As places of amusement, there is an excellent Theatre, The Public Rooms, Billiard Tables, Libraries, and Bathing Machines; and a grand parade, in Wind Street, on the pier, and on the beach; and there is a Newspaper, The Cambrian, published every Friday; so that my dear travellers, if you are not adequately amused, I really must think it will be your own fault; yet in closing my list of information, when you have exhausted the agreeables of Swansea, apply to me, and I shall be extremely happy in accompanying you to any object of your curiosity that may lie within a reasonable distance from our present head quarters-so adieu, jusqu' an revoir !

(The vicinity of Swansea, including Britton Ferry, the Vale of Neath, and the Land of Gower, in our next.)

HORACE AT WOLLACOMBE TRACY.

ODE VII. BOOK I.

(Beginning at the 15th line.)

1.

.

As the broom of a Northeaster from the face of Pickwell skies To Plymouth sweeps the rainy cloud, piping at both eyes, So do you, my gallant PIPECLAY, keep your glass and humour dry,

And from all accustomed sorrows to your smuggled spirits fly; Whether you reviewing go, in camps a volunteer,

Or musing rove in shady grove to your reflections dear!

2.

When Sir DE TRACY, once for all determining to check it, At Canterbury shrine laid low the pride of Tom à Becket,

But heard that cool king Henry, who prompted him the deed,
Had vengeance on the perpetrators solemnly decreed,
The hero armed his vassals all with sword and pocket pistol,
And rode for life and transport to the pleasant port of Bristol,
Where he mounted a sea-horse, but the breezes in his crupper
Died away off the Flatholmes, and he went ashore to supper.

3.

There, his forehead wreathed with parsley,*-when the silent meal was done,

He rose, and cried, "Ye partners of my dangers and my fun!
Come do not be down hearted at the change in worldly things,
This world it is a weathercock, and round about it swings;
But oh! what check of fortune shall ever more disgrace ye
While ye bear the cognizance and sword of a De Tracy?
A better Saint than Becket ever was, or ever will be,
Promises a new De-Tracy-Castle ours shall still be :
So

ye, who fought with former woes, against the present brace

ye,

And huzza! for our title-deeds red-sealed with blood of

Tracy:

To-night your sorrow drown in wine-'tis care alone brings man ill

And to-morrow, boys, again we plough the roaring British Channel!

III.

-tamen uda Lyæo

Tempora populea fertur vinxisse corona,

Sic tristes adfatus amicos.

"Quo nos cumque feret melior fortuna parente,
Ibimus, O socii, comitesque.

Nil desperandum, Teucro duce, et auspice Teucro:
Certus enim promisit Apollo,

Ambiguam tellure nova Salamina futuram.
O fortes, pejoraque passi

Mecum sæpe viri, nunc vino pellite curas:
Cras ingens iterabimus æquor!"

*Probably the garnish of their cold supper-dish.

THE

LYFE OF IPOMYDON:

(AN OLD ENGLISH ROMANCE.)

WE left our poet praising the beauty of the late king of Calabria's daughter; he proceeds to describe her daintiness and difficulty on that material point, matrimony.

Dukes and kings own her command,
And emperors have sought her hand;
But rank and titles strive in vain
Calabria's princely prize to gain :
The man with her that hopes to wive,
Must be the doughtiest man alive;
Must be the first in battle fray,
Must bear the tourney prize away,
And at the feast in lordly hall,

Must win the meed of grace from all.

*

This runs smoother, but we do not like it so well as the original; but as all tastes must be humoured, we shall sometimes give a version, sometimes an abstract, as the attorneys-we beg their pardon-the solicitors say, and sometimes stick to the old text to please ourselves. This account, which would have damped most people's curiosity, had, selon les regles, quite the contrary effect with the prince of Apulia; just as a poor emetic had * when we were a little boy-we upon us took the emetic like a bad boy; but having vowed that we would not be sick, we kept our word like a good boy, and were not sick; and of all the rules of life, we think the rule of opposition is the most general-first then, the prince frightened his governor, then the governor over-persuaded the king, and the upshot of it was, that the prince of Apulia, concealing his real dignity, like the prince of Saxe Cobourg, under a travelling title, set off with his tutor for the court of Calabria, under pretence of going the Grand Tour.

The lucky dogs arrive just in pudding-time, and after a little parley with the porter of the palace, desire him to 'go into the hall.'

** Us, we, the accusative and nominative singular of the first personal pronoun, periodical and regal.

"Go into the hall

And tell thy lady gent and free,
That men come from a far country
Would, if it please her, humbly pray
To share her bounteous board to-day."
The courteous porter bowed full low;
"To do your errand sirs, I go."
Then to his lady went in haste,
Where she presided at the feast.
"God save you mistress mine," he said,
66 Strange men in strange attire arrayed,
Humbly do your highness greet,

And pray to taste your wine and meat."

The lady orders the strangers to be admitted, and Ipomydon briefly states, that hearing of her beauty and breeding, he was come to ask to be admitted to her service; he is immediately created cup-bearer, though, truly, the lady thinks that a man of his sinews and manners, scarcely came for a place only. Day after day the cup-bearer grew in favor with the princess; but as it pleased him to preserve his incognito; and as in those days it was against all rule to ask impertinent questions, the poor lady began to suffer the pains of active curiosity, and involuntary meditation.*

The lady laid her in her bed;

But sleep was from her pillow fled;

And let the lady do her best,

Still on her squire her thoughts would rest:
His manly form, beyond compare,

His graceful limbs and noble air.

It was a tantalizing case;

She knew not whence nor what he was;

But woman's ways are ever wise;

She soon contrived a quaint device.

This device (we wonder she did not think of it sooner,) is to order a hunting match; and as proficiency in all field sports, from the finding of the game down to the homely processes. which we in our refinement assign to the huntsman and cook, was a necessary accomplishment for squires of high degree in those days, the princess draws a very legitimate inference as to her cup-bearer's consequence, from the superior style in which he killed the deer, blooded the hounds, and cut up

Ha, ha, ha, good, we recommend our contributor's phrase to all young ladies, who feel that they can't help a certain “fellow running in their head strangely.”,

the venison. Upon this she promotes him to sit at table by her cousin Jason, a promising youth with whom he had become very intimate. Now we can easily imagine that in the lady's state of mind, certain unequivocal uses of the eyes might call for corresponding glances from the gentleman, and nothing more natural; but the lady's dignity came to her aid, and either ashamed or afraid of encouraging him too fast, she proceeded to give him an oblique hint, by reproving her cousin Jason for ogling one of her maids of honor. Ipomydon takes the hint, but not as the princess wished; for he takes it in great dudgeon, and pleads business at home, and leaves the lady to languish and repent her severity at leisure. When the lady found that he was gone, Oh then arose her heavy moan! "Alas, alas, and well-a-day, That for a word he went away! So fair a form, so strong a hand;

Is not again in all my land

(To be continued in our next, and following Numbers.)

PORTRAIT CHARMANT.

I.

An old maid, with a vinegar face,
An artist of merit would seek;-
So she laced herself up like a Grace,
And puffed a rose-tint on her cheek,
And hung, her decay to efface,

A lock on her brow, a l'antique.

II.

Some one recommended the fair

TO VARNISH, the Laurence of his age;
Who said, with an off-handed air,

(Being horribly given to quiz age)

"With pleasure I'll oil up your hair,

But, I cannot DISTEMPER✶ your visage !"

* A species of painting.

A FRAMER, &c.