r^^^^^l ^ ^H ^Mi... J N r t,5 ^ /p»3 smmimY^f views. jJirtiuTsqur *§)rnuTn. cToUm-s, (Lastlrs, ^rab of tbr .Volnlitn s'vO'oriitqj, ^ ■ -^ ( 3^ituimtii:ei,NV. yv)^- — K ) ^ J > JAFM]1CA1L JDEse^?^^^,, 'iV/- O.V, A- ^'-^*„,, -'«' irificra m*;iv.i,K i^r^. [ii.-liuiy :^q-U3rt' LIBRARY LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CAMPORNIA' SANTA BARIiARA NORTH WALES. LIST OF ENGRAVINGS. Vignette, Menai Straits Pont Aberglaslyn Caernarvonshire Abermaw, or Barmouth Merionethshire Pont y Cyssyllte Denbighshire Rhuddlan Castle - Fhntshire Llangollen Ditto Llyn Tegid, or Bala Lake Merionethshire Tower of Wrexham Church - Ditto Menai Bridge St. Winifred's WeU - Flintshire Beddgelert - Caernarvonshire Beaumaris ... Isle of Anglesea Llyu Idwal - Ditto Entrance to Beaumaris Castle Ditto Tremadoc - Ditto St. Asaph Flintshire Rhaiadyr da - Merionethshire St. Asaph Cathedral - Ditto FHnt ■ - - Flintshire Welsh Pool Montgomeryshire Flint Castle - Ditto Powis Castle ... Ditto Llanrwst Bridge .- Denbighshire Pont y Rhydlanfair Caernarvonshire Llanrwst Church - Ditto Pistill y Caen Merionethshire Bangor - Caernarvonshire Caernarvon Caemarv'onshire Bangor Cathedral - Ditto Caernarvon Castle Ditto Denbigh Castle - Denbighshire Remains of Castell Dinas Bran , Denbighshire Denbigh - - Ditto Eagle Tower, Caernarvon Castle, Caemarvonsliire View near Aber - Caernarvonshire Bangor Iscoed - Flintshire Llyn Gwynant - Ditto Holt .... Denbighshire Overton Church - Flintshire Chirk Castle Ditto '\''alle Crucis Abbey - Denbighshire Corwen .... Merionethshire Snowdon, from Capel Curig - Caernarvonshire Harlech Castle, from the Tremadoc Road, Ditto Fall of the Ogwen - Ditto Remains of Dyserth Castle - Flintshire Pont y Glyn - Denbighshire Ruthin Castle - Denbighshire 3 c LIST OF ENGRAVINGS. Hawarden Castle Suspension Bridge, Conway Conway Castle - Llyn Ogwen Gwrj-ch, near Abergele Rhuabon . - - Llantisilio Church Mold Harlech Castle - Wjmnstay Northop Penmaea Mawr - Criccieth Castle - Caergwrle Pont y Pair Plas Newj'dd Basingwerk Abbey Bettws y Coed - Tal y Llyn Town Hall, Rutliin Wrexham Flintshire Caemanonshire Ditto Ditto Denbighshire Ditto Ditto Flintshire Merionethshire Denbighshire Flintshire Caernarvonshire Ditto Flintshire Caernarvonshire Denbighshire Flintshire Caemar\'onshire Merionethshire Denbighshire Ditto Penrhyn Castle - - - Llangollen Church Machynlleth ... Llanberis Lake - Dolgellau ... Llanellt3d Church ^'ie^v in the Vale of Llangollen, Chirk Aqueduct Pass of Llanberis Khaiadyr y Wenol Holyhead Harbour South Stack Light-house Cader Idris ... Llanfachreth Church - Fall of the Conway V'iew in the Vale of Beddgelert, Montgomery . - - Glan Severn . - - Bcrriew, or Aber-Rhicw View on the Rhiew Caernarvonshire Denbighshire Montgomeryshire Caernarvonshire Merionethshire Ditto Denbighshire Ditto Caernarvonshire Ditto Isle of Anglesea Ditto Merionethshire Ditto Caernarvonshire Ditto. Montgomerysliire Ditto Ditto Ditto SOUTH WALES. LIST OF ENGRAVINGS. BRECKNOCKSHIRE. Crickhowel Crickhowel Castle Brecknock Tretwr Craig y Dinas Builth Hay Hay Church Pont Neath Faughan Port yr Ogof Upper Fall of the Hepste -Lower Fall of Ditto CAERMARTHENSHIRE. Caermarthen Vale of the Towy Kidwelly Castle and Bridge Llanstephan Llanstephan Castle Sands at Llanstephan Llandoveiy Castle Gronger Hill Llanghame Castle Caer Ceniiin Castle CARDIGANSHIRE. Cardigan Aberystwith Fall at Pont y Monach Pont y Monach, or Devil's Bridge , St. David's College, Lampeter Hafod House Remains of Aberystwith Castle Vale of the Rhydiol Fall of the Teify Kenarth Bridge Llanbadern Vawr Vale of the Teify, near Newcastle Abearon Newcastle, in Emlyn Plas Crug, near Aberystwith Llanfihangel Genaur Glynn GLAMORGANSHIRE. Vignette — Arthur's Stone, near Swansea Ostermouth Castle Remains of Neath Abbey Part of Neath Abbey Crypt of Neath Abbey Cardiff Cardiff Castle Remains of Cardiff Castle Entrance to Swansea Harbour Swansea Castle Mumbles Light House Mill at Abedylais Pont y Prydd Margam Church Remains of the Cloisters ofMargara Abbey Caerphilli Castle Caerphilli Melincourt Fall, Vale of Neath Cascade at Aberdillis, Ditto Castle and Church, St. Donat's Light Houses at Nash Point, Ditto Vale of the Taff Aqueduct on the Taff View near Newbridge Berw Rhonda Cowbridge Llanblethan Llantwit Major Town Hall, Ditto Llantrissant Bridgend Merthyr Tydvil LIST OF ENGRAVINGS. C\-farth3 Castle, MerthyrTydvil Penrice Castle Ewenny Priory Coity Castle St. Quiniin's Castle, near Cow- bridge Llandaff Catliedral Ancient Cross at St. Donat's. MONMOUTHSHIRE. Chepstow Chepstow Castle Tintern Tintem Abbey Interior of Ditto West Window of Ditto Abergavenny Sugar Loaf and Skyrrid Mountains Mathem Mathem Palace Ragland Ragland Castle Keep of Ditto Gate and Bridge over the Monnow Usk View from the Castle, Usk Llanthony Abbey Ditto, West Front Caerleon Newport Caldecot Castle, Caldecot Level Sudbrook Chapel, on Ditto View near Pont y Pool Nant y Glo Abcrjstwith, or Blaneau Gwent View in Coldbrook Vale PEMBROKESHIRE. Pembroke Town and Castle Pembroke, looking West Kilgerrcn Castle Remains of St. Dogmael's Priory Lamphey Palace Pille Priory St. Gowan's Chapel Sainted Well at St. Gowan's Lawhaden Castle Pembroke Milford Haven Newport Caldy Island Remains of Haverfordwest Priory Tenby Inner Court of Manorbeer Castle ! St. David's Cathedral Bishop's Palace, St. David's I St. Catherine's Island i Narberth Castle I Nave of St. David's Cathedral St. Mary's College, St. David's Fishguard, Upper and Lower Town Entrance to the Harbour of Fish- guard Solva Dinas Carew Castle Ditto, General View RADNORSHIRE. Aber Edwy, or Abereddow Church The Wye at Aberedwy Old Radnor Rhaiadyr Bridge View near Rhaiadyr New Radnor \oU — The Binder is rctjucslcd to cancel the former Lists, and substitute the present; and place the fignette Title to South Wales, after Sig. *2 R. The Work may be bound in either one or two Volumes, OS preferred. CAMBRIA. On SCENES like these the eye dehghts to dwell; Here loud cascades — and there the silent dell Mountains of tow'ring height — fantastic shape, At whose broad base, terrific CHASMS gape: Hills, clothed in gayest verdure, smile serene. Whilst rude and barren ROCKS, contrast the scene. Varied by light and shade's perpetual change. The enraptured artist finds an endless range. WALES, whether considei-ed with reference to the nature of the country, its picturesque scenery, geograpliical features, or rare productions, independent of its history, as a people whose circumstances, actions, and fate, stand single and imparaUeled in the annals of the world, possesses peculiar interest, and is of the highest possible importance. Varied as is the face of it, with moimtains, woods, rivers, lakes, and cataracts, it becomes particularly inviting to the artist, or the admirer of Nature ; and the ntimerous vestiges of antiquity, wliich lead reflection back to the scenes and transactions of remote periods, are calcxdated stronglv to arrest the attention of the historian and antiquary to a country long the asylum of freedom and religion ; to a nation which, from the earliest period of its existence, was distinguished by independency of spirit, — which for ages defended the rights of Natiu-e, and, as in the recent case of France, hurled defiance against the oppressors of mankind. Antiquaries have been divided in their opinions respecting the origin of the names Cambria or Wales, usually given to that portion of Britain situated to the west of the rivers Severn and Dee. The derivation, however, of the former is cleai-ly' deduced from the original inhabi- tants having been a tribe of the Celtae or Gatds, known under the denomination of Cymbri and Cymri ; whence the Romans, agreeable to the genius of their language, would call the country inhabited by such people, in Latin, Cambria. As to the latter term, which the Saxons appear to have appUed to this territory, and also to Danmonium, wliich comprised Devon- shire and Cornwall, the etymology is not so obviously manifest. It has been by some writers observed, that Walsh, in the northern languages of Europe, signifies a stranger, and the CAMBRIA. Britoiis being totally unlike their conquerors, in speech and customs, were, from that dissimi- larity, called JVtls/i, and tlieir country, JVaks. Otliers, dissatisfied with this opinion, suppose, from the apparent conformity in language and manners between these Britons and the Gaids, the Saxons gave them the same appellation. But the learned Sunnier remarks upon this supposition, that the Saxon conquerors did not so designate them till they had expelled them beyond the Severn; that the Saxon \erb iveallan means, to tuander ; and that by tliis denomination they intended to brand them as fugiti^•es. A more modern antiijuary, how- ever, contends, tluit the name was applied to the Britons much earlier than is stated by Mr. Sumner ; for tlie Saxon clu-onicle mentions the Britons by the title of Brit-walas, or Brit- walana, and frequently speaks of the troops under Hengist and Ella, almost at the com- mencement of the war witli the Britons, as having routed the JJ'eakis, JVi/lishe, or Welsh, in Kent and Sussex. The deuoniination of the Britons among themselves, as well as neigh- bouring nations, was populai'ly Gall or JFall. Tliis appellation, which extended over all the British isles, and a considerable portion of the continent, has been frequently attempted to be explained by the philological critics both at home and abroad ; but its meaning still remains veiled in obscurity. Caesar and Tacitus deduce the origin of the Britons from the Gauls, froiu the vicinity of the two countries, and the similarity of manners and duiracter; but a stronger argiunent is foimd in the national appellation of Gael and Gaul, equ;illy assmned by both people. The great current of European population, obviously, for centuries, took a direction to the west ; and the British Isles were evidently replenished from the adjacent shores of Gaid. When the first migration happened, or what, previous to the Christian era, was the state of society in Britain, is referable to a general description of the Island. WTio were the inlial>itants of Cambria, and what their national condition and character, at the period the Uoiuans invaded this part of the country, are subjects for present consideration. It will appear, that the inhabitants of Wales were part of the aboriginal possessors, ami whose nundiers nnist have been greatly increased by tiiose Britons, who, retreating before the vlitorio\is Romans, fled to tills district, as a dernier resort, to preserve their independence. After tlie invaders had secured tiie central part of Britain, by forming stations, and a]ip(>intlng garrisons, and given to it the name ui Brilaniiiu prima, they tiien turned tiieir attention to tlie reduction of tlic luiconquered portion, lying west of the Severn. Wlien Ostorius, the Roman general, took a survey of this coinitry, whicli he was sent with an army to subdue, he found it possessed by tliree tribes of people, denominated, from tliclr respective districts, Ordoviccs, Si/urcs, and J)iint:ffr. i he Ordoviccs at the Roman invasion wtu'e in possession of iJl the country comprised in the prcsi'iit North Wales, viz. the counties of Anglesea, Cawn;irvon, Montgomery, Merio- iietli, Deidiigli, and Mint, except a small part of the latter adjacent to Bangor, occupied by the Camabii, and all those parts of Shropshire situated to tiie south and west of the Severn. ( auideri attcmpti* to derivf; their appellative flistinction from the people having originally •rttlfcd upon tin- rivii Ihvi, whence they were called Oar-dui, in British signifying on the CAMBRIA. 3 Devi, and thence Ordevices : as the Americans wore so denominated from inhabiting the sea-coasts ; the Averni, upon the river Avernus ; and the Horesci, on the banks of the Esk. But another and more probable etymolog-y has been advanced by other writers. Bede men- tions two British tribes under the names of the Huiccii, Wiccii, Vicii, and Vices; the one inhabiting Warwickshire and Worcestershire, and having' for their capital Brannogeniuni, tiie city of Worcester ; and the other, the country to the north-west of it, from which cir- cumstance, or the mountainous state of their country, they received the appellations o( Ard, or Qrdovices, that is, the Northern or Upper Vices. The Si/ures possessed, according to Ptolemy, the district at present comprising the coun- ties of Hereford, Radnor, Brecknock, Monmouth, and Glamorgan, and the small portion of Gloucestershire west of the Severn; and had for their capital Caer Gwent, in Monmouth- sliire. The name of this tribe has been a subject of much antiquarian research, after all which, Camden confesses, he could find no derivation that in the least corresponded with thi> nature of the people. The name, by some, has been derived from sil, aspiclo, to look at, this people having been remarkable for their bold countenance. The etymology has also been sought in Esyllwg, a term implying an open comitry of downs, abounding with pros- pects ; hence its inhabitants were denominated Gwyr Esyllwg, Gwyr Esyllyr, &c. &c. from their derivatives Syllyrwys. The DimetcB were situated west of the Sllures, and their country in British called Difeil, whence is evidently derived the Roman appellation ; the Latins frequently softening the f, or 7", into m, in words they adopted from that language. They possessed the coimtry at present including the counties of CiU'digan, Pembroke, and Carmarthen. Some writers have com- prehended this district imder that of the Sllures ; but Ptolemy places here a people, whom he denominated Dimetse ; and both Glldas and Nennius, early British Avriters, designate and describe the country vmder the name of Dlrnetia. Such were the inhabitants of Wales, when the Romans first entered it with an hostile army. Respecting the condition or state of these Britons at the period in question, there has been a great discrepancy of opinion among the most learned of oiu" writers. Some, without possessing that impartiality which should ever accompany the inquirer after truth, and in despite of the most unexceptionable authorities, treat these people as naked, iUiterate, wretched savages, destitute of clothes, and without any shelter from the inclemency of the weather, but what they found in miserably constructed hovels or hollow trees ; fierce by nature, rude in their manners, unacquainted with the arts, and at a vast distance from civili- sation. Others, following the British history, describe them as a martial, potent, learned, flourishing, and trading nation, well known in other coimtrles by their commercial and mUitary relations ; as a people who possessed a foreign trade, equipped large fleets, sent out powerful armies, and achieved numerous conquests abroad ; and at home erected stately edifices, founded large cities, and instituted seminaries of learning, so as to obtain respect from surrounding nations. This may be and probably is a pictm'e possessing too httle that is real in its general outUne, not sufficiently accurate in its figures, and far too high and CAMBRIA. blowing in the colouring. But waving the testimony of authorities, which in some respects may be considered doubtful, and adopting as guides, reason and experience, it will be readily discerned, that these ancient Britons need not be degraded into absolute savages, merely because the Romans, in imitation ot'the Greeks, chose to give them, as they did to all strangers. the contemptuous name of barbarians. There can be no doubt but they brought with then*, the knowledge of the arts and sciences, to wiiatever extent they were possessed by the parent countrv, at tlic tinu' of their emigration. And these they must have bad abundance of opportunities of exercising in a comitry, the state of which could admhiister little to their subsistence or comfort, without the application of both labour and skill. AMien visited by the Romans, they had a religion remarkable for its numerous ceremonies, an order of priests, and places set apart for public worship. They possessed an established government, consisting of a princely aristocracy, united, in times of danger, muler one head. Their militia were composed of regulai- and well-disciplined troops, divided into charioteers, cavalrv and infantry, and their horses were admirably trained for the purposes of war. "W'itii rempect to their vast naval power, though attempted to be established by the learned .Seidell, considerable doubts and objections may be urged, founded upon autlK'ntic docu- nuMits. As to small vessels, which does not exclude the probability of their having others of hirger dimensions, Ca'sar bears amph; testimony to tlie ingenuity of their construction, and their great convenience; and acknowledges himself hidebted to the Britons, for several useful improvements in the Roman navy. Tiie facility with which these instruments of aquatic conveyance were made, and their peculiar portability, have occasioned a continuance of their use, and corracks still form the fishing boats which ply on the rivers of Wales. They seem also to have understood rural economy ; for tluur keepers of cattle liaving a distinct appellation, evinces that numbers of others were occupied in the labours of tlie held. In consequence of wliich they appear to have had sufficient corn for tiu'ir own support, and their pastures were al)undantly stocked with cattle, sheep, and hogs. ]5rsides, they bred for amusement, liares, geese, and poultry. Tliat an idea of individual property was prevalent among them, is manifest from all disputes, respecting limits of lands, having been referable for tlieir decision to tha Druids. In their negotiations witli each other, for money they used rings, or small plates of iron strung together, and what proves great exactness in their deal- ings is, these passed among theui by wi'ight as well as tale. Supposing they possessed no minted coins, this circumstance alone would be a suflicient eWdence of their civilisation ; since it isdediicihle from iiistory, that no nation in a state of barbarism ever adopted in buying and Kelling a circulating niedinin. That they possessed a foreign coninnu'ce is manifest, for the inhabitintH of Hritany, or Bretagne, traded hither in large ships, and the ports of Britain were viKited by menrhant vessels hdni liic Levant. These facts respecting the first inhabi- tnnls will suggest to the retiecting mind, that the Romans, on their arrival did not find our ."incestorK hordes of ignorant savages; but a people, though widely diflerent from their inva- der* in temper, ciiHt4)mH, and manners, liaving all the necessaries, and some of the conve- nit'Mceii of life: and what is the most invaluable of all possessions, contentment in their CAMBRIA. 5 condition. It will also furtlier appeav, that, so early as their actions furnished materials for history, the Britons breathed a spirit of genuine fi'eedom; had imbibed rational notions of its political advantages, and the miseries resulting from despotic power. Upon this prin- ciple, therefore, they always studied to procui'e, and preserve their liberty, and whenever they were deprived of it, by any midue extension of arbitrary power, they never ceased struggling till the galling yoke of despotism was removed. The same spirit animated their minds, and the same temper pervaded their actions, when their country was invaded by the Romans. Excited by a patriotism never exceeded in the annals of man, and stimu- lated by a noble ambition never to be satisfied but by victory, nor extinguished but by death, they fought with a degree of bravery that astonished the legionary troops; performed prodigies of valour, wliich nearly represented them as invincible; and disputed every inch of gTound with a tenacity and obstinacy that extorted from then- victors the tribute of admiration. Suetonius Pauliuus overcame the Ordovices, and extirpated the remainder of the Druids, and other religious sects, who had fled to the island of Mona, the principal seat of then- superstitious rites; vainly imagining the Deity would there afford them an invul- nerable shield against the Roman arms. Notwithstanding this, the heroic Silm'es for years continued their struggle for liberty, till at length Julius Agricola was sent hither, with a powei-fid army, by the emperor Vespasian; and having entirely defeated the Britons under their intrepid leader, Caractacus, in a decisive battle near Caer Caradoc, on the borders of Salop, he completely reduced this part of the island to the Roman yoke. The affability of tills General gained him the affections of the people, and, by his great urbanity, he disposed many to embrace the Roman manners; flattering them with the names, and bestowing on them the privileges of citizens, receiving them into his armies, providing for the education of their youth, living amongst them in a style of great hospitality, rewarding their valom', and commending their leai-ning and politeness. Thus, securing by policy what he had woii by force, Cambria was dignified with the name of Britannia secunda; and the conquerors, as they had previously done in Britannia pruna, began to establish jurisdictions, appoint magistrates, and adopt other measm'es for the due and regidar administration of the laws. Towns were built, stations appointed and garrisoned, and roads formed for intercommuni- cation between them. So speedily and successfully did they proceed in their settlement of the country, that, in a few years, Wales assumed all the appearance of a Roman colony, and regular stations were erected under various designations. The towns, classed as stations, were of different degrees, varying not merely in the rank of civil estimation, but also in the natiire of their constitvition. They were particiJai-ly distinguished into four orders, latian, colonial, municipal, and stipendiary. The first had the Jus Latii communicated to them, which exempted them from the ordinary juris- diction of the praetor; and the inhabitants were not governed by a foreign praefect and questor, but those officers were elected from among themselves. A Briton was their president, a Briton their jasticiary, and a Briton their collector; and such as had served these offices, became entitled to the privileges of Roman citizens. Of this description there were several in Britam, but none in Wales. c 6 CA:\n3RiA. Tlie second kind -vrere governed by a different polity. Tliey were those towns or cities which formed tlie head-quarters of the respective legions, where some of the principal cohorts were stationed, the eagle or standard was deposited, and the commander in chief resided. Towns of tliis class were occupied by Romans, and chiefly by legionary soldiers, who received portions of land in the neighbom-hood, as a reward for past ser\'ices, and as an inducement to be vigilant in the suppression of iusm-rection. Yet, for the sake of pro- tection, numbers of the natives took up their habitation near, and were consequently deemed Roman citizens, and subject^^d to the imperial laws. The third, or stipendiary to'wns, had their constitution coiu'ts of justice and offices copied from those at Rome, and governed by officers deputed by the prretor. Exclusive of these, a few ranked as Mimicipia, by vu-tue of which distinction they were invested with the privilege of emu-ting laws for the regidation of their own aifairs, and were exempted from subjection to the imperial code. The inhabitants also, without being divested of their native citizenship, were considered as denizens of Rome. None of this description appe;u" to have existed in Cambria. Of the Roman roads, thoiigh more distinct traces might be supposed to exist in Wales, than in England, from tlieu" vestiges not having been equally liable to obliteration, by the hand of cultivation: yet, for want of due investigation, few of them have been traced in a satisfactory manner. After the Romans had been in possession of Britain for neai-ly five centm'ies, their empire, grown too unwieldy to preserve its integrity, had long been on the decline, and was now rapidly approaching to its dissolution. Immediately after the death of the emperor Maximus, such a scene of confusion succeeded in the inij)erial affairs, that it would occupy too much room to attempt a brief discussion of the iliscordant accounts given by writers, respecting the revolutions, and consequent devastations, which happened at that eventful period. Tiie Romans were miserably harassed on all sides by the siu-rounding barbarians; and the Britons, imable to derive their usual protection fi'om the legionary troops, shared a similar fate. At the period when the invaders bade a final adieu to this island, the country was exposed to the inroads of numerous enemies. Assailed on the north by the Picts and Scots, it was equallv infested by the Irish on the west. The native strengtli of tlie comitry liad been exhausted in the support of foreign wars; the luunber of its i\diabitan(s further diminished l)y famine and pestilence; and the grand bulwark of its safety, tlie navy, was fallen into decay. Under these disadvantages, the people were also in want of lliaf unani- iiiitv so eshcntial to become powerful in times of emergency. Tliev had recourse to their ancient form of government, and elected for their governors certain reguli, or chieftains; but tlicHC princes, instead of uniting to oppose the common enemy by well-concerted plans of co-operation, and to ward oft' the impending danger by combined force, were principally orrupied ill securing their separiite interests. Knervaled by luxury, and weakened by dissensions, they found themselves in a worse nUiti; nN to Hplf-dpfenco, tJian on the arrival ofJulius (';esar. In lliis sad situation, Avithout union, or(b'r, or u-esque scenery. Wliile the Romans generally chose, for the site of their camps or forts, a rising ground near some river, or a lingula, formed by the confluence of two; the Britons selected the most lofty, insulated, and least accessible mountains, the summits of wliich they fortified by excavating deep trenches in the solid rock, and by heaping up the loose stones, dug out of the fosses; and in succeeding times, by adding strong walls, and erecting massy circular towers, with other bastion works of defence. The Normans introduced a new and more magnificent style of mUitary fortification — and to secure their unjustifiable seizures, and proceed in their sanguinary aggressions, they were obliged to erect castles more formidable, both in niunber and extent; so that what are 12 CAMBRIA. termed the marches of Wales, consist of one broad line of massy fortresses, from the mouth of the Dee to the emhouchm-e of the Wye. Flint, Denbigh, Montgomery, Powys, Breck- nock, Caeqihili, and Caerdiff, fiu-uish bold examples of the style at that period. More were erected by the Anglo-Normans, as they progressively encroached on the country; for, to secure the possessions they conquered from the retaliating vengeance of the expelled owners, they were necessitated to repau- and strengthen the forti'esses they took, or build others. On the conquest of Wales by Edwaid the Fust, that monarch, who had been crusading in the Holy Land, and there imbibed a spu-it for eastern magniiicence, for the purpose of over- awing his new but refractory subjects, constructed three castles in a style, which for strength, beauty, and ^andeur, have never yet been surpassed. Harlech, Caernarvon, and Conway, remain the proud monuments of the Cambrian conqueror's footsteps, and the finest display ever evinced of skill and execution, in military ai-cliitecture. From the accoimts given by the Roman writers, a monarchical form of government was prevalent among the early Britons. The island was divided into several petty sovereignties, each subject to a separate prince; but in time of emergency and danger were imited in one, under an officer similar to a dictator among the Romans, called a pendrrif/on. To him, by joint consent, was committed the whole military government of the independent tribes. Nor was this dignity temporary, like the power; for though the latter appears to have ceased with the necessity that demanded it, yet the former continued for life, and was hereditary to the male heir. But the right of succession to the separate governments does not seem to have been strictly indefeasible; for, in some instances, the lineal succession was violated by the rule of tanistry. By this, the king's son, brother, or nephew, became the customary inheritor of the crown; the particular person being selected by the reigning monarch, with Ui(^ advice of his nobles. This sovereign elect was denominated, by the law, the tanist, or the second in dignity. No power, but the regal, could either enact or abrogate a law; yet the king could etfect neither without the consent of the country. And this maxim, on which is founded the fair structm^e of popular libertv, is expressly recorded in the institutions of Wales. The Britons were not unacquainted with that rational restraint upon monarchial despotism, parlianientiiry suffrage. It is highly probable, that the constitution of all the British states, in the period of confusion which followed the evacuation of the island by the Romans, was not exactly (he same, but that some of their princes enjoyed greater powers anil privileges than others; still it is evident, that none were despotic: for a decisive argument in favour of the existence of British parliaments, is foimd in the preface or introduction to the lawK of the great Cambrian legislator, Howel Dda. Six of the most intelligent and powerful persons were siunnioiied (tut of every Cantref, or hundred, to assist the king in till- gri-at work of legislation. 'I'iiis parliament having been assembled, they proceeded to <svithout much regularity, ranged in the q\iadrang\dar style, comprising an inner and outer court. Immediately beyond the house, the ground rises very rapidly, to the foot of the pcr- pendiciJar olifls, fm-miug- the west bovmdary of the valley, all wiiich space is now occupied by a fine wood, in the highest luxm-iance of growth that can be imagined, while the siun- mit of the rocks is also adorned with all the variety of foliage. Hidf way up is an irregidar plain, containing a few cottages, the remains of a magnificent terrace, and a handsome do- mestic cliapel, Ijuilt in the gothic style, and overshadowed by a large Spanish chesnut-tree. Climbing to the tops of the cliti^ which overlook this lovely scene, you are gratified with a view over the rich broad vale of Llanrwst, watered by the windings of the Conwa)', covered with meadows and corn fields, and enlivened Ijy villages and seats peeping from among the sheltering woods, which clothe the higher and bleaker parts of the valley. Many beautifid and romantic cataracts may be seen in tiie \acinity; and whoever visits Wales, should not fail to see the admired vale of Llanrwst. TOWN OF DENBIGH, AND CASTLE. DENniGii, the county town of Denbiglisliire, is situated near the centre of DyffrjTi Clwyd, iij)on a rocky declivity, forming a prominent point in a tract of the coinilry called Kl)6'<, whence it*i ancient ISritisli name Wiis Castell C'lcd I'ryn yn Hlios. The castle appears to liave been a superb strut^ture, formed by grouting. Two walls, occupying tlie extremi- tii'H of the intended thickness, were first built in the ordinary maimer, with a vacancy between lliem; into wiiicli wjus poured a mixtiu'c of hot mortar and rougli stones of all v^-.