1801.] 
porter’s lodge, and were as much ftruck 
with the grandeur and elegance of the 
houfe as we had been with the water and 
the plantations. 
When we had pafled to the other extre- 
mity of the road, through the grounds of 
Fonthill, we foon found that the Beck- 
ford Arms was not an inn for foot-travel- 
lers. The landlady, indeed, would have 
condefcended to have dreffed us fome fup- 
per, and to have furnifhed us a bed; but 
there was a iort of contemptuous arro- 
gance in her manner, that feemed fo 
ftrongly to exprefs the fenfe fhe had of the 
obligation fhe fhould confer’; that, finding 
that the man who fhewed the walks and 
plantations (which were our principal ob- 
ject) was ill of the {mall-pox, and that 
the houfe (whofe golden trees and f{plen- 
did decorations excited only a fecondary 
curiofity) could not be feen till eleven or 
twelve o’clock the enfuing day, we yield- 
ed to the impreffion of difguft our recep- 
tion was calculated to in{pire, and, de- 
clining the important favour, proceeded 
onwards as far as 
Tifbury. Here we arrived at about 9 
o'clock ; and, taking up our quarters at 
a more humble, but very comfortable, 
inn, were fumptuoufly regaled with ham, 
and eggs and fallad, and goofeberry pies, 
and good wholefome ale ;—blefling our- 
feives that we had efcaped the infolent ex- 
tortion of the Beckford Arms. 
Tifbury is a very large parifh, feven 
miles long, and three or four broad, and, 
if cur landlord was accurate in his infor- 
mation, contains upwards of 2000 inhabi- 
tants, and was burthened with a poor’s 
rate of upwards of 2zoool.a year. The 
. price of labour feven fhillings per week. 
Thole labourers who had large families 
had, however, during the high price of 
grain, and till the commencement of the 
hay-harveit, an additional allowance from 
the parifh. The farms are moftly fmall. 
There are feveral at thirty, forty, fifty, 
and from thence to one hundred pounds a 
year ; though there were fomeas high as 
sor 6 hundred pounds. There are feveral 
bits of land or cottage-farms let at 
twenty, ten, and even ‘even pounds per 
year. Information of this fort being part 
of the object of our ramble, we' ‘were: 
fomewhat lucky in the choice of our inn; 
for our hoft, who was tolerably frank and 
communicative, was tything-man of the 
whele diftrict, and could therefore anfwer 
eur gueitions with fome degree of confi- 
dence. 
The village itfelf is long and ftrag- 
- Pedeftrian Tour—Senfibility of a Cat. 
125 
cling, The cottages are of ftone, and the 
roofs are thatched. 
Wednefday the sth of Fuly. Our fir 
care in the morning was to vilit the 
church, which is tolerably {pacious, is re~ 
gular in its form both within and without, 
almoft entirely uniform in the character 
of the workmanfhip, &c. which is in the 
fimpleft and belt ftyle of the Norman-Ge- 
thic architeéture. The carvings and de- 
corations within bear a ftrong refemblance 
to thofe that fupport the roof at Wefmin- 
fier Hall; and, perhaps, if I were writing 
only for antiquaries, it might not be un- 
entertaining to tranfcribe allthe notes that 
I made upon the {pot relative to this pious 
edifice. In the churcheyard is an im- 
menfe hollow yew-tree, ten or twelve 
yards in circumierence, from the roots of 
which, near the centre, eight young ftems 
have fprung up, twifted themlelves toge- 
ther ina curious form, and, at about the 
height of two yards, ftruck into the centre 
of the principal remaining branch of the 
parent tree, the hollow of which they al- 
moft entirely fill up. The bone-houle 
contains an incredible number of {culls and 
thigh-bones. 
The face of the country from Tifbury 
to Bangor is very hilly, but fertile and 
well watered, and, aided by the general 
forinkling of cottages both on the hills and 
in the vallies, preients a fcene both rich 
and beautiful. 
(To be continued.) 
—t 
To the Editor of ibe Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
HE ‘* Anecdote of a CaT,” given in 
your laft Number, reminds me of 
another, which I am able to communicate 
from perfonal knowledge, and which tends 
to confirm the idea refpecting the fenfi- 
bility of that animal, as greater than is 
generally apprehended. Upwards of a 
year ago, a very young female cat,in my 
houfe brought forth only one kitten, which 
quickly died. Acthis fhe difcovered great 
uneafinefs, and went upftairs to the cook, 
who had been fond of her, and who 
at that time was indifpofed, feeming to 
want her to. come down. As {oon as the 
fervant refumed her place in the kitchen, 
the cat appeared to welcome her, and 
brought owt her dead kitten, Jaying it 
down before her, as if to excite her fym- 
pathy. Soon after it had been thrown 
away, it happened that a hen which had 
been fitting began tohatch, and the fame 
fervant brought away a chicken, and 
placed 
