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could fcarce be faid to be made by the hands of art; and as it was
evening, the hinds appeared, in many parts of the fcene, returning
home, with pails upon their heads. I proceeded in this agreeable
place till our profpect was clofed, though much illuminated, by a
prodigious cataract from a mountain, that did, as it were, fhut the
valley. All these images together put me much in mind of Pouffin's
drawings, and made me fancy myfelf in Savoy at least, if not nearer
Rome. Indeed both the journey, and the country, and the refidence
were most pleafing to me.....

I am, dear Sir, your obliged and affured friend,
THO. BANGOR.

Bishop HERRING to Mr. DUNCOMBE.

DEAR SIR, Kenfington, Sept. 11, 1737. I met your letter here on my return from Wales. I blefs God for it, I am come home quite well, after a very romantic, and, upon looking back, I think it a moft perilous journey. It was the year of my primary vifitation, and I determined to fee every part of my diocefe; to which purpose, I mounted my horfe, and rode intrepidly, but flowly, through North Wales to Shrewsbury. I am a little afraid, if I fhould be particular in my defcription, you would think I am playing the traveller upon you; but indeed I will stick religioufly to truth; and because a little journal of my expedition may be fome minutes amufement, I will take the liberty to give it you. I remember, on my last year's picture of North Wales, you complimented me with fomewhat of a poetical fancy: that, I am confident, you will not now; for a man may as well expect poetical fire at Copenhagen, as amidit the dreary rocks of Merionethhire 1. You find, by this intimation, that my landscapes are like to be fome thing different from what they were before, for I talk fomewhat in the style of Othello,

"Of antres vaft, and deferts wild,

Rough quarries, rocks, and hills whofe heads touch heaven." I fet out upon this adventurous journey on a Monday morning, accompanied (as Bishops ufually are) by my Chancellor, my Chai lain, Secretary, two or three friends, and our fervants. The frit part of our road lay cross the foot of a long ridge of rocks, and was over a dreary morafs, with here and there a fmall dark cottage, a few fheep, and more goats, in view, but not a bird to be seen, fave, now and then, a folitary hern watching for frogs. At the end of four of their miles we got to a fmall village, where the view of things mended a little, and the road and the time were beguiled by travelling for three miles along the fide of a fine lake, full of fish, and tranfpa rent as glafs, That pleasure over, our work became very arduous, for we were to mount a rock, and in many places of the road, over natural stairs of ftone. I fubmitted to this, which, they told me, was but a taste of the country, and to prepare me for worse things to come. However, worfe things did not come that morning, for we dined, foon after, out of our own wallet, and though our inn stood

To this his Lordship's letter is one exception, and Ambrofe Philips's poem from Copenhagen," published in the "Tatler," is another.'

Rev. Jan. 1773.

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in a place of moft frightful folitude, and the best formed for the ha bitation of monks (who once poffeffed it) in the world, yet we made a chearful meal. The novelty of the thing gave me fpirits, and the air gave me appetite much keener than the knife I ate with. We had our mufie too, for there came in a harper, who foon drew about us a groupe of figures that Hogarth would give any price for. The harper was in his true place and attitude; a man and woman ftood before him, finging to his inftrument wildly, but not difagreeably; a little dirty child was playing with the bottom of the harp; a woman, in a fick night-cap, hanging over the stairs; a boy with crutches, fixed in a flaring attention; and a girl carding wool in the chimney, and rocking a cradle with her naked feet, interrupted in her business by the charms of the mufic; all ragged and dirty, and all filently attentive. Thefe figures gave us a most entertaining picture, and would pleafe you, or any man of obfervation and one reflection gave me particular comfort, That the affembly before us demonftrated, that, even here, the influential fun warmed poor mortals, and inspired them with love and mufic. When we had difpatched our meal, and had taken a view of an old church, very large for that country, we remounted; and my guide pointed to a narrow pafs between two rocks, through which, he faid, our road lay. It did fo; and in a little time we came at it. The inhabitants call it, in their language, "The road of kindness." It was made by the Romans for their paffage to Carnarvon. It is juft broad enough for an horfe, paved with large flat ftones, and is not level, but rifes and falls with the rock, at whofe foot it lies. It is half a mile long. On the right hand, a vait rock hangs almoft over you; on the left, close to the path, is a precipice, at the bottom of which rolls an impetuous torrent, bounded, on the other fide, not by a fhore, but by a rock, as bare (not fo fmooth) as a whetstone, which rifes half a mile in perpendicular height. Here we all difmounted, not only from reafons of just fear, but that I might be at leifure to contemplate in pleafure, mixed with horror, this ftupendous mark of the Creator's power. Having paffed over a noble bridge of ftone, we found ourfelves upon a fine fand, then left by the fea, which here indents upon the country, and arrived in the evening, paffing over more rough country, at our defined inn. The accommodations there were better than expected, for we had good beds and a friendly hoftefs, and I flept well, though, by the number of beds in the room, I could have fancied myfelf in an hofpital. The next morning I confirmed at the church, and after dinner fet out for the metropolis of the country, called Dolgelle. There I ftayed and did bufinefs the next day, and the fcene was much mended. The country I had hitherto paffed through was like one not made by the Father of the Creation, but in the wrath of power; bat here were inhabitants, a town and church, and river, and fine meadows. However, on the Thursday, I had one more iron mountain of two miles to pafs, and then was entertained with the green hills of Montgomeryshire, high indeed, but torfed up to the top, and productive of the finest sheep; and from this time the country and the profpects gradually mended, and indeed the whole economy of nature, as we approached the fun; and you cannot conceive, what an air of chearfulness it gave us, to

