1810.] Letters of a Wanderer through England and Wales. 
formly against us, and the circulating 
medium debased, until it has fallen to an 
alarming discount. The true remedy 
would be to diminish the issue of Bank 
of England notes, and oblige the Bank 
gradually to resume payments in gold, 
But this ill accords -with the necessity 
of the moment, and the evil is continually 
aggravated by -fresh issues of paper. 
Were the Bank of England’ to withhold 
discounting, what would become of their 
dependents? If they continue to inun- 
date the land with paper, what will be- 
come of the country! 
The scarcity of silver coins for change 
is very great, both in town and country. 
' Government are far from affording suf. 
ficient relief by a new coinage, and they 
hang those unfortunate wretches who at- 
tempt to supply the deficiency. 
August 7, 1810. Prain DEaLInc. 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
LETTERS OF A WANDERER. 
LETTER l.—To a Friend.’ 
AM seated to give you a brief account 
of Buxton, and its environs, where I 
passed a month, ina more pleasurable 
manner than many of the preceding ones, 
and found my health and spirits consi- 
derably benefited by the use of the 
waters, the change of air and scene, and 
2 less frequent recurrence to circumstan- 
‘ees, thag yet too often, for my peace of 
mind, steal o’er my memory, and _ pro- 
claim that “such things were, and were 
most dear;” while they confirm the feeling 
** of joys departed never to return—how 
painful the remembrance!” But ‘ away 
with melancholy,” and a subject T must 
not permit my pen to dwell upon, lest I 
should egotize too far, and in the recole. 
lection of my private sorrows, forget poor 
Buxton, the Peak, and all the celebrated 
wonders of Derbyshire. 
To an admirer of mixed societies, such 
a place as Buxton cannot fail of being 
agreeable, and I own myself by no means 
‘an enemy to an occasional visit to 
places of a similar kind; though, in jas. 
tice to that of which IT am abont to treat, 
it is one of the most agreeable of our 
watering- places (that is to say, toa per- 
son not desirous of figuring as a first-rate 
dasher in the circles of extravagance and 
frivolity), being mach less expensive than 
others, having the advantage of.a nearer 
vicinity to the capital, and possessing 
many more comforts and conveniences 
than a numberof the fashionable 
bathing and marine resorts. 
As there are several large hotels, with 
111 
other boarding and lodging-houses in the 
town, visitors of every class may be ace 
commodated with good apartments, and 
plentifully served tables, according to 
their ranks and inclinations; in each of 
these hotels, or inns, a commodious 
room being appropriated for the general 
use of all who assemble at the public 
table, or-who do not chuse to engage’ 
private lodgings, and have their victuals 
served in theirown rooms. Many there 
are who even have a parlour, or sittings 
room, who prefer joining the company at 
dinner and supper, where many agree- 
able asquaintances have been formed, 
and intimacies contracted, which have 
ultimately produced connections of the 
closest nature. At these tables the ute 
most decorum prevails. The viands are 
excellent and well-served; the charges 
fixed at a certain rate, and very modes 
& 
rate: and every person at liberty to | 
chuse their own liquor, and make use of 
what guantity may be agreeable, without 
being subject to the insolence of waiters, 
or the remarks of any of the other guests. 
As thereis no common market at Bux- 
ton, families never carry an establish- 
'ment of domestics beyond what are re- 
quired for attendance on themselves, or 
horses. If they did, provisions could 
not be procured for them; every article 
of living being supplied to their parti- 
cular customers by the different venders, 
and generally brought from a consider 
able distance, as the adjacent country 
affords little for the support of any ani- 
mals, bipeds or quadrupeds. Fruit and 
vegetables are, however, to be had in 
abundance, and im general good of their 
kinds; though very high-priced. ? 
The principal part of Buxton is situs 
ated near the warm springs in a valley 
encircied by high bleak hilis, and is built 
of a beautiful. stone resembling in colour 
that at Bath, receiving as good a polish, 
and being also of a soft nature, till ex 
posed some time in the open air, is easily 
cut into any form for ornament or use, 
The Crescent is a noble editice, but placed 
too low to be seen to good advantage. 
It was erected, as likewise the baths, che 
stables, and other buildings, by the pro-~ 
prietor of much of the surrounding 
country, the present duke of Devonshire, 
who is reported to have laid out upwards 
of an hundred and fifty thousand*pounds 
in buildings and other improvements at 
Buxton, from which he draws but a very 
low interest for his money. 
In the front of the Crescent, which is 
really a spacious and truly elegant piece 
of architecture, there is a free piazza 
thag 
