"at least to resignation. Life ceases, indeed, "to have any pleasures for me; and the only

worldly wish I have is, that my daughter may "find a protector before I am taken from her. "Were this wish gratified, I should have no "further tie to bind me to earth, but would gladly lie down in the same grave that now "holds my faithful Hannah."

દ

We expressed what we felt a real concern at his misfortune; which drew from the good old man a farewell benediction, delivered with such fervour and affection as interested our feelings as deeply as his own appeared to be moved.

Quitting the cottage of Roberts, we strolled slowly to the Golden-Lion inn, where our friends had secured very comfortable accommodations, and bespoken some of Mr. Williams's excellent mountain mutton.

The

At six o'clock this morning we were on our march, following the road to Towyn, which skirts the northern roots of Cader-Ilris. wild precipices of this gigantic mountain on the one hand, and the craggy tops of inferior elevations on the other, were the only features of our view for some miles, when the road became still more uninteresting, pursuing the

undulations of boggy mountains, without a trace of inhabitant or cultivation.

Situated close upon the shore, Towyn* has nothing to recommend it but a bold unbounded view of the ocean, with a fine level hard sand, well calculated for sea-bathing.

We did not continue long in the town, as it happens to be a race-week there, and the motley crew assembled to partake of these annual sports seemed to eye us with no very friendly glances. We could not but observe with regret, the consequences of this unnatural introduction of an amusement (the twin-brother of profligacy and licentiousness) into a place which nature seemed to have consecrated to quiet and retirement, to simplicity and peace. Instead of that appearance of industry and decency which characterise a sequestered country village, all was idleness and noise. Every proper avocation seemed to be forgotten. Collected together in little groups, the inhabitants were squabbling over the result of the last afternoon's race, or making bets for the match of the approaching evening; whilst others, less deep in the business of the turf, but

*Towyn, i. e. the strand; its population about five hundred

bitten by the genius of idleness that hovered over the village, were drowning their faculties in copious potations of currw; or, like the Centaurs and Lapithe of old, were bruising over the inflaming goblets they had drained.

We quitted this scene, in which rustic simplicity and fashionable profligacy were united by an heterogenous combination, with the conviction, that there is no better, more speedy, or efficacious mode of corrupting the rural character of a country village, and converting simplicity and industry into dishonesty and idleness, than the institution of an annual race-week.

Our route led us close to the sea-side, over an hard sand for four miles, when we passed the ferry at Aber-Dyfi, a small sea-port, employing about thirty ships, and containing five hundred inhabitants.

Still we continued to tread the shore, gratified with the sight of a troubled ocean, which broke with dreadful fury over the dark cliffs that form the southern shore of Caernarvon bay.

We reached at length the village of Porth, when the stupendous view we had so long contemplated, deserted us, the road winding up an ascent with an elevation on each side.

Little beauty of country now occurred, the scenery being totally bare of wood, and scanty in population. We were glad, therefore, to terminate a walk that became fatiguing for want of interest, and entered our old quarters at Aberystwith as the clock told eight.

Your's, &c.

R. W.

WER

ERE I a judicial astrologer, I should entertain no doubt of our having commenced the expedition we are engaged in, under the influence of some very benign and most propitious planet, since ordinary causes are scarcely sufficient to account for the many instances of good fortune we have experienced