compare

compare the defolations of North Wales with the fine valleys and hills. of Montgomeryshire, and the fruitful green fields of fair Warwickfhire. For I made myself amends in the following part of my journey, directing my courfe through Shrewsbury, Woolverhampton, Birmingham, Warwick, and Oxford, fome of the finest towns and counties in the island. But I must stop, and not use you so unmercifully....

I am, dear Sir, your obliged and affectionate humble fervant,
THO. BANGOR.'

Of Mr. Dyer, the ingenious author of the Ruins of Rome, &c. very few particulars are known; and therefore the following, from his own pen, cannot be unacceptable to the admirers of his excellent writings; in which number we include every one who has read them.

SIR,

Rev. Mr. DYER to Mr. DUNCOMBE.

Coningsby †, Nov. 24, 1756. You have most agreeably increased my obligations: and it was very kind and ingenuous to inform me fomewhat of yourself, as, in the generous freedom of your fpirit, you broke through the little vulgarity of fashion, and wrote to one whom you never faw, and to one who has been long out of the world.

• Your invitation is exceedingly engaging. The fimplicity of your manner of life, and your regular hours, to me are luxuries. And how well do you fet forth your entertainment in the names of Mr. Hawkins Browne and the author of Clariffa; and, if I am not mistaken, in thofe of Mifs Carter and Mifs Talbot ! What a bill of fare! Yet old Barzillai, though invited by David to the highest elegances of life, held It vain to go to Jerufalem, when he could no longer hear the voice of Frailties alfo are troublesome in comfinging men and finging women. in Frith-freet, where they are carried into the arms of pany-except humanity. In Ipring therefore, perhaps, I may quit my folitude here, and venture abroad with an hundred infirmities upon my head; and facrifice my vanity to one fo benevolent as Mr. Duncombe.

<-- I have not met with Dodfley's two laft volumes, and have hitherto miffed the pleasure of feeing the " Ode to Health .” 1 hough head-achs and fick nefs make me fearful of reading Tauch, yet I will hafte to fee it; it will particularly fuit me: I will feck it as I feek health, which, alas! I very much want. Your bamble fervant is become a deaf, and dull, and languid creature; who, however, in his poor change of conftitution, being a little recompenfed with the critic's phlegin, has made fhift, by many blottings and corrections, and fome helps from his kind friend Dr. Akende, to give a fort of finishing to the "Fleece," which is juft fent up to Mr. Dodfley; but as people are fo taken up with politics, and have fo little inclination to read any thing but fatire and news-papers, I am in doubt whether this is a proper time for publishing it.

I have read none of the Connoiffeurs-No papers reach this lonely place. I know not how the world goes--but with Mr. Hughes,

• Near Horncastle in Lincoln fire."

A mistake-probably for Mifs Mulfo.'

By Mr. J. Duncombe. See Dodley's "Poems,' vol, iv. p. 2750

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as an author, I am well acquainted, and am glad that we are to have a fuller account of the life of fo beautiful a poet §. 'Lord Chancellor has been favourable to me. This living is 1201. per ann. The other, called Kirkby, 110l. Bat my preferments came in this courfe: Catthorp in Leicestershire, (801. a year) was given me by one Mr. Harper in 1741. That I quitted in 1751 for a fmall living of 75 1. called Belchford, ten miles from hence, and given me by Lord Chancellor, through Mr. Wray's intereft. A year after, through the fame intereft, Sir John Heathcote gave me this, and lately procured me Kirkby of Lord Chancellor, without my folicitation. I was glad of this, on account of its nearness to me, though I think myfelf a lofer by the exchange, through the expences of the feal, difpenfations, journeys, &c. and the charge of an old houfe, half of which I am going to pull down. More of myfelf (which your good-natured curiofity draws from me) is this: Áfter having been an itinerant painter in my native country (S. Wales) and in Herefordihire, Worcestershire, &c. &c. I married and fettled in Leicestershire. My wife's name was Enfor †, whofe grandmother was a Shakespeare, defcended from a brother of every body's Shakefpeare. We have four children living; three are girls; the youngeft a boy, fix years old. I had fome brothers; have but one left. He is a clergyman, lives at Marybone, and has fuch a houfe full of children as puts me in mind of a noted ftatue at Rome of the river Nile, on the arms, legs, and body of which are crawling, or climbing, ten or a dozen little boys or girls 1.

