[59] Walter Savage Landor.
[60] The character of Exeter has been completely changed since the period
when this letter was written; and from a town, the least attractive, for
improvements of every description it may now vie with any town in
England.
[61] Mr. Southey paid this second visit to Lisbon, accompanied by Mrs.
Southey.
[62] By comparing Mr. Cattcott's copy with the original, it appeared that
Mr. C. had very generally altered the orthography so as to give the
appearance of greater antiquity, as 'lette' or 'let,' and 'onne' for
'on,' &c.
[63] The home of an 'Ap (son of) Griffiths, ap Jones, ap Owen, ap
Thomas.' Some of the old Welsh families carry their Apping pedigrees down
to Noah, when the progress is easy to Adam. Mr. Coleridge noticed how
little diversity there was in the Welsh names. Thus in the list of
subscribers to 'Owen's Welsh Dictionary,' to which none but Welshmen
would subscribe, he found of
The letter D, of 31 names, 21 were Davis or Davies
E, 30 16 ... ... Evans
G, 30 two-thirds ... ... Griffiths
H, all Hughes and Howell
I, 66 all ... ... Jones
L, all Lloyds, except 4 Lewises, and 1 Llewellyn
M, four-fiths ... ... Morgans
O, all ... ... Owen
R, all Roberts, or Richards
T, all ... ... Thomases
V, all ... ... Vaughans
W, 64 56 ... ... Williams
Mr. Southey felt great satisfaction when he had found a house in Wales
that exactly suited him. It was half way up one of the Glamorganshire
mountains; well wooded; the immediate scenery fine; the prospect
magnificent. The rent was approved, the time of entrance arranged, when,
before the final settlement, Mr. S. thought, on a second survey, that a
small additional kitchen was essential to the comfort of the house, and
required it of the proprietor, preparatory to his taking a lease. To so
reasonable a request the honest Welshman stoutly objected; and on this
slight occurrence, depended whether the Laurent should take up, perhaps,
his permanent residence in the Principality, or wend his way northward,
and spend the last thirty years of his life in sight of Skiddaw.
[64] Wm. Churchey was a very honest worthy lawyer, of Brecon, who
unfortunately adopted the notion that he was a poet, and to substantiate
his claim published the most remarkable book the world ever saw! It was a
poem called 'Joseph,' with other poems, in 4to, and of a magnitude really
awful! a mountain among the puny race of modern books. The only copy I
ever saw was af an old book stall, and I have regretted that I did not
purchase it, and get some stout porter to carry it home. Wm. Churchey was
a friend of John Wesley. His prodigious 4to was published by
subscription, and given away at the paltry sum of one guinea. I have an
autograph letter of John Wesley, to his friend Churchey, in which he
says,
"My dear brother,
... I have procured one hundred guineas, and hope to procure fifty more.