If innocents are the favourites of Heaven,
  And God but little asks where little’s given,
  My great Creator has for me in store
  Eternal joys; what wise man can have more?

There is another head-stone, cut by him, with his name upon it, in the church of Handsworth, and are the only two known to be in existence.

Yardley, in Worcestershire, distant three miles.

The road to this village lies up Deritend and Bordesley, then crossing the Warwick canal, you leave the ruins of Bordesley-house, and when through the turnpike, there being three roads you proceed along the centre, in which there are good accommodations for the pedestrian, but the carriage road does not appear to have experienced any improvement since it was first formed; for before you reach the village, the road is for a considerable distance from twenty to forty feet below the surface of the ground, on each side of it.

The church, which is dedicated to St. Giles, is an ancient pile of building.  The tower and elegant spire above it appear at this time as firm and substantial as at their first erection, although they are so ancient that there are not any records to say when they were built:  the body of the church is not so perfect.  In the chancel there are several monuments to commemorate the Greswolds, an ancient family, formerly resident in this parish.  The patronage rests with Edmund Mesey Wigley, Esq.  The present vicar is the Rev. Joseph Fell.  Adjoining the church-yard is an half-timbered building of large dimensions, which is a free school, liberally endowed, the salary of the master being L100 per annum.

The land in this parish being very suitable for making of tiles, innumerable quantities are there manufactured, for the supply of Birmingham.

To Rowley Regis, in Staffordshire, distant seven miles.

You proceed towards Kidderminster, until you arrive at the toll-gate, two miles and a half distant, when the right hand road leads to this village; where, in all probability, there are more jew’s harps manufactured than there are in all Europe beside.

The admirer of nature, (for no art has ever been practised here,) may be gratified with various extensive and luxuriant views.  There is not any thing either in the church or in the village deserving of notice; but there is, not far distant, a rude, rugged, and misshapen mass of stone, which is situated on the summit of a hill, and projects itself several yards higher than the ground adjoining:  it is by the inhabitants denominated Rowley hail-stone; and when at a considerable distance from it, on the foot road from Dudley, it has the appearance of some considerable ruins.

From this spot the views are more extensive than can easily be imagined, over a beautiful and romantic country, Birmingham being vary visible.

[Illustration]

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W. Talbot, Printer, Exeter-row,