-rf 'h-,' vr; KaactvfCe. CAMBRIA. sizes, which on cooling consolidated into a solid mass, as hard as stone. The grand entrance is through a magnificent pointed archway, formerly flanked by two large octagonal towers, now in ruins. The prospects, tlu-ough the broken arches and frittering walls, are extensive and pecuharly fine. The vale of Clwyd is presented in rich variety, decorated with villas, and terminated by a fine of lulls from the rock of Disserth to Moel FenUi. The town of Denbigh has been compared to Stirling, in Scotland. Crowned with a majestic nun, the town, viewed fi'om a distance, assiunes an imposing aspect. The castle is seen with great advantage from the road to Ruthin. The place was originally mclosed with walls, and fortified with one square and tliree round towers, that connected it with the castle. Tlie entrance was l)y two gates; one called the exchequer gate, in which were held the royal baronial courts; and the other, the bm-gesses gate, in which affairs relative to mimicipal business was transacted. In one of these precincts stands St. Hilary's chapel, formerly belonging to the garrison. The new town, standing below the rocky ridge, gradually arose from the old. This extending down the slope of the hiU, and some way romid the base, consists principally of one street, with some good houses, but the collateral streets or lanes are very ii-regular and lU built; many improvements have, however, taken place. The parish church, St. Marcelles, is at ^Vhitechurch, about a mile distant, on the road to Ruthin. In the porch, upon a small piece of brass, are the effigies of Richard Middleton, of Gwaynynog, in a kneeling posture, also of Jane, his wife; behind, in relievo, are nine sons, and beliind the wife, seven daughters. Several of the sons were distinguished characters, but the most eminent was Hugh, to whom the British metropolis is indebted for one of its principal supplies of water. The speculative genius of this his sixth son, appeared at an early age, in attempts to search for coal in the neighboiu-hood of his native place; but faUing of success, he removed to London, where he became a citizen and gold- smith. His success in trade enabled him to farm the principal lead and silver mines in Cardiganshire, at £400 a year; yet so profitable were these works, that from one mine, yielding nearly 100 oimces of silver fi-om a ton of lead, he derived a clear profit of £2000 per month. This immense revenue he expended in carrying into execution a plan for sup- plying the city of London with water. Tlie proposal was made in 1608, and the work completed in five years. Tlie first issue of the water from the head at Islington, was honom-ed by the presence of king James the First, with liis court, and the corporation of London. He received the honour of knighthood, and afterwards of baronetage, but his property was exhausted by the imdertaking; and the ingratitude of the public allowed him to be reduced almost to a state of indigence, notwithstanding the vast advantage they derived from his genius and labours. CAMBRIA. ABERMAW, OR BARMOUTH, MERIONETHSHIRE. Barmouth is to the north-western part of the kingdom, what Weymouth is to the south, a o-enteel watermg-place. The town is principally built upon the sloping side of a very lofty rock, which shelters it on the east ; it has been compared to some parts of the city of Edinburo-h, and not imaptly to the town of GibriUtar. Tiie positions of the houses are so sinsridiu-, lliat, in some places, one neighboiu-, as he stands at his own door, may look down the chimney of another. Being the only port of the county, a considerable trade is carried on, and many vessels enter the harbour, tlie entrance to wliich is somewhat difficult and danjrerous; it has, however, been much improved by the erection of a pier, which, by increasino- tlie depth of water, renders the entrance less difficidt, and facilitates the lading and unlading of cargoes. The beach forms a most enchantmg walk. Tlic wide river Mawddoch ^nnds delightfully among the mountains, having many and elegant promontories on its margin, rising to a considerable heiglit on each side. RHUDDLAN CASTLE, FLINTSHIRE. KuuDDLAN was deemed one of tiie most important fortresses in Wales, and dur- ing a course of ages experienced the frequent vicissitudes of fortune. It appears to be first mentioned in the year 795, as the spot where a signal battle was fought between tlie Welcii and Saxons; and in whicli Carodoc, king of South Wales, was slain. On this occasion, a c^jlebratcd Welcii air was composed, calhul " Mow a Rhiuhilcw" or the Red Marsl), which is still played witii enthusiasm by its national harpers, but the original poem commemorating this battle no longer exists. The castle had been a handsome pile, of a lo/enge form. At two of the comers, opposite to (Mch other, are the entrances, beneath a tower, guarded on both sides by a round tower. The oilier two corners have on each a single tower. Tlie court is large, and forms an irregidar octagon, bovmded by a large ditch, faced on both aides with stone. Tlie steep slojic to the river was defended by liigli walls .iiid sijuare towers; one of which is entire, and there are vestiges of two otliers. The first is railed I'lrr-ii-Silod ; another, in the epistle, was numed Tirr-y-Brailiiii, HT \\w Ki>i(/\'( Tower. I o till' siiiiili , if the castle, at alioiit a linlong distance, is a large artificial mount, the site of another fortress of very early date: tlie whole surrounded by a very deep foss, (including aJHo the abbey,) wliicli crosses from the margin of the liank, near the ascent of the present ro.'ni to St. Asapli, to another parallel roaii, near Avhich it is coiiliiiued, then turns and falls iwjirly into the soutiieni part i>\' the walled ditch of the castle; the whole forms a sijiuirc area, of very great extent. J^n- R I O N E T H S H I R E. xTSlWh b;y' K0a3tuieau LuujiVfd by.H.AtUaJ^ CAMBRIA. PONT Y GLYN. Pont y Glyn (the bridge of the precipice) is situated on the road fi-om Corwen to Cerig y Druidian. A recent tourist, who visited this place from Corwen, speaks very highly of the general beauty of the walk, especially where the vale of Edeirneon appears, bounded by the Jerwpi mountiiins; and of tliis bridge and its scenery remarks as follows: "The woody glen, at the head of wliich stands Pont y Glyn, with its prominent rocks, nearly obscured by the surrounding foliage, after a while presented itself, and then immediately, on a sudden turn of the road, appeared the bridge, thrown over the chasm. Beneath it was the rugged and precipitous bed of the river, where, among immense masses and fragments of rock, the stream foamed with the most violent impetuosity. The transition to this romantic scene was so momentary, as to seem almost the effect of magic. The cataract is not very lofty, but from its being directly under the bridge, where the foam was seen dashing among the dark opposing rocks, with the addition of the pendent foliages from each side, a scene was formed altogether finely picturesque and elegant. The bridge rests upon two nearly perpendicular rocks, and appeared to be 50 or 60 feet above the bed of the stream — the view thence, down the hollow, is grand and tremendous." PONT ABERGLASLYN. Pont Aberglaslyn (the bridge at the conflux of the blue pool) on the road to Maen- tiorog, over the main stream which discharges itself into the estuary of Traeth-mawr, is the principal entrance by the south into Caernarvonshire, which county it separates from that of Merioneth. There is little remarkable in the bridge, which is a single arch, but the sxuTounding scenery is truly magnificent. The road winds most romantically along a narrow stony vale, where the dark perpendicular cliffs on each side so nearly approach, as only just to leave sufficient width at the bottom for a good carriage-road, and the bed of the rapid stream, formed by the united torrents of the Colwyn and Glas lAyn, which rolls by its side. A few yards above the bridge is a small cataract, remarkable as being a salmon leap; its height above the bed of the river is about thirteen feet, and generally eight or nine feet from the surface. Tlie salmon come up the rivers at the latter end of the year, sometimes as early as the beginning of October, and have the power of leaping to a great height over H CAMBRIA. rocks and dams. This place being only a few miles from the sea, is frequented by great numbers: thev are, however, prevented from ascending, by a net placed for the purpose, dm"ing the mouths of August and September, by people Avho rent the river. By tliis means the tish are kept in the still \\;\Xor below, wiiere they are either taken in nets, or barbarously struck with harpoons. Several attempts have been made to procure copper near Pont Abero-laslvni, but the ore is not rich. SiuiiUu- trials have )ieen made near the very summit of Snowdon, as well as ;unong the other mountains, not wholly without success. Anglesea stands vet imrivalled for the riclmess and value of its copper. TREMADOC. Tkemadoc stands upon a portion of land below water-mark, reclaimed from the west side of Traeth-mawr, in the promontory of Llyn, in Caernarvonshh-e, by tlu> spirited exer- tions of Alexander Madocks, Esij. The form of the town is an oblong square, on the east side of wliich is a handsome market-house, and over it are good assembly rooms. On the other side of the area are ranged the recently Avell-built houses. A small church, in the pointed style, and a neat place of worship for protestant dissenters, we tlu^ priuciiial buildings. A bank, for conmiercial purposes, was also estal)lished l)y Mr. Madocks, by whom this tract of cuuntry was regenerated, and the new town formed; nor has he been inattentive to tiie traveller, for the Tremadoc arms is a respectable and comfortid)le inn. At a short dis- tance from tlie town, stands Tany yr alt, a mansion exhibiting considerable ardiitectural taste. It is situated upon a lofty rock, amid tlom-isliing plantations, wliicli, with a singularly neat lodge, form a pleasing and picturesque appearance. In the year 1(525, Sir John ^^')^me, of Gwydir, conceived, that to gain both the traeths from the sea was ])ractlcable, by embankment. He solicited tlie assistance of his illustrious coimtryman. Sir Hugh Mid- dieton, but tiu' latter declined this business, l)eing engaged in his mines, the new river at London, and other undertakings. The great design has sinci' been unih'rtakcn by W. A. Madocks, Esq. He first fornuMl a plan for regaining a ])ortlon of laud >q)on the west side of Traetli-mawr, whicli he comiileted about the year 1800. This reclaimed land produced most luxm'iant crops of wiu-at, barley, clover, &c. comprising nearly 1 !)()() acres of rieli land, to wliich tiie appropriate namt' ol' ( llandur is given. Successful in this enterprise, Mr. Madocks engaged in tlie more arduous task i)f recovering tlie greater part of tlic drowned laurls witiiin the Traeth-mawr, by extending an end)anknient across from side to side. In IH()7 be obtaineij a grant from the crown, vesting in iiini and iiis iu'lrs the whole of these lands, from I'onI Aberglaslyn to ilir i'onl of (ie4. Tills bold design was shortly c'Dlnllienccd, and iMpidlv executed. The extent of tiie line (iom north to soutli is about a T.TR1EMA]D)©€ CAKRNARVOTISlia'R:E- I>VBkij U.i.;.>. L.r,eii^«l by lIMljv' M K R 1 O H K T II S II 1 R E. ^^otKa tlr *'~ I«npU' al Uif Mua'S.J iri9in;r» S<[iiarr. iordcjn,j830. CAMBRIA. mile; the breadth of the embankment at the base 100 feet, and at top 30. Tlie folio whig remarks of the intelhgent author of the Ccmibrian Traveller's Guide, show the great risk of the undertakuig. "In September, 1810, this grand design had been carried on from each extremity to within 100 yards in the centre. The filling up of this small chasm was considered the trjang point, for the tide ran through it with amazing rapidity and tremen- dous force. The narrowing and closing point should have been that where the tide acts with least eifect. If the sea, after its entire completion, fortunately throw up the sand, so as to form an inclined plane against the embankment, the work may stand; but should it, on the contrary, unfortunately act with force and wash the embankment, the whole will be demolished. It is," continues the same writer, " ardently desirable that the latter effect may never take place, but that the patriotic spirit ah-eady evinced by Mr. Madocks may be rewarded by the 5000 acres thus reclaimed." Tlie spirit of improvement has been exceedingly active m this district, particularly with respect to embankments and new roads. RHAIADYR DU, OR THE BLACK CATARACT. " This spot," says a celebrated tourist, "is siu'rounded with dark and impending scenery, and the water is thrown with vast impetuosity over three smooth black rocks, each in a different direction. Of its height I could form no idea, as the top of the upper fall, by the winding of the rocks, was not visible from below. Tlie rock which hangs immediately over the fall, was, from its great height and rude form, a fine object in the landscape, and the whole of the hollow, for some distance below the cataract, extremely grand. I attempted to climb to the upper part, but the rocks were too precipitous and slippery to attempt it without danger ; therefore, contenting myself with seeing as much as I could from below, I crossed the water, and kept along the shelving rocks by the side of the stream, for nearly half a mile. Here the banks closed in over my head, leaving but a narrow chasm, from which the light was excluded by the dark foliage on each side, and I found myself entering, to appearance, into the mouth of a deep and horrid cavern; the sides were too steep for me to think of clambering up, and except by going quite back again to tlic ca- taract, I had no alternative l)ut to pepetrate the place. The darkness did not extend far, and finding its banks sufficiently slanting to admit of my ascending to the meadows above, I was not a little pleased to escape from this abode of damp and horror." CAMBRIA. OVERTON CHURCH. Overton, or Overton Madoc, in Flintshire, is a pleasant villagfe, situate on a liigh bank, above a rich meadowy flat, of a semicircular fonn, through which runs tlie Dee, bounded in front by fertile and wooded slopes; while the lofty and naked mountains soar beyond, and close the scene on one side; on the other, a grand contrast is presented to the eye, by the vale royal of Cheshire and the plain of Salop. There once existed a cjistle, which tradition savs was the residence of Madoc ap Mei'edydd, prince of Powys and lord of Overton; but not a fragment of it is at present distinguishable, though a field fronting the Dee is called Castlefield. The church is a handsome building, dedicated to St. Mary, and the chiu-ch-yard contains some fine yew trees. Several mansions in this neighbom- hood are mentioned by Pennant as having been visited by him in his toiu", and as deserving of notice. VALLE CRUCIS ABBEY. Valle Crucis has been pronounced, by several travellers, to be one of the most beau- tifidly secluded situations in the kingdom. It is surrounded by towering mountains and abrupt rocks, covered at their bottom with wood and verdure. Jlere are the venerable remains of Valle Crucis Abbey, situated in the centre of a small verdant meadow, at the foot of a high iiill, about two miles from Llangollen. This abbey is indebted for its name til tile cross or pillar wliicii is in a meadow adjoining, next to the second mile stone from Llangollen, called the Pillar of Eliseg. It appears to have been erected in memory of Kliseg, father of Brochmail, prince of Powys, by Concenn, his great grandson, the same who was defeated, in (507, at the battle of Chester. The abbey was a house of Cistercians, tiedicafc'il ti) the \'irgin Mary, and founded by Madoc ap (irylfy'Id Maclor, lord of Dinas iJran, or iirointiclii, about the year 12(){). Three rows of groined arches, on single round piilarR, support the dormitory; tlie floors are remarkably lliick, and supported partly by rowH of gotliic arches. The clinrcli w.is Imill cruciioriii, in several styles of architecture; and fiirnislii'M It Kpcciiiieu of the ornainciitcd gotliic til' the \'Mh cenlury; a lew of the arches arc pure golliic, but those wliicli su])port (he tower and several ofllic doors are mixed and ornamentn). The east end is in the most ancient style, where the windows consist of long VA JL, ]L E A B IB JE 'y. .lom« fc C'Tw- :irc.JjcmidoD.1830, T : X E R ;.' A K V K S H I R E CAMBRIA. narrow slips, sharply pointed at top. Tlie west gable has a large window, with three lancets, and underneath is an arched doorway — above is a marigold Avindow, of elegant fret-work. Tlie pilasters which support the internal arches, end in capitals of elegant foliage; and the mouldings of the arches are highly ornamental. In the north transept is a chapel, with two arches, and near it a double benetier, or vessel for holy water. Adjoining the church is the abbey, to which the apartments of the abbot were contiguous; the front of the abbey was uncommonly grand. A large window, highly ornamented with stone tracery, which reached fi'om the roof to the ground, is still visible, with three long lancets, and over them two others, with remarkable pilasters dropping from them. Within are marks where stood a small narrow staircase. The dormitory, supported by three rows of groined arches, on single round pillars, has been converted into a hayloft, and approached by steps from without. Tlie cloister is vaulted and supported by rows of low pillars, now divided into apartments, which are appropriated for cattle. Tlie area of the church is overgrown with tall ash trees. BEDDGELERT Is a village in Caernarvonshire, situated in a beautiful tract of meadows, at the junction of three vales, near the conflux of the Glas Lyn and the Colwyn, which flows through Nant Colwyn, a vale leading to Caernarvon. Its situation, says Mr. Pennant, seems the fittest in the world to inspire religious meditation, amid lofty mountains, woods, and murmuring streams. The church is small, yet the loftiest in Snowdonia — the ancient mansion-house near the church might have been the residence of the prior. In this house is shown an old pewter mug, tliat will hold upwards of two quarts; and any person able to grasp it with one hand, and to drink it off at one draught, is entitled to the liquor gi'atis, and the tenant is to charge it to the lord of the manor, as part payment of his rent. Tradition says that Llewelyn the Great came to reside at Beddgelert during the hunting season, with his wife and children, and that one day, the family benig absent, a wolf had entered the house. On returning, his greyhound, called Ciliart, met him, wagging his tail, but covered with blood. The prince being alarmed, ran into the nursery, and found the cradle in which the child had lain overturned, and the ground covered with blood;— imagining the gi'eyhoimd had killed the child, he immediately drew his sword and slew him, but on tmTiing up the cradle he found under it the child alive, and the wolf dead. This so affected the prince, that he erected a tomb over his faithful dog's grave, where, afterwards, the parish church was built, and called, from this accident, Bedd Ciliart, or the grave of Ciliart. It is a subject of regret with many tourists, that most of the rocks which surround CAJIBRIA. Beddijelert, though opcc covered -with oaks, are now naked; Snowdonia, thoiifjh once a forest, contams now scarcely a tree, except those of a very recent growth. It is, however, to be hoped, that the example set by one proprietor of forming plantations on his estate, will be followed by others. Salmon is very plentiful here, and the price proportionally low. There is a comfortable nm at this place, called Beddgelert hotel; it is marked by the emblem of the goat, with the appropriate motto " Patria mea petra — My coimtry is a rock." '• \\'hile I was at Beddgelert," says Mr. Bingley, " I foimd myself one evening almost devoid of emplovment, and the moon shone so beautifidly bright, that I was tempted to ramble alone as f;u' as Pont AberglasUii. There never was a more charming evening; the scene was not clad in its late grand colours, but now more delicately shaded and arrayed ui softer charms. Tlie darkening shadows of the rocks east a gloom around, and the faint rays, in some places faintly reflected, gave to the straining eye a very imjierfect glimpse of the surface it looked upon, while m others the moon shot her silver light through the hol- lows, and brightly illumined the opposite rocks. All was solitude, serene and mild. The silence of tlic evening was only interrupted by the murmuring of the brook, which lulled to melancholv, and now and tjicn by the shrill scream of the night owl flitting by me. I hung over the battlements of the bridge, listening to the hoarse fall of the water down the wears, and watcliing, as the moon became more elevated, the decreasing shadows of the mountains. I at length retm-ned, after a most delightful ramble of nearly two hours." LLYN IDWAL, IN THE PASS OF NANT FRANGON, CAERNARVONSHIRK. "The entrance to Nant Frangon," says the tourist, "may be examined, but not described. The romantic pen of a IladcUft'e could not overcharge a description of a deep chasm at the foot iif rock and mountain, nido and stupendous to i]u\ Jiighest degree: neither should a wall of iiaU'a mile along the road to the Icit of the gothic cottage be omitted, since it leads to the awe-impressiug solitude of Llyn Idwal, a small lake enclosed within stupendous rocks. On contemplating this scene, the traveller, used to cultivated and cheerful scenery, is at first Htartleii, and almost fancies lie sees before him the ghost of Nature." Tliis lake has lieen very appropriately termed the Averniis of tlic Britons: the shc))herds believe it to be the haunt of ux>sque glen, with remarkable rapidity, to the sea. Tlie origin of this natm-al fountain, in legendary story, is ascribed to a miracidous event. A damsel, bom of noble parents, her father, Thewith, being a potent lord in this district, and her mother, Wenlo, descended from a noble stock in Montgomeryshire, all resided together near the present site of Holywell. St. Beuno, either micle, or brother, superin- tended her education, and erected a cluu-ch on the spot, for the religious instruction of others at the same time. A neighbouring prince, or chieftain, named Cradocus, smitten with her beauty, became so enamoxu'ed of her charms, as to fall violently in love; and roused into impassioned vehemence by the coyness of the maid, he was determined to have that by force, which a few blandishments, or smiling attention, would soon have obtained for him, consenting possession. The fair, like Daphne, Hed from her suitor, who pursued her with the ardency of intemperate desire, and disgusted with her affectation of horror, drew out his sword, and, at one blow, severed the head from the body, which rolling down the liiU, rested on a certain spot below, near the church. A most copious spring instantly burst forth, waters gushed out, and a powerful stream irrigated the valley, which, from its remarkable dryness, had previously received the appellation of Sychnant. But this was a simple concomitant of the story. The head of the virgin was more fortunate and wonder- ful than that of Orpheus, which is reported to have sung a farewell elegy, as it floated down the Hebrus, after having been cut off by rival Siconian ladies; for it was not yet destined to hold its tongue, nor close its eyes. St. Bevmo, with a chirurgical skill not possessed by the faculty of the present day, took up the head, re-adapted it to the body, and, " mirabile dictu," after a few prayers, aUas incantations, the dissevered parts instantly and sponta- neously re-united, leaving only the impression of cicatrisation, visible as a slender white line, encircling the neck of the resuscitated maid, merely as an evidential mark to those who might examine into the nature of the miracle. The assassin is reported instantly to have suffered the retaliating vengeance of heaven; for being struck dead by lightning, the earth opened her jaws, and swallowed, at one mouthful, the impious corpse. The supposed sanative virtues of these waters, from their professed miraculous origin, formerly attracted numerous pilgrims; and St. Winifred's well was looked upon with the eye of credulity, as another Bethesda. Here all kinds of infirmities, to which poor cor- poreal man is incident, received a healing power ; and, to the present day, crutches, barrows. CAMBRIA. and other votive offerings, as trophies of the astonishing cures performed, are placed in a pendent position over the well. The spring is, perhaps, one of the finest in the kingdom. From experiments and calcu- lations made, to ascertain the quantit)' of water tliro«ni up per mmute, it was ascertained, after repeated trials, in one inst;uiee to aniomit to the extraordinary quantity of twenty-one ttms; and in another, to eighty-four hogsheads. But that in time of drought, or after wet weather, the flow is equal, must be placed among those vulgar errors, arising from assiunp- tion, and is propagated by credulity. Those, whose ex-pcrience extends to years, affirm, the variation is extremely great ; that in summer there is frequently a diminution of one third, or more ; and after violent rains, the increase is in a greater proportion. The water, which rises with immense force, is received into a well of a polygonal shape, covered by a sort of colonaded cupola, the groined roof of which is richly decorated with imagery. Some portion consists of grotesque tigures, others are parts of animals, allusive to the armorial bearings of the Staidey family; and a tun with a hop plant issuing out of it, being the rebus of Ehzabeth Hopton, wife of Sir William Stanley, uidicates that this build- ing must have been erected sometime prior to 1495, he having been beheaded in that year. Some writers state, it was built by jNIargaret, mother of Henry the Seventli ; but Grose, in his Antiquities, from the style of building, confiites that opinion. Adjoining the well is a neat chapel in the pointed style, of a much older date; for it seems that in Richard the Third's time, " the abbot and convent of Bnsingwerk received from the crown ten marks yerely for the sustentacione and salarie of a preiste at the chappelle of St. Wjniefride." WREXHAM CHURCH. This Church, formerly collegiate, the glory not only of the place, but of North Wales, may vie with many cathedrals, and is ranked amcmg the seven irondrrs of the country. Krected on the site of the former one, destroyed by tire, at a ])eriod when the pointed, or English ecclesiastic style of architecture had passed the acme, having, by the indulgence of too finical a liwte, protuberantly run out into what has l)een termed "the tawdry turgid Clothic;" it exhibits a specimen of design, proportion, and mo(k'rated decoration, perhaps not siirpiissefi, if eijualii'd, by any edifice l)uilt in the time of Henry tlie Seventh. The tower, elevated oni' hiindri'il and tbiiiy-five feet, is a chef irl)ably it was built l)y some one of the lords of Yale, whose seat it continued to be for several centuries. In the reign of Henry tlie Third, it atlorded an asyhnn, from the fury of iiis justly enraged sul)ject«, to Gryrtydd ap Mador, who had basely sided witli tlie English monarch, and betrayed his country. At ins death, tlie king bestowed it on .lohn, earl Warren, whence it descended in the succession of Bronifield and Yale. TILlii. CAMBRIA. HAWARDEN CASTLE, FLINTSHIRE. These remains, had it not been for the laudable curiosity of the present worthy possessor's ancestor, would have furnished but a very inadequate idea of this, for a iong period, important fortress. He caused a vast quantity of rubbish to be removed, and the foundations laid open, by which it seems to have been of a pentagonal shape, with a strong square entrance gateway, on its widest side, and on another a kind of barbican. At one angle was placed the keep, or citadel, consisting of a circular tower nearly entire. The other parts comprise fragments of walls, and various buildings, particularly some artfully contrived subterraneous rooms, supposed to have been appropriated as places of confine- ment, for the security of prisoners. The situation was eligible, being on an eminence, and was further defended by broad and deep fosses. These now form picturesque ravines, being- filled with timber trees of fine growth. RUTHIN CASTLE, DENBIGHSHIRE. Ruthin Castle derives its name from the colour of the stone with which it is built, meaning the red fortress: although it has been conjectured, from the Welsh name being Castell coch yn Gwemvor, there might have been a strong hold anterior to the reign of Edward the First, who is said to have erected the present fortress. Camden, however, asserts, and the assertion, as to the fact, is corroborated by ancient authorities, that " both the castle and town were built by Roger Grey, with permission of the king, the bishop of St. Asaph, and the rector of Llan Rhudd, it being seated in that parish," on whom the monarch bestowed nearly the whole of the vale of Clwyd, for his active exertions against the insurrective movements of the Welsh. Its history affords few incidents interesting to relate. During a fair holden at Ruthin, in the year 1400, Owen Glyndwr entered it with a small army, assailed the fortress without success, and, after pillaging the inhabitants and burning the town, retreated in safety to the mountains. In the time of Charles the First, the castle was held for the king till the year 1645-6, N CAMBRIA. when, on being attacked by the parhamentarian party, vmder the command of General Mytton, after sastahiing a siege from the middle of February to the middle of April, it was given up, although it might probably have held out much longer: possessing, at the time of its surrender, a supply of provision for two months. Mytton received the thanks of the house of commons, who remunerated his chaplain for conmiunicating the news, and confirmed the appointment of Colonel Mason, as the new and permanent governor; but in the same year the garrison was disbanded, and the castle ordered to be dismantled. The castle stood not on the summit, but on the side of the hill, fi-onting the vale to the west: and, from the extensive foundations, and massy fragments of walls, it seems to have been a grand structure. Camden observes, that through neglect it became roofless in the time of Henry the Seventh, and fell fast to decay. Some lord who received it by roval grant, must have repaired the dilapidations, for the same historian subsequently re- presents it as "a stately and beautiful castle, capable of receiving a nmnerotis family." Previous to its demolition, it is described by honest Churchyard as it appeared in the six- teenth centiu-y: and, from a drawing preserved in the archives of the British Museum, it appears to have had a very elevated superstructure, as well as a capacious base: and that its massy walls, lofty towers, and apposite proportions, strictly merited the eidogium of the poet. "This castle stands on rocke much like red biicke, The dykes are cut with toole through stonie cragge: The towers are hye, the walles are large and thicke. The worke itselfe would shake a subjects bagge. If he were bent to buyld tlie like agayne. It rests on mount, and lookes o'er wood and phiyiie ; It had great store of chambers finely wrought, That tymc alone to great decay liath brought. " It shows within, by dubblc walles and waiet, A di'ep device did first erect the same: It makes our world to thinke on elder daies, Because the worke was formde in such a frame. One lower or wall the other answers right, As though at call eiuli thing should please the sight: The rocke wrought round, where every tower doth stand. Set foorth full line by head, by hart, and hand." The poor remains of this once prmnl pile, consist of a few fragments of towers and fallen walls, reduced nearly to the foundations: and the area of the once formidal)le fortress at present comprises a meadow, fives-court, and bowling-green. From the walls is a com- manding prospect of the vale beneath, as llicrc is from several points in tiie outskirts of it. Rutliin is dcKcrihed iis formerly a p(i|)tdons place, and having the best market in the vale. It is now a good txjwn, with coiisidcralih' population, and has two well-supplied weekly markets: the one for meat on Saturday, and the other on Monday, held principally for corn. -OIK. E: FLINT SHlHt. li.'f '0) If. 