in a few words; we drink, dance, and are merry. Indeed, I do not know a people fo much addicted to mirth. The complexion of their country, one would imagine, could not infpire fuch fentiments of feftivity and joy. They fing, dance, and drink, not by hours, but by days and weeks; and meafure time only by the continuance of their mirth and pleafure. • The men eftimate their strength not by feats of activity, as in other places, but by the quantities of ale they can drink; and, I am told, it is no uncommon thing for a lover to boast to his mistress, what feats he has performed in this way. Such is the mark of prowess, by which the women judge of their paramour's vigor and ftrength of conftitution. From hence we may conclude that Bacchus does more execution in this country, than Mais does in Germany. Such, whofe happy poverty preclude them from procuring thofe liquors, which are the deftruction of the more opulent, live to an advanced age. Whilft most of the gentry and squires, are carried off in their youth; thus the heir does not long wait for the poffeffion of his eftate, nor does he long enjoy it. This vice is hereditary in families, and defcends from father to fon Uno avulfo non deficit alter et fimili frendefcit virga metallo." The fefcennine licence, is here enjoyed in its most unbounded extent. In converfation they take the utmost freedom and liberty with each other, which is generally borne in good part. They are always endeavouring to frame ruftic jokes, not always the most delicate. Happy does he esteem himself, who comes off conqueror in this certamen of ruftic wit. Unembarraffed with the pedantry of learning, and the difgufting forms of politenefs, the good people of Merionydd are free, hofpitable, and chearful. Let them enjoy their mirth unrivalled, undisturbed by foreigners, in fecurity and eafe. They always will remain unenvied in the participation of that happiness, which none but a native of that country can feel. The Welsh language is here fpoken with the greatest claffical purity. Here they boast of their Welsh bards, who are poets by nature. Thefe bards are idle fellows, who fubfift on the bounty of the Welsh gentry. They, and their alliesmen the harpers, who form a very numerous corps, are generally invited to entertain the company at their feafts, which is done by buffocnery and illiberal abufive extempore rhyme. Sometimes a bard comes to the door, and demands admittance in rhyme ; rhyme; he is anfwered by the bard within, in rhyme likewife; if the ftranger, in the opinion of the company, gains the victory in this poetical conteft; he is admitted to partake of the feaft, while the vanquished bard is turned out to the former's uncomfortable fituation. • Somewhat fimilar to this was the great feast which was made in South-Wales, where bards from various parts were invited to a poetical combat, and where it is faid the NorthWales poets gained the victory. This vagabond poetical tribe, were formerly a great nuifance in this country, and we find divers acts of parliament and regulations made to fupprefs them. It is faid that Edward I. cruelly deftroyed them, it may be doubted whether it was not the greatest benefit he could do to the country. In Henry IVth's time it was enacted, that, "No westours, rymours, minstrels, or other vagabonds, should go about pur faire Kymortha ou coilage." The learned author of the obfervations on the antient ftatutes, has mistaken the meaning of the word Kymortha, or rather Cymortha (the C in Welth having the found of the English K) it fignifying a charitable aid or fupport. This is the fignification it has in the act of 26 Henry VIII. where it is enacted, that "No one, without licence of the commiffioners, fhall Kymortha under colour of marrying, finging first maffes, &c." 197 19 ---Unacquainted with the Welsh language, we cannot decide upon the propriety of our author's encomiums upon it, As this people have made no very confiderable progrefs in a ftate of civilization, we might naturally be induced to think. that their language is barbarous and uncultivated; but the contrary is true. It is not clogged with thofe many inharmonious monofyllables, the figns of moods, tenfes, and cafes, as the English language. It is much more harmonious and expreffive in its numbers and formation; one word in Welsh frequently expreffing as much as a fentence in the English; of which a late ingenious writer has given abundant fpecimens. Though this is the language of a people, who inhabit a fmall barren spot of earth, fcarce known in the world; unimproved in the arts of life, entirely neglected and uncultivated; and not spoken, except by fuch who willingly forfeit every claim to politeness; yet its variety, copioufnefs, and even harmony, is to be equalled by few, perhaps excelled by none. But our wonder ceases, when we confider that it is not folely the language of a people confined in a little corner of this ifland. It is the language of populous and even civilized nations, the antient Celts. Hence its variety and its har harmony. It is the language of a brave people. Hence those founds that roufe the foul to action. Animated by thefe, they defpifed danger and death for their country. Thus fome account for the policy of Edward I. who in order to enslave the people, thought it a neceffary previous step to destroy the bards, who cultivated their language and poetry. This language feems to be more particularly adapted for poetry; which, however extraordinary it may feem to fome, on account of the multiplicity of gutturals and confonants with which it abounds, has the foftnefs and harmony of the Italian, with the majefty and expreffion of the Greek. In the formation of its poetical numbers, it differs from all modern languages. Every line confifts of a certain regular number of feet, like other languages; but herein it differs, that it has a certain kind of rhyme *, jingle, or alliteration, not that ter minates the line, but runs through every part of it. The poets, or fuch as pretend to be fuch, arrogate to themfelves a moft unwarrantable poetical licence of coining words, for the fake of found; and this they