and more caution was neceffary in our riding; for the road often narrow and rugged, frequently overhung a coalpit on the one fide, and a quarry on the other. Darkness furrounded us, and no opening profpect appearing, we alighted to walk our hories down a fleep defcent. Having performed this without danger; we ftopt, and liftened, if perchance we could catch any founds indicative of habitation. The meanest of his majefty's fubjects would at this time have afforded us more fatisfaction than all the treasures of modern and ancient lore, but no human being was traverfing this part of the forelt. Moving on a little farther, we perceived a light, but alas ! it was only the last ray of the western fun.-We heard a noife, but it was too distant to be distinct, and what was wolfe, we could not determine whether it was before, or behind us, on the right hand or on the left. nothing but experience, undertook to Here then, my dear fir, behold us in the midst of a forest, twenty miles in length, and ten in breadth, for aught we knew, near no habitation, To make shorter, however, and and inacceffible to all help. What a figure would not this make in a novel, eafier of our journey upon paper than especially affifted by thunder and light- it was in reality, I must tell you, that ning, or the pitylefs pelting' of a after wandering in this manner for tempeft! But we were not in the hu- three hours, almost worn out with mour of admiring on the very fpot, fatigue, and our courage a little dathofe incidents which appear fo charm- maged, deliverance came when we Yet our leaft expected it, and without the iningly terrible in relation. courage did not fail us, although we tervention of any fupernatural beings. could fhow it only by tanding fill. A fhout of joy from our guide arTo go back was as impoffible as to go nounced that he had discovered a light forward, and as to moving to the glimmering through fome trees; the right and left, we had already fuffici- barking of a dog confirmed the joyently bewildered ourselves by that ful tidings, and we made boldly up kind of motion. After, however, to this fign of habitation; it was a gravely determining, that the road cottage, from whence, upon our call, we were upon, little as we were ac- illued a venerable female, with whom quainted with it, muft lead fomewhere, we determined to take up our abode, and that whether we took the length, if it fhould be likely that we were too or the breadth of the forelt, we muit far from our destined abode to reach get out of it by keeping on in a it in proper time. It was a greater ftraight line, we remounted. Twho had hitherto preferved rather a favourable opinion of his skill in the geography of the place, and against whom, I, you know, could oppofe fatisfaction, however, to learn that we were without two hundred yards of Guns Mills, where a hofpitable reception, and a comfortable fupper rendered all our paft wanderings and fufferings, fufferings the fubject of the most pleafing recollection. Here we remained the greater part of next day, and viewed fome part of the foreft. On the hill, above the mills, is a well called St. Anthony's, the water of which has fome mineral qualities, and is of exquifite coolness. The bottom of a square ftone bafon into which the water flows, was covered with crooked pins, a mark of that fuperftition which must be expected to haunt the minds of the peafantry, in one shape or other, for many years, notwithstanding the boafted illumination of the eighteenth century. If you lofe your horfe, or your child, or any thing elfe you value, it is but throwing a crooked pin into this well, and wishing to recover what you have loft, and the business is done. While we were tafling the delicious water of this well, a fervant came to inform me that my horfe had walked out of the ftable, and could not be found. Here was a time to try the virtues of the crooked pin, which we depofited with due formality; but I regret that the experiment was in one refpect imperfect. On our defcending to the tables, we found that it was not my horse, but another, which had walked off-confequently, I loft this opportunity of adding my teftimony to the amazing recoveries effected by St. Anthony's well. The forest of Dean, with fome account of which I fhall conclude this letter, is fuppofed to contain about thirty thoufand acres, but fo many parts have been lately cultivated, that what properly deferves to be called foreft, is every day decreafing in extent; many towns and villages have been built in it; but it was once entirely covered with wood, and the best oaks in the kingdom were taken from thence for hip-building; what remains now of oak is reckoned fuperior to any other; but the quantity remaining is comparatively trifling; the decrease of oak timber within forty years, in this quarter, has been eftimated at four fifths. Its hills abound 5 in iron ore, and iron works are carrie on with great advantage; it has be obferved that there is fill more the appearance of a foreft preferved her, i both in the fcenery, and in the juridiction, than in almost any other par of the kingdom. The scenery i moftly natural and grand; art has not been employed here as in Wise | for foreft. The laws of forefts, anc fo great a fource of oppreffion, are now scarcely known; fuch as exi are either allowed to fleep, or are put in force very gently. The deer d the foreft of Dean are not very namerous; and the peasantry, knowing how eafily a theft may be deteded, will feldom meddle with them; but in the ftealing of trees, even of vaft magnitude, they are wonderfuly expert. They lop off the branches, and bury the trunk for fome time underground, removing it afterward in the night by piecemeal. These thefts are pretty