~ 
134 Obfervatiens on modern 
cially, we mwt adminifter to the indivi- 
dtak cafe, the phytician of the eftablith- 
ment fhould have the fulleit liberty to or- 
der any diet or regimen, and to: make any 
arrangements that he may think neceffary 5 
a confidence by no means unworthy of 
the man to whom the wellare of the ob- 
jeéts of the infli:ution is entrufled. 
fee 
See. 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
OBSERVATIONS 07 MODERN TOURS, 
and the MONES of TRAVELLING in 
WALES, with EXTRACTS from a real 
ITINERARY. : 
Be Jat century, fufficiently fertile 
. In novelgiesy produced one, which 
has been -purfued with great avidity, and 
catried into very ridiculous extremes. Itis 
that of Tour-making and Tour-wRITinG. 
The lakes in the North, and the mountains 
and cafeades in Wales, have attraéted 
crowds of the idle and cpulent; who, 
merely incited by fafhion, have tranfport- 
ed the luxury of the metropclis into thefe 
rude regicns, and, by their temporary, 
but frequently repeated, vifits, have cor- 
rupted the fimple manners of the inhabit. 
ants. Every trick. of rapacity pra&ifed 
on the great roads in England, is now well 
known to the landlord cf the meaneft ale- 
houfe in the moft retired village, apparently 
exciuded even from the vices of mankind. 
Such is the injury done to national mo- 
ralicy; but the tubject of my prefent com. 
plaint is the outrage committed againf 
talte and commen fenfe, in the vamped and 
bol fered de{cription cither of circumftances 
of daily occurrence, and the plaineft mat- 
ter of fact, or of f{cenes compofed of the 
fimpicft or mot obvious forms in nature. 
The firft Lord Lyttelton and Mr. Gray 
publifhed fetters on ihe very fuperior fce- 
nery of the Principality, acd excited a very 
laudable defire in the lovers of picterefque 
beauty, to ice for themfelyes, and in their 
own country, gvhat had been neglef&ed by 
cold indifferente, or faftidioufly overlooked 
by thof whe would net allow any fine na- 
tural picture to exift, excepting in Italy or 
Switzerland. Artitis, inttead of fudying 
the works of Salvator or Lorraine, or wan- 
cering ameng the Apennines, were inc 
duced to inveltigaie the grand features of 
North Wales; and every ansual exhibi- 
Hon bears honourable teftimony of the pro- 
greffive excellence of the Englith (chool of 
jand{cape. 
Vhote fublime cbje&s, which Wilfon 
transieired-to his canvas in his native pro- 
wisice, {carcely lets wild than thefe copied 
by Salvator ia Calabria, excited a rational 
Toursin Wales, &e. [March ty 
aftonifhment, and a happy emulation 4n~ 
the rifng age. Few, indeed, are the pre- 
fent proteffors of land‘cape who: have not, : * 
very wilely; dedicated their fummers to a: 
ramble among the Weith mountains, and, 
with infinite advantage to the arts. As: 
they are ufually pedeftrians, and econo- 
mifts, and delineate, inftead of defcribe, 
what they the evils I regret are by. 
no means te be attributed to them. 
It is with the ‘* verbal painters” that B 
have to do; gentlemen who, having pe- 
rufed the fl.rid, but frily. fcientifical,. 
pages of Gilpin, imagice themfelyes pof- 
fefled of his previous knowledge, and that, 
by the rafh accumulation of glittering 
words and epithe:s, adefcription may be 
wiitten from which a painter might com- 
pofe. This contemptible (pecies of author- 
fiip has been lately praétifec, till thetowm 
has been completely naufeated with -it; 
ard, as far as truth (or even weri/imilitude) 
is requifite, may have been equally well 
performed without quitting, fora mo- 
fee. 
ment, * the ruial cottage at Pentonville,” 
with the aid of Carey’s Road Book, and a 
few trivial accounts of caftles and abbies. 
Sonnets on Snowden may, we know, be in- 
dited in the Strand. ee 
Allowing that the journey has been ac- 
tually made, the hafty fetches committed 
to the note bock fupply but meagre ma- 
terials for a more detailed account; in 
which talfe fentiment and fancy may play 
all their tricks, at the expence of truth 
and nature. ; 
After having read, with attention, fome 
of the more popular of thefe Tours, I de- 
termined, in the fummer of 1803, to fol-' 
Jow a certain route; and taking one or 
two of thefe extraordinary performances in 
the chaife, to examine the defeription by 
the real objeét, and to fift out a few grains 
of truth from the chaff of inflated diétion.. 
T now proceed to offer you my own 
journal, from the neighbourhecd of Bre. 
con to the frontiers of Salop, noting cir- 
cumitances as they happened, and places 
as they appeared. Ye bombaftic fabrica- 
tors ‘* of airy nothing’’-— 
‘¢ Mark how a plain unvarnifhed tale * 
May fet you down.” ! 1! 
Auguft 31,1803.—Sent aletier to“ mine 
hof (1 prefume, 
fellow,” for a chaife which he remem- 
cred to forget—a very fine day loft. 
5 
‘ 
facetioufly called) Lomgs. i 
:- 
‘¢ Though we with'd in fuch hafe to fet of Hae 
to Brecon, : 
We found *twas in vain without hoft to 
reckon.” the! ; i 
September y.—Commenced our journey 
favourably, 
and 
‘Tretowr Jay to the tight, 
