose to procure. This politeness we acknowledged as it deserved : the next day, however, a fresh supply of Venison, moor- game, and fruit, made its appearance ; and shortly after, a gentleman of consideration in the country, and intimately acquainted with his lordship, paid us a visit, and went round the improvements as our conductor. This being over, we dined toge- ther, and ou taking our leave in the evening re- ceived an abundance of civility from our new ac- quaintance, an unaffected apology for not being able to accompany us on the road, and to entertain us at his own house, which was distant about six- teen miles ; with a request, that in case of not being well accommodated at the inn nearest to his house, we should pass over to his seat, and take possession of it for any length of time we should think proper. The inns, however, we found tole- rably good ; so that we were not compelled to tres- pass on his friendly intentions towards us. But disinterestedness is not exclusively confined to the better sort; the poor even share it in this country, and according to their humble means, are as anxious to shew their hospitality and friendship, as those of the amplest extent of fortune. Many Highlanders would be offended at the offer of a reward; accept of their services, appear satisfied, and they are usuriously repaid for every thing they can do for you ; nay, what is more surprising, this extends itself to many of the lowest servants; one of whom, from Lord Braedalbane, having been pressed to accept of some acknowledgment for the trouble he had been at to oblige us, flew out of the house with all imaginable trepidation, resolutely } j 3 surrv AN’s Tour THROUGH declining the offer, and seemingly hurt that he should be supposed eapable of accepting a pecu- niary gratification". From Taymonth we continued along the northern side of the loch, in our way passing by innumer- able falls and cataracts, which constantly feed it, and thence, crossing a river, arrived at Killin, at the western extremity of the lake. It being late in , the evening when we left Taymouth, the night had far encroached upon us when we had got half way; the moon, however, 'shone with unusual resplen- dency; the lake was transparent as a mirror; all wore, in short, the appearance of harmony and peace. In this manner, surrounded by the most charming and heart-felt objects of the creation, and serenely riding along, a voice suddenly aroused us, chanting a love-lorn song to the bright mistress of the night. • I was agreeably surprised to find it proceed from a young damsel of about seventeen, with two little boys reclining themselves on the grass beside her, and a few harmless kine, charmed, as it were, with music, listening with earnestness be- hind. The sight was bewitching : innocence taught her not to be afraid; she continued her song, and seemed to be inspired the more she saw that we were pleased with her exertions. We instantly ac- costed her in terms of kindness and affection; she answered in the same tone. She asked us to drink a little milk, which we cheerfully accepted, and then, to oblige us, resumed her song. This being finished, she rose and took her leave, while our best wishes accompanied her as she retired. She shrunk from the offer of a reward for her civility, and we had only silently to withdraw from the spot where we had been enchanted with her voice. * Well might Mr. Sulivan express his surprise at this in: stance of disinterestedness in a nobleman's servant : it would almost be a phenomenon in one part of the island ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES. } | 9 Quitting Killin the next morning, we crossed a river which empties itself into the loch, and passing by the ancient and venerable burying place of the Macnabs, and through a wild and mountainous country, cause to Taindrum, where we halted, and thence to Daul- mally, in the shire of Glenorchy. Our visit here was chiefly intended to Mr. M---, the minister of the place, a gentleman of erudition, and one from whom we were given to understand we should re- ceive convincing proofs of the authenticity of the celebrated poems of Ossian. With respect to the antiquity of those wonderful flights of genius, we had no reason whatsoever to hesitate in our be- lief. Mr. Macpherson, the translator, and one whom we are proud to list among our friends, had fre- quently told us they were indisputably the works of that bard ; that for himself he had no other merit than in the translation, and here and there in keep- ing up the unity of the piece. From Mr. M- we had a corroborating ' testimony; his language was, “I believe most sincerely those poems to be genuine; many of them, from an acquaintance with the subject, I am convinced to be so ; nor have I the least doubt with respect to the others.” Nei- ther did he confine himself to a mere ipse divit, but in brief gave us an account of the manner in which he knew Mr. Macpherson had procured a knowledge of some of the most celebrated passages, Thus satisfied by this reverend personage, we took our leave*, first having received from him an ele- gant version of an ancient Erse poem, the labour of himself or of a friend, º Before we left Daulmally, we paid our respects to the church-yard, in order to see some curious sculp- tured stones, brought from the island of Icolmkill, or Iona, “ The sacred storehouse and guardian of . *~~~ * See note on Dr. J ohnson's Tour in the former volumes | 20 SULIVAN's Tour THROUGH the royal bones of Scotland,” as Shakespeare calls it; and the place where, when christianity was first introduced into Britain, its preachers are said to have retired, and instructed their pupils, whom they afterwards scattered abroad as missionaries through Scotland and Ireland. But the whole was mystery to us. Rudely engraved, the characters in general hieroglyphical ; some indeed Celtic, but too much defaced for even adepts in that language to under- stand. But a little pebble, brought from the same place, and given to me by the minister, is a gift of inestimable value: this stone, in every respect similar to a cat’s eye, is, in the opinion of the High- landers, of wonderful efficacy, not only in this, but in the life to come. - Guarded then in this manner, though not so in- vulnerably as the Grecian hero, off we set for Loch- Awe, along whose beautiful banks we took our de- lighted way: but soon turning to the left, we struck off for Inverary; in our route ridiculously experiene- ing an instance of that curiosity for which the Highlanders are as much celebrated, as for their kindness and civility. ~ + - A poor fellow driving along his cart upon a steep bank, and having a newspaper in his hand, pro- bably very old, as it was very torn, never once ad- verting to us, who were passing by, nor to the si- tuation he was in himself, greedily kept poring over the paper, until cart and all, gradually declining, at length tumbled to the bottom. Neither could this accident divert him from his purpose; for no sooner was it replaced, than he resumed his attention to the paper with as much ardor, as if his very ex- istence had depended on its contents. Inverary, the next place we came to, is situated on Loch-Fine, or rather on an arm of the sea, within sixty miles of the Western Ocean, and is the county town of that name. Adjoining to it stands ENGLAND, scort,AND, AN p wairs. i23 the park and castle of the Duke of Argyle ; the former extensive, well stocked with deer, and sur- rounded for thirty miles by a wall; and the latter, though very large, both heavy and inelegant: Ai- together, however, it must be confessed, the situa- tion is grand and magnificent. Heretofore the loch was remarkable for the great quantity of herrings which were annually caught in it, sometimes not Bess than eight hundred boats being reckoned at a time on that service. But now the fisherman’s “ oc- cupation is gone :” the herrings have all deserted it. Beluged with rain almost the whole year round, his grace of Argyle, as we were told, is obliged to strew some of his meadows with tarpaulins to dry his bay ; and in harvest time tº range his sheaves of corn upon pegs, in granaries erected on purpose, and there to let them ripen with air, instead of. sunshine”, \ From Inverary, passing through a country as wild as ever nature formed; rocks piled on rocks, and mountains nodding to a fall, and yet scattered to their tops with sheep, we at length came to Tarbet, situated on the eastern extremity of Loch Lomond. Loch Homond, the largest in Scotland, being thirty miles in length and nine at its greatest breadth, and consequently in Great Britain, is beautiful be- yond description. From Tarbet, proceeding along its banks, nothing can be more charming and pic- turesque. This very celebrated and extensive lake contains seventeen thousand eight hundred acres of fresh water; its depth being from twenty and forty fathoms, to one hundred and twenty fathoms. The south-end is twenty-two feet above the level of the sea, and is five miles distant from the river Clyde, * The difference between the western and the eastern coast. of Scotland, in respect to the weather, is very remarkable. On the latter a long continuance of dry, serene weather is very. common ; in the former, it is rarely fine for a week together. VoI. III. " M . - $22 sulliv AN’s Tour THRouch into which the large river Leven, which issues from the lake, discharges itself. The islands here and there interspersed, are exceedingly beautiful and magnificent; they are in number about thirty, and produce a vast variety of trees and shrubs, with dif- ferent kinds of grain. Many animals and birds are likewise found here, and in the lake are surprizing quantities of fish of different kinds, salmon in par- ticular. At the north-east extremity of the loch, and nearly at the foot of Ben Lomond, which, by the bye, is one of the highest mountains in the Highlands, stands Bob Roy's prison ; so called from a rock at the bottom of a tremendous hill, on which the Macgreggors in former times used to drop those of their clan, who were guilty of capital offences, and where the culprits either perished from want of food, or from the lake, in which, from despair, they plunged themselves. And at the south-east end of it is the spot where the Macgreggors and Colquhouns fought, in which the latter were almost totally de- stroyed. During this dreadful conflict, thirty-six young men of the college of Dumbarton, and of the best families of Scotland, planted themselves on the hill as spectators : apprehensive for their safety, the M cgreggors, or rather their chief, went to the young students, and, lest they should suffer from their curiosity, lodged them in a barn, under the care of a person of his own clan, with orders, it is said, to treat them with the utmost tenderness and care ; but, this wretch, however instigated, or for whatever purpose, inhumanly butchered the whole party. To wipe off this bloody stain from the clan, the misereant was punished by the Macgreggors themselves with death. But this was not sufficient : the circumstance appeared so black, that they were to a man proscribed, their estates confiscated, and the name blotted from the records of the kingdom. They have since, however, been restored to their ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND waſ Es. H23 name by act of parliament, and released from any farther persecution by legislative authority. Scattered on either side of this beautiful lake, are several seats belonging to noblemen and gen- tlemen of the country, especially one, the property of the Duke of Montrose, not far distant from the Grampian Hills; and on the islands, likewise, so exquisitely clad in the sweetest charms &f nature, are still the ivy-mantled remains of former super- stition. About midway, on the margin, stands a neat and pretty village ; here we embarked in a boat, rowed to the southernmost end of the loch, where we landed, and proceeded towards Dumbar- ton, passing by a monumental pillar, inscribed to the memory of Smollet, on the banks of the Leven, whose beauty he celebrates in the following limes:-- ** On Leven’s banks, while free to rove, And tume the rural pipe to love, I envied not the happiest swain. That ever trod th’ Arcadian plain. Pure stream'ſ in whose transparent wave My youthful limbs I wont to lave ; No torrents strain thy limped source, No rocks impede thy dimpling course, That sweetly warbles o'er its bed, With white, round, polish’d pebbles spread : While lightly pois’d the scaly brood In myriads cleave thy crystal flood : The springing trout in speckled pride, The salmon, monarch of the tide, The ruthless pike, intent of war, The silver eel and mottled par, Devolving from thy parent lake, A charming maze thy waters make, By bowers of birch, and groves of pine, And edges flower'd with eglaintine. Still on thy banks so gaily green, May numerous flocks and herds be seen, And lasses chanting o'er the pail, And shepherds piping in the dale ; And antient faith that knows no guile, And industry imb.own'd with toil, And hearts resolv’d and hands prepar’d, The blessings they enjoy to guard. M. 2 . 124 sullivan's Tour THROUGH Nothing is remarkable at Dumbarton, except the castle, situated on the Clyde, upon a lofty and singular heap of rocks, and affording an extensive and variegated prospect. From Dumbarton, where the remains of the Roman wall are still visible, and near which the Grampian Hills begin, we continued our route to the city of Glasgow. This town, how- ever it may be classed with respect to Edinburgh, the metropolis, is certainly superior to it : the situa- tion is better, the houses are more elegantly built, and the streets are as broad and as clean as almost any in Great Britain. The university, too, is a fairer looking building than that of Edinburgh ; nor has it been less famous for the great men whom it has produced. . . . . . . . . . A few miles from Glasgow stands the celebrated iron-foundery, called Carron. This place appears wonderful to a stranger. How far the powers' of mechanism can go in the great style, is here tre- mendously displayed : hell itself seems open to one’s view; nor do the bellows afford a less horrid noise than the yelling of all the infernal deities put to- gether. . . . . . . . . . - Hence we proceeded to Edinburgh, where we rested ourselves, and reflected with no small degree of gratitude and satisfaction on the pleasures we had received during our Highland tour. . . . . . Bidding adieu to our fellow travellers through the Highlands, in October we leit Edinburgh, and pro- ceeded through Kelso, a neat and pretty town, si- tuated on the Tweed; and thence, through a country generally rich in corn, to the ancient city of Car- lisle. The castle of Carlisle is old and ruinous; it was taken by the rebels in 1745, but was afterwards retaken by the Duke of Cumberland. The cathedral is spacious, but inelegant, and built of a red free- stone, which gives it an indifferent appearance *. * For a more particular description of Carlisle, see Mr. - Penhant's Tour. . . ‘. . . . . . . . . ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES. } 25 From Carlisle we proceeded to Penrith, the emi- mence above which affords one of the richest pro- pects in the kingdom. The church of Penrith is a handsome new building, well galleried, and orna- mented in the modern style. In the church yard is a curious monument, apparently of antiquity, con- cerning whose original design the learned are much divided, though it is generally considered as a se- pulchral memorial. - - ‘. . Just without the town stands the castle: doubts have arisen about this likewise. It is certainly very old; what farther it has in its favour I will not pre- tend to say. ... + • About half a mile from Penrith stands Arthur’s Round Table. This is said to be of great antiquity; but there is no tradition when, by whom, or for what purpose it was made *. . . . \ About half a mile distant from this stands May- brough : a place evidently of druidical worship. It is situated on the flat surface of an inconsiderable hill; having one large stone immediately in the centre, eleven feet high, and, near its middle, twenty- two feet in circumference. Around this plain an uncemented wall is continued in an exact circle. Leaving this place we proceeded to Lowther Hall, a seat belonging to the baronet of that name. The grounds are unimproved ; the house is indifferent, and the roads in so bad a condition, that a carriage stands a good chance of being shattered at every foot it is moved t. The manufactory, however, of car- peting at this place, patronized immediately by Sir James himself, and founded for the relief of between twenty and thirty orphans, whom he constantly main- tains, is worthy of attention, and does honour to his • * See Pennant, &c. + What a revolution has twenty years made in the state of the roads ! There are few places in England now where a carº. riage may not pass without difficulty. - - \ \ INA 3 26 sulrvax’s Tour. THROUGH humanity. The style of this work is in imitation of the Gobelin tapestry. - - Quitting Lowther Hall, we returned to Penrith, and thence proceeding along the beautiful windings of the Emont, and passing by the hill Dunmorlet, covered to its very summit with oak and evergreens, we at length arrived at UIs Water. This lake, surround- ed entirely by wild hills, saving the margins, which are well cultivated, and in many places planted with wood, is nine miles long, and about one mile over at its greatest width. The different views which its serpentine curvatures afford, are highly picturesque, especially towards its extremity. About the centre of the lake, a small piece of land juts wildly out, on which Mr. Robinson has erected a house, whence he has a delightful and most romantic prospect. From Uls Water we proceeded towards Keswick, standing in a beautiful vale on the confines of the Lake of Derwentwater. - This lake has long been esteemed the most beauti- ful of any in England, and for its size it is probably deserving the eulogium. To labour at its descrip- tion is, however, needless. Many pens have already been employed on that subject: mine, therefore, shall confine itself to a poetical transcript, which, making allowances for the exuberance of fancy, wiłł exhibit a just and not exaggerated picture. -— “ To Nature’s pride, , Sweet Keswick’s vale, the muse will guide; The muse who trod, th’ enchanted ground, Who sail'd the wond’rous lake around ; With you will haste once more to hail The beauteous brook of Borrowdale. From savage parent, gentle stream, Be thou the muse's favourite theme;. O soft, insinuating, glide is Silent along the meadow's side; Smooth o'er the sandy bottom pass, Resplendent all tarough fluid glass, , ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AN3) wal.E3. | 27 {Inless upon thy yielding breast, Their heads the painted lifies rest, To where, in deep, capacious bed, The widely liquid lake is spread. Łet other streams rejoice to roar - Down the rough rocks of dread Lodore; Rush, raving on with boist’rous sweep, And foaming rend the frighted deep. Thy gentle genius shrinks away, From such a rude, unequal fray ; Thro’ thy own native dale, where rise Tremendous rocks amid the skies, Thy waves with patience slowly wind, *Till they the smoothest channel find: Soften the horrors of the scene ; And, through confusion, flow Sereme ; Horrors like these at first alarm, But soon with savage grandeur charm, And raise to noblest thoughts your mind; Thus by thy fall, Lodore, reclin’d The cragged cliff, impending wood, Where shadows mix o'er half the flood, The gloomy clouds with solemn sail, Scarce lifted by the languid gale O'er the capp'd hill and darken'd vale; The rav’ning kite and bird of Jove, Which round the aërial ocean move, And, floating on the billowy sky, With full, expanded pinions fly, There, flatt’ring on their bleating prey, Thence with death-dooming eye survey Channels by rocky torrents torn, Rocks to the lake in thunder borne; Or such as o'er our heads appear, Suspended in the mid career, To start again at his command, Who rules fire, water, air, and land; I view with wonder and delight, A pleasing, though an awful sight, For seen with them, the verdant isles Soften with more delicious smiles; More tempting twine their operting bowers, More lively flow the purple flowers, More smoothly slopes the border gay, In fairer circle bends the bay, x, # Q 8 suitv AN’s Tour THROUGH And last, to fix our wand'ring eyes, Thy roofs, ob Keswick' brighter rise, The take and lofty hills between, - Where giant Skiddaw shuts the scene.” DA trox, The length of the lake is not quite four miles; its circumference about ten : altogether it affords a profusion of wild and romantic scenery. Mr. Pen- nant says, Loch Lomond, in Scotland, and Loch Lene, or Killarney, in Ireland, are powerful rivals to the lake in question; and that were a native of either of these kingdoms to demand his opinion of their respective beauties, he would answer as Melvil did Queen Elizabeth, “ that she was the fairest per- son in England, and his mistress the fairest in Scot- land.” This is a compliment, however, I cannot subscribe to, neither will I to Mr. Cumberland's decision, that Uls Water is superior to them all. Probably the weather was unfavourable, when these gentlemen visited the places which they condemn : . men are apt to be led away by first impressions. A considerable distance of time, likewise, between the sight of two places gives the last which is seen a great advantage over the first. Within a few days I saw both the Uls, Derwentwater, and Loch Lomond, and that too on the clearest days, and with the finest weather; and thus qualified, I cannot refrain from pronouncing, that Loch Lonond is in every respect superior to them both. Nay, farther, that Loch Tay, Loch Awe, and even Loch Leven, in Scotland, have advantages which neither the Uls nor Derwent- water possess. - - Within a few miles of Keswick, at a place called Borrowdale, a vein has been discovered of black lead, or what is, in that country, called wadd. The shaft is now covered with water, so that we could not see it; we, however, obtained a piece of the mineral. - - - ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES. "I 2G The road from Keswick to Ambleside is the most enchanting and picturesque that can be conceived ; woods, lawns, and fields, environed by hills, mark it in all its progress. The lake of Thurimere first presents itself, and then the Lake of Grasmere, the valley of which is thus described by Mr. Gray: “The bosom of the mountains spreading here into a broad bason, discover, in the midst, Grasmere Water; its margin is hollowed into small bays with eminences, some of rock, some of soft turf, that half conceal and vary the figure of the little lake they command. From the shore, a low promontory pushes itself far into the water, and on it stands a white village, with a parish church rising in the midst of it, hanging inclosures, corn-fields and meadows, green as emerald, with their trees, and hedges, and cattle, fill up the whole space from the edge of the water, and just opposite to you is a large farm-house, at the bottom of a steep, smooth lawn, mbosomed in old wood, which climb half way up the mountain's sides, and discover above a broken line of crags that crown the scene. Not a single red tile, nor flaring gentleman's house, or garden- wall, break in upon the repose of this little unsus- pected paradise; but all is peace, rusticity, and happy poverty, in its neatest and most becoming attire.” * Leaving this, we proceeded, by Rydall Water, to the Lake of Windermere. This is an extensive piece of water, interspersed with islands, the lands on either side weii cultivated, and the whole exhi- biting a choice assemblage of the richest and most variegated beauties. At this place we took our leave of the lakes, and continuing our journey over the Moors, came to Kendal. This is the largest town in Westmorland, and consists of good streets excellently paved : it is distant two hundred and fifty-six miles from Lon- } 30 sulfv AN’s Tour THROUGH dom. The ruins of a castle on the farther side of the river are scarcely worth seeing. From Kendal we proceeded to Burton, on the borders of Lancashire, and from Burton to Lancaster, the chief city of that county. - Lancaster is a large and populous town, well built, clean, and abounding in good houses. The castle is remarkable; it is very ancient, but still in high preservation, and its situation commanding. Leaving Lancaster, we proceeded to Preston, a considerable and well-inhabited town, and thence to Liverpool. This town, next to London, has the greatest appearance of wealth and industry of any in the kingdom ; every street is crowded with people, the docks and river are filled with shipping, the quays are piled with goods, and the merchants and traders carry the ostensible marks of rich's in their loºks. From Liverpool we proceeded, through Prescot and Warrington, to Northwich, a considerable town in Cheshire. In the neighbourhood of Northwich, salt has been made from springs for many years; it was not, however, until lately that the pits of rock salt were discovered, and that they were worked to advantage. We descended into one of these pits in a bucket about two hundred feet. When we reached the bottom, we were astonished. In former excursions, room had scarcely been allotted to us for other purposes than merely to crawl upon our knees as brutes; here another scene exhibited itself. Conceive an extensive area of solid rock, level as if it had been worked by the micest hand of masonry; the roof in the same manner rising to a dome, with a cupola in the centre, and the whole supported by the most regular colonnades, five and forty feet in height, eighteen feet in thickness, and distant from each other about four and twenty feet; this, too, all of rock salt, and glittering with trans- / ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES. | 3 | parency. Of all the subterranean curiosities in this island, this is probably the best worth seeing. The quantity of rock beneath the miners are not able to ascertain ; dangers irremediable would at- tend the trial. It was once made, but with a me- lancholy consequence: water gushed in, and with such irresistible impetuosity, that it filled the cavern, and destroyed every creature who was in it. From Northwich we again turned towards the north, passing through Althrington, and thence to Worsley, where we had the satisfaction of embark- ing on the Duke of Bridgewater's canal. Extensive as this cut undoubtedly is, it is still rendered more worthy of admiration from its being effected by the exertions of a single individual, and that, too, at an age (his grace being no more than one and twenty when he began it) when gaiety and dissi- pation, in general, supersede every other considera- tion. The windings of this artificial river, in its subterranean navigation, are about eight measured miles; many parts through the simple excavations in the rocks, others arehed with masonry and brick- work. The coal-pits, to which these lead, are at present worked to much advantage. Upon the whole, it is a wonderful and stupendous work, ...i much praise, and highly meriting applause an †. 3. gnty g app From Worsley we proceeded to Manchester. This town stands near the conflux of the rivers Irk and Irwell, three miles from the Mersey, and one hun- dred and eighty-two miles from London. The buildings, manufactures, and trade of this place surpass all others in the county. The fustian ma- nufactory, called Manchester cotton, for which it has been famous for upwards of one hundred and fifty years, has likewise been much improved by se- veral inventions of dying and printing. From Manchester we continued our progress j 32 sullivan’s Tour THROUGH through Rochdale and Halifax, to Bradford, and thence to Leeds. This is an ancient and populous town, situated on the banks of the river Aire, and has long been famous for its woollen manufacture; the selling of which on a market-day, in the cloth- hall, is curious. Within two or three miles of Leeds stand the ve- nerable ruins of Kirkstall Abbey, built by Henry de Lacey, anno 1147, and dedicated to the Virgin. By the ruins it appears to have been a stately fa- bric, and, excepting Fountaine's Abbey, is, I think, inferior to none we had hitherto met with. ——“ Time’s gradual touch Has moulder'd into beauty many a tower, Which when it frown'd with all its battlements, Was only terrible; and many a fame. Monastic, which, when deck’d with all its spires, Serv’d but to feed some pamper’d abbot's pride, Ang awe the unletter’d vulgar.” - |MASON. Leaving Leeds, we proceeded through Wakefield and Barnsley, to Wentworth Castle, a most charm- ingly situated place, belonging to the Earl of Straſ. ford, and thence to Wentworth-house, the usual residence of the Marquis of Rockingham, which, though large and of a fair appearance, has nothing above the common style to recommend it to con- sideration. Some of the pictures in it are ex- cellent. Hence we proceeded, through Rotherham, and Worksop, to Worksop Manor, a prodigious pile of unfinished building, belonging to the Duke of Nor- folk, and thence to Welbeck, a seat of the Duke. of Portland. Here we found an appearance of every thing that was comfortable; the house itself not large, but convenient, furnished with modesty; and much more for utility than ornament. Several of the pictures are finished in an exquisite manner, and in high preservation. - ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES. I 33 From Welbeck we continued our journey to Mans- field, once remarkable for an ancient custom of the manor, by which the heirs were declared of age the day on which they were born ; thence to Lord By- ron's, in Sherwood Forest, and then to Notting- ham. This town stands on the Lind, near its in- flux into the Trent, one hundred and twenty-four miles from London. The castle, supposed to have been built by William the Conqueror, is a ruinous old building, erected on a vast acclivity. In divers parts in and about the town are large commo- dious apartments cut in the solid rock, many of which afford the best kind of ale cellaring, for which Nottingham is famous. - • x From Nottingham, continuing our journey, we proceeded to Loughborough and Leicester, situated on the Roman military way, called the Fosse, an thence through a fine pasture country, to Harbo- rough, Oulden, Newport, and Woburn. At this place the Duke of Bedford has an extensive park, with a large commodious house ; nothing, however, singularly grand or magnificent” ; and from hence, without any farther remark, we made the best of our way to London, highly gratified with what we had seen in our long tour, and pleased at the compa- risons of the present with the former state of Bri- tain ; a comparison as delightful to the patriot, as instructive to the philosopher. * Woburn has received some plendid improvements since the period of Mr. Sulivan's tour, and is now worthy of being the residence of one of our first nobility. A Vol. III. N ** T O U R TO THE W E S T of E N G L A N D, In 1788, BY THE REv. STE BB ING S HAW, M. A. FELLOW OF QUEEN's Cor.LEGE, cAMBRIDGE, & S. IT is a common remark, that the prevailing taste of every writer is indicated in his earliest works; and tourists, of all others, have certainly the great- est facility of displaying their native predilections. Whether fond of picturesque descriptions, or of re- tracing scenes that are past; whether attached to commercial or political enquiries, or animated with the nobler ambition of investigating the moral science of man, as he falls under review, each taste may exercise its propensity to advantage in travels; and from the same objects, embody the representa- tion most strongly impressed on the mind. In Mr. Shaw, we have a confirmation of this position. The antiquarian researches, in which he indulged during this tour, one of his first publications, were but an earnest of those labor?ous and minute enquiries, which were to shine with distinguished iustre, in the future historian of Staffordshire”. * Since this was written, Mr. Shaw has paid the debt of nature, before he could finish his county history. N 2 136 SHAw’s Tour. To THE As it does not, however, fall within our plan to enter into deep investigations, respecting antiqui- ties, or to give a detail of the transfers of property, we shall slightly skim the surface with this agree- able writer, and refer those, who wish for more par- ticular information, to the fountain head, from whence we have derived our present supplies. “That the human mind is happiest,” remarks Mr. Shaw, at his commencement, “when its pow- ers are in a progressive state of improvement, will not, I believe, be denied. Employment, concor- dant with its high mature and exalted wishes, is ab- solutely necessary, to enable it to enjoy that blissful state, of which it is capable, even in this world. He, therefore, who can exercise his intellectual fa- culties in a manner worthy of them, promotes ma- terially his own happiness at least; and if he can add anything instructive or entertaining to the know- ledge of others, deserves no mean praise from the public.” \ “ it was,” continues he, “ with this conviction, that last summer, when the town began to grow dull and empty, and all nature was in its most beau- tiful state, we determined to undertake a tour through some part of England. To whark the vary- ing face of countries; to view the beautiful and stupendous buildings, which ages, so unlike our own, either awed by fear, or inspired by religion, have erected ; or to examine the modern ornaments of architecture, to tread on the ground where the heroes and sages have been nursed, or have resided ; to behold, with pensive regret, the decay of ancient families; to trace and to observe the rise and fail of cities, are intellectual exertions, that surely may de- light the most cultivated minds.” ^- Reflecting that there had been numerous descrip- tions ºf the north of England and Scotland, while the western beauties of the island had been little W$ST OF ENGLAN}}, 137 noticed, they determined to take their route in that direction. The summer of 1788 had been dry and back- ward, but in August the rains had at last fallen, which gave a fresh appearance to the face of na- ture, and invited them abroad. They were, how- ever, some days in deliberation about the exact course they should pursue; during which they vi- sited several places in the environs of London; but our author makes, in the first place, a few observa- tions and reflections on the metropolis itself, which is replete with all that is wonderful in art, or grati- fying to the philosopher. . . Without adverting to the early ages of its found- ation, if we compare its present appearance with that only in Queen Elizabeth's time, the difference is almost incredible. It is certain, that the greater part of the space from Temple Bar, westward, was quite in the country, except a few houses and gardens of the nobility on the banks of the Thames. Covent-Garden was literally a garden, and Holborn and St. Giles's exhibited only a few scattered build- Ings. - The rapidity with which the west end of the me- tropolis, has risen, is well illustrated by the follow- ing anecdote. Lord Burlington being asked why he built his house in Piccadilly, so far out of the town, replied, because he was determined to have no building beyond him. In little more than half a century, however, Burlington-House has been deeply embosomed in streets on all sides. Towards the east and north the city was also much circumscribed to what it is at present. The Tower was quite detached, Whitechapel had but few buildings, and Spitalfields exhibited nothing but trees and hedge-rows. +. The villages that surround London on every side greatly partake of its influence, and the yearly in- N 3 138 SHAw’s Tour To. THE crease of buildings in them is most astonishing. The citizens, anxious to breathe a little fresh air, had lodgings or houses in the immediate suburbs; these they were obliged to relinquish, from the great increase of buildings; and thus those, who wish to be free from the smoke and din of the metro- polis, have made successive removes, till at last they are under the necessity of travelling some miles from the centre before they can feel or fancy them- selves to be in the country. - One of the first excursions Mr. Shaw took from London was along the Edgeware road, which pre- sented them with a prospect of fertile fields, well fringed with woods. Near Edgeware is Cannons, once celebrated, and still remembered for the mag- nificent seat built here by the splendid duke of Chandos, who lived in a style, and exercised an hospitality that almost eclipsed royalty itself. Mu- nificence, however, rather than vanity, seems to have prompted his expences: he was the patron of literature and the arts, and possessed a most gene- rous and feeling heart. It is with indignation, there- fore, that our author, and indeed every person of moral honesty and honour, reflects on the unmerited abuse of Pope in his description of Timon's villa ; particularly when it is known, that he could have no other place but Cannons in view, and that he had previously been considerably indebted to this liberal nobleman for a benefačtion of 1000l. as well as for inferior marks of attention. Pope, indeed, was ashamed of what he had done, and tried to shift the obloquy from him, by strenuously denying the application that had been made to Cannons, on which subject he wrote to the duke. His grace, with a magnanimity which must have abashed the satiric poet, returned an answer to this effect: “That to have ridiculed his taste or his buildings would have been an indifferent action in another man ; 6 * s A - weST OF ENGLAND. 139 but that in Mr. Pope, after the reciprocal kindness that had passed between them, it had been less easily excused.” - . . . . The prophecy of the poet, in these concluding lines of his description of Timon’s villa, has re- ceived a remarkable completion: . . . . Another eye shall see the golden ear Imbrown the slope, and nod in the parterre, Deep harvest bury all his pride has plann'd, And laughing Ceres reassume the land. / The duke died in 1744, and three years after, “ this large and costly palace, by a fate as transient as its owner's,” says Mr. Walpole, “as if in mock- ery of sublunary grandeur, fell, by public auction, to Hallet, the cabinet-maker.” The bargain, it seems, was a good one ; and the descendants of Mr. Hallet have since realised consi- derable landed property in Berkshire, which sup- ported two ancient families at the head of their country, during a long and important period of our history, The present villa at Cannons was built out of some of the materials of the palace, and sold to O'Kelly, the champion of the turf. Part of the grand avenue is still remaining, and the grounds on each side retain, to this day, some traces of a park. . . . . More northward, and nearer London, are the beau- tiful hills of Hampstead and Highgate, which, for the salubrity of the air and the command of prospects, are justly admired. - - From Hampstead heath is a circular view of great extent and beauty, not only over the metropolis and its suburbs, but also over a vast range of rich and varied country. . . In the vicinity lie Caen Wood, the noble seat of . the Earl of Mansfield, and Fitzroy Farm, the ele- gant villa of Lord Southampton. The former, be- sides the fine architectural designs, which do honour. * ! . 140 - sHAw’s Tour. To THE to the taste of Mr. Adam, has all the charrns of scenery and accompaniment that can render a coun- try seat delightful. They next made an excursion through the east parts of Middlesex, to Wanstead House, on the verge of Epping Forest, passing through Islington, and a succession of streets; and where they are discontinued, the road is lined on each side with handsome villas, that bespeak the opulence of the country. - Wanstead House was built by Sir Josiah Child, a merchant in London, whose family were ennobled, under the title of Lords Tilney; but the peerage becoming extinct, the property here fell to Sir James Tihney Long, of Wiltshire. Entering ihe park by iron gates, the road winds circularly on each side of a large piece of water, in a shade of beautiful elms. Advancing, the beau- ties of the front became more and more conspicu- ous. The whole is of Portland stone, and the s.le of architecture is most striking. The entrance to the principal front is by a fine flight of steps on each side, under a portico of eight Corinthian pillars, supporting a rich pediment, sculptured with the Tilney arms. There are twenty windows on a floor, which convey an idea of great length; but such is the justness of proportion be-, tween the parts and the lightness of the design, that a person must be destitute of taste to view this noble structure without admiration. The archi- tect was Mr. Colin Campbell, who has furnished hints to succeeding artists, but has never been ri- valled by any imitations of his manner. The elegance of the interior corresponds with the first impression the exterior is sure to give. The hall is a very magnificent apartment, finely painted with historical subjects; and the gallery, or ball- room, whose dimensions are seventy-five feet by WEST OF EN Gi/AND. . . 141 twenty-seven, is singularly grand. The furniture and decorations are of a piece with the splendor of the apartments. - The gardens and pleasure grounds are extensive and beautiful, delightfully shaded with trees, and enlivened by water. The grotto is a splendid and expensive specimen of shell-work, intermixed with fossils and petrifactions. - . . . . . . . Crossing the Thames to the east of London, rode over Blackheath, and visited Greenwich Park and Hospital. The former is attractive for its beautiful and varied views; the la ºr makes an impression on every heart of sensibility, not only by its beauty, but from the benevolent purpose to which it is as- signed. - - Having now finally settled their route, on the 26th of August they left London, by the Oxford road, and on their left had a view for some time of Hyde-Park and Kensington Gardens. The next object of atten- tion was Gunnesbury-House, which was built by Inigo Jones, and exhibits some of the bold but sim- ple graces of that great architect. ; : About two miles farther, they made a digression from the road, a little to the left, to see Osterley- House, a magnificent pile, originally built by Sir, Thomas Gresham ; but afterwards came into the possession of the Childs, in whose family it still re- _{{l al HS. . . The park is nearly five miles round, well watered and planted, but by no means picturesque. The house stands nearly in the centre, and is built in the form of a half H, with an immense portico in front, under which you enter the hall, a magnificent room, sixty-three feet long, and in other respects propor- tionable. The collection of paintings at Osterley, is of the first estimation. The gallery is no less than a hundred and thirty-six feet long, by twenty-seven wide ; and its sides are hung with some of the finest # 42 sHAw's Tour. To THE productions of the pencil. The views from some of the windows of this house are eminently beautiful, as they command scenes, which the flat situation of the park denies. - From hence to Uxbridge, the country is cham- paign and unvarying. The distant view of Harrow- on-the-Hill alone relieves the eye, that is fond of the picturesque; but whoever delights in fertility, will have no reason to complain of gratification in this ride. i - Between Hillingdºn and Uxbridge, on the right. is a white house, pleasantly situated, and well adorned with wood, the residence of the marchioness of Rock- ingham. Farther on, they left Harefield, once fa- mous for its being the seat of the countess of Derby, before whom Milton's Arcades was there pre- sented. . , , .." Uxbridge is a considerable market town, which, in Leland's time, consisted of one long street, built of timber. The church is only a chapel of ease to Hillingdon. In Camden's time it was full of imms; but considering its proximity to London, our author thinks they are at present very indifferent. Crossing the Coln, their now entered the county of Bucks, and pursued their way for a few miles along the Oxford road, but soon took that which leads to Amersham. Passed at a distance, on their left, Bul- strode Park, the seat of the duke of Portland. The park is extensive, tastefully planted, and varied with perpetual swells and slopes, though the environs are generally champaign. - Still proceeding through a continued beautiful vale, on the same hand, they left Beaconsfield, made im- mortal by the birth and residence of Waller the poet, whose descendants still remain, and in later times, by being the country retreat of Edmund Burke. Leave Cheneys on the right, formerly the seat of a family of that name ; but afterwards the residence . west of ENGLAND. I 43 of the Russels, earls of Bedford, from the time that family rose to distinction, till Woburn Abbey sup- planted it. - Amersham is an ancient town, and sends two members to parliament; but, at present, it can nei- ther boast of elegance nor extent. Here they rested a might, and next morning resumed their journey up the same delightful valley, and soon passed Sharde- loes, the seat of Mr. Drake, who has, with much taste, and at a considerable expence, improved the mansion, park, and grounds. The latter are beau- tifully waved and planted. '. Farther on, passed Chesham Boys, once the seat of the ancient family of the Cheneys, of whom Wil- liam was created, by Charles II. Viscount Newhaven of Scotland. Behind Chesham is Latimers, the seat of Lord George Cavendish. Continuing their progress through the same charm- ing vale, whose bounding hills are sometimes fea- thered down with trees, particularly beech, they came to Missenden. The prevailing soil is chalk, and the whole track is called Chiltern, from the Saxon word chilt. - - At Missenden saw the remains of the abbey, now £onverted into a farm house. It was founded, ac- cording to Camden, by the D'Oyleys, but according to others, by the Missendens, , - . Three miles on the left of this place, they had a view of Great Hampden, the seat of the Hampdens, an ancient and distinguished family. In the reign of Edward III, they were mulcted, according to the following couplet: - -- - Tring, Wing, and Ivingo did go, For striking the Black Prince a blow. . In the last century, the blow they struck was longer felt, though the event to them was different. Misfortune seems to have attended the race. The * #44 - SHAw's Town to THE patriot, Hampden, it is said, was killed by the burst- ing of his own pistol in action ; his grandson put a period to his own existence ; and his son, while pay- master, speculated with the public money, in the infamous South-Sea scheme, and lost nearly 100,000l. which swallowed up the greatest part of his estate. He died without issue, and the name and estate soon passed to the Trevors, now Viscounts Hampden. Reach Wendover, a small, ordinary, market-town, which, however, has the privilege of sending two members to parliament. The houses are very in- different, and the inhabitants are chiefly supported by the manual industry of lace-making, the principal manufacture of the county. Here the hills swell into mountains, and the woods become extensive. - They now descended into the rich vale of Ayles- bury, a fine champaign track, famous for its pastures, and not less for its grain. - Aylesbury is a considerable market-town, situated on an eminence, overlooking the -surrounding level country. In the time of the Saxons, it was a place of strength, and William the Conqueror disposed of some of the lands here, under the singular tenure, of finding him litter and straw for his bed-chamber, when in that vicinity, and of furnishing his table with eels in winter, and green geese in summer. . . . To the munificence of Lord Chief Justice Baldwin, this town owes much. He not only erected several public buildings, but raised a causeway, three miles long, over a founderous road. The town-hall is a handsome, modern structure, where the assizes are annually held. The church is cruciform, with a small spire rising out of a low tower, and has evident marks of antiquity. . . . . . c. . On the left of Aylesbury stands Eythorp, belong- ing to the Stanhopes, and beyond this Upper Win- chenden, once the residence of the eccentric and dissipated duke of Wharton, whose character. Pope ; : wpST OF ENGLAND. - # 4.5 has delineated in such a masterly manner ; and now the property of the Duke of Marlborough. In the vicinity of Aylesbury lie also Chilton, fa- mous for giving birth to that great and respectable lawyer, Sir George Croke; Woothin, the seat of the Grenvilles for many ages; and Quarendon, the an- cient residence of the Lees, afterwards earls of Litch- field. In the manor of Quarendon, land, it is said, has let at 81, an acre ; such is the general fertility of this vale. - Proceeding forward, through an unpleasant coun- try, with bad roads, they passed Wing, on their right, and soon after arrived at Winslow, a small town. - - rº From hence went on towards Buckingham, through a country, rich, indeed, but possessing few pictu- resque features, though not quite destitute of gen- tlemen's seats. | Buckingham is, in a great measure, surrounded by the Ouse; but the church, a modern and elegant pile, is detached, and occupies an eminence, on which a castle once stood, so as to form a striking object from Stowe Gardens. Except the church and the town-hall, the buildings here deserve little no- tice. Lace is the principal manufacture of the place, and indeed of Buckinghamshire in general. From the Cobham Arms they set out for Stowe, the great ornament of the county, and a principal support of the place, from the resort of visiters. The great Lord Cobham first displayed his taste here, and brought Stowe into notice. His nephew, Earl Temple, pursued the improvements with equal zeal, but purer taste, for which he was indebted to the spirit of the times, Stowe was the delight of the age in which it was first formed, and, by gradual al- terations, it still continues to charm the present. The grounds, originally laid out in the stiff and ar- tificial style, have been moulded by the hand of . Vol. III. o - 14.6 sH Aw's roup. To THE Brown “, and under his nurturing care, the woods have risen in such a manner, as to conceal one building from another, and to make every object a distinct scene. The genius of Wyatt, too, has been called in to improve the house, and a superb suit of apartments has been added, in a style of beauty and magnificence corresponding to the sur- rounding accompaniments. The gardens consist of nearly four hundred acres, and their whole extent is replete with groves, temples, and meandering streams, that successively open like visionary en- chantment. - g “ Though some of the buildings,” says Walpole, “ are far from beautiful, yet the rich landscapes, oc. casioned by the multiplicity of temples and obelisks, and the various pictures that present themselves, as we shift our situation, occasion surprise and plea- sure; sometimes recalling Albano's landscapes to our mind, and oftener to our fancy, the idolatrous and luxurious vales of Daphne and Tempe. It is just to add, that the improvements made by Lord Temple have profited by the present perfect style of architecture and gardening. The temple of Con- cord and Victory presiding over so noble a valley, the great arch, designed by Mr. T. Pitt, and a smaller, in honour of Princess Amelia, disclosing a wonderfully beautiful perspective over the Elysian Fields, to the Palladian Bridge, and up to the castle on the hill, are monuments of taste, and scenes that I much question if Tempe or Daphne exhi- bited.” - - - Having viewed the principal objects and externa beauties of this delightful place, they proceeded to inspect the interior, replete with the choicest works * This father of modern gardening was brought up in the service of the Temple family, after passing his boyish days at kiddington, in Oxfordshire, where he is said to have been born. - - ... • WEST G}F ENGLANTD. | 47 of art. Almost every apartment has its appro- priate beauties; but we cannot enter on the de- tail”. - From Stowe they proceeded through Middleton Stoney towards Woodstock. The country was neither interesting, nor the roads good. About four miles from Middleton, caught a view of Tusmore, the fine seat of Mr. Fermor, well embosomed in groves. Beyond Middleton lie the seat and park of Lord Jersey, and three miles farther, on their left, stands Kirtlington House, in a beautiful park, the seat of Sir Henry Dashwood, bart. - º Arrived at Woodstock, where they slept; and next day visited Blenheim. Woodstock is an ancient bo- rough town, extremely neat and pleasantly situated, and contains about one thousand three hundred in- habitants. The houses are chiefly built of stone. The town-hall, and the front and tower of the church, are elegant, modern erections. The inhabitants are much employed in the glove and steel manufactures. The latter has been brought to the highest perfection by a singular brilliancy of polish peculiar to this place, for which it is indebted to the ingenuity of a Mr. Medcalfe, who settled here since the commence- ment of the present century t. This being a great thoroughfair, and Blenheim proving a powerful at- traction to visiters, the inns furnish excellent accom- modations, and are adapted to such a constant resort of genteel company. . . . Woodstock Park has been a royal seat from very remote ages. Ethelred held an assembly of the states, and enacted several laws here; and the im- * For a farther account of Stowe, see Bray’s Tour, in Vol. II. but particularly the Local Guide, which does full jus- tice to the subject, both in description and engraving. . + A steel chain, of the Woodstock manufacture, weighing two ounces, has been sold for 1701. ‘. . . O 2 148 sHAw's Tour. To THE - mortal Alfred not only graced it with his residence, but it appears that this luminary of his time trans- lated, at this same place, Boethius de Consolatione Philosophia. . . - - . . Henry I. inclosed the park with a stone wall, said to have been the first of the kind in England. Henry II. was quite enamoured of the spot, and built the ce- lebrated bower for the fair Rosamond, with a laby- rinth to communicate with the palace. Of the bower there are no vestiges; but the spring still re- mains which furnished her bath, and bears the name of this unfortunate beauty. Of the labyrinth some traces were discovered in levelling the ground, after the erection of the present palace on the opposite hill. - . At Woodstock manor-house, as it was called, Ed- mund, second son of Edward I. and Thomas, third son of Edward III. were born, and thence surnamed, of Woodstock. Here the princess Elizabeth was confined during the reign of her cruel sister Mary, under the conduct of Sir Henry Bedingfield. The bells rung and the people rejoiced at the first sight of a princess so dear to them, which provoked her keepers to such a degree, that they put the ringers in the stocks. This severity excited the suspicions of Elizabeth, and she exclaimed, “As a sheep to the slaughter, so am I led.” While guarded here, a fire broke out under the flooring of her apartment, sup- posed to have been purposely kindled; but, the boards being removed, she was saved from the most horrible of all deaths. Pensively looking out of her prison window, she one day saw a milk-maid in the park, merrily singing over her pail, when, in the an- guish of her heart, she observed to her attendants, “ that liberty and security were more valuable than all the grandeur in the world;” and expressed her wish, “ that she had been a milk-maid, rather than a princess.” - . A WEST OF ENGLANT), 149 The palace and park continued in the crown, and was the occasional residence of royalty, till the reign of Queen Anne; when, with the concurrence of par- liament, it was granted, together with the honour and manor of Woodstock, and hundred of Wootton, to the illustrious John, Duke of Marlborough, and his heirs, as a reward for his signal services, and more particularly for his victory at Blenheim, from which the place afterwards took its appellation. The new palace, which is an ornament to the king- dom at large, is a vast and magnificent pile, for which parliament appropriated half a million sterling; but which sum, large as it was, was found very inade- quate to the completion of the work. The entrance into the park is by a spacious Co- rinthian arch, in the triumphal style, adjoining to Woodstock; and from thence is one of the most en- chanting views that imagination can conceive: it commands the palace, the vast expanse of water, the sylvan, deep-swelling banks, the grand bridge, and the pillar to the memory of the immortal John Churchill; in short, this coup d'oeil is almost un- rivalled in this kingdom, and embraces every object that the refined taste of Brown could combine in the same landscape. •. - Vanburgh was the architect of Blenheim. His taste for the massy has been much censured ; but such is the extent of this pile, that his prevailing style is not to be perceived; or, if it is, it only con- tributes to the beauty and propriety of the design. The light ornaments of an ornamented cottage would be ill adapted for a palace; and the massy splendor of a palace would be as improperly transferred to a Cottage. Every species of architecture derives a dis- criminating character from the mode and the situa- tion to which it is applied. At Blenheim, Vanburgh was consistent with himself, and with the unity of the design. - - - - - O 3 150 sº Aw's Tour. To THE The front is about three hundred and forty-eight feet in extent, and highly ornamented. Over the eastern gate, which forms the usual entrance, is a re- servoir of five hundred hogsheads of water, thrown up by an engine at some distance. This gate leads into the first quadrangle of offices; from which pass into the area, and through the superb portico to the hall, a magnificent apartment, sixty-seven feet high, sixty long, and of a breadth proportionable. The ceiling is painted by Sir James Thornhill, and alle- gorically represents Victory crowning the great duke, while she points to the battle of Blenheim. - The saloon is sixty feet high, by fifty and forty, and magnificently lined in the lower part with mar- ble, in the Italian taste. Above this marble basement are six compartments in which different nations of the world are depicted in their characteristic dresses and expressions, by La Guerre; by whom also the ceiling is painted. It emblematically represents John, Duke of Marlborough, in the career of victory, arrested by the hands of PEACE, while TIME reminds him of the rapidity of its own flight. The apartments of this palace are furnished with princely magnificence: the tapestry and paintings’ attract universal and deserved attention ; but, as it is impossible to do them adequate justice in any gene. ral description, or to enumerate them all, and par- ticularize their beauties in a work of this nature, we shall only briefly observe, that Blenheim contains some of the most capital performances of Rubens, Titian, and other great masters; and that the tapestry, which represents the Cardinal Virtues, with their proper accompaniments, in vivid beauty of colours, is scarcely to be equalled. That too, in which are portrayed the most signal achievements of the first Duke of Marlborough, will not pass without notice; but to the charming collection of paintings the eye west of ENGLAND. 