'IP CAMBRIA. BANGOR ISCOED, FLINTSHIRE. This place obtained early notice, and sul)sequent celebrity on the page of history, by having been the site of a very early Christian seminary for instructing religious novitiates, founded, according to several old writers, by Lucius, the son of Coel, first Christian king of Britain, anterior to A.D. 180. This college, for the dissemination of the Christian faith through the island, is said to have been converted into a monastery about the year 530, by Cynwyl, or Congelus, who constituted himself the first abbot. Gildas Badonicus is men- tioned by Leland, as a member of this rehgious society; and in this retirement he is supposed to have translated into Latin the code of laws drawn up by Molmutius ; and retirino- hence to Armorica, published his celebrated philippic against the glaring vices of the governing clergy. Dinothus, the reported founder of an abbey on a similar plan at Bangor, near the Menai straits, presided over this house at the time St. Augustine convened a sjTiod, for settling the ecclesiastical differences between the British and Saxon churches : to which august assembly the abbot was summoned, as a great and dignified divine. For an age so unenlightened, it produced many great and learned men. Gildas Nennius was first a monk, and subsequently abbot of this house. In the British Triades it is said to have con- tained two thousand four hundred monks, who in their turns, viz. a hundred each of the twenty-four, read prayers, and sung psalms, continually; so that divine service was per- formed day and night with unceasing intermission. Another authority states, "there were so many monks, that they divided into seven parts, all of which had a distinct ruler appointed for their guidance, and that each of these separate societies consisted of at least three hundred men, who lived by the labour of their hands." Whether originally, by the nature of their institution, there was an equal community of rights, it is difficult at this period to ascertain ; but were it so, the equality did not subsist long. The simple and ilhterate, under the appellation of Imj brethren, had the most laborious and menial offices assigned, as their share in the concern : for the cultivation of the soil, and the providing meat, drink, clothing, &c. for the learned ecclesiastical portion, belonged exclusively to their depai-tment. The monastery was celebrated for its valuable library ; and Speed observes, from its antiquity, and the niunber of its learned men, it was generally acknowledged to be the parent of aU other monasteries in the world. For some time they flourished exceedingly, but the day was quickly approaching, ' big with the fate of Bangor, and its monks.' The massacreing sword, that levels all distinctions, was already unsheathed, and the un- offending monks were doomed to feel its exterminating effects. While in the act of prayer CAMBRIA. for their fellow countrjimen and brother Christians, the Britons, and iinplorinfr success on their arms against Saxon pagan infidels, who had come with an hostile force against them, twelve hundred, or upwards, fell victims to their patriotism and piety. That such a massacre did take place, all authors are agreed; though tlunr dates, as to the disastrous event, do not perfectly agree. The remainder of the religious community, after the slaughter of their brethren, at the battle of Chester, fled, and their house was either demolished, or became dilapidated by neglect and time. William of iNIalmsbury, who lived soon after the Norman conquest, in the reign of Stephen, speaking of the monastery in his time, says, " there remained only some relics of its ancient magnificence. Tliere were so many ruined churches, and such immense heaps of rubbish, as were not elsewhere to be found." Whoever visits Bangor with a view to contemplate the ruins of its far celebrated monas- tery, will be disappointed, as not the smallest vestige of the once stupendous building can now be traced. Nor has the village any other object, worthy of notice, than its bridge, a beautifully light and elegant structiu-e, of considerable antiquity, consisting of five arches. HOLT, DENBIGHSHIRE Though now an inconsiderable village, was anciently a town of some notoriety. Caniden sapposes it derived the ancient name of Castrum Leonis, " fi"om the Legio vicesima victrix, which kept garrison a little higlier up on the other side of the Dee." The military station, an advanced post of tiie Roman troops, was near Farndon, a village in Chesliire, from which Holt is separated by tiie above-mentioned river, and over it h communication is formed by a bridge of ten arches, whicli is a very old and curious structure, having been erected in tlie year 1315, as appears l)y an inscription preserved, till a recent date, on a stone over the portion termed the lady's arch. This fascinating appellation, it is to be apprehended, did not arise from those beneficent actions suggested I)y the benevolence, and promoted by the influence of the virtuous part of the fair sex. From a manuscript accoimt, preserved in the Bodleian T.ibrary, at Oxford, it apjiears liu; cliildrcn of tlic ciru'riain. committed to the cire of the lords Warren and Mortimer, were drowned under Iloll bridge; those nolile- men thus quickly getting rid of their political charge ; and Emma, tlie luotlier, relict-lady of Gryffydd, is evidently implicated in the infamous transaction. The event bad been variously represented l)y the specious gloss of liistorical enibclhshment; and had it not been for tills vahial)le docuiiieiit, llie falile of tlie /wo i/oiiii;/ fniriis, tliat at certain times oi the year were visibii,' on moon-light nights, iiii retreat of the celebrated Owen Glyndwr, whose memory is liighly revered in this uoiglibourhood, long the scene of his exploits and liis liospitality- Tlie family name of this extraordinary ciiaracter was Vychen ; lie was styled (ilyndwr, or (ilynriwrdwy, from his possessions lying principally in tiie vale of the Dee, (Dwnlwy) connrionly ciillid ilir vale of Llangollen : some remains of his private palace are slill visil)le at a place cidled Sychnant, about three miles from Corwen. He was fourth in descent from Ciryffydd Vychan, the surviving son of (iryllyihl ap Madoc, lord of Bromfield and Yale, whose residence was at Castell Dinas Bran: hy his moliier's side lie was allieulous and cultivated scenes, to examine the grand and savage part of Nature's vagaries, who will omit at least an excursion to the bold shores and cataract of Llyn Ogwen, about seven miles from Bangor. In approaching this lake, the mountain Trificn, capped by two pieces of rock, appears to soar into the clouds. This lake is the source of the river Ogwen, which, after a course of twelve miles through Lord Ponrhyn's property, is lost in the Menai, near the ruins of Capel Ogwen. Having passed the lake, the entrance to Nant Frangon may be examined, but not described. I I CAERliARVONSHlRE. CAMBRIA. CONWAY CASTLE, SUSPENSION BRIDGE, &c. CAERNARVONSHIRE. This Castle, ei-ected in 1284, by Edward the First, like its rival in strength and gran- deur, that of Caernarvon, is going fast to decay; and the dilapidating hand of time promises soon to deprive the county of one of its principal ornamental objects. " Proud pile ! thy tempest-beaten towers still rear Their heads sublime, and to the angry storm Bid bold defiance ; though their aged brows Bear visible the marks of strong decay, "While superstition, with a frenzied eye. And wildering fear, that horrid form surveys. Affright the lonely wanderer from thy walls. Far hence, thou busy world, nor here intrude Thy sounds of uproar, arguing much of fear. And impotent alarms. Behold, fond man, This feeble monument of mortal pride. Where time and desolation reign supreme With mildest havoc; o'er the solemn scene In silence pause; and mark this pictured truth : — That not alone the proudest works of man Must perish, but, as this tow'ring fabric. That lifts its forehead to the storm, till time And the wild winds shall sweep it from its base, Pass but a few short hours, the dream of life Is fled; and sinks to the cold grave man's faded form." If the architect was the same person who btiilt Caernarvon, as generally allowed, he must have here used all his exertion, and endeavoured to display his most transcendant skill. For perhaps a more beautiful fortress never arose ; certainly, its equal is nowhere found within the precincts of Britain. The form is nearly a parallelogram, or rather oblong, extending along the verge of a precipitous rock, washed on two sides by a fork of the river: the others front the town. The walls are of great tliickness, flanked by eight vast, circular, embattled towers, each having a slender machicolated one issuing from the top. These, ascended by spiral staircases, served the purpose of watch turrets, and gave an elegant degree of lightness to the appearance of the building; four only of them are remaining. CAMBRIA. Tliis fortress had two ways of ingress, both admirably contrived for secui'ity. The one, by a narrow tlight of steps, cut out of the rock, formed a communication between the castle and the river, through a small advanced work, and was evidently intended as a postern. But the grand entrance was at the north-west end, by a drawbridge, occasionally let down over a deep and wide fosse. The interior consists of two com'ts, comprising the diflerent apartments. Few of these are traceable, except the state halt, whose greatness, though now fallen, appears originally to have been suitable to the magnificence of the founder. The length is thirty feet, the breadth about the same, and the height twenty. Its grand roof, alas ! now supplied by a portion of the canopy of heaven, was supported by eight arches, four of which only now re- msun. It had two spacious fire-places; was lighted by six narrow windows on the side towards the river, and three larger, and more ornamented ones, looked into the inner court. Underneath were extensive vaults, serving to contain arms and ammunition in time of war; and in peace the niiigazines and stores essential to convivial festivities. The ruinous arches and broken walls of this hall are clad with dai'ksome ivy, which issues from them in the most fantastic forms, and luxm'lant profusion. Two towers opposite the principal gatewav, one denominated the king's, and the other the queen's, served as their respective apartments, ^\'hcn they took up their abode at the Castle. Each contained two or thi"ee rooms, and in the latter an opening or niche, obtained out of the thickness of the wall, had a groined roof, the rll)s of which formed six compartments. In these were originally seats, and the light was admitted through three narrow lancet- shaped windows towards the river. Tiiis was called the Oriel, or the place for the tiueen's toilet. Whether this magnificent fortress be viewed as a whole, or its various component parts examined in detail, nothing in fortified building can exceed its granmplation, anri putting iiis talii-m tii to work, raised up a (juanlity of sands betw(>en (his and the o|)posite coast, wiiicii enai>lcd Iiis constable of Chester, with his arnu'fl bands, to march over the estuary to his relief; ami lid and forty yards. Tlu' other is al)out a mile and a half long, hut so narrow, iis to assinne rather the iippear- iince f)f a river, than a lake. Between these a comnnniication is foniu'd by a stream, and out of the lower, issues the river llythel, which, after (lowing in an irregular diilused man- ner, asHumcH at Caernarvon the name of Seiont. a O H. CAMBRIA. RHUABON, DENBIGHSHIRE. Rhuabon, or RuABON, a small neat village, situated upon a hill, where the roads from Oswestry and Llangollen to Wrexham coalesce, obtains notice from the seat and park immediately adjacent, by the auspices of whose owners it originally arose, and under whose fostering protection it still continues; enjoying also the additional advantage of several genteel residences in its vicinity. The church is worthy every traveller's notice, from the neat order in which it is kept, and as containing monuments that surprise, because the varied display of the sculptor's art, the " storied urn and animated bust," are not expected to be found in a remote coimtry parish like this. In a chapel on the south side of the communion table is an altar tomb, on which lie two recumbent figures; the one representing a man clad in armour, his head on an helmet, with a collar marked S. S. ; and the other of a female resting on a mantle. At the feet, a lion couchant, with the figure of a monk sitting on it, reclining his head on one hand. The sides are decorated with small weeping figures, and angels presenting shields, once charged with arms that are now defaced. Round the edge of the sarcophagus, a Latin inscription informs the reader that it commemorates John ap Elis Eyton, Esq., who died in 1326, and Elizabeth Calfley, his wife, who died in 1524. Several handsome monuments are commemorative of the families of Williams and Wynn; among which, one on the north side of the church, is peculiarly worthy of attentive obser- vation. It is a magnificent one, for the first Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, whose virtues are yet fresh in the recollection of the neighbourhood, whose popularity still lives in the annals of fame, and who died by a fall from his horse, September 26th, 1749. He is repre- sented as a fine athletic person, standing in a graceful attitude, clad in a loose robe, and his hands outspread, as though in the act of addressing an assembly. Beneath, on one side, is a male figure, the likeness of his son, and on the other a female, the likeness of his daughter, both kneeling, with their hands placed on their breasts, expressive of a lamenting posture. The apposite chasteness of the conception, devoid of all heterogeneous and superfluous ornament, and, at the same time, the exquisite art displayed in the execution, evince that the sculptor exerted the utmost efforts of his art ; nor wiU this work of Rysbrack disdain competition with the admired monuments he erected for the Duke of Marlborough and Sir Isaac Newton ; the one placed at Blenheim, and the other in Westminster Abbey. An T CAMBRIA. elegant Latin inscription, the composition of the late Dr. King, of St. Mary Hall, Oxford, enumerates, iu eloquent detail, his mental ahilities, social qualities, and private and public virtues; among which latter, his love of political freedom, and his strenuous ardour, exerted in its defence, extorted the reverence of parliament, and obtained him the gratitude of his comitry. Two others, of more recent date, by Nollekins, prove that the art of sculpture is far from being on the decline in this kingdom; one is to the memory of the late Sir \\'atkiu \\'il- liams Wynn, bart., ami tlie other to his wife, Lady Henrietta Williams Wynn. The latter represents that amiable female in the character of Hope, standing and reclining her elbow on an urn, with tiie goddess's usual emblematic accompaniment, an anchor. This display of the chisel, perhaps, cannot well be surpassed. The countenance, the attitude, and tlie drapery, are exquisitely line. The figure is placed on a pedestal, in the shape of a Roman altar, on which, in high relievo, is a serpent, having the head and tail united, hicrogh-phical of eternity; and within it is an inscription, indicating tliat Lady \\'vnn was third daughter of Cliarles Noel, Duke of Beaufort, and died at the early age of twenty-three, July 25, 1769. These clief dtceuvres of the art do not lose in effect from rival excellence b\' want of contrast; for a mural moniunent near, erected for Henry ^^'vnn, Esq., tenth son of Sir Jolm \\'ynn, of Gywdir, who died in 1671, affords one sufficient. A colossal kind of such memeiita mori threatens to overwhelm the former by its weight. The subject of lamen- tation is represented clad in a full-buttoned coat, short skirts, witli square-toed boots, and the attitude expressive of fanatical grimace. To pourtrav a person ui such a position, and attired in so quaint a dress, was certainly an inauspicious circumstance for an artist, wlio, perhaps, had formed his taste upon Grecian models. Tlie two accompanying figures. Sir John Wpm, of Wynnstay, hart., and Jane his wife, liotli iu a supplicating posture, are almost equally egregious. This has not unaptly been termed " a mass aurds, together clashing. Sparkles from their helmets flashing! Hear ye not their loud alarms > Hark ! they shout — To arms ! to arms ! Thus were Garthen's plains defended, Mai'lor fight began and ended. There (wo princes fonglil ; and lliere, Wa" Moracli Vorvraii's feast exchang'd for roni and fear." l.i.Aticot.hr.N Cituncii is the accom[>anying View, which, notwithstanding its unpretend- ing Htructure, in not undcKcrving of iiolice. .'D) ® I. © 3E jL IL A U . UERJOjrETHSTnUX . ,L >U I' CAMBRIA. DOLGELLAU, MERIONETHSHIRE, Though a small market-town, is in several respects the principal in the county, from the summer sessions being held here, and being' a manufacturing place, and a mart for the sale of various articles in the clothing line, brought from the adjacent parts. It is situated in a fertile vale, between the rivers Arran and Wiiion, and surrounded on all sides by lofty mountains, many of which are well wooded. The name is derived from dol, a word similar to dale, so common in Scotland and tlie north of England, and gelli, or ce.lU, a grove of hazel-trees. The town contains little worthy of observation. The streets are very irregular, tiie houses principally small, and most are ill built. The church is the neatest structure in or about the place; but has nothing peculiarly attracting. It is pewless, tiie seats consisting of forms; and, what is not usually seen in Wales, the floor is paved with limestone flags. The market-house is a low square building, and the town-hall is scarcely distinguishable from the other houses. A very strong and handsome ediflce, erected at a small distance from tlie town, forms the county gaol. The facetious Fuller, who wrote more than a century ago, gives a singular enigmatical account of Dolgellau. " 1. The walls thereof are three miles high. 2. Men go into it over the water; but 3. Go out of it under the water. 4. The steeple thereof doth grow therein. 5. There are more alehouses than houses." These he solves in the following manner: The first alludes to the mountains surrounding the place. Tiie second, that at one entrance to the town, there was a bridge, over which all travellers must pass. The tlih"d, that at the other they had to go under a wooden trough, carried across the road for the conveyance of water from a distance to an overshot miU on the opposite side. For the explanation of the fourth, the bells (if plural) hung in a yew tree. And fiftlily, " the tenements were divided into two, or more tipling houses, and that even chimneyless barns were often used for that purpose." It must be presumed that he penned this description from the state of the town during the time of fair, when almost every house is open for the sale of Cwnv dda, or Welsh ale. Respecting the other allu- sions, none will at present apply, except the first two. A considerable trade is carried on at Dolgellau in webs, or coarse cloths, and flannels. V CAMBRIA. The principal market for these goods was formerly Shrewsbury; but so large a portion has of late years been purchased by agents on tlie spot, that the inhabitants have had little occa- sion to send to such a distant market. Another article in the kerseymere line has recently been added to the list of the manufactures of the place. The nmnber of hands necessarily employed in these departments, have rendered the place very populous, comparatively with other townis in the county. By the census in 1801, the number of houses returned was 630, and the population 2949. But since that period tlie trade has l)een more flourishing, and the number of inliabitants greatly increased. The whole of the vale in which the town is situated, is remarkable for its beautiful views, and picturesque landscapes. It has been observed, "There is no place in the princip;dity whence so many pleasing and interesting excursions maybe made; and wliere Nature bears so rich, varied, and grand an aspect, as at Dolgellau. The ride to Dinas y Mowddwy, and thence to Bala over the mountains, and back through the vale, in which the river Dee takes its rise, affords much tine scenery:" and it may be added that views and objects, as diversi- fied as they are multifarious, present themselves in every direction; so that the tourist \vill advantageously make this a kind of central station for embracing opportunities of investigation. Nannau is situated on an elevated spot, two miles from Dolgellau. The house is a substanti;d and elegant structure; and being placed on a more eligible site than the old mansion, commands more pleasing views. From the circumstance of the road leading to it being upon a continual ascent, it has been supposed "to stand higher than any gentle- man's house in Britiiin." The park is well wooded, and remarkable for a very small kind of deer, which make excellently fine-flavoured venison. Inclosed in the garden is a venerable oak, pierced and hollowed by llic liaiid ot time, and in the last state of decay. The girth is twenty-seven feet and a half. The name, Dcriceu Cenbren yr ElljiJh the ^'■hollow oak, the haunt of demotix" may lead the fancy into visionary scenes; and the illuded eye may see dryads and hamadryads, with other fairy tribes, revelling round its antiquated trunk. Above Nannau rises a lofty rocky eminence, having the summit encircled with a rampart, formed of loose stones, evidently a British post, called Mod Orthrwm, or "the hill of oppression." Llanelltvd Church, a pleasing and picturesque object, at lu) great distance from Dolgellau, is the accompanying subject. €AESH.(BWJK.}L2i. rLINTSHLRE »5W<|^„',,^ ■ CAMBRIA. CAERGWRLE, FLINTSHIRE. The etymologry of the name given to this place suggests the idea that it was once occu- pied by the Romans. Caergawr-Lle, or "the camp of the gigantic legion :" the Britons hav- ing conferred that distinction on the twentieth, or victrix, to which this was an equivalent appellation. Hence originated the fahidous story of Chester, their principal station, having been built by a mighty giant called Lleon Gawr. The conjecture of its having heen once in possession of the Romans, has heen confirmed by indubitable remains of that people. A Roman hypocaust, or sudatory, a species of vapom' bath, was discovered by a gardener, while digging. " It was five ells long, four broad, and about half an ell high ; encompassed with walls hewn out of the live rock. The floor was of hrick set in mortar ; the roof was supported with brick piUars, and consisted of polished tiles, which at several places were perforated ; and on these were laid certain brick tubes, which carried ofi' the force of the heat." It is well known to persons conversant with history, how partial the Romans, as luxury in their manners increased, were to baths of various descriptions, such as Balnea, Thermae, Hypocausta, &c. ; and whose particular work this was, is evidently pointed out by some of the tiles being inscribed Legio XX., or twentieth legion, which was long stationed at Deva, or Chester. In addition to this, large beds of iron scoria have been discovered near Caer Estyn, the supposed remains of Roman smelting works; and the vestiges of two roads, one in a direction for Hawarden, and the other looking towards Mold, which are traceable in several places. Caerg\vrle, therefore, appears one of the outposts to the grand station Deva, for the defence of the frontier, and more especially to protect the mining districts. The situation was subsequently occupied by the Britons, who erected a castle upon the summit of a lofty hill. But in what period, or by whom built, is not ascertained ; yet evi- dently prior to the reign of Henry the Second ; for in the reign of Owen Gwynedd it formed part of the possessions of a chieftain named Gryffy'dd Maelor. It afterwards must have been taken by the English forces, because Edward the First made a grant of this strong- hold to prince David. Afterward it was retaken, and the king bestowed it on his consort Eleanor, who rested here on her journey for her future accouchement at Caernarvon; whence the name was changed to that of Queen Hope. While the king and queen were there, this fortress was, either by accident or design, set on fire, and the interior of the structure burnt. CAMBRIA. In 1307, this castle and manor were granted to John de Cromwell, upon the express stipulation that he should repair the fortress, then in a ruinous state. ^\^len it was dismantled or dilapidated, and tlie name of its founder, are e(nially buried in oblivion. Churchyard describes it as being in a shattered condition, about the latter part of the sixteenth century. The casde, now exhibiting a most picturesque ruin, was erected on the summit of a lofty rock, Isolated from the surrounding high land, and precipitous on one side, which formed a natiu-al barrier ; and the others, that are very dithcidt of access, were defended by deep fossa, excavated out of the solid strata. Though apparently from the present remains, consisting' of a mutilated circular tower, and a few fragments of walls, it was never a very large structure ; yet possessing such a defensible site, and aided by another British post, Caer Estyn, formed of one ditch and rampart on the opposite elevation, it must have been of considerable importance, as calculated to defend one of the passes for English troops to the interior of Wales; for here the little valley narrows almost to a close, leaving little more space than is sufficient for the Alyn to flow tbrougii its romantic dingles, tid the country opens in the distant vale, and the river expands at the village of Gresford. Nearly the whole of this rock is composed of brescia, or that mixed kind of gritstone, so coarse in its texture, as to wear the appearance of small pebbles, imbedded in mortar. The adjacent hills consist of limestone, (piantities of which is quarried, i)urnt into lime on the spot, and most of it carried into Cheshu'e. In tlie overlay of loose earth are nimierous antediluvian organic bo'dies, called by fossilists entrochi and astroites, which are supposed to be the remahis of some sort of asterias. A singular kind found here, with prottd)erant joints, is conjectui'ed to have been part of the species denominated by some naturalists arljorescens, or arborescent sea-stai'; the branches of which have a very near resemblance to these substances ; being of a cyhndrical shape, and made up of several articidations, though in lew instances exceeding an inch in length. On the demesne named Uhyddyu, almost close to the river Alyn, are two sprhigs, the waters of which are strongly impregnated with muriate of soda. They are nearly like those of the celebrated ibuutaiu at Barrowdale, near Keswick, in the county of Cumber- laud, tliongh not eijuiilly potent: a|)[)roxiniaruig nearer to the standard of sea water. Tliese were formerly nuub Ireijuented, as medicinal resounx's, jiarticularly by scorbutic palieuts. The dose was from one to two ijuarts in a day ; iind iiiaii\ , to increase tiie strength by duninishing the quantity of aqueous matter, boiled the water till half was wiLsted, through eva])<(ration. The ert'ect produced by taking them in this <|iumtity, is purg- ing: for tliey act as a powerlid cathartic, and generally produce nausea. In small doses they operate as a diuretic. Tliey are serviceable in must cutiuieous aft'ections, and in some obstiiiiite chronic disorders, in dry weather, pigeons resort to tl)ese springs, to pick up the crystalli/.ffd particles. I'ont-v-I'aik, CacM-narvonshire, is tlie accompanying View, anut a little fartiier. at New Bridge, this is exceeded by another view more interesting. " Out of the road," says Mr. Bingley, (who visited this neiohbourhood in September, 1798,) "about one hundred yards above the bridge, such a scene was presented to me, that had I possessed the pencil of a Claude, I could have painted one of the most exquisite landscapes the eye ever beheld. The river here darted along its rugged bed, and its rocky banks clad with wood, where every varied tint that autumn coidd aftord added to their eft'ect, cast a darkening shade upon the stream. With the green oak, all the ditlerent hues of the ash, the elm, and the hazel, were intermingled. Above the bridge arose a few cottages siu-rouuded viith foliage. The evening was calm, and the smoke, tinged by the setting sun, descended upon the vale, while the distant moun- tains were brightened by his lieams into a fine purple. I contemplated these beauties till the declining siui had sunk beneath the horizon, and twilight had begun to steal over the landscape, blending into one every different shade of reflection." On the way to Llangollen, Mr. Pennant ascended the front of Cefn Ucha. The distant view from tliis lofty hill is boundless. One side impends over a most beautifid valley, watered by the Dee, diversified with groves, and bounded towards the end by barren and naked rocks, tier above tier. Fumaria claviculata is abundant in hedges by the road-side near Llangollen. " Leaving the noble mansion of Chirk, the scat of genuine hospitality and real elegance," says Mr. Evans, " we crossed the river Ceiriog, a tributary to the Dee, and at present the l)oundary between England and this part of Wales, and turned om- backs upon a coimtry which had fin-nished us with now scenes at everv step : where Nature has been lavish with whatever tends to please and elevate the mind ; where Flora sports in sweet variety, and spreads her matchless charms over alpine heights, as well as lowly vales, in rich profusion. A country which was eminently distinguished as the birth-place and residence of the chil- dren of freediiin, whose ind('])cndent spirit and martial jirowcss, for centuries, chastised rapacity and injustice, and made oppression aiul tyranny tremble upon tlie throne. A country where a plain, honest, hospitable people, uncorrupted by wealth, and not ener- vated by luxury, still keep I lie noiseless tenoiu- of their way — where calm content and bliss delight to dwell." CAMBRIA. PISTILL Y CAEN. Seven miles from Dolgelly, our guide conducted us over a bridge to the right of the road, called Pont-ar-Garfa, from the river of that name, which flows under it. From hence we proceeded nearly two miles on a gradual ascent over a slate mountain, the dulness of which was soon contrasted by a magnificent and sublime prospect. The summit of the hill Tylyu Gwladys, which we had been ascending, is opposed by the lofty mountain Cwm- Ysom, and the profound valley of Mouddach at its feet. Through this immense hollow the two torrents Cayne and Mouddach pour their irresistible streams; and though the deep woods, which completely clothe the declivities on either side, preclude a view of their troubled waters, yet the roar of their cataracts swells upon the gale, and reaches the ear in one continual peal of distant thunder. The solemn sentiments which this circumstance natu- rally inspires, were exalted and enlivened, as we descended, by the surrounding scenery ; the umbrageous and gloomy appearance of the glen, the precipitous declivity of the hills, and the sharp rocky crags which shot through the verdant clothing of their sides. An in- finite variety of shrubs and trees, planted by the hand of Nature, but disposed with the justest taste and happiest effect, the trembling foliage of the aspen, the vivid berries of the mountain ash, and the melancholy shade of the pendant birch, complete the beauties of this fairy region. Our first object was the Pistill y Caen, or fall of the Caen ; in order to approach which, we passed over a rude alpine bridge, formed of the trunk of an oak thrown from rock to rock, and hanging frightfully over a black torrent that roared many feet beneath it. We descended with some difficulty to the bottom of the fall. Here the effect is very grand. A sheet of water is seen pouring down a rugged declivity, nearly perpendicular, of two hundred feet; the view of it is complete and full, through the adjoining woods, which, though they thickly mantle its sides, do not break by the intervention of their branches the continuity of the fall. After tumbling from the stupendous height, the agitated waters are received amongst rocks of a light dun colour, which their perpetual actions have excavated, into hollows of alarming profundity and various shapes, and through these they force their course, in order to unite themselves with the Mouddach, a few hundred yards from the spot on which we stood. Whilst we were contemplating this grand example of Nature's magnificence, the sun, which had hitherto veiled its head in the clouds, shone suddenly and CAMBRIA. full upon the descendino; sheet of water, and produced an appenranoe that conveyed no bad idea of an immense shower of diamonds tailing' from an eminence. Pont y Rhydlanfair. — The cataract here, is of a very ditlerent character from the other ; indeed, we may extend tliis remark to all tlie particulars of Welsh scenery ; each spot having, as it were, a character peculiar to itself: a circuuistauce which prod\ices inex- haustible variety, and constant sources of fresh entertainment to tlie admirer of Nature. I sii u'vym'C . p. V K S H I R E . CAMBRIA. SNOWDON, FROM CAPEL CURIG, CAERNARVONSHIRE. Snowdon, from ancient testimony, appears to have been held in as high veneration among the Britons, as the celebrated Ida among the Cretans, and Parnassus, connected with classic fame, of the Achaians. Like the latter, it is bifurcate, having its Nissa and Cirrha, its Crib y distill, and y tcyddfa; mid was, doubtless, an object of adoration and invocation, from the following passage, included in a series of triambrics, each terminating with a moral precept; supposed to be the Eiujlynion, or verses by which the bardic instructors inculcated upon the minds of their auditors their oral ethics. " Eyry Mynydd, culed' gravvii Dail ar gychwyii, Llynwyn llawii, Nag ymddiried i estrawn." " Nivean hill, the harvests grow, The leaves descend, the lakes o'erflow : Confide in none thou dost not know." According to the testimony of Gildas, our ancestors worshipped mountains and rivers. It is certain they paid a particular veneration to them, and some were held peculiarly sacred. To the present day, it is said, and by many believed, that whoever sleeps for one night upon the top of Snowdon, will wake up, as much inspired as those who became poets by taking