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o.n a fiiitr, si,i;i;i'iNGI

Tin: 1.1: v IATHAN.

THK M'AV YE A11.

TO A YOUNG LADY. I

PASSIONS AND l'LOWEUS.

TI1K I.AMU ANS> TUi; HUIAR.I

ILorcil lutrUtgfncf. I

Original tfoirfoposiijmcr.

| Utterart) I

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Utterart) I THE ENGLISHMAN'S ALMANACK. Whatever degree of truth there may be in the statements genemlh made and belieTcd now-a days, that evident changes have taken place with respect t ) the coincidence of certain seasons of the year; there can be no doubt but a considerable alteration (and that for tlie better) has evinced itself in one class of popular pnbhealious on this subject-v,e mean, the Almanack*. As however, there are not wanting in our day, persons, who, conceiving that thcre is an alarming increase of crime amongst us at the same time mat education is so generally diffused amongst all classes of society, very sapii-nt- ly conclude that tluse contemporary facts stand in the relation of cause and effect; so we wonder that no wiseacre, observing the marvellous coincidence between the late growth of scepticism with regard to horoscopical an" meteorological predictions, and the appareut wall t of agreement between the seasons and their attributes, should also have set this down as cause and e(Kct. It is not our intention, at pre- sent, to advert more particularly to what may have been the origin of the improvements alluded to, but merely to remark upon its presence in sundry publications of this nature, ami especially, in the Englishma's Almanack," now before us, the entire mate) "ÛN fwhich aro very satisfactory, pili" ticularly as containing, besides the u,ual contents of all Almanack, expurgated from astrological cant, the calend ,r of Flora, and of horticultural opera. tions, for cach month, Somewhat resembling, in- deed, in this respect, that popular annual "Tima's Telescope;" which work, it ought to be observed, set the example several years ago; giving, in asso- ciation with chrnnologicallloticcs, diurnal exempli- fications of thij general aspect and operations of nature. We hue referred more copeda!!y to this feature in the Englhhman's Almanack," because we intend to give monthly, a few passages of this chararter, repeating at the same time, our intima- tion, that the dally caJcndnr contains all the usual information which ought to be expeuted by any Eng- lishman, in such a publication. --tft. TIIE CAMBRIAN QUARTERLY. The first number of this long-promised publi- cation has just appeared. As its title imports, the contents arc pril,dplIy directed to subjects con nected with the Principality of Wales, the litera tul(? aud antiquities f which it is professedly designed to explore and iIlustrak, J'romtheeur. sory view we have been able to take of this portion of the work, it docs not appear to us to be model ed upon a popular plan, that is, not suited to the capacity ami taste of general Welsh readers. In- dce.1 the editors, ill their introduction, referring to former attempts which have been made to dif- fuse the knowledge of Cambrian literature, ob- serve, that they have failed, because the object has hitherto bocn Cor the most part,to interest the minds of Welshmen alone national and local feeling has been too exclusively consulted." From this intimation, and the general view of the edi- tors it is obviou £ that reliance for the success of this wovk is placed, first, upon the patronage of the elevated classes of Welsh society, or those who have a taste for the higher walks of the literature of their country and secondly, upon the encou racement to he derived from the literati of Eng 1-ind for whose attraction and support the editors I assnme, they have a rich and remunerating store. "We only wish," (they say) for a fair opportu- nitv of convincing those wh o visit us in June to admire our lakes and mountains, explore the ruins of Denbigh or Carnarvon, scale Snowdon and Ca dair Idiis, revel on thyine-fed mutton, dance a miadrille to a genuine Welsh harp, or shoot puliins nff Holyhead, that we have greater things than these, "There is much to be done towards persua din" the uninitiated that we have other than sn- perficial objects to shew his eyes and jitiui his heart; that we can grallfy Ills melltal SCllSCS no less than his corporeal." One of the papers is a very ingenious disquisi- tion on the situation of the Roman station, MI:I>I