15 i * of taste will perpetually recur, amidst all the lustre that surrounds it *. After passing through the splendid suit of rooms, usually open to public inspection, the eye is both charmed and relieved, on entering the library, a singularly spacious room, which occupies the entire west front. It is one hundred and eighty-three feet long, thirty-two feet wide, and forty high. It is im- possible to conceive any thing more superb, than the solid columns of marble which support a rich enta- blature, and the stuccoed compartments of the lofty- vaulted ceiling. . . . . . . . This noble room was originally intended as a gal- lery for paintings; but has since been furnished with the grand SUNDERLAND collection of books, compris- ing upwards of twenty thousand volumes, in various anguages, arts, and sciences; all arranged in com- modious cases, with latticed doors, on the east side, throughout its whole extent, and at the two ends. At the upper end of the library stands a superb statue of Queen Anne, in her coronation robes, by Rysbrack, with the following inscription on the pe. destal : - - - To the memory of Queen Anne ! Under whose auspices John Duke of Marlborough - conquered, } And to whose munificence He and his posterity' With gratitude Owe the possession of BLENHEIM. A. D. MDCCXXVI. ~x. * To the new DESCRIPTION of BLENHEIM, with a Picturesque Tour of the Gardens and Park, by the editor of these volumes, we are obliged to refer our readers for a full and satisfactory account of this magnificent place. We are convinced of the general accuracy of Mr. Shaw’s remarks on Blenheim, but they cannot be supposed to be very ample; nor could a tran- Šient yiew be sufficient to catch every thing worthy of notice, i52 SHAw's Tour. To THE The gardens, or pleasure-grounds, occupy an area of two hundred acres and upwards, and are separated from the park, on one side, by a sunk fence, but in general by the windings of the lake. To describe their various beauties would be impossible; here art and nature have joined hands to produce the most charming scenery. . Under the present duke's auspices, and, in numer- ous instances, owing to his taste, Blenheim has be- come one of the most captivating spots on earth. The river, or lake, which covers the whole extent of a capacious valley, bending in the happiest style, and affording the most profuse variety of picturesque features, in the sublime, the beautiful, and the tran- quil ; when viewed with its accompaniments, is in- disputably the most superb piece of water, in which art has any share, in this kingdom. It is chiefly sup- plied by the river Glyme, which still, in a great mea- sure, retains its original direction; its channel being expanded rather than altered *, so favourable has nature been to the operation of art. The whole park, which is upwards of twelve miles in circumference, and contains about two thousand seven hundred acres, is one continued galaxy of charming prospects, and agreeable, diversified scene- ry. It combines the ferme ornée with the magnifi- ficent park: it is stocked with cattle and deer; it waves with corn; it is highly decorated with plan- tations. - The weather being unpropitious, our tourist was prevented from seeing much of the beauties of the park and pleasure-grounds; and after going through On a subject so familiar to the editor, it was impossible for him to walk in the trammels of authority, and on this occasion he has only partially followed the tourist. . . . . * : he water at Blenheim covers two hundred and fifty .#Cl’ÉS, - . . . . . . . - ‘WEST OF ENGLAND. I 53 the apartments, returned to the inn ; passing the square stone-house”, near the park gate, unquestion- ably the site of Chaucer’s mansion, though scarcely any vestiges of the ancient building remain. Wood- stock is among the places which contend for the ho- mour of giving birth to this great and original poet. Here he resided much, when, disengaged from public business. The park was the scene of his favourite perambulations, and many of the rural descriptions in his poems are evidently copied from thence. In the poem, entitled the Cuckow and the Nightingale, he gives a local delineation, which is interesting to every person, whose mind is capable of enjoying the elegant delight that results from a comparison of past with present scenes. In short, Chaucer has rendered this spot classic ground. - , - In the evening they proceeded to Oxford, that sacred seat of the muses; the antiquity and particu- lars of which, says Mr. Shaw, I shall not attempt to describe. The two universities are places so well known, and so full of matter for contemplation and description, that nothing less than a separate work can give an adequate account of their respective me- rits. I shall therefore pass this place over in silent veneration, and only insert a few common observa- tions on recent impróvements in that noble city, and its environs. Besides the wonderful improvements that have been made within a few years, by widening and paving the streets, some new buildings connected with police, deserve great praise, and are a credit, as well as ornament, to the place. • . From Oxford they proceeded to visit Nuneham, the seat of the Earl of Harcourt, distant about six miles. It stands not far from the London road, on * The residence and property of Mr. Prior, i54. SHAw's Tour. To THE the side of a rich hill, the bottom of which is laved by the softly-flowing Isis. This park is extensive and well-wooded; and a more charming spot for a residence could not have been found. Lord Chan- cellor Harcourt, in 1764, raised the pile; and Brown laid out the grounds. “Here,” says Mr. Walpole, “ are scenes worthy the bold pencil of Rubens, or to become subjects for the tranquil sunshines of Claude Lorrain.” - The usual approach, however, in the opinion of Mr. Shaw, does not convey any idea of extraordinary grandeur; but a nearer examination gave a higher impression of its beauties. The furniture is elegant, and the apartments are decorated with many capital paintings, particularly of the landscape kind. Having viewed the interior, they were struck with admiration at the beauties of the park and the plea- sure-grounds, which present some delightful views over Oxford, the windings of the Isis and Abingdon, with a distant perspective of the Berkshire hills. Ascending towards the church, the landscapes were exquisite. This structure is built in imitation of a Roman temple. In front are six large pillars, sup- porting a plain pediment, and from the top rises a lofty dome. The inside is extremely neat, and over the parish-door are the names of those who have gained the annual prize of MERIT, which is always disposed of to the most honest, sober, and industrious, candidate, by the suffrages of the rest of the par rishioners. This institution does true homour to Lord Harcourt, and deserves universal imitation*. t * Little do the great in general think, while they are squan- dering away thousands on capricious follies, or ignoble vices, what exquisite gratification they might give and receive, from the wise and benevolent expenditure of a few pounds. Lord Harcourt seems to make a true estimate of rank and fortune, and he employs both to the most honourable purposes. He is A - - WEST OF ENGLANI). | 55 In the garden is an excellent conservatory ; and on the margin of the walk are placed various build- ings and busts, inscribed with some of the finest verses of our most admired poets. To characterize the whole, the words of Milton are applicable. Here universal, Pan, - Knit with the Graces, and the Hours in dance, Leads on th” eternal spring. Infinitely delighted with this excursion, they re- turned by the neat and uniform village of Nuneham; and as they approached the University, its towers and richly-shaded groves again won their admiration and astonishment. “ From this road,” says Mr. Shaw, “ the effect of the whole is indisputably striking, and may challenge the universe to shew its equal. See Oxford lifts her head sublime, Majestic in the moss of time, Nor wants there Grecia’s better part, *Mid the proud piles of ancient art, Nor decent Doric, to dispense New charms 'mid old magnificence; And here and there soft Corinth weaves Her daedal coronet of leaves; - Whilst, as with rival pride, her towers invade the sky.” - - . - WART.ox. , Next day they crossed the Isis, and visited Abing- don, in Berkshire, about five miles from Oxford. The intermediate distance is often picturesque, and part of the road lies through agreeable woods. At a small distance, on their left, had a view of Radley *, a modern mansion; and beyond, caught a view of the delightful seat of Earl Harcourt, which they had seen the preceding day. --, *-i- A. . z a friend to the former, and learning and merit have often felt and confessed his patronage. … . . ; * Now the seat of Sir George Bowyer, son of the late ad- miral of that name, - 156 SHAw's Tour to THE . The first entrance into Abingdon is not calculated to give any impression of its elegance ; nor indeed has it much to boast of, in point of buildings, except its beautiful town-hall, and the square in which it is situated. • - … K. - - Abingdom, however, was once celebrated for its abbey, founded by Hein, a noble Saxon, nephew to Cissa, king of the West Saxons, about 675, and in it the king himself was afterwards interred. This ab- bey, in process of time, grew to great eminence; but experienced various revolutions. The famous Geof- fery of Monmouth had his monument here. Two synods are said to have been held at this place, and, according to Leland, the revenues, at one time, were nearly 2000l. a year. - From the celebrity of the abbey, the town rose to some consequence, became incorporated, and at this time is the second in Berkshire. The chief trade is malting and the manufacture of sacking. Its barges navigate the Thames to London. The following day, as it was vacation time in the University, and society of consequence scarce, they made another excursion to Ensham, about four miles distant, in their way crossing several bridges, thrown over the intervening streams. For nearly a mile, there is one continued causeway over the rich irri- guous meadows, which lie on this side. Gaining the top of Botley Hill, they had a distant perspective of Blenheim, with its noble groves, and a near view of Witham, an old mansion belonging to the Earl of Abingdom. . Ensham, it seems, was formerly a royal vill, and here Ethelred, in 1005, signed the privilege of li- berty with the sign of the holy cross. It had a fa- mous abbey which, after the dissolution, became the property of the Earls of Derby, but has been long alienated. > Returning again to Oxford, on the 3d of Septem- ber, they ascended Heddington Hill, celebrated ſo WEST OF ENGLANT). § 57 the salubrity of its air, in consequence of which, se- veral meat villas are built here. From the brow of Shotover, in the vicinity, there is almost a boundless view of the adjacent country. - Next morning they bade adieu to Oxford, and pur- sued the direct road to Worcester, through Wood- stock, taking Ditchley in their way, the seat of Lord Dillon. It stands about a mile on the left of the turnpike road, and was formerly the residence of the Lees, earls of Litchfield. - The present mansion was built by one of them, and is esteemed the best specimen of Gibbs’s archi- tecture. The surrounding domain is extremely syl- van, and of considerable extent. Several of the apartments are very noble, and are decorated with numerous pictures, in which portraits bear a large proportion, most of them representing eminent per- Sonages. . : , Slept at Chapel House, a most excellent inn, and fitted up in the first style of accommodation. Near this stands Heythorp, the seat of the Earl of Shrewsbury, a noble mansion, with suitable accom- paniments. f . - The next day pursued their journey through Chip- ping Norton, a place of note in the Saxon times, as its name imports. It stands on the side of a pleasant hill, and makes a good appearance. Four miles to the right of this place is an ancient monument, called Rollrich-stones, of smaller dimen- sions than Stonehenge, but set up in the same figure. Passed through the pleasant village of Salford, beautifully surrounded with woods, and, a little on the left, saw Cornwell House, the seat of Mr. Peny- stone. More to the left is Dailsford, the residence of Governor Hastings”. - * This seat has been fitted up, in a style of oriental magni- ficence, by Mr. Hastings, who was born in the vicinity, and whose ancestors possessed property here for many ages, Vol. III. P #58 shaw's Tour. To THE . Ascending a hill, they had an extensive view over part of several counties. Near Chastleton, on the left, are vestiges of the spot where Edward Ironside defeated Canute, after a long and bloody battle. The fourshire stone, a square pillar, by the road side, next attracted their attention. On its sides are engraven, Worcester, Gloucester, Warwick, and Gx- ford; which several counties meet at this point. Pass through the town of Morton-in-Marsh, and ascend Burton-on-the-Hill, a delightful village, adorned with some seats. Beyond this is a dreary country for several miles, but not destitute of distant picturesque views. Catch a view of Blockley, where there are several silk mills, and reaching the Fish, oa Broadway Hill, enjoy a prospect of almost boundless variety, commanding the rich vale of Evesham, and numerous seats of note. - * Descending the hill by a serpentine road, pass through Broadway, and dine at Bengworth, separated from Evesham only by the river Avon, over which a bridge of six arches is thrown. The river here is navigable for barges, and the fertility of the surround- ing country is almost proverbial. - Evesham is a place of considerable antiquity, and had once a famous abbey. It has been the scene of some memorable exploits, which adorn the historic page, particularly for the overthrow of the barons, in the reign of Henry III. The town is a borough, and enjoys many privileges by prescription, and . divers charters. - On the right of this place lie the three Lyttletons, from one of which the distinguished family of that name derived their origin and name. . From hence they continued their progress along the south side of the river, which they crossed at Per- shore, and had some romantic views of the Bredon and Malvern Hills. Pershore was once a town of some distinction, and had a Benedictine monastery, founded by Egelward, Duke of Dorset, s WES''' {}; SN&F, AN&E), # 5:3 The remainder of their drive fo Worcester was extremely pleasant, through a country rich in the harvest of Pomona. - Worcester is a city of great antiquity, and is still pre-eminent over most in this part of the kingdom. it has undergone many revolutions, in a long suc- cession of ages; but still risen superior to calamity. The streets in general, particularly the High-street and Fore-gate, are remarkably fine. Of the parish churches, St. Helen's is reckoned the most ancient. The cathedral is very ancient, about three hundred and ninety-four feet long, and a hundred and twenty broad. Its architecture, however, is less to be cont- mended, than the neatness in which it is kept. At the upper end of the choir is a noble monument of King John, whose body was conveyed hither from Newark”. The tomb of that virtuous and firm pre- fate, Dr. John Hough, is one of the finest perform-, ances of Roubilliac, and attracts universal admira- tion. in the chapter-house, a large decagon, supported by a central pillar, some curious musical MSS. and valuable books are preserved. - . The public buildings are excellent, and the manu- factures of gloves, carpets, and porcelain, very con- siderable. The latter is here brought to great per- feetion. - , Being market-day, they had an opportunity of seeing the principal commodities for sale, and the public repositories, and rooms of traffic, particularly the Guildhall and the Hophouse. Of hops, amazing quantities are sold here. . . Taking leave of this fine city, they crossed the Severn, for Hereford. The road at first was stony T * For farther particulars of Worcester, see Mr. Sulivan's iður. P 2 - # 60 SHAw’s Tour. To THE and disagreeable; but they were gratified by the sight of abundance of variegated fruit, depending from the trees that lined its sides. At this season, the apple and pear trees exhibit their richest attire, their fruit being in the greatest perfection. Reached Malvern, a village, at the foot of those immense hills that had been their principal object for several miles, and soon after ascended their summits. The day being very favourable, this ex- cursion was truly delightful; and the rich land- scape they enjoyed, the beautiful and varied sce- nery that fell under their view, are scarcely to be pa- ralleled from any other heights in this kingdom. There are indeed prospects more extensive and more romantic, but few, or none, that take in so many capital objects, so fine a country and so fertile a soil. “In short,” says Mr. Shaw, “nothing is here wanting to constitute the beautiful; but there is a deficiency of rock and lakes to constitute the sublime.” . s - - Descending from this noble velvet mountain, the former scene diminishing in soft gradation through the perspective confines of the hills, afforded new and infinite delight. Visited the Gothic church, the external appearance of which is very striking, but light and pleasing, and gives a high idea of its antiquity. Within is the tomb of a Saxon knight, with his battle-ax, and other accoutrements, sup- posed to be the only one of this kind in England. Part of this church was a religious cell for hermits before the conquest, and the greater part of the tower was built by one of them during the reign of the first Norman. - Pursue their route to Ledbury, on a smooth wind- ing road, by the wells at Little Malvern, famous for their salubrious qualities and the purity of the air. About six miles west of Ledbury stands Marcley Hill, which, in 1575, after three days agitation and - west of ENGLAND. 164 noise, began to move, and was eight hours before it became stationary again, having carried along with it all the trees that grew upon it, the sheepfolds and flocks. The spot on which this hill stood con- tained about twenty acres, and in its place was left a considerable sunken area. fedbury is but a mean town ; but it stands in a fertile pleasant vale. The land in the vicinity lets for three pounds an acre—a proof of its goodness. Next day they reached Hereford, through a con- tinuation of country rendered picturesque by hop- grounds and ruddy orchards, intermixed with pas- tarage and corn-fields. In their way hither, passed the village of Tarrington, and farther on the beau- tiful place of Stoke Edith, belonging to the Foleys. The house is large, and wears an antique aspect, but the views are pleasing and picturesque. Descending towards Hereford, the distant pros- pects are very attractive, particularly the rich scenes of Foxley and Hampton Court to the right, and the fine vale in front, terminated by the Monmouth- shire and Brecknock hills. A On a nearer approach to the city, a dulness seemed to pervade the whole. The tower of the cathedral, once a beautiful piece of architecture, having been lately taken down, through an apprehension of danger, rendered that pile quite oppressive to the eye, and diffused a heaviness over the adjacent buildings. This cathedral, whose length is about four hundred feet, and its height and breadth in proportion, was originally built by Bishop Reinelm in the reign of Henry I. and enlarged by succeed- ing prelates”. Besides this, there are four parish churches. . . . . . . 's * This cathedral has been improved and repaired by the liberal attetition of the venerable and truly respectable Dr. Butler, late bishop of the diocese, under the direction of the ... celebrated Mr. Wyatt. p 3 - #62 SHAw’s Tour to THE This city is by no means superb, though it con- tains some good houses, and many local advantages. The environs are truly delightful, particularly towards the beautiful meandering Wye, which washes one side of it. The antiquity of this place is unquestionable, and being situated in a frontier country, it was liable to many inroads. It appears from old writers, that the castle was of immense extent and strength; even as late as the civil wars it was tenable; but scarcely a vestige of it is now remaining. Its site is converted into walks, kept in excellent repair, called the Castle Green ; and instead of the din of war, the voice of beauty, or the sighs of love alone make vocal the precincts. The neighbouring hills and mountains bear evi- dent traces of the Romans. Their castrametations are visible on the summits of Creden Hill and Din- dermore. An adjacent hill also bears the name of Oister, generally supposed to be a corruption from Ostorius Scapula, who commanded in these parts. On the 9th of September they made an excur- sion northward, chiefly with a view of visiting Mr. Price's fine grounds at Foxley, and the enchanting scene in their vicinity, from a hill called Lady Lift. About a mile from the city, they passed a large, antique, stone pillar, called White-cross, much carved, with steps round the base; supposed to have been erected in the time of a plague, for the purpose of holding a market. Proceeding through a village, they entered Foxley domains, between hills nobly clothed with wood. The external ap- pearance of the house is not in unison with the magnificence of the accompaniments, and they neglected to see its internal decorations, but were permitted to drive through the beautiful gardens and grounds, which soons, brought them to a most charming terrace, between the two vales, bounded by woods, which continued till they reached Lady * 2. west of ENGLAND. 163 Hiſt, where they gazed with rapture and admira- tion. . - ‘. Make a digression through Little Mansel to Brad- wardine, situated on the opposite side of the Wye, the original place of the family of Thomas Brad- wardine, archbishop of Canterbury in the reign of Edward III. who, for his deep learning, was called 3Dr. Profundus. From hence they viewed that sweet scene, the Golden Vale, remarkable for its luxuriant vegetation and yellow vernal flowers. The evening advancing, they again directed their course to Hereford, passing in sight of Ganston, a neat mansion, and of Moccas Court, the seat of Sir George Army and Cornwall, bart. Onward, on the right, they saw Mr. Parry's of the Ware, fronting Creden Hill, about a mile from which łies Kenchester, supposed to have been the Arico- nium of antiquity, said to have been destroyed by an earthquake. Roman bricks, coins, and other re- mains of that people, are still found on the spot. Near this, in 1669, was discovered in a wood, a great paved vault, with some tables of plaster; and the following year, a bath, with the brick flues entire. " . . Next day they visited the Duke of Norfolk's fine old mansion at Holme, about five miles south of the city. The road along the banks of the Wye is extremely pleasant. - Holme Lacy is an ancient seat of the Scuda- more's, but came by marriage to the present Duke of Norfolk. The approach is through the park, to the west front, a plain, stone structure, with corre- sponding wings, The hall is spacious and magnifi- cent, and contains some charming portraits. In one of the apartments is some exquisite carved work, by the celebrated Gibbons, who, in the words of Mr. Walpole, gave to wood the loose and airy Hightness of flowers, and chained together the va- | 64, sHAw's Tour. To THE rious productions of the elements, with a free dis- order natural to each species. Among the paint- ings are some works of Vandyke, Jansen, and Holbein.' - - The gardens are in the style of King William's reign. The view from the lawn is beyond expres- sion picturesque. - . - Ascending the hill into the park, the scenery be- comes more noble, the landscape more expanded. From the upper end of it are commanding views of the Gloucestershire hills, the black mountains in Monmouthshire and Brecknock, those over Here- ford and Bradwardine, together with Robin-Hood's Butts, and the Clay Hills in Shropshire. Other places in the neighbourhood of Hereford deserve notice, particularly Lord Malden's noble seat at Hampton Court; but Mr. Shaw had not time to visit them all. - - Pursued their journey towards Ross, which was very picturesque for some miles. Near Hare-wood, the seat of the Hoskins, baronets, must have been, the site of the Castle of Ethelwold, the scene of Mason's charming dramatic poem of Elfrida. Hence the road is rough, but the country still continues to captivate with all the variety of rural imagery. Visited the ruins of Wilton Castle, on the river Wye, opposite to Ross, the chief seat of the Greys, a name illustrious in history. It afterwards became the property of the Chandos. Nothing now remains of the castle except a low, square wall, inclosing a garden, with the appearance of a tur- ret in one angle. : - - They now crossed a bridge of six large arches, and proceeded along a causeway to the town. This causeway owes its origin to the celebrated Man of Ross, immortalized by Pope, but more so by his own iberal and charitable deeds. From the church- yard of Ross is one of the finest prospects in the 2’ *…* west or ENGLAN p, i55 kingdom, after enjoying which, they dined at the King's Arms, the residence of the benevolent John Kyrle, and whose picture is here still shewn. Scenery of such unrivalled beauty as that of the Wye, no traveller of taste could pass without notice”. Accordingly, they took a boat from Ross to Mon- mouth, and the weather being extremely favourable, they had an opportunity of viewing this romantic river, with its accompaniments, in the most propi- tious light; but no words, nor even the most ani- mated productions of the pencil, can do adequate justice to the steepness of the banks, the mazy course, the ground, wood, and rocks, with every other native and artificial ornament in its course. After passing the new Wier, they saw the busy cyclops working on the opposite shore, and, as the evening was far advanced and rather overcast, the scene became more awful and sublime. -- Landing at the first convenient place, after pas- sing a lock, they walked two miles to Monmouth, and next morning took a cursory view of this ancient town, which is situated at the conflux of the Wye and the Munnow. The general white complexion of the houses gives it an animated appearance; but the only buildings deserving attention, are the church and the town-hall, which are both very handsome. In the middle of the place are the ruins of the castle, which was a fortress of importance, as early as the era of the conquest. - . . . From Monmouth they proceeded by land to Tin- term Abbey, passing Troy-House, a fine old seat of the Dakes of Beaufort; and having gained the sum- mit of a hill, they made a diversion to the right * This has been so well described by Gilpin, with every addition from the pencil and the graver, that we forbear to attempt it with our author, particularly as it has been par- tially noticed in the Tours of Wyadham and Sulivan. 166 sHAw’s Tour To THE . to observe the distänt ruins of Ragland Castle, once a powerful and glorious place. - - . . Beyond this the aspect of the country became more dreary, till, deserting the road, they entered a profound dell, which continued for several miles, watered by a gurgiing brook, that supplies a num- ber of large iron-works, above the village of Abbey Tintern. Here they inspected the principal furnace, and saw the ore, which is principally brought from Furness, in Lancashire, dissolved by the blast of immense bellows, worked on the modern construc- tion of cylinder pumps, with other processes in this important manufacture. - - Having gratified their curiosity here, they ap- proached Tintern Abbey, hid in the most seques- tered spot by the river Wye. “On this perfect skeleton of Gothic architecture,” says Mr. Shaw, “ one might gaze for hours, with undiminished de- light and admiration.” The internal dimensions, from east to west, are seventy-seven yards; from north to south, fifty-three. The east, west, north and south windows, and centre arches, are of equal height, upwards of fixty feet.” . After a difficult access, which leads to Chepstow, the contrast was most wonderful. From the narrow confines of the wildest dell, and the secluded haunts of monastic solitude, to the vast expanse that here bursts on the view, the effect is truly sublime. Here towns, villages, seats and woody lawns, with the noble Severn rolling to the ocean, are the consti- tuent parts of this magnificent scenery. Between this and Chepstow stands Piercefield, whose romantic situation and elegant improvements have been so much admired and so often described. Chepstow appears to be a place of no great anti- quity itself, but rose from the ruins of the ancient Venta, about four miles distant, and which still goes by the name of Caerwent. The wooden bridge .. west of ENGLAND. | 67 at Chepstow, and the castle, are the principal ob- jects of attraction. - \ They now took the Gloucester road, and from the first hill had a delightful view of the town and castle. Continuing through several villages, the wide Severn flowing on their right, they came to Lydney Park, an ancient seat of the Bathursts. A little beyond they passed the village of the same name as the park, and a considerable iron-furnace. Newnham soon after received them, an ancient town, pleasantly situated near the river, from whence the landscapes are most delightful. In the evening they pursued their course through Westbury, and arrived at Gloucester the same night. - - - This city was built by the Romans, and became a station to curb the Silures, the bravest and most powerful of all the Britons. It derives its name º from Caer Glow, which signifies a fair city; and it is not inaptly applied, as its four principal streets, meeting in the centre, are both spacious and well- built. It stands on an elevation in one of the rich- est vales in England, a continuation of that of Evesham. This city was once strongly walled, and on the south part William the Conqueror erected a castle. , It was made a free borough by King John, who granted it a charter of incorporation, and many immunities and privileges. There are several beautiful churches and public buildings; but the cathedral, dedicated to St. Peter, outstrips them all. It stands on the site of an ancient monastery ; and was begun in 1318, but has since received many splendid additions. The whole length, from east to west, is four hundred and twenty feet, and from north to south a hundred and forty-four. The tower is an admirable piece of architecture, two hun- dred and forty feet high, and from the battlements 3.68 SH Aw's Tour ro Tri-E o . only a hundred and ninety-eight. The pillars are of the ponderous Saxon construction ; but the screens, the choir, and the Lady’s Chapel, are charmingly light. There is a whispering gallery from one side of the choir to the other, built in an octagonal forra, of eighty-four feet, but it is much inferior in effect to that of St. Paul’s. . . - The new county-gaol, on the west side of the town, near the Severa and quay, is an extensive aſſº superb building, designed on the plan of the philan- thropic Howard. . . ." . . . From hence they made an excursion of ten miles to Cheltenham, situated in a sandy vale, on the r north side of some rocky hills, some of which ate quite bare. This place is risen to great celebrity, on account of its salubrious spa, which was dis- covered since the commencement of the presenteen- tury. The modern improvements, that have takes, place here, the elegance of the entertainments, and the excellent accommodations for visiters, render Cheltenham a favourite summer retreat, both for the sick and the gay. - " From Cheltenham they proceeded to visit Sudely f Castle, in their way passing Southam, a seat of the Delaberes, and soon after ascending high hills, got upon the Coteswolds, which are generally chara- paign. Evening approaching, and the roads being both intricate and bad, they were glad to reach Winchcomb to sleep. . . . . Next morning they walked to Sudely Castle, in the vicinity, a place memorable in history, which has undergone many revolutions. It is now the pro- perty of Lord Rivers, with an ample estate belong- ing to it. Originally it had two quadrangles, the inner one built of stone, and the outer principally of wood. Part of this alone is now habitable. The shell of the church remains, and divine, service is performed monthly in a little chapel adjoining -- west of ENGLAND, . i Ög Here Queen Catharine Parr lies buried. After the death of Henry VIII. she married Lord Seymour, of this place, and lord high admiral of England. “I was informed,” says our tourist, “ that some curious people took up the body, some time since, and found it in perfect preservation.” Returning to Gloucester, next day they made another excursion into the Coteswolds, and enjoyed the various scenery of this romantic track, with some of the Gloucestershire Bottoms, as they are called, where the clothing manufacture is carried on to an extent and perfection unequalled. - Dine near Minching Hampton, from whence the road is flat and unpleasant, and proceeded to view the Great Tunnel, which forms part of the commu- nication between the Severn and the Thames. The Stroud Canal enters the Severn at Framilode, and is eight miles in length; the Isis, Canal is thirty-one miles long, and empties itself into the Thames at Lechlade. - - - From hence, in their way to Cirencester, they passed through the noble woods of Oakley, belong- ing to Earl Bathurst, whose seat is adjacent to that ancient town. The woods, park, and pleasure grounds occupy an area of not less than fifteen miles. Near the centre is a grand circular point, from which, like so many radii, issue ten spacious vistas, each with its appropriate scenery. Besides which are in- numerable other roads and walks, intersecting the woods in various directions. . . . . - Cirencester, the ancient Corinum, is situated on the small river Churn. The multiplicity of coins, checquered pavements, inscriptions, and other Ro- man antiquities, proves its former consequence. It is a large market town and borough, with two weekly markets. The quantity of wool sold here is almost incredible. - . . - "vol. iii. a - A | 70 SHAw's Tour. To THE The church is a handsome fabric, with rich painted windows, and its tower is extremely ma- jestic. - - - Return through another part of Oakley Woods, and pass a handsome alcove, dedicated to the im- mortal Pope, where, it is said, he used to retire, to indulge the creative sallies of his genius, when on a visit to his noble friend and patron. ...’ Soon after, they entered the great Gloucester road, and, proceeding in this line, reached the immense verge of Birdlip, whose summit is computed to be one thousand three hundred and fifty feet above the level of the Severn. Here the lovely and delicious vale of Gloucester again bursts on their view, with its fair city, to which they were glad to return, amidst clouds and rain. . - Y. Next afternoon, the weather clearing up, they travelled sixteen miles to Newport, in the Bristol road, and the following morning visited Berkeley Castle, more admirable for its antiquity than its beauty. On its history we cannot enter. Some of the principal scenes which have been acted here are well known, particularly the dreadful catastrophe of the weak but unfortunate Edward II. - . Mark the year, and mark the might, When Severn shall re-echo with affright, - - The shrieks of death, thro’ Berkeley’s roof that ring," Shricks of an agonizing king. GRAY's BARD. This noble castle, with one short alienation only, has been the baronial residence of the Berkeleys for mere than six hundred years. The surrounding tract is famous for producing the double Gloucester cheese, as it is called. The meadows here are un- commonly rich and fertile. - - - From hence drove to Thornbury, a decent, old town, with a beautiful church and tower. Adjacent to this are the noble remains of a castle, begun on a \ west of ENGLAND. 17 | most extensive plan by the Duke of Buckingham, in the reign of Henry VIII. The whole circumference of the walls measures twelve acres. “ In one corner,” says our tourist, “ is a remarkable fine echo, which, with a shrill voice and clear air, will repeat sixteen or eighteen times; and with a laughing voice, the repetition is wonderfully pleasing.” In the evening, after a delightful ride, arrive at Bristol. This whole city, standing on an uneven vale, partly in Somerset and Gloucestershire, though now a county of itself, is washed by the Avon and the Frome. Its origin is uncertain, nor is it mentioned in very early history; though it is now one of the largest and most wealthy in Great Britain, and only inferior to London, The merchants trade very largely to Guinea and the West Indies, besides carry- ing on a commerce with every part of Europe. Its situation for trade is most excellent, and its inhabit- ants avail themselves of their local advantages. The masts of ships along the quay, on the Avon, appear like a forest of trees. < * • : In this city are eighteen churches, with numerous public edifices and charitable institutions. The ca- thedral was founded in the reign of King Ste- phen, but possesses nothing very attractive. St. Mary Redcliff, however, is a most magnificent, Gothic pile. It was built by William Canning, a Very rich merchant, who, to avoid marrying the mis- tress of King Edward IV. entered into holy orders, and lies buried here. He has two monuments, one in his magistratal, the other in his sacerdotal robes. “We ascended,” says Mr. Shaw, “about forty steps up the tower, to see the refuse of old chests, from whence poor Chatterton is reported to have taken the manuscripts of Rowley’s poems: no atom of this kind remaining, our curiosity was satisfied, and we came down.” Bristol contains several good parades and squares. . Q 2 # 7 （2 SHAw’s Tour. To THE ‘.. The Custom-house is a fine building, with a piazza of Ionic pillars in front. The Exchange is an elegant pile, worthy of this great commercial place. During a short interval of fair weather, they made a pleasant excursion to the Hot Wells, distant about a mile and a half from the city. St. Vincent’s rocks here, which overhang the Avon, are really tremen- dous”. At the delightful village of Clifton, on the hill above, are numerous and elegant lodgings for invalids, in the purest air, which no doubt contri- butes, as much as the waters, to restore their health. From Bristol, they proceeded through Keinsham to Bath, a city of incomparable beauty, but too well known to require description. Here they staid for a few days, in ceaseless admiration of its elegance and amusements. The baths, the rooms, the public edifices, the private habitations, are all alike entitled to applause, and render this the finest city in the world. \ Various are the gentlemen's seats in the environs, so that amusement can never be wanting to the ac- tive, during a few weeks residence at this place; and invalids may constantly be gratified by scenes under their immediate view. The rides ºn Claverton and Lansdown are as picturesque as the air is salubrious. On the 24th of September, left Bath, and ascended the hill on the Wells road, from the summit of which had a noble retrospective view of the whole city. Made a digression, to inspect the free-stone quarries on Comb Down, adjoining Prior Park, the beautiful seat of the late amiable Mr. Allen. The cavern, from whence the stone is taken, is nearly three hundred yards long, and is wrought out into * Here the crystals called Bristol stones are found, which, in hardness and transparency, almost rival diamonds. west of ENGLAND. 17 3 various spacious and lofty apartments, regularly sup- ported by strong pillars, left for that purpose. The whole has a grand effect. - After dining at Old Down, a single house, in a bleak situation, they crossed the extensive range of Mendip hills. These run in a confused manner, but mostly from east to west. The soil is generally barren, or, at best, produces only heath and fern ; but the minerals below amply compensate for this poverty of vegetation. The lead found here is said to be harder than that of other countries, and is mostly converted into shot and bullets. On the western side of these hills is found abundance of lapis calaminaris, which, when calcined and ce- mented with copper, makes brass. Before the reign of Elizabeth, this mineral was held in very little es- timation, and ships for foreign parts sailed with it for ballast. Its value, however, is now ascer- tained, and it is applied to more beneficial pur- poses. - s - They now approached the ancient city of Wells, situated at the foot of the Mendip Hills, in a stony, springy soil, from whence it receives its appellation. The most famous and remarkable structures here are the cathedral and the bishop's palace. The western front of the former has long been admired, for its complete display of Gothic imagery. The titles of Bath and Wells were united in the reign of King Stephen. Before that period, indeed, Wells was the episcopal seat; but a dispute arising between the two cities about election and residence, it was then settled by a union. -- In the morning, went about three miles of bad road, to see the celebrated cavern, called Okey Hole, one of the greatest curiosities in the island ; and which our author thinks is as well worthy of a traveller's notice as that of Castleton, in Derby. , . *. Q. 3 - - x i 74 SHAw's Tour To Tng shire”. About five miles north-west of this, near the small town of Chedder, are large cliffs, and a stupendous chasm, as if split asunder by some vio- ient convulsion of nature ; and near the entrance is a remarkable spring of water, so large and rapid, that it turns a mill within a few yards of its source. Returning to Wells, they pursued their course to Glastonbury, along a pleasant champaign, passing over East Sedgemore, a green marsh of vast extent. They now ascended the hill, and came upon Glaston- bury, situated on the other side, with the vast Torr hanging almost over it, on whose summit is a tower, which is seen at a great distance from the sea. The venerable remains of this abbey at this place still evince the former magnificence of the structure; but nothing belonging to it is perfect, except the kitchen, an octagon, with its roof terminating in a point. Mr. Shaw, in common with other travellers, laments that so little care is taken to preserve the ruins from farther dilapidation. The property of the place is now vested in the Earl of Essex. In the adjacent orchard they were delighted to see the vast abundance of apples, which loaded the trees. Here too stands the trunk of the famous haw- thorn, which, in more superstitious times, was be- lieved to blow at Christmas. The fact is, it flowers twice a year, and is of a variety not common in this country. . ,3 - . *… Ascending the hill beyond, they rode along a fine terrace, commanding some charming landscapes, among the rest, the verdant plains of Sedgemore, containing about twenty-two thousand acres of land, which might easily be brought into cultivation. “There are the strongest proofs,” observes Mr. * For farther particulars of Wells and Okey Hole, see Sulivan’s Tour. . . ..s - WEST OF ENGLAND, 175 Shaw, “ that the sea was once in full possession of these moors.” It was in them the Cangi took refuge from the Romans ; and in those parts the Britons made their last efforts against the Saxons. To these places of refuge the Saxons, in their turn, also fled, when the fury of the Danes had converted the greatest part of the kingdom into a desert. At the conflux of the Thone and the Parret stands the island of Athelney, famous in history for being the spot where Alfred found an asylum from those barbarians, which place was then inaccessible, by standing pools and inundations. Descending into the flat, soon reached the ancient town and port of Bridgewater, a populous and busy place, situated on the river Parret. This town was regularly fortified in the civil wars, and sustained se- veral sieges. It had the honour of giving birth to the illustrious Admiral Blake, the chief glory of the English maritime power under the Commonwealth. In the church is a fine altar piece of our Saviour taken from the Cross, by Guido, which cost 700l. a present from one of the Pawlett family. : Made a digression from the great road to Enmore Castle, the noble seat of Lord Egmont, built in the ancient style of a baronial residence, with a foss and drawbridge. The hall is a well-adapted room, adorned with family busts and coats of arms. A curious geometric stair-case conducts to the upper apartments, some of which are very spacious, and profusely decorated with paintings. - From hence they crossed into the Taunton road, passing a pleasant seat and park belonging to Lady Tynte, who keeps a fine aviary. The farms and small cottages in this vicinity are surrounded with orchards, filled with delicious fruit. Reach North Petherton, a village ornamented with a fine Gothic tower, so frequent in the west ; * .* - * . . . - - { % 176 SHAw's Tour. To THE - and after a transient view of some gentlemen’s seats, arrive at Taunton. This is a large and opulent town, built on the river Tone, and environed by that rich tract of land, commonly called Taunton Dean. The market- place is remarkably spacious and neat. Here are two parish churches, one with a very beautiful Gothic tower. The woollen manufacture is still carried on here : but is in a less flourishing state than in former times, when Taunton was reputed “one of the eyes of this country.” The castle was once of great strength, and was an object of great contention during the civil wars. The townsmen. taking a very active part in favour of the parliament, Charles II. at the restoration, demolished the castle, and took away the charter of incorporation, which was not restored till seventeen years afterwards. The electors for this borough are all pot-wabblers, so that fires are frequently lighted in the streets, on the eve of an election, to give publicity to the right the voters have to exercise their franchise. } In the evening proceeded to Wellington, a poor market town, chiefly distinguished for having been the residence and place of sepulture of Lord Chief Justice Popham. . . . Early next morning, under a very favourable sky and bright sunshine, they reached Columpton, a tolerable town, where the woollen manufacture is carried on to a considerable extent. The soil in this tract is various : on the hills, which prevail, it is barren ; in the lower grounds, fruitful. From hence to Exeter, they traversed much hilly ground, and enjoyed many picturesque views of the country, particularly from the summit of Stoke Hill, which affords a glorious, circular prospect, the ground gradually falling every way, from this centre, into a deep and beautiful yale, enriched with various weST OF ENGLAND. 177 seats, villages, and the fair city of Exeter, the vast circumference rising again into a noble range of verdant mountains, crowned with sea-mark towers. The common traffic and business of this county are done by horses, with panniers and crooks. The former are well known, but the latter seem to be peculiar to the west. They are simply four bent, heavy sticks, in the shape of panniers, but the ends project over the rider’s head. In these awkward ve- hicles they carry large loads of hay, or garden ve- getables. The country people frequently ride in a prodigious large boot, of wood and leather, hung, instead of a stirrup, to the horse's sides, which they call gambades”. . 2. Exeter, the capital of this county, is a very an- cient city, built on a gradual descent, on the east side of the river Ex. It was the Isa Danmoniorum of the Itimerary; and the Pen-Caer of the Britons. During the lapse of many centuries, it has under- gone numerous revolutions, which our limits will not permit us to record. { - On the highest part of the hill, on which this city is built, and on the north-east extremity, stand the remains of Rougemont Castle, so called from the redness of the soil. It was built before the conquest, and held out some time against the Norman invader. Its terrace and walls afford a delightful prospect of the city and circumjacent country. - The streets and buildings in general wear the ve- nerable aspect of antiquity. The principal street is very long and spacious, terminated on the west by an elegant bridge over the river. . In the eastern part stands the cathedral, originally a monastery, * Our author very properly makes a query, if Bunbury did not take the idea of his burlesque horsemanship of Geoffrey Gambodo, from this circumstance. . - 178 SHAw's roup. To THE . founded by King Athelstan for Benedictine-monks, and converted into an episcopal see by Edward the Confessor. Various were the additions made to the pile for nearly four hundred years; yet our tourist observes, “the uniformity is so congruous, as to ap- pear like the workmanship of one architect.” The external appearance, however, is heavy and unplea- sant; the interior is in every respect magnificent and attractive. The whole length, including the library beyond the altar, is three hundred and ninety feet, the breadth seventy, and the transept a hun- dred and thirty-five. The whole has undergone re- cent and judicious repairs. The west window is finely adorned with painted glass by the celebrated TMr. Picket of York. The screen displays much fancy and magnificence. The throne is of curious work- manship, and the carvings of the canopy are sixty feet high. Several persons of note lie here under splendid tombs. The only other public building we shall mention, is the Devon and Exeter Hospital, standing at a small distance to the eastward of the city. It was founded by Dr. Alured Clarke, dean of this church, in 1740, and is a most benevolent and useful in- stitution. - The woollen business, though less flourishing than formerly, still employs a great number of hands in the environs. Dye-houses and drying-frames cover the banks of the river. Leaving Exeter, they ascend the immense hill of Halldown, and, half way up, had a charming view of Halldown House, the elegant seat of Sir Robert Palke, bart. built after the manner of Buckingham House, and well surrounded with plantations. Gaining the barren, flinty summit of the mountain, they had one of the noblest and most extensive land- scapes which this kingdom affords, including objects too numerous to particularize, but which well re- **. r west of ENGLAN D. * 179 paid them for the labour of the ascent. Evening closing in, they hastened to the town of Chudleigh, in the immediate vicinity of which stands Ugbrook, a seat of the Cliffords. Early next morning, they proceeded to Ashburton, one of the four stannary towns of the county. . It is a neat well-built place, of one street, with a large \ handsome church, and claims the privilege of a f - borough by prescription. . . . - Arrive at Ivy Bridge, in their way to Plymouth ; but the weather was too unfavourable to allow them to examine the beauties of this romantic place. They now approached Plymouth, in the vicinity of which are some capital seats, particularly Mount. Edgecumb and Saltram. Plymouth is situated between two large inlets, formed by the union of the Plym and the Tamar, with the Channel, which constitute a noble bay, for ships of the largest burden. , The inlet of the sea, which runs up many miles to the Tamar, is called Hamoaze, and divides Devon from Cornwall. The other, which receives the Plym, is called Catwater, a harbour principally devoted to trading vessels. The docks at Plymouth were begun in the reign of King William, and are now brought to the highest - perfection. The fort was built by Charles II. The streets and buildings of the Old Town are narrow and disagreeable; but there are two handsome churches. . After a cursory survey of Plymouth, they set out for Mount Edgecumb, the noble seat of the earl of the same title, situated on the opposite side of Hamoaze, proceeding through Stonehouse, a popu- lous place, to the Dock, which surprised them with a display of spacious streets, intersecting each other in right angles in an elegant style. Quitting their carriage, they crossed the passage, which is three quarters of a mile over ; and ringing {SO sHAw's Tour. To THE - a bell, a person attended to shew the charming resi- dence of Lord Mount Edgecumb. - ~ A gradual ascent up a lawn brought them to the mansion, an ancient Gothic structure, with three fronts: the east looking full on the Sound. The in- ternal improvements, then in hand, prevented them from viewing the pictures and apartments, which are correspondent to the magnificence of the situ- ation: but they found enough to gratify curiosity, and to delight the eye in the pleasure-grounds and plantations. They now proceeded along a terrace, lately gra- velled, which commands a fine view of the harbour, and many other capital scenes; among the rest, Lord Borringdom's charming residence at Saltram, embo- somed in woods, and backed by the Devon Hills. South-east, in the Sound, at a smali distance from the shore, rises a high crag, called Mewstone, to which, some years ago, a poor fellow was trans- sported for seven years, and quietly remained here during that period, without setting his foot on other land. - * After being hid in foliage, they reached the large terrace beyond the park, when the watery expanse burst on their view in all its majesty; and, with a glass, they could plainly discern the Eddystone Light House, four leagues distant, where the ingenious Mr. Winstanley, the architect, lost his life, in a ter- rible hurricane, November 27, 1703, and the whole fabric, since rebuilt by Mir. Smeaton, was plunged into the sea. — , N. From this terrace they descended through serpen- time bowers of evergreens, to what is called Lady Tamer's Garden : and again mounting the hill, by similar zig-zags, to the terrace, enjoyed a fine view of Cawsand Bay and the vicinity. Winding round they next came to the Gothic alcove, with its appro. priate scenery. . . ... - . " ** {} W. CST OF ENGE, AND. j 3 ] Entering the deer park, on the summit of the hill, they saw a lofty parish-church, from the tower of which signals are hoisted, as it commands an im- mense circular prospect, Descending the common walk to the house, they reached the white alcove, so placed as to embrace new and charming prospects, and crossing the grounds in the front of ... soon reached a battery of twenty-two guns, for the purpose of sa- lutes. Last of all, they visited the Orangery, a capital building, where the fruit ripens in almost equal per- fection with that in more southern climates. Leaving those enchanting scenes, they refreshed themselves at the passage-house called Cremil, and returned across, to examine the docks, which it is difficult to obtain permission to do, without some in- troduction. The whole space contains about seventy acres, in which are houses for the proper officers, and every convenience for building and equipping ships of the first magnitude. Having visited the most striking features of this place, they determined to proceed about forty miles into Cornwall, to gain some knowledge of its valu- able mines. By Leskeard, is the best and easiest road to St. Austie and Truro; but in order to enjoy as much as possible of the marine prospects, they again crossed the passage at Dock, and leaving Mount Edgecumb on the left, passed on the sands to Milbrook, where they saw the king's brewery ; and then ascended through steep and rough roads to Craftshole, a mean village. The farmers here were busy manuring their land with a peculiar kind of sand, drawn mostly by bullocks, which they coax along by an unpleasant monotony of language; “ a custom,” says Mr. Shaw, “ that seems more efficacious than the more, violent persuasion of blows and whips.” 