a nap on the hill of Apollo. The summit of Snowdon is so frequently enveloped in clouds and mist, that, except when the weather is perfectly tine and settled, the traveller through this country will find it somewhat difficult to have a day sufficiently clear to permit him to ascend the mountain. When the wind blows from the west it is almost completely covered ; and at other times, even when the state of the weather seems favourable, it will often become suddenly en- veloped, and will remain in that state for hours. Most persons, however, agree, that the prospects are the more interesting, as they are the more varied, when the clouds just cover the siunmit. The following description (from Bingley's Tour) of the scenery from Snow- don, when the mountain is in this state, is perfectly accurate : " How high and swift flits the thin rack along. Skirted with rainbow dyes ; now deep below (While the fierce sun strikes theillutnin'd top) Slow sails the gloomy storm, and all beneath. By vaporous exhalation hid, lies lost In darkness ; save^at once where drifted mists, CAMBRIA. Cut by strong gusts of eddying winds, expose The transitory scene. Now swift on either side tlie gather'd clouds, As by a sudden touch of magic, wide Recede, and the fair face of heaven and earth Appears. Amid the vast horizon's stretch, In restless gaze the eye of wonder darts O'er the expanse; mountains on mountains piled, And winding bays, and promontories huge, Lakes and meandering rivers, from their source Traced to the distant ocean." Nant Francon, or "The Valley of Beavers," a corruption from Nant yr Afanc, is supposed to be so denominated from having been formerly a covert for those amphibious animals, no longer inhabitants oftlie coimtry; but found, according to report, in this valley, less than a century ;igo. This formerly was a tremendous glen, or rather chasm; hut by the efforts of human iudustrj', some of its wild and terrific appearances have been dissipated. It com- prises a narrow strip of meadow land, surrotmded by lofty mountains ; through which meanders the small river Ogwen, towards the sea. Do^vn a rocky height, called the lienglog, rush the waters of five lakes, into a deep pool beneath, forming a very picturesque and grand waterfall. This, consisting of three cataracts, is best viewed by descending from the road into the deep bottom beneath. The lower fall is the most considerable, over which the Ogweu rushes, roars, and rolls, in one sheet of foam and sprav, down an integral and nearly perpendicular rock. By climbing a broken rocky steep, the river is seen pre- cipitating itself in a more majestic stream, tlirough a chasm between two vertical cM's. The third, some height above, is less romantic; but its broad expanse of water partici- pates of the grand, immense, and singular mountain Trivaen, filling the space behind; and ill the fore-ground the waters are seen dashing in various directions among tlie loose masses of rock tliat lie scattered in the rugged bed of the river. Near tiie rudest part of the glen, on Ogwen Bank, an elegant pavilion, under the direction of Mr. Wyatt, was built fur Lady Peiirhyn. .Surrounded with luxuriant plantations, it certainlv forms a striking contrast with tin; bleak and barren mountains in the vicinity. And though considerable taste has been displayed, it would savour of poetic licence to call it " an acre of Tempo among the rocks of Norway." From 15angor to the Benglog, the road is nearly the whole distance upon the ascent ; Imt after tliis narrow pass, it extends by the side of Llyn Ogwen, and continues under the mountains, almost on a level, to Capel C'urig, where llie late Lord Penrhyn erectiil, lor tlir accoiniiMMhitidu of ilie puliiic, a handsome inn ; so that travel- lers through this dreary region may now meet with good entertainment, and very excellent lodging. .Since this inn and hotel has been occupied, it has becoini; a fisbionahle resort. Hiiring the summer months, nnnierous genteel families and others make a temporary resi- (liMce at Capel Cnrig, to enjoy tlie iniiiicroiis ili\ eiNilied ,iiiil interesting walks and rides, amidst th« magnificent objects of the surrounding scenery. ^Affi.B®l!JlR, HOILXHlEAiD. -■ . ■ V«i i.T"*'^'*;,^*'- t ~ -»^^ r'v«k--- t:=2 .?. T.A^n . ra©i[JS)p CAMBRIA. HOLYHEAD HARBOUR, ANGLESEA. The island on which the town is situated, being the nearest point of land toward Dublin, has always occasioned it to become a resort of numerous persons passing between England and Ireland. The passage by sea, both from Liverpool and Parkgate, has been found extremely hazardous, owing to the vicinity of the Welsh coast, along which vessels to and from either of those places must consequently pass, for half the voyage; and during heavy gales, by having been under the necessity of nearing it, many wrecks have occurred. The superior advantages, therefore, Holyhead presented for this maritime communication, induced individuals iii-st to fix upon it as a station for the purpose ; and government after- wards, as the rendezvous of the packets, or vessels charged with the conveyance of the mails. The eligibility of this port, for the mutual intercourse between the two countries, arises from ships being able in a short time to clear the land, in less danger of getting embayed, than from the above-mentioned havens; and the distance by water is considerably less, the extent of sea between Holyhead and Dublin being twenty leagues. STACK LIGHTHOUSE. For the accommodation of the port, a lighthouse is erected on a small island, or rather protruding rock, to the west of the head called " the South Stack." The light is produced by argand lamps, and the elevation above the level of the sea is about two hundred feet. This beacon is constructed upon a grand scale, so that the visibility extends through the whole of Caernarvon bay. The principle being dift'erent, renders it easily distinguishable from the one on the island of Skerries ; from which it bears south-west lialf west, distant nearly eight miles. The promontory, strictly called "the head," is either an immense precipice, or a huge mass of rocks hollowed into most magnificent caves; one is peculiarly worthy ot observation. It has received the vulgar appellation of "the parliament-house," from the fre- quent visits made by water parties to see this wonderful cavern ; it being only accessible by boats, and that at half-ebb tide. It is one of those usual phenomena produced by the action of sea water upon the soluble parts of stratified rocks; more especially where calcareous substances are prevalent in their composition. Grand receding arches of different shapes, supported by pillars of rock, exhibit such a mag-nificent scene, as cannot fail to astonish the CAMBRIA. beholder, unaccustomed to Nature's bolder works. The promontory consists of high cliffs of various heights, abounding with large caverns, which afford shelter for iiniumerable birds ; such as pigeons, gulls, razor bills, ravens, guillemots, cormorants, and herons. On the loftiest crags lurks the peregine falcon ; the bird so high in repute while falconry con- tinued a fasliionable amusement. The eggs of many of these birds are sought after as deli- cious food, and considered as a great treat to the epicurean. The price prociu'ed for them is a sufficient inducement for the poor to follow the adventurous trade of egg-taking ; but in this, as in the pearl fishery on the coasts of Persia, the gains bear no tolerable proportion to the danger incurred. The adventurers having furnished themselves with every neces- sary implement for the business, while the sun affords assistance 1))' his beams, enter on the terrific undertaking. Two, for this is a trade in which co-partnership is absolutely neces- sary, take a station ; and he, whose turn it happens to be, or whose superior agility renders it eligible, prepares for the rupestrian expedition. A strong stake is driven into the ground, at sonu^ distance from the edge of the cliff, to which a rope of sufficient length to reacii the lowest haunts of those liirds is affixed. Fastening the other end round his middle, taking the coil on his arm, and laying hold with both his hands, he throws himself over the brow of the cliff; placing his feet against its sides, and carefully shifting his bands, he gradually descends till he comes to the abode of the birds ; then, putting his loft hand into the hole, wiiilo suspending himself wltli the other, he takes possession of Its contents, care- fully placing the eggs in a basket slimg at his back for the purpose. Having despoiled all the nests within his extent of rope, he ascends by the same means to the edge of the cliff, where his partner, whose duty hitherto was to guard the stake, crawling on hands and knees, affords him assistance In dou])ling the cliff, which otherwise \w would be unable to do. Dangerous employ ! A slip of the foot, or the hand, would In an instant be fatal to both. Instances have occurred, where the weight of the one overcoming the strength of the other, both have been precipitated down the craggy steep, and their mangled carcases biu'ied in the ocean : but these are rare. To a stranger and bystander, this occupation appears more dangerous than it really is; in persons habituated to bodily difficult)-, the nervous system becomes gradually jjraced, and the solids attain that state of rigidity, which banishes Irrltablhty ; while the mind, accustomed to scenes of danger, loses that timidity which fre- (juently leads to the dreaded disaster. To the person whose heart jjalpitates at the near approach to sucli heights, it must ap|icar :i presiunptuous employ, and diiilv instances of its talality might be expected ; ])nt fa<:t demonstrates the contrary, and serves to prove how uuich we are the crcatm-es of habit, and to what an extent ditHcnlty and danger may be made subordinate to art and perseverance. '^* T F, © Tt JO , vtJ B.. ,T?. A. ]L . CAMBRIA. MENAI BRIDGE. The passage of the Menai Strait, which separates Anglesea from the main land, and which, although in appearance only a river, is in fact an arm of the sea, being at certain times both difficult and dangerous, suggested the idea of forming a bridge over the Strait, chiefly with a view to facilitate the communication with Ireland. Various estimates and plans were submitted to the public by engineers and scientific men, and it was not until after due consideration and some delay, that Mr. Telford's splendid design for one, on the suspension principle, was adopted, and a sum granted by Parliament for carrying it into effect. On the 10th of August, 1819, the first stone of this magnificent structure was without any ceremony laid by Mr. Provis, the resident engineer, and the contractor for the masonry. " When, on entering the Straits," says a recent author, " the bridge is first seen, sus- pended as it were in mid air, and confining the view of the fertile and richly wooded shores, it seems more like a light ornament than a massy bridge, and shows Httle of the strength and solidity which it really possesses. But as we approached it nearer, whilst it still retained its light and elegant appearance, the stupendous size and immensity of the work struck us with awe ; and when we saw that a brig, with every stick standing, had just passed under it, that a coach going over it appeared not larger than a child's toy, and that foot passengers upon it appeared like pigmies, the vastness of its proportions was by contrast fully apparent." The whole length of the bridge is one thousand feet, of which the part immediately de- pendant upon the chain is five hundred and ninety feet, the remaining distance being sup- ported by seven arches, four on one side, and three on the other, which fill up the distance from the main piers to the shore. These main piers rise above the level of the road fifty feet, and through them two archways, each twelve feet wide, admit a passage. Over the tops of these piers, four rows of chains, the extremities of which are firmly secured in the rocks at each end of the bridge, are thrown ; two of them nearly in the centre, about four feet apart, and one at each side. The floor of the road is formed of layers of wood, well covered with pitch, and then strewed over with granite broken very small, forming, by its adhesion to the pitch, a solid work, imperviotis to the wet. A light lattice-work of wrought iron, to the height of about six feet, prevents the possibility of accidents by falling over, and allows a clear view of the scenery on both sides, which appears to great advantage from this height. Having expressed our admiration of the skill evident in the construction, at once so simple and so usefiil, and having satisfied our curiosity at the top, we descended by a precipitous path to the level of the water, and gazed upwards with wonder, at the im- mense flat surface above us, and its connecting gigantic arches. The road is one hundred feet above high water, and the arches spring, at the height of sixty feet, from abutments of solid masonry, with a span of fifty-two feet. These abutments taper gradually, from their / CAMBRIA. base to where the arch commences, and, unmense masses as they are, show no appearance of heaviness; indeed, taking the whole of the Menai Bridge together, a more perfect union of beauty with utility cannot be imagined. It has been erected to bear a weight of two thousand tons upon the chains; the whole weight imposed at present is only five hundred, leaving an available strength of fifteen hundred tons ; so that there is an easy remedy for a complaint that has been made, of its too great ^-ibration in a gale of wind, by laying additional weight upon it. There is so much magnificence, beauty, and elegance in this grand work of art, that it harmonises and accords perfectly with the natural scenery around, and though itself an object of admiration, still in connexion it heightens the effect of the general view. LLYN TEGID, MERIONETHSHIRE. Llyn Tegid, better known under the name of Pimble Mere, or Bala Lake, lies about a quarter of a mile to the south of the town, extending about four miles in length, and tliree quarters of one in breadth. Its greatest depth is about forty feet. Tiie accompanying scenery consists of easy slopes partly cultivated, and partly clothed with wood, and not dis- similar to the low hilly views around the lake of Winandcr Mere, in the county of Cum- berland. During stormy weather, from the wide expiuise, the billows run very high, encroaching greatly on the north-east end. The water rises sometimes nine feet above its usual level ; and when winds and rains combine their forces, it overflows the banks into the fair vale of Edeiruion. Tile tradition of the neighbourhood is, that the Dee passes through the lake, without mixing it.s waters, as the Rhone is fabled to serve the lake of Geneva. The proof ad >■ V IRiCIBl. CAMBRIA. C A D E R I D R I S, MERIONETHSHIRE. Cader Idris, the majestic father of tlie Merionethshire mountains, which hterally lifts its hifid iiead and hlack precipices above the clouds, rises majestically from the margin of the beautiful lake of Tal y Llyn. The ascent to the top, and the views obtained from the summit, are thus described by an observant traveller : — " A small lake, called Llyn y gader, lies about a mile and a half on the high road to Towyn, which having arrived at, we quitted the road, and began our ascent at the first step of tliis lofty mountain. When we had surmounted the exterior ridge, *e descended a little to a deep clear lake, which is kept constantly full by the nmnerous tributary torrents that fall down the surrounding rocks ; hence we climbed a second and still higher chain, up a steep but not difficult track, over numerous fragnaents of rock detached fi*om the higher parts: wo now came to a second and more elevated lake, clear as glass, and overlooked by steep cliffs in such a manner as to resemble the crater of a volcano. Some travellers have mentioned the finding lava and other volcanic productions here ; upon a strict examination, however, we were unable to discover any thing of the kind, nor did the water of the lake appear to differ in any respect from the purest rock water, though it was tried repeatedly with the most delicate chemical tests. A clear, loud, and distant echo, repeats every shock that is made near the lake. We now began our last and most difficult ascent up the summit of Cader Idris itself, which, when we had surmounted, we came to a small plain, with two rocky heads of nearly equal heights, one looking to the north, and the other to the south : we made choice of that which appeared to us the most elevated, and seated ourselves on its highest pinnacle, to rest after a laborious ascent of three hours. We were now high above all the eminences within this vast expanse, and as the clouds gradually cleared away, caught some grand views of the surrounding country. The huge rocks, which we before looked up to with astonislunent, were far below at our feet, and many a small lake appeared in the valleys between them ; to the north, Snowdon with its dependencies shut up the scene ; on the west, we saw the whole curve of the bay of Cardigan, bounded at a vast distance by the Caernarvon mountains, and nearer, dashing its white breakers against the rocky coasts of Merioneth ; the southern horizon was bounded by Plinlimmon ; and at the east the eye glanced over the lake of Bala, the two Arennig mountains, the two Arrans, the long chain of the Ferwyn mountains, to the Breiddhi hills on the confines of Shropshire ; and dimly, in the distant horizon, was beheld the Wrekin, rising alone from the plain of Salop. Having at last satisfied our curiosity, and being thoroughly chUled by the keen air of these 2 a CAMBRIA. elevated regions, we began to descend down the side opposite to that which we had come up. The first stage led us to another beautiful mountain lake, whose cold clear waters discharge their superabundance in a full stream down the side of the mountain. All these waters abound with trout ; and iu some is found the gwyniaid, a fish peculiar to rocky alpuie lakes. Following the course of the stream, we came on the edge of the craggy cliffs that overlook Tal y Llpi lake ; and a long and difficult descent conducted us at last on the borders of Tal y Llpi, where we entered the Dolgellau road." The mountain of Cader Idris, in height the second iu all Wales, rises on the sea shore, close upon the northern side of the estuary of the sm;dl ri\or Dysynwy : about a mile above Towyn, it proceeds with almost a constant ascent, first northward for about three miles, then for ten miles fartlier runs E. N. E. giving out from its suuunit a branch nearly three miles long, in a south-westerly direction, parallel to the main ridge. It is very steep and craggy on every side; but the southern descent, especially to the border of Tal y Llynlake, is the most precipitous, being nearly perpendicular. Its breadth bears but a small propor- tion to its length ; a'line passing along its base and intersecting the summit woidd scarcely equal four miles and a half; and in the other pai-ts it is a mere ridge, whose base hardly ever exceeds one mile in lueadtli. The peak is said to be two thousand eight hundred and fifty feet above Dolgellau. Cader Idris is the beginning of a chain of primitive mountains, extending in a N. N. easterly direction, and including the Arrans and the Arennigs. It is much loftier and more craggy than the slates and secondary mountains which surround it, and consists of — 1. Sili- ceous porphyry iu mass, interse<'tod by veins of quartz. 2. Siliceous schistose, porphyry, intersected by veins of (piartz. 3. Argillaceous porphyry, in mass. 4. Granitell (of Kirwan) in mass, composed of quartz and schorl. In a flat called Towyn Meireonydd, watered by the river Dysynwy, that falls into the sea a fnw miles to the north of Llanfiliangol y Pennant, rises an inuuense rock, with a very contracted top. Here once stood a castle, evidently from the present remains of great strength. It appears to have extended longitudinally, over the whole surface of the sum- mit. One apartment, thirty-six feet iu diameter, was cut out of the rock. In some parts, the lines of circumvatiation consisted of stones, loosely pileil on tlie edges of (he precipices. The other sides were defended by well-built walls of squared stones, cemented with nu)r- tar, composed of calcined shells, and gravel. The whole is now almost invisible, being overrini witii weeds and bushes. Llanfachukth CiiUKCii is the accompanying View. CAMBRIA. BETTWS Y COED, CAERNARVONSHIRE. On the way to Cernioge, Mr. Hiittoii passed Bettws y Coed, (the station in the wood), the road running beside the Lhig wy for five miles, and being enclosed by a range of mountains on each hand. A walk to the right, up these banks, produces some wonders. The rocks and the river seem to contend which should most delight the traveller. About midway is the famous Rhaiadyr y Wenol, a hill of rocks in the bed of the river, over which the water precipitates with the utmost violence. Leaving the wonderful objects of Nature at Pont y Rhydlanvair, Mr. Hutton was obliged to travel the next five miles through an old British road, fuU of turnings, which brought him into the great road to Pentre Voelas ; thence he passed through Cernioge. TAL Y LLYN, MERIONETHSHIRE. The vale of Tal y Llyn, though confined, is not destitute of beauty. It consists of rich mea- dows, through which flows a fine rivulet, issuing from the lake, and proceeding to the ocean. The valley is flanked by lofty mountains, the sides of which are adorned with verdant and sylvant clothing. The termination is pleasing. The lake here nearly fills the valley, so as to leave only a road on one side. It then contracts gradually into a river, rushing under a bridge of one arch, through a narrow defile ; on one side of which stands the church, and upon the other, cottages intermingled with trees. Mr. Pennant continued his journey from a place called Allt-Lwyd, where he had a full view of the flat called Towyn Meireonydd, watered by the Dysj-nwy. From this place he descended through fields, and, crossing the river, dined upon a great stone beneath the vast rock Craig y Deryn, or the rock of birds, so called from numbers of cormorants, rock pigeons and hawks, which breed there. At the foot is a prodigious stream of stones, which ex- tends some hundreds of yards from the bottom of the rock. Here the Towyn is contracted into a fertile vale, which stretches about two miles farther. Near its end is a long and high rock, narrow upon the top. Here stood the castle of Teberri, which extended lengthways over the whole surface of the summit. The remaining walls are well built, but the place is so overgrown with bushes as to render the survey very difiicult. It lies in the parish of CAJIBRIA. Llanfihaiigel y Pennant. Returned about half a mile, and rode several miles along the pretty vale of Tal y Llyn; went by Llyn y ininail, a beautiful lake, about a mile long. Its termi- nation is very picturesque, for it contracts gradually into the form of a river, and rushes through a good stone arch into a narrow pass, haWng on one side the church, on the other some cottages mixed with trees. A few miles beyond Tal y Llpi chiu-ch, the hiUs almost meet at their bottoms, and change theb" aspect. No verdure is now to be seen, but a gene- ral appearance of rude and savage natiu-o. One of the precipices is called Pen y Delyn, from some resemblance it has to a harp ; another is styled Llam y Uadron, or " the thieves' leap." On the left is the rugged height of Cader Idris. Pass near a small lake, called LljTi y tri grasenjTi, or " pool of the three grains," from three vast rocks, which some time had fallen from the neighbouring mountain into the water. These (say the peasants) are the three grains, which the giant feeling in his shoe, so as to hurt his foot, he threw them out here. Pass over Bwlch Coch, and from thence to Dolgellau ; whence visit Nannau, the seat of the ancient family of the Nanneys, now of the Vaughans. The way to it is a con- tinual iuscent of two miles. On the road-side is a venerable oak, pierced by art into the form of a gothic arch ; its girth is twenty-seven feet and a half Its name is Derwen Ceu- bren yr Ellyll, the hollow oak, the haunt of demons. Above Nannau is a high rock, called Moel yr thrwm, evidentlv once a British post. Return through Dolgellau, and about one mile beyond is a beautiful view of three vales, finely embellished with gentlemen's seats, and Avatered by the junction of the Onion and the Mouddaeh. Instead of the direct track to Barmouth, visit the cascades of Gl)ni-maw. Cross the bridge of Llanelltyd ; below is a turbery ; on the left is the church of Llanelltyd ; on the right, in a rich flat, stand the remains of the abbey of CjTumer. A portion of the church is still to be seen ; and the great hall and part of the aldjot's lodgings now form a farm-house. About five or six miles from Dolgellau, at Dol y MelpiUj-n, Mr. Pennant turned out of the road to meet the furious course of the Gamlan, which falls, witli short interrupticnis, from rock to rock, for a very considerable space, amid the woods anil bushes, till it reaches a lofty precipice, whence it precipitates into a black pool, shaded by trees, (which give the name of Rhaiadyr-du, or the black cataract.) Cross Pont ar Gandan, below whidi the river falls into the Mouddaeh. Not far thence, the junction of the Mouddaeh and lulen forms another grand scene. Begin a considerable ascent, and find upon the sunnuit some groves of handsome oaks ; in front, a naked country. Descend through steep fields, to another set of wooded dingles, which wind along the bottoms, and join the former. In various parts, Cader idris a|)pears in full majesty. Soon after arriving in the woods, ano- tlier cascade, called I'isliU y Caen, astonishes with its grandeur, forming a vast tall, bounded on one side by broken ledges of rocks, on ilic oilier by a lofty precipice. At the bottom is an alpine bridge, and not far distiuit is another cascade. Emerging from these romantic depths, a long extent of woodless tract is reached, in the vast parish of Trawsfynnydd, walled ill iiu all sides by lofty rugged mountains, of various j'orins. yrKwzL ^ H Ga*t:i;r.-, -atiweA "by H.Adlwd :iPASS ©IF ILJL ASJB JEmUS. HEAR CAPr.1, CnBlG. CAERMARVONSHIEE. V. :ci r CAMBRIA. PASS OF LLANBERIS AND RHAIADYR Y WENOL, CAERNARVONSHIRE. From Llanberis to Capel Curig is a curious and romantic pass, between three and four miles in leng-th, and in some places not more than fifty or sixty yards wide, called Cwm Glas, or the " blue vale." The rocks on each side are of a tremendous height, in some places nearly perpendicular, and in others overhanging their bases many yards. About three miles from Llanberis is a huge fragment of rock, far larger than the Bowdar stone in Borrow- dale, once probably loosened from the impending heights above ; imder which is a large cavity, where a poor woman resided for many years during the summer season, to tend her sheep, and milk her cows : the place is called Ynys Hettws, Hetty's Island. The highest part of this gradually ascending road is called Gorphwysfa, or "the resting-place." Mr. Hutton describes this pass as follows : — -" Leaving the enchanting scenery around Llanberis, I instantly entered Bwlch y Gwyddyl. I was struck with astonishment at this wonderful spot. He who has not seen it, may imagine himself rising a steep mountain, nearly two miles long, meeting a rapid stream in the centre, but diminishing to nothing as he rises, with an immense rock on each hand all the way. From the frosts, the sun, and the rains, which, for ages, have operated upon these elevated mountains of rock, they have been shivering to pieces, and fragments of all sizes have covered the valley, which is about one hundred yards wide, so as to annoy the traveller, and choke the river. All is chaos. Amazement and contemplation fill the mind. Many of the stones may be traced to the spot whence they fell. Aftci- travelling up this scene of wonder, this wreck of nature, sometimes up stone stairs, sometimes through water, yet always upon rock, I arrived at the top, called ' the resting-place,' whence I had a prospect of the other side of the hill, called Bwlch yr Eisteddfa. One of the ranges of mountains now opened to the right, which was Snowdon, and the other to the left towards Capel Curig. In front appeared a third range, forming a triangular area. This was barren, solitary, yet dignified nature. Not one habita- tion could be descried in all this prospect ; not a human being, no shrub, or tree. Even the birds appeared to avoid this secluded spot, to seek their enemy, man. Unproductive as the place appears, it is without doubt, thought I, the freehold of somebody, but I could not estimate the fee-simple at more than one shilling an acre. It is space without use, freehold without profit. During two days did I wander among these desolate mountains, yet only trod upon two estates. I was inquisitive to learn the value of land in a desart. One farm, about three hundred acres, including a newly erected inn, which coidd not cost lest than £1200, is let at 3s. 6d. an acre. Another, two thousand four hundred acres, at £60 per annum. A third, SIX hundred acres, at £5 per annum, which is two-pence an acre. And here I might pay a compliment to Lord Pem-hyn, who is proprietor of one of the estates ; but that cannot be 2b CAMBRIA. praise from me, which is only a repetition of what all the country asserts ; for every tongue which I heard was loud in his favour. His works speak in the most convincing language. As the stubborn rock on the surface of the earth ylcklcd no boiu^fit to man, he explored its interior, where he found fuller's earth, colours, slate, &c. These employ \vorkmen, and are exported for general benefit. " Having descended Bwlch yr Eisteddfa, or 'the pass of the Irishmen,' and bearing to the right," says Mr. Hutton, " I passed by a grand cascade, or waterfall, from Ffyniion Las, a large pool in one of the chasms of Snowdon. The foil seems about three hundred feet high ; the water, a strong current, forming the river Llyn Glas, which brought me in view of the beautiful vale of Naut Gwynaut : a rich spot, graced with woods and two large pools. The whole Naiit, or valley, consists of perh-ips two thousand acres, siu-rounded with dreary mountains ; a diamond set off with black shades." On the road to Capel Curig, the traveller may skirt the north extremity of Snowdon. Ascending the west boundary of Llanrwst Vale, by the road to Capel Curig, passing at the foot of Ga-ydir woods, at the distance of about two miles, occurs an extensive dip between the mountains abounding with mines. Hence proceeding up a rather narrow, wooded valley, two or three fine waterfalls are formed by the river Llugwy, one of which, called Rhaiadyr y Wenol, is particularly striking. Its height is not great, hut a considerable body of water falls in four foaming torrents into a deep 1)ason in the centre of a very rocky chan- nel ; a number of footsteps cut in the rock, show tliat it is a spot nuich resorted to. In the prospects on this part of the road, Moel-Siabod, a mountain so lofty as to conceal behind it the crags of Snowdon, forms an oI)j('ct of admiration, both on account of its size, and the elegance of its outline. The road to Denbigh lies over some healby bills, till willilu tlie distance of five miles, when the beauty of the country begins sensibly to increase, and to prepare the traveller for the rich and fertile prospects which gladden the vale of Clwyd. From Llanrwst to Conwav, Mr. Skrlne proceeded up the vale, till the closing bills barely left room fi)r the foaming river; then turning to the right, he coursed the Lhigwy, and soon came to a spot, where it dashes with great rapidity over a ledge of l)rokeu rocks, on the craggy points of which an extraordinary bridge of five arches, called Pont y pair, is founded. He then penetrated into the recesses of that pile of mountains, which form the bjLse of Snowdon, fi)r the purpose of viewing the cataract of Uhaiadyr y Wenol. The river, here tearing its wav through opposing obstacles, increases tlic hoiror of lliis savage desarf, by a precipitate fall from rock to rock, into (he abyss of an excessively deep hollow, whence it rushes with prodigious impetimslty for several miles to the lu'idge which he had jiassi'il. At the cataract, a dark ccdunni of wood overhangs and fringes its l)anks, which, coniliiiicil Willi iIh- iiiliiiii' and liirgcncs^i ol'thc rocks, give an indescrihable sniiiimily to the scene, llcturning to Llanrwst, iu- ))assed near liie old mansion of Gwydir. Pursuing the turnpike-road, on llu- Cacrnarvonsiiire side; of the river, he soon reached the town of C'onway. CAMBRIA. VALE OF BEDDGELERT, AND FALL OF THE CONWAY, CAERNARVONSHIRE. On the direct road