LIFE has not unaptly been compared to a

journey. The resemblance, indeed, is so

striking, that moralists of all ages and descriptions have made the comparison, and run the parallel between them. In both states, changes, chances, and accidents perpetually occur; and storms and serenity, rain and sunshine, inconvenience and comfort, fatigue and pleasure,

D

succeed each other in constant alternation. Such being the inevitable course of human affairs, it is absolutely necessary for the traveller, in either case, if he would pursue his journey in any comfort, to bring his mind to such a disposition, as shall enable him to enjoy the agreeable, and meet the unpleasant with patience.

Hitherto, indeed, we have had no occasion for the exercise of this virtue; our journey is but just commenced, and our hours, like the halcyon days of youth, have, as yet, passed without a cloud. Much of our pleasure has arisen from an accidental addition to our party, the two younger Mr. Th-m-s's, of P―lt-ch, Glamorganshire, who yesterday morning joined us at Cowbridge. Their society has been of material use, as well as productive of great satisfaction to us, since an intimate acquaintance with this part of Wales enables them to point out a variety of minute objects of curiosity, which, without such an assistance to our enquiries, would probably escape the notice of strangers.

We quitted Newport the 9th, and proceeded through a pleasant country towards Caerphilly, a town on the eastern confines of

Glamorganshire. Our walk afforded but little room for remark, the scenery being tame, and the population scanty, compared with the tract we had hitherto past. An agreeable and lively effect, however, in the landscape, arises from a practice, which is become very common among the Welsh peasantry; a great object of their ambition (would to heaven all ambition were equally innocent!) is to render their little dwellings conspicuous, by coating them with whitewash. This gives a great appearance of neatness and cleanliness to the cottages, and at the same time adds to the picturesque of the country; for although a great breadth of white, produced either by a number of houses grouped together and whitewashed, or by a large single mansion covered in the same glaring manner, be disgusting to true taste, yet small detached cottages thus coloured, sprinkled through wooded valleys, or studding the broad sides of verdant mountains, produce a relief and contrast in the scenery that are highly gratifying to the eye.

About ten miles from Newport we crossed the river Rumney, entered Glamorganshire, and soon had a view of the town of Caerphilly, and the august remains of its ancient castle,

This place is situated in a broad valley, or rather an extensive flat, and surrounded by mountains barren and dark. At the first glance, after our entrance into Caerphilly, we had occasion to remark the very singular alteration for the better, which had taken place in it since the period of Mr. Windham's tour, about twenty years ago. The town is now neat, clean, and has many decent houses. An easy communication may be had with its inhabitants, most of whom speak English; and an admirable repast, served up with cleanliness and comfort, evinced an house of entertainment above the common run of village inns. After our collation, we visited the castle, and were much struck with the stupendous scene of ruins which it displayed. A minute description of their several parts would not be very difficult, since I conceive the ichnography might, with some industry, be ascertained; but such is their extent, that it would be quite incompatible with the size of a moderate letter. One grand idea of the immensity of this fortress is conveyed to the mind by the information of the village antiquary, who shews the ruins, and tells the astonished spectator that they are one mile and a quarter in circumference, and sufficiently

large to accommodate a garrison of twenty thousand men. The hanging tower, as it is called, cannot be viewed without wonder. It is a huge circular building, with walls above ten feet thick, which, probably, by the application of the mighty force of an ancient military engine, had been torn from its foundation, but, by some inconceivable means found a support in the earth, when, as it should seem, it was in the act of falling; and now remains immovably fixed there, though standing no less than eleven feet six inches out of the perpendicular. The majestic remains of the hall, its beautiful clustered pillars, and the elegant form of its windows, in which the Gothic and Saracenic styles are most tastefully combined, bear ample testimony to the perfection of the architecture of the age in which Caerphilly castle was constructed.

To determine exactly this æra, would be more difficult than to describe its ruins, as no data for that purpose can be gathered from history. There are reasons, however, for indulging a conjecture that the Normans were the first people who erected a castle at this place. That Caerphilly, stupendous as it is, should have been built by the Welsh princes,