the Lug, the Mynnow, and the Frome, all of which abound in fish.

The city of Hereford is now of little importance, and none of the towns in Herefordshire are considerable; for, as agriculture is the chief occupation of the inhabitants, they do not employ themselves in manufactures.

The town of Ross, on the river Wye, deserves notice, as having been the residence of Mr. Kyrle, whom Pope has celebrated under the title of the Man of Ross.

WILLIAM.

There is only one other county, Monmouthshire, on the borders of Wales.

MOTHER.

The boundaries of Monmouthshire are nearly all rivers; the Wye and Mynnow to the east and north-east, and the Rumney to the west. It is bounded on the south by the Bristol Channel. The principal towns stand upon the banks of the rivers Usk and Wye, Sheep, goats, and cows, are fed upon the hills; and the vallies produce grass and corn. The chief manufacture of the county is flannel.

Monmouth, the county town, is situated in an

angle between the Mynnow and the Wye; King Henry the Fifth was born in its castle from whence he was called Henry of Monmouth.

Chepstow, on the Wye, is the port for all the other towns on the Wye and the Lug. The ruins of Chepstow Castle, and Tintern Abbey, overlook the Wye, and are very beautifully situated.

Pont-y-pool, on the river Avon, is remarkable for its manufactory of japanned ware and its iron mills.

Nottinghamshire, the most northern, is surrounded by the counties of York, Lincoln, Leicester, and Derby. The Trent, a large navigable river, runs through the whole county from southwest to north-east, where it is joined by the river Idle. Almost the whole of the middle and western parts of the county were formerly occupied by the extensive forest of Sherwood, which is the only royal forest north of the Trent; but the wood has been cleared away in so many places

that it is much smaller than it was. The Vale of Belvoir, pronounced Beavor, is on the opposite side of the Trent.

WILLIAM.

Sherwood Forest was where Robin Hood and his companions had so many adventures.

MOTHER.

So it is said; but you must recollect that most of these adventures are fabulous.

The town of Nottingham is built near the river Trent, upon a rock, on the highest part of which stands the castle, belonging to the Duke of Newcastle. Nottingham is famous for the manufacture of silk and cotton stockings, and of patent lace and net. It was in this town, that Charles the First set up his standard, at the beginning of the war between him and his parliament.

There was once a magnificent castle at Newark, a small town to the east of the river Trent; but now it is quite in ruins. King John died at Newark, and it was here that Charles the First gave himself up to the Scotch army, by whom he was afterwards betrayed into the hands of his enemies. There is a fine church in the town, built by King Henry the Fourth.

To the west of Nottinghamshire, you will find Derbyshire. This county contains a great many natural curiosities, and the north-western part, called the Peak, is one of the most curious mountainous districts in England.

The principal rivers in Derbyshire, are the Derwent, and the Dove. Upon the Derwent stands Derby, the county town, which is well known from its marble, spar, crystal, and fine porcelain works. Derby contains the first silk-mill that was ever erected in England. It was constructed in the year 1734, by Sir Thomas Lomb, from a model which he procured in Italy.

Several other towns in Derbyshire are famous for potteries. Both lead and iron are found in considerable quantities in the northern parts of the county, and at Ecton Hill, near the river Dove, a valuable copper-mine was discovered some years ago, which has been very productive. It is the deepest mine in Great Britain, the works being four hundred and fifty feet beneath the river.

Matlock on the Derwent, and Buxton on the Wye, are much frequented on account of their warm mineral springs. The country round Matlock is extremely beautiful, but the neighbourhood of Buxton is bleak.