to Caernarvon, a pleasing vale is entered, expanding as you advance, and is watered by the river Cohvyn, which flows from a lake called Llyn Cadair yr Aur Frychin. Cadair means a scat or chair, and the Aur Frychin is supposed to have been a wild beast, perhaps a buffalo ; and the tradition is, that it was hunted up the hollow from Llanllyfni, and killed at his haunt near this pool. Upon the right, nearly opposite this lake, is the usual ascent from Beddgelert to the summit of Snowdon ; the distance is four miles. A road from the lake Cwellyn has been made, to bring down the copper ore on sledges. The sons of Snowdon, Moel Eilir and Castell Cedwm, arise on the river, while the waters of the beautiful lake of Cwellpi, three miles in length, are expanded on the left. The road lies close to its margin on the eastern side. " This lake," says Mr. Evans, " is noted for a species of charr, {salmo alpinus, Lin.) called toi-goch, or red belly, found formerly in Llyn Peris, and in some of the lakes of Switzerland ; and whoever has travelled through the Orisons, would, from the great similarity of the scenery, conceive that he had been wafted by magic to that alpine country. The road just described is not unlike that from Orenoble to Susan." At the upper end of this beautiful lake, stood the house of Cae uwch y Llyn, or " the field above the lake," which by contraction forms Cwellyn. This house was once the residence of the Quellyns, a family now extinct, who took their name from the place. At the south end of the pool, that part of Mynyddmawr, called Castell Cidwm (the wolf's castle) forms a bold and very striking feature, seeming to overhang its base. Upon the banks of the great lake, is a little public-house kept by the guide to Snowdon. This guide has the command of three small ponies, which he conscientiously charges bs. each. His customary compliment is half a guinea more, besides the expense of a person to hold the ponies, (when the steepness renders it impossible to ride any farther, which is within half a mile of the top of the mountain.) Between Llyn y Oader, and Llyn Cwellyn, the traveller may turn to the left, out of the great road, to visit Llyn y Dywarchen, or " the lake of the sod," near a farm called Drws y Coed, celebrated by the romantic Olraldus Cambriensis for its iiisulg, erratica, or wandering island, of an irregular shape, and about nine yards long. It was a piece of the turbery, undermined by the water, torn off, yet kept together by the entangling roots which form that species of soil. It is frequently set in motion by the wind, and again joins its native banks. Olraldus says, "cattle have fre- quently been surprised upon it, and by a contrary gale, carried a short voyage from the shore." There are two little islands of this description in Llyn Mignan, in Merionethshire. The charr is found only in one spot, and only for a few days, annually, about the end of December, but trout is generally abundant. From Llyniau Nanlle, between Llyn y CAMBRIA. Dywarchen, and Llanllji'iii, Mr. Wilson took his beautiful \iew of Snowdon. In the sum- mer of the year 128-1, Edward the Fu'st resided here for some days. The place is ciiUed Bala Den-ljii. Proceeding to Caernarvon, along the banks of Llyn y Cwellyn, is a fine cascade, formed by tlie Fai, or Gw)Tfai Issa, running from the lake into the valley, which expands to tine meadows. In this vale, distant from Beddgelert ti\e miles and three tjuarters, is the picturesque spot of Naat mill, on the left. On the right is Plas Nant, seated at the foot of Moel Eilir, or Ael y la, near the outlet of Llyn Cwellyn, and fronted by a beetling and shasfgy rock of a peculiiu' character. The accompaniments are the mill and cascade before mentioned, and though the latter has received some touciies from art, yet they appear perfectlv natural. One mile and a quarter farther is the small village of Bettws Gannon. The country over which the road now lies is a succession of eminences and dips, midulating in a happy style ; the soil rocky, but not unproductive. On the left rises a very ]}ictures<|ue mountain at some distance, near the sea-coast ; but in ti'ont the coiuitry is champaign and open for many miles. The high grounds in Anglesea begin to appear, and from one of the eminences on the road, tlie whole island lies like a map. ^ BUT. CAMBRIA. MONTGOMERY AND GLAN SEVERN, MONTGOMERYSHIRE. Montgomery is the county town, called by the Welsh Tref Faklwyn, that is, Baldwyn's town. He is supposed to have built the castle. Baldwyn was a Lieutenant of the Marches, in the service of William the First. This castle, however, must have soon fallen into the possession of the Welsh, since Roger de Montgomery, (to whom William the Conqueror had given the earldoms of Arundel and Shrewsbury), who entered Powisland a few years after, gained the castle and town of Montgomery, and called it after his own name, about the year 1092. The Welsh again mustered all their strength and retook it, plundered the town, and desolated the surrounding country. The castle was again repaired and strengthened by William Rufus. Dr. Powell, in his History of Wales, published 1584, says, that Prince Llewelyn came in person with a great army to the Marches, put the garrison to the sword, and burnt Mont- gomery castle to the ground, in the year 1231. This castle, like many others, during a course of ages, experienced the frequent vicissitudes of fortune. In the reign of Henry HI. Montgomery was incorporated. The outlying boroughs of Llanidloes, Llanvyllin, and Welshpool, were formerly contributary boroughs with Mont- gomery, and exercised the elective franchise equally with them, until the year 1728 ; when, by an extraordinary decision of the House of Commons, the right of election was declared to belong to the borough of Montgomery only. From that time, until the 3d of William IV., Montgomery became a close borough, under the entire control and dominion of the Powis family, until the change which took place under the late Reform Act, by which the elective franchise was restored to the ancient contributary boroughs, and extended to the towns of Machynlleth and Newtown. After two severe contests, a Reform candidate was seated in opposition to the Powis interest. Montgomery castle appears to have been held by the immediate ancestors of Lord Herbert of Cherbury, as stewards of the Crown, and to have been the principal residence of that family. Lord Herbert, "in his Life," (written by himself) says, "he was married in 1598, at the age of fifteen; and that he occasionally passed his time at Montgomery castle, till he came to the age of one-and-twenty." The church is dedicated to St. Nicholas, an ancient and venerable structure, in the form of a cross ; it contains several monuments, and one of ancient and curious construction, to *2 B CAMBRIA. the memory of Richard Herbert (father of Lord Herbert of Cherbury) and Magdalen, his wife, in which are the recumbent effigies of the former, in complete armour ; and of the latter by his side ; iu the front of which, are representations of their six sons and two daughters, in a kneeling posture ; and, under the tomb, is the figure of Richard, wrapped in his winding-sheet. The steeple has been lately rebuilt, at the sole expense of the Powis family. The church-yard is of considerable extent, and commands a fine view of the adjacent country. A new county gaol, at the end of the town, was built in 1830, at an expense of 10,000/. defrayed by the county. It is a handsome edifice of blue stone, of durable quality, and well adapted for the purpose. Glan Severn, the seat of William Owen Esq., is situated in the parish of Berriew, four miles north of Montgomery, and about the same distance from the line of Oftas' Dyke. The valley in which this house is situated is of the most fertile and beautifid description; it is bounded by hills, rising above each other to a considerable height. The house is a modern erection, delightfully situated on a gentle eminence, which slopes gradually to the margin of the river Severn, from which its name is derived. It is situated in one of the most eligible parts of the country, and was selected for the site of a mansion, tiiirty years ago, by Sir Arthur Davies Owen, (brotlier of tiie present proprietor,) who erected this Grecian edifice about a mile and a half distant from his family residence, Tynycoed, an ancient black and white timber house, situated upon the side of a hill, surrounded by fine timber, and for some centuries the residence of his maternal ancestors. Glan Severn presents three fronts; and to the south, is ornamented with four Ionic pilasters. Tlie whole is of freestone, having an air of pleasing simplicity in its general effect. The grounds were much improved by the good taste of its last, and have been more particularly so by that of its present possessor. But this spot has many natural advan- tages, — the Breiddin hWU Idrin a noble feature. Upon one of these is Rodney's pillar, to commemorate the victories which Admiral Lord Rodney obtained over the French, in 1782. It is a lofty obelisk, with an inscription. To tiie south, it commands a fine view of the Cornden and Montgomery hills. Upon the sloping lawn, siiown with the west and part of the south front, in our plate, is a fine piece of water (a natural lake), generally covered willi wild fowl. The surrouuiliiig country possesses much beauty; its surface is finely varied with hill, dale, and wood-land ; on eacii side terminated wltli a range of mountains, which form an ex(juisite l)ack-ground to its picture8(|ue scenery. The iorlpc is of frenston(!, and corresponds in style witli tlie mansion. It was erected by tlu! present pnqirietor, and is miicli a• 'I IV MM CAMBRIA. TRETWR, BRECONSHIRE. The original name of this castle is not known. Mr. King, in his Munimenta, anglicising its present appellation, calls it " Three Torr," implying that it had three towers; which etymology, Dr. Malkin, rather unaccountably for a writer of his general accuracy, has adopted. It will sufficiently invalidate this conjecture to observe, that from a view con- tained in a survey taken in the reign of Elizabeth, (now in the Badmington Library,) it appears that this castle had then four towers, one at each angle of the square enclosure ; and of these, that now remaining was considerably the largest. The fact is, that the name of the fortress itself being lost, it was designated from the town or village in Its vicinity, which was called Tre-twr, or Tre'r twr, literally the Town of the Tower. This building is to be ascribed to an early period of the Norman occupation of the county, when the new settlers were obliged to trust their security to stone walls. It seems never to have held any considerable rank as a fortress, and is rather to be regarded as a castellated mansion. An opulent and powerful branch of the family of the Vaughans of this county, take their name from this place, and were long its possessors. At present it is the property of the duke of Beaufort. The Roman encampment, called the Gaer, is in this neighbourhood. Quitting then this spot, and pursuing our route towards Brecknock, along the turnpike road, a very extensive British encampment presents itself to our attention, situated on the top of a hill between the road and the river Usk, and called Penmyarth. It is of a circular form; but, unlike most military works of this class, it has no exterior defence, except a slight wall of uncemented stones. Probably it was deemed to possess, from natural situa- tion, sufficient strength to repel any hostile attack. There is another British remain of a similar kind, at a short distance to the northward, within the same parish: and on the opposite side of the Usk, on the summit of a hill, called Trevil Glas, or Tir Voel Glas, may be seen some carneddau, or sepulchral heaps of stones. Resuming now the Brecknock road, we ascend to a pass in the hills called by its proper British name Bwlch, which commands a prospect of great extent and varied beauty. The traveller may here regale his eyes with a retrospective glance of the rich and delightful country, through which he has thus far ascended the vale of Usk, for a considerable distance into Monmouthshire, while before him opens a panoramic view of the wilder and more diversified scenery of Brecknockshire, terminated in almost every direction by its bold and lofty mountains, and filling him with anticipations of the pleasures that await him as he proceeds. 2t CAMBRIA. BRECON. In the centre of Breconshire, but at the southern extremity of the hundred of Merthyr, upon a gentle swell, overlooking a fertile and highly-cultivated valley, is stationed the town of Brecon. It was not considered as a principal town till the Norman invasion, and it is certain that it owes its consequence to the demolition of Caerbannau, and the building of the castle by Bernard Newmarch. It does not appear, notwithstanding Camden's assertion to the contrary, to have been inhabited by the Romans, since no traces of this people have ever been apparent, either in coins, stones, bricks, or inscriptions. The building of Brecon cannot be fairly attributed to an earlier period than 1092. It appears from Leland, that the castle was not completed till the year 1094. The wall was perfect in Speed's time, and until the demolition of the castle in the time of Charles I. Its track is still perfectlv visible, and some parts of it are yet standing. On the outward side was a deep fosse or ditch, which is supposed to have been occasionally filled with water. On this wall were ten towers, of irregular constructions. The entrances into the town were through five gates: the two first seem to have been entrances to the Priory, of which there are some remains. The castle of Brecon is one of the earliest stnictures of this description in this coun- try- It was built by Bernard Newmarch, about the year 1094. The outward walls, which are thicker than those of the Roman camp at Gaer, still continue to display the earliest style of Norman architecture. Though the interior of the residence of Bernard Newmarch must be left to conjecture, the form of it remains perfectly visible; it was an oblong scpiare, one hundred yards by eighty. On the east and south, the Honddu washed its walls. Hugh Thomas tells us, that at each corner of what he calls the square of this building, were two \vatch-towers ; the ruins of two of them still remain at the south angle, and upon an elevated and artificial mound to the north east is the keep. Within this fortress, Stafford, duke of Buckingham, and Morton, bishop of Ely, concerted the uiiion of the houses of York and Lancaster : to which Henry VH. was indebted for his station upon the throne of England. Since the confinement of bishop Morton it has been called Kly tov/er. The (rrouinl on this side is higher than the site of the castle, which made it more assailabli' mi ibi' nurlli. Tlicrc were here, thcrclnrc, in addition to the deep ravine or moat before noticed, two additional fosses, occasionally filled from Maenday well. The principal entrance was to the west, o])posite to which was another, called the postern, corrupted htto jioslrirm. Leading from the gale, a l\'\v yards eiist, is a stone bridge of two arches, formerly a drawbridge. CAMBRIA. BUILTH, AND CRAIG Y DINAS, BRECONSIURE. BuiLTH is situated upon the north-west edge of Brecoiishire, on the banks of the Wye, over which is a handsome stone bridge. It consists principally of one long street, formed of a connected chain of shops and public houses; this may be occasioned hy there being no other market within a circuit of fifteen miles, and that the indolent life of trifling behind a counter is generally preferred to the more rational and manly occupation of cultivating and improving the ground. Builth has of late become a place of considerable resort, on account of the great quantity of game with which the neighbouring hills and woods abound, and an abundance of trout, ling, and sahnoUj with which the streams are well stocked. The Park Wells, situated upon the northern extremity of a large forest, about a mile distant from the town, are a considerable attraction. They consist of three mineral springs; the first is saline, the second sulphurous, and the third chalybeate. Over the pump-room is a neat and commodious apartment, in which the visitors occasionally amuse themselves with dancing. Notwithstanding the local imperfections of Builth, and its narrow and ill-shaped streets, it has long been valued for the salubrity of its air, and the singular beauty of its position upon the banks of the finest river in South Wales. The magnificent scenery of the neighbourhood has induced many very respectable families to fix their residences in its vicinity. Llandrindod Wells also lie at the convenient distance of seven miles. In 1691, this town was entirely destroyed by fire. It is said to have extended from a brook on the east of the castle, called Glyw, from its contiguity to a sentinel's station, to another brook called Llogyn, falling into the Irvon on the west. Some tolerable houses have been built of late, but most of the architecture is very indifferent. The Church is dedicated to St. Mary, whence the parish is called Llanfair Ymhuallt, and is situated on the western edge of the town. In the church is an effigy of John Lloyd of Towy, dated 1585. The cemetery is spacious, and surrounded by a wall. The size of the church seems to bear but a small proportion to the inhabitants of the parish. The Castle of Builth is situated at the east end of the town; a small part of the wall facing the north, only remains. The site of the keep is about forty or fifty yards in circumference; round it is a ditch, and on the south side were two trenches. It has been conjectured that a bridge crossed the Wye, a few yards lower than the present bridge, which led imme- diately to the castle. History has neither transmitted to us the name of its founder, nor the 2 z CAMBRIA. time of its erection. Probably, Bernard Newmarch constructed this fortress to command the defile while he attacked prince Cadwo-an ap Elystan Glodrydd, whom he subdued. Tlie present bridge was erected in 1770, and is repaired jointly by the counties of Radnor and Brecon. About one mile west of the town runs a small brook, called Nant yr Ariad, or Money- brook, from a tradition that when the plague raged in Builth, provisions were put down here, and the country-people were paid for them by money dropped into the water. About half a mile below the bridge on the Irvon, this river unites with the Wye, after a course of about twenty miles. The name Irvon seems derived either from Ir-mon, the oozings from the mountain, or Ir-vawn, the oozings from the turbary. The soil near Builth is considerably better than in the remainder of the hundred, and is well cultivated ; the climate is milder, and the crops are earlier than at Brecon. Farming is the chief support of this neighbourhood; the sheep, cattle, and corn are sold at Brecon, and grocery, mercery, and drapery articles are taken home for the consuuiption of the inhabi- tants. The market day is on Monday; the fairs are held on the third Monday in February, Monday next before May 12, June 27, October 2, and December 6. According to Llwyd, in his time many specimens of ashen red stones, having the leaves of plants upon the one side impressed upon them, their edges minutely serrated, were found in this neighbourhood. A good view of the lake Llyn Savathan, or Llangor's-pwll, or Brecon-meer, may be had from tiic hill above Builth. No coal has been discovered in this hundred, and probably never will, but the unproductive bogs in it serve the inhabitants for fuel. When their stock of peat proves insufficient, they send to Brecon for coal, at the distance of fifteen or twenty miles, over bad and uneven roads. .Tust above Builth, the Irvon joins the Wye, after having received in its com-se the three tributary streams of Caiiiarch, Dulas, and Whefrey. It is a romantic river, and in its vale is situated Llanwrtyd, where there is a medical well of much efficacy. CiiAiG V DiNAS is the accompanying View. I CAMBRIA. HAY AND HAY CHURCH, BRECONSHIRE. Hay, (in British, Tre Gelli,) in the hundred of Talgarth, and county of Brecon, lies on the banks of the river Wye, on the borders of Herefordshire, from the Norman French haier, to enclose, and celU, a grove of young saplings. The town consists of one street, dividing into a fork near the middle, to tlie east towards Herefordshire, and separated from that county by the river Dulas, (from du and elds, the black sheltered water,) which here falls into the Wye. The houses are placed on the declivity of a hUl, which produces a greater appearance of consequence than the town really possesses. A few only excepted, they are very indifferent habitations, and much scattered. It is a borough by prescription, but has no privileges. The lord of the manor appoints a bailiff annually, though he is rarely changed, who receives the tolls. These tolls are certain and well known, but were for- merly extorted arbitrarily. They are paid by the bailiff to the lord of the manor, who holds a court leet here annually, and is entitled also to hold a court baron, though that is now seldom called for, as the jurisdiction is very confined. The soil round the town is extremely good, and in high cultivation^ A manufactory for carding and spinning wool and converting it into flannel has been established; it employs a considerable number of hands. The fairs are Monday before Easter, May 17, second Monday in June, August 12, and October 10. The market is on Thursday, and is plentifully supplied with grain and provision of all kinds. The parish church, dedicated to St. John, called Eglwys Ifan, appears from the Notitia Cambro-Britannica, to have been in good repair in 1684, and then used as a school-house. This building partly fell down about the year 1700, and was never repaired, though part of it has since been used as a school. The church of St. Mary, at the west end of the town, is now resorted to, separated by a deep dingle, which probably was formerly a moat. It is a small building, romantically situated upon an eminence, almost precipitous on the north-west, close to the river. It consists of a nave and chancel, with a tower at the west end, containing one bell only. A pointed arch forms the entrance, by an ascent of three steps. Under the communion-table is a stone inscribed to James Watkins, of Tregoyd, gent, who died June 18, 1639, aged 75. On the south side is a tombstone, upon the graves of Thomas Gwyn, esq. of Hay Castle, Howel Gwyn, his son, and Elizabeth Gwyn, daughter of Thomas Gwyn. She founded an almshouse at Hay for six poor people, and endowed it with an annual gift; she died May 12, 1702. The gallery was erected in 1723. A silver chalice which is shown here, is very ancient. The words "our ladie of the HAiA," are engraved upon it. CAMBRIA. In the table of benefactions, upon the wall, it appears that James Watkins, of Treg'oyd, gave the poor of Hay 13*\ id. annually, charged on a house then in possession of Josiah Lewis, near the bull-ring. \\'illiam Watkins, esq. of Pen yr Wrlodd, gave also 10s. a year, charged upon Pen yr ^^'rlodd. The charity of Mrs. Gwyn was a house without the Watergate, as a habitation for six poor people, and a tenement called Pen y Wern, in Disserth, the rents to be appropriated annually towards their maintenance, and also £100, whicii was laid out in the purchase of a farm called Brynrhydd. Elizabeth Bevan, widow, gave £6. for the use of the poor ; and William Pennoyre, esq. gave £12. to a schoolmaster, and £2. for books, both annually. Tiie clun-ch)ard is crowded with grave-stones. Upon the ground is a stone effigy, supposed to represent a friar or a monk, very much defaced. Near the church are three old grave-stones, inscribed Thomas M'aters, and another Theo- philus Hill, who died in 1675. The view from this yard is ver\- rich and variegated. The vicarage house became ruinous in the time of the civil war, and was never afterwards repaired. Tiie site of it is now hardly known. The scenery around the bridge assists in impressing the idea of the siiperiority of that picturesque effect which arises from low bridges forming a principal object; and when compared with those of Rhaiadyr and Builth, tlu' contrast will be striking. This bridge of seven arciies met, in the year 1795, witli a fate similar to that of Builth. Leland describes this place as follows. " The Hay standelh hard \ipon Wy, and yet sheweth the token of a right strong waulle, having in it iii gates and postcriR'. Thcr is also a castel, the wiiich sum lime bath been right stately. Within the towno is but oiu' |)oore paroche. In the snburbe hard by Wy is a paroch church mcately fair. Ther is also in the suburbe a chapel wher on Sunday I heard messe, not far from the paroche church in the suburbe is a great rounde hille of yerth cast np by menue's handes other for a wynd mille to stond upon or rather for sum fortress of liataillo. The towne of the Hay vet hath a market, but the towiu! witiiin tiic wauUes is wonderfully decaied. Tiie rniiu' is ascribed to Oen Glin- (lour; one shewid me in the towne the ruines of a gentleman's place called Wauhvine, be whose means prince Llueliu was sodenli taken at Builth castle and ther boheddid and his hedde sent to the kiiige. Dulcsse a prety river rising in tlu' nminitinues al)out ni myles from Ilav cniiunetii even throngli the town and strait into Wy witiidiil tiie est gate of the towiK'. The tiiuiiiie liuiggid to the duke of Bokingham, it jn'rtcinclii imw to the l(U'd Stafford his sonne. Arture's hille and some otiier ol' the veri nianifeslly a])ere to a man loking out of the west gate of Hay." Some vestiges of a Roman fortress are iqimi I he liaiiU near the churi'li. A part only of the more ijiodern castle stands upon an eiiiiiieiiee in the town. A dwelling-house has been built out of tlie remains; but a gotiiic gateway has been preserved, which frowns with venerable and baronial dignity upon the inhabitants of the town below. 'I'he manor of Hay was given by liernard Newmarcii to sir I'liilip Walwyn, wiio probalily luiiit the ca«lic. It is fotmd afler\var I <& A H» A 3B JE IK T » T W CAMBRIA. CARDIGAN, The metropolis of the county, called in Welsh Aberteivi, is pleasantly situated on a gentle eminence on the northern shore of the river Teivi, a few miles above its junction with the sea. Its appearance, from the high grounds in the neighbourhood, is upon the whole pre- possesshig ; nor will its interior aspect, when entered, notwithstanding the great number of small and indifferent houses to be found in all the streets, altogether disappoint the traveller whose expectations have not been too extravagantly excited. It contains several good private dwelling-houses occupied by respectable and opulent families. The Town Hall, where the assizes for the county are held twice in the year, is a hand- some modern edifice, built in the year 1764. In the year 1793, a new county gaol was erected here by Mr. Nash, the architect ; it is in all respects a very excellent structure, well adapted for its purpose. Among the other public buildings may bo noticed a free gram- mar school, endowed by Lady Lelitia Cornwallis, of Abermarlais, in Caermarthenshire. A handsome stone bridge thrown across the Teivi, forms a convenient communication with Pembrokeshire. Cardigan is divided into two principal streets ; one of considerable width, leading in nearly a direct line from the bridge into the country, towards Tremaen, &c. ; the other ascending parallel with the river, in the direction of Llechryd, and Lampeter. There is here no manufactory for the employment of the poor ; but a considerable coast- ing trade is carried on with several parts of England and Ireland. In spring tides there is a depth of twenty-two feet water over Cardigan bar ; but the ships employed here are mostly small, the largest being two hundred and thirty-two tons. The market is held on Saturday, and there are fairs here on the 13th of February, the 5th of April, the 8th of Sep- tember, and the 19th of Decemljer in each year. Cardigan is a borough town. It was first incorporated by Edward I. ; its privileges were admitted and confirmed in several charters granted by subsequent monarclis, till they were finally settled by the charter under which the corporation now acts, which was en-^ rolled on the 18th of September, in the 34th of Henry VIII. By this deed it is provided that the town shall be governed by a mayor, two bailiffs, and a coroner, to be annually chosen by the burgesses on the Monday following the feast of St. Michael. The Church is a venerable and substantial building, with a handsome square tower at the western end. The interior consists of a spacious nave, with an elegant chancel of conside- rably older date than the body of the church. It contains no monuments of consequence. Near the eastern end of the church stood the Priory. This appears to have been but a small establishment, dependent on the abbey of Chertsey, in Surrey. Its revenues were at the dissolution rated at £32 per annum, but only £13 : 4s. 9d. clear ; they were granted, with the other endowments of the parent institution, in the 29th of Henry VIII. to Bisham Abbey, and, in the 31st of the same reign, to William Cavendish. An elegant modern mansion at present occupies the site of this house. CAMBRIA. ABERYSTWITH, CARDIGANSHIRE. Aberystwith, or the mouth of the Ystwith, in Cardiganshire, is a pleasant summer retreat, situated on the coiilliLx of the rivers Ystwith and llheiddol. This place has greatly improved of late, forming- at present the largest town in the county, and the roads to it have been made equal to the best in England. It was once fortified with walls, of which only a part, stripped of its facing, still remains on the side next the sea. Here are very good inns, and a handsome town-hall, under which the market is held. The hall was used also as a phi) -house, but another building has been erected for this purpose. Assemblies are held here during the summer, and the place bids fair to rival the English watering-places. There are two weekly mai'kets, Mondays for butter, cheese, fruit, &c. and Saturdays for flesh-meat. The first Mondays in November and May, are called Hireling Mondays, when great numbers of servants attend for the pur- pose of being hired. The coast is grand, and the marine prospect particularly fine. The rocks are lofty, black, and excavated. The bathing here is well conducted; and, in general, there is a good sandy bottoni at all hours of the tide, notwithstanding the beach is wholly composed of pebldes. There is about fourteen feet of water on the bar at spring tides. A custom-house has been erected here, in consequence of increasing trade. Tlie exports are lead and calamine, procured from the mines near Plinlimnion, oak bark, and some manu- factured goods, such as webs, flannels, and stockings, which are chiefly sent to Bristol and Liverpool. It imports cast-iron goods from Colnbrook Dale, shipped at Bristol; lime, groceries, and porter, from Bristol; grain, from Liverpool and Ireland; and coals from the southern counties of Wales. A considerable fishery is carried on here. Cod, mackerel, herrings, &c. are sent as far as Shrewsbury; the rest are salted, and, with potatoes, con- stitute the principal food of the labomlng poor during winter. Th(! Castle, seated on a craggy emiiuMicc projecting into tlic sea, west of the town, was founili'd liy (lilliert de Strongbow, son of Richard de Clare, in ilic reign of Henry the First ; but, soon after its erection, it fell Into the hands of tiie Welsh princes, and was de- stroyed in their intestine fjiiarrels. Pow(dl says that the present castle was built by Edward, anno \2~T. It commands a magnificent view of the wiiole extent of that line of W^elsii coiLst wliiili is included in Cardigan Bay. Aberystwitii is aboiil llie middle of llie liay, whence may he seen tn llii' iinrib a h>ng irregular line of distance, i'ormed at first by the projecting coast of MeriinK.'lb, and tlien continued out to sea by the long mountainous promontory of Caernarvon, wliidi is tenninatrd by liic Isle of Bardsey. North of the castle IB a level beach, a few liim(h'ed yards in lenglli, I o wliicb succeeds a long range of higli slate rocks, worn into caverns anrl recesses by the dashing of the waves, and afl'ording a secure abode for liawks, ravens, and various s])ccies ol' gulls and other sea birds. CAMBRIA, PONT-Y-MONACH, or, DEVIL'S BRIDGE ; AND FALL AT PONT-Y-MONACH. This place derives its name from a stone bridge thrown across a deep cleft in the rocks, at the bottom of which flows the river Monach or Mynach. This is supposed to have been the work of the monks of Ystradfilur or Strataflorida Alibey ; but being- of very early and unknown date, and considered probably, for the time, a wonderful