n.ANt -M. The writer brings many judicious argu- ments to shew that SuiiEwsBi Rr was the Mediota- IIIl/II of the ltnmans; and he is of opiniou that Uuyton of the Eleven Towns was the Ituiuuium of that warlike nation, In his conjecture as to leit II/IIIUIII, although it is in contradiction to the opi- nions of former writers, we unequivocally concur, and we could point out some reasons for this opi- nion, which are not adverted to by the correspond- ent of the Cambrian Quarterly. With regard to MeUuitaHum, giving him the highest credit for hIS ingenious research, we dnubt the fact of Shrews bury having been that celebrated station: at the same time we think his paper 011 the subject one that every antiquarian should peruse.-It might not be out of place for tiF, here to observe, that Middle in this county, has been, in some writings, Latinized by the word Meitiolunuvi: it is, too, al- most on the direct route from Wroxetcr (Urico- uiiim) to Chester (Deva); it is also on one of the then principal branches of the Cvytldelian (Irish) or U ailing .Stm-t Road, as Ruyton (Rutunium) is on another; both Ruyton and Middle are likewise situakd 011 or adjacciit to the ancient roads from Wales to the southern paits of Cheshire, to Staf- fordshire, &e, by which the Gwytidelian roads in Shropshire cteil: both phlecs are out of the reach of interruption hy the floods of the Severn both were well situated for mntnal co- operation against irruption on the part of the An sicnt 11 ritons, against whom they were frontier stations, holding command over the most feasible country by whidl an attack could then be made: on their left was the oft flooded Severn in front a id to their right was a chain of morasses, most part of which are now reclaimed, hnt which then l'xttmded, with fcw intermediate passes, from near Huyton to the southern border of Cheshire: Mid- dle aud Ruyton would thus form the best points of defence a1\"ail18t any sudden incursions of the An eient Ili-itolls; and it is well known that both these places were fortified for this purpose in the early nges of the Norman dynasty.—The difficulty as to Middle being the Mutwtanumoi the RlIma"š, arises from the distances set out ill the Itel-s the Iters are, however, all confused as to this station we therefore trust the point will be further dis- cussed by some of the able cnrrespondents of the Cambrian Quarterly. We understand this publication is undertaken under very high patronage, and we sillcerely wish it every sucecss. liut, however sanguine the pub lishers may be of English patronage, its prosperity must after all mainly depend upon the higher classes of the Welsh community. Upon the latter, therefore, we would urge the necessity of efficient support; the work appears admirably adapted to its professed object; and it should be considered, that every unsuccessful effort made to advance the literature of the country is not merely useless, but prejudicial, inasmuch as it discourages an,1 para- lyzes every future attempt to promote the patrio- tic ohject.-The suhjeets introduced into this num- ber are seventeen, severalof which are of all inter- esting character; but our space will not allow its to enumerate them,-We cannot, however, resist the, pleasure of copying a few original verses, written by the excellent Mrs. Hemans, to which is appended (in the Magazine) the music; air, Lady Owen's Delight." FAIlEWELt. TO WALES. I The voice of thy streams in my spirit I bear; Fare\Tdl! and a blessing be with thee, greclIland 1 On thy halls, on thy hearth, on thy pure mountain air, On the strings of the harp and the minstrel's free hand! From the love of my soul ivith my tears it is shcd, Whilst I leave thee, Oil! land of my home and my dead. I bless thee! yet not for the beauty which dwells In the heart of thy hills, on the waves of thy shore; And not for the memory set deep in thy deils Of the bard and the warrior, the mighty of yore; And not for thy soogs of those proud ages lied, Green land, poet land, of my home and my dead! I bless thee for all the true bosoms that beat Where'er a low hamlet smiles under thy skies; For thy peasant hearths burning, the stranger to greet, ''For the soul that looks forth from thy children's kind eyes! May the blessing, like sunshine, around thee be spread, Green land of my childhood, my home, and my dead.

—?-<— j dTcrrigii Enmitgencf.I

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