2. Vol. III. * R. # 82 sHAw's Tour. To THE Their object was now to reach Loo, without losing sight of the sea. With a carriage it was deemed almost impracticable ; however, they set out, and during the narrow zig-zag descent, the few inhabi- tants they passed gazed on their vehiele as a kind of raree-show, from being so little accustomed to see one on this perilous road, - After much fatigue, they descended in safety, and proceeded to the Bay of White Sand. From hence the road was so narrow and difficult, that they de- viated a little to the right, and soon came to East Loo, a small town, separated only by the river of that name from West Loo. The scene here is truly picturesque. Opposite the mouth of the river is a small island, on which lives the man who had for- merly been banished to Mewstone, and who, by his. diligence, gains a comfortable subsistence. At the proper season of the year, it is a grand resort for sea-fowl, for the purpose of incubation. - \ After dinner, they crossed a bridge of thirteen arches, and passed through West Loo, in their way to Lostwithiel; but the road became so intricate, and the evening so dark and rainy, that they were glad to hire a guide with a lanthorn. The wind blew hard, and before they reached the place, ex- tinguished their only light; however, after being five hours in travelling eleven miles, they safely. reached Lostwithiel. ** When they arrived at the hotel, as the inns in this country are generally denominated, all was mirth and gladness, as it was the night of the election of the mayor. - - Yº: . . In the morning of October the ist, they proceeded eight miles farther to St. Austle, over a smooth but hilly road, and began to find themselves within the precincts of the mines. . St. Austle is a pleasant little town, on the west- side of a hill, about two miles from the shore. The - - - 1. - west of ENGLAND. 2- . 183 streets and buildings were superior to any thing they had lately seen. - - “ This happy spot,” remarks Mr. Shaw, “is blest by a peculiar favour, with all the comforts and riches of life, without feeling the inconveniences and trou- blesome broils of a borough ; and from being the capital of those inestimable mines, so peculiar to this country, may justly be called the Peru of Great- Britain.” -- About two miles south-west of this place, begin the mines, consisting of three principal works ; the largest, which they now visited, is called Polgonth, and belongs to the Earl of Arundel. Without the inconvenience of descending one hundred and four- teen fathoms, they saw every process on the surface. Whens and engines perform their operations here on a large scale ; and the mines are kept dry by Bolton's fire engines. One of them evacuates a hog- shead in a minute. In undermining and propping the pits, great art and ingenuity are used, and every six hours there is a relief of men. The ore is brought up in various sizes and mixture; which they pound, wash, and then separate the mundic by fire ; this inflexible substance evaporating in poisonous smoke. After dinner, at St. Austle, they walked a short way, to inspect the smelting-houses of Messrs. Fox and Co. which are excessively curious, particularly the blowing-house, for making what is called grain tin, which can only be obtained from the purest ore, called shoad, mostly collected on the surface, or among the sands, by stream works. This valuable process is about one hundred and fifty years old, and is entirely confined to this place and its immediate vicinity. The grain tin is produced from the strongest heat of charcoal ; whereas the other, called lode, is smelted and separated from its alloy by come mon sea-coal. The flux is greatly improved, by - B 2 . . | 84 SHAw's Tour. To THE adding iron to its ore, and is then laded into stone troughs, containing about three hundred pounds weight of metal, called slabs or blocks. A block of common tin is worth 121. the other will fetch 141. - - The profits of these mines are thus divided : the proprietor has a fifteenth of the net produce, the bounderer the same, and the prince of Wałes, as duke of Cornwall, receives 4s. per cwt. amounting to upwards of 10,000i. per annum. The whole pro- duce of the country is about ten thousand blocks an- nually, to the value of nearly 200,000l. Each miner undertakes what share of the work he pieases; but the produce of his labour is a mere lottery. They may earn 201. per month, per week, per day, or even not twenty farthings. Some, therefore, make ample fortunes; others sink into the lowest abyss of poverty. - The sample tryer examines the specimens brought to market, and fixes the price, according to the pu- rity of the metal, with the utmost precision. Tin grains will yield five parts in eight of metal, whereas tin stones, or ore, with produce only one in thirty, or even in double or quadruple that number. - Through the sample tryer's hands all the weekly payments pass, at the rate of nearly 400l. a week. From an intelligent miner at this place, they ob- tained very accurate information respecting the cop- per mines in the neighbourhood of Truro, which time would not permit them to visit. The principal are, Huel Busy, Powldice, and Huel Virgin conso- lidated ; and Ale Cakes and Pow!dorey also united. The expences of those mines are about 4700l. a month ; and the highest possible returns 10,000l. Since the discovery of the rich Paris mountain mines, the flourishing condition of the Cornish copper works has been much depressed. . - The principal copper, lead, and tin mines, in west of ENGLANP. | 85 Cornwall and Devonshire, all direct their courses from the north-east to the east points, parallel to each other, dipping to the north or south, according to the inclination of the hill in which they are found. The same, we are told, is observed in other mines in England, Scotland, and Wales, except that belong- ing to the Duke of Devonshire, at Ecton Hill in Staf- fordshire, which, contrary to all, hitherto known in the universe, sinks perpendicularly down, widening at the bottom, in the form of a bell. It is computed that there are not fewer than forty thousand miners daily under ground in the tin mines of Cornwall ; yet those people, amidst darkness and confinement, seem as happy as others who possess a wider range of action. Throughout the whole world, it is probable, millions of souls are doomed to this kind of subterraneous employment, and many live and die without ever seeing the light of the sun. This reflection to us is a melancholy one ; yet we must not estimate the enjoyment or the misery of others by our own feelings. - ... The five coinage towns, or stannary courts, are Leskeard, Lostwithiel, Truro, Helston, and Pen- Zance, to one of which all tin must be carried, to be weighed, coined, and pay the impost to the duke of Cornwall. The courts are held before the lord warden and his substitutes, and here the miners can only sue and be sued. St. Austle, though not an ancient stannary town, has now more business than all the rest; and a court is held here every six weeks. - - Before courts were instituted for settling differences and disputes, the whole was a scene of confusion and bloodshed between the proprietors of the land and the miners. Now each knows his respective rights, or if they are questioned, the means of appeal are at hand. & * - “ All ranks in this country,” says Mr. Shaw, “ are - R 3 3. - } 186 SHAw’s Tour. To THE very sociable, generous, and kind to each other; and as they have little intercourse with the rest of the island, according to the proverb, All Cornish gen- tlemen are cousins.” It is the same with the Welsh, between whom and the Cornish there is a great con- formity of manners and customs. “I was greatly pleased,” continues our author, “ to see the respect and veneration which the lower class have for the gentlemen round them, from whose assistance and protection they seem to derive a great share of hap- piness.” * w Besides the various other sorts of stones, spars, &c. with which this county abounds, there is a cu- rious one, called the Warming Stone, frequently found here, which, once heated, will continue warm for eight or ten hours. The swimming stone is also peculiar to this track. It is composed of rectilinear . lamina, as thin as paper, intersecting each other in all directions, and leaving unequal cavities between them, which structure renders it so cellular, as to swim on water. The asbestos, or amianthus, of which the ancients made imcombustible linen, is also a native of Cornwall. Returned to Lostwithiel, the Uzella of Ptolemy. It is a small town, in a valley washed by the river Fowey; but supposed to have been formerly of con- siderable extent; and indeed vestiges of this are fre- quently discovered in digging. Here the earl of Essex, who commanded the par- liament army, was so hemmed in by the king's forces, that his men were almost starved ; and him- self, with a few others, escaped by water to Fowey, and afterwards to Plymouth. In this siege, the fine steeple of the church was much damaged. … The Fowey, which was formerly navigable to this town, produces abundance of fish ; among other species, some excellent trout and salmon, Like the rest of the rivers in this peninsula, its course w EST OF ENGLAND. 187 is very short ; but at the town of Fowey, six miles below, it is large enough to form a capacious harbour. Returning eastward again, towards Leskeard, they made a deviation from the road, to view Raistormal Castle, the ancient residence of the dukes of Corn- wall, situated on a large eminence behind Mr. Gre- gor's pleasant house and plantations. Its base court only presents a few ruins: the inner court, founded on an intrenched rock, was round, and extremely strong. - 4. Re-entering the turnpike-road, on a wild, extensive heath, no pleasing object attracted the eye, except a lofty pyramid on their right, belonging to Lord Ca- melford, at Boconnock; while to their left, the hills reared their heads in alpine nakedness. Approaching Leskeard, they ascended a vast hill, through Lady Park, the property of Lord Elliott, whose residence is at St. German's, about six miles eastward. Leskeard is a large borough town, situated on two hills. It has a fine old church, near which formerly stood a strong castle, now totally demolished. This place was once an episcopal see. A Being one of the great annual fairs, the streets were chiefly crowded with sheep and oxen. The in- terest of this borough is vested in Lord Elliott. From hence tiley passed over a hilly country, in- terspersed with rich valleys, and soon reach Kelling- ton, a very ancient borough, with some tolerable buildings. Here they found the choice of a new mayor joyfully expressed by ringing and festivity. In the evening proceeded over extensive heaths to Tavistock, crossing the Tatuar, by an excellent bridge of six arches. About three miles below, at Beeral- stone, are some rich lead and silver mines; and this. is no doubt the place where, in the reign of Edward I. near sixteen hundred weight of silver was obtained in the course of three years. For a long time they ... i. 88 sHAw's Tour. To THE lay dormant; but have lately produced three or four plates of silver per month. • , - Tavistock is lonely situated, on the river Tave, on a sandy soil, not destitute of cultivation or fertility. It is a pretty large place, consisting of several toler- able streets, with a spacious old church, which has the singular appearance of the naves of three com- mon churches united. This town, in former times, derived much splendor from its abbey, founded by Ordulph, son of Ordgar, earl of Devon, in the reign of Edgar, about 961. This Ordulph, we are told by Malmesbury, was a man of such a gigantic stature, that he could stride over a river ten feet wide, and of such amazing strength, that he could break bars of iron. - Of the abbey, founded by him, little now remains, save a few unconnected walls. On the dissolution, the site of the monastery, with the borough, and the advowson of the church, were given by Henry VIII. to Russel, afterwards created Earl of Bedford, and in his descendants they still remain vested. The borough is governed by a portrieve, annually chosen by the freeholders at the lord's court. - Instead of taking the direct road to Exeter, over Dartmore Forest, by Moreton, they made a digres- sion, in order to visit Lydford waterfall. In their way pass over an extensive down, with fine prospects on their left, and Dartmore on their right. This track, which gives rise to the River Dart, is a moun- tainous forest made by King John, and was formerly noted for its tin mines. It is about twenty miles long, and fourteen broad, affording pasture for many thousands of sheep and cattle. . When the tin mines were in a flourishing state, the. miners were obliged, by charter, to assemble their court on a noted hill, in the forest, called Crokerm Torr. In this desolate spot, without shelter, refresh- ment, or even a seat, except a moor stone, they some- W. EST OF ENG i, ANI). 189: times met to the number of two hundred or more; but inamediately after were adjourned by their stew- ard, to one of the stannary towns, where the price of metal was fixed, and all differences adjusted. . A few miles farther, they pass an immense rock, on the summit of which stands Brent Torr Church, a noted sea mark, though twenty miles from the coast. At the foot of the next descent, approach the vicinity of the waterfall, which they viewed with plea- sure and satisfaction. *. This remarkable cataract, is formed by a small stream running into the river Lyd, over a romantic rock, sweetly clothed with wood. Winding about half way down this crag, you are presented with a continued, silvery chain of water, for two hundred feet, neither too perpendicular to be one confused heap, nor too much divided to be too ungraceful. Towards the bottom, the rock projects so favourably, as to imitate the effect of a real fountain, while the water falls softly in a silver shower. Descending below, the upward view is most enchanting. The late rains had given it the greatest degree of perfee- tion, and being almost unique in this part of the island, it appeared to our tourist more striking than any waterfal he had seen in the north. . Lydford, now reduced to a small village, was for- merly a town of note, and sent burgesses to parlia- ment. The ruins of its castle are still visible. Approaching Oakehampton, they had some forest scenery, chiefly the sylvan remains of the old park, where once the Earls of Devonshire had a noble cas- tle, now in ruins, and long since alienated. Part of the keep, and some fragments of the high walls re- main, to attest the former solidity and strength of this pile. . x Oakehampton is an ancient borough, standing in a vale, washed by the river Oke, at the distance of a mile from the parish, which is charmingly, but in \ $ 9ty SHAw’s Tour to THE - conveniently, situated on a hill, amidst a thick grove. Here, is a small cloth manufacture, which was once very considerable. . After dinner, they were served with the usual des- sert in this country, of tarts and clotted cream ; “a composition,” says Mr. Shaw, “to me more pleasing than any thing I had ever tasted.” This essence of milk is formed by scalding the whole, as it comes from the cow, and letting it stand about a day. The top is then skimmed off, which makes the clotted Cream. In the evening proceeded to Crockern Well, the half-way house to Exeter, and after a night's repose, by the assistance of an additional post-horse, they overcame the difficulties of the hitis, and moved ex- peditiously through delightful scenery, to the fair city which they had only left a week before, “ It occurs to me,” says our tourist, “to mention an idea of grandeur and opulence, not to be found elsewhere in Great Britain, if on the whole face of the globe—that by a more rapid abbreviation of this western tour, a person might sleep twelve nights at twelve different cities, viz. London, Oxford, Worces- ter, Hereford, Gloucester, Bristol, Bath, Wells, Exe- ter, Salisbury, Winchester, and Westminster. This idea,” continues he, “is still more, enlarged, when we consider the superiority of our English roads, and every accommodation to facilitate travelling. When we hear of the comparative difficulties our forefathers had to struggle with, even within the last half century, we are astonished at the difference. What was then deemed a journey of some days, and not to be attempted without the utmost precaution and deliberation, is now accomplished with the greatest ease in a few hours.” . - in order to complete the remainder of their tour, much resembling, in its outlines, the figure of eight; they now direct their course south-east, towards Dor- & WEST of ENGLAN p." I g? chester. The roads became more level, and the bounding inclosures, of arable and pasture, glowed with fertility, while the happy seedsman, scattering round his showers of grain, hailed the smiling season with the voice of melody. Thus they journied, till they came to the brow of a hill, within six miles of Honiton, when one of the sweetest scenes of cultivation they had ever beheld, burst on their sight. This beauteous vale may be styled the Garden of Devon. In it stands Escott, the seat of Sir George Young, a fine old pile, most-de- lightfully situated. A little farther, the river Otter meanders, in the most picturesque style, between its banks, studded with cots, which compose the village of Veniton, fa- mous for a battle fought against the Cornish rebels, in the reign of Edward VI. . Honiton is a meat, borough town, situated on the Otter, in a charming country. It sends two members to parliament, and is governed by a portrieve, an- nually chosen at the court of the lord of the manor. in consequence of a dreadful fire, in 1747, which burnt down the greatest part of the old houses, this town now wears a pleasing, modern aspect. The principal street has a clear stream running through it; with a square dipping place opposite to each door. .. The first manufacture of serges was introduced into Devonshire, at this towa; but at present the inhabitants are chiefly employed in lace making. It may be worthy of remark, that the market was held here before the reign of King John on Sundays; but was changed by his direction to Saturdays. . Reached Axminster at might, a considerable mar- ket-town, situated on the river Axe, from which, and a minster, erected by King Athelstan, it derives its name. The manufacture of this place is chiefly car- pets, which are in high estimation, and by some re- * 92 sHAw's Tour. To THE puted superior to those fabricated at Wilton. The lowest price is 13s. per yard, and from thence their value may be increased, according to the fineness, to almost any sum. Leaving this town, they soon entered Dorsetshire, and the stratum changes to a sand and flint. - For several miles, travel on a noble terrace, com- manding the sea and Portland Island, with various other striking or picturesque objects. They now came opposite to Lyme Regis, a bo- rough town, governed by a mayor and burgesses, with a pier and harbour, of singular ingenuity. Having neither creek nor bay to form a port, the in- habitants, with grent cost and labour, constructed a massy pile of building, composed of vast rocks washed up from the sea. The principal mound ex- tends some distance into the main sea, and is so wide as to admit of various buildings and warehouses, with a street for carriages. Opposite to this is a similar pile, which crosses the end of the first, and then forms a parallel to it. Ships enter by the point of the first wall, while the second, breaking the violence of the sea, they pass into the bason, and ride with as much security as if in a wet dock. This curious work is called a Cobb, and is firm enough to carry any num- ber of guns. –, r - At this place the unfortunate Duke of Monmouth landed June 1 1, 1685. So popular was his name, that the imprudence of his enterprise did not at first appear. He found numbers fiock to his standard ; but on Sedgmoor, near Bridgewater, all his hopes. were blasted. His troops, after a gallant combat of three hours, were forced to fly; and soon after he lost his head on the scaffold. They now descended to the agreeable village of Charmouth, close to the sea, where the piratical Danes beat the English in two engagements: the first time in 831, the second in 839. Here the chil- WEST OF ENGLANI). - 103. dren ran after them, offering pawns and other marine productions for sale. Visited the curious fossil col- lection of a labourer, of the name of Lloyd, who has accumulated many rare articles, and sells them on moderate terms. ', * - In this vicinity a remarkable phenomenon was ob- served in August 1751. After very hot weather, fol- lowed by sudden rain, the cliffs near Charmouth began to smoke, and soon after to burn with a visible but subtle flame, which continued to be the case at intervals for some weeks, especially after rain. On examining those cliffs, a great quantity of martial pyrites was found, with marcasites, that yielded near a tenth of common sulphur, of cornua ammonis, and other shells, all crusted with pyritical matter. These substances were interspersed in large masses through the earth, which consisted of a dark- coloured loam, impregnated with bitumen, to the depth of forty feet. There was also found a dark- coloured substance, which appeared to be a martial vitriol. A gentleman on the spot, having laid about a hundred pounds of all these substances in a heap, exposed to the air, and sprinkled them daily with water; in the course of little more than a week, they grew hot, soon after caught fire, and burnt till they Were consumed. . - Ascending the hills again, they enjoyed a conti- nuation of the same beautiful scenery. In this track much flax is raised, and abundance of apples. The soil, though not very rich, is much improved by lime and other manures. . . * , Dine at Bridport, a very neat town, with a spacious principal street, about the centre of which stands an excellent modern market-house. In former times, this town was much more consi- derable than it is at present. It was first created into a borough by Henry III. ; is governed by two Vol. III. S - igº SHAw's Tour. To THE ailiffs and a recorder, and sends two members to parliament. - ! The piers and harbour, which once added greatly to its opulence, are now gone to decay; nor is there any longer security for ships, which are driven by stress of weather into this deep and periious bay. Abundance of hemp is cultivated in the environs, which the natives are very expert in twisting into ropes and lines of all sizes. . After dinner, proceed to Weymouth, over a country delightfully varied and highly picturesque. In their way they passed Winterburn, Upway, and Broadway, and soon after Melcombe Regis, to Wey- mouth. These two places are only separated by the river Wey, and were formerly distinct boroughs; but incessant variance existing between them, respecting their privileges, Elizabeth formed them into one cor- poration, by which union they enjoy their common rights, and flourish together. - A wooden bridge of many arches, forms a comi- munication between them; but Melcombe possesses neither elegance nor extent, while Weymouth is im- proved by all the advantages of good building and spacious streets. x Being one of the most fashionable marine bathing places, there are excellent lodgings and accommo- dations. The range of buildings, called Gloucester Row, York Buildings, and the Esplanade, are truly elegant and desirable, from their contiguity to the sands. The bay is a beautiful semicircle of two miles, happily protected from winds and tempests, by the surrounding hills; and, in short, every cir- cumstance conspires to render this the best and most convenient bathing place in the kingdom. . In the morning they were confined within doors, for some hours, by the rain; but clearing up after noon, they drove to the Isle of Portland, a peninsula, wFST of ENGLAND. # 95 joined to the main land by a prodigious beach or ridge of pebbles, parallel to which runs a narrow creek ; which must be ferried over. “To contem- plate,” says our author, “this wonderful wail, it is necessary to ride or walk along its summit, where the extent and security of this immoveable bulwark will more fully appear.” Its materials, at the edge of the water, are about the size of a walnut, gradually diminishing to common gravel, yet, small and inad- hesive as such substances are, they are capable of resisting the most violent storms, and of preserving the adjacent country from intundation. The two castles, on the opposite shores, named Portland and Sandsfoot, were built in the reign of Henry VIII. but possess nothing now to attract łłóżl Ce. - ; ~ Portland is about nine miles round, and is divided into seven villages, all belonging to one parish. The first they arrived at is called Chiswell, the next For- tune's Well, on the hill stands Rayfourth and Wake- ham, to the west, Westown, and to the south, South- well. The population is computed at one thousand seven hundred souls. . . -- - Having procured saddle horses, they mounted the vast hill of Fortune-well, and had a perspective view of the whole island, divided into large inclosures by stone walls. The whole has a dreary aspect, being entirely destitute of wood and fuel. In almost every part of the island are seen those immense quarries, from which our best buildings are formed. Crossing the island, they reached the ruins of the old castle, which must have been very strong, before the invention of ordnance; yet it was forced and won by Robert, earl of Gloucester, in 1343, in be- half of his sister Maude, the empress. At this place, in 1588, the Spanish armada attempted to land, but was repulsed with great loss, and two of - $ 2 196 SHAw’s Tour to THE the largest ships belonging to it were carried into Weymouth. - - From hence is a noble view of the Race of Port- land, so called from the striving of two currents, midway between this and the French coast. This agitation of the waves is so dangerous, that even in calm weather, it is unsafe to pass it. N. The cliffs on this side are rent in a very awful form, as if occasioned by some convulsion of na- ture. From hence too they plainly discerned Peve- Tell Point, a vast heap of undermined rocks, at the angle of the Isle of Purbeck. On this spot the Halsewell East Indiaman, and her unfortunate crew, met with their untimely fate. “ The wind,” observes Mr. Shaw, “blowing hard, and the waves rolling high, recalled that shocking scene more warmly to our imagination.” Returning to the inn, their landlord shewed them a very curious relic of Saxon antiquity, called the Reeve poll, on which staff every acre of land in the island is marked, and by which the bailiff col- lects the king's dues, as lord of the manor, at the rate of 3d. per acre. The sum to be paid is dis- tinguished by notches of different sizes, from a far- thing to 10s. 7#d. the highest rent paid. On their departure, the natives flocked round them, offering various curiosities for sale, such as ore, spar, fossils, and a sea-weed, called plocamon, or isis hair, not unlike coral. r - Arriving at Weymouth to dinner, from this ex- cursion, next morning early they attended the bathing. The machines for this purpose are pretty numerous, and busily employed, and dancing on the surface of the gently-agitated water, illuminated with a rising sun, presented one of the prettiest moving pictures that imagination can conceive. Bidding adieu to Weymouth, they ascended west of ENGLAND. 197 Ridgeway Hill, from whence there is a charming prospect of the sea and the adjacent country. Be- yond this, on the right, is the old mansion of Re- ringston ; and on the left, immediately behind the village of Monckton, they surveyed Maiden Castle, one of the most ancient fortifications in the king- dom, which, according to tradition, was never lost or won. Antiquaries consider it as a summer sta- tion of the Romans. It consists of a treble foss and rampart, each very deep and high, surrounding. an area of nearly forty acres, to which there are only two places of access. Numerous tumuli are dispersed on the neighbour- ing downs, which, from time to time, have been opened, but nothing more than bones or a few coins have been discovered. The prospect from hence is very extensive, and takes in some of the hills of the Isle of Wight. . . . . . -- About half a mile from Dorchester, close on the right, is another curious antiquity, called Mambury, inclosing an acre of ground, and raised in form of a Roman amphitheatre. Dorchester, the capital of Dorset, is a place of great antiquity, the Durnovaria of Antonine. The Frome here makes a kind of island, and passing Wareham, afterwards empties itself into the sea at This is a handsome town, and in a flourishing condition. A dreadful fire, in 1631, which con- sumed almost the whole, except the large church of St. Peter, gave rise to its present regularity. It consists of three spacious principal streets, which meet in the centre, eontains three churches, a good market-place, and a town-hall, and is under the government of a mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses. It had anciently a castle, out of the ruins of which, and on the same site the Grey Friars afterwards built, their convent. . . . . . . . . . . s 3 108 SHAw’s Tour. To THE The walks that circumscribe nearly two-thirds of the town, are very pleasant, and the circumjacent country is fertile and champaign. It is computed that six or seven hundred thousand sheep are fed within a circle of six miles; and the quantity of corn produced here is proportionable. Passing through the eastern street which leads to Blandford, a handsome new gaol, on the plan of Howard, presents itself. The road in this direction, which was formerly very bad, and subject to floods, is now made perfectly safe and agreeable. The seats in this vicinity are numerous, and highly worthy of a traveller's attention, particularly Milton Abbey, the residence of Lord Milton, whose im- provements have greatly heightened the natural beauties of the situation ; but they were so unfor- tunate not to have leisure to visit them. In their progress, several other seats agreeably caught their attention, among the rest, Stinsford, and about a mile farther on the same side, King- ston, a large mansion, surrounded with fine lawns and extensive plantations belonging to a branch of the Rivers' family. The country onwards is mostly open, and appropriated to the breeding of sheep and the growth of corn. Pass through Piddleton, once a market-town, near which the Earl of Orford has an agreeable seat. Milborn St. Andrew, the next village, had the honour of giving birth to the famous John Morton, who afterwards became archbishop of Canterbury, and was very instrumental in uniting the houses of York and Lancaster. A little beyond this, had a view of the noble seat of Mr. E. Morton Pleydell, descended from the same family as the archbishop. Leaving the village of Whitchurch, they entered on a long range of bleak hills and downs, which continued to Blandford, a pleasant town on the river Stour, from whence there is a delightful view - west of ENGLAND. 190 of Brianston, the noble mansion of Mr. Portman, and of other inferior places. A beautiful sweep of various-tinted foliage, called the cliff, impending over the river, leads the eye to this superb pile, which is newly erected, of Portland stone. This domain was anciently held by the following singu- lar tenure : “That the owner should find a man to go before the king's army forty days, bare headed and bare footed, in his shirt and linen drawers, holding in one hand a bow without a string, and in the other an arrow without feathers.” Blandford is a borough-town, and gives the title of Marquis to the Dukes of Marlborough. Being burnt down in 1731, it arose like another phoenix from its ashes, but with fresh lustre. * Instead of continuing their route to Salisbury, the direct road, they made a deviation to Winborn, in order to visit the Isle of Wight. On Bradbury. Down, about two miles from Winborn, on their left, they saw a hill, now crowned with firs, where once stood a castle, by tradition assigned as a seat of the West-Saxon kings. A treble rampart alone marks the spot; but, from some Roman antiqui- ties being dug up here, there is a probability of its being a summer station of the Romans, who had a winter one at Winborn. . . - Wimborn, the ancient Windogladia, had formerly a monastery, built by Cuth Burga, sister to Ina, king of the West Saxons. The minster, or church, attached to it, being decayed, a handsome new fa- bric, with a lofty spire, was erected in its stead. This spire, one of the greatest ornaments of the place, was blown down, in i G00, during divine ser- vice, without injuring any of the congregation, though it shattered the roof of the church. It was again repaired out of the revenues of the church, and by the liberality of the Hanhams. In this sacred edifice are several ancient monu- y 200 sHAw’s Tour. To THE ments, particularly that of King Ethelred, who being slain in a battle against the Danes, at Wit- tingham, in the cause of religion and his country, obtained the title of martyr. - Near this is the tomb of Gertrude Blunt, the great marchioness of Exeter, and another of Ed- ward Courtenay, the last earl of Devonshire, of that family. On the other side of the choir lies John de Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, which his wife Margaret, whose daughter was Countess of Rich- mond, and mother of Henry VII. The only cathe- dral remains, now in use here, are four singing men, six singing boys, and an organ. - From hence proceeded to Christchurch, and from a gradual decrease of hills, came now into a perfect flat of deep sands. The soil is but indifferent, though principally arable ; and they observed several crops of buck-wheat, intended to be plowed in for manure, a mode of cultivation highly recommended in such a country. Turnips thrive-here extremely. They now entered the rich and delightful county of Hants, and cross again the famous river Stour, at Ivy Bridge. Variety of excellent fish are caught here, and they had some small turbot for dinner at a cheap rate. . - Christchurch is a neat and pleasant old town. In the time of the Saxons it was defended by a castle, and adorned with an ancient church of prebendaries, which continued in great repute, till the general wreck of monasteries. “We visited,” says our tourist, “ these venerable walls; on the outside a lofty, stupendous pile, that bespoke a former mag- nificence within. As we entered, the devastations of time and the iron hand of Cromwell were too evident. The roof is in a deplorable state. The choir is small, but very handsome, particularly the altar- piece of stone, richly carved, with the genealogy of our Saviour traced down from Jesse ; the Virgin * west of ENGLANT). 201 and Child, with the three wise men; and the shep- herds, to whom the angels brought glad tidings.” " Önly niches now remain where once stood large images of silver; and the beautiful cenotaph, built for the Countess of Salisbury, is despoiled of some of its finest ornaments. Stijl; however, it is an emi- nently-beautiful specimen of the Gothic taste. Ascending the top of the town, they enjoyed a most delightful view of the Isle of Wight and the Needles, immense rocks of chalk, which appear as if hurled at some distance into the water. - Mr. Gilpin says, that nature never colours in of- fensive white; that the chalky cliff is the only per- manent object of this kind which she allows to be her's; and that this seems rather forced upon her by the boisterous action of a furious element. But even here, it is her constant endeavour to correct this offensive tint. She hangs her cliffs with sam- phire and other marine plants; or she stains them with various hues, so as to remove, in part at least, the disgusting glare. The western end of the Isle of Wight, called the Needle Cliffs, is a remarkable instance of this. ' These rocks are of a substance nearly resembling chalk; but nature has so reduced their unpleasant lustre, by a variety of chastising tints, that in most lights they have even a beautiful effect. . From hence they pursued their course to Lyming- ton*. The general aspect of the country is flat and unpleasant, and the only striking object is the large. modern mansion of Earl Bute, called High Cliff, which, at a distance, has a pleasing effect. The front towards the sea is esteemed beautiful, and the * As we have made the tour of the Isle of Wight under another guide, who has well displayed its picturesque beauties, and that of its environs, we have shortened our present awa. thor's description as much as possible. - N º? SHAw’s Tour. To THE inside, though not often displayed, is classically elegant. - Lymington is a small town, situated on the river opposite the Isle of Wight, and has become popu- lous and thriving, from the resort of company to bathe. The rides and objects are sufficiently allur- ing and attractive ; but as they were eager to cross over to the island, they had not an opportunity of minutely observing them. - The weather being tempestuous, they waited till noon in vain expectation of a packet from Yarmouth; and as they could not procure a safe and agreeable substitute, they resolved to proceed to Southampton. They soon entered New Forest, formed by the tyranny and oppression of William the Conqueror, who, more merciful to beasts than to men, laid the most severe penalties on those who should trespass on his game. “But the divine vengeance,” says Mr. Shaw, “seemed strongly to mark his impious , projects ; for Richard, his second son, was killed by a pestilential blast in this forest, and William Rufus, his third son, was casually shot here; while his grandson, Henry, was, like Absalom, caught by the hair in the boughs, and left hanging till he pe- rished.” On the north side of this forest, near Malwood Castle, is shewn the oak, in which Tyr- rel's arrow glanced when he shot William Rufus. The spot was ordered by Charles II. to be inclosed with pales. “The story,” observes Mr. Shaw. “ of its putting forth buds on Christmas Day, which wither again before might, may appear idle and su- perstitious to those who have not had ocular demon- stration ; the latter part, indeed, I will not vouch for, but the former is unquestionably true; and I have seen as extraordinary an effect on the Glaston- bury thorn. The oak I have not seen, but I am satisfied with the evidence of a friend, whose vera- city is, in my mind, equal to self sight. This gen- WEST OF ER GLAN}}, . . 2C3. tleman was, a few years ago, called upon to de- termine a wager, that a leaf should be produced on Christmas Day, to the size of a filbert, which he then gathered to the satisfactory decision of the betº.” . ~. - The forest is divided into nine walks, to each of which there is a keeper. There are also two rangers, or bow bearers, and a lord warden. Passed through Lyndhurst, a small town, sur- rounded with villas. The Duke of Gloucester, as lord warden of the forest, has a pleasant seat here ; and a little beyond is the mansion and pleasure- grounds of Lady Jennings. - Proceeding some time through delightful avenues of noble trees, they again came on the plain, and the wind blowing hard, they were enveloped in dust on every side. - * . ~ Again they entered inclosures, which led them through Eling, and round the head of Southampton river; and passing through a tract rich in rural scenery and gentlemen’s seats, arrive at that delight- ful town. < The antiquity of Southampton is unquestionable, though the era of its foundation is unknown. Wa- rious Roman coins and vestiges of old walls have been discovered here. Being a frontier town on the coast, it was of consequence exposed to hostile at- tacks, and did not escape its full share of calamity. It was destroyed by the Danes in 980, and burnt by the French in the reign of Edward III. The less important vicissitudes it has undergone are nume- rous. The strong castle, built by Richard II. is now converted into a pleasure-house, whose windows and top command views of singular beauty. º 2A - - - - - - " - - • * * º -- * We are sorry to remain sceptics, after our author has confessed his belief; but we really are not convinced. *03, sri ºw's Tour. To THE It was at this place that Canute, king of England and Denmark, gave that fine lesson of humility, which ought to be written on the heart of every mo- march on earth. When a court sycophant thought to please him, by insinuating that his royal will and pieasure were absolute and boundless, he thus check- ed the insolence of his attendant’s flattery, and gave an example of wisdom and piety, which every age will revere. . - “Arriving on the beach,” says Henry of Hunt- ingdom, “ he commanded a chair to be set for him, and thus addressed the flowing tide: ‘Thou art under my dominion, and the ground on which I sit is mine; nor did ever any disobey my commands with impu- nity, therefore, I enjoin thee not to come upon my ground, nor to wet the clothes or the feet of me, thy lord and master.” The waves, regardless of his so- vereign voice, rolled over his feet, and wetted them. This was the moment to apply his moral. He stepped back, and exclaimed, ‘Let all the inhabi- tants of the world know, that the power of monarchs is a vain and empty thing; and that no one de- serves the name of king, but he whose will, by an eternal law, the heaven, earth, and sea obey.” After this, Canute never wore a crown, but caused it to be placed on the statue of our Saviour at Win- chester.” . Southampton is a very flourishing place, not so much from its manufactures, as from its foreign traffic, and its being the residence of many genteel and respectable families. - - - Its buildings are elegant and numerous, and its situation, in point of natural beauty and artificial em bellishment, can scarcely be excelled in this king ; dom. The High street is remarkably handsome ; the public edifices and amusements are equal to those of any other place of the same description. This town contains five parishes. In Holyrood *zST of ENGLAND. 263; church, the most frequented, is a monument to the memory of Miss Stanley, by Rysbrack, with an in- scription by Thomson, who also bewails her loss in the Summer of his Seasons. -- - St. Mary's is a modern edifice, the living of which is worth 1000l. per annum ; the other churches are old, or not very remarkable. r - Among the venerable remains of former days, which are still to be seen in this vicinity, Netley Abbey is one of the most striking. It stands on the eastern banks of Southampton water, about two miles below the town ; and the ruins are now so overgrown with ivy, and interspersed with trees, as to form a scene at once melancholy and soothing. The following letter from the inimitable Gray, well deserves a place here, as it contains much descrip. tion in a few words. It is dated from Southampton, November 19, 1764, and addressed to Mr. Nichols, “The climate is remarkably mild, even in October and November ; no snow has been seen to lie these thirty years past, the myrtles grow in the ground against the houses, and Guernsey lilies bloom in every window. The town clean and well built, sur- rounded by its old stone walls, with their towers and gateways, stands at the point of a peninsula, and opens full south to an arm of the sea, which having formed two beautiful bays, on each hand of it, stretches away in direct view, till it joins the British Channel. It is skirted on either side with gently- rising grounds, clothed with thick wood, and di- rectly cross its mouth rise the high lands of the Isle of Wight, at a distance, but distinctly seen. In the bosom of these woods, concealed from prophane eyes, lie hid the ruins of Netley Abbey. There may be richer and greater houses of religion, but the ab- bot is content with his situation. See there, at the top of that hanging meadow, under the shade of those Vol. III. . T 306 SHAw's Tour to THE old trees, that bend into a semicircle about it, he is walking slowly, good man, and bidding his beads for the souls of his benefactors, interred in that ve- nerable pile that lies beneath him. Beyond it, the meadow still descending, nods a thicket of oaks, that masks the building, and has excluded a view, too garish and luxuriant for a holy eye; only, on either side, they leave an opening for the blue glit- tering sea. Did you not observe how, as that white sail shot by, and was lost, he turned and crossed himself, to drive the tempter from him, that had thrown that distinction in his way ? I should tell you, the ferryman, who rowed me, a lusty, young fellow, observed, ‘ that he would not, for all the world, pass a night at the abbey, there were such things seen in it, though there was a power of money hid there.” - As modern objects of sight, Bellevue and Bevis Mount, close adjacent on the road to Winchester, merit the first attention. South and North Stonehara are likewise deserving notice. - Having at last found a steady, auspicious gale, and the morning fine, they embarked in a mail packet for the Isle of Wight. No aquatic excursion can be more pleasant, more charming than this. It presents all the diversity of rural and marine scenery, that could be seen in a voyage of much longer duration and greater extent. - About eight miles down, they were delighted with the view of Cadlands; and still lower is Hook, built after a singular plan. Below this, to the right, on a narrow neck of land, which stretches out into the river, stands, Calshot Castle, founded by Henry VIII. to secure the entrance of the river. Adjacent to this, the Honourable Temple Luttrel has erected a lofty tower, denominated his Folly. Here they entered the main sea, and after an agreeable voyage of sixteen miles, performed in the space of two hours, and at the expence of only six- W. EST OF ENGLAN #3. 207 pence, they arrived at West Cowes, in the Isle of Wight, a considerable harbour and place of trade, situated at the mouth of Newport River, and guard- ed by a castle and garrison. - After breakfast, they proceeded to Newport, which stands almost in the centre of the island. The road is a gradual ascent, and affords a constantly improving view of this charming spot and its watery barrier. - - - The Isle of Wight is the Vecta of the Romans, the Guith of the Britons, and the Wite of the Saxons, Vespasian subjected it to the Roman empire, in the reign of Claudius. Cerdicus, the founder of the West Saxons, brought it under their dominion, with whom it continued till about 650, after which it underwent new revolutions. About the year 1070, William Fitz Osborne, then marshal of England, conquered this island; and after his death, it became vested in the crown, till Henry I. conferred it on Richard de Rivers, earl of Devon, in whose posterity it remained for several generations. The male issue failing, it was sold to King Edward I. about 1261, and for two hundred years more was annexed to the CFOWYı. . --- At last Henry VI. erected it into a kingdom, which he conferred on Henry Beauchamp, duke of War- wick. In a short space, however, it again reverted to the throne of England, and has only undergone One short alienation since. It is well known that Charles I. took refuge here, and that, after some conflement in Carisbrook Castle, he was carried from thence to the trial and the block. The Isle of Wight is of an oval figure, measuring, from east to west, twenty-three miles, and from north to south, thirteen. It contains about a hun- dred thousand acres of very fertile arable land and pasturage, and supports a population of about twenty thousand souls, The air is esteemed highly salu- - ºr 2 - * 20s SI, Aw's Tour. To THE - brious, and, on the south side, is peculiarly soft and agreeable. The river Medina runs from north to south, and divides it into two hundreds, including thirty parishes. - Newport, the principal town, is a handsome well-built place, governed by a mayor and cor- poration, and sends two members to parliament. From hence they walked, to inspect the noble ruins of Carisbrook Castle. The sun shone delightfully for the season, and the climate was sensibly different from what they had felt in the morning ; the sur- rounding scenery was agreeable, but there was a manifest deficiency of wood, to set it off in all the pride of picturesque effect. - - The castle is situated on an eminence, about a mile south of the town of Newport ; and it is said that it occupies the site of an ancient fort, built by the Britons, and afterwards repaired by the Romans. in short, it seems to have been a place of defence from the earliest ages. It was rebuilt by Wightgar, the Saxon, about 519, and again by Richard de Rivers, earl of Devon, in the reign of Henry I, Camden says, it was once more magnificently re- edified by the governor of the island. Some con- siderable repairs were done here by Queen Eliza- beth. On a shield, over the outer gate, is the date 159–-, beneath which are the initials E. R. and under the figures 40. This gate, indeed, has a more modern appearance than the rest of the edifice. The walls of the ancient part of the castle inclose an area of about an acre and a half; its shape, that of a right angled parallelogram, with the angles round- ed off: the greatest length is from east to west. The old castle is included in a modern fortification, pro- bably built by Elizabeth. It is an irregular penta- gon, faced with stone, and defended by five bastions, on the outside of which runs a deep ditch. Several WEST OF ENGLANDs 209 guns are mounted on this work, which is nearly a mile and a half in circumference. -- Returning to Newport, they now made an ex- cursion to the east side of the island. About two miles from the town, they had a charming view down the meandering river, and the face of the country began to grow more sylvan and rich. - - On Ashdown, is a pyramid of stone, erected as a mark for ships coming into St. Helen's or Spithead. Beyond this they passed through a beautiful grove of oaks and trees of various sorts, called Freestone Coppice, which abounds with game. - After this they arrived at Ride Quay, without much farther observation, having rather taken a transient glance, than an attentive survey of this sweet spot. , The wind being unfavourable for a direct passage to Portsmouth, they made for Stokes Bay, and walked from thence to Gosport, observing with plea- sure the vast buildings on their right, for the support and accommodation of sick or wounded searnen and marines. This noble hospital, which was begun in 1746, and finished in 1762, stands near the west entrance into the harbour, on a dry, gravelly soil, about four hundred yards from the water, and is surrounded with an airing ground, near a mile in circumference, inclosed with a wall twelve feet high. On a pediment in the front of the hospital, are various emblematical sculptures. The hall is very spacious, and the wards are all uniformly sixty feet long and twenty broad. w - X- On entering Gosport, a busy and considerable place, the fortifications and king's brewery are the most striking objects. Proceeding to the water, cross the passage to the Point, which leads to a draw- bridge and gate into Portsmouth town, . . . . . a y T 3 * 16 sh Aw's Tour. To THE Portsmouth, the principal royal dock in the king- dom, is situated in the island of Portsea, east of that noble harbour, which extends to Portchester, whose ancient castle still remains. This place, for the extent, strength, and magnificence of the land fortifications, as well as for those nobler bulwarks, the navy, and its necessary accompaniments, is al- most unrivalled. The improvements of the town have kept pace with the increase of the royal navy, and its suburbs now extend a considerable way. The Common, as it is called, is large, populous, and handsome, and bids fair to excel the town itself. The weather being fair and pleasant, they walked to the Common, and inspected the Gun Yard, a place of great curiosity and extent. The different sized guns, shot, and other implements of war, are here piled up in the most exact and regular manner. From hence they proceeded along this new part of the town to the Dock Yard, where, by complying with the requisite forms, they were admitted, and civilly conducted round this immense and important place, which, within its walls, contains innumerous store houses, large rows of dwellings for the princi- pal officers, a noble marine academy, and a meat modern chapel. The next attractive objects, how- ever, to a stranger, are the rope-house and the anchor forge. The former consists of three rooms, over each other, eight hundred and seventy feet long, in which the different processes are carried on. The perspective, from one end to the other, of this immense gallery, is very striking. - They next observed the several large ships lying. under repair in the docks, and the number that rode in the harbour, which, altogether, formed a glo- rious sight. - - * Having satisfied their curiosity here, they walked round the fortifications. The vast additions that WEST OF ENGLAND. 