1821.] 



Excursion through North Wales — Cann-Office. 



■ i^nis fatuus light 



That charms aud dazzles haman sight. 

 inspired us with such joyous hilarity, 

 that we called loudly for our hill, dis- 

 charged it without a murmur,* and 

 once more found ourselves on our way 

 to the mouutain-wilds of Merioneth- 

 shire. But alas ! transitoiy and delu- 

 sive was that lovely heam of sunshine ! 

 We had scarcely walked three miles, 

 hcfore the rain fell in torrents, and 

 wetted us to the skin in less than no 

 time. Our companion proposed that 

 we should make the best of our way 

 hack to Llanerfil. But no, said we, 

 there were but little wisdom in turning 

 back to be laughed at by the people at 

 the inn; any thing rather than that, 

 ,"S»id we, (and we thought of poor Di 

 Vernon as we said it), for as we had as- 

 sume! the title of tourists, we deemed 

 it derogatory to the dignity of our office 

 to yield so readily to the adverse ele- 

 ments ; and on we strode most man- 

 fully, and, in our own opmion, most 

 heroically. Fortunately for us, for our 

 situation was becoming truly pitiable, 

 we espied a large building by the road 

 side, which, a board fixed to the gable- 

 end informed us, was the inn of Cann 

 Office. The door stood wide open, and 

 we entered and found ourselves in a 

 good-sized kitchen, paved with broad 

 blue flags, and plentifully stocked with 

 mutton and swine hams, massy flitches 

 of bacon, a dried salmon or two, and 

 abundance of savouiy herbs. A large, 

 heavy, and antique looking settle, by 

 tlie side of a blazing fire, was no despi- 

 cable object to a couple of chilly and 

 half-drowned travellers, and as it was 

 luckily unoccupied, we took possession 

 of it, called for some negus, and awaited 

 the discontinuance of the storm most 

 comfortably situated. 

 Ijfltwas while seated by the fire-side 

 9$. Cann-office, that we first observed 



* ^\e are not quite convinced that we 

 ought to have behaved thus laxly on the oc- 

 casion. It is very often requisite, pro bono 

 publico, to dispute an innkeeper's bill ; but 

 weareinclined to think that our host of the 

 Cross Foxes did not charge us more than 

 double what he -would have received from a 

 native. We submit the bill to the considera- 

 tion of our readers, and they must decide 

 for vs. 



Tea for two, with h am, &c. -£050 



Beds for two 3 



Breakfast for two, with ham, 

 eggs, dried salmon, pickled 

 puffins, &c. -----050 



£0 13 



5i3 



any striking variation between the 

 manners of the Welch and English. 

 Every thing, from the simple and some- 

 what primitive hostess, to the rude set- 

 tle on which we sat, was different from 

 what we should have seen at an inn of 

 the same standard in Eiigland. Here 

 was no spnice waiter or consequential 

 landlord ^^ith his exorbitant charges. 

 Every thing was neat, plain, and pleas- 

 ing; and th© same portion of respect 

 and civility was paid to us, drenched 

 and draggled as we were, by our at- 

 tentive landlady, Mrs. Roberts, as could 

 possibly have been shewn to the pro- 

 prietor of the most splendid equipagCi* 

 The rain, which was too violent to 

 contijiue long, had entirely subsided 

 before we left Cann-office. To the 

 tempest, which had driven us for shel- 

 ter to this lonely inn, succeeded a scene 

 of inspiriting brightness. The morn- 

 ing sun shone majestically through the 

 silvery mist, which rolled slowly down 

 the sides of the distimt hills, diffusing 

 life and gladness over the glens and 

 vallies of Montgomeryshire. All na- 

 ture seemed animated by the cheering 

 influence of the glorious orb, which was 

 magnificently rising info the now 

 cloudless heaven; and, in common 

 with every object around us, we felt 

 an accession of health and happiness 

 from the genial and invigorating beams 

 of the ascending luminaiy. 



With kiudred joy 



We heard the lark, who from her airy 



height. 

 On twinkling pinions poised, poured forth 



profuse 

 In thrilling sequence of exuberant song. 

 As one whose joyous nature overflowed 

 With life and power, her rich and rapturous 



strain. 

 The early bee, buzzing along the way, 

 From flower to flower, bore gladness on her 



wing 

 To our rejoicing sense, and we pursued, 

 With quickened eye alert, the frolic hare, 

 W' here from the green herb, in her wanton 



path, 

 She brushed away the dew. 



* The name of this inn is a corruption 

 of Cannon's Office, and it was so called from 

 having been fortified during Cromwell's 

 civil wars, by a party of loyalists. Behind 

 the house there is a small circular mount, 

 or tumulus, said to have been formed by 

 the Romans. Our landlady, speaking to us 

 respecting it, informed us that she intended 

 to have it railed round, and to have seats 

 fixed on the summit, for the accommodation 

 of visitors ; " the English gentry," she ob- 

 served, being ^^fery fond of walking to to, 

 top." The 



