32 



Excursion through North JVales. 



[Feb. !, 



youth and loreliness, aii<l when eadi 

 proud and liiirh-boru chieftain of a 

 powerful division of (he principality, 

 repaired thither to do homilge and swear 

 allejriance to his sovereign prince. To 

 advance a stej) nearer our own times, 

 he will reflect upon the various scenes 

 of bloodshed and anarchy, which have 

 stained Iier annals : occasioned by the 

 bitter enmity which subsisted ])etween 

 the English and their irritable highland 

 neighbours ; and to proceed to a period 

 somewhat later, he will think upon the 

 famous contest between Henrv the 

 fourth, and the high-minded and fiery 

 Hotspur; when tVie valiant and redoubt- 

 able Falstaff i)layed so conspicuous and 

 worthy a part, fighting as he himself 

 triumphantly tells us, a full hour by 

 Shrewsbury clock. Then perhaps, will 

 follow a long, long train of thought, de- 

 picting the gradual amelioration of the 

 manners of the turbulent mountaineers, 

 and the subsequent annihilation of this 

 rancorous enmity towards those, wlio 

 were not always careful as to (lie man- 

 ner in whicli they provoked iheir fiery 

 and vindictive spirit. Such, most pro- 

 bably would be the reflections which 

 would occur to a person of a warm and 

 contemplative temper, who was at all 

 versed in the early history of liis coun- 

 Irv; and a person thus accomplished 

 would experience inucli and manifold 

 amusement in a ramble round Shrews- 

 bury. 



We had almost forgoften to say one 

 word in commendalionof the excellent 

 cakes of Salop. We had heard much 

 of them. Indeed we can say (hat we 

 bad even tasted ihem, bu( many and 

 long are the years which elapsed since 

 that delicious and never-to-be-forgotten 

 moment. On our return to the town, 

 we ordered a box oi- two, and si>cedi- 

 ly ascertained that however renowned 

 the Cakes of Shrewsbury may be, they 

 richly deserve (heir fame. As we were 

 flesirous of entering Wales with as little 

 delay as possible, we left Shrewsbury 

 early on the morning of the lS(h, hav- 

 ing sent our trunks on to Dolgelley by 

 the Goach, it being our intention to 

 walk the rest of our journey. We pre- 

 ferred this plan, as it would enable us 

 to gratify our curiosity more favourably 

 than if we went by any speedy con- 

 veyance; and being tolerably good 

 " walkers," we anticipated no great 

 inconvenience from the length of our 

 journey.* The morning proved fortu- 



• Dolgelley is about fifty miles from 



nately, exceeding fine, and every way 

 calculated to inspire us with confidence 

 with regard (o the pleasure we were 

 likely to experience from our excursion. 



There was not on (hat day a speck to s(oin 

 The iizure heaven ; (he lilessed sun alone, 

 In unnpproiiuhable divinity, 

 Careered, rejoicing in his (ields of light. 



• #•••••• 



• • • • round and round 

 The plovers wheeled, and gave their note of 



joy, 

 It was a day that sent iD(o the heart 

 A .Summer feeling ; even the insect swarms 

 From their dark nooks and coverts issued 



forth 

 To sport through one day of existence more. 

 The solitary primrose on the bank. 

 Seemed now as though it had no cause (o 



mourn 

 Its bleak autumnal birth: the rocks and 



meads, 

 The forest and the everlasting hills 

 Smiled in that joyful sunshine : they partook 

 The universal blessing. SoutHev. 



Who is there M'hose heart has not 

 expanded in grateful joy to a scene so 

 bright and beiuitiful as this ? Where 

 is the dull and deadened soul that 

 would not thrill with rapture in con- 

 t(!inpla(ing (he beaut<'Ous glories of the 

 Summer /iioin? Surely a being so 

 stoical does not exist. Most persons, 

 we ai-e inclined to think, are not in- 

 sensible to the glowing beauties of na- 

 ture. For our own part we lingered on 

 the road, as if our dilatoriness would 

 lengthen out the lovidiiiess of this glo- 

 rious morning, and we experienced that 

 joyous sensation which healtli, activity, 

 and a bright sun never fail to stir up 

 within us. Thr(!e or four miles be- 

 yond Shrewsbury, the appearance of 

 the country assumed a ditferent aspect. 

 To the luxuriant fields and forests of 

 " merry England," succeeded the ver- 

 dant hills of "sturdy Cambria," and 

 on each side of the rctad rose a long and 

 lofty ridge of mountains, in some parts 

 covered with patches of cultivation, 

 in others giving growth to flourishing 

 groves of forest trees ; now widening 



Shrewsbury, and we would strongly recom- 

 mend a pedestrian tour from the latter to the 

 former. At Dolgelley the tourist will find 

 very comfortable accommodations, and being 

 nearly in the centre of the country, it is a 

 good place to be quartered at. We would 

 recoiiimeud the Golden Lion as the best inn, 

 for independant of the superiority of the con- 

 tents of the larder (no trifling consideration 

 with a traveller) the landlord Mr. Evans, is 

 exceedingly civil, and his daughter, Mary, 

 one of the best and prettiest girls we met 

 with on our travels. 



and 



