Cylchgronau Cymru

the; CAMBRIAN QUARTERLY MAGAZINE AXD Qttltic lUpertorg. No, 7.—JULY 1, 1830.-VoL.il. THE PEASANTRY OF WALES. That the improvement of the condition of the poor should be an object of unceasing exertion, no one will deny ; but, when we come to consider the means, we differ as widely with those who fear their advance in knowledge, as with those who would preclude them from all holier hopes: we regard Mr. Southey as the repre¬ sentative of one class, and Mr. Robert Owen as that of the other. We by no means intend to assert that either of these gentlemen have broadly and unequivocally avowed, even to themselves, the principles that we allude to. There are strong indications in the tone and demeanour of both, that they are blinded to the real purport and tendency of their own speculations: this we are bound to premise, impressed as we are with the good intentions of both. There is a peculiarity common to Mr. Southey and Mr. Owen, that they choose to utter their dark sayings in such an ambiguity of words and incidents, that it is often a matter of no small difficulty to impute to them the obnoxious sentiments that are actually con¬ veyed to your own mind: like the heroes of the Iliad, they gene¬ rally have the chance of escaping from close conflict under a cloud. We shall begin with Mr. Southey, whose fancy it is to develope all his opinions in a sort of familiar conversation with the ghost of Sir Thomas More. This spiritual personage makes his appear¬ ance before the Laureate, as he is ruminating in his study on the affairs of the nation, and a marvellously singular goblin he turns out to be : he has no dread of cock-crowing, no love of midnight, but, with that regard for attention to domestic arrangements which characterized him while living, he takes a walk with his host at a seasonable hour, makes a survey with him of the lakes and moun¬ tains of Keswick, and disputes with him on the way, " de omni NO. VII. m m