2I have been made within these few years, under the direction of the Duke of Richmond, are very strong and beautiful ; but whether they will answer the enormous expence of government, is a question which, we trust, there will never be occasion to de- cide by a trial of their importance. - f After dinner they went on board the Barfleur, then lying in the harbour, a ship of ninety guns, and one of the most complete then in commission. “ The sight,” says our tourist, “ was novel and pleasing, particularly in the lower decks, amidst a crowd of three or four hundred men, women, and children, enlivening the scene with their various culinary and other occupations and amusements. The cleaning out the large soup-coppers was very entertaining. For this purpose, two men stood naked in the inside, scrubbing away with all their might, in a situation necessarily very hot, from the adjacent fire. The cock-pit, underneath, belongs to the midshipmen ; and a terrible birth it is, entirely below the surface of the water, and secluded from every ray of light, or breath of air, save what the faint candles and a small, low door will permit. This surely, in hot climates, must be intolerable, and one would won- ‘der how even second nature can reconcile persons to it. The admiral's cabin is in the middle deck, and is in every respect handsome and agreeable, besides being less liable to noise and motion. In the upper deck are the mess rooms and births for the lieutenants, and a shew-room, in which is displayed a neat ar- moury in miniature. The view from the quarter- deck was enchanting ; surrounded with innume- rable objects of a similar kind—fifty sail of the line, besides every possible variety of inferior sizes ; such a collection as no one place in the known world be- sides can exhibit ; while, to the south, Spithead dis- played other vast ships to our delighted eye, near which we could plainly distinguish the three mas. 212 shAw's Tour. To THE - of the unfortunate Royal George, rising several feet above the surface of the water.” - * The evening being calm and clear, with a bright moonshine, they strolled upon the beach, while nu- merous pennants hung glimmering in the air, and the martial music from the ships, swelled on their enraptured ear. The hour of eight was signalled by the great gun of the ship then in command, and echoed by other reports, far and near. This is re- gularly practised six months in the year, particularly at this hour, and the other six at nine o’clock. The rising of the sun is likewise welcomed in the same manner. - Leaving Portsmouth on the 12th of October, they passed the barracks, and over Port Bridge, leaving Portchester Castle on their left. From Portsdown Hill, they had a glorious retrospective view of Dart- mouth, the Isle of Wight, and their environs. As they descended from this eminence, the aspect of the country was very striking, from open chalky hills, to thick inclosures of woods and pastures. On their left, recognized Southwick, where Henry VI. was married to Margaret of Anjou. This was the seat of the Nortons, the last of whom, by will, left an immense property “to the poor, the hungry, thirsty, naked and strangers, sick and wounded, and prisoners, to the end of the world.” He appointed parliament his executors, and in case of its refusal, the bishops. This bequest carried such marks of insanity, that it was soon after set aside, and the do- mains reverted to the nearest heir. - - After passing the village of Purbeck, they soon entered on the forest of Bear, an extensive woodland tract, Beyond the village of Hamden, the country again changes to extensive downs, the road winding through a deep vale, surrounded by noble, verdant hills, of varied aspect. - On their left, pass Mapledurham, an ancient house WEST OF ENGLANT), 213 and manor, belonging to Mr. Gibbon, the historian, and soon after reach Petersfield. . This is a borough town, but chiefly remarkable for its genial situation, in a rich amphitheatre of hills. - Here they abandoned the London road, and turn- ing to the left, ascended the hill of Stonor, a chalky, sylvan scene, of great magnitude and steepness. The summit commands a sublime view. Left Selborn on their right, the residence of the ingenious Gilbert White, who has immortalized the place; and in a short time reach Alton. . This is a small market-town, on the river Wey, and has a manufacture of stuffs. The environs are laid out in hop grounds, whose crops were just now gathered in. - - In the evening they proceeded on the Farnham road, amidst a profusion of cultivation, between some remarkably fine quickset hedges, interspersed with several capital seats. . “In this country,” says Mr. Shaw, “we continued some weeks, amongst friends, whose social sympathy and liberal accommodations, enlivened the scenes we visited, and otherwise forwarded our pursuits.” One of their first excursions was to Farnham, a small market-town on the edge of Surry, consisting of one broad street. It was once famous for its corn market, but is now deservedly celebrated for the finest hops in England, whose qualities are much improved, by the care and art used in drying and bagging them. - . - Here Alfred defeated the Danes ; and afterwards, when King Stephen had granted permission to build castles. Henry of Blois, his brother, and bishop of Winchester, erected a strong castle on the side of the hill, near the town, which Henry III. demolished, It was, however, rebuilt by the bishop of the dio- Gese, and still continues to be an episcopal residence, 214 sHAw's Tour to THE belonging to this see. The entrance is very magni- ficent, and in the inside is a display of many excel- lent apartments. The hall is spacious and hand- some, and surrounded with large galleries. The drawing room is forty-eight by thirty-feet, and is furnished in the most elegant style. The chapel is rather meat and appropriate, than splendid. From the library, the prospect, over the town and environs, is extremely delightful. On the top of Jay's town, an ancient part of the building, is a complete gar- den, rich in itself, but more so in the views it com- mands. “ As botany,” says Mr. Shaw, “ is the principal delight of the family, we were amused with several curious and extensive collections of plants ; and the neat little flower-garden of Mrs. North, the present bishop's lady, exceeds any thing of the kind I had ever seen.” . - From hence, visited More Park, formerly the seat of Sir William Temple. It stands in a pleasant vaſ- ley, about two miles south-east from Farnham, and was once esteemed very beautiful. In a corner of the old park, under a cliff, by the river side, is a cu- rious natural grotto, called Mother Ludoe’s Hole, The entrance of this cavern is spacious and lofty, and gradually decreases to a narrow passage, ter- minated by a clear rill which issues forth, and falls into the opposite stream. Formerly parties of plea- sure used to visit this sequestered retreat, and to par- take of the collations they brought for the purpose of refreshment. - - In this vicinity are the small ruins of Waverly Ab- bey, built by William Gifford, Bishop of Winchester, for Cistercian Monks. This order came over in 1128, and had their first house here ; but before the dis- solution, it increased so much, as to have eighty-five different establishments. On the site of Waverly Abbey, stands a large modern mansion, built by the late Sir Robert Rich, and new inhabited, says Mir, - WEST OF ENGLANIC), 21 5 Shaw, “by Dr. Bostock, a fortunate divine, who married his only daughter.” - . . On the right of Farnham, inspected the large re- mains of an encampment, situated on the north side of Lan-day Hill. It is of a circular form; yet tra- dition says, Julius Caesar had a station here. A double foss guards it towards the south, and it is strongly fortified by an abrupt precipice towards the north. The view is very extensive from this spot, and well adapted to command the motions of an army. - “, - Their next excursion was in a contrary direction, towards the small town of Odiham. In their way visited Dogmersfield Park, the residence of Sir Henry St. John, bart. The house is a heavy pile, little in- teresting ; but the park contains many beauties, and is well stocked with deer. The rides and sylvan scenes are truly charming. Odiham, though now a poor-looking place, was formerly a free borough of the Bishop of Winchester, and noted for its royal palace, the traces of whose walls are still visible. About a mile to the north- ward of the town, and near the river, are situated the remains of the old castle, memorable for many sin- gular events, particularly for being the place of con- finement of David King of Scotland, who was taken prisoner in a battle fought at Nevil’s Cross, near Durham, in 1346. After remaining here eleven years, he was released, on giving hostages for the payment of 100,000 marks. Nothing is left but the keep, which is an octagonal building ; nor are there suffi- cient traces to shew its former extent. It is now the property of Sir Henry St. John. . “Let it be remembered, too,” remarks our author, “that Odiham was the birth place of Mr. William Lilly, the famous grammarian, and master of St. Paul’s School.” - The seat of Mr. Clark, at Aldershot, was the next * | 6 sHAw's Tour ro TH+. object of their observation. This retired spot is about three miles north-east of Farnham, and the grounds, though not very extensive, are highly im- proved. . - . At a small distance from this, they visited the ruins of Aldershot Place, little of which now re- mains, except one end, which is converted into a farm-house; but a moat, walled round, and the traces of a draw-bridge are still very perfect. In the church at Aldershot, are the monuments of Lady Mary Tich- borne, and thirteen children. She died in 1620, Here also is a mural, marble monument, to the me- mory of that industrious compiler of the law, Mr. Charler Viner, who I ad a press erected for him here by the London booksellers, in order that his very elaborate work, consisting of twenty-four volumes folio, might be printed under his own inspection. Their next excursion was into the adjoining county of Surry, to see Guildford, and the principal objects in its vicinity. From Farnham to this place, the road runs along the ridge of a high, chalky-hill, called the Hog's Back, which commands almost boundless landscapes. . . . . . On their left caught a view of Piłe House, the re- sidence of the Marquis of Lothian, an agreeable, but lew, situation; and not far from this is another plea- sant vale; to the right, stands Puttenham, the seat of Captain Cornish. . . . . Farther to the right, stands Godalmin, a small market-town. Before the conquest, it is said to have been an episcopal see; but no history remains to authenticate particulars. Losely, about two miles from Guildford, is reported to have been the bishop's residence. It stands in a retired vale, and still makes a majestic appearance. The approach to this re- markable pile, is through a fine old avenue, in the middle of the park. The entrance is through 4 screen into a large ancient hall, resembling that of WEST OF ENGLANT). 21? a college. Much of this spacious building is lost in passages that lead to nothing. The drawing room and gallery, however, are worth notice : the latter is one hundred and twenty-four feet by twenty-five, light and beautiful. Queen Elizabeth is said fre- quently to have visited this place; and a bed-room still bears her name. The seat now belongs to two ladies of the name of Moleyneux. Guildford, the capital of the county, is a well- built, old town, delightfully situated on the side of a chalky hill, at the foot of which winds the river Wey, which from hence is navigable. In the Saxon times, it was a royal vill; and here, in 1037, a hor- rid massacre was committed, by Godwin, Earl of Kent, on 600 Normans. The keep of the old castle still makes a conspicuous figure; but of the palace, said to have been here, not a trace remains. In the chalky cliff adjacent to the castle, and near New Street, is an extensive and curious suit of ca- verns, the entrance of which is now closed up by chalk. A gentleman of this place, however, shewed Mr. Shaw a drawing of them, in which appeared a small passage into a cave, about forty-five feet by twenty, and ten high. To the north and south are two other caverns, the former, about seventy feet long, and from two to twelve wide; the latter, nearly one hundred and forty long, but marrow. From this passage run, eastward, five other cavities, near one hundred feet long, very narrow at the entrance, but increasing to a considerable breadth. . On the origin and intention of these subterraneous recesses, there are various opinions. However, a number of buildings were formerly wrought in chalk at this place, and in the High Street is still to be seen, a very beautiful vault, the Gothic pillars and arches of which are entirely formed of chalk. Here are three churches, dedicated to the Holy Vol. III. U - : -§ § ; ; 2i 3 shaw's Tour to THE * Trinity, St. Mary, and St. Nicholas. A large building, called the Friary, situated near the Wey, is now the property of Lord Onslow, whose usual residence is at Clandon, in this vicinity. Opposite Trinity Church, stands a fine quadrangular hospital, founded by George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury; who en- dowed it with lands to the value of 300l. a year, for the maintenance of a certain number of men and women, under a master. About a mile from Guildford, in the Portsmouth road, they noticed the remains of a small chapel, de- dicated to St. Catharine, the materials of which are nearly as hard as iron, and appear to be almost in- destructible. Tradition says, that this, and another similar one, dedicated to St. Martha, about two miles distant, were built by two sisters of the same name as the saints they adopted. They next visited the more northern parts of Hampshire. At Ash, the residence of the Reverend George Lefroy, they inspected a very curious cabinet of coins, and other antiquities, collected by his fa- ther, Anthony Lefroy, Esq. whose name is well known among numismatic writers, by his Museum Lefroyanum. - - This gentleman's principal collection afterwards fell into the hands of Mr. Anson, of Shugborough, in Staffordshire, but the son still retains many curious specimens of antiquity; among the rest a pair of Etruscan ear-rings, in gold, so well preserved, that they might have been mistaken for a modern pro- duction. - . . . Ash Park, in this vicinity, contains several beau- *… ties: the white house, embosomed among trees, is a very picturesque object. . Not far distant lies Overton, a small town, on the western road. The situation is low, and the build- ings are not very striking. However, there is a silk *--. WEST OF ENGLAND, 2} {} mill, and paper mill, at no great distance, which employ a considerable number of hands, and give some degree of celebrity to the place. x They now made an excursion to the venerable city of Winchester. The first object that struck them on their approach, was the unfinished palace of Charles II. - - - - This city was the metropolis of the British Belgae; and was called Venta Belgarum, by the Romans, and Caer Gwent, or the White City, by the Britons. Its antiquity is unquestionably great, but there seems little authentic reason for carrying up its foundation, as some do, about nine centuries before the Christian ëI’3. - . ¥ During the Saxon heptarchy, it was the residence of the West Saxon kings, who adorned it with mag- nificent churches, and made it an episcopal see. It was fortified at an early period, and part of the walls still remain entire. . º - - Passing over the misfortunes of this place, from war and conflagration, during the first ages of its history, we shall only observe that, during the reign of Henry I. it seems to have attained its highest de- gree of splendor and extent, by the favour of that monarch, who took his wife, Maud, daughter of Malcolm, king of Scots, out of a nunnery here. After the death of Henry, the effects of a siege for seven weeks were severely felt; and soon after a dreadful fire broke out, which consumed twenty pa- rish churches, the king's palace, and a vast number of houses. This catastrophe it never recovered; and though, in subsequent reigns, it was occasionally honoured by the presence of royalty, it never more enjoyed the full sunshine of kingly favour. Charles II. indeed, seems to have determined to distinguish it Inore than any of his predecessors had done; but his death put a stop to the completion of the noble pa- lace he had begun here, and his successors have 220 shAw's Tour. To THE . shewn little inclination to resume his broken la- bours. - - - In 1668, Winchester was visited by a most fatal pestilence, which raged for almost twelve months. Cart loads of the dead were daily carried out, and buried on the neighbouring downs. To stop the pro- gress of the contagion, the markets were removed to a proper distance from the city, and an obelisk is erected on the spot where they were held, to record that unfortunate era. - We shall now take a general survey of some of the principal buildings in this august city. Near the west gate, on a large eminence, are the ruins of a strong castle, said to have been built by King Arthur, in 523. This was a place of defence as late as the reign of King Stephen. The chapel, which was detached, is still entire, and is a fine building, consisting of three aisles, one hundred and ten feet long, and fifty-five wide, at which the assizes are now held. At one end of it is King Arthur's round table, as it is called, about eighteen feet diameter, thus de- scribed by Warton, in one of his beautiful sonnets: Where Venta's Norman castle still tº prears Its rafter'd hall, that o'er the grassy foss, And scatter’d flinty fragments, clad in moss, On yonder steep, in maked state appears, High-hung remains, the pride of warlike years, Old Arthur's board, on the capacious round Some British pen has sketch'd the names renown'd, In marks obscure, of his immortal peers. Though join'd with magic skill, with many a rhyme, The Druid frame, unhonour’d, falls a prey To the slow vengeance of the wizard Time, And fade the British characters away : - Yet Spencer’s page, that chants, in verse sublime, Those chiefs, shall live, unconscious of decay. Respecting the antiquity of this table, there are very various opinions. Our author seems inclined to believe that it may be older than is generally sup- *3- . west of ENGLAND. 221 posed. Paulus Jovius, who wrote about two hun- dred years ago, relates that it was exhibited to the emperor Charles V. and that many marks of its anti- quity were then destroyed, the names of the knights written afresh, and the whole new repaired. Mr. Warton, in his description of Winchester, observes, that tournaments being often held before the court and parliament, this table might probably have been used on those occasions, for entertaining the combatants, which, on that account, was pro- perly inscribed with the names of Arthur's knights, either in commemoration of that prince, who was the reputed founder and patron of tilts and tour- naments; or because he was supposed to have esta- blished these martial sports at Winchester. - On the site of the old castle, are the unfinished remains of the palace already mentioned, begun by Charles II. The plan was a noble one, and the shell still evinces the magnificence of the design. The length of the whole is three hundred and twenty-eight feet, and a cupola was intended in the centre, which would have been seen at sea. A street was to have gone from this to the west end of the cathedral, and a park, ten miles in cir- cumference, was projected, as a proper accompani- ment to this splendid design, which, during war, is now generally converted into a prison for French prisoners. “We saw,” says Mr. Shaw, “an apart- ment which they appropriate for their chapel, and Various relics of their devotions, paintings, and in- scriptions still remain.” The college is situated eastward of the cathedral, just without the city wall. It consists of numerous buildings and offices, and owes its origin to that li- beral lover of learning, William of Wykeham, bishop of this diocese, who caused the first stone to be laid, March 26, 1387, near the spot where he had been educated himself, when a boy. The building was - - J 3 222 . sHAw's roup To THE completed in six years, and opened for a warden, ten fellows, a master, an usher, three chaplains, seventy scholars, three clerks, and sixteen choristers. The hall is a noble Gothic room, about sixty-three by thirty-three, in which the scholars dine and sup. The chapel, in point of magnitude and appropriate decoration, is equal to most. Its dimensions are one hundred and two by thirty-three feet. The screens, stalls, and altar-piece, are richly carved. Over the altar is a salutation, by Le Moine. Turning towards the left, enter the cloisters, which constitute a square of one hundred and thirty-two feet. In the centre of the area stands the library, an elegant Gothic building, erected in the time of Henry VI. To the west of the cloisters is the school, a finely-proportioned and elegantly-finished room. From the school area, pass into the college-mea- dow, from whence is a charming prospect of Ca- tharine’s Hill, from which again there is a most picturesque view of the city and its venerable struc- tures, intersected with trees and gardens. To this hill the scholars are allowed to wander on holidays; and on future visits to the place of their education, it is probable the scene recals the beautiful excla- mation of Gray, on another, though similar oc- CaSIOI] . . . • v Ah! happy hills, ah pleasing shade, Ah! fields belov’d in vain: . Where once my careless childhood stray’d, A stranger yet to pain - - I feel the gales that from ye blow, A momentary bliss bestow, As waving fresh their gladsome wing, And redolent of joy and youth, * My weary soul they seem to sooth, And breathé a second spring ! The cathedral was originally begun by Knygelise, the first Christian king of the West Saxons, in 611, west of ENGLAND. 223. and finished by his successor, Kenwalch. About 1079, Bishop Wakelyne began the present edifice. The external appearance is flat and heavy, but the inside is magnificent and attractive. The length, from east to west, is five hundred and forty-five feet, and the transept one hundred and eighty-six. The height of the tower is one hundred and thirty-eight. At the entrance of the choir is a stone screen, of the Composite order, executed by the famous Inigo Jones, which, however beautiful in itself, but ill accords with the Gothic architecture of the other parts. On the right hand stands a brass statue of James I. and on the left that of Charles I. - In the area, leading to the high altar, is a plain raised tomb, of grey stone, in which William Rufus lies buried. The rebels, in the civil wars, plundered it of a gold cloth, and a ring set with rubies, of con- siderable value. The altar-piece is very rich and handsome, and has lately been decorated with a fine piece of painting, by West. The subject is Christ raising Lazarus from the dead. On the top of each wall that surrounds the pres- bytery, are placed chests, which contain the bones of the West-Saxon kings, and others, who had been buried in this church. In the aisles are several cu- rious and superb monuments. The north and south transept exhibits some striking specimens of Saxon architecture. . - * , . Bidding adieu to this ancient and respectable city, they passed through Stoke-Charity, a small village, remarkable for numerous, surrounding yew trees. Just beyond is an encampment, called Nors- bury, consisting of a single foss and rampart; and about two miles west, is another similar work, called Tetbury. Reached Popham Beacons, which, no doubt, were exploratory posts of the Romans, from which the landscape is extensive and delightful, particularly to 22 i. sHAw's Tour rottie . the west, terminated by Lord Portchester's, at Hig Clear. - i Proceeding towards the metropolis, after having bid adieu to their friends, and passing along the great road from Andover to Basingstoke, about six miles from the latter, lay the picturesque village of Dean; and a little farther, on the right, Hall Place, the seat of Mr. Bramston. On a hill to the north of the town, the ruins of the Holy-Ghost Chapel are very conspicuous. . - Basing Castle, the ancient residence of the Bolton family, lies on the left of the great road; but of this little remains, save a small portion of the outward wall. It was besieged and taken during the civil wars, and property, to the amount of 200,000l. was said to repay the victors. The loyal motto, which the Marquis of Winchester, its noble owner, had eaused to be cut with a diamond in every window . (Aimez Loyaulté), so provoked the rebels, that they burnt the castle to the ground. r Hackwood, which has almost ever since been the principal residence of the family, lies about a mile and a half from this place. At first it was no more than a hawking-box, appendant to the castle of Basing; but is now a fine building, and stands in a very pleasant park, The hall, though not very Harge, is a noble apartment, containing some carved work, by the inimitable Gibbons, and several family portraits. The other rooms are proportionably mag- nificent, and decorated with some paintings by the first masters. - The park is nearly a circle of six miles, comprising a great variety of ground, most judiciously orna- mented with woods and plantations; and on the south-east side is a charming ferme ornée, from a design of Earl Bathurst, whose ornamental grounds and plantations they had lately admired at Ciren- £ester, ‘. . - WEST OF ENGLAND}, 225 The great road to London soon brought them to Hertford Bridge, and from hence they deviated about a mile and a half, to see the remains of Elvetham, once the splendid residence of the Earl of Hertford. The building is now in a dilapidated state, and no- thing remains but bare walls and mouldering wain- scotting. The park, though small, is very beautiful, and the woods are fine and flourishing. “We were now,” says our tourist, “about to be lost for the remaining months of the winter in the crowds and bustle of the capital, which, whatever pleasure and whatever society it may afford, does not leave that impression on the imagination, which all feeling minds experience, after those more pensive enjoyments, that have passed among the more pic. turesque scenery of the country.” * T O U R. E N G L AND AND SCOT LAND, Performed in 1783, -- By THOMAS NEWTE, Esq. Sº much philosophic reflection and patriotic ob- servation are diffused over Mr. Newte's tour, that we confess it is difficult to preserve the spirit of the author, in the most careful abridgment. Anx- ious, however, at once to shew our respect to the labours of this sensible tourist, and to gratify our readers, by a relish of the entertainment to be de- rived from them in their original form, we have been at some pains in the following pages, to do all the justice in our power to the subject; and if we have not been able to fully satisfy curiosity, we have been studious not to repel it. * On the 17th of May, 1785, Mr. Newte, in com- pany with some agreeable friends, left Oxford. The two universities, he remarks, may not only be con- sidered as venerable monuments of ancient times, but as bulwarks established for the preservation of loyalty, literature, and religion. If, in some re- spects, they have been supposed to be too tenacious of antiquated modes of discipline and learning, they certainly deserve the credit of being barriers against the desolating spirit of innovation. The reverence paid by our ancestors, to piety and learning in those # 228 NEWTE's Tour IN * establishments, is returned by posterity, as often as it contemplates the pictures and statues, the charters and buildings, of founders and benefactors. These external objects, take fast hold of the ductile minds of youth, and are associated with many of the most pleasing ideas, that imagination can form. From impressions of this kind, and a love of their early haunts and companions, naturally springs an at- tachment to their king and country; and a venera- tion for whatever is noble and praise-worthy. “ The universities, therefore,” says Mr. Newte, “ and the practice which still happily prevails, of educating in those great and ancient seminaries, the British youth of distinction, are of very great poli- tical importance. Take away these memorials of antiquity, those noble and royal testimonies of re- spect to sanctity of life, and proficiency in learning, remove every sensible object, by which sentiments of early friendship, loyalty, and patriotism, are kin- dled and inflamed in young minds, and disperse our young noblemen and gentlemen in other countries for their education, or even in separate little aca- demies and schools in our own, and you weaken one of the great pillars, by which the constitution and spirit of England is supported and perpetuated.” Full of such reflections, they proceeded to Chapel- House, a very excellent inn, where they dine ; and from thence made an excursion of two miles to visit Heythorp, the seat of the Earl of Shrewsbury, a modern house, elegantly furnished, and pleasantly situated on a rising ground, with a southern aspect. The grounds are well laid out. The avenues to the house are of great length, formed of rows or clumps of trees, bounded by stone walls. These fences, though they do not add to the beauty of a country, like living hedge rows, possess the advantage of be- ing quickly raised, and of occupying less ground. They are very general in this vicinity. /- ENGLANø AND Scotlaxp. 22g) The soil in the environs of Heythorp does not ap- pear to be well calculated for raising large timber; but there are some kinds of trees which thrive very well here. To study the genius of the soil ought to be the first object, mot only of ornamental improvers, but also of agriculturalists; yet, how often do we find men of fortune endeavouring, ". a forced kind of culture, to raise exotic as well as domestic plants; and farmers fighting against mature, to produce one kind of grain, where another only can be cultivated to advantage - - Pass through Long Compton, a moderate village, and dine at Shipston-on-Stour. The intervening country is open, exposed, and not very rich. It is deficient in planting, which, in the course of time, would give general warmth to the atmosphere, and convert the various influences of the heavens into a nutritive, vegetable mould, that would eventually enrich it. - - - In this bleak, ill-cultivated track, the lower class of labouring poor, who have very little other em- ployment in winter than thrashing out corn, are much distressed for the want of fuel, and think it economy to lie much in bed, to save both firing and provisions. --- * > - Sleep at Stratford-on-Avon, a town of considerable extent, but in general ill-built, and badly paved. The bridge across the Avon consists of fourteen arches, but is very old and incommodious. In the town-hall, a handsome structure, is a painting of Shakespeare, their immortal townsman, and ano- ther of Garrick, by Gainsborough. The monument of Shakespeare in the church is unworthy of such a great name. - - - - {ext day passed through Henly-in-Arden, a long town, indifferently built. Beyond this the country appeared better cultivated and more sylvan. Reached Birmingham in the evening, a very ex- Vol. III. x - . . . *30 NEw'TE's Tour is tensive town, and great part of it elegantly built. The population is computed at a hundred thousand souls; but the size of the people is diminutive, and their appearance sickly, from their sedentary em- ployment. In this place there is an elegant and spa- cious mother church, one other parish church, three chapels, and several meeting-houses for dissenters. “ This town,” says Mr. Newte, “ is far from being distinguished by zeal in religion. The latitudinarian jorinciples of Priestley are adopted by those who cor- sider themselves as philosophers; but the great mass of the people give themselves very little concern about religious matters. What religion there is in Birmingham,” continues he, “ is to be found among the dissenters *.” In Birmingham are many coiners of false money, a circumstance easily accounted for, from the nature of the business carried on here. Of the manners of the people here, our author gives a very unfavourable account. He likewise says, the manufacturers, in general, are addicted to trick and low cunning, which he ascribes to the want of early education, and to constant association both in their labour and idle hours. Society, indeed, it must be allowed, cor- rupts the manners of the vulgar, as much as it sharpens their understanding. The sudden rise of this town, and the eminence it has obtained in its peculiar manufactures are well known. “ It is not above three years,” says Mr. Newte, “ since pavements, or footpaths were intro- duced into this place; and the ladies, at first con- sidered them as very great inconveniences to walk on.” t - # f * From personal knowledge, we have reason to think this is not a fair statement. In Birmingham, and indeed in ali places where dissenters are numerous, the friends of the esta- blishment are zealous, and regular in their attendance on di. wine worship, to counteract the effects of the former, # * * ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 23 f The Birmingham manufacturers frequently possess from five to fifteen thousand pounds fortune, a few have much larger capitals; but in general, they may be said to be in easy and thriving circumstances, rather than very rich or affluent. The number of carriages has been doubled within a few years, and luxury is rapidly advancing. The artizans com- monly, however, resort to alehouses and taverns, for coffee-houses do not seem to be suited to the genius of the people. Indeed, the labouring and poor peo- ple of Birmingham fare but indifferently, though it is certain that, with economy, they might live very comfortably. - - It being the time of the fair, they had not an op- portunity of seeing the artizans at work; however, they visited Mr. Clay’s manufactory, for articles made of papier-maché, and Mr. Bolton's, for a va- riety of elegant fabrics. Within the present century, Birmingham has risen to its present distinction. The coarse articles, in which it originally dealt are now manufactured in the towns and villages of the neighbourhood; while only the fine and fashionable goods are produced in the town itself. : In the environs are many nailers, and other arti- ficers, who work in their own cottages, and employ every hand in the family, whether male or female. The industry, indeed, of the people in these parts, is wonderful. They rise early, and go to bed late; but frequently rest a few hours about noon, after the manner of people in hot countries. - It is worthy of remark, that where there, is most mechanic labour in the environs, the soil is most un- propitious. Birmingham itself stands on the south- east extremity of a very barren region. Towards Shrewsbury and Wolverhamptom, the land is very poor, and here principally, the country is full of the most industrious artizans in the coarse branches of 232 NEwTE's Tour IN . . . the business. On the other side of Birmingham, where the soil is more genial, there is scarcely a ma- nufacturer in iron or steel to be found. Indeed, within the circle where the chief trade is carried on, barren as it is, coal pits abound, and this not only facilitates labour, but compensates for other de- fects. - - A canal, communicating with the Trent and the Severn, reaches Birmingham, and by means of this conveyance, every article of use in the manufactures is chiefly brought to hand. Coal may be commonly purchased here for 6s. 8d. a ton. The boats which navigate this canal are of considerable capacity. Leaving Birmingham, they passed through Sut- ton, a meat little town, commanding a very pleasant prospect. The surrounding country is well culti- wated, and not destitute of wood. Perhaps no spot has been fixed on the southern part of the island, which would be more centrical than Sutton, or at a greater distance from the sea. - - Reached Litchfield the same afternoon, a small city, well-built, and elegantly situated. The ca- thedral is a venerable pile, remarkable for its three spires, two of which are at the west-end, and one nearly in the centre. As manufactures are little known here, the city derives its chief support from being the residence of some genteel families. This place has the honour of giving birth to Dr. Samuel Johnson, of whom every minute particular has been collected by his biographers. - Our tourist, however, mentions two singularities of this great man, which he picked up at this place. There is a great iron ring, fixed in a stone by a staple, in the centre of the market-place, to which, when bull-baiting was more fashionable, the unfor- tunate animal used to be tied. Johnson, in his an- nual visit to Litchfield, would frequently, in the midst of those abstractions, in which he indulged, ENGLAND AND SCOTLAN p. 233; step aside and lay hold of the ring, as if trying to extricate it from the stone. Might he not mean by this to express his wish, that such a disgraceful ves- tige of barbarity should be removed from his native city : The other peculiarity of Johnson, first re- corded by Mr. Newte, is, that when he arrived here, he made it a point to call on every person in the city, with whom he had the least acquaintance; but that the very instant he had knocked at one door, he went on to another ; so that it frequently happened, that two or three servants would be running after the doctor at once, requesting he would return to their masters or mistresses houses, who waited to re- ceive him. - -- * - Litchfield was long stronghy tinctured with Jaco- bitism, or an attachment to the Stuart family. The principles of Johnson were formed in conformity to those of the place where he was born, and spent many of his juvenile days : to the last he entertained a profound reverence for monarchy and hierarchical establishments. “A very singular club,” says Mr. Newte, “ is held annually at Litchfield, for females only. It consists of more than a hundred members; and, how- ever extraordinary such a meeting may appear, yet it seems to have been established from the best of motives, as a considerable sum of money is col- lected among the members, and distributed to the poor.” ." Dine at Burton-on-Trent; after crossing the na- vigable canal, which goes to Derby, and proceeding some way along its banks, to visit the place where it is carried over the Dove, on twelve arches. Burton is a pleasant, well-built town, with a neat church. A large cotton mill is erected here, but they were not permitted to see the process of the manufacturers. . Between this and Derby, the country is highly f X 3 y 234 NewTE's roup IN cultivated, populous, and pretty well wooded. Derby is a handsome town, and much larger than Litchfºld. It is washed on one side by the Der- went, on which the first silk mill in this country was erected, and is still in use. The porcelain, manu- factured here, is carried to a high degree of ele- gance. - - Proceed towards Matlock. A few miles beyond Berby, the country becomes mountainous, and fer- tility more rare. At Crumford, about a mile from Matlock, the road is cut through a solid rock. Be- yond this pass, the view is highly romantic, and the same kind of scenery continues along the dale to Matlock. . - At Matlock they found good accommodations, but were most delighted with the situation itself. The whole vale is an object of curiosity. On the hill, to- wards the north-west of the village, are many lead- mines, some of amazing depth. These are worked to great advantage; and adventurers have peculiar encouragement, to attempt new discoveries. By ław they are allowed to try for minerals on any per- son's estate, except in his garden : this is sometimes attended with inconveniences to the proprietors; but by entering into partnership with the miners, they find a compensation for their loss of land, or the privilege of using it as they please. - - “ The business of mining,” says Mr. Newte, “af- fords many advantages, and prompts to the study of natural history. If academies for observations and experiments were established in the mining coun- tries, philosophy might be advanced with accelerated rapidity.” - .. . . - At Crumford are two large cotton mills, belong- ing to Mr. Arkwright, which they were allowed to examine. Here the whole process of cleaning, card- ing, combing, twisting, and completing the yarn for the loom, seemed to be done almost without hu- \ rNº.s ND AND scorlasp. 263; man aid. About a thousand children, however, are employed here. , Łeaving Matlock, proceed to Ashbourn, over a billy and dreary country, and from thence visit Dove- dale, a romantic vale, about two miles long, washed by the Dove, and bounded on each side by rocks, of the most horrid, grotesque, or pleasing appear. 3.HC e. i - Pass through the little town of Bakewell, and from thence go to the Duke of Devonshire's, at Chats- worth. This seat, in the opinion of our tourist, seems only calculated for a few months residence in the year. The environs are sylvan, and by pains and industry highly cultivated; but all the distant hills, in view of the house, wear a dreary, dismal aspect. Chatsworth is built of a dark yellow stone, some of the apartments are spacious and lofty, but they are rather majestic than elegant. The pleasure- grounds are not well laid out ; and the water-works are too artificial to please more than once. The river Derwent, which runs through the park, has, how- ever, a pleasing effect, and the bridge over it to the house, does honour to the architect. - * Pass through the village of Stoney Middleton, and ride through Middleton Dale, to Buxton. Having left the Dale, which has some resemblance to Dove- dale, except that it wants a river, they ascended a very high hill, which commands a vast but uninvit- ing prospect of dreary sterility. The whole environs of Buxton are wild and naked. The place, however, has grown to a large village, on account of the effi- cacy of the waters. The houses have been chiefly built for the accommodation of invalids; and the mu- nificence of the Duke of Devonshire has been dis- played, in adding a crescent, which not only em- bellishes, but adds to the comforts and attractions of the place. In rheumatic complaints, Buxton is highly efficacious. The bath is about the eighty- 236 NewroN’s Tour ºx second degree of heat, and is bland and pleasing to the sensations. - - - The bowels of the earth, in this vicinity, furnish amazing quantities of lead. Castleton, which they next visited, is inhabited chiefly by miners. Near this is the celebrated cavern, which has been so often described”. Its length, as measured by Sir Joseph Banks, is six hundred and seventeen yards, and, at the farthest end, it is two hundred yards from the surface of the earth. - - “ If this tremendous cave were properly lighted up,” observed Mr. Newte, “ and music stationed in different places, with the witches in Macbeth, and their cauldron, and other infermal agents and ma-. chines, such as are introduced on the stage, a more wonderful effect might thereby be produced, than has ever resulted from any mimic or natural scene.” On the south-side of Castleton, stands Mam Torr, or the Mouldering Hill, on the top of which is a Roman encampment, and near its base a coal maine, from which boats are conveyed by a subterraneous navigation, for nearly a mile. From Chapel-in-Frith, the next stage, ride through , Whaley and Stockport to Manchester. The whole country, for many miles round the last mentioned place, is extremely well cultivated and fertile. IManchester is old, and of great extent, and in the skirts are many houses of an elegant appear- ance; but it is more remarkable for the industry of the inhabitants, and for the perfection of its manu- factures, than for any local beauty. The popula- tion may amount to about seventy-five thousand persons, z - º . The principal manufacturers of this town live in the style of men of fortune, and their capital enables exº-…. * See Moritz, &c. &c. ENGIAND AND scoTLAND. 237. them so to do. The greatest part of the people are engaged in some useful art; but principally in finish- ing the goods made in the neighbourhood. At the mills in the vicinity, the cotton is prepared for the weavers, and here the work is completed, and from hence exported to all parts of the world. - Manchester is one of the best regulated towns in England, though it has no corporation. The gen- tlemen of the town, however, are at great pains to establish order and morals among the lower classes. by wholesome regulations, . Even in the workhouse, the paupers, on an average, earn four-pence a day. During divine service, on Sundays, the streets are paraded by constables, and disorderly houses are frequently visited about mine or ten in the even- £ng, not by trading justices, or other fellows in office, But by men of respectability. “The spirit of enterprise,” says Mr. Newte, “ is extended, in Manchester, from manufactures and commerce, to mechanical inventions, and from thence to philosophy in general. They have in this exemplary community, a philosophical society, a music room, and regular concerts.” *. . The inns, however, are very unequal to the opu- Hence and other accommodations of the place. The hotel is indeed better; but it is less adapted to tra- vellers, who have no object in making any stay. On the 2d of June, they proceeded, in the Duke of Bridgewater's passage boat, to Worsley, the mouth of the funnel that leads to his grace's coal mines, This funnel goes two miles under ground, and is furnished with several shafts, to clear it of foul air. The miners here receive from twenty pence to three shillings a day, according to the quantity of coal they dig, for eight hours labour. About two hundred and fifty tons are frequently got in a day, and about three hundred persons are constantly enas ployed, 5. $33 NEwTE's Tour IN Returning from visiting this great and beneficial work, next day they went by the canal to Warring- ton, distant twenty-five miles from Manchester; and from thence to Liverpool, through the agreeable little town of Prescot. --- Liverpool is too well known for its maritime en- terprise and extensive commerce, to require much description. The old part of the town, is ill built, and the streets are marrow ; but great additions are continually making to it, and many elegant houses are erected in the environs. Here are fourteen building yards, and three very complete and com- modious basons for receiving ships. The corporation is very rich, and it has laid out its superfluous wealth in works of real utility and advantage. Liverpool contains five churches, and at least seventy thousand inhabitants. On the east side of the town, is a terrace, commanding a delightful view of the houses, the river, and the circumjacent country. - - Go to Ormskirk, by the Wigan canal, distant twenty-five miles. This canal is much less pro- ductive than those belonging to the Duke of Bridge- water, and the passage boats are not so well re- gulated. - Take a post-chaise to Preston, an old town, standing ºn a commanding eminence, with some beautifully picturesque views. To Garstang, the next stage, they found the roads good, and the country well cultivated, but destitute of sylvan ornament. Reach Lancaster, an ancient town, with narrow streets, the fashion of former times. The castle which commands the place, bears all the marks of antiquity; yet it is still in a perfect state. The view from this pile is rather extensive than pleasant. About three miles from Lancaster, enter the charming vale of Lonsdale. On the right is a barren range of mountains, those on the left, are clothed ENGLAND AND Scotland. 239 with pendant woods, while the river Loon divides it. Sleep at the village of Hornby, near which is a very old castle, commanding a beautiful view of several rivers, vales, and mountains. From Hornby, traced the Loon to Kirby Lonsdale, by one of the most picturesque and pleasant rides in Great Britain. The town is situated on an eminence, the foot of which is washed by the Loon. Sylvan mountains and rocks alternately attract the eye in its range round the landscape, while the intervening vales are luxuriantly rich. - Journeyed on to Kendal, a town of considerable extent, and of high antiquity. The inhabitants are celebrated for their manufactures of cotton and woollen cloths, a great part of which is exported from Liverpool to Guinea and the West Indies. Three bridges are built here over the Ken. The im- mediate environs are fertile, but the prospect is bounded by barren mountains and craggy rocks. The ride from thence to Bowness was over a dreary mountainous country. A rude and rocky hill, within a mile of that town, commands a most enchanting view of Windermere Lake, and ten islands, in the largest of which is a circular mansion, belonging to Mr. Christian. The margin of this lake presents a vast variety of rural imagery; nor is it scarcely possible that mature, in her exuberance, could furnish a more captivating scene. Cross the ferry from Bowness, and walk to Hawkshead, situated at the upper end of Estwait Water, which is about two miles long, and half a mile broad, finely fringed with woods and fertile meadows. M. Proceeded to the head of Conistom Lake, but a thick fog coming on, they were deprived of the plea- sure of seeing this charming spot Rode, to the south end of Windermere, by an excellent road, presenting every few yards some new and agreeable feature in the landscape. “In short,” says Mr. Newte, “ there 240 NewTE's Tour. IN is not any part of this ride, which is continued for fourteen miles, that is highly picturesque, and fitted to afford the most soothing ideas, and the most ex- quisite gratification.” - -- Dined at Low Wood Inn, about two miles from the north end of the lake, and commanding an exten- sive prospect of this fine expanse of water, with se- veral of its islands. Resolved to hazard another chance of seeing the beautiful Lake of Coniston, they set out next morn- ing, and after riding about seven miles, got to the top of a hill, from which the ſake is viewed in its full extent. This beautiful sheet of water is envi- roned by rich meadows, and the hills, which gra- dually rise from its banks, are sylvan far up their sides. This lake has certainly great beauties, but they are by mo means so striking as those of Winder- mere. The situation of Coniston Hall is most charm- ing, and gives and reflects a lustre on the scene. Dine again at Low Wood, and in the evening walk to the upper extremity of Windermere. About two miles up the vale is Rydal Hall, and near it a cataract, on the River Rothay, which deserves notice for its solemn scenery. - Proceed from Low Wood, through Ambleside, at the head of Windermere Water. In their progress, enjoy a charming view of Rydal Water, and a little farther on, at Rydal Pass, look down on the beauti- ful Lake of Grasmere. A few miſes from hence, Hies the delightful Lake of Thirlwater, near the middle of which, a promontory extends on each side, contracting the size of the lake to that of an ordinary river, over which a rustic bridge is thrown. Ascend a high hill, where the eye is raptured with the view of Keswick Vale, the noble Lake of Derwentwater, and part of Bassenthwaite. Keswick is a meat little, town, situated at the north end of the Lake of Derwent. This fine sheet of / EN GLAND AND SCOTLANT). 24 water contains four islands, which greatly enhance its beauty. . After viewing, from different stations, the magni- ficent prospects round this lake, returned to their inn at Keswick, and next day rode to the top of Skid- daw, a mountain of vast elevation, but by no means difficult of ascent, till within a quarter of a mile of its summit, which having reached, the state of the atmosphere deprived them of that fine view, which they naturally expected to find here. w Next day took a boat and visited the romantic re- gions of Borrowdale, presenting such an assemblage of tremendous and beautiful scenery, as perhaps me other place can exhibit. - Through the vale winds the Derwent, which forms the lake, and afterwards passes into Bassenthwaite Water. Refresh at Low-dore im, situated close by the celebrated cataract, known by the same name. The water here falls from a vast height through a large chasm, from one craggy precipiee to another, till it is lost in the lake. - After viewing this charming spot, returned to Ceswick, and next day proceeded to Ullswater; great part of the way over a dreary moor. Rode on the side of the Lake to Lyulph's Tower, a house lately built by the Duke of Norfolk, in a castle form. The whole construction is whimsical ; but it has a pretty effect. - - Ullswater is about ten miles long and three broad. It is of great depth, and is encircled by high moun- tains and perpendicular rocks, in general prettily wooded. There are several good houses, so situated as to occupy the most commanding views of this fine expanse of water. Visited different stations in a boat, and saw the old ruinous house of the king of Patterdale, as he calls himself; a miser possessed of considerable w Vol. III. - Y . . - - - w 24.2 . NewTE's Tour is property here. This little village lies at the farthest extremity of the lake, and is beautifully situated. "Returned by water to the south end of the lake, and admired the charming sylvan hill of Dunmallet, the property of Mr. Hassel. - - Reached Penrith the same evening, through a romantic country, embellished with some fine seats. This is a neat, well-built town ; and on an eminence are the remains of an old castle. The antiquities in the church-yard have been described by every tourist. . . - To the north of Penrith is a hill, on which stands a watch tower, entirely built of stone, which com- mands a very extensive view of the country. To the north-east are the Cross Fells, or British Alps, on which snow sometimes lies the whole year. Between Penrith and Carlisle, the country seems in a rapid state of cultivation. Round the latter, on the banks of the Eden, is a great extent of rich grazing land. - - Carlisle is a city of considerable extent, surrounded by a wall, thirty feet high, which is rapidly going to decay. ." The castle,” says our author, “ is the rūdest heap of stones that ever was piled together by the industry of man.” It was garrisoned by four old invalids, who had the charge of the arms and ammunition deposited here. . - There are many good houses in this city, though, in general, it is ill built; and from its being walled, is neither so airy nor clean as might be wished. Crossing the sands at the upper end of Solway Frith, enter Scotland, and pass on to Annan. The soil here produces little but heath. The town of Annan is small, but very meat. Below it winds the river through some pleasant meadows. - After crossing the frith, they found many of the natives, particularly the children, without shoes or stockings. Their habitations are very mean, being ENGLAND AND Scotland. 24.3 generally constructed of mud, intermixed with some round stones, and covered with turf. In their way to Dumfries, distant eighteen miles, the same kind of cottages continued, and the land, in general, was so bad, as to baffle cultivation. It seems only fit to produce peat, the fuel of the coun- try, the smoke of which gives a yellow hue to the natives. . - . - Dumfries is a pretty, large, clean town, lying in a low vale. Its environs are not infertile. Leaving this town, pass Lord Hopeton's house, round which are some tolerable woods, which well contrast with the nakedness of the circumjacent country. The women in this track sometimes wear what they call huggers, that is stockings without feet. Their dress, in general, particularly that of the old, is little graceful. -. Near Lord Hopeton's is a remarkable arch, thrown over a deep glen, through which a river, sixty feet below, precipitates itself. Between Dumfries and Moffat, a space of twenty-one miles, it seems the accommodation for travellers is but very indifferent. Aloffat is a small town, with some tolerable houses, principally intended for the reception of invalids, who resort hither for the benefit of the waters. . Here are two springs; one of them reckoned the strongest ºral in Great Britain, and of a very bracing qua- ity. - . This place is surrounded by high hills, which, ex- cept towards their tops, are mot incapable of culti- Vation ; but the chief attention is paid to the breed. ing of sheep, on which the farmers principally de- pend for a return. The Annan, at Moffat, is only a small stream, .* l , Beyond this place, ascend a hill of immense height, from which there is a most extensive and dreary pro- spect of the West Highlands, without so much as a * 2 / - Y 2 , 244 NEwre’s roux 18 tree or shrub to rest the weary eye on, for thirty miles together. Ride to Elvan-foot, through a barren, hilly track, and cross the Clyde, at a place where there is a kind of inn. Among these mountains, and at only two or three miles from each other, the Annan, the Clyde, and Tweed, derive their source. Most of the moun- tains, in this district, are covered with verdure to their very summits, and afford good sheep-walks, to which purpose they are almost wholly devoted. From Elvan-foot, proceed fourteen miles farther, to Douglas-mill, through the same kind of wild coun- try. Two miles beyond this, stands the ancient castle of Douglas, of which little remains ; but, near the same spot, a new castle has been erected, in which are many spacious apartments. The park is nearly three miles in circuit, and is extremely well planted. About three miles from Douglas-mill, a very tole- rable inn, they fell in with the Clyde whose banks are prettily varied. The country gradually improves, and begins to be embellished with gentlemen's seats. About four miles from Lanerk, cross a very elegant bridge over the Clyde, and about two miles farther, make a digression from the road, to visit the famous falls of the Clyde; the most magnificent objects of the kind in Great Britain. . Many circumstances combine to render these falls highly picturesque and sublime. At the Corra Lynn, the whole volume of the river is precipitated over a solid rock, not less than one hundred feet; and at Stone Byers, a mile higher up, there is another fall of about sixty feet, where the contracted sheet of water makes a violent shoot over the rock. At both places, such a mass of water falling impetuously on the rocks below, seems to threaten every obstacle with destruction. “ It boils up,” says Mr. Newte, “ from the caverns which itself has formed, as if it were vomited out of the in- fernal regions. The horrid and incessant din, with ENGLAN ID AND SCOTLANI). 