all mankind were brothers, and the intereft of one became the intereft of all. It afforded me a fatisfaction I had never before experienced, to find myself amongst a people, who act with all the fimplicity of nature; totally deftitute of the affumed appearance, and artificial manners of more modern times. The Welsh mufick affimilates to the genius of the people, and is in general wild and irregular, but often plaintive, and always affecting; for the harp is perhaps more calculated to express the extremes of paffion than any other instrument; it is astonishing with what skill and execution it is fometimes played upon, and with what enthusiasm the country people listen to it; infomuch that I have no doubt the fine tones of a Cramer, or a Clementi, would be totally difregarded by these honeft people, for the bumble strains of a blind Welsh harper.

The

mufical

mufical amateur of the prefent day would defpife fo vulgar a tafte; for with him the Italian school is alone supportable; I dare not therefore profefs myself an admirer of fimple and unaffected mufick, or, in other words, prefer that which penetrates to the heart, to that which goes no farther than the ear; because I should be immediately. condemned as a Goth, Vandal, or barbarian. I fhall venture however to obferve, that it appears to me there can be no ab folute criterion of mufick; that being the best, which touches the paffions, and affects the feelings in the greatest degree, by any affemblage of founds whatsoever; and if this be true, a Welsh harp, or an Irish bagpipe (rifum teneatis amici) well executed, is infinitely fuperior to all the fiddle ftrings and kettle drums of Italy or Venice.

There are two roads from Llangollen

to

fo Wrexham, one on each fide of the River Dee; the best is that on the right, which we took; but it is rather the longeft. This road is carried upon the high grounds, from whence the prospect is delightful. The river, winding through the valleys, fometimes intercepted by a rifing ground or thick wood, then opening full upon the view, the luxuriance of nature is richly displayed through the whole landscape. Upon the hill above us were seen the dark figures of the miners; the confufed noise of the men, who were preparing to defcend thefe gloomy caverns, and of the bufy team, returning with its ponderous load; while the thick volumes of black smoke, that continued to afcend into a clear and beautiful atmosphere, formed an uncommon and striking contrast. On the other fide, the river, ftealing through the valley, had, by its overflowing,

overflowing, contributed to give it the richest appearance of fertility; in fome places the mower, almost buried under the high grafs, often paused from his labour; in others, the sharp found of the grinding stone, the loud laugh, or toil-fubduing fong, were frequently heard: on the fides of the oppofite hills were scattered the modest hamlets that owned these induftrious peasants; behind us, at fome distance, the whitened fpire, and part of the little town we had left, were ftill visible; whilft over all, the setting fun caft its foftened tints, a part of the valley only being fhaded by the interpofition of a neighbouring mountain, whofe fummit still retained in glowing colours the last rays of the departing day. On the right, a little farther on, there is a fine view of Chirk caftle, and on the left, of Winstay; the firft, the feat of Mr. Middleton,

Middleton, the laft of Sir Watkin William Wynne. About half way from Llangollen to Wrexham, we croffed a bridge where the two roads meet, and then we bad adieu to the River Dee, which kept its course afterwards to the right of us. Wrexham is a large populous and well built town; there is a very elegant tower belonging to the church, reputed to be a great curiofity. But I have very little pleasure in viewing the works of art; and indeed, human ingenuity of any kind or defcription, excites rather my admiration than my love: as far as they have contributed to soften the manners of mankind, it is well; but have they not also tended to corrupt and deprave them? If, on the one hand, they have contributed to their wants and conveniences; on the other, they have encouraged the excess, and afforded an unbounded gratification to the fenfual

E