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inconveniences in travelling. All this politeness and zeal has, no doubt, a sordid motive; you are caressed for your money; but the caresses of the world have not in general a much purer motive. This semblance of bienveillance should not be blamed hastily. Fair raiments do not always cover a fair skin. It may be as well to remain ignorant of the defects of the mind, as of those of the person; to suspect them is quite enough. The roads are far from magnificent; they are generally just wide enough for two carriages; without ditches, but well gravelled with pounded stones, and, though very dirty, not deep. A high artificial bank of stone and earth, with bushes growing on the top, too often intercepts all view beyond the next bend of the road, not a hundred yards of which is visible at one time. The horses are in general weak and tired, and unmercifully whipt, so much so, as to induce us often to interfere in their behalf, choosing rather to go slower than to witness such cruelty.

January 4.--We slept last night at Exeter, and are arrived at Taunton; 64 miles in two days. We are in no haste. The approach of Exeter is very fine; you see from a hill the vast extent of country below, with an estuary at a distance, and hills in gentle swells lost in the horizon; it gives the idea of an ocean of cultivation. The cathedral is a venerable pile, built in the year 900, (my information comes from the old woman who showed it). Outside it appeared to me less light and airy than Gothic architecture generally is, according to my recollections. Objects seen again, after an interval of many years, appear no longer the same, although unchanged in reality, and although we have not seen, in the meantime, any other objects of the same kind that could alter the scale of our ideas.

EXETER-CATHEDRAL

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Memory is not a book where things and events are recorded, but rather a field where seeds grow, come to maturity, and die. The silent operation of time on all that lives, perfecting and destroying in regular succession, seems to extend to the mechanical skill of our fingers. The artist draws better after laying down his pencil for some time, or plays better on an instrument; fencing, swimming, are improved likewise. We have, however, neither studied nor practised; the mind, as far as we know, has been inactive, as well as the hand. Should we know little before the interruption, we are apt indeed to forget that little; but, if the skill was sufficiently perfect, it increases during a certain period of inaction; becomes stationary when longer intermitted; and is lost at last by protracted disuse.

The inside of the church is too light, I mean too eclairé, and the painted windows are not good. Those at one end were painted 400 years ago, my old woman said, and the other end within her remembrance; the one too early, probably, to be good, and the other too late. But when the service began, we forgot the church, and every thing else, in the beauty of the chant;-angels in heaven cannot sing better! The organ, sweet, powerful, and solemn, formed a single accompaniment, without foppish flourishing-the whole effect superior to my recollections of the plein chant. Music and poetry are certainly nearly allied; one is the mellow and vague distance, where all is blended into harmony, the other is the vigorous foreground, where every object is clearly defined, and distinctly seen; the one awakens poetical enthusiasm in yourself; the other shews you what it has produced in others.

The roads are full of soldiers, on foot and in carriages, travelling towards Plymouth ;-Portu

gal and India supposed to be their destination. The villages along the road are in general not beautiful, the houses very poor indeed; the walls old and rough, but the windows generally whole and clean; no old hats or bundles of rags stuck in, as in America, where people build, but do not repair. Peeping in, as we pass along, the floors appear to be a pavement of round stones like the streets, a few seats in the form of short benches,a table or two,—a spinning-wheel,—a few shelves, -and just now (Christmas,) greens hanging about. The people appear healthy, and not in rags, but not remarkably stout; the women, I think, are more so in proportion than the men. We meet very few beggars, and those old and infirm. Farmhouses, with their out buildings, look remarkably neat, and in great order; near them we see stacks of hay and straw, of prodigious size, covered with a slight thatching, and over that a sort of net of straw, to prevent the wind disturbing the thatch. Industry, method, and good order, are conspicuous every where. Most of the land is in meadow. Turnips are enormous; some as large as a man's head. The cattle do not look different from ours. We meet, however, with more picturesque horses than in America, with big shaggy legs, and heavy heads.

January 5.-Arrived in the evening at Bristol, 48 miles in eight hours, stoppages included; the horses better. On approaching Bristol, you see, from an elevation, a ridge on the left, covered with country-houses, groves of trees, and green fields. This ridge is intersected by a deep gap, near which a confused heap of roofs, towers, and steeples, and smoke, mark the town; dirty suburbs succeeded to this view; then a bridge over a mean and muddy stream; through crowded streets

BRISTOL-HOT-WELLS.

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we arrived at The Bush. The next morning shewed us, opposite our windows, a large building of freestone, in excellent style, The Exchange. Taking a guide, I called upon those for whom we had letters, and have been obligingly received. English hospitality is not in high repute;-so far, we have no reason to complain of it. There is a look of comfort and neatness in the inside of houses, which is very striking; every thing is substantial and good, and uniformly so in all parts of the house; and, as to the table, Lucullus dines with Lucullus every day, and little addition appears necessary should a few friends come unexpectedly. The creditable and decent look of the servants is no less remarkable, and they are the mainspring of all other comforts. I am perfectly aware that there are many people who have no servants, and hardly bread to eat, and whose habitual state is labour and poverty. Although I have had no opportunity, as yet, of becoming acquainted with the situation of that class of people, I have necessarily seen them at their daily labour, in traversing the country, and I have had a glimpse of their habitations. All I can say is, that the poor do not look so poor here as in other countries: that poverty does not intrude on your sight; and that it is necessary to seek it. All human societies are full of it,here it does not overflow certainly. One of the best houses, and in the finest situation, (Clifton) costs L. 220 sterling a-year, taxes included;-good houses, in an old-fashioned part of the town, are not one-fourth part of that rent. The wages of a manservant, L. 35 sterling a-year; a woman-cook, L. 15 sterling; meat sixpence and eightpence the pound.

We went to see the Hot-Wells, a harmless medical spring. The river passes there the deep gap

which we had seen on approaching the town, through a calcareous ridge, about 200 feet high ;the tide is here 30 feet and upwards. Immense docks have been built, or rather a new bed has been dug for the river, and the old one, closed by flood-gates, forms a natural basin for shipping. We saw, however, but few vessels. The trade of this port is rather diminishing; notwithstanding this, the town increases, and looks more considerable, better built, and more opulent than New-York.

January 8.-We arrived at Bath last night.The chaise drew up in style at the White Hart. Two well-dressed footmen were ready to help us to alight, presenting an arm on each side. Then a loud bell on the stairs, and lights carried before us to an elegantly furnished sitting-room, where the fire was already blazing. In a few minutes, a neat-looking chamber-maid, with an ample white apron, pinned behind, came to offer her services to the ladies, and shew the bed-rooms. In less than half an hour, five powdered gentlemen burst into the room with three dishes, &c. and two remained to wait. I give this as a sample of the best, or rather of the finest inns. Our bill was L. 2, 11s. sterling, dinner for three, tea, beds, and breakfast. The servants have no wages, but, depending on the generosity of travellers, they find it their interest to please them. They (the servants) cost us about five shillings a-day.

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This morning we have explored the town, which is certainly very beautiful. It is built of freestone, of a fine cream-colour, and contains several public edifices, in good taste. We remarked a circular place called the Crescent, another called the Circus;-all the streets straight and regular. This town looks as if it had been cast in a mould all at

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