1822. ] 
followed on horseback by the principal 
landholders in Merionethshire. The 
eavaleade dismounted at the Lion, and 
then, with the bar, proceeded to church, 
where an English sermon was preached 
by the sheriff’s chaplain. This is the 
only time in the year that an English 
sermon is preached at Dolgelley; the 
service, at all other times, being. per- 
formed -in Welsh, and we really did 
not anticipate so excellent a discourse 
as that which Mr. Hughes delivered. 
It was concise, impressive, and elo- 
quent, adapted to the meanest capacity, 
and instructive to the best and wisest. 
It was also most admirably delivered. 
After service was over, the commission 
was opened, when the court adjourned 
till the evening, and its members, toge- 
ther with all the gentlemen in the 
county, prepared to perform their 
parts at the dinner given by the worthy 
sheriff at the Lion. On account of our 
intimacy with Mr. W. we received an 
invitation to join the party; and we 
can bear willing testimony to the ex- 
cellence of our entertainment. It is 
true that we had neither turbot nor 
venison, but we had plenty of delicious 
Mowthach salmon and trout, some 
very fine grouse, and Merionethshire 
mutton, but little inferior to venison 
itself, with abundance of good wine. 
We sat down to table, about two hun- 
dred, and during the time the judges 
were with us we preserved a proper 
degree of decorum; but the trumpet 
call to evening court was the signal 
for mirth and revelry tobegin. Their 
lordships had no sooner retired than a 
scene of rather more bustle and jollity 
commenced, in the midst of which we 
contrived to escape ; and as we strolled 
down the green, we plainly heard the 
jolly parfy at the Lion 
‘ Boisterous 
And noisy in their mirth—like ocean waves 
When winds are piping loud. 
But the most fascinating pastime of 
this eventful day was tlie ball in the 
evening. Although we have long since 
ceased to make one in the “ merry 
dance,” we like to see the young and 
the beautiful “ tripping it on the light 
fantastic toe,”’ with all the character- 
istic enthusiasm of youth and happi- 
ness. 
O, sweet it is to see the young 
Strike up the dance so merrily ; 
Sailing like swans a-down the stream, 
So gracefully, so gracefully. 
With flushing cheek, and sparkling eye, 
Their beauties shine divinely, O ! 
And Love, himself, in ambush waits, 
Montuy MAG, No. 365. 
Excursion through North Wales. 
115 
To murder hearts most finely, O! 
And eyes that speak, and sighs of love, 
And hands that meet with thrilling 
pleasure, 
Are sigus of deep untainted joy, 
While each one grasps his fairest trea- 
sure. 
About ten, we repaired to the ball- 
room, which was crowded with very 
elegant and well-dressed company, and 
the ladies displayed a great deal more 
taste and elegance than we expected 
to see at a place like Dolgelley. We 
observed in the room two or three very 
fine brunettes, a great many pretty 
little fair-haired nymphs, and several 
dashing fashionable ones, who would. 
have done no discredit to a London 
rout-room. The ladies danced very 
well, and the gentlemen very lazily. 
Nevertheless, they danced as well as 
gentlemen ought to dance. It is an 
erroneous notion to imagine that there 
is no fashion in Wales. We are too 
apt to attribute to the inhabitants of a 
romantic and secluded country, a de- 
gree of rudeness which they do nof, 
and to deprive them of a degree of 
refinement which they actually do pos- 
sess; and this is very much the case 
with respect to the Welsh. Many of 
the English imagine that there is no- 
thing to be found among the mountains 
of the principality, but beautiful 
scenery, and simple and unpolished 
inhabitants. But they are mistaken ; 
and a visit to any of the secluded, yet 
populous towns in Wales, will convince 
them of their error. But while the 
Welsh,—we speak of the higher classes, 
—have made a considerable progress in 
the scale of refinement, they, as far as 
we can perceive, possess only the 
better part of refinement. Most of 
the vices naturally attendant upon a 
highly cultivated state of society, are 
not to be found in the Welsh, who are 
still hospitable, obliging and sincere. 
We do not, however, mean to infer 
that their hospitality is exercised in- 
discriminately ; although to strangers 
they are, from the highest to the lowest, 
kind, and affable, and courteous, for 
with them, “ stranger is a holy name.” 
The party at the ball broke up about 
one o’clock, and we retired to rest 
highly gratified with the occurrences of 
the day. 
The time was now approaching when 
it was necessary that we should return 
to London, but our friend W. most 
earnestly recommended us to visit Bala 
before our departure. “ An evening 
ride to Bala,” said he, “ ought not to 
P be 
