shoulder to shoulder, and when one party gave way, the other would press tumultuously on, till all fell in a promiscuous heap. Then the victorious party, rising from off their fallen antagonists, would shout, vociferating huzzás, throwing their hats into the air, and making it ring with Mills! Mills! or Parry ! Parry! according as one or the other prevailed. In these contests, which appeared to be, in the main, rather good natured, individuals occasionally kindled into rage, and bloody noses, and torn coats and shirts. were usually the consequence. I saw one man who had lost hálf his coat and half his shirt, and his bleeding back and face were marked with the talons of some rival voter. Although it was a lamentable picture of human nature, one could not but consider it as a well acted farce, and notwithstanding the regret which one educated a republican would feel at the gross abuse of the highest republican privilege, it was impossible to help laughing at so ludicrous a scene. The mob were all monarchs, for they were "all noisy and all drunk." The alternate victors, in the intervals of the contests, sung a kind of chorus, with loud acclamations, frantic gestures, and convulsive expressions of joy in their features. The bottle went merrily round, over the heads of the populace, and it was amusing enough to see the address used to get it to the mouth. The crowd was so great, and such the eagerness to seize the bottle, that it was constantly held up, at arm's length, above the head, and thus it moved on in the air, one man wresting it from another, and sometimes half a dozen hands had hold of it at once. At length some one more resolute than his neighbours, or less drunk than they, would grasp the bottle, and when, with

much effort, it had acquired a determinate direction towards a particular throat, so great was the justling and shoving, that the wide mouthed expectant would sometimes make several unsuccessful attempts to close his lips upon the nozzle, and in the mean time, the liquor would be running in streams into his face and bosom.

Even the softer sex seemed to be inspired with the madness of the occasion. They were to be seen standing on heads of barrels, on the street-railings, and wherever else they could find situations a little more elevated and secure than the ground; and occasionally they mixed with the crowd, joined in the strife and acclamations, and encouraged their husbands, brothers, and lovers by reproaches and praises, frowns and ap. plauses, according as the parties whose cause they fa voured were victorious or defeated.

The parties were very nearly equal in numbers, the contest had already continged several days, and it was thought it would cost Mr. Parry 20,000l. He was present and was pointed out to me, standing among the crowd. I know not whether this election is to be regarded as a fair sample of similar things in England, but I recollect to have heard a gentleman say, at Liverpool, that these contests sometimes end in blood; that he had seen them, on some occasions, unpave⚫a whole street, when every window and lamp would fly to pieces. Such violences of course endanger life, and if no fatal consequences ensue, it is not because they might not have been expected.

They informed me at Coventry that Mr. Parry was supported by a powerful money interest, and might therefore prevail, but, that Mr. Mills was universally

preferred by the more considerate and substantial part of the community.*

At 3 o'clock we proceeded through a country less fertile than that which we had passed in the morning; the village of Meriden came in our way, but no town of any importance occurred before we reached Bir mingham, which we did at half past 5 o'clock, P. M.

* I understood, after my arrival in London, that Mr. Mills gained the election.

No. X.-BIRMINGHAM TO LONDON.

Birmingham....Watt and Bolton.......Dr. Priestley....Ride to Oxford....Stratford on Avon....Caution in descending hills.... Woodstock....Oxford....Costume of the academies....Grandeur and beauty of the town....Ride to London....Henley.... Beauty of the country....A beggar....Approach to the metropolis....Equipages....Hounslow heath.... Arrival in London..

BIRMINGHAM.

The environs of this town, which stands on a side hill, are very beautiful. As we approached, we discovered it to be a great city, apparently equal in exteht to New-York or Philadelphia. Its population is about 73,000. The lower town, which is the old part, is crowded and dirty; it is filled with work-shops and ware-houses. Indeed, had we not known that we had arrived in a great manufacturing town the fact would have been sufficiently announced, by the disagreeable fumes and mixed effluvia which loaded the air as we drove into the thicket of houses, and by the fuliginous

tinge which every thing had acquired. You will doubt. less think it strange that I have seen almost nothing of the manufactures of Birmingham, celebrated as it is all over the world for its curious productions, especially those formed from the various metals. The highly characteristic designation of Mr. Burke is not less trite than it is just, for Birmingham is not merely the toy-shop of Europe, it is almost the toy-shop of the world. It is needless to remind you that it is in this town that Watt and Bolton have, by means of the steam engine, given a facility and expedition to manufacturing industry, which was totally unknown before. I had however no hopes of seeing their establishment, as they deny admittance to all, without distinction. It is said that the Duke of Norfolk lately made a journey from London, on purpose to see these works, but was denied admittance. It was however my plan to have stayed at Birmingham several days, but circumstances, which it is unnecessary to mention here, rendered it indispensable that I should proceed immediately to London. From personal observation, I know there. fore nothing more of Birmingham than what could be learned in somewhat less than two hours, which were spent principally in walking about the streets. The higher part of the town contains many new streets, in which the buildings are regular and handsome. In the vicinity of the city, they pointed out to me the ruins of a country seat, destroyed by the mob which burnt Dr. Priestley's house. Such Vandalism is disgraceful to the age, and has left a serious stain on Birmingham.

After tea, finding a stage coach just setting out for Oxford, I took my scat in that, at 7 o'clock in the evening.

The night was dark and inclement, but four of us rode very comfortably inside, while our fellow-travellers, on the roof, (among whom were several females,) were drenched by a cold rain. It was a subject of serious regret that I was compelled to go through any part of England in the dark. Of the country through which I thus passed, without seeing it, I shall say little more than that we supped in the town of Stratford on Avon, memorable as having been the birth place of Shakspeare. They pointed out the cluster of houses, in one of which he was born. It was midnight when we arrived in the town; except at the inn, the inhabi- . tants were all asleep, and therefore I could not visit Shakspeare's monument, which is still standing in the church.

We passed through many towns and villages, and over a country in some places very hilly. They took the wise precaution of chaining a wheel at the top of every steep hill, a practice which is common in England, and which is rendered doubly necessary by the great weight of people and luggage which an English stage coach carries on its roof. I have been one of a party of eighteen, twelve of whom were on the top.

May 19.-The day had dawned when we drove into Woodstock, and, through the grey of the morning, we glanced at the magnificent palace of the great Duke of Marlborough, erected for him by the nation, to commemorate the most splendid of his victories, and distinguished by the triumphant appellation of Blenheim Palace.

We feel strongly the vanity of military glory, when we remember that this great man now lies as low as the thousands who died on the fields of Blenheim !