equal tribute to the peafantry, farmers, and gentry, in England; but I fear the unbought, difinterested urbanity of these to ftrangers, whether of their own country or of any other, must be looked upon rather as exceptions than general rules. When I reflect upon the substantial charities, and benevolence of the people of England, on all great occafions, I triumph in being, myself, an Englishman, but I shall cease to regret, my friend, that in the fpontaneous courtefies, the little impromptu's of civility, that grow out of the wants and wishes. of the moment, and are to be gratified by difpenfing with all formal referves, tedious introductions, and fufpicious balancings, the Welch, the Scotch, the Irish, the French, and many other people are their fuperiors.

Whence can this take its rife? Is it pride, diftruft, an apprehenfion of being deluded? Is it an infular kind of refervation? A fhutting up of the heart till it is woo'd and won? Or is it a mixture of all these? Whatever be the caufe, the effect is to be deplored for much pleasure is loft to him who has too much etiquette, fear, or dignity, to stoop to immediate occurrences: the opportunity of doing a kindness is loft in a moment, and if our doors are to be opened only to receive a friend,

and a stranger must bring credentials of his being entitled to the en paffant benevolence, by being known to fome of our friends or neigh

though bours, thoubg unknown to ourselves, a thousand

1

urbanities, which might have been fhewn muft be omitted. A temper betwixt the extremes of French officioufnefs, and English phlegm, would form a good middle character. From many obfervations, during my late intercourse amongst all ranks in this country, I am difpofed to think that Welch courtefy is the happy medium, fo far as goes to the reception of, and good offices fhewn to ftrangers. The fire of the French, at first fight, is too hot to laft; the froft of the English takes too much time in thawing, and, though their bounty is but the more folid and effectual, when the ice of their conftitutional-perhaps only atmosphericalreferve is diffolved, like certain fruits of the earth, after the fnow that long covered them is melted, the occafion is paft away, and the object that stood in need of our temporary exertions, may have gone even be yond the reach of our beft fervices, while the fires of benevolence are kindling. Not but I know many happy exceptions; amongst which I fhould not fcruple, were I called upon, by way of challenge, to produce a na

tive of the gloomy ifland, as foreigners fometimes call it, who to peculiar tenderness of the affections, for particular and private friends, unites a large, and indeed univerfal philanthropy, the effect of which extends courtesy, gentleness, and generous actions to people of all nations, difpenfing kind words and good deeds, wherever they are implored, I fhould name yourself-and not without exultation, that I have the honour to be your friend.Adieu.

P. S. I fhall leave the northern and return to the fouthern part of Wales to-morrow, with intent to take a little fea-bathing, before I entirely quit the country. I will give you

the rest of my Gleanings from the court of Neptune.

LITTER

LETTER VI.

TO THE SAME.

Barmouth, North Wales.

I HAVE, as the date will fhew you, altered my route; to which I have been induced by a wish to pay my parting tribute to the place from which I now addrefs you. The road from Mahuntleth to Dolgelthy, I truft, my last has made you acquainted with: that from Dolgelthy to Barmouth, a space only of ten miles, can, like the other, be done full justice to only by your own eyes, for its beauties are fo manifold and extraordinary, that they literally "beggar defcription." Suppose yourfelf mounted on your horfe, or feated in your carriage on a clear genial day, as able from health, as difpofed from taste and temper, to enjoy the beauties that offer themselves to your view. Under these happy circumstances these ten miles would be the shortest, and the most pleasant you have past in your whole life. New paftures of the moft exuberant fertility, new woods rifing in the majesty of foliage, the road itself curving in numberless unexpected directions, at one moment fhut into a verdant recefs, fo contracted that there feems neither

carriage

carriage or bridle way out of it; at another the azure expanfe of the main ocean filling your eye on one fide of you, rocks glittering in all the colours of that beauty, which conftitutes the fublime, and of an height that diminishes the wild herds that browse, or look down upon you from the fummits, where the largest animal appears infignificantly minute--on the other hand plains, villas, cottages, venerable halls, or copfes, with whatever tends to form that milder grace, that belongs to the beautiful. -Such are fome of the objects you will meet with in your excurfion to Barmouth on your arrival at which place, fo far from your profpects terminating with your journey, they open upon you fresh attractions, which are as fingular as unexpected.

This little feaport, confifts of one irregular ftreet only, one fide of which is built upon the folid, rocky mountain, that is of so stupendous an height, that the first view of it, upon the traveller's entrance into the village, or taken from the fea-fide, makes him not only tremble for himself, but for the aerial inhabitants; out of that mountain rock are their habitations formed, and though the confiftence is rather weak than strong, as, after much drought or fain, it will crumble under your feet as you

tread