eftbrt of scientific skill, it has been ascribed by popular tradition to the personage whose name it bears, but who ought, perhaps, to be little suspected of a performance of such great public utility. The Welsh, however, in their vernacular language, give it the descriptive appellation of Pont- ar-Fynach, or the bridge over the Monach. The original structure having been placed so deep in tlie glen, as to render the access on either side exceedingly steep and inconvenient, another bridge of wider span was, in the year 1753, built immediately over it. The former was allowed to remain, and yet exists, presenting, with its more modern companion, a re- markable feature in the views of this singular spot. It is in contemplation to improve the upper bridge by raising and widening it. The most interesting objects of curiosity, however, that here claim the attention of the traveller, are the two valleys wliich unite a little way below the bridge, and the romantic streams which pervade them. The first to be noticed is that of the Monach. After crossing the bridge, a steep path on the right, hardly to be descended without the aid of a rope fastened to some tree above, leads to the bottom of the fissure, where the river rushes along a confined and broken channel in the rocks with great impetuosity. The entire depth of this pass, from the upper arch, has been estimated at one hundred and fourteen feet; but this depth is greatly increased to the eye by the proximity of the cliffs, and the thick and almost impervious foliage of the trees, which line the rocks on both sides of the valley. The best view of the bridge is from this side, whence alone both arches can be seen with advantage. The falls of the Monach are at some distance lower down the vale, and may be seen, but under very different aspects, from either side of the glen. To reach these we must ascend to the bridge, and re-crossing it, pursue the course of the stream along an intricate path through the wood, until we again arrive nearly at the bed of the river. The first fall occurs about fifty or sixty yards below the bridge. The river is here still confined to a narrow channel by lofty precipitous banks, and, from the deep inclination of its bed, is thrown with great violence over a rock about twenty feet in height, into a black pool beneath. Scarcely has the water been forced from this foaming receptacle, when it is projected from another precipice of not less than sixty feet into a similar reservoir ; from this it hurries to a third CAMBRIA. fall of twenty feet; and shortly after, is precipitated in an unbroken cataract, full one hun- dred feet in perpendioular height. In the rocks adjacent to these falls, on this side, is a cave, said to have been the retreat of three robbers, two brothers and their sister, one of whom is reported to have been buried on the lower arch of the Devil's Bridge. But the excavation is so small, and affords so little shelter against the inclemency of the weather, that it can hardly bo thought to have been used at any time as a human residence. Passing once more over the bridge to the other side of the vallev, a path on the left conducts to a projecting rock, whence, looking up, a tine \iew Is obtained of the whole of the falls together. From this point they appear like one continued cataract, and have a very striking effect. Just below this rocky promontory, the Monach empties Its waters Into the Rheidol, a larger and equally romantic stream, which flows tlu-ough similar scenery from tlie north- ward. This river is reached with some difliculty by a path on the right, but the labour of the approach Is forgotten in the contemplation of the grandeiu" of the object it presents, the moment we place our feet on its rocky bed. Immediately above, it rushes in a vast unbroken volume from a precipice of prodigious height, atid forms a cataract of great sublimity. The water is received into a spacious natu- ral basin, scooped out of the hard and solid rock, and Is there agitated by the violence of the torrent, like a vast boiling cauldron. The falls above enumerated comprise the whole generally shewn to strangers, who place their curiosity under the direction of the guides of the place. But those who would visit all that is entitled to attention, must trust to themselves, and explore the valleys in every direction, wherever they can find or make a path. By adopting this plan, and forcing a way through the entangled brushwood on the eastern side of this vale, they will find, at an inconsiderable distance above the great fall of the Ilheidol, last described, another not much, if at all. Its Inferior in boa\ity. From this point the effect is ])eruliarlv striking. In front, the valley, whlcli Is here exceedingly deep, is closed by an abrupt hill, at the foot of which the river emerges in a state of great agitation from beneath an Immense mass of rock, in the middle of the channel, as If boiling out of the earth ; it afterwards flows gently for a short distance along a smooth level hcd, till it approaches the edge of a deep precipice. Another mass of rock here occupies the niid-cliaunel, and dividing the stream, forms It Into two noble cataracts. There .ire several smaller falls higlier up. Indeed, the whole bed of this river for some ralles, in both directions, abouiuls with them, and furnishes a constant succession of admira- ble studies for the |)(Mi(il. Bidow the juiiclion of (he Monach and the Khcidol, the wildness of the scciiiTy gradually softens; the \ali' widens, and the river piu'sues a nu)re tranijuil course towanls Aberystwyth, where it enters the sea. CAKDIGANSHIRE. Jbt 'rtSf- CAMBRIA. HAFOD HOUSE, CARDIGANSHIRE. The country for some distance is barren and uninteresting, but on our first entrance into the grounds near Hafod House, the celebrated seat of the late Mr. Johnes, all our com- plaints are lost in expressions of admiration. " A philosopher has said," says a modern tourist, " ' that the man who makes two blades of grass grow, where only one grew before, is greater than the greatest hero.' If this be true, Mr. Johnes must rank before all the conquerors in the world, as he has made the barren wilderness around him to smile, and converted the worthless heath into waving woods, luxuriant corn-fields, and pastures." To give the reader a just conception of the beauties of Hafod, we must beg leave to borrow the elegant description of it drawn by the pen of Mr. Cumberland. " Havod is a place in itself so pre-eminently beautiful, that it highly merits a particular description. It stands siirrounded with so many noble scenes, diversified with elegance as well as with grandeur : the country, on the approach to it, is so very wild and uncommon, and the place itself is now so embellished by art, that it will be difficult, I believe, to point out a spot that can be put in competition with it. Considered either as the object of the painter's eye, the poet's mind, or as a desirable residence of those who, admirers of the beautiful wildness of Nature, love also to inhale the pure air of aspiring mountains, and enjoy that santo pace, as the Italians expressively term it, which arises from solitudes made social by a family circle. " From the portico, it commands a woody, narrow winding vale; the undulating form of whose ascending shaggy sides are richly clothed with various foliage, broken with silver water-falls, and crowned with climbing sheep-walks, reaching to the clouds. "Neither are the luxuries of life absent; for on the margin of the Ystwith, where it flows broadest through this delicious vale, we see hot-houses and a conservatory: beneath the rocks, a bath; amid the recesses of the woods, a flower-garden; and within the build- ing, whose decorations though rich are pure and simple, we find a mass of rare and valuable literature, whose pages here seem doubly precious, where meditation finds scope to range unmolested. " In a word, so many are the delights afforded by the scenery of this place and its vici- nity, to a mind imbued with any taste, that the impressions on mine were increased, after an interval of ten years from the first visit, employed chiefly in travelling among the Alps, the Appenines, the Sabine hills, and the Tyrolese; along the shores of the Adriatic, over the Glaciers of Switzerland, and up the Rhine; where, though in search of beaut)-, I never, I feel, saw anything so fine — never so many pictures concentrated in one spot. So that. CAMBRIA. warmed by the renewal of my acquaintance with them, I am irresistibly urged to attempt a description of the hitherto almost virgin haunts of these obscure mountains. " Wales, and its borders, both north and south, abound at Intervals with fine things,— Plercefield has grounds of great magniticence, and wonderfully picturesque beauty; Down- ton Castle has a delicious woody vale, most tastefully managed; Llangollen is brilliant; the banks of the Conway, savagely grand: Barmouth, romantically rural; the great Pistill Rhayader is horribly wild; Rhayader \^"ennol, gay, and gloriously irregular, — each of which merits a studied description. But at Havod, and its neighbourhood, I find the effects of all in one circle; united with this peculiarity, that the deep dingles and mighty woody slopes, wliich, from a different source, conduct the Riiyddal's never-failing waters troni l'lynlimnu)n and the Fynache, are of an miique character as moimtainous forests, ac- companying gigantic size with graceful forms, and taken altogether, I see ' the sweetest interchange of hill and valley, rivers, woods, and plains, and falls; with forests, crowned rocks, dens, and caves,' insomuch that it requires little enthusiasm tliere to feel forcibly witii Milton — ' All things tliat be, send up from cartli's great altar Silent praise!' " There are four tint; walks from the house, chiefly through ways artificially made by tlio proprietor; all dry, kept clean, and composed of materials found on tiie spot, wliich is (•hiedy a coarse stone, of a greyish cast, friable hi many places, and like slate, but oftener consisting of immense masses, that cost the miner, in making some parts of these walks, excessive labour ; for there are places where it was necessary to perforate the rock many vards, in order to pass a promontory that, jutting across tlie way, denied farther access, aufl to go round wliich, you must have taken a great tour, and made a fatiguing descent. As it is, the walks are so conducted, that few are steep; the transitions easy, the returns commodious, and tli(> liiauclies distinct- Neither are they too manv, for much is left for future projectors; and if a man be stout eiiougli to range the nnderwodds, and fastidious enough to reject all trodden paths, he may almost everywhere stroll from the studied line, till he be glad to regain the friendly conduct of the well-known way. Such was the just description of Havod; but this magnificent mansion, with the costly furniture!, plate, pictures, and, above all to be regretted, the s|deiidid library of scarce and valuable books, was cdusumed by fire, during ihe abseiR'c ol the owner, on (be \'M\\ day of March, 1807. Tlie exterior of the building lias, however, since been nearly restored to its former appearance. .St. David's Coli.egk, Lami'Ktf.I!, is the accompanying View. JiJEmAICSSS ©]F ABEHTSTWItlt-DL s.ASTICIE, " A R n 1 r. A ?; s n 1 R K '/jl'iJL.iii ■ ^\| imiAHtiHiKi, CAMBRIA. REMAINS OF ABERYSTWITH CASTLE, AND VALE OF THE RHYDIOL, CARDIGANSHIRE. The castle, seated on a craggy eminence projecting into the sea, west of the town, was founded by Gilbert de Strongbow, son of Richard de Clare, in the reign of Henry I., but soon after its erection it fell into the hands of the Welsh princes, and was destroyed in their intestine quarrels. Powell says, that the present castle was built by Edward, anno 1277. It appears to have been a strong place, as a garrison of king Charles kept it in possession for some time after his death. On the north-west is part of a tower about forty feet high, and an arched door-way is still preserved. A round tower is also existing. Another tower has been repaired, and converted into a kind of observatory, or pros- pect-room. The castle now belongs to colonel Jolmes, who having granted a lease of it to Mr. Probart, of Siu-ewsbury, steward to earl Powis, he has converted it into an excellent promenade. Before the sea had much encroached upon the shore, a castle had been erected at the mouth of the Khydiol. The old church stood to the west of the town, between the house of lady Price and the castle. The present church was erected by subscription, within the precincts of the old castle, and dedicated to St. Michael. The gallery was presented by Mrs. Mafgaret Pryse, a. d. 1790, who lies buried in the chancel of Llanbadarn Vawr. It is a perpetual curacy. The elevated situa- tion of the castle commands a magnificent view of the whole extent of that line of Welsh coast which is included in Cardigan bay. Aberystwith is about the middle of the bay, whence may be seen to the north, a long irregular line of distance, formed at first by the projecting coast of Merioneth, and then continued out to sea by the long mountainous pro- montory of Caernarvon, which is terminated by the isle of Bardsey. There is no situation south of Caernarvonshire, from which the Welsh alps may be seen so advantageously as from Aberystwith castle, or some of the surrounding cliffs. The lofty hills which confine the estuary of the Dovey, and raise their broad backs far above the Cardigan rocks, are sur- mounted by Cader Idris and its subject cliffs; these are overtopped by the giant mountains of Caernarvonshire; among which, in clear weather, the sharp peak of Snowdon itself may be discerned, pre-eminent above the surrounding crags. To the south of Aberystwith, the coast of Pembroke, being less curved, and not so lofty at the north limit of the bay, the line of boundary appears more uniform. This Avide expanse of water, diversified by numerous vessels in every direction, some steering for Pwlhelli, Criccieth, Barmouth, 3 a CAMBRIA. Aberystwith, Aberdovey, Cardigan, or other ports in the bay : some farther out at sea, slowly urging on to reach Liverpool, or Bristol, or some of the Irish havens : while others almost stationary, busily employed in fishing, produce a very amusing and pleasing spec- tacle. North of the castle is a level beach, a few hundred yards in length, to which suc- ceeds a long range of high slate-rocks, worn into caverns and recesses by the dashing of the waves, and affording a secure abode for hawks, ravens, and various species of gulls and other sea birds. At the foot of these cliffs extends a reef of low rocks, the crevices and pools of which are adorned \vith numerous beautifid corallines and fuci, and enlivened by different kinds of shell-fish and marine animals; at high tide they are covered. A long stone bridge crosses the Rhvdiol near Aberystwith, on the other side of which rises a hill. Upon its summit is a large intrenchment, which is vulgai'ly ascribed to Oliver Cromwell, but which the learned give to Rhys ap Gruffyd, who encamped his forces here in 1 1 17. The traveller enters the vale of Rhydiol at the village of Llanbadern Vawr, supposed to be the Mauritana, where St. Paternus founded a monastery, and an episcopal see, in the sixth century. Since this time it has been united to that of St. David's. The vale here becomes inclosed -ivith lofty mountains, adorned with verdure, and interspersed with bare clifls and frowning crags. At the feet of these the river struggles through the huge frag- ments of rock which obstruct its course, in angry and tunndtuous roar. At Pont y Pren, or Melincwm Rhydiol, within one mile and-a-half of the Hafod Arms, is a striking scene. On one side of the river, dark rocks rise to nearly four hundred feet, opposed on the other by inferior cliffs; through a chasm between, issues a mountain stream, forming a delightful cascade. In this secjuestere. On account t)f its avoiding the hills, this route is now generally preferred to tiu^ other, by travellers from Aberystwyth to Cardigan, who wish to enter the vale of Telvi at Lampeter. CAMBRIA. PLAS CRUG, NEAR ABERYSTWITH, CARDIGANSHIRE. Dr. Mayor made an excursion round the environs of Aberystwith. He visited first Plas Crug, a fortified mansion on the banks of the Rhydiol, which tradition distinguishes as the residence of several Welsh princes. It is situated upon an estate belonging to Thomas Powell, esq., of Nanteos, near Aberystwith. The remains are very considerable, and pleasantly situated in a valley, which terminates with the town of Aberystwith. Of this mansion a square embattled tower appears very entire. A narrow passage leads into a quadrangular division, apparently a kitchen, of which the outer walls are in good preserva- tion. The apartments have been very spacious and numerous, as the remaining walls evince; but the area is completely choked with fallen fraginents. That this place has been a resi- dence of the Welsh princes is certain, being particularly noticed by Eineon ap Gwgan, who flourished about the year 1244. Of Llewelyn the Great, he expresses himself to this effect: " His spear flashes in hands accustomed to mortal deeds ; It kills, and puts its enemies to flight by the palace of the Rhydiol." It was afterwards a residence of Owen Glyndwr. Dr. Mavor then visited Llanbadarn Vawr, making a digression to Gogerthan, one of the residences of P. Pryse, esq., distant fi'om Aberystwith three miles, standing upon a lawn between two very lofty mountains, one of which is covered with various kinds of pines and evergreens, and the other with oaks. A small river runs through the lawn near the house. A broad winding path through a wood, fi-om the right of the road to Machynlleth, conducted him to Lodge Park, also belonging to P. Pryse, esq. The house stands upon a bold eminence, and connnands some exquisitely fine views. In this park are some valuable mines, particularly one of silver, which for some years has produced a considerable quantity ; the ore, however, is not sufficiently rich to yield any great profit to the proprietor. He next directed his course to Moelynis, or the barren isle, which produces scarcely any thing but rabbits, and foxes to prey upon them. It is wholly surrounded by the sea, and the rivers Dovey and Lerry, with an entrance by a stone bridge. Our tourist next rode along the sands to Borth, once a Roman station, but now a miseraljle fishing cottage. To this place the company from Aberystwith make excur- sions, for the sake of enjoying the sea breezes. CAMBRIA. LLANFIHANGEL GENAUR GLYNN, CARDIGANSHIRE. Llanfihangel Genaur Glynn, called also Llanfihangel al Castell Gualter. The castle was built by ^^'^ alter Espec, or Especke, to protect his territories. It was destroyed in 1135, by Cadwallader and Owain Gwyueth, sons of Grufydd ab Cynan. The church stands upon the brow of the hill below the castle, built in the form of a cross, and neatly fitted up. It is a vicarage in the gift of the bishop of St. David's. The font is an ancient hexagonal bason. On Cwmswmlog Hill are the remains of a chapel erected by sir Hugh Myddlelon, in the reign of James I., for the use of his miners. In this parish are several druidical structures. The most remarkable is that called Gwely Taliesin, or Taliesin's bed, situated upon Pen-sarn-ddu, between the rivers Ceulan and Clettwr. Tliis Taliesin-ben- beirdd Hourished about HW, l)ut as he was a pious Christian, Mr. Meyrick is of opinion that the emblem of a cross would have been attached to his tomb; and therefore infers that this is not the grave of Taliesin, who spent the latter part of his life in North Wales, and was probably buried there. A large heap of earth is surrounded by two circles of stones, the innermost of which is twenty-seven feet in diameter, and the outer about thirty-one feet. In the centre is the gwely, composed of six stones, five making an oblong chest and another for a cover. The cover has been taken off, and thrown on one side. Many years ago there was found in tliis cliest a human skull, but whether tlie skull of a sacrificed victim or the remnant of an arch-druld, affords subject of conjecture. At Llwyn CUas is preserved one of those long knives, called cylleth hirion. This kind of knife was used by the Saxons in the time of Gwrtbeyrn or Vortigern, king of Britain. A remarkable incident is connected with the use of these knives. Gwrthcvrn, after the doatli of (iwrthevyr, was elected king, thougii he had before been deposed for bad conduct, llowena, knowing ins, pusillanimity, sent messengers to Germany to inform her lather of this event. Hengist immediately raised three hundred thousand men, and sailed fur Initain; but tlie Britons prevented them from landing. On tills, Ilenglst liad recourse to stratagem; he pretended to have come to assist Gwrtheyrn to regain his crown, who then permitted the Saxons to land. Hengist appointed the first of May following for a conference, both parties being to meet upon Salisbury-plain, imai'med. Hengist then privately directed his nobles and kniglits to bring eacii a ri/l/ct/i hirion concealed In Ills sleeve; and tliat, on bis pronouncing ibe words, *' Ncmct roitr sa.rcs" " take your knives," e;icli should kill the Briton next iilm. Tluis were three hun <, .,»■ ._^ Vf .iillV.^ ' . r« '^^: 1 CAMBRIA. CARDIFF, AND REMAINS OF LLANDAFF CASTLE, GLAMORGANSHIRE. Cardiff is situated in the midst of an extensive flat country on the eastern shore of the river Taf. Though not the flrst town in point of extent and population, it is regarded as the metropolis of the county. Its general appearance is neat and prepossessing ; the streets being laid out with tolerable regularity, and containing a large proportion of good houses. The town-hall, a respectable modern erection, stands in the middle of one of the principal thoroughfares ; and near it is the county gaol, built on Mr. Howard's plan. Since the completion of the canal to Merthyr, the town has received great improvements by the erec- tion of several handsome houses, for the accommodation of the proprietors and agents of the principal concerns in the neighbourhood. The river Taf is crossed by a handsome stone bridge of three arches, with two smaller arches, one at each end, for the passage of the flood waters, when they overflow the banks. This was built by Mr. Parry, in the year 1796, and was the third raised by him on the same spot, the two former having been swept away by tremendous floods, before they were completed. The old bridge was situated higher up the river, opposite the castle. The situation of the present structure is much more eligible, and the entrance which it has caused to be made into the town, may be ranked among the chief improvements of the place. The principal manufactory established here is one of iron hoops. The trade of the place is very considerable, in consequence of the numerous collieries up the vale, and the iron and tin works of Merthyr, Melin Grufiydd, &c., the produce of which are conveyed here by the canal for exportation, and which create a large import trade from Bristol, &c., in shop goods, to supply the population of the interior. The new cut to the town quays on the canal admits ships of 200 tons, to take in the whole of their cargo : ships of 300 tons occasionally lake in part of their loading at these wharfs, and complete their cargoes by means of barges, after they have entered the river at the sea lock. There are regular passage boats for the conveyance of merchandise, &c. between this place and Bristol. Besides which, the coaches that pass through daily from the same place, and Gloucester, afford other Important commercial facilities. Cardiff is a borough town, and, in conjunction with the contributory boroughs of Cow- bridge, Llantrissent, Kenfyg, Aberavon, Neath, Swansea, and Loughor, used to send one member to parliament, Init Swansea, Loughor, Aberavon, Neath, and Kenfyg, having, by the Reform Bill, been incorporated into one borough, the electors thereof will not in future vote for Cardiff. The town was once surrounded by a wall, in which were five gates, one communicating- CAJrBRIA. with the old sliipping-place on the river, and the others with the principal roads into the country. None of the town gates are at present standing-; but considerable portions of the wall, with a watch tower, are preserved on the eastern side, where the ditcli lias been cleared out, and used for the hed of the canal. Cardiff contains two parishes, St. Mary's and St. John's. The church of St. Mary stood near the river, at the south-west extremity of the town, aud was carried away by the gi'eat inundation of 1607, which did prodigious damage on the low grounds adjacent to the coast. Speed has inserted it in his Ichnography, from which it appears to have been a large cruci- form building-, with a lofty square tower. The church of St. John stands near the middle of the town, in a street of the same name. It is a plain Norman structure, supposed to have been erected in the thirteenth century. The architectui'e ofiFers little worthy of observation, except the arch of the west door, which is rich aud handsome. The tower, which is of more modern date than the body of the chiu-ch, is a lofty square building, of great beauty, surmounted at the corners by open pinnacles or lanterns, greatly admired for their elegance and exquisite workmansliip. In the suburbs, on the north-east side of the town, are considerable ruins of a monastery of Grey I'^riars, whicli was subject to Bristol ; and on the north-west, near the old bridge, are some traces of a house of Black Friars. The castle forms still an interesting object, and preserves much of its ancient grandeur. Tlie western front, with its bold octagonal tower, has a remarkably fine aj)pearance from the road, in approaching the town on that side. The original architecture is here preserved from modern innovations, which cannot be said of other parts of the structure, and carries the imagination back to the proudest era of feudal times. The interior of this part has undergone great changes, having been repaired and modernised. On an elevated circular mound, within the castle inclosiu'e, stand the rviins of the keep, whence are commanded extensive and delightful views of tlie adjacent country. The ditch which formerly suiTounded this building has been filled up, and the whole of the groiuid laid down into a fine level lawn, which presents a remarkable contrast to the ruinated build- ings. The rampart witiiin the external wall of this inclosure has becni planted with shrubs, and on the summit a terrace walk extends tlie wliole length, affording an agreeal)le prospect (if tli(! town and ncighbouriujod. Adjoining the giite by which the court is entered from the town, are the ruins of what is called the Black Tower, which tradition assigns as tiie prison of tlie unfortunate Robert Curtoise, duke of Normandy, the son of William the (-'onqueror, wlio was confined by order of his l)rother, William tiu; Second. He died lierc in tin- year 11;}3, after an imprisonment of thirty-six years. 'J'lii; i{i;.MAiNS OF Li.ANDAi'F Castle is the accompanying View. CLAMORGANSHIRi; . ;'l>j^ CAMBKIA. SWANSEA HARBOUR AND CASTLE. GLAMORGANSHIRE. Swansea is a tolerably neat borough town, although irregularly built. It is governed by a portreve, recorder, twelve aldermen, two common attorneys, or chamberlains, two Serjeants at mace, and an unlimited number of burgesses. Together with four other con- tributar)^ boroughs, it returns one member to parliament. It is situated at the confluence of the river Tawe with the Bristol channel, and about the middle part of a beautiful bay. A mail-coach from London arrives every morning at Swansea, through Bath and Bristol. Packets sail regiJarly to Dublin, Waterford, and Cork ; and twice or thrice a week to Ilfracombe. The markets are on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The fairs are on the second Saturday in May, July 2, August 15, and October 8. It has long been a winter residence of the neighbouring gentry, and a fa'.ourite resort in the summer for bathing; Init its increasing opulence arises principally from the prosperity of its manufactories and com- merce. It is in the district of Glamorgan called Gower. A very flourishing pottery is carried on here, on the plan of Mr. Wedgwood, an iron foundery, two roperies, two extensive breweries, and much ship-building. The copper-works lie at one mile and a half distance from the town, so that the atmosphere does not suffer by immediate impregnation. This is the native place of the celebrated Beau Nash, of Batli. The church is neat, with some good monuments. The bay of Swansea is a delightful object, whether viewed towards the sea, or from a boat at the entrance. It has been compared to the bay of Naples, and the comparison, to those who have seen both, is striking. The quay or strand forms a busy scene. The burrows, (which command a pleasing view of the ocean, pier, and shipping) are the fashion- able promenade, and contain some good lodging houses. At a short distance from the town is a place whimsically called " The World's End," commanding the beautiful scenery ot Mount Pleasant, where are some excellent houses l)uilt for the accommodation of strangers. The pleasure-ground consists of a garden of about four acres, laid out in grass parterres, shrubberies, plantations of forest trees, with an extent of eight hundred yards of gravel walks. A grand esplanade facing the south, forty feet wide, the length two hundred and fifty yards, commands an uninterrupted view of the bay, piers, and shipping. On the east, north, and west sides, gravelled avenues of more than one thousand yards, Include eight acres of ground, and a walk of nearly one mile and a quarter. A little beyond is Heath- field Lodge, a handsome villa, surrounded by pleasure grounds. The principal feature of the castle is a massive quadrangular tower, remarkable for a 2 H CAMHR)A. range of light circular arches, surroumlintr the top, and supportingf a parapet, which forms a connexion with turrets at each angle. This parapet affords a pleasing bird's-eye view of the town and surrounding country. The tenautable parts comprise the town-hall ; a poor- house; a jail; a new market-house; numerous store-cellars ; a blacksmith's and other shops and habitations, and a Roman catholic chapel. The gothic strncture has been so far meta- morphosed in its application to these purposes, that it is almost imposs'ble to trace the original plan of the building: but tlie large apai'tment used for Romish worship has been either the baronial hall, or the chapel. Mr. Donovan ascended the lofty tower, whence he obtiiined a grand panoramic view of the town and its environs. This castle was built a. d. 1099, by Henry Beaumont, earl of Warwick, a Norman leader, who conquered Gowerland, (a tract of country bounded by the Neath and Loughar rivers,) from the Welsh; but it was soon after besieged by Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Theodore, a native chief, and a great part of the outbuildings destroyed. It is now the property of the fluke of Beaufort, lord paramount of Gower. The parish church of Swansea contains some very ancient monuments. There is another church in the town, called St. John's, (formerly a chapel belonging to the knights of .Jerusalem;) but the parish of St. John does not commence until one mile beyond the town, and extends only one mile farther. There ai'e still the remains of the suppressed liospital of St. David's, founded by Eleanor, only daughter and heiress of William de Bruce, who married John lord Mountrath. The benevolent disposition which first created an establishment at Swansea for the education of the children of the poor, has been extended to the erection of a commodious school-room for the accommodation of the bovs. The only mineral spring in the county of Glamorgan is at Swansea. This spring has an acid styptic taste, like alum, though the predominant salt is a martial vitriol. It turns blue with vinegar, but will not curdle with milk. It is recommended in diarrhoea, and as a styjttic in wounds. The inns are the Mackworth Arms, Ivy-bush, and Wheat-sheaf. At the George, in Wind-street, are a good and well-frequented ball court and billiard table ; and at the Foun- tain and Red-lion, Strand, are other billiard tables. Ten miles above Swansea is a bridge called Font ar Tawy, of one arch, built by William Edwards; its chord is eighty feet. A large tract of country north of" Swanse;* is covered with coal, copper, and iron-works, the operations of which are nnich facilitated by a canal passing among them. The dismal gloom of the manufactories hanging over the river Tawy is pleasingly contrasted by tlie whitened walU of their appendant villages, springing from the dark sides of the hills which rise above the river. CoiispiciKins above the other resorts of the maimfacturers is Morris- town, a iK-at village. l'|)on tlie east side of the river, within tin! |iarish of St. Mary, is a small hamlet, called St. Tiiomas. Tlie remains of its cha])el are scarcely discernible, being almost entirely washed away. iraaiE MTUSHiBiLr rji- HiOIIJgiJE, ■Sf^'^'^, ^^'■P ''^''^.. ^i» ■', ■ •.'