245 which this is accompanied, unnerves and overcomes the heart. In vain you look for cessation, or rest, to this troubled scene. Day after day, and year after year, it continues its furious course, and every moment seems as if wearied nature were going to ge- meral wreck.” In the Corra Lynn, just where the water begins to tumble down the precipice abrupt, stands, on a pointed rock, a ruined castle, which was inhabited so late as the beginning of this century. In floods, both the castle and rock are so shaken, as to spill wa- ter in a glass. Imagination can scarcely conceive a situation more awfully romantic. On the verge of this matchless scene, Sir John Lockart Ross has a seat. - -- . - º From these falls the Clyde continues to run for se- veral miles between very high rocks, covered with foliage, and on either side the banks are beautified with the mansions of people of fortune. The walk between the higher and lower falls is romantic be- yond description, and impresses the mind, at the same time, with a sense of awful magnificence. Reach Lanerk, a small, ill-built town, delight- fully situated on the brow of a hill above the Clyde; and, after dinner, proceed to Hamilton, a neat and thriving place. . . . At the extremity of Hamilton, is the Duke of Ha- milton's palace, which forms three sides of a qua- drangle. Some of the apartments are large and lofty, but in general they are not very elegantly fitted up. On a hill, fronting the house, is a fanciful castellated building, which commands delightful prospects. From this structure is a charming ride of eight miles, on the verge of a fine wood, impending the Clyde. On the top of a rock, which overhangs the river, are the ruins of the old castle of the Hamiltons, of which little now remains, save the gateway. Here they were shewn some of the original cattle of the country, . Y 3 - 2+6 NewTe’s roun is the breed of which is now become scarce. In the Duke of Hamilton's garden, fruits of every kind are brought to great perfection, nor seem to require a warmer climate. Leaving Hamilton, pass through a well improved country, in their way to Glasgow, for several miles on the banks of the Clyde. Saw Bothwell Castle, be- longing to the Douglas family, of which pile a great part is still standing. This castle formed an oblong square, with a round turret at each corner; three of which remain. In the centre of the building stood the citadel, or keep, which must have been extremely strong, when missile weapons alone were used. On the opposite side of the river, are to be seen the re- mains of Blantyre; “between which,” says Mr. Newte, “ and Bothwell Castle, there was a secret and subterraneous communication, below the bed of the river Clyde.” Near this, a commodious and elegant modern house has been built, on a site that com- mands a view both of the Clyde and the old castle. Glasgow is a large and handsome city, containing, at least, fifty thousand inhabitants. It has a consi- derable foreign trade, nor is it less enriched by its internal manufactures, particularly of cotton and nankeen. The college here is capable of admitting a consi- derable number of students, though the greater part are dispersed in lodgings in the city. The professors have been deservedly celebrated in the republic of letters. The principal enjoys an annual salary of 500l. the other professors have from 200 to 300l. ex- cept the professor of divinity, who has no appropriate revenue, but must be accommodated by some other consistent and collateral office in the church or uni- versity. , Most professors of literature and philosophy receive fees from their pupils; but, according to the rigid Calvinistic principles, it would be a species of * ENGLAND AND SCQTLANF), , 247 simony, or selling the Holy Ghost för money, to pay for instruction in divinity. The university garden is pleasant, though not very extensive; and the library is a tolerable apartment, containing about three thousand volumes. Glasgow has eleven kirks, besides several conven- ticles and meeting-houses. In such a place, it is not surprising, that some grimace and hypocrisy remain. “ It is not many years,” says our author, “ since the magistrates of Glasgow, humouring the austerity of certain of their clergy, and the general prejudices of the people, were wont to be very rigid in enforcing a Judaical observance of the Sabbath. The elders used to search the public-houses every Sunday even- ing; and if any person, not belonging to the family, was found there, he was subjected to a fine; or, if he could not give a proper account of himself, perhaps, to imprisonment.” Yet means were found to evade the laws of sobriety, by calling at an elder's house, on pretence of seeking the benefit of his prayers, or fa- mily worship, when the bowl went round till the company were sufficiently replenished with the spirit. It is, however, but fair to observe, that a more li- beral temper and disposition begin to prevail through- out every part of Scotland: and there seems reason to dread, that from one extreme they will run to the other, In this city are two glass-houses; one for making black, the other for white glass. The commerce of . the place is also greatly promoted by the canal, which forms a communication with the eastern sea, and is navigable for vessels of one hundred and fifty tons. - - On the 26th of June, left Glasgow, and proceeded to the capital manufacturing town of Paisley. The greatest part of the inhabitants are employed in the manufacture of silk and thread gauze. This last is 24.8 NewTE's Tour: IN made from 5d. to gq. per yard, and the silk from 9d. to 12s. The manufacturers are paid according to the qua- lity of their work. In the fine fabrics, the men and women may earn 5s, a day. Very young girls are employed in weaving the coarser sort; and mere children can earn from 4d. to 6d. a day, in preparing the silk and thead for the loom. - The manufactory here was established by an Eng- lishman, of the maine of Philips, and in less than thirty years it was so much increased, as to afford subsistence and employment for fifteen thousand per- sons, of both sexes and all ages. Paisley is nearly two miles long, and the greater part of the houses is built of free-stone. Some of the principal manufacturers have made considerable fortunes, and live in the style of gentlemen, with carriag S and country seats. Many houses in Paisley pay 500l. a week in wages; and the arriage of new gauze patterms from London to this place alone, is said to cost 500l. a year. Here are the remains of an ancient abbey, part of which is converted into a church. It contains the monument of the lady of Robert Bruce, who broke her neck near this place, while with child. The in- fant was preserved, and was grandfather to James I. Lord Abercorn has built an excellent inn at Paisley, the landlord of which furnished our author and friends with a handsome carriage and good horses, that per- formed a journey of six hundred miles, through the most mountainous parts of Scotland, with the greatest ©3 Sę. - From Paisley returned to Glasgow, and from thence proceeded to Dumbarton, fourteen miles distant. The road lies near the banks of the Clyde, and many fine houses, at intervals, enrich the prospects. After passing Glasgow, the environs of the Clyde are ver- dant and level, and the water generally fills its chan- ENGLAND AND sco'TLAND. $24.9 nels, owing to the profusion of rains that fall on the western shires of Scotland. On the beautiful river Cart, which unites with the Clyde, near Renfrew, is an agreeable seat of the Earl of Glasgow, whic' commands a fine view, both of Paisley and Glasgow. The Cart meanders through the park, and Cruickstone Castle, now a ruin, gives an interest to this charming scene. In this castle Mary Stuart indulged her loves with Lord Darnley, in the happy period of their union ; and “here,” says Mr. Newte, “springs fresh, to this hour, her favourite yew, which she has so often impressed on her copper coins.” The lofty hall is still to be dis- tinguished amidst the interior apartments, in which Mary, amidst a race of brave, but turbulent and im- polished, nobles, displayed the refinements of France and the charms of Venus. Dumbarton is a small town, on the banks of the Clyde, with two glass-houses. The castle is situated on a conical, rocky hill, rising out of a plain, to the height of five hundred feet, defended, where it is ac- cessible, by a wall, and its base washed by the Clyde and the Leven. Large fragments of this hill have occasionally tumbled down, and strewed the plain below with a huge mass of ruins. The sur- rounding country's fºr some miles, is a fine cham- paign. The view up the Clyde, from this place, is ſenchantingly beautiful, and takes in several capital objects. The vale, to the north, is populous and well cultivated ; and behind it rises Ben Lomond, in awful majesty. Dumbarton Castle still contains a small garrison, with a governor; and if fortified in the modern style, would be almost impregnable. While our traveller was at this place, the thermometer stood at eighty- four, an extraordinary degree of heat for such a northern climate. Proceed towards Luss. “ The banks of the Leven, 250 NEwre's Tour IN 2. N up to Loch Lomond, are fertile and populous; while the purply, blue hills of the Highlands finely con- trast with the verdant champaign in the fore-ground. “ The traveller from the low countries,” remarks our author, “is suddenly and forcibly struck with the character of the Highlands. The number of the mountains, their approximation to each other, their abrupt and perpendicular elevation, all conspire to give an idea of a country consisting of mountains without intermission, formed by nature into an im- pregnable fortress. It was this fortress which has enabled the ancient Caledonians to transmit, from the earliest records of their history, the dignity of an unconquered and independent nation to their latest posterity.” - Arrive on the margin of Loch Lomond, and take a boat to the village of Luss. The next day go again on the lake, and dine on the island of Inchcona- chan, near which they caught some fine trout. Loch Lomond is twenty-four miles long, and about eight broad. Near the south end it is very deep, and in this quarter it is interspersed with various islands, to the number of twenty-four, some of which are of considerable extent and elevation ; while others are flat, or barren rocks. This part of the lake is environed with high mountains, fertile to- wards their verge. On the south-east side, the Duke of Montrose has a finely situated house; and on the west, on a sylvan promontory, Sir James Colquhoun has erected a very elegant, modern, mansion, which commands some charming views. . * The northern boundaries of this vast expanse of wa- ter, are stupendous, barrem mountains, rising almost perpendicularly from the surface, which reflects their rude images. In some few spots, however, there is sylvan scenery, with a little cultivation. In the island of Inchmerran stands an ancient castle, belonging to the Duke of Lenox. * . . . | - ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND, 25? The south end of Loch Lomond, beautifully in- terspersed with isles, presents a great variety of charming views; but the northern, being bounded by tremendous precipices, tends only to repel fancy, or to fill the mind with horror. A considerable quantity of birch, oak, and other underwood, clothes the edge of the water, which is cut down periodically, and chiefly Converted into charcoal. . The fish of this lake are trout, salmon, perch, and pike, which are found in great abundance; but not- withstanding the temptation of water-carriage, the inhabitants seemed to be satisfied with supplying their own immediate wants. *...i Leaving Luss, ride eight miles by the side of the lake to Tarbat, where there is a commodious inn, op- posite to which Ben Lomond appears in all its ma- jesty. There they waited two days, in expectation that the state of the atmosphere would allow them to ascend its top ; but, during that space, it was con- stantly enveloped in clouds, except for a few minutes only. The following lines are copied from a frame of glass, at the inn of Tarbat, and deserve a less perishable station. They are subscribed with the initials J. R. - - º ON BEN LOMOND. Stranger, if over this pane of glass, perchance, Thy roving eye should cast a casual glance, If taste for grandeur, and the dread sublime, Prompt thee Ben Lomond’s fearful height to climb, Here gaze attentive: nor with scorn refuse - S. The friendly rhymings of a tavern muse. - : For thee, that muse this rude inscription plann'd, Prompted for thee, her humble poet's hand. Heed thou the poet, he thy steps shall lead Safe o'er yon towering hill’s aspiring head; Attentive, then, to this informing lay, Read how he dictates, as he points the way. Trust not at first a quick advent’rous pace, Six miles its top points gradual from the base. 252 - NEwre’s Tour IN Up the high tise with panting haste I pass'd, And gain’d the long laborious steep at last. More prudent thou, when once you pass the deep, With measur’d pace, and slow, ascend the lengthen'd steep, Oft stay thy steps, oft taste the cordial drop, And rest, O rest, long, long upon the top. There hail the breezes, nor with toilsome haste, Down the rough slope thy precious vigour waste. So shall thy wondering sight at once survey - Vales, lakes, woods, mountains, islands, rocks, and sea ; Huge hills that, heap'd, in crowded order stand, Stretch'd o'er the northern and the western land: Vast lumpy groups, while Ben, who often shroud:; His loftier summit in a veil of clouds, High o'er the rest displays superior state, In proud pre-eminence sublimely great. One side, all awful to the gazing eye, Presents a steep three hundred fathoms high. The scene, tremendous, shocks the startled sense, With all the pomp of dread magnificence: All these, and more, shalt thou transported see, And own a faithful monitor in me. -- Leaving Tarbat, ride to the top of Loch Long, on the north-east side of which is a small house, em- bosomed in firs, the residence of the Laird of Mac- farlane, “ renowned,” says My. Newte, “among other good qualities, for his knowledge of Scottish antiquities, and for his taste and proficiency in the ancient Scottish music.” . . . . At some distance is another mansion, of the same kind, belonging to a Campbell, with a river, multi- plied by a thousand cascades, from the summits of craggy mountains, which discharge themselves, close by the house, into the lake. Here they entered Glencroe, which is six miles long, and so narrow, that, in some places, the road has been made by blowing up the solid rock, which overhangs the river. The sides of the mountains, on each hand, are formed of black, and almost perpen- dicular, craggy rocks. At the time of their passing this glen, a thick fog. ENGLAND AND Scoti,AND. 253 2’ rendered this gloomy avenue still more solemn and awful. Near its extremity is a stone, with the fol- lowing inscription: “. Rest and be thankful.” This road was a military work, performed by the twenty- third regiment. - • - From the top of the hill look down on a small lake, passing by the side of which, enter another glen, much wider at the bottom, and bounded by pastoral mountains, of more gradual ascent. Reach Cairndow at its extremity, a small village on the north-east side of Loch Fine. From hence ride eleven miles along a very pleasant road, on the side of the loch, to Inverary. Loch Fine is properly an arm of the sea, in which the tide rises six feet. The mountains on each side are so high, that their tops are generally shrouded in clouds. Near the water is a good deal of under- wood, while, higher up, the land produces some corn and grass for hay. Sea-weed is beneficially ap- plied for manure; but such deluges of rain fall here, that the poor labourer is seldom compensated for his toil in cultivation. Potatoes, however, answer ex- tremely well, and they are justly an object of great care and attention. | . - This arm of the sea produces herrings in great abundance, cod, ling, baddocks, whitings, and va- rious other kinds of fish ; but it seems the fisheries are not carried on to that extent which they would admit of - - “Whoever,” says our sensible author, “ has tra- welled over the west coast of Scotland, and viewed the various lochs and arms of the sea, must naturally reflect on the great advantages, which the inhabitants and nation at large may derive from a wise and libe- ral encouragement of the fisheries, more especially when it is considered, that thousands of the poor natives are without employment of any sort.” - His mind occupied with those patriotic ideas, it Vol. III, . Z - 254 NEwte's roup IN occurred to him, that the most feasible plan to raise a nursery of seamen, and to promote individual com. fort and general wealth, would be to purchase a number of large, old ships, and station them in dif- ferent places, under the command of some intelli- gent marine officers, with a certain number of men, used to the fisheries, and boys apprenticed to the trade, in each ; and to provide them with boats and proper fishing-tackle. The fish to be salted, and kept on board the vessels, till ready to carry to mar. ket; proper premiums to be allowed; and the ap- prentices, after serving their term, to have such en- couragement allowed as would enable them to esta- blish themselves in life, To his plan, he is sensible, there may be some ob- jections; but when it is considered, that to promote general industry, is to increase national wealth, and that the existence of this island depends on its ma- ritime power, it certainly appears patriotic, and de- serving the attention of the legislature. - The Duke of Argyle's castle, at Inverary, is plea- santly situated amidst this alpine scenery. Its con- struction is singular; but it contains many good apartments, some of them elegantly furnished, and the ceilings beautifully painted and gilded. They are decorated with some excellent portraits, which bring to mind those patriots and heroes, the splendor of whose actions has raised the family of Argyle to distinguished eminence and celebrity. The surrounding woods are extensive, and some of them planted with abundant taste. A lawn, of about three hundred acres, is laid down for grazing and hay ; for corn can seldom be brought to due perfection in this rainy climate. - On the top of the lofty hill of Dumaquaick, stands a square tower, from which is an immense view of Loch Fine and its vicinity, with a bird's eye prospect of the castle and plantations. This hill is chiefly ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 255 planted with fir and birch, and has a tolerable horse- road to its very top. Indeed, in different directions from the castle, there are beautiful rides, and every embellishment which the rank and munificence of the owner can command. The town or village of Inverary, stands about half a mile from the castle, and contains nearly a thousand inhabitants, who are principally employed in fishing. “ Though the herrings are certainly migratory, I must contradict,” says Mr. Newte, “the report of their having, in a great measure, forsaken Loch Fine. The whole appearance of the castle, town, and envi- rons of Inverary,” continues our tourist, “is such as beseems the head of a great clan, in a strong and mountainous country, who, without losing sight of the origin of his family, in rude and warlike times, adopts the improvements of the present period.” After leaving the Duke of Argyle's woods, the road is quite open and dreary, amidst steril mountains. At Clandish, about eight miles from Inverary, is a beautiful view of Loch Awe, sprinkled with islands. The borders are partially in a state of cultivation, but grazing seems to prevail, and many black cattle and sheep are reared in this track. - - On the east side of the loch stands Hay-field, a modern, well-built house ; and at its northern extre- mity is the large, old castle of the Earl of Braedal- bane, which, in ancient times, was the den, or strong hold of the family; but the present possessor, living in a milder age, and in one more suited to the na- tural benignity of his disposition, has abandoned this fortress of his remote ancestors, for his elegant resi- dence at Loch Tay. - Reach Dalmally, a large village, pleasantly situat- ed on a river that falls into Loch Awe. In a neigh- bouring mountain, called Chruacham, a lead-mine has been opened, which promises good success. From Dalmally to Bun Awe, the road winds round 256 - NewTE's Tour is * the loch, on the side of a mountain, in some places a thousand feet almost perpendicular above the water, which has 8 very awful appearance to travel- lers. After proceeding about eight miles, a river of most astonishing rapidity bursts from the loch, and roaring over stones and rocks, finally loses itself in Loch Etive; at the upper end of which stands Bun Awe. Here is a manufactory of charcoal from the oak and birch, with which this track abounds. Not far from this is Dunstaffnage Castle, and a little farther Dunolly Castle, said to have been the residence of the early kings of Scotland. - At the bottom of a small bay, about a mile from the last, stands the village of Oban, where the her- ring fishery is carried on ; but the inhabitants, in general, either want a spirit of enterprise, or they are too poor, without encouragement, to avail them- selves of their native advantages. Proceed to Appin, about twelve miles distant, in the course of which ride they were obliged to pass two ferries. The road is pretty good, and they en- joyed some fine views of Mull, Lismore, and other smaller islands, which it was originally their intention to visit, as well as to examine Staffa ; but found that, without proper introductions, this would have been attended with difficulties. Lismore is one of the most fertile of all the He- brides, though the soil is extremely shallow. Oppo- site to it is the village of Appin. Mr. Seaton's resi- dence, in this vicinity, commands one of the most romantic and extensive views of the islands, and over to the Sound of Mull, and of the mountains which run up to Fort William, that can possibly be conceived. The grounds are well laid ov, and the plantations occupy a great space. Corn also grows in this district more abundantly than in most parts of the Highlands, and the natives seem to be in comparatively more comfortable circumstances. ENGLAND AND SCOTLANT). 257 Ride by the water-side to Ballyhuish Ferry, where there is a small house of entertainment; and then proceed by Glenco, bounded by the most terrific precipices our author had ever seen, from which numerous torrents falling, form a river at the bot- tom. * As they passed this glen, it blew a storm. Some- times the craggy mountains were hid in clouds, at others visible through the mist, which seemed to ag- gravate the gloom of this awful place. “Altogether,” observes Mr. Newte, “this appeared a fit scene for the massacre of 1691, which leaves a stain on the memory of King William, or that of his ministers, or, perhaps, on both.” V At the foot of these precipitous mountains is much verdure, and about its middle are a few huts. Trees are not very numerous, but there are sufficient ves- tiges of its formerly having been a forest. •v Beyond this is the King’s House, as it is called, a lonely hut, in the vicinity of which there seems neither to be habitation for man, nor food for beast. Ride from hence, twenty-four miles, to Fort Wil- liam, built in the reign of the prince from whom it derives its name. It is a triangle, with two bastions, and capable of containing eight hundred men; but it is commanded by several adjacent hills. About a mile from this lies Inverlochy, an old castle, supposed to have been built by Edward I. and on the river Lochy is a good salmon fishery, the joint property of Lochiel and the Duke of Gordon. The estate of Lochiel, in this neighbourhood, is of great extent, and a considerable part of it is well adapted for cultivation; but is chiefly devoted to pasturage. Considerable quantities of kelp are made on the coast. Our author here makes some very sensible reflec- tions on the impolicy of extensive sheep-walks, from its tendency to depopulation; as one family is ca- - - - a 3 - pable | 258 NewTE's Tour. IN . ; " pable of attending as many sheep as several miles will graze. . - III fares the land, to hast’ning ills a prey, When wealth accumulates, and men decay; Princes and peers may flourish and may fade ; A breath can make them, as a breath has made; But a bold peasantry, their country’s pride, When once destroy’d, can never be supply’d. Some of Mr. Newte's suggestions respecting the mode of bettering the situation of the Highlanders well deserve the attention of the proprietors of estates; but, however benevolent and judicious his recommendations may be, they can be little inter resting to those who have no local attachments, and therefore we pass them over. - On the banks of the river Lochy is a great extent of champaign, covered with a sort of moss, which, by means of sea-weed or lime, might be converted to good land, in the course of two or three years. Those manures, it is said, destroy the moss in one year; the next, potatoes may be raised; and the third, oats or barley. But notwithstanding such facilities, the spirit of improvement is but slowly gaining ground here : there is neither energy in the land-owner nor the occupier. - Maryborough, adjoining Fort William, is a small town, containing some tolerable houses, and a popu- iation of about five hundred souls. The chief em- ployment is fishing ; yet, from the quantities of wool produced in this district, and other correspond- ing advantages, a woollen manufactory bids fair to be attended with the most beneficial effects, if any person had a sufficient capital, and spirit of enterprise to establish one in this place. . . . . . . On the 14th of July, leave Fort William, and take the road to Letter Findiay. Pass over High Bridge, on the river Spean, two of the arches of which are ENGLAND AND SCOTLANT). - 259 ninety-five feet high. The Spean is a very rapid river, running between lofty, perpendicular rocks into Loch Lochy, which empties itself into the Western Sea at Fort William. * The mountains on the north of the loch are of vast height, and barren, except towards their bases: on the south they furnish good sheep-walks, or are clothed with wood. . . For some miles the road follows the trendings of this fine expanse of water, sometimes conducting through beautiful woods of alder and birch. - Soon after passing Loch Lochy, Loch Oich opens to the view, a narrow sheet of water, prettily indented and adorned with small sylvan islands. On the north shore stands Glengary, the seat of Macdonald, a modern edifice, and near it the ruins of an old castle, of eminence in days of yore. - Four miles beyond this lake, reach Fort Augustus, situated on a plain at the head of Loch Ness, between the rivers Tarff and Oich, . - This fortress is formed by four bastions, and is ca- pable of containing about four hundred men, but seems ill adapted for its destination, being com- manded by several adjacent places. Near it is a small village and a tolerable inn, and below it a little pier, for small craft and boats. The surrounding mountains are rocky and barren, nor is there much vegetation in the bottom. Proceeding on their tour, ascended a very high hill, to the south of the fort, and, on reaching its sum- mit, were presented with a romantic landscape of hills and rocks, with small glens between, that pro- duce a few acres of grazing land, intermixed with patches of grain. " " " - . . . . . . After riding nine miles over this inhospitable track, arrive at the celebrated Fall of Foyers, at the upper end of a glen, beautifully shaded with birch trees, Above the fall is a yery lofty arch, springing from 260 NEwTE's Tour IN two perpendicular rocks, and in the immediate vi- cinity, the whole body of the Tarff falls near fifty feet into the glen. < . The largest cascade, however, is about a quarter of a mile below the bridge, and here the water rolls with horrid impetuosity down rocks two hundred feet high, foaming along, till it joins the tranquil Loch Ness. On a promontory, close by this river, is a gen- tleman's seat most romantically placed. . Proceed from the fall of Foyers through a beau- tiful birch wood, to the General’s Hut, a house of very ordinary accommodation, from whence the road goes by the side of Loch Ness, for twelve miles together, through charming northern woods. Loch Ness is twenty-four miles long, and in some places a mile wide. Its bounding mountains are covered with heath, or feathered down with trees. Extensive plantations of fir continue the whole way to Inverness, which is about five miles distant from the lower extremity of Loch Ness. . '. On the north side of this great expanse of water, on a promontory of solid rock, stands Castle Urqu- hart, once the seat of the potent clan of the Cum- mins. “ This lake,” says Mr. Newte, “ with its sylvan borders, and the lofty mountains, in which it is embosomed, together with its various other ap- pendages and accompaniments, render it one of the most delightful scenes that imagination can con- ceive.” x * - - The soil towards Inverness is sandy, but productive in corn. In the river Ness much salmon is caught. Inverness is a town of considerable magnitude, and its population is estimated at eleven thousand souls. It contains some tolerably built houses, but the streets are narrow and dirty. Ships of great burthen can ride within a mile of the town, and at high water, those of two hundred tons can come up to the quay. - - ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 261 Spinning thread and making linen cloth for do- mestic consumption, and sacking for exportation, is the principal business of the place. . On the north, are the remains of Oliver's Mud Fort, three of the bastions of which are still remain- ing. It was extremely well situated, and is now converted into factories; one part of it forms the bason for the reception of vessels. On the opposite side stood old Fort George, which was blown up by the rebels, in 1746. - . The environs of Inverness are very picturesque. From the hill of Tomnaheurich is a fine view of the town, the Murray Frith, the river Ness, and the cir- cumambient mountains. . - Much grain is produced here, and so different is the climate from that at Fort William, that drought is frequently complained of. It seems that the mountains on the south-west, from which the rain generally comes, are so very high, that the clouds are arrested in their passage, and shed among them the greatest part of their moisture. By this means the eastern part of Scotland, which lies in their direction, is prevented from having its proportion of rain, while every part of the Highlands receives it in super- abundance. : -- “ The island of Great Britain,” remarks Mr. Newte, “ between Inverness and Fort William, as- sumes a very extraordinary and curious form. It is deeply indented on either side, and nearly divided by water, which might easily be made navigable all the way; but a considerable commerce alone would make a suitable return for the expence of such an undertaking.” . . . . . Leaving Inverness, pass over Culloden Moor, and have an excellent view of Fort George, a strong and regular fortress, situated on a narrow neck of land, running into the Murray Frith. The barracks are very handsome, and form several good streets, 262 NEwre’s Tour. IN Reach Nairn, a small town, situated on an emi- nence, near the sea. The houses are generally built of stone, and are pretty good, except that quarter which is occupied by Highland huts. The principal employment of the men is fishing. The soil in the vicinity is fertile in corn. - Ride principally along the beach to Forres, a small well-built town, pleasantly situated on an emi- nence. The environs have a cheerful appearance, and are dotted with some gentlemen's seats. The chief manufactures are coarse linen and sewing thread. On a hill, west of the town, are the re- mains of a castle, and a dreary view of a number of sand hills, covering a track of land, formerly in cul- tivation. About a mile from the town, stands King Sweno's Stone, erected by the Scotch, in memory of the final retreat of the Danes; and, on a moor, about four miles farther, Shakespeare places the rencounter between Macbeth and the wierd sisters; and our author thinks very judiciously, as the women in this track are not remarkable for their beauty. . . Pass the ruins of Kinloss Abbey, near which Duffus, king of Scotland, is said to have been mur- dered by thieves. etween Forres and Elgin, the soil is mostly sand, mixed with gravel. In some places, however, there is a tolerable crop of beare * and oats. Elgin is a pretty large town, and contains some good houses. The cathedral here still shews, from its ruins, what splendor it once possessed ; and its demolition will ever reflect disgrace on the fanatical reformers. On the west of the town stood a castle, in a commanding situation; but little of it now re- {{\ all \S. - The people here, as in all the little towns on this terrºr.” * A kind of barley. ENGLAND AND Scotland. 263 coast from Inverness, are employed in making thread and linen cloth. * Proceed to Fochabers, through several miles of a sandy country, but fertile in corn. About five miles from Elgin, is a gentleman’s seat, with very extensive plantations of fir, which our tourist thinks, occupy a track that had better been appropriated for raising corn. He seems to be of opinion, that the Scotch proprietors of land, anxious to obviate the imputed charge of their country being destitute of trees, are running into the other extreme, and plant- ing where they ought to be cultivating. Perhaps, there is some justice in this remark; yet it must be confessed that in Scotland, there are many thou- sands of acres which defy cultivation, and alone can be productive and beautiful, when covered with wood. Cross the rapid Spey, at Fochabers, near which stands Gordon Castle, a very large and elegant build- ing, the front of which extends near three hundred and fifty feet, and contains more than a hundred and twenty windows. The situation, however, is low, but the park contains some fine old trees, while the circumjacent bills are dotted with firs. Old Fochabers consists only of miserable huts, but the new town has some good houses, and two tolerable inns. At this place is a manufactory for sewing thread. Towards Cullen, the country is all the way rich in corn. On this road are a number of small seats, be- longing to the Gordons, who have settled in the wi- cinity of their chief. - - Cullen is a poor town, though pleasantly situated. Its principal ornament is Cullen House, the seat of the Earl of Finlater, standing on the edge of a glen, with extensive plantations round it. This mansion is very ancient, and large. A bridge of one arch is *64 NEwTE's Tour IN thrown over the glen, just by the house, at the bot- tom of which runs a rapid stream. ~ * Pass the little fishing town of Portsoy, standing - on a small promontory, running into the sea ; and the same night arrive at Bamff. The country be- tween Cullen and this place is in a high state of cul- tivation, and the soil is good. Most of the cottages, and particularly the farm houses, are built of stone, covered with slates or tiles ; a pleasing contrast with the miserable huts of the Highlands. :-3- Bamff is a considerable town, and is pleasantly situated on the side of a hill, close to the sea. It contains several streets, and many good houses. The salmon fishery in the river Deveron lets for 1000l. a year. The harbour, however, is very in- different. - ,, . Near the town stands Duff-house, the seat of the Earl of Fife, a magnificent pile, with a square tower at each end, surrounded by plantations and walks, laid out with great taste. A bridge of nine arches is thrown across the river. Opposite to Bamff is the little town of Macduff, which is rising under the pa- tronage of the Earl of Fife, who is expending consi- derable sums on its improvement. • * Bidding adieu to Bamff, they pass through the village of New Deer, pleasantly situated on the side of a hill, watered by a small stream, and four miles farther reach Old Deer, once famous for its abbey. Between Bamff and New Deer, a great part of the land is in a high state of improvement, and fertile in corn and grass. Many of the bullocks fattened here are worth 25l. In the vicinity of Old Deer is held a large annual fair, for cattle, in July, for which they were preparing as our tourist passed. From this place to Peterhead, a distance of several miles, the soil is a stiff, cold clay; and the crops not very luxuriant. . - {} Peterhead is a meat, well-built town, situated on > EN. G.Y. AND AND SCOT}, AND. º6; a peninsula, and contains near three thousand peo- ple. A new pier has been erected here, of granite, at considerable expence. The commerce carried on at this place, is chiefly to the Baltic and Dantzic. Near twenty vessels are employed in this and the coasting trade, besides some large sloops annually sent to fish among the western islands. About two thousand barrels of cod-fish are annu- ally caught in the immediate vicinity of Peterhead. The mineral well, however, at this place, standing near the verge of the tide, is the principal cause of its prosperity. The water operates as a strong diu- retic, and is considered as very efficacious in remov- ing obstructions in the bowels. Near the well is a very good ball-room, under which are two salt-water baths; and in summer much genteel company re- sort to the town. Not fewer than eight hundred persons are employed in a factory for sewing thread, at which girls can earn from 5d. to 1s. 3d. a day, Fish are so cheap, that a turbot, weighing twenty pounds, is sometimes sold for 4d. - Proceed to Bowness, near which are the celebrated Bulſers of Buchan, and about two miles farther stands Slane's Castle, a very old seat of the Earl of Errol, built almost perpendicular on a cliff, which is eon- stantly washed by the spray of the sea. In former times it must have been a very secure retreat. Near the house are some remarkable rocks, on which thousands of marine fowls build their nests. From Slanes proceed to Ellon, a small village, near which the Earl of Aberdeen has a seat, sur- rounded by some tolerable plantations. From thence to Aberdeen the country is uninviting, full of heath and rocks, so that the plough cannot be used, except in a few spots. - - At the northern extremity of Old Aberdeen, cross the Don by a lofty arch, and enter the town, con- sisting of one long street, indifferently built. King's Vol. iii. A A - 266 NewTE's Tour in - ~. College here, founded by James IV. has about a hundred and fifty students belonging to it, a majo- rity of whom are lodged in it, the rest find apart- ments in the town. This building is not remarkably elegant, except the tower. The library, however, is a good room, and is well filled with books and manuscripts. The hall contains some good por- traits. \ - The professors have but small salaries, and hence they are obliged to pay the greater attention to their different departments. “ If a person,” says Mr. Newte, “ has a disposition to obtain learning and information, he may acquire them here, at a small expence; and without this disposition he will ac- quire them no where.” New Aberdeen adjoins to the old town of that name, and is an elegant city, bounded by the Dee, The streets are spacious, and the houses are lofty and built of granite, the same kind of stone with which the streets of London are paved. The col- lege here was founded by Earl Marischall, and has about the same number of students as King's, but more of those live in it. The hall is a handsome room, with some fine portraits, and the museum is well furnished with excellent instruments for expe- rimental philosophy. The town-hall is spacious and elegant, as indeed are some of the public structures. The two cities of Aberdeen, including the suburbs, contain nearly twenty thousand inhabitants. 1 The foreign trade is chiefly to Holland and the Baltic. Its manufactures are woollen, thread, and cotton stockings, but principally the former, in which this place has gained great celebrity. Great quan- tities of salmon are caught both in the Dee and Don ; besides other kinds of fish on the coast. The pier of Aberdeen is one thousand two hun- dred feet long, strongly built of granite, at the ex- ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 26? pence of 16,000l. Meat, vegetables, and fish, are very cheap, and the inns are good. Cross the Dee, and proceed towards Stonehaven, over a country in general destitute of trees, except a few plantations of fir. Stonehaven is a small vil- lage, situated in a rocky bay. The inhabitants chiefly subsist by the fisheries. - About a mile to the south, on a high, perpendi- cular rock, almost surrounded by the sea, stands Da- notter Castle, the ancient seat of the Earls Maris- chall, a place, which, before the invention of artil- Hery, must have been quite impregnable. Continue their route to Inverbervie, the road run- ning on the cliffs by the sea-side. This is also a small village, but romantically situated between two hills, which terminate in high cliffs towards the Sea. - º From Inverbervie to Montrose, the land is highly cultivated, and produces excellent wheat, beare, and oats. The buildings are generally comfortable and meat, and some gentlemen's seats have tolerable plantations round them. - Two miles from Montrose, cross the North Esk, by a handsome bridge, of seven arches. Montrose is a considerable town, well-built, and situated on a sandy plain, washed by the river South Esk, which is navigable for ships of three or four hundred tons burden quite up to the town. A great deal of coarse li- men cloth, canvas, and sewing thread is manufactured here; and the salmon fisheries turn to good account. The town-house is a handsome building, on por- ticos ; and the English chapel is furnished with an organ. The environs are beautified with several seats, some of them belong to the merchants of this place; and the power of cultivation every where smiles around. Pass through the small town of Brechin, where there is an old seat of Lord Panmure's, well sure A A 2 3:63 x Ewth's Tour. IN ~ rounded by trees; and reach Forfar at night. This is a small town, but the country, as far as the eye can reach, is rich in corn. Near Forfar, in the bot- tom of a small piece of water, marl is found, and is reckoned so valuable for a manure, as to have pro- duced 18001. per annum. - - Ride six miles to Glamis Castle, the seat of Lord Strathmore, an ancient pile, of great height, sur- rounded with curious conical turrets. In the centre is a spacious hall, with a cove ceiling, which, with its furniture, seems to be in its original state. The whole of the castle, in the opinion of our author, appears well calculated for the perpetration of the horrid deed which Shakespeare has recorded. Beyond Forfar, the road is frequently bounded by hedge-rows, a sight not very common in this country, except near gentlemen’s seats. Refresh at Coupar, and afterwards make a digression from the road, to visit the old palace of Scone, now the property of Lord Stormont”, who has made many modern addi- tions. This palace, where the kings of Scotland were formerly crowned, is delightfully situated on the banks of the Tay, and commands some very picturesque views. - Cross the Tay by a bridge of eleven arches, and arrive at Perth, in whose environs are some of the most extensive bleacheries in Scotland, and where the linen manufacture, in all its branches, flourishes to an uncommon degree. Here too the cotton ma- nufacture begins to thrive, under the auspices of some patriotic noblemen and gentlemen. The river, which is navigable for ships of two hundred tons, conspires with an inland situation, and that wast extent of country, washed by different streams, which com- municate with it, to render Perth one of the most prosperous places in the north. It has long been ce- # Earl of Mansfield, ENGLAND AND Scoti,AND. 269 lebrated in Scottish history, as the frequent seat of parliament and the residence of kings, from whose bounty it derived, and mow enjoys, a valuable do- main, as well as many immunities, rights, and pri- vileges. - The ancient Bertha, or Perth, was situated on the northern banks of the Almon, near its junction with the Tay; but in the year 1200, the town, with the very soil on which it stood, was swept off in one night, by a dreadful inundation. In this calamity many lives were lost, and among the rest an infant son of the king's, with his nurse and fourteen do- mestics. - After this dreadful visitation, a new town was built on a fertile plain, two miles below, which has since flourished to an extraordinary degree, and is become no less famous for the elegance of its build- ings, and the value of its manufactures, than for the politeness of its natives. - “ The kings of Scotland,” remarks Mr. Newte, “ in the choice of a place of residence, naturally wished to unite, as much as possible, amenity, safety, and centrical situation. It would be difficult to find, in the whole kingdom, a spot which combined those advantages more happily than some in this vicinity, from which Perth derived no inconsiderable advan- tage. The greatest plain in Scotland, the Carse of Gowry, bounded by the highest ridge of mountains, enhanced the magnificence of each, by the light of contrast, while the Tay, rolling with impetuous ma- jesty, through fertile fields, suddenly hides his head between the hills of Moncrieff and Kinnoul. This rapid river formed a strong barrier against any sud- den attack of the Picts and the English: personal safety was secured by the sanctity of the place; and no spot in Scotland could be more desirable for a royal residence.” "- Leaving Perth, and passing through South Inch, - A A 3 376) * *} . NEWTE's Tour IN ascend a gentle eminence, formed by the sloping base of the hill of Moncrieff, over which the great road is carried to Edinburgh. Here the traveller from the south is struck with the sudden appearance of Strathmore, the Grampians, the Tay, and the town and bridge of Perth ; while the traveller from the north contemplates with pleasure the charming valley of Strathern, through which a river, of consi- derable magnitude, meanders in the most romantic and pleasing style. Beyond it rise the Ochills, green and softly swelling, while gentle acclivities rise from the northern banks. - - Strathern, it is remarked, is fuller of gentlemen's seats than any district of equal extent in Scotland; the lower part of the valley, a continuation, as it were, of the Carse of Gowrie, from which it is se- parated by the Tay, is extremely fertile, and here stands Abernethy, the capital of the Picts. Among the delightful places of residence which decorate Strathern, are Lawers, on a shelf of moun- tains, about four miles below Loch Eru ; Auchter- tyre, also on the side of a mountain, embosomed in a natural wood; Dollerie, the seat of the Laird of Criff, who has forced the cold and barren moor to wear the verdant livery of the lawn; Abercarnie, and Pitkellenie, with others of less note; but all de- serving the attention of the traveller, from the ame- nity of situation, or the elegance of improvement. On a wing of the lofty mountain of Benvoirloch, which gradually rises from Loch Ern, till its preci- pitous, south-western front is seen from Stirling Castle, in a line with those of Ben Lomond, Ben More, and Ben Liddia, stands Castle Drummond, which commands a delightful, varied view, as far as - g the town of Dundee, - “ Machany,” says our tourist, “ the ancient seat of the noble family of Strathallan, would have con- vinced Dr. Johnson, had he happened to visit it, that \ ENGLAND AND scort,AND. . 27? timber trees grow in Scotland; and that a veneration for the ancient ceremonies and orders of the church, is not banished wholly from the main land, to the western isles.” --- - . Innappaffray, the ancient seat of the Lords of Ma- dèrty, with its accompaniments, forcibly carries the raind back to the pristine situation and genius of this country. Passing along the banks of the Ern, on the remains of a Roman causeway, reach Dupplin, the residence of the Earls of Kinnoul. This man- sion is sweetly embosomed in trees of vast growth, and enjoys every local advantage. About a mile westward is the house and wood of Invermay, the subject of a beautiful ballad, through which the river May precipitates itself, in many a fantastic form, till it discharges itself into the Ern, at the bridge of Forteviot. At the last named place, once stood a monastery, of which not a vestige is now Heft. - “ It would be tedious,” says Mr. Newte, “to enumerate all the mansions, with accompanying pleasure grounds, which are in a continued chain, from the influx of the Ern and the May, to that of the former of those rivers with the Tay, a course of ten miles, and form one spacious, beautiful in- closure.” . In the Lower Strathern, is a famous cathartie spring, of eminent use in scorbutic and other cases, called Pitkethly Wells. The upper Strathern has been denominated the Montpellier of Scotland, and is annually resorted to, during the summer, for the purity of the air, its goat whey, and its rural charms, by the inhabitants of the principal cities of the north, Woods, mountains, lakes, a dry soil, and flowing streams conspire to render this one of the most charm- ing spots that imagination can conceive. Here Erse and English are indiscriminately spoken. - { About seventeen miles from Perth, and the same 272 NewTE's roup IN distance nearly from Stirling, stands the long, strag- gling village of Auchterarder, once a royal burgh, but now chiefly known as the seat of a presbytery, distinguished by a singular union of popish and an- tinomian principles. “ The dark heath of the moors of Ochill and Tullibardin,” says our author, “the naked summits of the Grampians, and the frequent visitations of the presbytery, who are eternally re- commending fast days, and destroying the peace of society, by prying into little slips of life, toge- ther with the desolation of the place, render Auche terarder a melancholy scene.” About a mile south-west from this place, in a glen, stands Kincardine, the ancient seat of the Grahams; and directly opposite to this, at the southern foot of the Ochills, is Castle Campbell, the residence of the Argyle family. Between two such powerful neigh- bouring chiefs, in former days, it was impossible there could be lasting peace: they continually burnt each other's castles, and, as opportunity served, at- tacked or defended their respective domains. In this vicinity runs the Devan, a truly pastoral stream, which rises in the Ochills. The scenery here is everywhere delightful; the verdure is luxu- riant, and the variegated nature of the ground feasts the eye, at every step, with the novelty of prospect. In one part of the valley, through which the Devan winds, it has been obliged to force its way through obstructing rocks, and, in the lapse of ages, has worn away their softer parts, and formed immense pits, into which the water falls with tremendous fury and noise. Just below this awful scene, the whole river is precipitated, in one sheet, from the height of forty feet, upon huge stones, torn from the face of the rock. This fall, from the boiling appearance it ex- hibits, is called the Cauldron Linn. There is some- thing in this scene, and its concomitant circumstances, ENGLAND AND scot1..AND. 273 which makes a solemn impression on the most giddy mind, and invites the most dissipated to serious re- flection and sublime contemplation. Two or three hundred yards beyond this cataract, the river sinks into a placid calm, and quietly steals along its banks. - At Auchterarder, the country changes from corn to pasturage. In the Ochills, many black cattle are raised, and a few sheep, which are annually sold at Crieff and Blackford. As the country becomes im- proved, this species of traffic must decay. It is only while the people are poor, that they rear cattle for distant consumption, without retaining some for their &Włł thSe. & Between Auchterarder and Dunblame, the country is, for the most part, barren, thinly inhabited, and iſ cultivated. Pass the northern skirts of Sheriff Muir, the scene of action between the king’s troops, in 1715, and those of the Pretender, under the Earl of Mar; and proceeding through Dunblane, formerl y a bishop’s see, travel through the most beautiful and fertile part of Strathallan, and crossing the Forth, arrive at Stirling. - This town is built on the south side of a rock ; the Houses are old, and the streets narrow. The castle is founded on a cliff, whose perpendicular height, on the west side, is a hundred feet. Within the walls is the parliament-house, now unroofed, and falling to ruin. The palace, which is very large, is converted into barracks for soldiers. “As the Scottish nation,” well remarks our author, * extended their authority southward, by their con- guests over the Picts and Danes, and their intermar- riages with England, the usual places of their resi- dence became more and more southerly also. Đun- staffnage was exchanged for Scone, Scone for Dun- fermline and Falkland, Falkland for Stirling, Stirling § 274, NewTE's Tour. IN - for Linlithgow and Edinburgh, and at last Edinburgh for London. But amidst these changes, after the establishment of the monarchy of Scotland, the na- tural boundaries, which marked the land, confined, on the whole, the choice of a place of residence to that track which is bounded by the courses of the Forth and the Tay, on the south and the north; on the west by the mountains; and on the east by the ocean. From the lofty battlements,” continues he, “ of Stirling Castle, the royal eye surveyed, with pride, the bold outlines of an unconquered king- dom. The Grampians, the Ochills, and the Pent- land Hills, conveyed a just idea of its matural strength; and the whole course of the Forth, with its tributary streams, exhibited a pleasing prospect of its natural resources in fishing, and in a soil which would repay the hand of diligent cultivation.” - - y Leaving Stirling, they pursued their journey, by Bannockburn, the scene of a signal victory, gained by the Scots, in 1314, to Carron, Here the Carron Company have established a very large foundery, for casting all sorts of warlike and domestic imple- ments, in which they consume a hundred tons of coal per day. The bellows used here are of immense dimensions, and are worked by water. Four cy- linders, of three feet diameter, are moved by one wheel, and the united wind, created by this force, passes through a tube about a foot diameter, which is conveyed to the mouth of the furnace, where it is reduced to the size of an inch and a half. Such a quantity of air, compressed into so small a compass, must naturally act with great violence, and indeed it is sufficient to convert the iron into a fluid mass. Here they have four of those blast furnaces; and a pump for raising water, in dry weather, worked by four pistons, which throws up four tons of water at 3 stroke, or a hundred tons in a minute. It is almost jº GLAND AND SCO'ſ LAN}}. 