towns, and enlivened by the busy fireams of the Severn and the Avon. These are the principal features in the vale of Evesham; on the oppofite fide are various winding vallies, mingled with hop-grounds, gardens, feats and fwelling hills of verdant wood, all fweetly foftened by the mellow light of autumn, and encircled by a majestic range of mountains; the Wreeking, and Clay-hills in Shropshire, seen over Ludlow; the Blackmountains in Brecknockshire; the Skiming hills in Monmouthfhire; Abergaveny, and Ledbury mount; Gloucefterfhire hills over the city and Cheltenham, the Lecky hills towards Birmingham, &c. In fhort nothing is here wanting to conflitute the beautiful, but here is a deficiency in those two grand compofites of the north, rock and lakes, to conftitute the fublime. With thefe additions we fhould then find them an abfolute perfection. If we contemplate these scenes too with the eye of an hiftorian, what a train of ideas will they afford! inftead of groves of fhining fruits, we may fancy moving armies of glittering fpears and helmets; inftead of yon filver gliding streams, we may imagine rivers of blood; fuch were thefe plains when haughty Cromwell, and his 30,000 men marched over them, and appeared on Red-hill against Charles II. with only 1200 in Auguft, 1651. No more now the din of war is heard; Tewksbury*. Upton, Powick, and thou fair city, Worcester, your lofty towers no more are feen to shake, your buildings fall in dreadful conflagration, nor streets pour down the fanguine flood. All now arife in confcious harmony to gild thefe fcenes, now funk in peace and crowned with plenty. Maintain long this lovely reign ye fons of fame! and ye who reap the fruits of industry, store in your plenteous and golden crops, and quaff your homely nectar, in joyful tranquillity. Defcending now this noble velvet mountain, the former fcene diminishing in foft gradation before our fight, through the perfpective confines of thefe hills, afforded new and infinite delight, till we again arrived at our inn. After dinner we visited the internal display of that great Gothic feature the church; which is perhaps as great a curiofity of its kind as any to be met with. Part of it was a religious cell for hermits before the conqueft, the greater part with the tower, was built in the 18th year of the conqueror, by one Aldwin an hermit. The outward appearance is very striking, the architecture, though large, is light and pleafing, and cannot fail to imprefs the traveller on his approach, with an idea of its antiquity and worth; they fhewed us a copy of an antique manufcript at the Inn, giving a full account of its origin, the history of painted glafs, &c. which is in high prefervation, and of beautiful colours and defigns; but as Dr. Nash has given a minute account of every thing in his hiftory of the county, the omiffion of it here is of no confequence. The antiquarian in contemplating its different styles of building, the Gothic and the Saxon, the glass, the various monuments and coats of arms, &c. may find employment for many hours. One very curious tomb we faw of a Saxon Knight, with his battle-ax and other accoutrements, fuppofed to be the only one of this kind in England. We now pursued our courfe to Ledbury, on a smooth winding road by the wells, at Little Malvern, famous for their falutary qualities, and the pureness of the air. About • Famous too for the bloody overthrow of the Lancaftrians in 1741. Whence J. Leland thus writes, tranflated, "Where Avon's friendly ftreams with Severn join, Great Tewksbury's walls, renown'd for trophies, fhine,. fix miles west of Ledbury, near the conflux of the Lugg and Wye, lies Marcley-hill, which in 1575, after shaking and roaring for three days, to the great horror and astonishment of the neighbourhood, began to move about fix o'clock on Sunday evening, and continued moving till two next morning, it then stood ftill, having carried along with it the trees that grew upon it, and the fheep-folds and flocks. In the place from whence it removed, it left a gap of 400 feet wide, and 320 long. The spot whereon this hill stood contained about 20 acres. Ledbury is a mean ill-built town, situate in a rich vale, fouth of these hills; the meadows and pafturage around it appear very fertile; on an average they let for three pounds an acre. After repofing here one night, we proceeded to Hereford; the day was mild and clear, which gave the vale and hills around à most enchanting glow; hop grounds and ruddy orchards spread their gaudy bloom around us; and that no space may be loft, the vacant fpots of the ground, which is planted with trees, are covered with grain. The following defcription by an admired bard is a very lively picture of this country. "Lo, on auxiliary poles, the hops ! Stands thick, o'erfhadow'd to the thirsty hind Wholefome, of deathlefs fame. Here to the fight, So much does fructureous moisture o'er abound! Awes the divided world to peace and love."