•V " t -i ■^1 'AVIUIB O'jr l:^ CAMBRIA. THE MUMBLES' LIGHT-HOUSE. The trip from Bristol to Swansea is thus described by Mr. Barber. " On quitting- Bristol in a sloop for Swansea, the remarkable scenery of St. Vincent's rocks arrests the attention of the traveller. A bolder pass than is here presented, can rarely be found. On one side a huge rock rises in naked majesty, perpendicularly from the river, to the height of several hundred feet ; the immense surface is tinted with the various hues of grey, red, and yellow, and diversified by a few patches of shrubs, moss, and creepijig lichens. A range of rocks, equal in magnitude, but of less precipitous ascent, clothed with dai'k wild forest trees and underwood, forms the opposite boundary of the river, attempering the menacing aspect of im{)endent cliffs with the softer features of sylvan hills. The grandeur of the river's bank diminishes till near the Avon's junction with the Severn; when the commanding height of Kingweston-hill, adorned with groves, lawns, and the plan- tations of lord Clifford's park, rises conspicuously eminent, and engages a parting interest. On entering the Severn, an expansive estuary appears, and so far a noble object ; but deriving little importance fi'om its shores, which, except in the neighbourhood of Aust, are a mere undulation of corn-fields and pastures. The display of cultivation, though gratify- ing, is certainly inferior in picturesque merit to the grand features of cliffs and mountains, which distinguish the shores of Pembroke, and the western coast of Wales. " The entrance of Swansea Bay is finely encircled with high varied hills ; on the left are two insulated rocks called The Mumbles, at a short distance from the main land, where tlie whitened town of Ostermouth appears issuing from the water, beneath a lofty dark hill. An excellent Light-house has been built on one of them, which has been essentially serviceable to the navigation of the Bristol channel. At the bottom of the bay, the superior extent of Swansea lines the shore, generally backed by an atmosphere of cloudy vapours, produced from various furnaces in its neighbourhood." VALE OF NEATH. The road from Swansea to Neath is attained by crossing Swansea river, by an exceed- ingly good ferry ; passing a region of furnaces, and traversing a considerable hill. But a more pleasing though circular route is described as follows. Cilfay Hall rises directly from the beach, in a conical form, and affords a better view of Swansea than can be taken CAMBRIA. from any other spot. Morris town is now a considerable place, with a population of about 1000 inhabitants. It has a new church, with two dissenting chapels. Sir John Morris's extensive copper-works are here. Chisemont, is the seat of sir John Morris, hart., and one of the first residences in the county. About one mile north-east from this spot is Morris town or Wychbree-bridg-e, over the river Tawy, with one arch, ninety-five feet in the span, twenty feet in altitude, with two cylinders over each of the haiuiches, built by William Edwards. Wern Llynwith is a handsome house. The Swansea canal is worth observing, and the walk by the side of it is pleasant. The head at Hennoyadd, in Brecon- shire, is three hundred and seventy-two feet above the level of the Tawy at Swansea bar; there are tliirty-six locks upon it, in the space of sixteen miles, and several aqueducts. From Morris town there is a very beautiful ride westward to Pont ar Dulas, through a rich and well-inliabited country. The country eastward, between Morris town and Neath, is miserably disfigured by the operations of the works ; yet the first view of Gnoll Castle, occupying an eminence above the town of Neath, backed by higher hills and extensive plantations, is liighly favourable to the pretensions of that splendid seat. The coalery, at some distance on the river, is well worth visiting, on account of the canal for the carriage of the coal to Neath. At Ynis y Gerwn, bar-iron is worked into tin plates, after having been made into bars of pig-iron, at a forge below. From tiiis place to Pont- neath Fechan, the gentle course of the river, with hanging woods on either side, and that felicity of soil, atmosphere, and herbage peculiar to the vales in this exposure, produces a scene of pleasure, with some portion of sublimity, to which it would be difficult for any description to do justice. After crossing the river on the return to Neath, it should be the first object to explore Melin Court, where there is a magnificent fall of the Clyddau, from the height of eighty feet. With the exception of the Mynach falls, this is the largest in South \Vales, and unrivalled in its accompaniments, considered as an inclosed scene. The road from Melin Court to Gnoll Castle, the seat of the late sir Herbert Mackworth, is carried along ter- races, witii thick woods intervening between the passenger and Neath river below. CAMBRIA. PONT-Y-PRYDD, AND CARDIFF CASTLE, GLAMORGANSHIRE. Pont-y-Prydd, usually called in English, New Bridge. The appearance of this elegant structure, which stretches over the bed of the Taf, and rises from its steep banks like a rain- bow, is exceedingly beautiful and picturesque, from every point of view in which it can be seen. It consists of a single arch, one hundred and forty feet in the chord, and thirty-five in height above the level of the river at low water, and forms the section of a circle of one hundred and seventy-five feet in diameter. The bridge, on account of the high ground on each side, is not visible from the turnpike road, and many travellers have in consequence passed it by luiawares, and been disappointed of the pleasure of beholding it. In ascending the vale it is approached by a road which tui-ns abruptly to the left over the canal, a short distance above the Bridgewater Arms, a comfortable inn about midway between Cardiff and Merthyr. The architect of this bridge, which formed at the time, with Very few exceptions, the largest arch in the world, was William Edwards, a self-taught genius, who never received the least assistance or instruction in his craft from a master. He was born in the year 1719, and was the yomigest son of a farmer who resided in the parish of Eglwysilian, not far from this spot. At the age of fifteen he occasionally employed himself in repairing the stone fences of the farm, which consisted of dry or uncemented walls ; a labour which he was observed to execute with great neatness and expedition. He afterwards devoted a portion of his time to execute jobs in the same way for the neighbours. He had as yet never seen any regular masons at work ; the first he beheld, were some who had been brought to erect a shed for shoeing horses at a smith's shop in the neighbourhood. Edwards was struck with the neatness with which they formed the pillars and the other parts of the building, and took frequent opportunities to observe them while they were at work. He perceived that with no other tool than the common mason's hammer, they were able to dress the stones sufficiently for their purpose ; and this led him to discover that one cause of the inferiority of his own work in this respect was, that his hammer was not steeled. He lost no time in supplying this deficiency, and soon witnessed the advantage of the improvement in the more finished appearance of his walls. He now conceived himself qualified for undertaking work of a better description, and began by erecting a little work- shop for a neighbour. His success in this instance procured for him an engagement to build a mill in his own parish, and it was during the progress of this undertaking that he acquired his first knowledge of the principles of an arch. CAMBRIA. His rising reputation in his profession, and his high character for integrity and punctuality, recommended him to the attention of the county, \\hen it was in contemplation to erect a bridge over the Tiif, on the site of the present structure. Edwards ohtained the contract, began the work in the Year 171G, and completed his undertaking in a manner that gave universal satisfaction to his employers. This bridge consisted of three arches : it was formed of hew^l stone, well dressed and jointed, and displayed considerable elegance of design. Soon after it was finished, a heavy storm of rain increased all the mountaui streams above, and swelled the Taf into a tremendous torrent. \\'ith the waters, were brought down pieces of timber, brushwood, weeds, and other matters, which, being obstructed by the arches, soon formed against them an immense dam that raised the water to a great height on the upper side. Tlie weight of this vast body overpowered the resistance offered bv jiillars, and swept the whole away. Edwards's contract obliging him to maintain the bridge for a certain period, he was now reduced to tlie necessity of resuming his labour. In order to guard against the inconve- nience which lie had found to result from obstructing the channel of the river, he determined to form his second bridge of one arch. Its dimensions were precisely the same as the present edifice. He had proceeded so far witli this bridge tiiat the arch was finished, and the centre removed; and there remained nothing to be done but building the parapets, when to his great mortification the weight of the abutments forced the key-stones out of their places, and reduced the whole to ruins. Tliis took place in the year 1751. It was not Edwards's character to dt^spond. He once more set to work, and erected his centre pieces on the same spot; and in order to relieve tiie arcii of the pressure from its hauinlics, \vliicli his experience had shewn to be too great for the span, he placed at each end three cylinflrical holes, gradually diminishing in size as they approaclied the summit. According to Edwards's own plan, alreaiiy adverted to, the diameter of the lowest of these was nine feet, of the middle sLx feet, and of tlie u]»perinost four feet. This con- trivance completely answered its design ; the bridge was finished without farther impedi- ment, and remains to this day a monument of thc! talents and perseverance of the artist. Edwards (•iijoyed few advantages of literary education in early youth. His acipiirements were for some time confined to his native language. He first learnt to read Engiisli at the iige of twenty or twenty-one, from a blind instructor, at wiiose house he lodged, wliile employed in building a fiuge at CardilV. Previously to tiiis lie had acijuircd a little know- ledge of arithmetic. With this scanty stock of elementary materials he applied himself with great diligence and success to his own improvement, ami soon acquired a respectable share of general inforiijalioii. Being of a serious turn of mind, and a dissenter by religious ])rofcssion, he lief^an, when about thirty years of age, to olliciate among his neighbours, to whom he afterwards pr(!ached, Avhen his regular professional duties alforded him leisure. To these Hceiiiiiigly incompatible railings he added the husiness of a farmer, having con- tinued through life to occupy a Hniall tcnenient, to the ciilliv ation ol' which he attended per- sonallv. He died in the vear ITHil, and was buried in the chunli-yard of his native parisli. CAiiniii' C'astli;, the accompanying N'iew, has alreaiiy been described. CAMBRIA. MARGAM CHURCH, AND REMAINS OF THE CLOISTERS OF MARGAM ABBEY, GLAMORGANSHIRE. Margam is a village most delightfully situated under a magnificent and perpendicular wood of oak, abounding in monastic anti{juities. It lies in the hundred of Newcastle, Gla- morganshire. There is a post-office here, and a market is held adjacent to the copper- works. The parish contains three thousand two hundred acres of good land, four thousand eight hundred that are poor and sterile, and three thousand two hundred that are iminclosed mountain and warren. The Rev. John Hunt, in a communication to Mr. Carlisle, author of a Topographical Dictionary of Wales, conjectures that Margam is a corruption of the ancient British name Margan, or Mawrgan, i. e. " the great head, or chief." Previous to the thirteenth century this parish was called Pen Dar, i. e. the " oak summit." There are vestiges of a ruined chapel in the hamlet of Haford y Porth ; of one in the hamlet of Trisaint ; and another in that part of Margam Wood, called Craig y Cappel, upon an emi- nence, above the present church. This is supposed to have been a private oratory, apper- taining to the abbey. This abbey was founded by Robert earl of Gloucester, in 1147, and assumed the appellation of Margam, from Mawrgan, the son of Caradoc, about the year 1200. A mile from the abbey was a convent of nuns, called Eglvvys Nunyd, or the Nun's church, now a farm-house. Probably, earl Robert, at his death, at Gloucester, October 31, 1147, endowed this convent, being part of the dominions which he became possessed of by his marriage with Maud, the daughter and heiress of Robert Fitz Hammon, the Norman chieftain of Glamorganshire. By the same authority he became lord of the castle and township of Cynfig, also of Caerdiff Castle. Towards the end of the twelfth century, Caradoc bequeathed large possessions to the abbey of Pen Dar. In a grant of lands bestowed on the abbey in 1349, by sir John d'Abene, a descendant from Caradoc, it is termed the abbey of Margam. The wood which rises immediately from the church, in a line parallel with it, presents a magnificent object to the country, and a conspicuous land- mark to the Bristol channel. It covers the breast of a mountain eight hundred feet in height, more than a mile in circumference, and in grandeur is supposed to stand unrivalled. The value of the oak timber has been estimated at £60,000. At the dissolution of abbeys, on the 5th of August, 35th Henry the eighth, it was sold to sir Rice Mansel, knight, for £642 : 9 : 8, and he came to reside here, suffering his castles in Gower to become dila- pidated. A modern elegant house was built by the possessor of the Margam estate, at the foot of the castle of Penrice. It was the residence of the Talbot family, heirs of the Mansels. The old mansion at Margam, which was attached to and included part of the Abbey, was taken down about the year 1780, but the monastic remains, which consisted chiefly of 3b CAMBRIA. cloisters, containing- an angle of a quadrangle, were preserved. These lead to the grand entrance of a chapter-house, a duodecagon, fifty feet in diameter. On the Hth January, 1799, this elegant gothic structure became a ruin. The stones which were inarched in the compartments between the elliptic brauching rihs of the dome, first fell; two of the ribs soon followed ; tliis producing- an unecjual bearing- upon the central column, a third stone was forced from its base, when the roof collapsed and fell from the side walls, leaving- only tlie spring of the arches as a lamentable relic of its departed beauty. See a further account of this abbey, in sir Richard Hoare's edition of Giraldus Cnnibriensis, vol. i. p. 151. The parish church is still a very spacious edifice ; but becoming ruinous, it was repaired, through the munificence of Mr. Talbot. In restoring the north aisle to its original width, the old foundation was discovered, and many gravestones with ornamented crosses have been brought to light and preserved. The most ciu-ious and perfect of these is a stone to the memory of an abbot, with the following verses, one on each side, without date. Constans et certusjacet hie Ryiwallis opcitus Alibas Roburtus, ciijus Deus esto misertiis. Recumbent on monumental tombs, highly embellished with sculpture, and alabaster orna- ments, are seven figures as large as life, the male in armour. The font is formed of a beautiful piece of marble dug from the rocks at the INIumbles. The roof rises upon six pillars on each side, terminating in arches, dividing it into eight compartments, by small j)illars. The distant view of the monuments, from the two side aisles, is superbly striking. There is a very curious ancient cross stands against the wall of one of the alehouses in the main street leading to the church ; and in the adjoining ground are various monumental stones; on one is the following inscription: ". Senatus p()])ulus(|ue veromanus ilivo Tito, divi Vespasiani, F. Vespasiano Augusto." On the summit of a hill to the right is a square stone called Y niaen Llythyrog, or " the lettered stone." A little farther is a mountain, called Mynydd Dormini. The simimit is a level pasture, on which stands a large rude stone, about fourteen feet high, called by Canulen Maen Lytbyrog, anil at a small distance an aggera, or heap of loose stones. On the west of this hill is a Roman camp, and many old intrenchments lie contiguous. There are two Roman monuments in this ])arish. One near Kghvys Xunyd, on the high-road from Margam to Cynfig, on which is inscribed, " Pompeius Carantorius." The other, upon Margam mountain, is inscribed " Bodovicns hie jacet, filius Catolis, Irni pronepos, eternali in Domau." M.MUiAM Pauk has been chielly noticed on account of its orangery, which is said to have originated from a shipwreck on this coast. The vessel was conveying from Portugal to queen Mary, a presentTrom a Dutch merchant, of orange and lemon trees. Heing stranded, the plants became, as a waif, or else by purchase, tlic property of lord Mausrl. 'I'lmnias Maiisel Tall)ot, esq. in the vear 17S7, built a new greeuliouse, in a most siqici-h slyle, (hree hundred and twenty-seven feet in length, with a handsome doric front. Tiie first part of the interior of the building consists of a saloon for tlie reception of sculpture and statuary. CAMBRIA, CAERPHILLI, AND CAERPHILLI CASTLE, GLAMORGANSHIRE. Caerphilli, in Glamorganshire, is a small but neat town. It is situated in a broad valley, and surrounded by barren and dark mountains. The chief support of the inhabitants arises from the manufacture of blankets and stockings. The Castle occupies the centre of a small plain, and presents the idea of a ruined town. It is by far the largest ruin in Britain. The high outer rampart, with its massive abutments and frequent towers, still in a great measure entire, conveys at once a clear impression of the great extent of the fortress. " In entering on an examination of the ruin," says Mr. Barber, " we passed the barbican, now built up into habitations ; and, proceeding between two dilapidated towers, entered the great area of the castle. A range of building, beneath the rampart on our right, once formed the barracks of the garrison. We then advance to that pile of superior building, i. e. of citadel, hall, chapel, state, and other apart- ments, which is generally considered as the castle, in distinction from the encircling area and its wall. Clambering over the fragments of another draw-bridge and its defending towers, we enter the first court, which appears to have comprised the citadel. Thence through a large gateway, with several grooves for portcullises, to the principal court of the castle. The area of this court is seventy yards by forty. On the south side is that princely apartment, by" some considered the hall, and by others the chapel. But whichever it may have been, vestiges of much original beauty appear in the elegant outline of its four large windows ; the grand proportions of the chimney-piece, and the light triplet pillars, with arches, which go round the room. The appearance of mortice-holes in the walls for the ends of beams, at the height of about the middle of the windows, led Camden to suppose that the ceiling was projected thence, and that an apartment above was lighted by the upper portion of the windows; but surely, at a time when symmetry in building was so well culti- vated, and where it appears to have been so successfidly applied, such a ridiculous contri- vance could not have taken place : more probably from those mortices a support was de- rived for a lofty arched roof!, or a gallery. The external staircase-entrance (o the hall, spoken of by Camden, " the roof whereof is vaulted and supported by twenty arches," is now rendered nearly impassable by rubbish. Eastward of the hall is a leaning tower. This bulky fragment of the ruin is between seventy and eighty feet in height, and of a prodigious thickness. It hangs nearly eleven feet out of the perpendicular, and is only held together by the strength of its cement. It has stood in this position for many centuries. The cause must have arisen from a local failure in the foundation, or from the perforation of a mine. A remarkable effect is said to be produced by laying flat upon the back, close to the CAMBRIA. base, on looking up. Near this part of the ruin a place is shewn called tlie mint, with the remains of two furnaces for melting metal. From this chamber we ascend a spiral stair- case to the corridor, still in very good preservation ; which, lighted by small windows, and passing round the priiuipal court, formed a communication with the different apartments. The external view of the western entrance of the ruin, with its ponderous circular towers venerably sliadcd with ivy, is remarkably striking; and with the remains of its drawbridge and defending outwork, may be considered as the most entire part of the ruin. An artificial mound some distance off, but within the works of the castle, was most likely used for ex- ploratorv purposes. From the great plan of this castle, and there being no direct evidence to the contrary, its foundation has been attributed to the Ixomans; but it sufficiently appears, that no considerable part of the present fortress was built by them, as the predatory army of Rhvs Fvcan took and rased Caerphilli castle in 1221. The hon. Daines Barrington attributes the present erection to Edward the First. Sir Richard Hoare thinks that it was built by the Clare flmiily, and that it was afterwards enlarged and fitted up in the magni- ficent style now portrayed to us, by the Despencers. See this opinion elaborately sup- ported in his splendid edition of Giraldus, vol. ii. p. 371, &c. The first mention of this castle in the Welsh Ciironicle is in the year 1215. In 1217 it was committed by Reginald de Braose to the custody of Rhys Fycan, who levelled it to the ground. Between the year 1221 and 1223, it was again fortified, witli the consent of ])rince Llewelyn, by John de Braose. In 1-100, Owen Glendower had possession of it. Caerphilli has lately increased from an obscure village to a well-built little town; and the respectable appearance of its imis may, in a great measure, be dated from the increase of the visitants to the castle. Mr. Wvndham remarks that there is a striking transition in the language of Caerphilli, when compared with that of Monmouth, at only two miles distance. The buildings, man- ners, dress, and language, of the former, are strictly Welsh ; but adds, that " the Welsh language is sensibly declining in every place where the connexion with England is easy ; and possibly, within a century, a traveller may meet with as much diflicultv, in his researches after the remains of the Welsii language, along the coasts and marches of Wales, as Mr. Barrington did in his tour through Cornwall, in pursuit of the Cornish ; where he found but one old woman, nearly ninety years of age, who could speak it, and Init two other old woincn wiio could understand her." On tlie road to Caerdilf occurs Thornhill, an elevation uncommonly grand. The wide plain of Caerdiff affords, for many miles, gratifying prospects of various culti- vation, and several villages, the glaring whitened walls of which abruptly break through the surroimding foliage. The russet hue of an extensive warren varies the scenery. At the tcriniualinn of this tract, the expansive Severn is described, in which the two islands of the stcej) and tlal Ilolnii's arc picscnled. I'ar distant, the bold lulls nl Sdinersctshire form the back-ground. Denceuding from the higher grounds which connnaud the scenery just mentioned, a good road leads to Caerdilf. 'i"he episcopal ruins (if Elandaff may be seen at a short distance on the right. CAMBRIA. MELINCOURT FALL, AND CASCADE AT ABERDILLIS, VALE OF NEATH, GLAMORGANSHIRE. One of the most interesting objects to the tourist in the vale of Neatli, is Melincourt, where there is a magnificent fall of the Clyddaw from the height of eighty feet. With the exception of the Mynach falls, this is the largest in South Wales, and unrivalled in its accompaniments, considered as an enclosed scene. The direction of the vale of Neath is dissimilar to most others in this part of the kingdom ; for miles it is nearly rectilinear ; consequently, a considerable portion, both above and below, may be seen at once. But still, whether you look up or down, the prospect is widely different. To the south, the various manufactories, agents, and workmen's houses, vessels going out and coming in, the estuary opening through the woods, produce a cheer- ful variety in the coup d'mil; while turning to the north, the eye is charmed with verdant slopes, craggy rocks, and crystal streams, diversified by here and there a cultivated farm, or rustic cottage. The tumult and noise of engines and hammers is succeeded by the sounds of rapid streams issuing down the collateral cwms, or the roaring of distant waterfalls, that pour, in angry foam, their waters to the Neath. Passing the falls of the Dylis, and the Clyddaw, with various mines of coal and iron, the vale assumes a wilder aspect; rocks and precipices take place of woods and meads, and the hills assume the character of mountains. A dark-looking rock, called Craig y Llyn, rises in sullen grandeur to the right ; and a little to the north-east of it is a lake about half a mile in length, and one third in breadth, called Llyn y dwr : and immediately the small village of Pont Neath Vychan greets the eye of the inquisitive traveller. Near this place, on the banks of the Neath, are some curious intrenchments on each side the river, a mile in length, and about half a mile in breadth. They consist of high walls or banks running parallel with the river, and within are accom- panied by mounds of earth, and stones of different sizes, on the average from two to four yards long, one yard to two in width, and one high. Agriculture has infringed upon some of them, but those remaining are still numerous. It has been conjectured that this must have been a Roman encampment, and a Roman road called Sam Helen, a few miles off, has been adduced as justifying such a conjecture. But there are no traces of that people near, and these works are in a very different style to all the Roman fortifications. They are evidently British, being like several others in Wales, particulai'ly those near Corwen in Denbighshire, occupied by the Welsh forces when they opposed those of King Henry IL encamped on the Berwyn ; probably a British entrenched camp to defend this pass to the interior, after the country to the south was in possession of the Anglo-Normans. Descending into the vale, which now becomes interesting from the beauty and grandeur of its scenery. CAMBRIA. the cataract of Scoteiiogam, or more properly Ysgwd Eineon Gam, salutes you ; the fall of the river Purdden, one of those numerous streams with which the valley of Neath abounds. It is distant from Pont Neath Vvchan about a mile and a half, and is ;ipproached bv a dilScult path, down a steep declivity, through brushwood and brambles, till you arrive at the foot of a dark perpendicular rock. A chasm presents itself in front of this, through which the river precipitates itself over a ledge of rock full eighty feet into the pool beneath. The verdure of the wooded glen above the fall, contrasted with the bare rocks in the | vicinity, contribute to heighten the eti'ects of the scene. A short distance from this is another of inferior magnitude, but there is scarcely a stream but what has one or more to boast of. Three miles to the northward, the varied noise of numerous falls reminds you, that you are not far from the admired ones of the Hepste. The one called the I^ower Hepste-fall is a little above the truly picturesque spot, where the rivers Hepste and Fildda join. The character of this stupendous cataract differs widely from the one of Scotenogam : the river, after rains, swells into a mighty torrent, which, divided and impeded in its descent by lofty projecting rocks, dashes its perturbed waters upon detached fragments strewed in the glen beneath, and mantling into tumultuous foam, bedews the adjacent hills with the spray. A qtiarter of a mile above is the upper Hepste-fall, which from the singular attendant circumstances may vie with the celebrated falls amidst the Alps or Apennines. It is formed by the whole river Hepste flowing in one broad expanse of water, forty feet wide, over an even ledge of rock about sixty feet high. It precipitates itself with such projectile force, as to leave a considerable space between the per])eudicidar rock and the ])ool beneath : this aqueous arch is a common path for men and cattle, who find a nearer cut by this extraordi- nary road to the neighbouring villages. Passing over the hill that separates the vale of the Feldda from that of the Hepste, you discover another fall of equal magnificence, but of a very different feature. The bed of the Feldda is divideipon a j)lace called Hill-head, on the nortli side of llie 'l'vlliel)arn. Tiiere are vestiges of several Roman camps in tliis vicinity. Tiie gateway of tiie monastery of St. Illtyd is still standing. CAMBRIA. VALE OF THE TAFF, AND AQUEDUCT ON THE TAFF, GLAMORGANSHIRE. Drayton gives the following description of the rivers which flow either wholly or in part through this county : — " That Reniny when she saw these gallant nymphs of Gwent, On this appointed match, were all so hotlie bent. Where shee of ancient time had parted, as a mound, The Monumethian fields, and Glamorganean ground, Intreats the Taffe along, as gray as any glasse: With whom cleere Cunno comes, a lustie Cambrian lasse; Then Elwy, and with her Ewenny holds her way. And Ograore, that would yet be there as soon as they, By Avon called in; when nimbler Neath anon, (To all the neighbouring nymphs for her rare beauties known. Besides her double head, to heipe her streame that hath Her handmaids, Melta sweet, cleere Hepsey, and Tragarth) From Brecknock forth doth breake; then Dulas and Cledaugh, By Morgany doe drive her through her watry saugh; With Tawy, taking part t'assist the Cambrian power : Then Liu and Logor, given to str engthen them by Gower." Volyolbion, Song IV. The romantic Taff rises in the Brecknockshire hills, from two sources, forming at first two streams, distinguished according to their relative sizes by the appellations of the greater and less. These rivulets unite their waters just below the village of Coed-y-Cymmer, on their entrance into Glamorganshire, at the distance of about two miles above Merthyr Tid- vil, through which the river pursues its course. Near the Quaker's Yard, about twelve miles below Merthyr, the Taff receives the Bangoed Taff", a mountain stream which flows into it from the eastward. Lower down it is joined from the westward by the Cjnon, which rises in the parish of Penderiu in Brecknockshire ; and at the distance of a few miles it is farther increased from the same side by the united waters of the two Rhonddas. Hence it pursues its course in nearly a southerly direction by the ancient city of Landaff, and afterwards by Cardiff", towards the estuary of the Severn, which it enters in the small bay of Penarth, at the distance of a few miles from the latter place. In dry weather, the Taff" does not contain much water ; it is, however, a handsome stream, and when swollen by the land floods from the mountains which rise from its shores, rolls over its rocky bed in an impetuous and destructive torrent. It is navigable for small craft as far as Cardiff", which is the extent to which the tide-water ascends. The next river that occurs on this route is the Ely, which rises among the hills to the CAMBRIA. northward of Llantrissent. As it descends into the more level country, it approaches the Taff, in the direction of Landaff, and after passing the village of St. Fagans, enters the Severn at Penarth. To the Ely succeeds the Daw, or Dawon, which passes through the town of Cowhridge, and at its junction with the sea forms the little harhour of Aberddaw, or Aberddawon. A few miles beyond Cowbridge the Ewenny river flows near the ancient monastery of the same name ; a little below which it unites with the Ogmore. This is a larger stream that pursues uearlv a parallel course from the mountains to the northward, and passes through the town of Bridgend. Soon after