ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



981 



Full many a tovvne was spoyl'd and put 



to sack, 

 And cleane consum'd, to countries foule 



reproach 

 Great castles rais'd, fayre buildings burnt 



to dust, 

 Such revel reign'd, that men did live by 



lust : — 

 But since they came, and yielded unto 



lavie, 

 Most meek as lambe, within one yoke 



they drawe. 



" In those mountainous and se- 

 cluded parts of Wales, as some of 

 the interior of Caernaryonshire, 

 Merionethshire, and Denbighshire, 

 that are yet scarcely known to the 

 English tourist; the manners of the 

 inhabitants differ very -essentially 

 from what will be observed near any 

 frequented road. The people seem 

 there to have an innocence and sim- 

 plicity of charafter, unknown in 

 the populous parts of our own coun- 

 try. Among these it is that we are 

 to search for those original traits, 

 and that native ho'^pitality, so much 

 the boast of the Welsh writers. — 

 Wherever the English have had un- 

 interrupted communication, themo- 

 Hey, of which they have been so 

 lavish, has afforded an irresistible 

 temptation for the lower classes of 

 the inhabitants to practise imposi- 

 tions ; in such situations the people 

 differ little from the like class 

 amongst us. On all the great roads, 

 they seem to pride themselves in be- 

 ing sulficiently expert to over-reach 

 their Saxon neighbours in any of 

 their little bargains. A Welsh gen- 

 tleman, of undoubted veracity, in- 

 formed me, (and in various in- 

 stances I have myself experienced 

 its truth) that it is a common prac- 

 tice amongst his countrymen, to 

 ask for any article they have to of- 

 fer for sale, nearly double the sum 



they will take : those persons who 

 are acquainted with these pradtices, 

 never give them the full price for 

 what they purchase. I have good 

 authority for asserting, that, at some 

 of tile inferior inns, if an English- 

 rnan sits down at table with Welsh- 

 men, the charge for his eating will 

 be at least one third more than that 

 of each of the rest of the company. 

 This is a provoking imposition. 



" A rustic bashfulncss and re- 

 serve, seem to be general features 

 in the charafter of the Wdsh peo- 

 ple ; and strangers, unaccustomed 

 to their manners, have often mis- 

 taken these for indications of sul- 

 lenness. It is usual to say of them 

 that they are very irrascible. This 

 may be the case, but from what I 

 have myself seen, I am inclined to 

 think that the natural rapidity of 

 their expression in a language not 

 understood, has often been con- 

 strued into passioH, without any 

 other more certain grounds. Per- 

 sons who form their ideas from the 

 opinions of others, without being at 

 the trouble of making observations 

 for themselves, are often deceived 

 and misled. Such, I ajn confident, 

 has been the case a thousand times 

 in the judgments formed on the pre- 

 sent subjeft. 



" The lowest classes bear indica- 

 tions of extreme proverty, yet they 

 seem to enjoy good health. Their 

 dwellings arc cottages, or rather 

 huts, built of stones, whose inter- 

 stices are closed Avith peat or mud. 

 On a mere inspeftion, they would 

 seem the habitation of wretchedness. 

 They are in general so dark, that 

 on first entering, the glare of light 

 down the chimney alone takes the 

 attention. The following is a good 

 pidure, by Mr. Ilutton, of one of 

 the better kind of cottages, made 



3 R 3 uawommouly 