will feldom fcruple to do, whenever they want a word for thyme. Hence the greatest part of their poetry, is nothing more than melodious nonsense, a perfect jargon of harmonious founds. And when translated, fcarce reducible to common fenfe. This unbounded poetical licence, though generally, yet, is not univerfally adopted. For there are not wanting many poets, who feldom claim this unwarrantable prerogative of coining words ad libitum.' It would trespass too far upon the plan of our work to quote the entertaining abftract our writer has given of the Welsh history in the two laft letters. We therefore refer to the work itself; affuring the reader, that his time will not be misfpent in the perufal. • Giraldus Cambrenfis, to fhew the nature of Welsh poetry, quotes the following pentameter, Falus es O pulcher pæne puella puer. The following Latin hexameter of Cicero, with the translation by Dryden, may with as much propriety be adduced to the fame purpose, O fortunatam natam me confule Romam. Fortune, fortuned the dying note of Rome, II. A Candid Enquiry into the Present Ruined State of the French Monarchy. With Remarks on the late defpotick Reduction of the Intereft of the National Debt of France. 8vo. Pr. 2s. 6d. Almon. THIS publication cannot fail to receive the approbation of every one whofe intereft depends upon the continuance of peace between the British and French nations. It is written with perfpicuity and elegance, and apparently with a profound knowledge of the fubject it difcuffes. Were we to give intire credit to all the author's affertions with refpe&t to the poverty and indigence of the French nation and its government, we might fafely predict the commencement of hoftilities by that nation against England or any other great power, to be a period referved for a future age; but as we cannot help doubting the authority of fome of thofe affertions, and as others are of fuch a nature that we can only have the author's bare word, we fhall not venture to deal in prophecy, but proceed to give our readers fome extracts, which will not be unworthy their notice. After an introduction to the subject we are prefented with the following character of Lewis XIV. Louis XIV. of France was the laft fovereign in Europe, who alarmed the other princes in it with the danger of univerfal monarchy. Born at a time when all the neighbouring courts were funk into a state of fupineness and inactivity, favourable to the projects of a young ambitious monarch, he did not fail to take the advantage of it, and indulge the fondne's he received from nature, of difplaying his power, and acting the tyrant. • His ambition was indeed well fupported by the abilities of his minifters, and the talents of his generals; but after making, for more than half a century, fuch efforts in war, and fuch profufe expences in peace, as none of his predeceffors had ever attempted, he loft, in the decline of life, that brilliant reputation of a great fovereign, with which, in the meridian of his reign, he had impofed upon and over-awed all Europe; and he defcended to his grave, not with the character of a great or wife prince, but of the best alor of majesty that ever fat upon a throne. The wife adminiftrations of Richlieu and Mazarine, the decline of the power of Spain, and many other causes, conspired together to give him a power and fuperiority, with which he long infulted all his neighbours. By nature turbulent, haughty, and infolent, he at laft became as odious to all Europe, as he ought to have been deteft deteftable to his own people, for the wanton, profuse manner in which he trifled away their blood and their treasure. But from the fplendor of his court, the magnificence of his buildings, the encouragement of arts, and by all the exterior pomp and appearance of glory and fuperior greatness, the people, through their national vanity, were fe intoxicated, and the delufion amongst them was fo general, till the last years of his reign, that, even amongst the fober thinking men, very few of them, I believe, faw half the fatal confequences that would, in time, attend a reign of more than fifty years of the most abfurd profufion, and ridiculous fplendor, that the western nations had ever been witness to. Louis XIV. of France, like Philip II. of Spain, left his fucceffor a ruined nation. He left him, what was worse, his example and his principles of government, founded in ambition, in pride, in oftentation, and all the ridiculous fhew and pageantry of state.' The author is no lefs fevere in drawing the character of the regent during the minority of the fucceeding monarch. The regent of France, during the minority of the prefent king, by nature giddy, bold, and intrepid, ignorant of the diftreffes to which the nation, by the expensive war for the Spanish fucceffion, was reduced, and hurried on by ambition to act the part of a fovereign, attempted, a few years after the tranquility of Europe was fettled by the peace of Utrecht, to tear that crown from the brows of a prince of Bourbon, fettled on the throne of Spain, which Louis XIV. had exhaufted the very vitals of his country to place there. The regent ftill did worfe. Uninformed of, and a stranger to the wife principles of a modern statesman, he gave public credit many fatal womads, which ftill are bleeding; and wantonly committed as many mistakes and frolicks with the finances of the nation, and the private fortunes of the people, as could well be preffed into o fhort an administration; for he expired, according to the anecdotes I have heard, in a rapture of pleasure, in the arms of his mistress, in the year 1722, The conduct of the regent, during the memorable tranfactions of the Miffifippi scheme, will ever remain a monument of his folly, injuftice, and ambition. The wounds he then gave to the credit of France, were bitterly felt during the late war. They are ftill felt, and will continue to be fo, whilft all the vices of the prefent form of government continue to fubfift in the nation.' The conduct of his prefent majefty, Louis XV. is reprefented as having been equally fatal to his country with that of his fucceffors. • The |