Believe me to be, Sir, your moft obliged humble fervant, JOHN DYER.'' We fhall conclude our extracts from this entertaining publication, with the following Letter and Notes, which will give both pleasure and pain to the lovers of humanity and the friends of science :

Rev. Mr. HIRST ||, F. R. S. to the Rev. Mr. DUNCOMBE. MY DEAR FRIEND, Lenox, off Madagascar, Sept. 6, 1759. When we left England, three important expeditions were carrying on. The firft under Commodore Moore in the Weft Indies, the

In the "Biographia Britannica," by Dr. Campbell.'

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David Wray, Eiq; one of the Deputy Tellers of the Exchequer, a friend to virtue and the Mutes.'

+ Sifter of Mr. Strong Enfor, of Warwickshire.'

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To the account here given may be added, that Mr. Dyer was the fecond fon of Robert Dyer, Efq; of Aberglafney in Carmarthenshire, a folicitor of note; that he finifhed his fchool-ftudies at Westminster under Dr. Freind, from whence he was called away to be infiructed in his father's profeffion; but not liking the bofiness, and his father foon after dying, he settled himself with Mr. Richardson, painter, in Lincoln's Inn-Fields. He afterwards travelled into Italy for improvement, and at Rome formed the plan of his poem on its "ruins." At his return, ill health, his love of books, folitude, and reflection, induced him to enter into orders. He died in 1758.*

The writer of this letter (who was the eldest son of the Rev. Dr. Hirft, late Rector of Benwell and Sacum, Hertfordshire, and was educated at St. Peter's college, Cambridge) after having ferved as chaplain on board several of his Majefty's thips, (particularly the Hampton-court, when dispatched to Lifbon after the earthquake, in $755, of which city he made a drawing in its ruins) was at this time chaplain to the

next under Admiral Saunders against Quebec, and the third under Admiral Boscawen fent to the Mediterranean. The event of these must now be determined and known at home. I hope they have all fully answered the public expectation §.

"Our fquadron failed from St. Helen's, in company with the latter, on the 15th of April, 1759. In the chops of the Channel our two fleets feparated, to purfue our respective deftinations,

Our first place of rendezvous was the island of Madeira, where we anchored May 2. This is a very fertile spot, but the generality of the inhabitants are poor; at which you will not wonder, when I tell you how much they are peftered with fwarms of idle priests and monks -mere drones, who live upon the honey of the hive!

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• Sic vos non vobis mellificatis apes.

Here I had the pleasure of feeing a comet in the conftellation Crater. From its great fouthern latitude, I believe it was not visible in England, as it difappeared before it made any confiderable progrefs to the northward. I tranfmitted a crude account of it to my good friend commiffioner Mead, of the customs, but by being on board, and wanting proper inftruments, could not be very exact in the obfervation. However, I traced its path in the heavens with fufficient accuracy to determine its motion and inclination to the ecliptic.

After we had taken in our wine and other neceffaries for our voyage, we prepared to leave this island, and were under weigh May 8. Our next rendezvous was St. Augustin's Bay, on the weft fide of the island of Madagascar, where we arrived Auguft 11, and having completed our water, and refreshed our people, failed from thence September 1.

The accounts of this place are very imperfect, from its being fo little frequented by Europeans, except in time of war, when the

Lenox, and fecretary to Rear admiral Cornish. While he was on the coaft of Coromandel, be was prefent at the fieges of Pondicherry, Vellour, &c. and on June 6, 1761, he made an accurate obfervation of the tranfit of Venus over the Sun at the government houfe at Madras, in company with Governor (now Lord) Pigot, &c. of which an account is given in the " Philofophical Tranfactions," vol. lvi. and in the "Gentleman's Magazine" for 1762, p. 177. In March 1763, he was appointed chaplain to the factory at Calcutta, by the favour of Mr. Vanfittart, then governor of Bengal, and refided there, in general esteem, till the year 1765, when he returned to England, with his excellent friend, in his Majefty's fhip the Panther. In their paffage, Mr. Hirft took a view of the Cape of Good Hope, which was engraved in 1766 by Mr. Canot. At the fecond tranfit of Venus, on June 3, 1769, Mr. Hirft was one of the affiftants to the aftronomer-royal at Greenwich, and an account of his obfervation was published in the "Philofophical Tranfactions, vol. lviii. p. 361, and in the "Gentleman's Magazine" for 1770, p. 402. Being now in eafy circumftances, happy in himself and in his friends, nothing could have tempted him to wander again over the face of the great deep" but the ties of gratitude and the calls of friendship. On a heart like his, thefe had claims that were irrefiftable. As chaplain to the commiffion he therefore embarked with Mr. Vanfittart on board the Aurora, in Sept. 1769; and in that fatal voyage accompanied, alas! the fupervisors to "that country from whole bourn no traveller returns." Let this fuffice-the wound is too painful to bear any farther probing.'

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They did moft fully; witness the conqueft of Guadeloupe and Quebec, and the deftruction of the Toulon fleet. Admiral Cornifh's fquadron was no lefs fuccessful by contributing largely to the reduction of Pondicherry and Manilla.'

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