ocality.

In fact the Sterling household was still fluctuating; the problem of a
task for Edward Sterling's powers, and of anchorage for his affairs in
any sense, was restlessly struggling to solve itself, but was still a
good way from being solved. Anthony, in revisiting these scenes with
John in 1839, mentions going to the spot "where we used to stand with
our Father, looking out for the arrival of the London mail:" a little
chink through which is disclosed to us a big restless section of a human
life. The Hill of Welsh Llanblethian, then, is like the mythic Caucasus
in its degree (as indeed all hills and habitations where men sojourn
are); and here too, on a small scale, is a Prometheus Chained! Edward
Sterling, I can well understand, was a man to tug at the chains that
held him idle in those the prime of his years; and to ask restlessly,
yet not in anger and remorse, so much as in hope, locomotive
speculation, and ever-new adventure and attempt, Is there no task nearer
my own natural size, then? So he looks out from the Hill-side "for
the arrival of the London mail;" thence hurries into Cowbridge to the
Post-office; and has a wide web, of threads and gossamers, upon his
loom, and many shuttles flying, in this world.

By the Marquis of Bute's appointment he had, very shortly after his
arrival in that region, become Adjutant of the Glamorganshire Militia,
"Local Militia," I suppose; and was, in this way, turning his military
capabilities to some use. The office involved pretty frequent absences,
in Cardiff and elsewhere. This doubtless was a welcome outlet, though
a small one. He had also begun to try writing, especially on public
subjects; a much more copious outlet,--which indeed, gradually widening
itself, became the final solution for him. Of the year 1811 we have a
Pamphlet of his, entitled _Military Reform_; this is the second edition,
"dedicated to the Duke of Kent;" the first appears to have come out the
year before, and had thus attained a certain notice, which of course was
encouraging. He now furthermore opened a correspondence with the _Times_
Newspaper; wrote to it, in 1812, a series of Letters under the signature
_Vetus_: voluntary Letters I suppose, without payment or pre-engagement,
one successful Letter calling out another; till _Vetus_ and his
doctrines came to be a distinguishable entity, and the business amounted
to something. Out of my own earliest Newspaper reading, I can remember
the name _Vetu