N Monday the 26th of JUNE, take my departure from CHESTER, a city without parallel for the fingular structure of the four principal streets, which are as if excavated out of the earth, and funk many feet beneath the surface; the carriages drive far beneath the level of the kitchens, on a line with ranges of fhops, over which on each fide of the streets paffengers walk from end to end, in galleries open in front, fecure from wet or heat. The back courts of all thefe houfes are level with the ground, but to go into any of thefe four ftreets it is neceffary to defcend a flight of several steps. The Cathedral is an antient structure, very ragged on the outfide, B from CHESTER. from the nature of the red friable ftone with which it is built: the tabernacle work in the choir is very neat; but the beauty and elegant fimplicity of a very antique gothic chapter-houfe, is what merits a vifit from every traveller. The Hypocauft near the Feathers Inn, is one of the remains of the Romans, it being well known that this place was a principal ftation. Among many antiquities found here, none is more fingular than the rude fculpture of the Dea Armigera Minerva, with her bird and her altar, on the face of a rock in a small field near the Welch end of the bridge. The castle is a decaying pile. The walls of the city, the only complete specimens of antient fortifications, are kept in excellent order, being the principal walk of the inhabitants: the views from the feveral parts are very fine; the mountains of Flintshire, the hills of Broxton, and the infulated rock of Beefton, form the ruder part of the scenery; a rich flat forms the fofter view, and the profpect up the river towards Boughton recalls in fome degree the idea of the Thames and Richmond hill. Paffed through Tarvin, a small village; in the church-yard is an epitaph in memory of Mr. John Thomafen, an excellent penman, but particularly famous for his exact and elegant imitation of the Greek character. Delamere, which Leland calls a faire and large foreft, with plenty of redde deere and falow, is now a black and dreary wafte; it feeds Saxum arenarium friabile rubrum. Da Cofia, Foils. I. 139. + This city was the Deva and Devana of Antonine, and the ftation of the Legio vicefima viЯrix. a few a few rabbets, and a few black Terns* fkim over the splashes that water fome part of it. A few miles from this heath lies Northwich, a fmall town, long famous for its rock falt, and brine pits. Some years ago I vifited one of the mines; the ftratum of falt lies about forty yards deep; that which I faw was hollowed into the form of a temple. I defcended thro' a dome, and found the roof fupported by rows of pillars, about two yards thick, and several in height; the whole was illuminated with numbers of candles, and made a moft magnificent and glittering appearance. Above the falt is a bed of whitish clay †, used in making the Liverpool earthen-ware; and in the fame place is alfo dug a good deal of the Gypfum, or plaister stone. The foffil falt is generally yellow, and femipellucid, fometimes debafed with a dull greenish earth, and is often found, but in fmall quantities, quite clear and colorless. The road from this place to Macclesfield is thro' a flat, rich, but unpleasant country. That town is in a very flourishing ftate; is poffeffed of a great manufacture of mohair and twift buttons; has between twenty and thirty filk mills, and a very confiderable copper fmelting houfe, and brafs work. Here lived in great hofpitality, at his manor-houfe +, Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, a moft powerful Peer, the fad instrument of the ambition of Richard III. He was at once rewarded by that monarch || with a grant of fifty caftles and manors; but ftruck with remorfe at being acceffary to fo many crimes, fell from his allegiance, • Br. Zool. II. No. 256. King's Vale Royal. 86. + Argilla cærula-cinerea. Da Cofta, Fofils. I. 48. SALT PITS. and by a just retribution, fuffered on a fcaffold by the mere fat of his unfeeling master. In the church is the fepulchral chapel, and the magnificent monuments of the family of the Savages. In this part of the church had been a chauntry of fecular priefts, founded about 1508 by Thomas Savage, archbishop of York*, who directed that his heart should be depofited here. On a brafs plate on the wall is this comfortable advertisement of the price of remiffion of fins in the other life; it was to be wished that the expence of obtaining fo extenfive a charter from his holiness in this world had likewife been added. These are the words. The Poon for faying of 5 Pater noft and 5 aves and a creed is 26 thousand yeres and 26 dayes of Pardon. In the chapel belonging to the Leghs of Lyme is another fingular infcription and its history. Here lyeth the body of Perkin a Legb And the bones of Sir Peers his fonne That with king Henrie the fift did wonne in Paris. This Perkin ferved king Edward the third and the black Prince his fonne in all their warres in France and was at the battel of Creffie and had Lyme given him for that fervice; and after their ⚫ deathes ferved king Richard the fecond, and left him not in his Tanner, Notitia Monafl. 1744. €6. troubles, troubles, but was taken with him, and beheaded at Chefler by king Henrie the fourthe. and the fayd Sir Peers his fonne served ⚫king Henrie and was flaine at the battel of Agencourt. In their memorie Sir Peter Legh of Lyme knight defcended from them finding the fayd ould verfes written upon a ftone in this Chappel did reedifie this place An' Dni 1620.' After leaving this town, the country almost instantly changes and becomes very mountanous and barren, at left on the furface; but the bowels compensate for the external fterility, by yielding fufficient quantity of coal for the ufe of the neighboring parts of Cheshire, and for the burning of lime: vaft quantity is made near Buxton, and being carried to all parts for the purposes of agriculture, is become a confiderable article of commerce. The celebrated warm bath of BUXTON is feated in a bottom, amidst these hills, in a moft cheerlefs fpot, and would be little frequented, did not Hygeia often refide here, and difpenfe to her votaries the chief bleffings of life, eafe and health. With joy and gratitude I this moment reflect on the efficacious qualities of the waters; I recollect with rapture the return of fpirits, the flight of pain, and re-animation of my long, long-crippled rheumatic limbs. But how unfortunate is it, that what Providence defigned for the general good, should be rendered only a partial one, and denied to all, except the opulent; or I may say to the (comparatively) few that can get admittance into the house where thefe waters are im The Romans, who were remarkably fond of warm baths, did not overlook these agreeable waters: they had a bath, inclosed with a brick wall, adjacent to the present St. Anne's well, which Dr. Short, in his Essay on Mineral Waters, fays was razed in 1709. prifoned? BUXTON, |