generally known, but they are, perhaps not improperly, winked at. When we confider the vast importance of our navy to the very existence of Britain as a commercial nation, we fhall be furprised to hear frequent complaints of a general neglect in the growth of oak; and we shall be more furprised to find that fuch complaints are not without foundation. Much more of this as well as our other forefts ought to be enclosed, and made again into what they originally were, rea! forefts. I fhall conclude with a few remarks from an author whom I have already frequently quoted. At prefent, fays Gilpin, even the veftiges of most of our foreft trees are obliterated. Of a few of them we find the fite mark in old maps; but as to their fylvan honours, fcarce any of them has the least remains to boast. Some of the woods were destroyed in licentious times: and many have been fuffered, through mere negligence, to wafte away-the pillage of a difhonest neighbourhood. The picturefque eye, in the mean time, is greatly hurt with the deftruction of all these fylvan fcenes. fcenes. Not that it delights in a continued foreft; nor wishes to have a whole country covered with wood. It delights in the intermixture of wood and plain; in which beauty confifts. It is not its bufinefs to confider matters of utility. It has nothing to do with the affairs of the plough, and the fpade; but merely examines the face of nature as a beautiful object. At the fame time, it is more than probable, that if at least fome of our ancient forefts, in different parts of the king dom, had been preferved, the ends of public utility might have been answered, as well as thofe of picturesque beauty. This was at least the opinion of car enemies. We are informed, that in the intended invafion of 1588, the Spaniards, among other mifchief that was meditated, had orders to cut down all the forefts of England, which they could meet with; particularly the forelt cf Dean of Gloucestershire: I am, fir, yours, &c. THE BRITISH MUS E. ODE for His MAJESTY'S BIRTH-DAY. By HENRY JAMES PYE, Elq. PoctLaureat. ROUS'D from the gloom of tranfient death, Reviving Nature's charms appear, Mild zephyr wakes with balmy breath The beauties of the youthful year. The fleecy ftorm that froze the plain, The winds that wept the billowy main, The chilling blaft, the icy flower, That oft obfcur'd the vernal hour, And half deform'd the etherial grace That bloom'd on Maia's lovely face, Are gone-and o'er the fertile glade In manhood's riper form array'd, Bright June appears, and from his bofom throws, Blufhing with hue divine, his own ambrofial rofe. Yet there are climes where winter hoar Defpotic ftill ufurps the plains, And dreary Defolation reigns - The lingering car of day, and check his golden rein. Chide not his ftay-the rofeate Spring Not always flies on halcyon wing; Not always ftrains of joy and love Steal fweetly thro' the trembling grove. Reflecting Sol's refulgent beams, The falchion oft terrific gleams; And louder than the wintry tempeft's roar, The battle's thunder fhakes th' affrighted More. eyes To where Britannia's chalky cliff's What tho' beneath her rougher air No purple vintage tho' she boat, Sacred to patriot warth, to patriot befò as dear. Thy blood-fhot eye darts peftilential fire, Deftroys the genuine offspring of the heart, The with benevolent, the kind defire, The friendly intercourfe devoid of art. Away! to dark Cimmerian regions fly! In kindred glooms, revolve thy baleful haggard eye. Where merit fhines in honour bright, Thou lov't to blast the blooming Wherever excellence is found, Thy ready fangs delight to wound; And what to all fhould give fupreme delight, Degraded finks, and withers in thy fight. Swift at thy touch Parnaffian laurels fade, And wreaths triumphal on the warrior's brow; Thou can't envelop virtue in thy hade, And o'er her charms malignant darkness throw Yet know, bafe paffion, Truth's un Black, pimpled, loathfome, like to thee, The deadly venom, and the livid wourd. Beneath thy steps the verdant herbage dies, Thy with ring blaft destroys the op'ning flow`r; Swift from thy fight, each flutt ring fongiter flies, And ftreams roll refluent from thị hated pow'r; The charms of beauty, and the grace of youth Fall to thy unrelenting hate a prev; And all envenom'd by thy cank'ring tooth, Fair reputation blafted dies away. Malignant paflion! thy prime blifs is to destroy ! Thy greateft curfe is to behold a rival's joy ! All vile and hateful as thou art, And thus pervert his native mind, ftate, And all the fullen angry gloom of hate i O'er me, ah! never wave thy fombre wing, Nor in this heart, infix thy life-empois'ning fting. EUSEBIUS. I long have left thy bowers ferene, Gay folly's vagrant band to join; But fhould't thou afk what potent call Of her whom I neglected long; He blends with thine Maria's name, THE MORALIST. HARK! the hollow moaning wind Sullen as the guilty mind; Hidden fource of dark despair. See, the death-wing'd lightning fly; Fixing on its deftin'd prey. Hate's empoifon'd arrow fhrouds. Sweetly blooms the role of May, While they hide the treach'rous thorn. Mark gay fummer's glowing prime, Bends the fairest to the tomb. Moralift! where'er you move, To NATURE, OH, Nature! univerfal queen, pure AIRS, in the New Opera of LoDOISKA, SWEET bird, that cheer'st the heavy hours Of Winter's dreary reign, Go not to feek a fcanty fare From Nature's frozen hand, Domestic bird, with me remain, Again fhall to the woodland train, Sweet Robin, then thou may'ft explore YE ftreams, that round my prifon creep Oh, murmur this command from me; My dear Floreski ling'ring nigh, Though mindless of thy power di- Thy miftrefs bids thee hafte away, vine i 3 And thun the broad-ey'd, watchful day. 3 K & The |