+ About three miles diftant we paffed a large house, called Verfen, Mr. Horne's, which, from its conftruction and appearance, gave us the idea of the comforts of an opulent farmer. Two miles onward we obferved an ancient white manfion, furrounded with a moat, called Manfen, the late Mr. Jones's, now Mr. Derbin's, who married his widow. The country was now confined, but rich and pleafant; Mr. Hopeton's old houfe, now only appropriated to a farm, was our next object, under a fine range of hills on our left, and called the World's-end; a name ill applied amidst such a profufion of cultivation. The hops were now more abundant and flourishing, and other crops in great plenty. + Philips's Cyder, book ift. page 127. EE 2 Paffed Paffed the village of Tarrington, with a neat old church and parfonage. The next and principal object, was the honourable Edward Foley's beautiful place at Stoke Edith. This was the feat of the late lord Foley, and his ancestors, while they continued a younger branch; but when he fucceeded to the manfion and eftate of the elder line, at Whitley, in Worcestershire, he of courfe made that his principal refidence, and left this to his fecond fon, the prefent poffeffor. The houfe is large, and wears an ancient afpect, but the principal front is turned from the road, its furrounding fhrubs break the ill effect of too great an intimacy with paifengers; a bridge communicates with the park over the road, which we paffed under. The views from every point are pleafing and picturefque, and from the next afcent the house and parifh fpire, very high and beautiful, formed a delightful group with the variegated ground adjacent, and finally terminated by the Malvern-hil's. Farther on our left ftands Longworth, an agreeable feat of Mr.. Waldwin, member for Hereford. Where his ancestors have been feated, at least ever fince the reign of Henry IV. from which time they have been continually fheriffs, and in other high offices in the county. A little way behind Longworth, lies Lugwardyne, once the estate and feat of the Chandos's and Brydges's, from whom it was fold to the Warneford's, and came in marriage from them to the Harley's, I believe. Winding again to the right we had a final and moft graceful profpect of Stoke-Edith, foftened by the mellow fhades of landscapes, viewed at a distance. The pencil of the artist might here be varioufly employed to advantage; and though the furface of the road cannot be esteemed of the beft, and moft agreeable texture, yet the admirer of nature and fuperior cultivation, may in this morning's ride, be amply rewarded. Defcending towards the city, the distant views are grand and charming, particularly the rich fcenes of Foxley, and Hampton-court, Lord Malden's, to the right, and the fine vale in front, terminated by the hills in Monmouthfhire and Brecknock. We now croffed the river Lugg into an extenfive meadow from whence we viewed Sufton-court to the left, a bad old houfe of white materials, almost funk in the bofom of an hill; this is remarkable for having been the refidence of the Hereford family ever fince the 7th of Henry III. the late poffeffor, fir James Hereford, died about three years fince very old, having amaffed from a small eftate confiderable wealth, which he left to Mr. Caldecot, his nephew, who has now changed his name to Hereford. I understand he intends foon to grace this refpectable spot with a more confiderable manfion. On a nearer approach to the city, a dullnefs feemed to pervade the whole, and the heavinefs of the Cathedral was quite oppreffive to the fight; but for this we could account, for on a closer examination it had loft the fpire, which had been lately taken down, from an apprehension of danger, fince the great fall of the western end of the building, which happened two years ago, and still lies in ruins; this was infinitely the finest part, and when in perfect state, its tower was esteemed very beautiful architecture; the print which remains of it, certainly gives this idea. The whole internal length was 393 feet; tranfept 140; the height of the middle steeple, 244; weft tower 125. Mr. Wyatt has made an estimate, and the walls are just begun to be raised upon the former plan, with a handfome window, but without the tower. It was originally built by bithop Reinclm, in the reign of Henry I. and enlarged by fucceeding bifhops. In its prefent ruinous ftate, we could find but little to attract our notice. Nor does the city nierit any particular encomiums; the buildings are moftly mean and infignificant, and the fireets narrow and bad. Here are now only four parish churches, two having been deftroyed in the late civil wars. is governed by a Mayor, fix Aldermen, Recorder, &c. Its markets are well fupplied; and here is a confiderable manufacture of gloves. The antiquity of it cannot be doubted; evident marks of this are easily discovered. Camden fays it is fituated amongst 6 meadows It meadows extremely pleasant, and corn fields very fruitful. It is fuppofed to have sprung up, when the Saxon heptarchy was in its glory; founded (as fome write) by Edward the elder; no mention being made of it more ancient. The Britains, before the name of Hereford was known, called the place, Trefawith, from beech trees, which still grow abundantly about here. It owes its greatest encrease to religion, and the horrible murder of Ethelbert King of the Eaft-Angles; who, whilft he courted the daughter of Offa, king of the Mercians, was villainously way-laid and murdered by Quindreda, Offa's wife, who longed more for the kingdom of the Eaft-Angles, than to fee her daughter honorably married. He was upon this action, enrolled amongst the catalogue of martyrs, and had a church here built, and dedicated to him by Mildred, a petty prince of this country; which being foon after adorned with a bishop's fee grew very rich, first by the liberality of the Mercians, and afterwards of the weft Saxon king. This city fuffered no great calamity till 1055, when Griffin, prince of South Wales, and Algar, an Englishman, rebelling against Edward the Confeffor, and having routed Earl Ralph, facked the city, deftroyed the cathedral, and carried away Leofgar the bifhop. Hence it is that Malmesbury writes thus: "Hereford is no great city, and yet by the high and formidable ruins of its fteep and broken bulwarks, it fhews that it has been confiderable:" and as it appears by Domefday book, "there were in all but 103 men, within and without the walls." The Normans