1810.] 
For the Monthly Magazine. _ 
JOURNAL of @ WINTER TOUR through 
several of the MIDLAND COUNTIES Of 
ENGLAND, performed in 1810. 
Hae been prevented last sum- 
mer from making my annual 
tour, with the exception of a short ex- 
cursion into Norfolk, and having a fort- 
mght to spare in the beginning of Fe- 
bruary, after a visit made to.some friends 
in Leeds, I resolved, at that dreary sea- 
son, to ride up to London, having first 
made a little circuit in the neighbour- 
‘ hood, by way ef experiment. The chief 
disadvantage attciiding such an expedi- 
tion, consisis in the want of opportuni- 
_ties for contemplating manners, occasi- 
oned by the absence of travelling com- 
panions: the inclemency of the weather 
can be easily obviated by precaution, or 
sustained by hardiness; and as to the 
aspect of the country, it is no very diffi- 
cult stretch of the imagination to supply 
foliage to the denuded trees. 
In the immediate vicinity of Leeds, 
there are few places worthy of observa- 
tion. Kirkstall Abbey stands very beau- 
tifully on the banks of the river Aire; 
the waters of which, collected into a 
wier, just opposite to the rujo, form an 
artificial cascade when again falling into 
their channel. The ground swells behind 
the ruin; and is richly clothed in wood. 
Let this spot be visited in a fine even- 
ing, when the moon-beam glistens on 
the rushing water; when the broken pil- 
lars and long aisles are touched with a 
pale light ; and when the silence is,only 
broken by the soft sigbyamong the trees, 
or the soft dashing of the fall. 
KirkstallAbbey was a monastery ofthe 
Cistercian order, fuunded A.D, 1147.* 
Its value in the king’s books is $29/. 
2s. 11d. Arepresentation of the ruin, 
coarse enough, furms the drop-scene of 
the theatre in Leeds: 
6 Time’s gradual touch 
Has mouldered into beauty many a tower, 
Which, when it frowned with all its battle- 
ments, 
Was only terrible: and many a fane 
Monastic, which, when deck’d with all its 
spires, 
Serv’d but to fecd some pampei’d abbct’s 
pride, 
And awe th’ unletter’d vulgar. 
Temple Newsom, la‘tcly the seat of 
lady Irving, but now Lecome the pro- 
perty of the marquis of Hertford, lies 
* It was built by Henry de Lacy, and de 
@icated to the Virgin. 
Journal of a Winter Tour from Leeds to London. 
$43 
about four miles from Leeds, a little to 
the right of the Ferrybridge road. 
an old building, with a noble park, 
richly wooded, and well stocked with 
deer, But the chief attraction is a large 
picture-gallery, containing some fine 
paintings by the best masters. I took 
no notes at the time of seeing it, but 
well remember a St.John preaching in the 
Wilderness; the Death of a Wild Boar; 
and a few good Sea-pieces: the names 
of the masters have es¢éaped me. 
Halfway to Harrowgate, and close te 
the road-side, is Harewood-house, the 
princely seat of the nobleman who gives 
anameto it. In the grounds, nature 
and art have vied with each other. The 
many inequalities of hill and dale, have 
afforded much capability of improves 
ment; and the tasteful variety of wood 
and water, shews that ample justice has 
been done to them. The house is full 
of immense mirrors, satin beds, silver 
tables, and rich furniture of all sorts: 
but O, shame! there is not a single 
painting, except a few family portraits. 
They who wish to save themselves the 
trouble of reading Tooke’s Pantheon, 
will find the whole history painted in 
fresco on a stair-case ceiling. * 
It may not be improper to say a few 
words concerning that Montpellier, the 
sweet town of Leeds itself. It is con- 
tinually enveloped in a thick smoke, 
which contains immense quantities of 
soot and dust, sent up from the different 
manufactories. This body is too dense 
to ascend in the air; and after having 
heen carried a little way by the heat, it 
falls down in plentiful showers on the in- 
habitants. The consequence is, that 
every body looks dirty. [ put on two 
clean shirts every day, and spent half my 
time in washing my hands; but “the - 
damned spot would ne’er be out.” 
There was no church here but one un. 
til after the reign of Charles I. and it 
was besieged in the civil wars. There 
are now four churches, each having a 
sacrament in the month, and all of them 
on different Sundays. All the clergy of 
the tributary churches and chapels in 
the town and neighbourhood, are com- 
pelled to pay suit and service to the old 
* Ata little distance from the house, the 
ruins of a castle, built in the time of Ede 
watd I. and demolished by Cromwell, im- 
pend over the road. The chapel is modest 
and elegant. It contains 2 monument to sir 
W. Gascoigne, who committed Henry Prince 
of Wales, for a contempt of his authority. 
church, 
Itis- 