275 needless to remark, that this amazing hydraulic en- gine is worked by steam. About a thousand men are usually employed here. “To a person,” says Mr. Newte, “who has not been accustomed to sights of this sort, the place would ap- pear like Pandemonium; for liquid iron is running into the moulds of sand in all directions; and the men, who look like devils, are driving it about in iron wheelbarrows, through every part of the foundery. At night, the whole place appears in a blaze, and by the assistance of a large piece of water, which makes a fine reflection, forms an exhibition indescribably awful.” Near Carron, the navigable canal from Glasgow communicates with the sea. This grand undertaking, which unites the Atlantic with the German Ocean, is forty miles long, and near fifty feet wide. Vessels come from Glasgow to the sea, by this communica- tion in ten hours, amidst all the obstructions of locks, which were found necessary to be multiplied to a great degree in the course of the work. It appears, notwithstanding the trade carried on here, that this navigation does not very liberally repay the under- takers, or, at least, did not at first. r Proceed through Falkirk to Linlithgow, through a . pleasant, fertile country, studded with fine seats. The palace at Linlithgow is now a ruin; being wholly destroyed in the last rebellion. Here Mary, queen of Scots, was born, and the walls of her natal room are still pointed out to the curious. The town is large and beautifully situated. In the evening of the 28th of July reach Edin- burgh”. The castle, it is well known, is the most striking object of the old town, and it is built in such a situation, that it must have been impregnable be- * For a more particular description of the metropolis of the North, see Pennant, &c. . •. .276 NEwTE's Tour is . fore the invention of gunpowder; but is incapable of withstanding a regular siege for a few days. On the very summit of the rock, on which it stands, is a large square, consisting of ancient and modern build- ings. In the former are shewn the room in which James I. of England was born, and an apartment, close bolted, said to contain the regalia of Scotland. It does not appear, however, that those ensigns of power have ever been seen by any person since the Union. The new buildings consist of barracks and an armory, and the square serves as a parade for the garrison, which consists of a regular establishment. On the lower part of the rock, towards the north, stand the houses of the governor and fort-major. From this rock runs a steep ridge, about three quar- ters of a mile long, on which the old city of Edin- burgh stands, forming a very wide street, to the ter- mination of the ridge at Holyrood House. - On each side of the ridge, that forms the base of the Scotch metropolis, is a very deep valley. The northern one was once filled with water, which is now drained off, and a lofty bridge thrown over the dry land, to form a more easy communication with the North, or New Town, which contains some spa- cious squares and elegant modern buildings. On the south side of the castle are several public struc- tures, including the college and two hospitals. In this part of the city likewise lies St. George's-square. “We were present,” says Mr. Newte, “ at the laying of the first stone of a new bridge, which is to form a communication from the south to the centre part of the city, in a straight line with the bridge already built to the north. To enumerate all the public buildings, which are intended to be erected in Edinburgh, would astonish any person who re- flects, that this is not a commercial city.” The Parliament-house, where the Court of Session now sits, is about half as large as Westminster-hall. \ ERGLAND AND Scotlanb, 277 t’nder it is a public library, in which the public re- cords are kept, Here they were shewn the Articles of Union, on twenty pages of folio parchment, each page containing about twenty lines only ; “ though, at this period,” remarks our author, “more words are thought necessary in the marriage settlement of a Highland laird, or to convey an acre of land from one person to another.” ~. w Holyrood House, a large, quadrangular palace, has a number of spacious rooms, but those destined for royal state are unfurnished. The other apart- ments are occupied by the Duke of Hamilton, who is hereditary keeper, or let to other noblemen. In the gallery are all the portraits of the kings of Scot- land, many of them well executed. * - The chapel, adjoining to the palace, is a handsome Gothic structure, but the roof is tumbled in, from its excessive weight, and it now lies in ruins. Here they were shewn the bones of Henry Darnley, who appears to have been a very large man ; and a kind of mummy, said to have been a Countess of Rox- burgh, remarkably well preserved, but too indelicate to be exhibited. : In this place our author makes some judicious re- flections on the spirit of adventure which possesses the youth of this country, particularly the younger sons of honourable families, and those who have ac- quired a learned education. This spirit of adven- ture has introduced many improvements, and some wealth into their native country. “A great part of the Scottish youth,” says he, “ quit their native land from about fifteen to twenty years of age, and pass through London, but without being naturalized in it, and enervated by its vices, to various countries, in pursuit of fame and fortune. Their hearts are by this time impressed with an attachment to their kin- dred, their acquaintances, and their native soil; and many of them, particularly he Highlanders, are Vol. III. B B 273 NEwte’s Tour. IN well known to be subject to that maladie du païs, or desire of revisiting the place that gave them birth, which still more strongly affects the natives of Swis- serland. “Soldiers, sailors, merchants, physicians, and others, in whose imagination Scotland has still been uppermost, amidst all their peregrinations, and all the vicissitudes of life, returning home with the earn- ings of industry and the favours of fortune, aug. ment the general wealth of the nation. Scotland,” adds he, “ though barren in many things, is yet fruitful in men; and men are unquestionably the most important articles in any country.” As far as written memorials carry back our views, we find that a lettered education was very general in Scotland. In every parish, the clerk, who was also precenter and schoolmaster, was acquainted with the learning of the times, and capable of com- municating it to others. Even at this time, the sons of mechanics and small farmers, after spending the summer and autumn in various rural occupations, go to the parish school in winter, to learn writing, arithmetic, and sometimes Latin ; for they are ge- nerally taught by their mother to read the Bible, and to repeat the articles of the Christian faith, as soon as they are capable of instruction. And a more de- lightful picture cannot be conceived by human ima- gination, than that of a fond mother, plying her domestic toils, yet, at the same time, teach- ing the lisping infant the rudiments of learning, aud the first principles of religion. To the early re- ligious education of the Scotch, is to be ascribed that general taste for literature which pervades all ranks, from the highest to the lowest. But to return from this digression. - If the New Town of Edinburgh excels the Old in beauty, elegance, and commodiousness, the Old excels the New in variety, boldness and gran- \ ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 279 deur of aspect. Both of them bear marks, and are emblematical of the ages in which they received their complexion and form. The New Town is only remarkable for elegance and beauty; but the Old is romantic to a high degree. It is boldly termi- nated by the eastle towards the west, and still more nobly bounded by Salisbury Crags and Arthur's Seat on the east ; the last derives its name from the British prince, Arthur, who defeated the Saxons in this vicinity, and the former from an Earl of Salis- bury, who accompanied Edward III. in an expedi- tion against the Scots. - Arthur's Seat rises in a bold, abrupt nanner, till its rocky summit reaches five hundred feet from the base. On the west side of this hill lie Salisbury Crags, a vast assemblage of basaltic rocks. These furnish numerous curiosities to the mineralogist and naturalist, and afford an inexhaustible supply of paving and building stones. The quarry-men have worn down part of the Crags into a spacious terrace, about halfway from the bottom; and from this there is a near but beautiful prospect of Edinburgh and its environs. . . . l - The view from the top of Arthur's Seat is much mere noble and extensive. The German Ocean, the course of the Forth, the distant Grampians, and an intervening track, rich in population and culture, form altogether a varied landscape of sublimity and beauty. . “The silence, solitude, and rugged aspect of these neighbouring hills,” elegantly observes Mr. Newte, “with the adjacent morasses and lakes, form a striking contrast with the hurry, the dim, and the artificial embellishments of the city ; while the bustle, the anxiety, and the constraint of a city life, on the other hand, set off and endear the charms of these rural haunts, whose genius, from the wild heights of mature, looks down with pity at the vain cares, and - B B 2 - . - - 280 NewTE's Tour IN . with contempt on the proudest edifices of toiling. mortals. This romantic ground,” continues he, “ this assemblage of hills, rocks, precipices, moras- ses, and lakes, was inclosed by James V. and formed into a park, belonging to the palace of Holyrood House, with which it communicates. Both park and palacc, with certain portions of land adjoining to the latter, afford an asylum for insolvent debtors, who, in this spacious prison, have, at least, what few furnish—abundant air and exercise.” Arthur's Seat, on the South, is in many parts a perpendicular rock, composed of basaltic pillars, regularly pentagonal or hexagonal, about three feet in diameter, and from forty to fifty feet high. At the bottom of these columns is a lake of consider- able extent, on the other side of which stands Dud- dinston, the charming, sequestered seat of the Mar- quis of Abercorn. Though within two miles of the city, this villa is totally concealed from it, and has all the rural scenery which could be expected in re- mote situations. . On the north-east side of Edinburgh, rises Calton Hill, crowned with an observatory. A pleasant, serpentine walk runs round this eminence, from which there is a commanding view of Edinburgh, and of a great extent of the circumjacent country. Leith, lying upwards of a mile from Edinburgh, is the sea-port of that city, and has about a hundred vessels belonging to it. There is a tolerable pier at , this place, and the harbour is formed by the conflux of the river Leith with the sea. - This town contains about ten thousand inhabi- tants, and, being situated on the very brink of the forth, is certainly much more commodious for trade than Edinburgh. Hence the inhabitants of the lat- ter have always been jealous of its prosperity ; and have by influence obtained the superiority, which in all probability they will ever retain, . . . , \ ENGLAND AND SCOTLANT). 28} Between Edinburgh and Leith is a botanical gar- den, of five acres, well stocked with plants of va- rious kinds. The soil is, in general, light, sandy, or gravelly ; yet trees, as well as more tender plants, thrive extremely. Here botanical lectures are read every day in the summer season. To promote this useful and elegant institution, the British parliament granted about 2000l. and the city of Edinburgh 25l. annually, for paying the rent of the ground. The clear revenue of the city of Edinburgh, af. ter deducting the regular annual payments, is 12,000l. sterling, and it certainly would have amounted to much more, had not the introduction of tea, and the progressive use of that infernal spirit, whisky, lessened the consumption of malt liquor, from the sale of every pint of which, within its royalty and jurisdiction, it has a duty of twopence Scotch”, or two-thirds of one halfpenny English. This duty in Edinburgh,about a hundred years ago, amounted to 4000l. per annum ; in the year 1724, it reached the sum of 79.391. 16s. 1d. ; but in 1776, it had dwindled away to 21971. Such are the fatal effects, not only to individuals, but the public, from dram-drinking, and the discontinuance of that wholesome beverage, beer. To raise a revenue from ardent spirits, unless one so high as to be almost prohibitory, is to sport with the morals, the property, and the lives of the people. No casual encourage- ment to agriculture from distilleries, no paltry com- pensation in exchequer returns, can be put in the ba- lance against national dissipation, depopulation, corruption, and ruin. “It would be good policy,” remarks our author, “ to raise, by all means, the duty on spirits and malt, and to lower it on ale and beer.” This com- * Most, or all of the royal boroughs in Scotland, enjoy the same grant. " . B B 3 282 NewTE’s tour, IN mutation would contribute greatly to the health and, population of the country, and have a happy influ- ence on the national wealth and morals. - “ Whisky,” as a lively writer observes, “ is ill qualified to quench the thirst of a palate spiced, salted, and peppered with a red herring, an oaten cake, and an onion. In former days, when people were at liberty, without restraint, to turn their bar- ley into wholesome ale, men of all ranks would meet together, either at home or in some house of enter- tainment, and enjoy the tale or song in favour of Caledonia, over a cup of native ale, and the produce of the fishing hook and net, stretched out by cheer- ful hands on their native shores; but where is the salamander that can now make a comfortable repast on a gill of whisky and a pickled herring * Every writer and traveller, from the south part of this island, takes occasion to remark the happy ex- emption which the Scotch enjoy from poor's rates, and the consequent independence of their charac- ters. “ Though there is no poor's tax in Scotland,” says our author, “ there is not a people in the world, among whom real objects of compassion find readier protection and assistance. To the honour of the lower class of the Scotch, they think it dis- graceful to beg, and even to accept the smallest cha- pitable donation. They therefore, for the most part, pursue their different paths of industry, as long as they are able to crawl about, and subsist rather on the private botínty, however scanty, of their nearest relations, than make their wants known to the parish. It is only real and urgent necessity that obliges the humbled Scot to accept of the eleemosynary contri- butions of his countrymen, which are not compul- . sory but voluntary.” When the late Lord Kinnou! retired from public life in England, to his paternal estate in Perthshire, he was astonished to find there was not one pauper in the parish, The collection at \ EN GRAND AND SCOTLÄND. 283 the ehurch door on Sundays was either sent to other parishes, or laid out at interest, as a growing fund for contingencies. His lordship, the sole proprietor of the parish, struck with this circumstance, recom- mended to the kirk-session to distribute the weekly contribution among poor cottagers. Of these, how- ever, there was not one who would accept a shilling; and at last, when it was offered in the form of flax to poor, but industrious, women, they did not ac- cept of it without hesitation and reluctance. This sense of honour, among the lowest people in Scotland, is a powerful restraint on dissipation, and an incentive to industry; while, it is justly re- marked, that the parliamentary provision for the poor in England, encourages idleness, insolence, and debauchery, and increases the load of taxation on the industrious and sober part of the nation. The principal hospitals in Edinburgh, are Her- riot's Hospital, Watson's Hospital, the Charity Workhouse, the Infirmary, the Merchant's Hospital, the Trade's Hospital, the Orphan Hospital, and he Trinity Hospital; all which have considerable reve- nues, and, in general, are well directed to the ob- jects of their institution. The University, though not the most ancient, is cer. tainly the most respectable in this part of the king- dom. It enjoys many immunities and privileges, and the town council of Edinburgh, its absolute pa. trons and governors, can not only institute new pro- fessorships and elect professors, but depose them also. - - At the restoration, the students at this University appear to have been much tainted with the fanatical principles of the Covenanters; but since the reign of King William, the sole object of contest and ambi- tion, has been the advancement of science. Che- ' rished by the munificence of the sovereign, and the .* 284 NewTE's Tour. IN faithful attention of the magistrates, the University has been gradually advancing in reputation. New professorships have been instituted, as men of emi- mence appeared to be candidates for the chairs; and in every branch of science, connected with medicine, Edinburgh may fairly be allowed to take the lead, not only in Britain, but in Europe. Out of a thou- sand students, who are reckoned to resort annually to this seminary of learning, not less than four hun- dred are pursuing the study of medicine. The different professors are classed into four faculties, those of theology, law, medicine, and the arts. The Grammar, or High School, is a most respect- able seminary of learning, of considerable extent, and is under very able masters. People resort to Edinburgh on business, amuse- ment, or education. The characters of men of bu- siness are, in all countries, nearly the same. The Highlanders generally perform the lower offices of drudgery and labour; and of this order of men, the town-guard is chiefly composed. A chapel has been allotted to their use, in which divine service is per- formed in Erse. Genteel families live a good deal in Edinburgh, not only for the pleasure of society and amusement, but for the education of their children. This prac- tice grows every day more and more frequent ; and occasions a more equal balance between people of fortune and trade, than is to be found in any other city that is destitute of a court. º Indeed the number of lawyers alone is sufficient to distinguish the Scotch metropolis, and to give a tone to its manners. No profession is so much followed as that of the law ; nor is any thing of equal dignity and importance as the Court of Session. Hence the bar is the grand ladder of ambition ; and among the :NGLAND AND scori.AND. 285 young men in particular, there is said to be a turn for disputation which, to a stranger, is not always agreeable, but which gives them a logical acuteness, go where more generally diffused. x * x ... In fact, the two branches of science that are stu- died with the greatest ardor in Edinburgh, are me- taphysics and medicine; and the professors in the various branches of learning, dependent on each, have gained a celebrity which it would be uncandid to deny, and idle to conceal. The names of Smith, Robertson, Black, Cullen, Munro, and many others, who have flourished here, will descend to posterity with eclat. Of some living honours to the Univer- sity and to learning itself, it is unnecessary to speak. -- - . . . . . . “ The grand incentive,” says Mr. Newte, “ to those admirable efforts that are made by the pro- - fessors of Edinburgh, for the instruction of youth and the advancement of knowledge, is necessity. Their salaries are, on the whole, insignificant: they depend chiefly on the fees given by their pupils. The students here, and indeed at the other univer- sities in Scotland, are called upon to give an account of the lectures they receive in the public class, like scholars in classical schools. Thus the industry of the young gentlemen is excited by a principle of ho- nour and ambition.” 3 * . . . . . . Religion in Edinburgh, and indeed throughout Scotland, h g lost much of the austerity with which its lustre was once obscured; yet still there is a party among the ministers, as well as the people, who study to raise the ecclesiastical above the civil power, in every thing that has the most distant re- lation to the church. They contend, not only that the people have an inherent right of chusing their own pastors, but also that to them belong the tem- poralities formerly annexed to livings by the zeal or bigotry of their popish ancestors. Thus, though 286 NEWTE's Tour IN they reject the doctrine, they have no objection to the funds by which it was propagated and sup- ported. . - .. This doctrine of the right of disposing of the patri- mony of the church, were it generally adopted, would be extremely dangerous to the civil govern- ment. Were the people permitted to govern the church, they would soon think they had a right to controul the state. The magistrates of boroughs in Scotland have frequent occasion to observe, how fond the popular clergy are, not only of conducting spiritual, but also temporal affairs. A magistrate of Edinburgh, reflecting on this pragmatical turn in a clergyman, observed, “ I ventured my life, in a storm, to bring him across the Frith, and I would now venture it a second time to carry him back again.” . Mr. Newte remarks, that in Edinburgh there is a variety of clubs among the men, in which hard drinking is still kept up, though not to such an ex- cess as formerly ; and that the young women are not quite so domestic as their grandmothers were, but more fond of strolling in the streets. The people of Edinburgh, as well as the Scotch nation in general, are commonly observed to possess great presence of mind, as well as great resolution, in situations of difficulty and danger. Even mobs have often conducted their designs with all the ad- dress and perseverance of legitimate assemblies. A striking example of this occurred in 1736, in the murder of Captain Porteus, commandant of the city guard, who had ordered his men to fire on the riotous populace, by which some of them were killed; and who, being tried for this act of necessary or wanton severity, was condemned, but reprieved. The Edinburghers considered this royal exercise of mercy as an insult to the dignity of their city ; and fired with resentment, they dragged the unhappy \ ENGLAND AND Scots,AND. 287 officer from his prison, and hanged him in public; after which they dispersed in perfect tranquillity to their respective places of residence. The principal agents in this outrage were well known, yet no one would impeach them, and they escaped the vengeful enquiries of government, by the fidelity and favour of their fellow-citizens. Having spent a few days very agreeably at Edin- burgh, our tourist and friends left it on the 5th of August, and proceeded to Kelso, through Dalkeith, where the Duke of Buccleugh has an elegant seat; beyond which the country gradually becomes more mountainous, barren, and thinly inhabited. Kelso is one of the most beautiful spots in Scot- land. The town, though small, is well built, and is delightfully situated on the banks of the Tweed, over which is an elegant bridge, just below the conflux of the Teviot and the Tweed. From this bridge is a charming view of the town of Fleurs, the elegant re- sidence of the Duke of Roxburgh, and of some other handsome seats. The surrounding country is sylvan, and highly improved ; and the ruins of the abbey give a mellow tint to the scene. s . At the distance of two miles, however, from Kelso, on either side, the country, though more open, is much less diversified, and is too naked for imagina- tion to dwell on ; yet there are evident traces of great pains having been taken to improve it, and the suc- cess has been in some measure commensurate to the labour and expence that have been bestowed. . Ride by the side of the Tweed to Coldstream ; and crossing an elegant bridge of five arches, enter Eng- land, and soon after pass Flouden Field, where the Scotch were routed with signal loss, and James IV. was killed. - r Millfield Plain, where this battle was fought, ex- tends about five miles each way, and is wholly sur- 288 / NEWTE's Tour tº: rounded with mountains, of steril aspeci, among which the Cheviot Hills form the southern boundary. Pass through Wollerhaugh-head, a poor town; and from thence to Alnwick, through a wild and un- cultivated country. - - Alnwick Castle *, the seat of the Duke of Nor- thumberland, is a very large, octagonal pile of build- ing, the inner court forming a circle, and in it are the principal state apartments and bed-chambers. The library is very spacious ; and the chapel, which is fitted up in the Gothie style, is lighted by a large window, painted with great taste. The Gothie ge. mius prevails over the whole edifice. On the battle- ments are numerous statues of warriors, in various attitudes of defence, which give the idea of their be- ing actually engaged in repelling some hostile at- tack. On the right of the inner gate is still to be seen a dungeon, with an iron grate, the Gothic em- blem of lawless and arbitrary power. . . The grounds round Alnwick are of great extent, and reach to the sea. Most of the improvements, both in the castle and its accompaniments, are mo- dern ; and the plantations, in general, want the ve- nerable appearance of age. - - The town of Alnwick is not very extensive, but meat and well built. The east and west gates are very ancient; and, towards the north, the duke has erected an elegant gateway, surmounted with a handsome tower. - “ Were the dukes of Northumberland,” observes Mr. Newte, “ in these peaceable times disposed to exercise the same ardor in the promotion of arts and commerce, which their ancestors formerly dis- played in arms, Alnwick, and the adjacent country, might be rendered as famous for manufactures, as they were formerly renowned for bloody battles. —-i- * See Pennant, &c. ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 289 There is not in any part of Britain better wool than that which is produced in the hilly tracks, in the south of Scotland and the north of England. This circumstance, with abundance of fuel and vicinity to the sea, is sufficient to prove this position.” Our author having now got on ground often beaten, discontinues his journal ; but we subjoin some of his concºding reflections, which, in ge- neral, are equally honourable to his head and his heart. “ It appears,” says he, “ that in former times much emulation and great animosities prevailed be- tween the people of England, living on the south- side of the Trent, and those living on the north. The famous Roger Ascham, a North Trentian, and pre- ceptor to Queen Elizabeth, condescended to write a book, to windicate the dignity of the northern coun- ties of England from the aspersions of their southern eighbours. We are somewhat at a loss, at this day, to account for the disputes, and even the hosti- lities that prevailed a few centuries ago, between the people on this side and beyond the Trent. The time will come, when we will, in like manner, wonder at the animosities which still, in some degree, take place among the vulgar, on this side and beyond the Tweed. “ That the peckle of England and Scotland may be still more effectually united, I would propose, that in all the sheriffs' courts in Great-Britain, trials should be determined by juries; and that the Bishop of Durham should be diocesan of all the qualified Episcopalians in Scotland. It were also to be wished, that the royal burghs were restored to their original freedom of constitution, by which the inhabitants enjoyed, as they ought, the right of chusing their own magistrates, and demanding an account of the common revenue or estate. & Vol. III, c c \ . * , 296 Newt E's Tour is . * Farther still, it were to be wished, though not yet to be expected, that the right of voting in the election of representatives in parliament were ex- tended, as in England, to all who possess freeholds - of 40s. annual rent.—I say, not yet to be expected ; because it is not improbable, that this may one day be effected by the progressive and mutual influence of industry, wealth, and a spirit of liberty, which may break entaihs, split aristocratical domains into a thousand pieces, and assert the rights of freemen ". . If this shall not be the case, the political importance of the people of Scotland, instead of being increased, must be diminished ; for nothing human is abso- lutely stationary. But there is a spirit in Scotland, at the present moment, that presages a brighter prospect, and which may repay to the sister king- dom, and that perhaps in a time of need, the generous fire which was kindled by her example and laws. “ If any of the foregoing observations,” continues. our tourist, “ may be deemed, in any degree, use- ful or instructive, it will be matter of great satisfac- ºtion to the author, whose principal intention, in tak- ing the liberty of publishing them, is to induce men of learning and genius, of property and pa- triotism, to visit a part of this island, which has hi- therto been too much neglected, and where there is an ample field for improvement. * We hesitate very much in our belief, that to increase the popular influence in the Scotch boi oughs, or to extend the elective franchise for counties, would be for the happiness or interest of the country. , Put an end to feasting in corpora- tions, and treating of every kind at elections, and, depend apon it, democratic turbulence would be speedily composed, It is less the exercise of power that is wished for, than the right to riot in occasional intemperance. This hint is intended for politicians. It originates from deep refleºtion and atten- tive observations * - . . . . . . . . | - *, ENGLAND AND Scotland. 291 • * Expanded and cultivated minds may, by oeular demonstration, be convinced of the truth of this as- sertion ; and while they are preserving health by ex- ercise, and enjoying the beautiful and romantic scenery which will every where be presented to their view, they may derive the first of all gratifications, that of giving additional stability to the united king- dom of Great Britain, by promoting agriculture, en- couraging its manufactories and fisheries, and by emancipating a great part of the inhabitants of this island from sloth and idleness, make them active and useful members of society.” - ... ." **scº Sºzºr-sºº It was originally our intention to have again made the tour of Scotland, under one or two other guides, but on comparing what we had already done in that part of the island, with what remained to be done in other directions, we have at last resolved to conclude with Mr. Newte. It is some satisfaction, however, to reflect that, after accompanying a Pennant, a Johnson, and our present author, little but gleanings can remain for the most penetrating and industrious; and consequently our readers had nothing farther of any importance to expect. Improvements in arts and manufactures, in agriculture, building, and local embellishment, we are sensible are rapidly going for ward in the sister kingdom, and that a very few years are making a constant change in those respects; but the grand outline, and leading circumstances of the country, must long remain the same. The manners indeed are less subject to variation, yet the manners have undergone a complete revolution, within the present century. Whatever can adorn, or give a new charm to social or private life, is now diligently studied and pursued; and there is greater reason to - Ç £ 2 - * * 292 NEwTr's Tour, &c. fear, that luxurious refinements, arising from in- creasing opulence, will too suddenly strike and ex- pand, than that the natives of the North will bé be- hind hand in elegance and improvement with the more southern division of the island. 3 O U R O F THE 1 s L E O F W I G H T, AAR. J. HASSELL, FER FORMED IN THE SUMMER OF 1789. p-ºf- #T HE object of this tour was avowedly to en- able Mr. Hassell to display his abilities as a draughtsman. The route he took was well calcu- lated to furnish a profusion of picturesque beauties, and the most prominent features of the brilliant landscapes which continually fell under the eye, were not only preserved in description, but delineated by the pencil. We have no objection to this mode of publication, in the light of a manufacture, which employs more numerous hands, and occasions more money to circulate, that gives free range to descriptive taste, or affords scope to the embellish- ments of design ; but we trust it will not be deemed invidious to observe, that where the shewy is pre- ferred to the useful, and luxuries and provocatives are necessary to rouse the jaded appetite to the study of books, then the simple relish of solid learn- ing is hastening to decay, and a natural taste for ac- quiring knowledge is evidently obtunded by vicious indulgencies, - c c 3 294 HASSELL's Tour of Under this impression, we have seen and read many a modern work, of high repute and great ex- pence. Whether the taste for embellishment will continue till books are no longer read, but only looked at, we cannot pretend to determine ; but, for the sake of those who have not the happiness to be born to patrician fortunes, for the sake of literature itself, we cannot help expressing our wish to see a simple style of publication again introduced into books of real utility, information, or entertain- ment; or that there might be one edition for the rich and another for the poor, - These reflections have by no means a particular reference to Mr. Hassell's tour, but quite the reverse. The scenes he delineated are worthy of his pencil, and the execution does honour to it; the descriptions are in general faithful, though some- times too much detailed; and the observations on places and facts display considerable reading and attention. Whoever visits the Isle of Wight, ought to take our author for his guide ; and the view we have studied to give of his work in the following pages, will, we trust, make it still better known, and not less esteemed*. - Leaving London, on their intended tour to the 'Isle of Wight, passed through Egham and a part of Windsor Forest, to Bagshot. The heath of this Alame is so dreary, and the gloom which overspreads it so deep, that even the liveſy month of June can scarcely relieve its disagreeable appearance. It seems perfectly adapted for the depredations that are frequently committed here, and, from its deso- latenesss, to afford a temptation. The whole track from Egham to within a few miles of Farnham, ex- hibits a scene of sterility and desolation. *. º ~ * gº- * Occasionally we have consulted Mr. Warner, the histos rian of the Isle of Wight, THE ISLE OF W I GHT. 295 Farnham lies in a pleasant, well-watered valley, The hop grounds in the environs are uncommonly rich, and are usually let from 101. to 201. per acre. The hops produced here are esteemed the best in England. The bishop of Winchester’s palace, standing on a rising ground, is the principal object of attraction. It was built by Henry de Blois, bishop of this dio- cese ; but has been much metamorphosed by the different diocesans. The old castle, however, still remains, and its top, nearly an acre of ground, has been converted into a garden. * * The top of this structure àffords most extensive views over Sussex, Hampshire, and Berks; while that delightful spot, Moor Park, belonging to Mr. Bacon, furnishes a very agreeable near view. The country from Farnham to Alton is picturesque and pleasant. The woods belonging to Lord Sta- well form a variety of side screens for a picture. The old Roman road, that led from Venta Belgarum, or Winchester, to London, is still discernible as far- as Alton. - A tedious sameness of landscape reigns from Al- ton to Arlesford. About a mile beyond the last- mentioned place, a delightful valley presents itself, sylvan and irriguous; while here and there a strag- gling cottage, embosomed in trees, gives an anima- tion to the scene. o They mow entered on Winchester Downs, and soon reach the city, lying in a sweet vale, through which the river Itchin winds its course, and is navigable up to this place. In a meadow adjacent to it, the fa- mous Guy, earl of Warwick, is said to have encountered and vanquished Colbrand, the Danish giant. The history and antiquities of Winchester have *96 HASSELL's Tour of been already detailed”. We shall, therefore, only slightly advert to what particularly engaged our present tourist's attention. In the county-hall, they examined the famous round table of King Arthur, composed of a solid piece of wood, eighteen feet in diameter. They next visited the unfinished palace, built on the site of the ancient castle, which is magnificent even in decay and neglect. “ Had the whole of the plan,” says Mr. Hassell, “ been executed, it would have been a palace worthy of the gay and expensive monarch who planned it ; but his death happening before it was completed, the farther pro- secution of it was laid aside ; and the only use to which it has since been applied, is to confine French and Spanish prisoners, taken during our late wars.” The cathedral next attracted their attention, a large and venerable pile, dedicated to St. Swithin, which was founded in 1070, but has received many successive improvements. Within its consecrated walls repose the dust and ashes of several kings, both of the Saxon and Norman line. Their bones were piously collected by Bishop Fox, and deposited in six gilded chests, placed on a wall on the south side of the choir. º During the civil wars, the monuments and other rich ornaments of this cathedral received irreparable damage and defalcation. The magnificent tomb, however, of William of Wykeham, was happily saved by the grateful zeal of one Cuff, an officer in Waller's army, who had formerly been a student of the college. w . . —-rº ~Y- 7–v----. * See Shaw's Tour for a description of several places which are only cursorily noticed on this occasion. THE ISLE OF WIG IIT. 297 On a monument on the south side of the choir, is the subsequent curious inscription : “ Hic jacet Gulielmus de Basing, quondam prior hujus ecclesiae, cujus animae propitietur Deus ; et qui pro anima ejus oraverit, tres annos et quinquaginta dies indulgentia? precipit.” " - - rrn * ** Thus Englished : “ Here lies Williºn of Basing, formerly prior of this church, on whose soul may God have mercy ; and whoever shall pray for its welfare, shall obtain an indulgence of three hundred and fifty days.” In the college here, founded by William of Wykeham, is an emblematical painting, repre- senting a faithful servant “ The device,” says Mr. Hassell, “ consists of the figure of an ass, with human hands, and a stag's feet; a padlock fastened to his snout, with a sword by his side, and bearing in his left hand some implements of industry. This whimsical representation is intended to denote. patience, swiftness, courage, secrecy, and labour; the needful qualities of a good servant.” In the High Street stands the cross, a most ele- gant Gothic pile, forty-three feet high. In one of the niches stands the figure of St. John, in the act of preaching ; but this, like all the other sculptures, is shamefully defaced by a wretched attempt at beautifying, which now and then seizes corporate bodies. - - The hospital and church of St. Cross deserve notice for their architecture, as well as for the singularity of the institution. Every traveller who knocks at the door of this hospital, in his way, may claim a manchet of white bread and a cup of beer, of which considerable quantities are daily set apart for the purpose of the charity. Soon after leaving Winchester, they were over- 208 - Hassell’s Tour or taken by a violent storm of thunder and lightning which obliged them to return for the night. “For a place of such consequence,” observes our author, “ we were surprised at its mean appearance; the streets are narrow and inconvenient, and the houses low and inelegant.” Yet the pleasantness of its situation, from the extensive plains and downs with which it is surrounded, invites many persons of fortune and respectability to fix their residence in the vicinity. *... " - - There is little to attract notice near the road they took from Winchester, till they came to the pleasant village of Hursley, five miles distant. On the right of this stands the seat of Sir William Heath- cote, embosomed in venerable trees, of the most verdant and luxuriant foliage. . A mile beyond Hursley, caught the first view of the seat from Southampton Common. Unfor- tunately the weather was hazy, and ill calculate for a display of picturesque effect. - Reach Southampton, a town possessing many local advantages, and long known and noted in history, It stands twelve miles from Winches- ter, in an elevated situation, and is washed by the tide. - | - The merchants of this port were, during some centuries, next to those of London, the greatest importers of wine. The privileges with which they had been invested for this purpose, by the favour of several sovereigns, were so extensive, that the merchants of the west and south coasts of England were obliged to land their wines here, and, after having paid the duties, to re-ship and carry them to their own ports. - -* The corporation, however, disposed, some years ago, of a part of those privileges to the city of Bristol, which, in the opinion of our author, has THE ISLE or WIGHT. 29% fixed an indelible stigma upon them”. “ Nor are those of the present day,” continues he, “undeserving of censure, for suffering the river, near the quay, to remain in its present state. The mud is so deep near the landing-place, that, at low water, a boat can scarcely approach, to the very great inconve- nience, in particular, of passengers to and from the Isle of Wight.” - Some parts of the ancient walls of Southampton still remain. They are composed of very large stones, full of small white shells, and have many lu- nettes and towers. The salubrity of the air, and the respectable ac- commodation of this place, prove sufficient induce- ments to valetudinarians to resort hither. The coun- try seats in the environs render the walks at once agreeable and pleasant; “but after having trod every rural walk and pleasant path that Southamp- ton has to boast, Netley Abbey,” says our author, “ will be found to enjoy the pre-eminence.” Passing Itchin Ferry, and the charmingly-situ- ated residence of Mr. Dance, at Woolson, they ap- proach the abbey. It is situated in a small dell, by the side of a wood. Time has brought this vene- rable pile, ‘considered as a picturesque ruin, to its highest perfection. A small, but pleasing group of trees encircles it, and the ivy clasps it, while a mass of overgrown pettles, rising boldly at every avenue, forms an agreeable relief to its mouldering sides. It is impossible to view this romantic spot without indulging in contemplations suggested by its ancient * Our opinion of their conduct, in this respect, is very different. They deserve credit for their liberality; and had they acted otherwise, they richly deserved to have their absurd privileges taken from them. The interest of the whole community should never be sacrificed to that of , a part, 300 HASSELL's Tour of or present state. A thousand soothing ideas rush into the heart of sensibility, and the spectator is lost in the tumult of emotions. Netley Abbey is the property of Mr. Dance, who, much to his credit, endeavours to preserve it from farther demolition. A married servant resides near the place, to attend visiters, or to furnish them with refreshments. - . The founder of this abbey is not known with cer. tainty, though it is generally ascribed to Henry III. The monks were of the Cistercian order, and, at the dissolution, the revenues amounted 100l. 12s. 8d. per ann. • A place devoted to the purposes of superstition, naturally gives birth to superstition itself. The fol- lowing stories, which are as well authenticated as such relations generally are, will corroborate this position. $ - A Mr. Taylor, of Southampton, whose descend- ants are still resident in the place, bought this ab- bey, with a view of making a profit by the sale of the materials, His wife, however, it seems, was warned, in a dream, for several nights successively, that the moment he attempted to dislodge a single stone, the whole fabric would tumble on his head. He despised the admonitian of his spouse, and set about his unhallowed dilapidation ; but no sooner had he begun, than the large window and part of the ceiling fell on his head, and fractured his scull. We are farther informed, that before he ceased to breathe, he acknowledged to those about him, that he had been warned by several apparitions of the fatal consequences of his sacrilege; but he fell a martyr to his scepticism”. - - thenticated. * This incident in its general-circumstances is well au- - e: THE ISLE of wront. 3() { A circumstance, of a more recent date, is likewise strongly credited in the neighbourhood. A labouring man for several mights dreamt, that a chest of money lay hid in a certain part of the ruins. He at last was tempted to try the truth of the dream, and found a cliest ºf ancient coins, of considerable wa- lue. Not having policy enough, however, to conceal his treasure, his master, who had never dreamed of its existence, insisted on his delivering it up ; which, we are told, the poor fellow was obliged to do, to avoid a menaced law-suit. - . - The entrance of the abbey, or fountain-court, is a square, inclosed by lofty walls. On the right is the grand hall leading to the chapel, whose venerable sides still boast a flight of steps, that range round part of the building. The grandeur and elegance of the internal is far superior to the external views. The chapel, built in the form of a cross, with seve- ral recesses communicating with the abbey, and continued groups of trees, delightfully harmonize and vary the scene. M. . These ruins have received additional beauties from the elegant pen of Mr. Keate. I hail, at last, these shades, this well-known wood, That skirts with verdant slope the barren strand, Where Netley’s ruins, bordering on the flood, Forlorn, in melancholy greatness stand. How chang'd, alas ! from that rever'd abode, Grac'd by proud majesty in ancient days, When monks recluse these sacred pavements trod, And taught th’ umletter'd world its Maker’s praise, Now sunk, deserted, and with weeds o'ergrown, Yon prostrate walls their harder ſate bewail ; Low on the ground their topmost spires are thrown, Once friendly marks to guide the wand'ring sail. ' The ivy now, with rude Huxuriance, bends { Its Piangled foliage through the cloister’d space, O'er the green window’s mould'ring height ascends, And fondly clasps it with a last embrace. - Vol. iii. D D x 302 H Assell's Tour of Yon parted roof, that mods aloft in air, The threatºning battlement, the rifted tow'r, . The choir's loose fragments scatter’d round, declare, Insulting Time ! the triumphs of thy pow'r Towards the river, the abbey was fronted with a castle, now also in ruins. It commands a very exten- sive reach of the water. The whole environs are beautifully picturesque, and the walk to this seques- tered spot is delightful as can be conceived. The priory of St. Denis, for Black Canons, next invited their attention. It is situated on the verdant . banks of the Itchin, about four miles from South- ampton, and exhibits a pile of ruins, rapidly hasten- ing to decay. What little remains of its former splendour is so little guarded from farther demoli- tion, that some ages hence, its very site may be disputable, if more attention is not paid to its pre- servation. - “s - In the road to this small but pleasant spot, is the seat of General Stibbert, an elegant building, com- manding very extensive views of the opposite shore; the New Forest, Southampton River, Calshºt Castle, and the Isle of Wight. Several other meat villas skirt the road, and embellish the circumjacent country. !, -- As it fell in with their plan to visit parts of the New Forest, they began their route from South- - ampton to Lymington, passing through Millbrook ... and Totten to the verge of the forest. Its entrance at this point is not very striking; but having gained the first summit, the sylvan scenery, begins to display itself. In the midst of a plantation of oaks stands Irons Hill, a lodge for one of the keepers, and, in these precincts, Nature strews her favours with a most liberal hand. . . . Charmed with this romantic scene, they turned to the left, and struck into the Lyndhurst road, through 3 continued shade of pendent woods. The evening THE ISLE OF WIGHT:. . . 303 being fine, they were tempted to make a digression to see one of the foresters brousing the deer; and were not a little pleased to behold some hundreds of beautiful animals, bounding towards him at his well- known call, and following him to fresher pasture, or to participate in the tender branches of the trees he had cut for their use. * - The farmers in this part of the forest are often subject to the depredations of its wild inhabitants. No sooner do the deer scent the ripening corn, than they bound over every obstacle, to reach it, and the nightly watch is often placed in vain. Lyndhurst, ten miles from Southampton, stands on the declivity of a hill, near the heart of the fo– rest. It is a pleasant, agreeable village, and receives distinction from the seat of the Duke of Gloucester, lord chief warden and ranger of the forest. The house itself is a plain, old-fashioned, brick building; but its local advantages are many and great. Its views are highly picturesque, and finely varied, over a great extent of country, and an expanse of sea. “ In the village of Lyndhurst,” observes Mr. Has- sell, “ constant preparations are made for the accom- modation of gentlemen, who come to hunt in the forest. Nor can any place be better suited for the sport, as there are few farms in the vicinity, nor many impediments, from fences or ditches, to ob- struct their course.” • ‘ * 3, Within the precincts of New Forest, which is, at least, fifty miles in circumference, originally stood several towns, numerous villages, and thirty-six pa- rish churches. The savage Conqueror, it is well known, drove the inhabitants from their houses and estates, that he might pursue the pleasures of the chace without interruption. The wanton distress, however, which he entailed on his subjects, was, in some measure, retaliated on his own family. Twe - D D 2 - 30.4. HASSELL’s Too R of of his sons and his grandson here paid the forfeit of their lives. - - Proceeding to Lymington, they passed Fox Lease, the agreeable seat of Lady Jennings Clerke; Bur- Heigh Lodge; and Cuffinels, with several other inte- rior mansions, which occupy the most charming si- tuations. To describe every romantic spot, every picturesque landscape, in this track, would be im- possible. The village of Brokenhurst is one of those sequestered retreats, where the lovens of rural life would find their highest gratification. It lies at an agreeable distance both from Lymington and South- ampton, and the environs are studded with seats, among which that belonging to Edward Morant, Esq. occupies one of the most delightful and select situ- ations in the whole forest. - - Lymington is a small, but very convenient port. Part of the town stands on an eminence, descending to the quays, which are spacious and convenient. Opposite to the mouth of the river are those pic- turesque rocks, called the Needles. - Lymington is an ancient corporation, consisting of a mayor, aldermen, and burgesses. The Ports- mouth family take their second title from this place. On leaving this town, they coasted the shore, and turned up to the village of Boldre, a delightful spot, the residence of the Reverend Mr. Gilpin, whose ele- gant productions are so well known. From hence they passed to Beaulieu Heath, at one corner of which stands the house and park of Sir John I)'Oyley, which serves to relieve the uniformity of the scene. A little beyond this, they saw the iron- mills, which once carried on a considerable manu- facture, but, owing to dissentions among the pro- prietors, have been totally neglected. The salt- works along this coast still furnish no inconsiderable branch of traffic. - - - —From the mills they proceeded to Beaulieu, but a f THE ISLE of wich.T. - 3{}} storm coming on, they were hastening with all speed across the heath, when some peasants warned them of a bog, into which they would speedily have plunged. . -> At St. Leonard's, or Beaulieu manor, they met with a welcome retreat from the storm at a homely, but hospitable farm-house. The principal vestiges of the abbey of St. Leonard consist of two high walls, that now form the ends of a modern, thatched barn. Other fragments are lost in a pig-sty. In short, not a single beauty of this religious house re- mains, to mark its former design. - The sky again becoming clear, they pursued their course to Beaulieu, through the south-east part of the New Forest; and through the avenues, which here and there admit a view of the Isle of Wight, the eye receives gratification at every curve. Near the mouth of Beaulieu River are several salt works, which employ a number of bands. The village is agreeably disposed in one street, at the foot of several eminences, which skirt the banks of the river with the most vivid verdure. Of the abbey at this place there are few perfect remains. Part of the old chapel is applied to the purposes of a cork warehouse. It is situated near the walls, which encompass the joint seat of the Duke of Montague and Lord Beaulieu. This ancient man- sion was erected in the reign of King John, and ap- pears to be little injured by the lapse of so many years. It possesses little external beauty, however, nor is the inside more striking. The flooring, the staircases, and wainscotting, are wholly of oak. A ditch surrounds it, over which are four drawbridges, that communicate with the park. In the church- yard, anciently belonging to the monastery, are some very old, but almºst obliterated, monumental nscriptions. From Beaulieu pass an other bend of the river, to- If D 3 306 HASSELL's Tour of - * wa, ds Fawley, and soon ascend the summit of a hill, that again enters the New Forest. “ For no- bleness, as a burst of landscape,” says our author, “ the view from this hill is, perhaps, as pleasing as it is uncommon ; and the only deficiency we could per- ceive, was the want of some bold promontory on the left, instead of a dreary heath.” .. The road to Fawley is directly opposite to the gate, that limits the boundary of the forest. The heath is covered with furze, and full of morasses; but having passed this, the Isle of Wight now bounded their view on the west, and appeared in all its beauty, while the shores pressed close on their first distance, and the access of Cowes road was finely relieved by the hills near St. Catharine’s. - . . . Leaving Fawley on the left, they proceeded along the brow of a frowning heath to Eagle Hurst, the seat of Lord Carhampton; or, as it is generally named by the inhabitants of the coast, Luttrell’s Folly. This building stands close by the shore, and forms a excellents landmark. The style of architecture is whimsical, but the external appearance is elegant. The inside is commodious, and handsome in the ex- treme. The ground floor has two parlours, the first floor a spacious and beautiful drawing-room, with a bed-room adjoining. The next contains a dressing- room and bed-chamber, and above this is a round tower, which affords the most extensive views. Several subterraneous passages lead to a number of marquees, in which are several beds, and also a kitchen. The house being small, these are not only agreeable, but useful appendages. They are backed by a yew hedge, which shelters them from the se- verity of the northerly winds. . . . . - Calshot Castle, standing on the same neck of land, is of a circular form, with a drawbridge, and a few buildings for the invalids, who garrison it. This structure appears neither yery strong nor beautiful. THE ISLE OF wig Hºr, 3()7 Returned to Fawley, a small but pleasant town, near which are several salt-works. About a mile distant, is a seat of Mr. Drummond, from the back front of which are very extensive views up and down the river. The apartments are spacious and elegant, and are decorated with a few paintings. One is a ca- pital landscape, supposed to be by Rubens. The idea of convenience seems to have diffused itself over the whole mansion; and the grounds are tastefully disposed. - - From this villa they regained the turnpike-road, and pursued their route to Hythe, by a delightful road, the forest, in many places, sweeping to the water's edge. At Hythe they gained a new per- spective of Southampton, as varied as it was pic- turesque. . 2. ..’ This is a small fishing town, chiefly dependent on Southampton. A few small ships are built here; but a continual bed of mud, which extends a consi- derable way, renders landing very disagreeable, and sometimes almost impossible. |- sº Turning into the Redbridge road, they pursued their route through a most luxuriant continuance of oaks and ashes; but being desirous to view the shores of Southampton River by water, they sent back their horses, and proceeded from the mouth of the river Test, along the southern bank. This aquatic excur- sion was less desirable than they expected, from the continual shoals of mud, that obliged them to con- fine themselves almost to mid-channel. Eling spire, from the water, has a pleasant ap- pearance, amidst its sylvan honours. A beautiful vegetation spreads itself along the shore to Hythe ; but the sun was not in that point of the heavens, to shew the tints to effect. From the water, this town has a pleasant ape pearance ; but little novelty of scenery is perceptible, till they reached Calshot Castle, from whence Hamp. 3O8. HASSELL’s Tour of ton appears very diminutive, and Cowes alone is shewn to advantage. - - Stretching over to the opposite shore, Governor Hornby’s house was the only object that broke the view, till they reached the mouth of Hamble River. The church of that name agreeably relieves the sight. The fort of Netley Abbey makes no capital figure from the water. Itchin River was their next prim- cipal object, and this they ferried up, delighted with the scenery and occasional views of gentlemen's seats. - - Returning down the opposite banks, they passed the point, and landed at Southampton Quay. Their next excursion was to Broadlands, the seat of Lord Palmerston. The plantations are very ex- tensive. Several walks intersect the park, and the grounds are laid out to advantage. The lodge is simply elegant; and the same taste is perceptible through the whole of the accompaniments. The house is a square building, with a porch sup- ported by five stately pillars. In the hall are some statues, cast from the antique. The pictures are not numerous, but select; and every apartment has its appropriate beauties or conveniencies. The views are pleasing and picturesque. From the library they entered the back grounds and gar- dens. The river Test, passing through the park, adds to the lustre of the scene. Over this a new stone bridge is thrown. The gardens are equally attrac- tive with the mansion and other accompaniments; and, for a combination of elegance and taste, Broad- lands may vie with any residence in this part of the kingdom. Evening closing in, they proceeded to Redbridge to sleep, and next morning pursued the road through Longford to White Parish Hill. Here they struck into the forest of Totten, and explored its northern boundaries, Except the occasional view of a seat, THE ISLE of wig IIT. : 309 an unvarying sameness continued the greatest part of the way, till they reached Poulton, the residence of Lord Mendip. This mansion is surrounded by beau- tiful and extensive lawns, through which a river ser- pentinizes. . Pursuing the right-hand road from this place, they soon entered on a new and more barren scene, de- void of those beautiful fore-grounds the forest so fre- quently supplies. The stiffness of the artificial plan. tations of pines, served only as a foil to the subli- mity of the voluntary effusions of Nature, and disgusted rather than pleased. Sometimes, however, the picture became more inviting, and was enlivened by rural imagery. - - . Longford, which they now reached, is situated in a pleasant, healthy part of the forest, on the sloping cavity of a hill, surrounded by foliage. The seat of Mr. Eyre, at this place, is remarkable for its exten- sive views over that part of Hampshire which con- fines on Wilts. .. **:: - Having gained the summit of White Parish Hill, they were quite enraptured. Salisbury spire pre- sents itself in the distance, and Lord Radnor's castle forms a conspicuous object from this wonderful ascent. The side views are highly picturesque, and the whole landscape is eminently beautiful as well as exten- SIWe. - Having received every possible gratification from this lovely scene, they returned towards Rumsey. From this sweep of beauty, they descended to a long lane, bounded by hedge-rows; and having passed the heath on their right, they saw Milch Wood, the delightful residence of Colonel Osborne. The house appears to advantage from the road, and the grounds are spacious, but little embellished. A little far- ther, on the left, stands Mr. Lockhart's, a modern, brick building. . - Ascending Dunmore hill, the magnificent scenery ~ 3 : () - IIASSELL's Tour of of the New Forest again began to display itself. The rugged heath, which they had passed the preceding day, now appeared foreshortened, and gave addi- tional altitude to the chain of hills that joined Wilt- shire. s - .* - “ The wonderful boldness and majesty with which those hills rose,” says Mr. Hassell, “ afforded us greater pleasure than, we had yet received. The lines were gracefully irregular, and all that a painter could desire. No formal hedge-rows appeared to disgust the sight, and even the barren heath now added vivacity to the landscape.” - Dunmore Hill is raised in the middle of a spacious amphitheatre, and commands the whole surrounding country, with the sea and the Isle of Wight. At its foot lies a perfect garden, while the river Test, breaking from the hills on the left, contributes towards the beauty and harmony of the other parts. Rumsey church adds to the picture, and, in itself, is truly picturesque. The town of Rumsey is very ancient. Its church is a fine, Gothic, cruciform pile, chiefly constructed of stone of a very durable texture. The external appearance carries an air of grandeur, and the in- side is neat and appropriate. In the chapels are a few curious monuments. Near the large window, in the south transept, is a large figure, in basso re- lievo, representing our Saviour. In this church the celebrated Sir William Petty lies buried, with only his name inscribed on the stone. - A monastery of Benedictine nuns was founded here by King Edgar, who were afterwards removed. A daughter of King Stephen was once abbess; but her marriage with Matthew of Alsace so provoked the bigoted clergy, that they offered large rewards for taking him, dead or alive. - - - According to Đr. Stukely, this was a Roman sta- THE ISLE of wight. 3 if tion. The charming seat of Lord Palmerston, already described, lies a little to the left of it. From this place, taking the left-hand road to Southampton, to enjoy a greater variety of scenery, they arrived there in the evening, highly delighted with their excursion. - - - Next morning they set out with the sun for Bishop's Waltham, crossing the Itchin Ferry. The heath, enlivened by the pearly drops of dew, shone in a multiplicity of colours, and the opposite shores of Fawley now appeared with all their attractions. inclining to the left, they entered the rôad near Botley, a neat town, tenanted by some genteel fa- milies. At the lower end of this place are some large mills. ; Again striking over the downs, fresh scenes at every instant arrested their attention, and brought the following lines from Dr. Goldsmith's Traveller to their recollection: . . . V - Her uplands sloping, deck the mountain's side, Woods over woods in gay theatric pride; While oft some temple's mouldering top between, With venerable grandeur, marks the scene. Botley Common leads to the lower extremity of Wykeham Forest, which is chiefly planted with oaks. of great majesty, with very little underwood. - Bishop’s Waltham, which they now reached, even in its ruins, shews that it was once a place of some consequence. Only one tower remains, and that in a shattered condition. The walls are overgrown with . ivy, and make a very picturesque appearance. The inside of the priory is converted to a farm-yard, and barns and hovels, are patched out with its remains. . . The town of Bishop's Waltham, so denominated from its being formerly a residence of the Bishop of . Winchester, is small and disagreeable. Sºme years & 3 2 assell's Tour of ago, part of the inhabitants retired to a sequestered dell in the forest, inaccessible by any other way than a subterraneous passage. From this lurking place they issued out nightly to plunder; and in this li- centious state they remained a considerable time, till at last they were dispersed by the activity of the neighbouring gentlemen. -- Crossed the forest to Wykeham, situated on a pleasant, healthy spot; but is chiefly noticeable for being the birth-place of that munificent patron of learning, William of Wykeham, who rose to the highest honours in the church and state, and disposed of the wealth he had accumulated in such a manner, as will eternize his memory. - - * , They now struck over the heath to Southwick, and by the way, observed the seat of Mr. Garnier, plea- santly surrounded with a park and gardens. At the entrance of Southwick is a small rivulet, which, rushing over a few pebbles, gives some ani- mation to the scene. The place itself is not very remarkable. Near its extremity is a large house, belonging to Mr. Thistlewaite, which appears de- serted. . - From Southwick to Portsdown Hill, the road is flinty and unpleasant: but having reached the sum- mit, just before the sun sunk beneath the western horizon, they enjoyed several landscapes that were noble and extensive beyond description. From this spot the Isle of Wight, with its sloping hills and ouzy shore, is seen to every advantage; the men of war, at Spithead, appear only like small spots on the water; while, in other directions, the prospect, over hills and dales very remote, is almost unrivalled. Descending from this hill, they entered the out- works of Portsmouth, and passed several draw- bridges; but the evening being closed in, the view of objects became indistinct. Next day, having surveyed this famous barrier of - *. 2 - . . . . * -' THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 3:13 * the eastern coast, and its appendages *, they made an aquatic excursion up to Fareham, a town about seven miles distant. As they went up, they left Porchester Castle on the right, while the hills of Portsdown closed the view. s Fareham is a pleasant fishing town, but as they made but a short stay here, they had no opportunity of making particular observations relative to it. They returned to Portsmouth by a different chan- nel; and having shipped their horses, embarked for the Isle of Wight, the primary object of their tour. Scarcely had they passed Monkton Fort, before the heavens frowned, and a violent storm threatened, which rather pleased than dismayed them, that they might see the grand effect it would produce. The sea soon began to roll in with a heavy swell, and the waves casting their light on the surface of the ebbing tide, were caught by the rays of the set- ting sun, darted through a cloud, while several tran- sits of light, from the same source, tinged the flowing sails of the numerous barks that surrounded them. The wind abating, the remainder of the evening proved clear and agreeable; but when the signal gun of nine was fired at Portsmouth, they were still upwards of a league from Cowes, which they reached about ten o’clock, after a tedious passage of seven hours. With a brief, general description of this charming isle, we shall preface the detail of its particular beauties. - - The Isle of Wight is divided from the coast of Hampshire, to which it is appendant, by a channel, varying in breadth from two to seven miles. Its greatest length, from east to west, is rather more than twenty miles; its breadth, from north to south, about '* For farther particulers of Portsmouth, see Shaw's Tour. Vol. iii. - E. E. . .” 314 HASSELL’s Tour of f thirteen, and its whole circumference seventy. The form is a kind of irregular oval. .. The air, in general, is salubrious, and the soil fer- tile. The ridge of the mountains which run through its centre, feeds a great number of sheep, whose wool is remarkable for its fineness. Among the natural products of this island is a milk-white pipe-clay, and likewise a fine white sand, which forms the basis of drinking-glasses, and other similar articles. From the fertility of the soil, and the amenity of the situation, it has obtained the appellation of the Garden of England; and more numerous parties of pleasure are made to it, than almost to any other. part of the British dominions. - The cliffs and rocks which environ this island, form a natural fortification, particularly on the south side; while Sandown Fort protects the only part ex- posed by nature to hostile invasion. • . - The river Medina separates it into two hundreds, called, according to their situation, East and West Medina. In the whole island are three market- towns, fifty-seven parishes, and about twenty thousand inhabitants. The first object that attracted their attention, next morning, after they landed, was Cowes Castle, a small, stone fort, with a semi-circular battery, on the west side of the Medina. Opposite to it was formerly another fortress, of which not a vestige is now left. The castle, at West Cowes, was originally built by Henry VIII, but has recently been strengthened by additional works.- The town, of the same name, stands on an elevation, at the efflux of the Medina, and,is a pleasant and not inelegant place. It owes its origin and increase to its excellent harbour, where ships are not only well sheltered from storms, but enabled to sail with almost any wind. It is popur lous, and carries on a considerable trade in the pro- vision line, especially in times of war. The inhaº . . . 5 . . . . . . " r , ºf HE ISLE of witHT. 3 : 3 bitants, from their constant intercourse with strangers, possess a marked urbanity of manners. Many naval officers have seats in the vicinity. . . . { East Cowes, which lies on the opposite point of land, possesses equal beauties with its rival ; but has not, in every respect, equal advantages of situation, particularly as a bathing-place. . The market here is well supplied ; and, on the whole, the accommodations at Cowes are not inferior to those of most watering places; nor are the charges exorbitant. The town, in consequence, is enlarging, and annually attracts new visiters. .* From the cottage of Mr. Lynn, at the top of the hill, is a charming, extensive prospect. - Cowes lies in a bird's eye view, with the full dis- play of the vessels in its road, and the opposite woody point. The hills of Portsdown are also dis- tinctly seen in the distance. Proceeded to Newport, by an excellent road, but so bounded by hedge-rows, as to intercept the view. Pass the village of Northwood, on the left of which stayads Midham, the seat of Mr. Green. . . . . Beyond this the Forest of Alvington, or King's Forest, opens very picturesquely. A bold range of hills, crowned by St. Catharine's, binds the distance with charmingly irregular sweeps. On the left is a bend of the river, casting its reflection on the neigh- bouring shores. To the right, the hills gradually diminish, and at length merge in the promontories of the forest. | , , - About half a mile from Newport stands the general hospital of the island, -in a most eligible situation, both for health and convenience. . . Newport is one of the most pleasant towns in this part of the kingdom. The buildings are neat, the streets uniform, and in general paved. The church, makes a respectable appearance, yet it is only a cha- ; : " ' E E 2 —- 3.16. ~ HAsset.I.'s Tour of - pel of ease annexed to the little village of Caris- brook. . . . . . . . In Newport are two assembly-rooms, a neat new theatre, and a la:ge grammar-school. It has two- weekly markets, where large quantities of grain and provisions are sold, not only for domestic consump- tion, but also for the shipping. - ... " “When I mention the market,” says Mr. Has- sell, “I must not forget to notice also the farmers’ daughters, who resort to it with the produce of the dairy or yard, and at once grace it with the charms of their persons, and the winning affability of their behaviour. There is not,” continues he, “perhaps in the kingdom, a place where so many lovely girls attend the market, as at Newport; and, at the same time, they are dressed with a degree of elegance far beyond what is usually observable in persons of their rank. The appearance of those charming girls not only excited our wonder and admiration, but we found they were the objects of envy to all the far- mers' daughters on the neighbouring coast.” - This town is so nearly-céntrical, that it is alik convenient to every port in the circumference. It was incorporated by James I. and is governed by a mayor, recorder, and twelve aldermen, * - Few places afford better accommodations for per- sons of condition who may visit this island, either for pleasure or health, than Newport. At the inns the entertainment is not only good, but the treat- ent is perfectly civil : a circumstance that weighs more with the casual guest than any other grati- fication. - Crossed the island towards Newtown. In the track they pursued, entered the forest of Alvington, and, at intervals, were pleased with some woodland scenery, or attracted by distant landscapes. The hills which intersect the island, now became distinct. They seem x \ THE ISLE of wig HT. 317 \ to rise near Carisbrook Castle, and sweeping to the south-west, terminate their range a little beyond Calborne. Other inferior eminences lie in their di- rection, separated by vales. Alvington Forest contains few trees of any con- sequence, except on its borders, where, indeed, the oak luxuriously intermixes with the ash and elm. From its name, they expected to have found New- town, a place of some consequence; and they were astonished to see that it consisted of no more than six or seven houses ; though there is great reason for supposing, that it was formerly of more considera- tion. It was burnt by the French, in the reign of Richard II. . . Though so small a place, it boasts of a corpora- tion, consisting of a mayor and twelve burgesses, and sends two members to parliament. The town-hall is more noticeable for its situation, than the elegance of its architecture. The mayoralty chair and table, however, have at the least the merit of being ancient, |Newtown Bay, or Shalfleet Lake, as it is some- times called, makes its entrance about half a mile below the houses, but wood and rock are wanting to render its opening grand. The banks are insipidly tame; but the view, in other directions, is sufficiently captivating. . . . ' ' ' ' , , On the side of a woody hill stands the town of Shalfleet, which contains few attractions. The church has a respectable appearance, but has been despoiled of its antique windows, and beautified, as the term is, with modern casements. It is atonishing what ha- voc and devastation a false taste for improvement is making in many of our most beautiful religious edifices. . . . . . . - Crossed the Yarmouth road, and bent their course towards Hamsted Woods, over numerous incłosures, the soil principally clay. and marl, but very pro- dugtiye, ' ' ' . . ~~ J § F 3. \ 3 is HASSELE's Tour or About Newtown, and to some distance from it, the greatest part of the landed property belongs to Sir Richard Worsley. This tract is not deficient in woody screens towards the north-west; but they are too thinly scattered for picturesque effect; nor is the stiff appearance of the near hedge-rows, which encircle the corn-fields, by any means grateful to the eye of taste. - From Hamsted, they had a full view of Gurnet Point to the north-east, and of the town of Yarmouth and Hurst Castle, to the south-west; while lyming- ton, to the north-west, gave a finish to the scene. Re-entered the Yarmouth road at Linwood Green, near which lies Mr. Barrington's pleasant, sylvan seat. At the entrance of the common, they had one of the finest bursts they had yet seem. The hills rose in majesty, the valley produced a lake, with a copse to vary its shores; while the Downs of Afton falling to the more stately sweep of Freshwater Cliffs, close behind Freshwater Church, - The valley was animated with cattle, and painted in all the colours of voluptuous nature. The spire of Freshwater caught the roving eye, and gave addi- tional charms to the distance. - From the appearance of Yarmouth, a small way off, they had conceived an idea that it was a very mean place ; but they were agreeably disappointed, to find the buildings in general neat, though low. The castle at this place, however, possesses little strength or beauty. - - The passage from hence to Lymington is only about five or six miles, and a boat, with proper ac- commodations, daily crosses this channel. The shores here are replete with a great variety of shells, and soles and other flat-fish are caught in such abundance, that they materially contribute to the comfort of the poor. - Yarmouth is a corporate town, ranks as the third The Isle of wight. 3 19 is, the island, and sends two members to parliament. The charter directs that, when a mayor is to be elect- ed, the ten common councilmen, and two com- moners, who are to chuse him, shall be shut up in the town-hall, without provisions, till nine out of the twelve are unanimous *. This town lies ten miles distant from Newport, in which space, our author observes, there are not fewer than fifty-two gates to be opened, a circumstance that can by no means render travelling very, plea- surable. - tº The river Yar presents a beautiful entrance, a takes a double eourse. The opposite shores of Nor- ton are pleasingly diversified with broken grounds and groups of trees, among which some cottages in- terpose their humble roofs. Proceeded the same evening to Freshwater, over a tract not destitute of picturesque features. Passed through the small villages of Thorley and Wilming- ham ; and, from Afton, had a view of the Cliff of Freshwater Gate, and other objects, which they had seen before in a different perspective. ..” Ascending Afton Down, they had an uninterrupted prospect of the sea, whose surface was unruffled with a gale. On the right lay the spot, called Freshwater Gate, where stands a solitary, but commodious, pub- lic house. • . . . . - The cliffs that bound Freshwater Bay are very lofty, and excite awful sensations in the mind of the spectator from above. Many parts, however, unable to resist the constant impulse of the waves, have & * When dissentions break out in corporations, we would warmly recommend the adoption of the Yarmouth plan. The dread of starvation will always occasion prompt unanimity among such gentlemen; but we think the prospect of a good dinner might be added, with advantage, to hasten their decision, - - 820s HAssECL's Top R OF . . * tumbled down, and strewed the beach with pig- turesque ruins. . . . { - From this spot, St. Catharine's appears the most southern boundary of this island, and from the chalky cliffs, which, about half way up its sides, ex. s hibit a platform of green, is frequently taken for Some ancient castle. * * .' The cave at Freshwater gives an impressive idea of the effects of the raging billows. These cliffs are nearly six hundred feet high, and at the bottom are two natural arches, which can only be entered at low water. The inside of the cavity is overgrown with moss and weeds, and at half tide some pieces of the rock, which have fallen from above, block up the passage, . Stakes are fastened to the rocks, and along the shore, to which ropes are fixed, to prevent the boats, belonging to the place, from being carried out to sea, or beat to pieces by the surf. The bottom is a fine sand, arid a bathing machine might very pro- Serly be established at this place. . . On this shore are a variety of fossils, mixed with: the rocky substance of the cliffs; copperas stones are frequently thrown on the beach, and pieces of iron-ore are strewed along the shore. Weins of rock run into the sea to an indeterminable distance. Their shape is very singular, and they seem to be of a fer- ruginous quaiity. ... ... . . . - Several other, curiosities appear in the rocks, to- wards the Needles, but none of them pervious to any distance, … . . . . . . . Having satisfied their curiosity here, and night. creeping on, they returned ſo the village, and, charm- ed with the country, forgot the humble accommodae tions of their inn, . -ºr XY - : ... - % - - : * . . " - * * * . - - te : “Wishing,” says Mr. Hassell, “to view a sun-rise. y ..- fºr these hills, we were up by break of day; but so ; : . gºſ. war, r* o “a 3 e- * • . * Tº r ; , , ñº >s at as “ºrs' - ~&# $º different ºre the morning and evening scenes of Hig, • 2 • w. - * ^. THE ISLE of wig Ht. 321 island, from those of the opposite shore, that it is scarcely to be credited, by those who do not narrowly watch every operation of nature. As the morning advanced, a thick, condensed cloud rose from the south-east, which soon enveloped all the hills in a gloomy shade. We were disappointed in seeing the sun gild the tops of the mountains, with all its bril- łiance, and break with grandeur on the neighbour- ing copse. In the course of the day, the rain fre- quently descended on our heads in torrents.” & Their next route was to Alum Bay, and in their way they met an artist of their acquaintance, who was, like themselves, engaged in viewing the pic- turesque beauties of the isle. , - * * *.. The mountainous cliffs, that form Alum Bay, are terrific in the extreme. A large angie of rock, shelv. - ing over head, is the constant accompaniment of the heights, many of which are seven hundred feet above the level of the beach. . . . . . . These rocks are composed of a regular gradation of strata, from a watery clay, to a perfect petrifac- tion. *The winter blasts, and the incessant heaving of the waves, occasionally hurl fragments of earth from the heights to the strand below ; and these, by de- grees, are crusted over with shells, fossils, and pieces of flint, till they become a solid mass. - . The fine white sand, mentioned before, as a pro- duction of the island, is found about a hundred feet above the level of the beach, between two strata of cłay. It is said to be the only sort, in these kingdoms, adapted for the manufacture of white glass, or the figer porcelain. It is dug out in considerable quad- tities, and appears to be inexhaustible. The pro- prietor makes a considerable annual income from its exportation. Here too the fine tobacco-pipe clay is . found. The workmen, who are employed in the sand-pits, seldom ean continue their operations longer than 323 HAssEEL's Tour of October. In winter, the agitated sea frequently breaks into the pits, and undermining the neigh- bouring heights, occasions the fall of some heavy masses, the crash of which may be heard at a con- siderable distance. The torrents likewise carry all before them from the heights, leaving their impregnations on the surface of the earth. Large masses of a green co- Hour, appear on the points, which indicate the pre- sence of vitriol. . • * - * Nor are these cliffs destitute of iron. Several Springs, that issue from their sides, leave a sediment in their passage, strongly tinctured with it. A great quantity of the ore likewise lies on the beach. Passing along the shore, still nearer to the white confines of the Needles, new objects arrested their attention. Two stupendous ascents, one of a per- fect pink colour, the other of a bright ochre, exhi- bited an appearance as wonderful as it was novel. The point, that extends to the Needles, is about a quarter of a mile in length. From its sides flow se- veral smail streams, impregnated with iron, and, perhaps, an admixture of copperas. - - The only inhabitants of this dreadful promon- tory, the terror of mariners, are gulls and puffins, which resort to it about May, for the purpose of in- cubation, and leave it about September. - The pea- sants are very dexterous in securing the eggs, which they procure by means of an iron bar fixed into the ground, on the top of the cliff, from which they ^ s is pursued by th side of Dover Cliff * . . . . - * * - * - - - • . . . . . . - . . tower themselves down by a rope. A similar method e collectors of samphire, from the Half way down . . . . . . . . . . Hangs one that gathers samphire ;-dreadfal trade - Methinks, he seems not bigger than his head. . \ SHAKESPEARE’s Lear, THE Isip of wigHT. 333 As soon as the men are thus suspended, they shout, which frightens the birds from their holes, and their eggs become an easy prey to the plunderers. Strangers frequently buy these ovarious spoils out of curiosity ; but they are seldom eaten by any, save the country people. The birds are likewise frequently . destroyed for the sake of their feathers; and many gentlemen resort to the cliffs for the amusement of shooting. - . . . The singular effects which tºme has wrought on the beach of these celebrated rocks, next engaged Y Sks. their attention. The pebbles and flints, lying on the surface, are perfectly smooth, from the repeated friction of the waves, and their collision with each other. - - . - Dulse and tangle (of the fucus genus) flourish in abundance on these rocks, which are likewise su- i perbly touched with a bright yellow moss. Here, alum is found, though neither remarkable for " its quantity nor quality ; but it has given name to the bay. - Having received inexpressible pleasure from the tremendous grandeur of this place, they left it, not without regret; and mounting their horses, set out with a design of ascending the Downs of Freshwater; but, missing their road, they had some difficulty in regaining it. . . . . - After regaling at Freshwater, they mounted. Afton Downs. The summits of the eminences they found generally barren ; but the vales are abun- dantly fertile, and even the sides of the hills are cul- tivated far up. Even the most steril spots afford a sweet and rich pasture for sheep. These are gene- rally of the Dorsetshire breed, tall and well fleeced; and the mutton is reckoned equal to any in Great Britain. - ' ' ' - Anxious to keep near the shore, they made for Compton Chine, but met with nothing interesting, ~ N 324 HAssEli's four of till they came to the small village of Brook, which lies in a recess between two hills. - * The Chine of -Prook has a wider opening than that of Compton, but neither was very grand. A chine, it should be observed, is a break, or chasn) in the cliff, apparently originating from the inroads of the ocean. - - - º - From Brook, they crossed to Mottiston, over a sand perfectly red. The variation, indeed, in the soil of this island, is pro "gious. It may be truly said, . that mature here plays her vagaries with unbounded freedom. “Every year,” says Mr. Hassell, “ to an observant and frequent visiter of the island, she pre- sents something new ; and in every alteration she seems to be more luxuriant. To-day we find her thrusting out some bold promontory into the sea ; to-morrow, unmindful of the magnificence of her former work, she hurls the foaming waves against its stately side, and levels it with the humbler shore.” s As they proceeded to Mottiston, the hills of Yar- mouth were no longer visible, being intercepted by , those of Brixton. The village of Mottiston is an en- chanting spot, and commands some charming ma- rine views. The church is antique, but its venerable beauties have been spoiled by offensive and injudi- cious beautifications. - . About half a mile from this place, is a scene that struck, them with admiration. The village behind them, embosomed in trees, displayed only some of its most picturesque objects, while the distant cliff, of Freshwater, Main Bench, and Seratchel’s Bay, closed on the verdure of the wood, and gave it pro- minence. The sea lay in shadow at a distance, and several vessels on its surface finished the view. Brixton Downs on their left, often afforded fine back-grounds. A number of rocks start from the • brows of the hills, most charidingly tinted with moss T H E IS L E O F W IG FIT. 323 and grass, while the sheep that graze on their sum- mits appear like dots of white. The hill of St. Ca- tharine and Appledurcombe terminated the land- Scape. - Leaving Pitt Place and Chilton Chine to the right, they passed on to Brixton. This is one of the largest villages in this part of the island, and cer- tainly one of the most pleasant. The church stands towards the skirts of it, and a stream passes through the place, and empties itself into the sea at Jackman's. Chine. - - - Here is a boat-house, where some small vessels are kept in readiness to assist the unfortunate ma- riners, in case of shipwreck; which is not unfre- quent on this boisterous coast. A strong surf con- tinually breaks on the shore, which, though it heightens the picture to an indifferent spectator, in- creases the danger to those who plough the deep. Sweeping round the Bay of Brixton, on their left they observed Black Down to open, and present a view of Culver Cliffs, at the eastern extremity of the island. The valleys throughout the island frequently form a curve round the foot of some precipice, and lead the eye to the most interesting scenes. One of these now fell under their view. It began its open- ing at Sundown, to the eastward, and turning round the foot of St. Catharine's, joined the valleys of Brixton and Chale, and from thence made a bend to Freshwater. Notwithstanding they were now on the lowest part of the island, they had a plain and distinct view of its extremest bounds. Continuing their route, they came to Barn's Hole, a vast chasm in the earth, fronting the sea, which extends a considerable way towards Brixton. The entrance has the appearance of leading to some subterraneous retreat ; the sides are four hundred feet high, and are dismally black, which contributes to the horrific aspect of the whole, This spot is Vol. III. }* F • - 326 HAssELL’s roup of singularly steril, and scarcely a shrub clings to its steep ascents. • - - - They next directed their course towards Atherſleld Point, leaving the village of the same name and Kingstone to the left. A noble, cultivated valley extends all the way to Chale. . From Atherfield Point, St. Catharine's began to make a noble appearance, and Freshwater Cliffs to assume the form of castles. - They now passed Wolpan Chine, and another small inlet, where are a few huts belonging to some fishermen. About the middle of Chale Bay, on the top of the cliffs, stands a house, apparently erected for the reception of travellers; but it was locked up, and they were obliged to proceed without refresh- ment. : Black-Gang Chine was the next object of attrac- tion. This is said to receive its name from a gang of pirates, who formerly made it their residence; and it seems well adapted for such a scene. The size of the chasm, and its tremendous shelving rocks, cannot fail to inspire the mind with horror. “I never,” observes our author, “beheld so awful a sight, as these ponderous steeps exhibit. The sides of the chasm, which are little short of five hundred feet high, are shelving, and many parts of the top are overhung with shrubs.” - On the summit rises a spring of purgative quality. When the water is first poured into a bottle, it is as clear as crystal, but after some time, it deposits a considerable sediment, which contains particles of iron-ore, and eunits a sulphureous smell. In the im- mediate vicinity are several copperas stones, and some specimens of alum are likewise strewed about. Ships have frequently experienced the destructive effects of the rocks that line Chale Bay. They just lurk beneath the surface of the water, and in con- T ºf E. Y S LE & F W YG Xī ‘ī’. 327 . junction with the Cape of Rocken-end, occasion, in some states of the wind, very heavy swells. It is within the memory of many, that, during one tempestuous night, no fewer than fourteen sail were lost in this dangerous bay; and scarcely a winter passes, but some accidents of this kind happen. For some years past, boats have been kept in readiness, to lend them assistance; but it is painful to be ob- liged to remark, that the savage custom of plunder- ing wrecks, too much prevails among the peºple re- sident on the western coast. - It has been known, however, that the most noble and humane exertions, to save the lives of the ship- wrecked, have sometimes met with a very inade- quate recompense. At the time the Juno, a Dutch frigate, was lost on this coast, a smuggler with four other persons ventured out to her assistance, regard- less of the terror of the waves. They at length gained the ship, and brought off, afid safely landed, the whole crew, except three, who were washed off the raft. An ample remuneration was surely due for such a hazardous exploit ; yet it is said, they re- ceived only a ten pound bank note Leaving this gloomy track, they proceeded to the village of Chale, a small, irregular place, with a church founded in the reign of Henry I. Ascending the hill beyond it, the retrospective view is very grand and extensive. . . . . This part of the island, as to picturesque effect, however, is very different from the northern district. It wants wood to give a variety to the colours; and a sameness generally runs through the whole. From Chale they mounted St. Catharine's Hill, which was much steeper and difficult than any they had yet encountered. The road lies on the side of a precipice, at least three hundred feet high ; the op- posite side is bounded by a bank. - This hill is reputed the highest in the island. On 328 HASSELL’s rouk of , ... " its top is a light-house and a beacon, neither of which are now used. The tower, however, serves as a Handmark by day, and is about eight hundred feet above the level of the water. A small part of an octagonal chapel is remaining, by some called the Hermitage, from a priest having formerly secluded himself in it from the world. The scene recalled the idea of Goldsmith’s Hermit, and the aid of fancy converted this into the visionary spot. - The views from this hill are of vast extent, and afford a complete landscape of the whole island, ex- cept towards Brixton Downs. Nor was the prospect confined to the island : Purbeck, Portland, the New Forest, the Hills of Portsdown, and eastward, as far as Brighton Bay, are included in this noble view. On the side of the Hill of Št. Catharine, towards. the sea, the descent is quite perpendicular, till in- terrupted by a small flat green, which breaks the precipice, when it again descends to the water's edge, in the same abrupt manner. The river Medina takes its rise at the foot of this hill, and after passing through Newport, empties itself into the sea at £owes. . . . . . This summit reminded them of Goldsmith's Al- pine Traveller, and they were ready to exclaim, 'Ye glittering towns with wealth and splendor crown'd, Ye fields where summer spreads profusion round, Ye lakes whose vessels catch the busy gale, Ye bending swains that dress the flowery vale, For me your tributary stores combine, - Creation’s tenant, all the world is mine. A singular sinking of the earth is mentioned in this vicinity. The natives say, that formerly Shank- lin Down, through the intervention of Week Down, could only be seen from St. Catharine's, whereas, it is now visible from Chale Down ; consequently, either Week Down must have sunk considerably, or Shanklin Down must have increased its altitude. | The isle of wfght. 329 Some of the old people affirm, that this has partly happened within their own memory; and so won- derful are the operations of nature, that, impro- bable as this may appear, it cannot be pronounced impossible. . . . . . . . . : From St. Catharine's they crossed the fields to Ni- ton, frequently denominated Crab Niton, from the number of crabs found on the coast. The soil here appears to be a fine mould, without any intermixture of chalk. a Niton possesses little novelty, nor is it very plea- santly situated. It is immured by two hills, which aeither allow a view of the sea, nor a good one of the land. - From hence took the right hand road to Buddle, where a part of the cliffs breaks up, and forms what is called Undercliff, an immense pile of rocks, at once noble, picturesque and grand, extending for many miles. All the broken, rocky parts, which have been separated from the main body, are over- grown with shrubs, which sweetly soften their rug- ged texture. - In the vicinity of Niton, they received a most hos- pitable reception, at a farm-house, where peace and content seemed to have fixed their residence. The sight of the family, the satisfaction they expressed in their humble, but useful condition, was a feast for the soul of sensibility, and Sterne would have worked it up into one of his most glowing pictures of life and łłlaritherS. . . . . . . . - ſ Taking leave of this kind farmer, they proceeded up Steep Hill. The afternoon was delightful, and . this spot was calculated to display the works of ma-. ture to effect. The entrance to the cliff is from the road. A grand burst broke on their left, its heights variegated by clinging shrubs. On the opposite side. of the road lay a huge mass of rock, that had turn- bled from some overloaded precipice. A ray of H ght, ‘. . . . F F 3 * - \ / 3O HASSELL’s Tour of was spread over the rocks on the left, and the whole scene was such as a painter would love to contem- plate. The rocks in general are finely tinted, and lie in masses extremely large ; nor does the foliage refuse to give fresh beauties to the landscape. In this part vegetation is most luxuriant. In this re- spect, a visible difference is found according to the expositure, and the prevalence of the winds to which the face of nature is exposed. The road to St. Lawrence is continued through the ame maze of rocks, yet is accessible to a carriage. A clump of trees, or a lonely farm, occasionally varies the scene; and the cliffs extend near half a mile in breadth, with superior grandeur to what they had hitherto seen. - - - “ The church of St. Lawrence,” says Mr. Hassell, “ is perhaps the smallest in England. With a stick, of a moderate length, you may reach to nearly two thirds its height, at the west end.” It searcely ap- pears calculated to receive twenty parishioners; and perhaps the whole number does not exceed that. . They had heard of a cascade at this place, but they found it nothing more than the water of a spring bub- bling over a few stones, and almost too inconsider- able to be noticed. The village of St. Lawrence is small and straggling. The road from Whitwell en- ters the cliffs here, and joins that to this village. This communication has been effected by much la- bour; but it exceeds the most sanguine expectations that could have been originally formed of the under- taking. - In this vicinity they witnessed a phenomenon, which had never before fallen under their inspec- tion. A thunder storm was gradually coming on, 2nd they perceived a vessel, about three leagues from the shore, labouring under the effects of a tem- pest, though not a breath of air stirred the surface ºf the water near the beach. A light, rendered THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 33, more bright by the contrast, had spread itself round the electric cloud, that was venting its fury on the ship, and rendered the scene more gloomy. Every wave that rolled towards her seemed fraught with danger; and for nearly an hour did the tempest per- mit them to behold it raging at a distance. At last it approached the shore, and they were glad to re- tire to a neighbouring cottage, till its fury was spent. - - Again mounting their horses, they had a most ample wiew of Undercliff, towards Bonchurch, in which the house of Mr. Tollemache makes a distin- guished feature. Every plant and every shrub seemed to have acquired fresh beauty from the shower, and Nature to have put on her sweetest smiles, and exhaled her richest fragrance. The road still continued over the rocky ascents of these cheerful hills. “ To give,” says our tourist, “ an exact representation of all the scenes we past, is not in our power; suffice it to say, they are pleas- ingly irregular. Every hundred paces, though on such elevated ground, lead up a fresh hill, or skirt the descent, with a sloping, flowery orchard.” Just as evening had shed its parting rays on Steep Hill Cottage, they passed its bottom, and took up their lodging in the vicinity. Next day they had the satisfaction of being permitted to take an attentive survey of the charming residence, which had attracted their uotice the preceding eve. - ... This villa, called Steep Hill Cottage, was built by the Right Honourable Hans Stanley, when governor of the island, but is now the property of Mr. Tolle- mache. It is constructed in the true cottage style, and is covered with humble thatch ; but the inside is elegant beyond description. * , The approach is through an avenue of stately elms and ashes. The hall is not large, but fitted up in the extreme of taste. The dining-room is equally N. 3.32. HASSELiMS TOUR OF conspicuous for its chaste decorations. The paint- ings, which adorn the principal apartments, are ra- ther exquisite than numerous. The pencil of the proprietor has produced some copies, which possess all the spirit, colouring, and design of the originals. from which they were taken. The exterior of the cottage is not less free from an ostentatious grandeur, than the interior is devoid of every tasteless allurement to catch the eye. The principal view is from a bow window towards the west. A pleasing lawn fronts the house, which, gradually declining, presents the whole range of St. Lawrence on one side, and the extremity of the ocean on the other. The gardens are well sheltered, and part of the offices lies in the village, and part adjoins the cot- tage. Mr. Tollemache keeps an elegant brigantine yacht for aquatic excursions. - . The New Inn at Steep Hill is much resorted to by parties of pleasure. The house being smail, the proprietor has with some taste formed a kind of ver- dant bower, and placed some shady seats, where company may dine al fresco. - The prospect from these rural shades is pleasing, but contracted. They left the place, however, with regret, and recalled the expression of Mr. Quin, on his quitting Chatsworth. “I thought I should at times have broke my neck in getting there ; but when I was there, I thought I should have broke my heart to leave it.” * , This shore is very rocky and dangerous. A num- ber of ravens build in the cliffs, and likewise the true sporting falcon. The inhabitants chiefly subsist by fishing ; and in the summer season catch great quan- tities of crabs and lobsters. For this purpose some of them sink more than a hundred wicker pots, or baskets, at a time, baited with whatever garbage they can procure. Dog's flesh is in great request for THE ISLE 6F wie:HT. 333 this purpose; and the poor animals are frequently stolen, to be converted into food for crabs and lob- sters. . -- Leaving Steep Hill, they continued their course towards Bonchurch, over Little Town Down. The shelving sides of the precipice, at the commence- ment, hang tottering over the brink of the abyss, and threaten an intrusion on the road. . . At a first view, the mountain, to which the appel- lation of Little Town Down is given, might be mis- taken for Steep Hill. Its sides, like that, are almost perpendicular, and from the road have a conical ap- pearance. A few houses lie at its foot, the road to which, from Appledurcombe, is dangerous in the extreme. - A little farther on, they came to the cottage of St. Boniface, the occasional residence of Colonel Hill. This building, which is chiefly of brick, is simply meat, and the grounds, though not extensive, are well laid out. To those who can relish the pleasures of retire- ment, or be satisfied with the society of a few friends, . no situation can be more favourable than this. It is so sequestered, that it might be taken for a her- mitage; and yet so romantic, that it resembles fairy. ground. - x- - A situation so remarkable could not fail to have its legends. One story is circulated as a fact. A gen- tleman, mistaking his road in a heavy snow, and in consequence of this, descending the steep Down of Boniface on horseback, was so affected by a sense of his danger, that he vowed, if he reached the bot- tom in safety, to purchase the land, and present it to the church of Shanklin. The present incumbent informed them, that a small portion of land was now annexed to the living, supposed to be in consequence of that vow. - - The manner in which the shepherd boys descend 334, HASSELL’s Tour of these steeps is truly ludicrous. For their own amuse- ment, or a trifling reward, they will seat thern- selves on a horse's head bone, and steer down the steepest declivities with incomparable art and velocity. w From this place they resumed the main road, and continued their route through Bonchurch, a pretty rural village, and possessing much picturesque beauty. It is nearly surrounded with trees, and har- monizes sweetly with the opposite cliffs. Here Bonchurch Downs commence, and skirt the heights for a considerable distance, while those of . Shanklin join them, and form a perfect amphitheatre'. from one point. - They next visited Luccombe Chine, a cavity nei- ther so deep nor terrific as some others, being varie- gated with trees and shrubs. The descent, however, towards the sea, is very steep, and in a wet season impassable. On the top of it stands a cottage, em- bosonted in a small wood. Between it and the chine is "a wooden bridge, over a rippling stream, which has a delightful effect. *.. - From the appearance of the earth in this vicinity, it seems deeply impregnated with copperas: on the shore likewise are quantities of iron ore, but of an indifferent quality. . - . The cliffs in this vicinity, and round Dunnose, are composed of black and brown clay, very unpleasant to the eye. Their cavities have long been the depo- sitory of contraband goods. Reascending the chine, they pursued their course to Luccombe Farm, the appearance of which from the valley is by no means despicable. They next made for Shanklin Downs, said to have been miraculously elevated ; and here they enjoyed every pleasure that varied and commanding views could bestow. Among the principal objects seen from Smerdon Beacon, are Appledurcombe, with THE ISLE of wigHT. 3.35 its woods and accompaniments, the Downs of Bon- church and St. Boniface, Culver Cliffs, and the Needles. Though St. Catharine's Hill is more elevated, no spot in the island is so well adapted to furnish a ge- neral display of its features. The channel of Solent is perfectly visible from it, as is likewise South- ampton. Spithead and the coast of Sussex are also included in the distant landscape. Crossing the downs, they advanced towards the village of Shanklin, the approach to which is very agreeable. So many are the local beauties of the place, that it is impossible to enumerate them. Pleasantly shaded with trees, it contains within it- self every ingredient which generally enters into the composition of rural happiness. The inhabitants seem to constitute only one large family ; they are sociable among themselves, and attentively obliging to strangers. Yet there are some drawbacks on hu- man felicity in every situation. The estates here are lºt on lives, not renewable, and the occupiers are uncertain how long they may enjoy them, and there- fore checked in the spirit of improvement. All this part of the isle is similarly circumstanced. The chine particularly arrested their attention. Its mouth, towards the sea; appears to have been rent by some convulsion of nature. A flight of steps has been made in it, to facilitate the ascent and de- scent. The inhabitants, to make it appear the more wonderful, pretend this is natural, and accordingly have deceived some travellers into this improbable belief. ; - The chine has four bends before it reaches a cas- cade of some note, formed by the fall of masses of earth, sprinkled with plants and shrubs, which neg- ligently break the current of the stream, and occa- sion a fall, not destitute of majesty and beauty. The sides of Shanklin chine are strongly impreg- . {} - $36 HAssELL's Tour of nated with iron, copperas, and sulphur. About one third of the way from its top is a chalybeate spring, with an unusual quantity of scum on its surface, and a sediment of iron in its channel. . The beach is a fine sand, free from rocks or stones, which would render it desirable for a bathing place. To the right, Horse Lodge Hill projects into the sea, and forms the southern extremity of Sandown. On the left it is bounded by Culver Cliffs. - - The most distinguished objects from the chine, are Sandown Fort, and the seat of Mr. Wilkes. The latter appears to great advantage from hence. - . Returning from the chine to the village of Shank- lin, they again passed the might at this desirable place; and next day, passing the village of Lake, made for Mr. Wilkes's villa. Though not large, this possesses every requisite to render it a pleasant abode. It stands on an eminence commanding the whole extent of Sandown Bay; and in every respect displays the refined taste of its owner. The only deficiency is wood ; and it has becn found that trees would not thrive here so fully as might be wished. The inside of the house is plain, but elegant, and contains every domestic accommodation. On one side is a marquee, which serves for a summer-house, and, for fancy and taste, is superior to almost any thing of the kind. Some curious engravings, from the antique, grace its sides, and the tables are co- vered with several others. - At the farther end, over a representation of con- jugal felicity, in basso relievo, is the following in- scription, on a marble tablet: . To FILIAL FIETY AND - - MARY WIT.K.E.S. ERECTED BY JOHN witHCRS, 1789. : The gardens are charmingly laid out, and the A *HE ISLE OF WIGHT". 337 shrubberies bid fair to compensate for the lamented deficiency of wood, and to complete the beauty of this agreeable spot. Within the last twenty years, the sea has intruded on the land full thirty-feet, between this place and Shanklin. - * Sandown Fort was the next object they visited. It is a low, square building, flanked by four bastions, and encompassed with a ditch. During the last war, several privateers entered the bay, and attempted to destroy it; but the utmost mischief they could do, was to batter down a few chimneys. . . From Sandown they proceeded to Yaverland, a village situated at the foot of Brading Downs, coast- ing in their way the Cliffs of Culver, so called from a Saxon word, signifying a pigeon, the denizens of the cliff. Still farther onwards, they came to the Foreland, the most easterly point of the island, and from thence met little novelty, till they reached Bimbridge Point, where the entrance of Brading Haven commences. . ... “ *. This haven consists of an extensive track of marsh land, comprising about eight hundred acres, covered every tide by the sea, which flows through a narrow channel. Many abortive attempts have been made to deepen the entrance of this haven, for the admis- sion of ships of burden; but the sand has constantly been driven in as fast as it was cleared away. From this unfortunate circumstance, one of the finest and best situated harbours in the Channel is rendered useless. . Traversed the borders of the haven, and observed, on their right, two houses of genteel appearance; while Nunwell, the seat of the ancient family of the Oglanders, faces the harbour. . Once more entering the road, they pursued their way to Brading. This, though one of the largest towns in the island, is not possessed of a single Vol. III. & G 2 . 