1825.] 
*< How beautiful on yonder time-worn tower 
The mild moon gazes! Mark, 
With what a lovely and majestic step 
She treads along the heavens ! 
And, oh! how soft, how silently she pours 
Her chastened radiance on the scene around: 
And hill, and dale, and tower 
Drink the pure flood of light. 
Roll on, roll on, queen of the midnight hour, 
For ever beautiful ! 
I never visit Oxford, that vast and 
ancient depository of human learning 
—that “sacred nursery of blooming 
youth,” as Wordsworth calls it, with- 
out delight. There is so lofty an asso- 
ciation, so pure and elevated a plea- 
sure, in the recollection of the many 
mighty scholars and _ distinguished 
statesmen which this university has, 
from the earliest ages, produced, that 
a Briton must derive a proud and 
owerful gratification from the remem- 
bled and this fine feeling is ex- 
tensively enhanced by the rich and an- 
tique magnificence of the buildings ; 
and as we drove through the town in 
the still and reposing tranquillity of 
early morning, the deep silence which 
invested the city imparted a kind of 
awfulness to the sensations of delight. 
We arrived at Shrewsbury about 
three o’clock on Tuesday afternoon, 
and were forcibly struck with the great 
beauty of the approach from the Lon- 
don road. As we drove over the Eng- 
lish bridge (so called in contradistinc- 
tion to the Welsh bridge on the oppo- 
site side of the town), the sun seemed 
resting his glowing disc upon a ridge of 
blue mountains, emerging, as it were, 
from the far distant horizon, while his 
departing rays fell full upon the dark 
waters of the Severn, like a column of 
living gold. Far as the eye could reach 
towards the west, was seen the bold 
and undulating outline of the Welsh 
hills, wrapped in misty vapour, through 
which the setting sun gleamed ruddily, 
illumining the spires of the churches, 
and the dusky red tower of the old 
abbey, with a portion of his own bright 
glory. But we were soon in the midst 
of the antique buildings of the town; 
and shortly found ourselves in the yard 
of the Talbot, a very excellent inn, with 
capital accommodations. 
After a hasty dinner, we strolled out, 
in the cool of the evening, to glance at 
the town, and refresh ourselves after 
our journey. There. is a sombre air of 
antiquity about most of the houses in 
Shrewsbury, not unlike that which may 
be seen in many of the towns on the 
Memoranda of a Summer Tour through North Wales. 
421 
Continent ; but the banks of the Severn 
are pleasantly decorated with elegant 
modern villas. Let me not forget the 
quarry—a delightful walk leading to the 
river. The fine old lime-trees, which 
_ form the avenue, have intertwined their 
topmost branches, so as to constitute a 
magnificent roof—the gothic arch of 
nature, which undoubtedly suggested 
that of antique art: the perspective is 
extremely grand. This is, of course, - 
the principal promenade of the inhabi- 
tants ; and the passing traveller will not 
find his time mis-spent, if he can tarry an 
evening at Shrewsbury, to witness the 
congress of Salopian beauty. 
To me Shrewsbury possesses no or- 
dinary attraction. It was the capital 
of Powisland (one of the three princely 
divisions of Wales), known to the Bri- 
tons by the name of Pengwern, or the 
Head of the Alder Groves. It was the 
court of the Princes of Powis, who, at- 
tended by many “a paladine and peer,” 
maintained their rank and sovereignty 
among nations, till the strong arm of 
England cast them into subjection. In 
later times, it was the scene of much 
direful contention between the English 
and Welsh; and the old Welsh bridge, 
guarded at each end with its gate and 
tower, record the incursions of the Bor- 
derers. But Shrewsbury is now the 
peaceful mart of the agricultural and 
manufactured produce (particularly flan- 
nels) of North Wales. The inhabitants 
are a wealthy race; and it is probably 
on this account that they have obtain- . 
ed, en masse, the proverbial cognomen 
of “ the proud Salopians.” 
The free-school, the infirmary, the 
hospital (Millington’s), the different 
alms-houses and charity-schools, and, 
above all, the noble house of industry, 
originally erected for the purpose of 
receiving part of the foundlings from 
the great hospital in London, are splen- 
did testimonies of public and private 
worth, and will constitute a striking 
balance against the proverbial pride of 
the inhabitants.* 
I shall conclude my necessarily brief 
and imperfect notice of this fine old 
town, 
* We have visited few places where 
pride has exhibited itself with a more re- 
spectable and liberal grace. We have 
visited it more than once; and should be 
unjust if we neglected the opportunity of 
acknowledging what appeared to us the 
high, the hospitable, and the intelligent 
character of the gentry both of the town 
and neighbourhood.—-Epir. 
