POOR RATES. SCHOOL. folemnly tolled. The third is a merry peal, rung at the request of the relations; as if, Scythian like, they rejoiced at the efcape of the departed out of this troublefome world. BELL-CORN is a small perquifite belonging to the clerk of certain parishes. I cannot learn the origin. HANGING up against the wall is an imperfect table of benefactors. The annual revenue in interest and land is 68 l. yet the poor's rates are alarmingly high. In the beginning of the prefent century poor rates had not taken place. Collections were made in the church for the fick and the aged. Filial piety had at that time full poffeffion of the breafts of the children, or great affection on the part of more diftant relations, and the pangs of poverty were as much as poffible alleviated. There was also a laudable pride in them, which made them above fuffering their friends to be a burden to their fellow parishioners; all this gradually ceased, and the warmth of natural affection foon quite difappeared. I cannot but mention an inftance of the rapid increase of taxes in my days. In the year 1756 William Lloyd, smith, was one of the overfeers of the poor; at that time the annual tax was only 69l. 35. 1 d. He was appointed again overfeer in the year 1783, when the tax was increafed to 600l. William Lloyd is now living, but the books prove the exactness of the affertion. In the village is the fchool. It was founded by Mary Bradfhaw, widow of Thomas Williams, of Mostyn Gate, who bequeathed by will, dated 1745, the interest of 141 . to be paid to the maf1. ter of the said school, for inftructing for ever, annually, fourteen children, who are inftructed in reading and writing English, and accounts. accounts. The present school-house was built by Pyers Jones, an opulent farmer of this parifh, who alfo bestowed a very handfome brass chandelier on the church. In this and a few other of the mineral parishes, is a Cymdei thos, or club, inftituted in 1766, for the fupport of the members in cafe of illness, or any accidents, provided they are not contracted by intemperance, fighting, or any immoral act. Our club consists of 240 members, each of whom contributes monthly 8 d. which is put into a box locked with three keys; two are kept by the stewards, and the third by the perfon to whom the box is intrusted, so that all three must be prefent at the taking out or putting in of any money. The club has been of late years fortunate enough to have faved three hundred pounds, which is put out on good fecurity, and kept in reserve against any calamitous times, fuch as seasons of sickness, or uncommon fucceffions of accidents. IN cafe of illness a certain allowance is made till the time of their recovery, or till they are deemed incurable. In the last cafe they are allowed two fhillings and fix-pence for life. In case of death forty fhillings is paid for funeral expences, and a fum to the widow proportionable to the time the husband had been member of the club. WHENEVER the business requires a meeting, the steward muft bring with him the tankard of ale, and a very small cup, in order that the members may not exceed the bounds of temperance. IF any member comes to the club in liquor, he forfeits twopence; if he speaks ill of government, or abuses any body, or curfes and fwears, or will not hold his tongue when required by the CLUB. CATHERINE the stewards, he forfeits two-pence for every offence. In a word, every caution is obferved to preferve the rules of morality in this. our parochial fociety. Finally, there is a great annual meeting. on New-Year's Day, in which every member attends. Every one appears neatly dreffed, carrying a wand gaily painted, and make altogether a moft refpectable figure, ranged in two lines from the porch door to that of the church. I STEP into the church-yard, and figh over the number of departed which fill the inevitable retreat. In no diftant time the north fide, like thofe of all other Welsh churches, was, through fome fuperftition, to be occupied only by perfons executed, or by fuicides. It is now nearly as much crowded as the other parts. The most remarkable infcription is on a head-ftone fet up by myself. 'HERE lyeth the body of Catherine Morris, otherwife Gofe, who during fixty years, to the best of her abilities, discharged the duties of a good and faithful fervant in the family of Bychton, died August 3d, 1767, 'aged 106.' THIS Ante-diluvian was one of thofe characters mifnamed fools, a mixture of weakness, with much acuteness and strong expreffions, often highly diverting to the company. The addition to her name of Gors was from her coming from Cors-y-gedol, in Merionethfhire, into our fervice. ON an old altar-tomb, on the fouth-fide of the church, is the following infcription: • Hic |