33S HASSELL’s Tour of object deserving particular attention. They there- fore speedily left it, and coursing the haven on the other side, soon struck off to St. Helen's. - The Bay of Brading takes several fine sweeps, and most charmingly contrasts the scenes. Several woody promontories run into it, and give grace to its boundaries. --- The road to St. Helen’s is lined with trees on both sides. This village consists only of a few scattered huts, though there is reason to imagine, that it was once a place of greater extent. In this parish is a large farm, called the Priory, formerly a cell to an abbey of Cluniac monks, in Normandy. The old church was built so near the sea, that it was greatly endangered by its encroachments, and about the be- ginning of the present century, a new one was erected. - Health, chearfulness, and longevity are visible throughout the island, and in no part of it more than this. “ The farmers in general,” says Mr. Hassell, “ are a social, hospitable, worthy set of men; and many of them have acquired competent fortunes. If there be any shade to their character, it is from a propensity to moisten their clay with draughts of po- tent liquors. This, indeed, prevails throughout the whole island. It is a foible that commences with their earliest years, and may be palliated, though not defended, from the nature of their situation and climate.” - - * St. Helen's is well known as the place where out- ward bound ships stop to take in the greatest part of their live sea-stock, and water, which is of the purest quality. Poultry is extremely plentiful and cheap. By a salutary law, no beast of prey is suffered to re- main in the island. They have neither foxes, badgers, nor polecats; and even to turn one loose is a transportable offence. At the bottom of St. Helen's Hill, a land-mark is rap. Islf of wig HT. 3.3g placed, for the direction of mariners, from which Do- ver Point binds the entrance to the harbour of Brad- ing. This point, which is near half a mile from the village of St. Helen's, chokes up the harbour, and ob- structs the entrance of ships of burden. From this spot the harbour appears like a lake, the land closing it on all sides, and presenting many picturesque features. - Nettlestone Priory, distant about a mile and a half, was the next object of attraction. They hoped to find some venerable remains of antiquity, and the avenue of nodding elms, which formed the approach, gave encouragement to their belief; but their ex- pectations were speedily frustrated: neither beauty nor antiquity invited the eye; nothing more than a dirty farm-yard was to be seen. - ‘. The old mansion, which still retains the name of the Priory, is neat, but small. Some additions have been begun by Sir Nash Grose, which bid fair to render it a desirable residence. The prospects have many, and various beauties. Some salt-works have been established near this place, which are well con- dueted. From hence proceeded towards Ride, through a pleasant, well-wooded country. On their right lay St. John's, late the seat of Lord Amherst, now of Mr. Hake. It is advantageously situated on a rising ground. Before it lie the sylvan scenes of Ride, and behind it the sea. The building is simply elegant, and, with its accompaniments, forms a desirable residence. - - Upper Ride stands on the top of a hill, in a salu- brious air. It contains some good houses, and is much resorted to by company, during the bathing season. The accommodations are not only equal to those of most other watering places in the island, but there is the additional inducement of good roads, and . - G G 2 - 340 - HASSELL's Tour of pleasant rides, branching out from it in different di- FeCt] OnS. - - - - Ç Lower Ride is a straggling place, and its inhabi- tants are chiefly fishermen, or persons engaged in the coasting trade. The passage from hence to Portsmouth is the shortest from any point of the island. Boats pass regularly every morning, at seven in the summer, and nine in the winter, to Gos- port and Portsmouth. .* Towards the western extremity of the village are the bathing houses, which are sufficiently commo- dious. The water here is very pure, and the coast is shoal for nearly a mile. - Between Ride and Brimsted, several delightful scenes present themselves. Beyond the last-men- tioned place, they entered the noble woods that sur- round Quarr Abbey. These display the most luxu- riant vegetation of any they had seen in the island; and are the resort of an immense number of wood- pigeons, whose querulous notes gave solemnity to the shade. - At length they reached the abbey, Where pious beadsmen, from the world retir’d, In blissful visions wing’d their souls to heav'n: While future joys their sober transport fir’d, They wept their erring days, and were forgiv'n. - : - REATE. This famous abbey was founded in the reign of Henry I. by Baldwin, Earl of Devon, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The monks were of the Cister- cian order. The building was anciently surrounded by a wall, nearly a mile in circumference, the vestiges of which remain. The greatest part of the pile, however, is no more. The church or chapel may still be traced at the east end, and some vaults are discernible at the west. Of the walls that are stand- ing, some are converted into barns, and others de- graded to lower agricultural offices. The adjoining S. "A THE ISLE of wight. 34. I farm-house is a modern building, raised out of the materials of the abbey, whose former grandeur lies a wreck to time; so that its poor remains do mot fur- mish enough for one interesting view. * Proceeding through an avenue, they bent their course towards Wootton Bridge. The oaks now be- gan to assume their rubid, autumnal tints, which, blending with the yellow of the ash, produced a mellow, glowing colour. In passing through the wood, they observed a buck and a doe, which had escaped from the park of Sir Ri- chard Worsley; and at the extremity of this range of cover, they came close to Wootton Bridge Hill. Here every diversity encountered the sight. The valley was irriguous, and feathered down the sides with wood. The left hand presents an entire screen of woods, which gracefully fall from Nunwell to Ashey Down. *. The right of Wootton Bridge leads to the sea. This they sailed down, charmed with its beauties; it only wanted rock to render it highly picturesque. - Returning, they passed on for Barton, the property of Mr. Blackford. Here a convent, or oratory of friars, of the order of St. Augustin, was founded in the year 1282, which, in 1439, was granted to the College of Winchester. . Barton House stands on an eminence, and com- mands some pleasant prospects. It is an ancient building, apparently of the Elizabethan age. A great sameness runs through the whole, both inter- nally and externally. The lawn in front is pleasant, but planted in too formal a style to please a modern eye. Osborn, the seat of Robert Pope Blackford, Esq. was the next place they wisited. The distance be-, tween it and Barton is not great, nor does the road present much novelty. This seat is one of the best chosen in the island. It is pleasantly situated, on a G G 3 - 342 HASSELL’s Tour of fine, spacious lawn, lying down towards the sea, over which, and the opposite coast, it has noble views. The building is large, and possesses every conve- nience for a residence. - From hence, they touched at Old Castle Point; and as they had before, in their way to Newport, rode along the western boundaries of the Medina, they now made its eastern side their principal ob- ject. - .* > . After leaving East Cowes they proceeded to Whip- pingham, whose church is a curiosity of its kind. Instead of a tower, it has two gable ends. The vi- carage, though rather low, is exceedingly pleasant, fronting the river, and commanding the opposite shores. . . . s r Approaching Newport, the river is seen to meander in delightful curves, while the banks, on its translu- cent bosom, add to the lustre of the scene, in which Carisbrook Castle and Botany Bay Mill are promi- ment objects. This mill is one of the best spots on the banks of the Medina, for picturesque effect. Ascending the rising grounds, the hills round Ca- risbrook opened more fully; and the evening at the same time closing in, gave a vivid tint to the sur- rounding scenery. - - The river continued to diversify its meanders at every step they advancod, till they reached Fairlee, the seat of Mr. White. This house is built on an eminence, and commands both views of the river. The situation and accompaniments are more beau- tiful than the structure itself, which is rather conve- nient than elegant. The lawn before it descends to the water side, and reflects a lustre on the building. Soon after they entered Newport, at the east bridge, and thus completed their tour round the extremities of the isle. •. * • . Their next object was to explore its picturesque beauties, in the interior, and to view the island from TIIE ISLE OF WIGHT. 343 its central mountains. For this purpose they pro- ceeded eastward, to the foot of Arreton Downs, which they fell in with at Shide Mill. The situation of this place is very beautiful ; a few trees seem to en- circle every house, while the Medina strays along the valley in all its glory. - The road over the downs is steep, and the soil composed of chalk and gravel. As they ascended, they enjoyed some delightful landscapes over the vale and surrounding hills. Gatcombe House was a con- spicuous object, and the bird's eye view of the vil- łage of Arreton, was more pleasant than any light in which it had been hitherto seen. - From this down, Cowes Harbour appears to great advantage, while, on the opposite shore, Luttrell's Folly and Calshot Castle fall into the distance. After eyeing with rapture the various landscapes which this elevation presented, under the mild influence of a grey dawn, as well as under the rising beams of the orb of day, they proceeded a little farther to Ashey Sea Mark, a triangular pyramid of stone, about twenty feet high, designed as a guide for ships sailing from St. Helen's to Spithead. The scenes from this point are grand beyond de- scription, and too extensive to be particularized. The coast of Sussex bounded the distance in the most en- chanting manner. - ...” - Passed on to Brading Downs, and enjoyed a repe- tition of the same scenes. They then skirted the op- posite brow of the downs, and here the valley of Sandown opened under a new aspect. The hedge- rows, however, were too formal and too regular to be pleasing. These destroy the picturesque effect of many of the finest scenes in this island; nor are the numerous inclosures, into which it is divided, fa- vourable to travelling with ease and expedition. Such a 'e the effects of cultivation; and though an artist, or an occasional visiter, might wish it otherwise, the 344 * HASSELL’s Tour of native, and the reflecting stranger, either find some- thing in the scene for self felicitation, or for generous sympathy. - 4. Next reached the woods of Knighton, where the seat of Mr. Bisset broke on their sight, situated in a beautiful but recluse dale. Though not modern, this house exhibits much taste and judgment in its construction. The windows are antique, and though many repairs must have taken place since its foun- dation, the unity of the original design seems per- fectly to have been observed. On each side of this mansion is a range of woods; but a sufficient space intervenes, to admit some beau- tiful views. The plantations to the left form a sweet recess, and invite to a contemplation of those charms which they so liberally display. The trees are large and well grown, and spread in those easy lines that give never-failing pleasure to the eye. f - Knighton House stands on an elevation above the ordinary level of the earth. A wall supports the grounds lying at its back, and even part of the gar- den by these means is raised parallel with it. The inside is roomy, but, like its exterior, savours of the antique. A few pictures decorate the apartments. Proceeded to Newchurch, the approach to which is up a hill. The church is old, but uninteresting; nor do the houses in general convey any idea of ele- gance or gentility. The view from the church-yar is the principal attraction here. From hence passed Queen Bower, on the top o whose hill stands a hut, that commands some pre- eminent landscapes. Crossing the Asp, turned through Landgard, and under Shanklin Downs to Wroxall. This little village lies near Appledur- combe; and being furnished with admission tickets to that splendid seat, they immediately proceeded to WRéW at. - Appledurcombe, the residence of Sir Richard Wor- The isle of wig Hºr. 345 sley, stands in one of the principal valleys of the island ; and taken altogether, the situation is plea- sant, but destitute of that grandeur which results from the ruder features of nature. The mansion is large and elegant, and built of free- stone. It has four regular fronts, of the Corinthian order, the principal of which is adorned with wings, and graced with a lawn. The offices lie behind, and this way strangers generally approach. - Passing through the servants’ hall, they were ushered into the great hall, a superb and elegant apartment embellished with the choicest productions of art. Some beautiful paintings decorate the walls, and the busts display great judgment in their selec- tion. The roof is supported by eight beautiful Ionic pillars, which have a resemblance to porphyry. The dining-room contains some of the finest pic- tures ever produced by the pencil of Zuccarelli; perhaps not inferior to those at Windsor and Hamp- ton court. Two charming paintings, by Berghem, also grace this apartment. From this they entered the drawing-room, which is pleasantly situated and superbly furnished. Re- turning from the drawing-room, they were con- ducted to the library. The most attractive beauty here is an angel on the ceiling, in the act of flying. The colouring is beautiful, and the drawing chastely COrrect. - In the interior library, is a sun-set, of exquisite beauty and merit; and a whole length of Sir Richard Worsley, in regimentals, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, with some other productions of the pencil. The Hittle dressing-room is fitted up with some beautiful Italian views, in water colours. . The organ-room is replete with works of art. A painting, by Rubens, representing nymphs bathing, possesses all the excellency of that master. One by \ 346 HASSELL's Tour of Palamedes, of a merry-making, has also a claim to merit. The works of Don and Van Helmont likewise appear among the decorations of this room. Returning to the vestibule, they were arrested by several paintings of the first order. That of Libera- lity, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, is eminently beauti- ful. The principal figure is such as the brilliant imagination of that artist usually forms. A picture of Master Worsley, by Cosway, is placed over the door. Several other pieces of great merit adorn the walls. - - It seems recent orders had been given, not to ad- mit strangers up stairs. “ This,” says our author, “we could not help lamenting, as we were informed that it contains sixty rooms, and that most of them are ornamented with paintings. But if those, in the rooms above, are as much obscured by dirt and varnish as the principal part of what we saw below. we may venture to pronounce this throughout, to be the collection of a perfect connoisseur.” . . Leaving the house, they passed through the park towards Godshill. The entrance into the park is by a handsome gateway, of the ſonic order; and in it rises an obelisk, of Cornish granite, ef considerable height, to the memory of Sir Robert Worsley. Cook's Castle, as it is called, a very picturesque ob- ject from the house, stands on a rocky cliff, and has a good effect from many points of view. A great deficiency of wood is perceptible in the park. The clumps are unconnected, and give no pleasurable impression to the mind. At this place was formerly a cell, of Benedictine Monks, founded by Isabella de Fortibus, about the end of the reign of Henry III. It was rendered subordinate to the Abbey of St. Mary de Montis- burgh, in Normandy, but dissolved with the rest of the alien priories, and given to a convent of nuns, near Aldgate, London. - - THE ISLE of wight. 347 Passing the Park Farm, they soon after arrived at Godshill, a very meat but small place. The church stands on a hill, and is very old. At this time, part of it had tumbled in, and the gadding ivy, which appeared in what was standing, gave the whole a picturesque effect. This edifice was greatly damaged by lightning in 1778. - - Among other abstracts from acts of parliament, which covered the church door, was one which en- acts, “ that every female who intrudes on a parish a second illegitimate child, shall be liable to impri- sonment and hard labour for six months in Bride- * well.” Our author seems to insinuate, that the fe- males are much more numerous on this island than the males; and that, among the lower ranks, marriage is not always thought of, till the approach of a second pledge of love between the parties; when it is contracted, in order to avoid the conse- quences of the amathema on the church door. Finding themselves nearly in a track they had wi- sited before, in their tour round the coast, they made a digression up Chillerton-street, from whence they skirted the opposite side of the vale of Gat- combe. w Here nature appeared in her most luxuriant dress. Down this vale runs the rivulet which forms the Medina, and it obtains the same name, long before it has any pretensions to the rank of a river. Proceeding through a continuation of the same kind of country, they arrived at Sheat, situated on a pleasant, rural hill, and surrounded by small woods, which serve to repose the eye. After descending a slope, they arrived at Gatcombe House, the seat of Captain Ratray. This mansion. is sheltered behind by a plantation of pines, and has an agreeable aspect. A fine lawn spreads its verdant turf in front, and extends to the road. A beautiful piece of water lies in the bottom; and the whole of § 348 .. HASSELL's Tour of the accompaniments are such as indicate comfort united with elegance. S. The opposite Downs of Arreton range delightfully to the valley of Newchurch, and finally interpose between the town of Newport and Downs of Apple- durcombe. The whole landscape is picturesque. Leaving Gatcombe, they directed their course to Whitcomb. Here they saw Alvington Forest, under a new aspect, and enjoyed a repetition of scenery they had noticed in other lights before. Making a diversion to the left, they now pro- ceeded towards Carisbrook Castle, a place rendered famous by the confinement of Charles I. i. On an elevation stands; this once strong fortress. Nature has considerably contributed to its security, as it is situated in such a manner as to command every point below. The ditch, which encompasses it, is of great width, and in all probability was once filled with water, though now dry. - A The citadel is the most ancient part of the build- ing, and though the exact era of its foundation can- not be ascertained, there is sufficient evidence to shew, that it must have been very remote. The well in the castle-yard is reckoned a Roman work, and it is likely that people might first fix on this spot as a place of defence. The Saxons followed them, and, as is usual, adopted the same fortifications. In the reign of Cerdic, it is said to have been a place of some consequence, and some ascribe its foundation to Whitager, one of his generals. The present structure was grafted on the old, by William FitzOsborne, one of the Norman command- ers; and on whom, in return for his zeal and fide- lity, the Conqueror conferred the lordship of the Isle of Wight. , The castle and its appendages, from that period, fell to different masters. till Lord Woodville sold it to Edward IV. and from that time it has been an- * . - Tri E Is LE or wig HT. 34% nexed to the crown. The arms of Woodville are carved over the large gateway, and on each side are the roses of the house of York. The well is about three hundred feet deep, and always stands twenty feet high in water. A piece of lighted paper let into it, is extinguished before it reaches the bottom, and a pin of common size is distinctly heard to drop on the water. - An ass is employed to raise the water, by means of a wheel fifteen feet diameter, which the animal turns like a dog. One of these drudges lived forty years within the castle walls; and indeed, the lon- gevity both of men and beasts, in this island, can- not escape observation. A considerable number of both exceed the ordinary limits of life. During a long succession of ages, the Castle having fallen greatly to decay, was repaired and enlarged by Queen Elizabeth. That princess erect- ed a platform towards the back part of it; re- built the gateway, and added a bridge at the en- trance. The initials of her name, and the date of the year, are still preserved on the arch of the gateway. - - During Cromwell's usurpation, it was garrisoned by his forces, and the command given to such as he could particularly confide in. The grand entrance into this fortress is by a gate, flanked with two towers, built in the reign of Ed- ward IV. It is lined with iron bars, of prodigious weight. This gate conducts to the castle-yard, on the right of which stands the chapel, a modern building, dedicated to St. Nicholas, with a ceme- tery belonging to it; but neither are now in use. On the opposite side, part of the walls lie in ruins. Near these is shewn the window from which, it is said, Charles I. attempted to escape; and, on the same side, is a modern house, designed for the residence of the governor. A little farther, to the VoI. III. 11 H. 350 H Ass ELL’s to UR, of right, is the well already mentioned, and beyond it the remains of an old house. - <-- " " . On an angle to the left is a flight of steps, which lead to the top of the citadel, from which the prospects are very extensive. In the inside of this are the vestiges of a well, now nearly filled up. The citadel, or keep, is built on a piece of ground more elevated than the rest. This was probably ar- tificial, and may, perhaps, be attributed to the inde- fatigable Romans. *- * * They next mounted the ramparts and platform, erected by queen Elizabeth, from which a new scene opens in the valley below. The whole external appearance of the castle is picturesque ; and the ground on which it stands is finely broken and tinted. + The height of Carisbrook Castle from the valley, is at least three hundred feet, which gives it every advantage of command and defence. - * Leaving this stately relic of the fortifications of other times, they descended to the village of Ca- risbrook, which, independent of its delightful si- tuation, is, of itself, a pleasant place. The church is one of the most picturesque in the island. Its tower is of considerable height, and is properly ornamented with Gothic pinnacles. The large window is very fine; and, in short, a symmetry runs through the whole building, that cannot fail to please. * - - The priory, situated near the church, was for- merly tenanted by black monks. At first it was a cell to the Abbey of Lyra, in Normandy; after- wards to that of Mountgrace, in Yorkshire; and lastly was appended to the Cistercians, at Sheen. Its remains are little striking. Some of its walls are covered with ivy and moss: and one, on the west side, is converted into a hovel for carts. Leaving Carisbrook, they entered the road to & . THE ISLE of w IGHT. 351 Yarmouth, cut on the side of a chalky hill, for near a mile, and commanding the beautiful vale of Parkhurst. - - - Reach Park-Cross, an enchanting scene, possessed of every requisite to render it beautiful in a picture. This landscape at once delighted and amused them. It consisted of wild nature, scattering beauties over the richest profusion of objects that could encounter the sight. - - On their right, the downs rose with splendor, and gave majesty to all below them ; while the valleys, smiling in vegetation, contributed their utmost aid to embellish this voluptuous scene. . - With regret they left the contemplation of the lovely vale of Alvington ; and, in their progress, could not help contrasting it with views which sunk still more in their estimation, from the comparison. At length they came in sight of the woods of Swanston. On an extensive rising plain stands Swanston House, the seat of Sir William Barrington. The mansion is plain, but pleasing to the view. The inside is fitted up in the ancient style, but extremely neat. From the drawing-room, there is a fine view over the surrounding country. This apartment is genteel, and contains a few good paintings. In the breakfast-room are some old portraits of the family, not destitute of pictorial merit. The other rooms on the ground-floor, look over the So- lent Sea and New Forest. The bed-rooms are sim- ply elegant. ** Returning over the hill, they enjoyed a delightful range of scenery on the right, and made for the village of Calbourne, standing in a triangular re- cess of elms and ashes, at the bottom of the downs. It has every advantage that a retired situation can command. . Westover House, in this vicinity, stands on an eminence, and looks over all the north-west part of - H H 2 §5? H ASSELL's Tov It of - ^*. the island, as well as towards Alvington and Park- hurst, down to the Medina. It is the hospitable mansion of Mr. Holmes, - Leaving Westover to the right, they struck into the Yarmouth road, where the hills of Freshwater, on the left, exhibited new splendor. They now returned to the road they had pursued to Newtown, but nothing occurred more than had been noticed, in their former route. - Crossing the left stream of Newtown, at Under- wood, they came to Elmsworth, a little, rural spot, from whence they had a distinct view of Thorness Bay, part of which is well varied and wooded. Passing through Great Thorness, they entered Rue Street, and made for the stone quarries of Gur- net Bay. The vale of Gurnet is marshy, and sub- ject to inundations of the sea in winter. The stone quarries, as they are termed, are noble masses of true rock, which are as much loosened by the incessant working of the waves, as by the labour of the work- men. From the stone here, the works at Ports- mouth are constructed ; and, when the weather permits, three or four sloops are generally lying in the bay, to lade with it. Its coat is proof against the attacks of time or weather, and is finer in the grain than that brought from Portland or Purbeck. Most of the capital dwellings in the island are built with this excellent material. - From hence they visited the seat of Mr. Collins, at Egypt, the most northernly point of the island, and passed the island they had so frequently viewed from the Hampshire shores. - • . After this, they entered Cowes, and thus com- pleted their tour of the land, in every direction that a horse-road would permit. • * Next morning they embarked, with a design to view the different shores of this charming island, from its circumambient element, and leaving the harbour of Cowes, stretched to the northward, and THE ISLE of wig HT. 353 cleared Old Castle Point, which received no incon- siderable addition to its beauty from the blushing rays of the morn. - Passed down the east side of Osborne, and still verging on the shore, came opposite the screens of wood that range down the extremities of King's Key, a creek, neither remarkable for its depth nor grandeur. - -->. Coasting along the same kind of shore, they ar- rived off Fishborne Creek, a sweet spot, which, at this early season of the day, was replete with pic- turesque beauty. .’ - Passing Fish House, and the woods at Quarr Abbey, they tacked to the eastern extremity of Motherbank, where the view extended from the en- trance of Southampton Water to that of Portsmouth Harbour. A large recess of water intrudes on the land, near Quarr Abbey; and here was formerly a quarry of some consideration, which is now, how- ever, little used. . Came opposite the village of Ride, the houses of which hang on the water's edge, but the scene is not very interesting. Making Appley, several points break on the eye at once. The shore here is very rocky, and the beach is dangerous. -- . Old Fort lies a little further on, where the land is more diversified. In this vicinity are some salt works. - ^: A similar shore presented itself, till they got be- yond Nettlestone Priory. Masses of rock had tum- bled from the cliffs, and tinctured by the iron- ore, with which they are interspersed, gave a diver- sity to the colouring. The shores are also strongly tinged with copperas. - Crossing from St. Helen's Point to that of Bim- bridge, they had a distinct view of the vale which extends from Brading to Appledurcombe, - H H 3 354 rr Ass E LE’s Tou R. To - * A . W From the sandy point of Bimbridge, they trended to Foreland Point, the eastern extremity of the island. Here the cliffs are very high, and afford shelter to numerous marine birds, which breed here. As they skirted along Sandown Bay, they found the bottom composed of a fine hard sand. The Downs of Yaverland, viewed from this spot, rise to a considerable height, and give a noble effect to the bay. - The next attractive object was the beautiful situ- ation and prospect of Mr. Wilkes's seat, which, viewed from the sea, has a handsome appearance. More to the southward, the rocks assume a deeper dye, and some of them are perfectly black. This hue arises from the nature of the soil, and in the opinion of mineralogists, is an indication that veins of coal are near. Indeed it appears that coal mines were once worked in these parts, but have long since been discontinued, on account of the pro- duce being found inadequate to the expence. A fish of a peculiar nature, called the sand eel, is found in this bay. It is very slender, and seldom more than three or four inches long; somewhat re- sembling a smeit, both in colour and taste. The fishermen, at low water, turn up the sand with a three pronged fork, when the fish leap out, and are taken up in considerable quantities, by this simple method. - - - - The Sandhopper is also very common here. It resembles a shrimp in colour, as well as confor- mation. At low water they cover the shore, and are greedily devoured by the hogs, which descend to the beach, in search of this voluptuous repast. Shanklin Chine, in their passage, lost no share of its grandeur, but appeared even to greater advan- tage, particularly the ascents of Horse Lodge, which form the southern extremity of the bay. Their attention was next attracted by Dunnose, THE ISLE of wig IIT. 355 § a point of rocky land, lying to the southward of Luccombe Chine. As the vessel kept to windward, in order to weather the point, the Downs of Luc- combe and St. Boniface seemed to clash near on its awful, pendent sides, and presented a terrific scene. The ascent of this tremendous rock is nearly seven hundred feet; and sheep, grazing on its summit, lose all proportion of form, when viewed from the bottom, and appear only like dots. - The day beginning to close in very fast, and the coast here being rocky and dangerous, they found themselves under the necessity of proceeding to Steep Hill, in order to pass the night. The coast continued the whole way to exhibit a most rugged aspect, composed of cliffs, and a few waterfalls. . The hills of Bonchurch well contrasted with the white cliffs that bordered the shore, and the cot- tages which appeared here and there, assimilated with the general composition of the landscape. Having cautiously advanced opposite Ventnor Mill, and the wind dying away, they took to a wherry, which landed them safely under Steep Hill. Here they found the same accommodation as in their former visit to this place. The seat of Mr. Tollemache is a pretty object from hence, but ap- pears rather too much sequestered in woods. At a greater distance from the shore, however, its local charms are disclosed in all their perfection. The hills of Steep Hill range with great beauty, when viewed from the sea. The rocks are finely harmonized, and present great diversisty of form. Re-embarking next morning, they stood out to sea, to avoid the dangers of the rugged shore, which is lined with lurking rocks. Sailing close to the 'shôre of Undercliff, they found the appearance of the coast very diversified, but highly tinted with pendent woods and varied grounds. At every avenue that would admit of it, & 356 HAssELL’s Tou R of some bold, broken promontory struck the sight, and continually closed the side screens. - When they formerly passed Undercliff on horse- back, the shore was entirely hid from their view; but now they enjoyed every pleasure of prospect that distance could give, and the united effect of rock, wood, mountains, and water, was blended in the most exquisite style. The village of St. Lawrence seemed to relieve the scene, and to give it novelty. A number of boat-houses enter into the composition of the pic- _ture, and a small cascade, which has been mag- nified by some tourists to a Switzerland cataract. The same kind of shore, particularly rocks and shoals, continued till they came near Crab Niton, where Undercliff terminates. . The break of rocks from Old Park to Niton Down, where it again commences, is nearly half a mile. This opening leads to the Newport road, and to other places in the centre of the island. A little farther westward, they arrived at St. Catharine's, the most southern point of the island. The rocks, which finally terminate the range of Undercliff, are the highest of all. Sir Richard Worsley, the chief historian of the island, says, that the Hill of St. Catharine's is 750 feet high, from the water's edge; and, judging from appear- ance, it cannot be less. l At a distance, these rocks appear like fortifi- cations. The terrific ascent of St. Catharine's, though bold in its declination towards the sea, is well verdured, and has nothing repulsive in its as- pect. A valley ranges round its western front. Near the bottom, on the eastern side, is a fertile spot, sprinkled with some cottages. Passing the point of Rocken-end, an entire new scene presented itself. The dangerous Bay of Chale first saluted the sight. The principal objects from - ºrrie Is Le of wight. 857 it are Walpan and Black-gang Chines, with the drop- ping-well of the latter. “This track of coast pos- sesses,” says our author, “that kind of appearance which, while it excites horror, still pleases the ima- gination ; as we see nature running riot, and over- łeaping all bounds. But while she thus pleases the speculative traveller, she appears terrific to those whom chance or accident may drive on the coast.” Little novelty is to be met with from hence to Freshwater. Passing Atherfield Point and Compton Chine, they entered the Bay of Brixton, where the sea rolls with great impetuosity, and seems to make incessant encroachments on the shore. - º Jackman's Chine is the principal one in the bay. It leads to the village of Brixton. Still coasting on, they passed Brook Chine and Compton village, when Freshwater Bay opened, with all its romantic beauties. Along the Main Bench are numerous chasms in the cliffs, with continual recesses and eaves at the bottom. The picturesque appearance of the whole is such as cannot fail to please. Passing the cliffs at Main Bench, they once more arrived at the Needles, and from thence entered Alum Bay. From the water, the landscape is highly beautiful. Its variegation, its sudden knolls, its abrupt ridges, and little cascades, are ail inte- resting. • , The appearance of the coast is nearly the same throughout the whole to Totland Bay and Warden Flodge, with only some variations of horror, oc- casioned by the devastation of the ocean, which undermining the cliffs, give them a terrific appear- 3.T. Ce. - - . • * The point of Carey's Sconce introduced them into Yarmouth Roads. This is the nearest pro- jection of the island to the neck of land on which Hurst Castle stands; and, according to some, this 358 HAssELL’s Tour of - distance was once passable at low water.” Yar- mouth Road is much frequented by his majesty's cruizers, stationed in the Channel, for the preven- tion of smuggling. * . . Leaving the river Yar, or, as it is more gene- rally called, Freshwater Lake, on their right, they continued the trendings of the coast, which, for some space, was a comfortless beach, with a few insignificant, broken masses and climps. About two miles, however, from Yarmouth, it assumes a more cheerful aspect, and forms a ridge of mountains, which chiefly encircle the water of Shalfleet. - A quantity of limestone and abrupt promonto- ries constitute the character of this shore. In many parts it is well tinted; and, in general, it is not destitute of picturesque beauty. - Passing the flat point of Newtown Haven, they entered Shalfleet Lake, encircled with fine hills. From thence they proceeded to Thorness Bay, the shores of which are highly picturesque, from the profusion of wood and rock which composes them. . . Weathering another point, they entered Gur- net Bay, celebrated for the excellent stone it pro- duces; but the only part of it that was calculated for a picture, was the opening that looks toward Carisbrook Hills. This valley is extremely fertile and sylvan, and ranges in pleasing forms, till the mountains ciose the view. - Stretching now for the Brambles, they once more passed Cowes Castle, and entered the har- bour, after an aquatic excursion of two days, in * Without absolutely vouching for the truth of this, much credit is certainly due to uninterrupted tradition. Our au- thor seems to deny the possibility of the fact; we see little reason for calling its probability in question, * TIE ISLE of wig HT. 359 which they had encircled the island, and taken a view of its different scenes from the ocean. Mr. Hassell concludes his agreeable account of this beautiful isle, with the following reflections: “The pleasing variety,” says he, “ of hill and dale, with which it abounds; the delightful situ- ation of the gentlemen's seats; the venerable re- mains of its antiquity; the rich and extensive sea- views, that every where present themselves; and, above all, the grand and noble craggy cliffs, which at once serve as a natural fortification to the island, and exhibit the most magnificent and awful scenes; all these combined, must naturally excite the cu- riosity of every admirer of the superb works of . nature; and, at the same time, they, account for the frequent visits that are made to the island. In- deed, I know not where a party, engaged in a pleasurable scheme, could find their expectations more fully gratified; to which I think, I might add, the natural civility and hospitality of the inhabitants at large, do not a little contribute.” - Next day they bade adieu to the Isle of Wight, and, after a pleasant passage, landed at Southamp- ton. A As they pursued their former track from South- ampton to Wootton, the well-known prophecy of Nixon was suddenly brought to their recollection, by a man, at one of the turnpike gates, putting out his hand, on which were two thumbs, to receive the toll. This was the more striking, as they had just before seen a man plying on Southampton quay with a similar excrescence; and to add to their wonder, they were informed, that a third person, living near Andover, all in the same county, was rendered re- markable by the same singularity. .* Entered on the New Forest, in the road to Stony Cross, and passed over a circular lawn surrounded *. with the subsequent tame inscriptions: | | - 360 HASs ELL’s To U R or | with oaks, after which they found themselves in the heart of this woodland track. | The high roads through this forest are chiefly | composed of gravel, and are at all times easy and pleasant to travel on. Nothing, however, beyone sylvan scenery saluted their view, till they reache the five mile stone, near which stands the . pitable mansion of Mr. Gilbert, which they ha not leisure to inspect. ; Proceeding through a range of cover, they ar: } | . ' rived at the summit of Stony Cross Hilº, near the bottom of which, on the left, stands a pillar, erect - ed by the late Lord Delawar, in commemoration of the fatal catastrophe of William Rufus. It coni | sists of a plain, triangular stone, no more than six feet high, surmounted with a ball, and charged First side. Here stood the oak-tree, on which an arrow, shot by Sii Walter Tyrrel at a stag, glanced, and struck King William: the Second, sirnamed Rufus, in the breast, of which he in:| stantly died, on the second day of August, anno 1 100. - Second side. | Ring William the Second, sirnamed Rufus, being slain as is before related, was laid in a cart, belonging to one || Purkis", and drawn from hence to Winchester, and buried in the cathedral church of that city. || Third side. - - ANNo M.Dce.xiv. . That where an event so memorable had º Lord Delawar, who has seen the tree growing in this place. not be hereafter unknown, this stone was set up by John; t ! . . . . } ( * - * If we mistake not, the descendants of this man continue near the spot to the present day; at least we are certain that: thera are 4till some of the same name in the vicinity. {} t W { . . . w , - | | | THE is LE OF WIG ºf T. 361 Underneath. This stone was repaired by John Richard, Earl Delawar, ANNO M. D.C.C. LXXXIX, Beneath the inscription, on the first side, has been added the following memorandum: This spot was visited by King George the Third and Queen Charlotte, on the 27th of June, 1789. The body of water between this part of Hamp- shire and the Isle of Wight, appeared from Stony Cross but a small river, the distance being so con- siderable as to deprive it at once of extent and grandeur. The isle itself, enveloped in a blue mist, bounded the distance. After encountering several steep hills, reached the mansion of Lord Delawar. The situation of this house is such as to command extensive views, but, in itself, it is destitute of cheerful scenery. A plain, desert heath, for many miles, tires the view; yet from some points, the prospect is not absolutely destitute of picturesque beauty, parti- cularly when the eye is directed to the woody screens that form the back ground. Arrived at Picked Post, and there formed the resolution of crossing to Lymington, and from thence to skirt the western boundaries of the fo- rest, along the banks of the Avon. -- The road was very intricate, nor were the ob- jects striking, except to the enthusiastic admirer of nature in her wildest form, amidst shades where art seldom interferes. Beyond Burleigh, entered on a warren, well stocked with rabbits; and then dashing into the heart of the forest, pro- ceeded, for a considerable way, through a conti- nued grove. - After a tedious ride from Burleigh, they ar- rived at Pitner's End, the termination of the for Vol. III. I I 2 * 362 HASs ELI’s Tour of rest towards Lymington, which place they soon reached a second time. Again continued their tour, and passing Mill- ford, proceeded down the sandy neck of land, on which Hurst Castle stands. In this fortress, which was built to defend the passage between the coast of Hampshire and the Needles, a garrison is usually kept; but the castle is not now of great considera- t! On. Resuming their course, near the five-mile stone, on the Christehurch road, stands the seat of Mr. Lebrock. Built on a elevation, it commands a very extensive view of the west end of the Isle of Wight and the circumjacent country. The ar- chitecture is nothing remarkable ; but the covers, that surround the house, are very beautiful, and fall gradually and gracefully into each other. Winding round the bottom of Mr. Lebrock’s grounds, they soon arrived in sight of High Cliff, the seat of the Earl of Bute, which, at a distance, has a castellated appearance. They had now a full prospect of the Dorset- shire Hills; but they were too naked to inspire pleasurable ideas. N. Reaching the mansion of the earl of Bute, they anticipated the satisfaction they should receive from the examination of the collections of a no- bleman, so distinguished for taste and judgment. Their expectations, however, were frustrated, owing to a sickness in the family; and they could only obtain a general view of the exterior, which scarcely compensated for the trouble they had given themselves. The back front is what would be called superb by the greatest part of the world ; but, to our au- thor, it seemed deficient in elegance; and, for a habitation, he thought the neat little mansion of THE ISH.E OF WI&HT. 363. Sir William Fordyce, which lay opposite, infinitely more desirable. i - Leaving High Cliff, they proceeded to Christ- church, in view of the Avon, whose stream had been much augmented by the recent rains, and spread far beyond its channel. Yet, notwith- standing this disadvantage, the vale through which it meandered, appeared in the most vivid tints of nature, and exhibited a thousand objects to enchant the eye. • N. Though Christchurch is not remarkable for in- ternal elegance, yet its situation and its delight- ful views render it truly interesting. The Nee- dles and the Isle of Wight are the back ground of the picture, and in the intervening space of sea, a succession of moving objects give constant ani- mation to the scene. - - Here was anciently a priory of secular canons, which were afterwards changed to regular canons, of the order of St. Augustine. The collegiate church, dedicated to Christ, is a beautiful old pile, of mixed Saxon and Gothic architecture. Its form is singular, and it is composed of a great variety of parts. * - The tower is rather elegant than lofty, and is principally Gothic. On the outside of the tran- sept is much carved work, chiefly Saxon ; and from hence towards the east is a jumble of archi- ºtectural ornament. s - - *- “ The inside,” says our tourist, “ has undergone many worse than Cromwellian depredations, from the improvements that have from time to time taken place. But even these being insufficient to convince the world of a want of taste and knowledge in their predecessors, the present corporation have permit- ted a piece of noble architecture to be taken down, in order to make room for the erection of new I 1 2 364 * , HAssELL's Tour or pews, for the accommodation of gentlemen's fami- lies.”* - - The remains of sepulchral monuments, of great antiquity and beauty, are still numerous here, notwithstanding all the fury of the Roundheads, who spared neither the ornaments of buildings sacred to religion, nor even the memoriaks of the dead, which they contained. The whole internal view of this venerable pile is such as well correspond with Milton's de- scription: The high-embowed roof, With antique pillars massy proof, And storied windows richly dight Casting a dim, religious light. Christchurch is a large and populous phace, and carries on a considerable manufacture of silk stock- ings and gloves. It is a corporation, and sends two members to parliament, who are elected by the burgesses resident and nonresident. J - Near the bridge are the remains of an old castle, which must once have possessed some strength. Early next morning, after their arrival at Christ- church, they set out for Ringwood. The atmosphere was bright and serene; and not a single cloud floated in it, to intercept the innumerable beauties that decked the Vale of Avon. The current of that river glided gently on, while transient glows played on its surface, and diffused around a thousand attractive charms. . . . N., The opposite hills of Dorsetshire ranged close to the water’s edge ; and, though low, were not * As the sole object of churches is for the convenient re- ception of congregations, engaged in the service of God, we see no impropriety in making more room, when wanted ; but we feel all the contempt our author can possibly express for tasteless improvements and capricious alterations. | THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 365 destitute of beauty, under the morningd beam. The right-hand hills separated them from the western extremity of the forest, and varied but little, in appearance, till they arrived near Ring- wood. - The Avon, which meanders between these two barriers, is one of those rivers whose stream is always pleasing. Though liable to sudden swells, it soon regains its transparency, and works itself fine. - . - The entrance to Ringwood, on this side, is not very interesting. The town is not large, but it derives some consequence from its situation with regard to other places. Its beer, for strength and flavour, is celebrated, not only throughout Eng- land, but in many foreign countries. - Ringwood is unquestionably a place of great antiquity. By some it is thought to be the Roman station, mentioned by Antonius under the name of Regnum ; but others, with more probability, transfer that to Chichester. . - In this vicinity, after the fatal battle at Sedge- moor, in 1685, the unfortunate Duke of Mon- mouth took shelter ; but was at last discovered in the ditch of a pea-field, covered with fern. It seems he had subsisted on green pease for two days, and in his pocket, when taken, some of the pods were found. - - - After leaving Ringwood, the Vale of Avon be- gan to expand to a much greater breadth, and the landscape became more romantic. The whole of the road to Fordingbridge was either pleasing or picturesque. - . This town, at a distance, appears to be a place of some consequence ; and, at one time, it had considerable manufactures; but none at present are carried on to any great extent. Though nei- ther large nor elegant, its outskirts are highly º . - I I 3 - 366 HASSELL’s tour of . *. fascinating, as they present a variety of charm- ingly picturesque scenes, which form a continual landscape. f : Continuing their route to Salisbury, they reached Downton, a long, straggling place, containing no- $thing deserving particular notice. - The road from hence was continually hemmed in by hedge rows, till they arrived near Longford Castle, the seat of the Earl of Radnor, which, from several points of view, appears to great advantage, both in itself and its accompaniments. From this spot, a variety of objects continued to entertain them, till they arrived at the summit of a small hill, from which they had a view of the city of Salisbury, standing in one of the love- liest vales in England, well verdured, sylvan, and irriguous. The spire of its cathedral, as well as those of its parochial churches, towering above , the surrounding trees, give some idea of the ex- tent of the place, without offending by their confusion. . - By any easy descent, they came to the bridges over the Avon, that communicate with the town. The first entrance is very prepossessing. On the left hand, a wall with battlements runs between a stream of clear water and the road, encompassing what is called the Close, within which the cathedral stands. The Close is principally inhabited by the gentry and dignitaries of the church. • - Salisbury cathedral, now one of the most beau- tiful in the kingdom, was originally founded by Bishop Poore, but received many additions and improvements from his successors in this see. It is said, that this pile contains as many windows as there are days in the year ; as many pillars as there are hours; and as many gates as there are lunar revolutions; but we never heard of any one THE ISLE of wigHz. - 367 who had the trifling curiosity to ascertain the truth of these remarks. The external appearance, in generał, is gay, light and airy ; the design delicate, and neatness the prevailing idea. The internal decora- tions are such as result rather from the symmetry of the building, than from adscititious ornaments. The monuments of distinguished personages are not numerous in this cathedral, and therefore require no particular notice. - New Sarum, or Salisbury, is a regular, clean, and beautiful city. The buildings are not lofty, but they possess much uniformity. In the Close, however, they have an air of grandeur and gentility. The market place is a spacious square, and gives an airy lightness to the whole place. The manufactures of this town consist of flan- nels and cloths; and it has, for many years, obtained celebrity for the perfection with which its cutlery is finished”. Its scissors, in particular, are polished , to the highest degree, and are uncommonly beautiful ; and the shops, in which such articles are sold, are brilliant and tasty. - This city is governed by a mayor, high steward, recorder, twenty-four aldermen, and thirty common councilmen, a town-clerk, and three sergeants at mace. A very vigilant and laudable police is observed, particularly with regard to vagrants. The inhabitants, in general, are more polite and respectable than in most inland towns. About a mile to the northward of the city stands Old Sarum, a place remarkable for its antiquity, its former consequence, and its present dilapidated state. It was a Roman station; and, during a long succession of ages, retained its importance. & In the perfection of polish, Salisbury is only inferior to Woodstock. - - 363 HASSELL’s roup of z. parliament. ** The ruin of this place may be dated from a quarrel that arose between the garrison and the clergy, in the reign of King Stephen. The ecclesiastics dissatisfied with being subject to military controul planned a removal of the cathedral to the present Salisbury; and, in the reign of Henry III. this was effected." Old Sarum, however, was not quite deserted till the time of Henry VII. The hill, on which it stood, is perfectly circular, and a lofty castle rose in its centre, the diameter of which was two thousand feet. - • Of the strength and splendor of this fortress scarce a vestige remains, and the town is reduced to one solitary farm-house, which, nevertheless, still retains the envied privilege of returning two members to —pudet baec opprobria nobis . . . Et potuisse dici et non potuisse refelli. Stonehenge was the next object of their curio- sity, a place no less famous for its antiquity, than remarkable for the various and contradictory opi- nions which have originated respecting its origin and design. . . . . . . - Between Salisbury and this place, a distance of nearly nine miles, the road is over a barren plain, dreary and uninviting as can possibly be conceived. This extensive champaign, which goes by the general name of Salisbury Plain, extends near fifty miles in length, from east to west ; and, in some places, from thirty-five to forty in breadth. It feeds a vast number of sheep, and contains many barrows, and traces of castrametations. Round Stonehenge, the barrows, which are almost universally allowed to be sepulchral monuments, are very numerous, and are placed in something like lineal order. Many of them have been opened, but nothing THE ISLE of wight. 369 of consequence discovered in them, save the remains of urns, bones, and a few military weapons. <& The approach to Stonehenge is by the side of those tumuli. “ Its appearance,” observes our author, “is grand and pleasant, to the sight, but does not seem to come up to the ideas that are generally formed of this stupendous heap of stones, before they are seen ; but this might partly proceedi from the extensive plain on which they are situated, which must tend to diminish their magnitude to the eye of the observer. The real altitude of the highest of the stones of which it is composed does not exceed twenty feet, and many are not more than eighteen.” - - # On this celebrated monument of antiquity, many antiquaries have written diffusely, and therefore a short description will be sufficient. The building, if it may be so called, is about a hundred and nine feet in diameter. Some years ago, one of the stones, of which it is composed, was so nicely poised on the back of another, that a touch of the finger would alter its position ; but it is now firmly fixed in the earth. Dr. Stukeley is said to have counted aſ the group, and to have taken the dimensions of each particular stone. Such are the labours of virtù, at once difficult and useless. Proceed to Amesbury, where once stood a fa- mous nunnery. It had formerly been a monas- tery of Benedictine monks; but Elfrida, the wife of Edgar, to expiate her crime, in causing her son-in-law, Edward the Martyr, to be treache- rously assassinated, changed the institution, and increased the endowment, Queen Eleanor re- tired here after her husband’s death, and the 370 - HAssELL’s Tour of - Princess Mary, daughter of Edward I. became one of the nuns”. A - The situation of Amesbury is beautifully pic- turesque. It stands on the banks of the Avon, the borders of which are eminently beautiful. The Duke of Queenbery's seat here, built by Inigo Jones, is well worthy the attention of travellers. * . Amesbury, however, derives no inconsiderable degree of celebrity from giving birth to that ele- gant writer and excellent man, Mr. Addison. His father was rector of this place. The compo- sitions of Addison are, both with regard to style and subject, the purest of any in the English lan- guage; and reflect higher honour on the man, than the exalted stations to which he was afterwards raised. From Amesbury, they proceeded along the coast of the Avon, to Salisbury; but, though this track is replete with local beauties, the weather was too turbulent to suffer them to enjoy the pleasures of the landscape. - º: Soon after leaving Salisbury, they rode on to Andover, about eighteen miles distant. The plains extend the whole way to Middle Wallop, and exhibit a dreary scene, with scarcely a ha- bitation, and very few patches of cultivation, though the soil seems not unlikely to repay the labourer’s toil. -. Andover possesses few attractions, though it is large and populous, and has a considerable ma- * If we are mot misinformed, a numnery has recently been established here, by some who were driven from Frrnce. To protect individuals is truly commendable; but to suffer the forms and distinctions of a religion so contrary to our own, to be exhibited in communities, is what policy can scarcely jmstify. - THE ISLE OF WIG. H. T. 37} nufacture of shalloons and malt. country is rich and pleasant. Basingstoke, a place of some antiquity, was their next stage. It is a dirty, ill-built place; but contains a considerable number of inhabitants, who carry on a good trade in malt. Crossed the country to Farnham, and taking the Guilford road, soon reached the metropolis without any other occurrence worth recording. The adjacent YE N D OF W Q L., III, J. G. Barnard, Printer, Snow-hill. 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