at can it be that induces people, who were probably as unpoetical as
Audrey in their lives, to wish the ornament of verse upon their
tombstones? The effect must be almost ludicrous upon those who were
acquainted with the living individual, to hear "the long resounding
march and energy divine" of heroics and Alexandrines proceeding from
him, now he is dead. Philosophy put by the epitaph-writer in the
mouths of a chaw-bacon--moral reflections on the loveliness of virtue
in the mouth of a poor-law overseer--and noble incitements to follow a
good example in the mouth of the bully or drunkard of the parish, must
be far from useful to the surviving generation. We therefore highly
approve of the remarks of a sententious gentleman in this churchyard,
who seems to lay no great claim to extraordinary merit himself, but
favours his co-parishioners with very useful advice:--

"Farewell, vain world, I've seen enough of thee,
And now am careless what thou say'st of me,--
Thy smiles I court not, nor thy frowns I fear;
My cares are past; my head lies quiet here--
What faults thou see'st in me take care to shun--
Look well at home; enough there's to be done."

By the time we had transferred these and other inscriptions to our
note-book, the party were refreshed and ready for the homeward walk.
We got over the same stiles and underwent the same dangers as before,
and happily completed our voyage of discovery to the beautiful
churchyard of Llanvair.

Day after day saw us all busy in ferreting out fine views or old
manor-houses--the little Skirrid or old Llangattock. Sometimes we
crossed the river and wandered through the delicious lanes of
Llanover, or passed through Llanellen on our way to the Blorenge. As
our courage and strength expanded, we tried bolder flights--spent a
day among the smoke and thunder of the Nantiglo ironworks--with
processions of thousands of men hurrying off amidst music, and shouts
of the most tremendous loudness, to a dinner at their club. Great,
hard-featured, savage-looking fellows they were, though in their
holiday attire, and accompanied by one or two of the Bailey
family--the real iron kings of the neighbourhood; and a sight of their
grim features and brawny arms gave us a more vivid respect for the
courage of Sir Thomas Philips, who drove them back from the sack and
massacre of Newport; and also a clearer idea of the almost justifiable
hardihood of the worshipful Mister Frost, i