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Where the soul's glory shines with clearer beam,
Than in our sea-zon'd bulwark of the west,
When, in this Cambrian Valley, Virtue shows
Where, in her own soft sex, its steadiest lustre glows?

Say, ivied Valle Crucis, time-decay'd,

Dim on the brink of Deva's wandering floods, Your riv'd arch glimmering thro' the tangled glade, Your grey hills towering o'er your night of woods, Deep in the Vale's recesses as you stand,

And, desolately great, the rising sigh command,

Say, lonely, ruin'd pile, when former years
Saw your pale train at midnight altars bow;

Saw Superstition frown upon the tears

That mourn'd the rash irrevocable vow,

Wore one young lip gay ELEANORA's smile?
Did ZARA's look serene one tedious hour beguile?

For your sad sons, nor Science wak'd her

powers;

Nor e'er did Art her lively spells display;

But the grim idol vainly lash'd the hours
That dragg'd the mute, and melancholy day;

1. 5. Valle Crucis-The picturesque ruins of Valle Crucis Abbey, one of the most striking objects in this Valley. They are particularly described by Mr PENNANT, and there are engravings of them in his Tour.

1. 19. Grim Idol-Superstition.

10

Dropt her dark cowl on each devoted head,
That o'er the breathing corse a pall eternal spread.

This gentle pair no glooms of thought infest,
Nor Bigotry, nor Envy's sullen gleam
Shed withering influence on the effort blest,
Which most should win the other's dear esteem,
By added knowledge, by endowment high,
By Charity's warm boon, and Pity's soothing sigh.

Then how should Summer-day or Winter-night,

Seem long to them who thus can wing their hours! O! ne'er may pain, or sorrow's cruel blight,

Breathe the dark mildew thro' these lovely bowers, But lengthen❜d life subside in soft decay, Illumed by rising Hope, and Faith's pervading ray.

May one kind ice-bolt, from the mortal stores,
Arrest each vital current as it flows,

That no sad course of desolated hours

Here vainly nurse the unsubsiding woes! While all who honour Virtue, gently mourn LLANGOLLEN's vanish'd Pair, and wreath their sacred urn.

VERSES

ON

WREXHAM,

AND THE INHABITANTS OF ITS ENVIRONS.

PROUD of her ancient race, Britannia shows
Where, in her Wales, another Eden glows,
And all her sons, to truth, and honour dear,
Prove they deserve the paradise they share.

Thrice happy Wrexham, 'mid thy neighbouring

groves

Stray, with 'twin'd arms, the Virtues, and the Loves, There FLETCHER, from her own Gwernheyled,

beams,

Fair as its meads, and liberal as its streams;

1.8. There Fletcher-Mrs Fletcher of Gwernheyled-Gwern. heyled, means Sunny Alders.

VOL. III.

The Sister APPERLYS, in youth's soft morn,
With rising charms the festal scenes adorn ;
And friendly PRICE, as happy, free, and gay,
As when, in life and beauty's rosy May,
She shone, the Hebe of her green retreat,
With half the youth of Cambria at her feet.
See CUNLIFFE's eyes diffuse the gladdening ray,
And shed around her Pleasure's golden day;
Meridian loveliness, majestic grace,

Stream o'er her form, and lighten in her face;
While Sense and Virtue's blended influence dart
The look, the voice, resistless to the heart.

Nor only, WREXHAM, do thy circling groves Boast the fair virtues, and the radiant loves, There HAYMAN's song, with its enchanting powers, Floats thro' thy vales, thy mansions, and thy bowers; Her hallow'd temple there Religion shows, That erst with beauteous majesty arose In ancient days, when Gothic art display'd Her fanes, in airy elegance array'd,

1.1. Sister Apperlys-The two Miss Apperlys.

1. 3. Friendly Price Mrs Parry Price, late of that neighbourhood.

1. 7. Cunliffe's eyes-The Lady of Sir Foster Cunliffe, Ba

ronet.

1, 15. Hayman's song-Watkin Hayman, Esq.

Whose nameless charms the Dorian claims efface,
Corinthian splendour and Ionic grace;

Then plied, with curious skill, now rarely shown,
Th' adorning chissel, o'er the yielding stone.
But as those Graces which alone delight
With their fine forms the captivated sight,
Must not aspire to emulate the art

That, while it charms the eye, pervades the heart,
See Gothic elegance the palm resigns,
When Art in intellectual greatness shines.
Bright as in Albion's long distinguish'd fanes,
Within these holy walls, she lives, she reigns.
Her sainted Maid, amid the bursting tomb,
Hears the last Trumpet thrill its murky gloom,
With smile triumphant over Death and Time,
Lifts the rapt eye, and rears the form sublime.

WREXHAM, for thee thus rose, by mental power, Fair modern Science o'er the Arts of yore; For thee exulting she entwines the wreaths, As Sculpture speaks, and heavenly Music breathes, Since great ROUBILLIAC decks thy sacred Shrine, And Genius wakes thy RANDAL'S Harp divine.

1. 11. Albion's long distinguish'd fanes-Westminster. 1. 13. Sainted Maid-Mrs Mary Middleton's monument by Roubilliac, in the Chancel at Wrexham,

1. 22. Randal's Harp-Mr Randal, organist of Wrexham ; an exquisite performer on the pedal harp. He has been blind from his infancy.

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