896 
* patronage and friendship of some of the 
beau-monde, who, in 1710, elected him 
master of the ceremonies at a small ball, 
then established in that city. It is curi- 
ous to trace the history and connection of 
places with that of individuals. Bath isa 
remarkable instance of a city’s attaining 
extraordinary fashionable celebrity, thro’ 
the character and conduct of a single 
person. From the time of Nash’s settle- 
ment there till his death in 1761, that 
city annually increased in buildings, vi- 
sitors, conveniences, and luxuries, and 
his memory is perpetuated by a statue, 
inscription, portraits, &c. Swansea is 
also ranked among the list of summer 
bathing places; and, according to the 
number of lodging-houses, &c. we may 
conclude it is much frequented. ‘ The 
bay,” observes our author, “ is univer- 
sally allowed to be singularly beautiful, 
and the shore very commodiouns for bath- 
ing, as the great influx of company for 
many years for that purpose sufficiently 
evince. The town, in consequence, has 
undergone many capital improvements ; 
and the new pier, as it is of admirable 
advantage to the harbour of Swansea, 
so it is with the adjoining barrows, a 
most pleasant promenade, comprehend- 
ing much beautiful scenery.”” 
BRITISH TOPOGRAPHY AND ANTIQUITIES. 
Among other subjects particularised 
in this town is, “¢ the Cambrian pottery’”” 
established here, on Mr. Wedgewood’s 
plan. Its mode of manufacture is de- 
scribed in the following terms. “ The 
clay made use of is brought from vari- 
ous parts of England, which is after- 
wards mixed with flint very finely 
ground ; and after it is well blended in 
water it is passed through sieves till all 
the coarser particles are lost, then ex- 
posed to heat, which evaporates the 
water and leaves the clay (after it has 
been well beaten for the purpose of press- 
ing out the air) of a consistency for 
working. A piece of clay is stuck upon 
a circular board, which has an horizon- 
tal rotation, and a vessel is almost in- 
stantaneously formed by the artist ; then 
follows the more perfect operation of the 
work, the processes of colouring, glaz- 
ing, painting andstamping; the drying 
or baking kilns complete the work.”’— 
This little Guide may be consulted with 
advantage by those who wish for infor- 
mation relating to Swansea ; and points 
out candidly and honestly all those.ob- 
jects in the county of Glamorgan, which 
an antiquary or tourist would most pro- 
bably enquire for. 
Art. IX. The Gloucester New Guide ; containing an Account of every Thing worthy of 
Observation, respecting the City, its History, antient and modern Trade, Buildings, and par- 
ticularly the Cathedral ; together with a Directory of the principal Gentlemen and Trades- 
men in the City and its Environs ; also the different Routes and Roads through the County ; 
with Ovservations intended to amuse and inform the Traveller. 
LOCAL guides of this description, 
when written by well-informed liberal 
minded residents, are not only pleasant 
and engaging to the curious traveller, 
but prove very useful auxiliaries to ge- 
neral topography. ‘These little vade me- 
cums have usually been made up by some 
illiterate printer, and consequently have 
been unworthy the perusal, or criticism 
of the veteran antiquary. Many of the 
English cities and towns have “ guides” 
of this description; but scarcely any 
have been honoured with a learned, local 
historian. Dydes’s liberal and ingenious 
History. of Tewkesbury, Warner’s His- 
tory of Bath, Coates’s circumstantial 
History. of Reading, and the present lit- 
tle manual, are interesting exceptions. 
‘Nhe latter, though printed anonymously, 
is, we are assured, the production of the 
Rev. Mr. Rudge, a respectable clergy- 
man of the city, who has announced for 
publication a History of Gloucestershire. 
12mo. pp. 138. 
In an advertisement to this Guide, the 
author gives the following very modest 
account of his book. * The following 
pages being designed principally to point 
out to the hasty traveller such things and 
places in Gloucester and its neighbour- 
hood, as are most deserving notice; the 
reader will not expect to find all that an 
antiquary would enquire after, or a mi- 
nute investigation of events which oe- 
curred in periods far remote from pre- 
sent times. The editor only means to 
bring forward to immediate view the 
most prominent features, among which 
he ranks the cathedral.” In the descrip- 
tion of this noble and interesting struc- 
ture he has borrowed liberally from the 
preceding histories by Bonner and Dal- 
laway; and we are sorry to observe, 
that he has not improved much on his 
precursors; yet he apologizes for his 
“ prolix”? account of the cathedral. This 
was totally unnecessary ; for we are. perm 