afterwards very much improved and enlarged it. William Fits Ofborn, a kinfman of the conqueror, and firft earl of Hereford, walled it round, and fortified it with a strong caftle, on the fcite where the old cathedral ftood. Leland fays, "that this caftle, by the ruins, appeared to be one of the fairest, largest, and strongest in England. The walls were high and firm, and full of great towers; and where the river was not a fufficient defence for it, there it was ftrongly ditched. It had two wards, and each of them furrounded with water; the dungeon was high, and exceedingly well fortified, having, in the outward wall or ward, 26 towers of a semicircular figure, and one great tower in the inner ward. Some think that Heraldus be- gan this caftle, after he had conquered the rebellion of the Welch, in Edward the confeffor's time. Others think, that the Lacies and the Bohuns, earls of Hereford, were the great builders of it. This city being fituated in a frontier country, was continually liable to the inroads of rapacious warriors, plunderers, and rebels. When the barons broke out in rebellion against Henry III. they commenced their hoftilities at this place, under the command of Simon Mountfort, earl of Leicester; who, as we before remarked, fell a victim to his perfidy and ambition, in that remarkable battle at Evefham, by which the great power of the barons was diminished, and that of the commons enlarged. Here alfo, when the barons took up arms against Edward II. Hugh Spencer, earl of Gloucester, and several others, the favourites of that prince were hanged. Near this place was likewife fought a bloody battle between Henry VI, and the earl of March, (afterwards Edward IV.) when the latter conquered; and having taken feveral of the Welch nobility, amongst which was Owen Tudor, and others, prifoners, ordered them to be cruelly executed in this city. In the civil wars between Charles I, and the Parliament, this place was ftrong and well fortified and made feveral brave defences against the Scots, and the Oliverians. Scarce a trace of the caftle is now remaining; on its feite are admirable walks, called the caftle green, formed and kept in neat order by the corporation; the river Wye runs underneath, which together with its antique bridge adds greatly to the pleafing profpect from hence. If we look round its neighbouring hills and mountains, we fhall find ftrong marks of the vifits of the Romans, and other encampments; particularly on the fummits of Creden-hill, and Dindermore, the one towards Bradwardine, Bradwardine, the other near the road to Rofs; on the former are many appearances of there having been a Roman ftation. It is certain Lord Leven here fixed his army during the fiege of Hereford, in the civil wars. The latter difplays stronger marks of thofe ancient encampments, being visibly square, which I believe is a pretty certain characteristic of the Romans; befides the corroborating evidence of an adjacent hill now bearing the name of Oifter, no doubt a corruption of Oftorius Scapula who commanded in these parts. In the fuburbs ftand the ruins of a monaftic-looking pile, fuppofed to have been a religious house, which was given by William III, to lord Coningsby, who afterwards made it a town residence; this going to decay by future neglect, lord Coningsby, to perpetuate his name by a laudable inftitution, built and founded an hospital adjoining, for the care and maintenance of 16 poor, which we minutely infpected; their habitations are fmall, but warm and comfortable; the old gardens afford each a very handfome allotment. One of these aged people attended us, who was 88, and well remembered his Lord's ancient fabric in a more flourishing and habitable state. In the fame ground we faw a curious relick of antiquity, gothically built and pretty perfect, which together with fome boughs of elder hanging careleffly round its walls, was exceedingly picturefque. It is an octagon with windows arched, and steps quite round, but only one internal approach; through the top runs a thin stone pillar feveral feet high, on which I fuppofe was a crofs, as it is thought to have belonged to the monaftery, as an object of worship. September 9th. A delightful morning, which we appropriated to an excursion northward, principally to fee Mr. Price's noble grounds, &c. at Foxley, and to enjoy that en chanting scene in its vicinity, from an hill called Lady-Lift. The Bradwardine road was our course for fome time, we then deviated to the right; a little more than a mile from this city, on fome wafte land by the road fide, we faw a large old pillar of stone much wrought, with fteps round the bafe fimilar to those we often fee in small towns ; no authentic account is given of it, but by tradition it is believed to have been erected in time of a plague, when the country people were afraid to approach the city, for the purpose of holding market, and is at this day called White-crofs. We now paffed through a village, and entered Foxley grounds; the well cloathed hills of wood on each fide are very noble. The house is not in unison with this external magnificence, a square brick built place, heavy and ungraceful; though there is no appearance of fhew, the infide no doubt is good and comfortable, and I was told contains fome paintings worth notice; this we omitted, but had leave to drive through the beautiful gardens, &c. which foon led us on a moft glorious terrace between the two vales; thus we continued through a bowery fhade, which was most acceptable, as it protected us from the fervent beams of the fun, till we arrived at the fweet object of our wifhes; a place that most amply repaid our steep afcent. Oh nature how fupreme! O Queen of hills The |