it receives the waters of the Ewenny, it enters the Bristol channel by a wide estuary. At the distance of six miles we meet the Avon, called in the dialect of the country Afan, which flows into the Bristol channel near the village of Aberavon. It is navigable for a short way, and admits ships of small burden which are employed by the proprietors of some copper works in the neighbourhood. The Nedd, or Neath, which next occurs, has its sources in Brecknockshire, in the romantic region to the northward of Pont-neath-vaughan. The several streams that furnish its first waters unite near this village, after which the main stream assumes the name it afterwards bears. Its course lies througli one of the most picturesque and interesting valleys in Soutii W'ales. It receives no river of any consequence till the Dulas enters from the west, about three miles above the town of Neath. Another small stream pays its tribute to it, below the town from the same side : shortly after which it passes Briton Ferry, and enters the sea in Swansea bay. This river is navigable for ships of about two hundred tons, as high as Neath Bridge. The Tawe enters Glamorganshire a little below Ystradgunlais, where it receives the waters of the impetuous Twrch from the westward. Farther on it is augmented from the same side by the upper Clydach, and at the distance of about three miles below, by the lower Clydach, both of them small but very romantic streams. The Tawe dischijrges its waters into the bay of Swansea, whence the town derives its Welsh name of Abertawe. This river admits ships of considerable burden for about two miles above its entrance, and small sloops for a mile higher up to Morris-town, where the tide-water is impeded by a wear constructed for the use of some iron works on the eastern shore. CAMBRIA. VIEW NEAR NEWBRIDGE AND BERW RHONDDA, GLAMORGANSHIRE. While at Pont y Pridd, Mr. Manby observing that the Rhondda was a large stream, though tributary to the TafF, was induced to explore it. He reached a bridge of two arches, the banks thickly shaded with wood. At the distance of two miles he found Berw Rhondda, (the foam of the Rhondda,) formed by a contraction of the river, which rushes through an opening in the rock with great force, forming a cascade enveloped in white foam. On his return to the Bridgewater-arms, he crossed the river by a narrow wooden foot-bridge, and continued to follow the canal for about one mile and a half, when he deviated to the banks of the Taff, to examine the celebrated fall and salmon leap, called Rhaiadyr Riske, which is at the foot of a mountain seen from Pont y Pridd. The fall, broken by rocky projections, is fifteen feet in height, and the scenery enchantingly beautiful. Returning to the road, the country abounds with mountain scenery, and the singular effect of sixteen locks, the canal aqueduct over the river, and a mill upon a tributary brook, are features of considerable gratification. Turning to the left, at the Quaker's burying-ground, and ascending the lofty eminence on the right, the rail-road leading to Merthyr Tydvil is reached. In proceeding towards this new colony, the valley becomes sprinkled with numerous edifices ; and, in advancing, the scene becomes very active, and the ear is assailed by the strokes of massive hammers and the roar of furnaces. The vale of Glamorgan extends in length about forty miles, and is from ten to twelve in breadth ; sheltered from the north winds by a chain of mountains, and open to the south with the sea in front, it partakes of a twofold advantage, the genial sun, and mild sea breeze : and though great part of it lies on a substratum of limestone, at the depth of a few feet, yet it is highly productive under the hand of skill and industry. Such is the mildness of the air, that many shrubs and evergreens, housed in other parts, stand here our hardest winters. Myrtles may be seen in the open ground in a variety of gardens, and from its salubrity it may be considered as the Piedmont of Britain. The Vale is studded with towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and cottages. The latter being white-washed, gives them an appearance of cleanliness and neatness, not observable in other counties. These, contrasted with the various greens of Nature's garb, are by no means ungrateful to the eye, however the custom may offend the picturesque Gilpin, {see " Views on the Wye,") because a glare of white is not agreeable to sporting Nature. But the question is not whether buildings in colour should be conformable to Nature, or how far a glare of white may be discordant to the systematic rules laid down for picturesque beauty, or landscape 3 F CAMBRIA. drawing ; but whether, in ;i prospect abounding with habitations, those do not appear more cheerful to the eye, contrasted with the deep verdure of summer, the various greens and brown of spring and autumn, or the dark shades of winter, than the dull and neglected hue of weather-beaten stone ? There are few who have travelled through \\'ales, but will instantly acknowledge, that this external exhibition of neatness intimates cleanliness within, and that, exclusive of the idea of comfort which it suggests, the appearance alone gives it a decided superloritv over that of the dingy and dirty-looking cottages in the adjoining counties. And he who cannot admire this neat and salutary custom, has never yet experienced the pleasurable sensation arising from the sight of a woodbine or a rose in blossom against a white-washed wall. So partial are the peasantry of Glamorganshire to this mode of ornamenting their cottages, that they frequently renew it every Saturday ; and will not permit a stone, serving for a gatepost, or that lies on the road near the dwelling, to escape this cleanly attention. CAJIBRIA. COWBRIDGE AND LLANBLETHAN, GLAMORGANSHIRE . Ci>\vbrid(;e, called in Welsh, Pont-faen, the stone bridge, corruptly for Pont-y-fon, of whicii the English name is an accurate translation. This place consists of one broad street, of considerable length, in the middle of which stand the town-hall and market-house. According to the Welsh chronicle, it was walled round in the year 1091 by Robert St. Qiiintin, one of Fitzhamon's knights. In Leland's time it had three gates, one at each end of the main thoroughfare, and one on the south, which is yet standing. The corporation consists of two bailiffs, twelve aldermen, and twelve capital burgesses. The market is held on Tuesday, and there are fairs here annually on the 20th of March, the 4th of May, the 24th of June, the 29th of September, and the 30th of November. There is here a very excellent Grammar School, which owes a considerable part of its endowment to Sir Llewelyn Jenkins. Two fellowships, two scholarships, and an exhibition, at Jesus College, Oxford, are appropriated exclusively to young men educated at this seminary. About three miles to the northward of Cowbridge is Ystrad Owen, which derives its name from Owen ab Cylliii, prince of Glamorgan, who made this one of the places of his residence. A large tumulus, in a field adjoining the churchyard, is supposed to indicate the site of his mansion. Ystrad Owen is celebrated in the literary history of this county on account of an annual assembly of bards, which met here under the auspices of the proprie- tors of Hensol. It is stated, hovvever, that these assemblies were not admitted by the order generally to be held according to the most ancient forms and customs. The last which met at this place was held on the 28th of May, 1720, Just beyond Ystrad Owen stands Ashall. The house, which is a commodious and elegant edifice, stands on a gentle elevation in the midst of ornamented grounds, which display to the highest advantage the taste of the proprietor. On the other side of Ystrad Owen are some remains of the castle of Talavan, or Tal- y-faen. This fortress formed part of the spoils wrested from the natives of this county by the Norman invaders, and in the division made by Fitzhamon, fell to tiie share of Sir Richard de Seward. At some distance to the eastward stands the ancient mansion of Hensol. This was origi- nally the property of a family of the name of Jenkins, one of whom, David Jenkins, held the office of Welsh Judge in the reign of Charles the First, and suffered considerable persecution for his adherence to the cause of his royal master. He died in the year 1664. 3i CAMBRIA. His grandson, Richard Jenkins, of this house, wlio died in 1721, was a warm admirer of Welsh poetry and music, and was himself deemed a good performer on the harp. In this gentleman the male line of the family became extinct. His niece, Miss Matthews, married Lord Chancellor Talbot, who by this union became possessed of the estate, and was created Baron Hensol. He died in Lincoln's Inn Fields, 1737, and was succeeded by his second son William. This nobleman added two wings to the mansion. He was created Earl Talbot in 1761, and in 1780 Baron Dinevor, with remainder to his daughter, who married one of the Uices of Dinevor, in Caermarthenshire, and transferred the title to that family. The estate has received the higliest improvement, and the farm may be reckoned one of the best cultivated in this county. On the right, at tlie distance of a few miles, and near the banks of the river Ely, are the villages of Peterston super Ely and St. George's. Some remains of castles are to be found at eacii, but they are little known to historic fame, except as the residence of some of Fitz- hamon's knights and their descendants. Llanbiethan Castle, a little higher up the river, and within half a mile of Cowbridge, is seated in a commanding situation above the western bank of the river. The present remains are not very considerable. After the conquest of Glamorgan the castle and lordship of Llanbiethan were assigned to Sir Robert S. Quintin, who strengthened and otherwise improved the structure he found here. The present walls are a part of the Norman erections. Llanbiethan churcii is a large and ancient edifice; and contaius some fragments of monu- ments originally commemorative of the owners of the castle, and other families of distinction in the neighbourhood. It is tlie mother church of Cowbridge. Nearly due south of Llanbiethan lies Llaninlhangel, a seat belonging to the Wyudhani familv; and a few miles farther, in the same direction, the village of Boverton, where anti- quaries are now disposed to place the Bovium of the Itineraries. CA.'\jnKIA. LLANTWIT MAJOR AND TOWN HALL, GLAMORGANSHIRE. The town of Llantwit is at present of inconsiderable size ; but it exhibits numerous vestiges of its ancient extent and consequence. Several streets and lanes, some of them still containing entire houses, may be traced by foundations and ruinated buildings; and are still known by their ancient names. Its former populousness is also indicated by its spacious church and cemetery; the latter of which, from the number of human bones dug np in the adjacent fields and gardens, appears to have been of very large extent. The ancient town hall is yet standing, and is remarkable for its bell. The ruins of the college house are situated in a garden adjoining the churchyard on the north : and those of the monastery, with the halls and other buildings, are to be seen in a field on the north-west of the church, called the Hill-head. In the church and churchyard are a great numljer of inscribed monuments, of ancient date, which are stated to have been removed hither from a place called " the Great House," where another church is supposed to have stood. Among the most remarkable of these is one commemorative of St. Illtyd. This is a flat stone, and appears to have been originally the shaft of a cross. On two of the sides are inscriptions in rude charac- ters, which have been decyphered, and are read as follows: — On one side, " Samson posnit banc crucem pro anmia (anima) ejus" — on the other " Crux Iltudi." " Samson redis." " Samson egisar." In the old church is a curious monumental stone, in the form of an ancient coffin, having a hole in ihe cover near the head : it is ornamented with fretwork, and bears an inscription in Saxon characters, which has been read as follows : — " Ne petra calcetur, que subjacet ista tuetur." Near it is another stone, bearing the figure of a man in a religious habit, with an inscription which has hitherto baffled the ingenuity of the antiquary. In the vestry is a large stone, bearing a gigantic human figure habited in the costume of the fifteenth century, with the following inscription — " PKINS. f RICHARD HOPKINS." Who this Richard Hopkins was is not known, for even tradition is silent as to his claims to so stupendous a monument. The inscription is usually read Prince Richard Hopkins, but erroneously; as the first letters are obviously a part of the name Hopkins, the other portion having probably been obliterated. By the church porch is a large monumental stone, placed there by Edward Williams, the Welsh bard, who has himself drawn up the following account of the circumstances attending its discovery, and removal to its present position. CAMBRIA. " 111 the siunmer of 1789, I dug out of the ground in Llantwit churchyard, a large monumental stone : it has been the shaft of a cross, and its history affords a remarkable instance of the fidelity of popular tradition. About fifty years ago, a very old man, whose name was Richard Punter, was living at Lanmaes, juxta Llantwit. He, though only a shoemaker, was a more intelligent person than most of his own class ; he liarl read history more than many, was something of an antiquary, and had stored his memory with a number of interesting popular traditions. I was then about twelve or fourteen years of age, — like him, fond of history and antiquities. He one day shewed me a spot on the east side of the porch of the old church at Llantwit, where, he said, a large monumental stone lav buried in the ground, with an inscription on it to the memory of two kings. The tradition of the accident which occasioned its inhumation, he gave as follovvs : — " Lon»- ago, before the memory of the oldest person that he ever knew (and he was then about eighty), for their knowledge of the fact was only traditional, there was a young man at Llantwit, commonly called Will the Giant. At the age of seventeen, he was seven feet seven inches high, but, as is usually the case in prematm-e and preternatural growth, he fell into a decline, of which, at that age, he died. He had expressed a wish to be buried near the monumental stone which stood by the porch : his wishes were complied with ; and the grave was dug, necessarily much larger and longer than graves usually are, so that one end of it extended to the foot of the stone that was fixed in the ground. Just as the corpse had been laid in, the stone gave way, and fell into the grave, nearly filling it up; some had very narrow escapes with their lives; but as the stone was so large as not to be easily removed, it was left there, and covered over with earth. " After I had heard this account, I had a great desire to dig for this stone, and many times endeavoured to engage the attention and assistance of several persons ; but my idea w;is always treated with ridicule. In the year 1789, being at work in Llantwit church, and being one day unable to go on with what I had hi hand, for want of assistance, (for it was then tlie hei"-ht of the corn harvest, and not a man was to be found whose time and hands were unoccupied,) I employed a great part of one afternoon in digging in search of this stone, and having discovered it, I cleared away all the earth about it. Evening brought the farmers and their workmen home, and Mr. Christopher ^^'ilkins, and the late Mr. David .Tones, (two very respectable gentlemen farmers) on seeing this stone, ordered their men tr) assist me. We with great difficulty got it out of the ground, and on it we foimd the following inscription: — ' In Nomine Di ISummi incipit crux salvatoris qure preparavit Sam- sonia pati pro anima sua ct pro auima Julhahelo Ilex et art mali ti-ganj. " It lav on the ground, where it had Ix'cn riseu out of the grave, till August 1793, when I procured assistance to erect it on tlu' east side of tlic porch, where it now stands. Ii must liavc lici'ii liuiii'il in tlie ground before the contimiator of Camden copied the inscriptions on Hindus, Kc. ntlicrwise he would certainly have copied tiiis also, and ihe stones idaccd by Thomas Morgan before the church door, as well as the inscriptions on the stones >u tin' old church, also phcrd tlicre liy riM>mas Morgan." --in UlfO^i ;t'fc^''«.' .'., CAMBRIA. LLANTRISSAINT, AND BRIDGEND, GLAMORGANSHIRE. Llantrissaint is a town and parish in the hundred of Miskin, and situated near the summit of a cleft, in one of the high hills which bounds the vale of Glamorgan. It is only by a circuitous road, of fatiguing a?cent, that it can be approached. One narrow irregular street, composed of poor Gothic habitations, made up ne:irly the whole of this place ; but it has lately been much improved by its noble proprietor. Little besides a lofty round tower appears of the castle, the vestiges of its outworks being nearly concealed by tangling shrubs. Within the precincts of the castle is a neat market-house and town- hall, erected at the expense of the Earl of Bute. The church is a large Norman edifice. From the cemetery a surprisingly extensive view may be had. This district abounds in lead ore, the property of the Marquis of Bute, who is lord of the manor. This is a borough town, and contributes with Cardiff and Cowbridge in returning one member to Parliament. The quarter sessions for the hundred are held here. Sir Llewellyn Jenkins, Secretary of State to James IL, was born in this parish. Bridgend is very pleasantly situated on the Ogmore, occupying the ground on both sides of that river, which are connected by a stone bridge. It contains a large proportion of good houses, which are occupied by families of great respectability. A woollen manufactory was established here some years ago, but it did not realize the expectations of the original projectors. It is, however, still maintained, and produces annually con- siderable quantities of flannel and Welsh shawls. An excellent market is held here every Saturday, and fairs annually on Ascension Thursday, and the 17th of November. Bridgend is divided into three townships, called Oldcastle, Newcastle, and Bridgend. Oldcastle derives its name from an ancient fortress which stood near the chapel, at its 3 K CAMBRIA. eastern extreuiity, and which appears lo have been ilepeiicieut on tlie iii'iiihbouring easlle of Coity. The present tythe barn is built on part of the ruins. Newcastle is so called from a fortress, probably of later date, some remains of wiiich yet exist, occnpylng a commandins;- situation on a precipitous hill above the chmch. Liltle is known of the history of either of these erections. The view from the cemetery of the old chapel is greatly admired. There is a con- .venient town-hall, in which the county Member is sometimes elected, and where the petty sessions are iield. ivn of b USt'; the late Mr. Bacon ;„ jho iron and r. ■■tjiijig a \ r CAMBHIA. MERTHYR TYDVIL, AND CYFARTHA CASTLE. GLAMORGANSHIRE. Mekthyr TuDiiL, or Mertliyr Tydvil, in ilie lnmdre(l of Caerphilly, Glamorganshire, derives its name iroin Tudfil, daughter of Brychan, prince of Brecoiishire, who was murdered here hy a party of pagan Saxons and Irish Picts, with her father and brother. Considered as a martyr, Tudfil had a church dedicated to her, called Mertliyr Tudfil, or Martyr Tudfil. In after ages it v/as remarkable only for being a theatre for keeping alive religious dissensions. " This spot," says Mr. Evans, " was naturally retired, and calculated to aid reflection ; but the genii of the graves have been driven from their retirement by the rude bustle of manufactories ; and to silence and quiet have succeederwent. The <;rand entrance was by a rii<;ht of steps, still visible on tiie outside of the east wall, through a semicircular arched door-way, now closed, ^\'ithin this entrance; a staircase in the wall ascends to a door on a level with a ranjre of arches which opened into the chamber or gallery. The building' of Chepstow castle appears to have taken place in the eleventh century, when M'illiam Fitzosborne, earl of Hereford, built it to defend the ample possessions granted him in thi-; part of the island bv ^^'illiam the comjueror, his relation. His son and successor, Roger de Britolio, taking up arms against his sovereign, was deprived of his vast inheritance; and Chepstow castle became soon iifter transferred to the family of Clare, from which it descended to the Plantageuets, the Herberts, and the Somersets; in the last of which families it is vested. The castle and site now belong to the duke of Beaufort, but were held on a lease of lives which expired in 1790, on the death of Mrs. Williams. This fortress is remarkal)le in history for the gallant defence it made, with a slender garrison, against a considerable force headed by Oliver Cromwell ; but after a long siege it was taken by an assault, in which nearly all its defenders were sacrificed. A priorv for monks of the Benedictine order was founded here soon after the Conijuest, called Striguil Monastery. It was made a cell to the abbey of Corneille in Normandy. The present parish church includes most of its remains. An elegant bridge unites the counties of Gloucester and Monmouth. The tide has been said to rise higher here than in any other part of the w()rld, even to the height of seventy feet; but fifty-six feet has been found the iiighest point to which it has risen during the last century. The cause of this extraordinary swell proceeds from the rocks of Beachley and Aust, whlcli, protruding far into ihe Severn, near the mouth of the Wye, obstruct the flow of the ti fields, and alier a sid)terraneous passage of one mile, bursts out al the i'dul cal. " Hut here no more soft music floats. No holy anthems channtcil now; All husird, except the ringdove's notes. Low murm'ring from yon l)cechen bough." CAMBRIA. INTERIOR OF TINTERN ABBEY, AND WEST WINDOW, MONMOUTHSHIRE. The exterior of the building is fine, especially the fa9ade of the western front ; but the beauty of the interior must excite the admiration of the most stoical mind, and rivet the at- tention of the most tasteless observer. On the opening of the western door, the eye rapiiUy passes along the range of elegant columns which separated the nave and south aisle, and, stretching under the sublime arches that once supported the tower, is fixed on the grand eastern window, at the termination of the choir. " From the length of the nave, the height of the walls, the aspiring form of the pointed arches, and the size of the east window, which closes the perspective, the first impressions are those of grandeur and sublimity. But as those emotions subside, and we descend from the contemplation of the whole, to the exami- nation of the parts, we are no less struck with the regularity of the plan, the lightness of the architecture, and the delicacy of the ornaments ; we feel that elegance is its characteristic, and that the whole is a combination of the beautiful and sublime." All the columns are yet standing, except those which divided the nave from the north aisle ; and the bases of the latter still mark their number and site. The arches and pillars of the transept are entire ; and the four immense lofty arches that supported the tower and spring high in the air, still retain their original shape, though reduced to mere skeletons of stone. The forms of the principal windows are yet so far preserved as to be discriminated, particularly the frame of the western window, the tracery of which is peculiarly elegant. The eastern window, oc- cupying almost the whole breadth of the choir, is nearly entire, and divided into two com- partments, by a slender umbilical shaft, not less than fifty feet in height, diverging at top, of a singularly light appearance; and the tracery and mullions, which form the minor divisions, are exceedingly appropriate. The whole height of this window is sixty feet, and the breadth twenty-seven. The great east, west, north and south windows were of one imiform height from the ground to the point of the arch, and also the four arches which supported the tower. Though many of the columns have been demolished, and some of the windows and ornamental objects dilapidated, yet the character of all may be traced ; for, as it has justly been observed, " in corresponding parts, always one remains to tell the story." To the decorations of art are now superadded the effects produced by time. Some of the windows are wholly oltscured by large masses of ivy, others are canopied, or the sides partially covered, while the tendrils twine in the tracery of some, creep along the walls, encircle the columns, form natural wreaths round the capitals, or hang down in pen- dulous tufts from their summits. The numerous mosses and lichens also lend their assistance CAMBRIA. from the crevices of the stones, to furnish those contrasting tints, which tend to give a powerful effect to the appearance of a ruin. The tiooring of enamelled figured tiles luis been removed, and the earth now constitutes the natural pavement, as the sky does its canopy. Since the late duke of Beaufort caused the ruin to be locked up, to secure it as an object for gi'atif\ing a laudable curiosity, tlie briers and weeds with which it had been overgrown, have been cleared away, and the whole area reduced to a level, and covered with turf, whidi is kept regularly mown. On this lie scattered in various directions ornamented fragments of the once elegant groined roof, pieces of columns, friezes, sculptures, mutilated statues, and sepidchral stones, sacred to the memory of heroes and religious persons, whose ashes have been deposited within these walls. More picturesque it certainly would have been, if the area had been left strewed with all the dilapidated ruins. But the neatness certainly produces no unpleasing contrast, as it tends to exhibit more strikingly the propor- tions of the building, relieves the clustered colmnns, heightens the effect of tlie grey stone, and thus adds Ijeauty as well as novelty to the interesting scene. And when it is considered that access is thus obtahied to every part of the interior, which was previously inaccessible, save in a few places, the neatness maybe excused, if not approved, and art in such instances may be allowed to bow at the shrine of utility. CAMBRIA. ABERGAVENNY, AND THE SUGAR LOAF AND SKYRRID MOUNTAINS, MONMOUTHSHIRE. AsERGAVENNy (the ancient Gobannium of the Romans) is a straggling-, irregular town in Monmouthshire, pleasingly interspersed with trees, situated on the conflux of the Gavenny and the Usk, at the foot of the Derry, one of the confederated hills sustaining the towering cone of the Sugar Loaf, which gently inclines to the river. This town and its environs have strong claims on the traveller's attention. Its castle and delightful terrace, overlooking the rich vale of Usk, its church ahoundhig in costly sculptured tombs, and its beautifuUy variegated mountains, all conspire to render this place particularly attractive. The lofty summit of the Sugar-Loaf Mountain should not remain mivisited; nor the rugged eminence of the Skyrrid Vawr. On an eminence near tiie southern extremity of the town, is the ruined Castle, which at present exhibits very few memorials of former magniticence. The gate-house is tolerably entire, and vestiges of two courts may be traced among the broken walls ; but of the citadel no traces remain, although an entrenched mound, close to the ruins, evidently marks its site. The town was also fortified, and many portions of the work remain; particularly Tudor's Gate, the western entrance, which is furnished with two portcullises, and remark- able for the beautifully composed landscape seen through it. The castle is more remarkable for the delightful view which its elevated terrace commands over the beautiful vale of Usk, than for the form or extent of its ruins, which are by no means beautiful. Here, while I wake the reed beneath the brow Of the rent Norman tower that overhangs The lucid Usk, the undulatina; line That Nature loves. Whether witli sjentle bend She slopes the vale, or lifts the gradual hill. Winds the free rivulet, or down the bank Spreads the wild wood's luxuriant growth, or breaks With interrupting heights the even bound Of the outstretch'd horizon. Far and wide, Blackening the plain beneath, proud Blorenge lowers; Behind whose level length the western sun Dims his slope beam ; there the opposed mount, Eastern of craggy Skyrrid, sacred soil, Oft trod by pilgrim foot. O'er the smooth swell Of Derry, glide the clouds, that gathering hang Round yon steep brow, amid the varied scene Towering aloft. As gradual up the height CAMBRIA. • Of the louach lulls, ascending Ceres leads Tlie patient step of labour, the wild heath, Where once the nibbling tlock scant herbage cropp'd. Wave in the breeze, with golden liarvests eroun'd. SOTHERBY'S TOLR. The cimrcli is a lai-i.i-e <;otliic structure, and appears to have been built in the form of a roraan cross, but has been curtailed of its transepts; at the juncture of one of them a circular arch, now filled up, wears a Norman character, and seems to have been part of the original building'. Three arches, curiously dissimilar, separate the aisle from the nave. The choir remains in its antique state, with stalls for a prior and his monks, formed of oak, and rudely carved. The aisles on either side are furnished with the monuments of the Herbert and other families. That which records the name of Sir Richard Herbert of Ewias, son of William, the first earl of Pembroke, is the most striking. In a recess of the south wall, is a recum- bent figure, witii uplifted hands, the head resting upon a helmet: at the feet a lion, and behind some .small figures in alabaster: beneath is an alabaster monument, containing two recumbent figures. Before the dissolution of religious houses, the cbiircb belonged to a priory of Benedictine monks, which was foimded by Hameline de Baladim, one of the Norman adventurers, who acquired Abergavenny by conquest. The priory-house adjoins the nave of the churcli, and is converted into a cunnuodious lodging-house. The rooms are tidicn by the week, at 10s. 6d. each. The free-school in the town was foimded by Henry ^ 'HI., and amply endowed with the revenues of forfeited monasteries, &c. At about two miles distance is Werndee, a poor patched-up house, though' once of considerable magnificence; it is now only interesting as being considered the spot where the prolific Herbert race was first implanted in Britain. In the vicinity of Abergavemiy, there is a very elegant small villa, belonging to ladv Har- rington, the entrance to which is tastefully laid out : and about two miles from the town is the handsome family mansion and pleasure-grounds of Court y gallen. Passing the old bridge of thirteen arches, over the Usk, the Blorenge Mountain rises to the height of one thousand seven himdred and twenty feet. This is one of tiic monnlains which form the chain extending from the confines of Brecknock to Panteg, below Ponly- pool. The smnmit is covered with a russet-coloured herbage, forming a contrast to the underwoods and pastures upon its sides, and the large timber trees whicli skirt its base. This lengthened mountain forms the north-east boundary of the \alicv called Avon Lwvd, from till' rivuli'l wim li runs tlimngh it. Near the source oi' tliis slreani is Bhienavon, where immense iron works are established, which em|iloy many tnen. The motintainous territory containing these mineral treasures was demised by the ('rown to the earl id" Abergavemiy, and is held under lease by Hill and Co. This imfreqiienled district, for- inerlv called the wilds nt Mimnmnlli. was Inrmcrly onlv iinliii'i! for (he cover it aUnrdrd for game, and tiie sport of grouse-shooting. Tin; StoAii-LuAf and .'^KViiitii) Mountains form the subject of the aicompanying View. :f.4VTr'5HT.iEM?T ™>*.!l,AdE '','5Kii^.«'-' i , CAJIBRIA. MATHERN AND MATHERN PALACE, MONMOUTHSHIRE. Crossing the grounds at St. Pierre, and passing Pool Meyric, a brook falling into the Severn, to the right stands Mathern Palace, formerly the episcopal seat of the bishops of Llandaft'. The structure, which surrounds a quadrangular court, raised by different bishops, is situated in a gentle hilly country, diversified with wood and pasturage. Some spe- cimens of dilapidated grandeur appear in the east window; and the entrance was through a lofty porch, which has been destroyed, and the building is occupied as a mere farm-house. The principal hall is thirty-two feet by sixteen, and twenty high. The chapel, when undivided, was eighty feet by ten. The wrecks of a library belonging to the see yet remain. The road to Chepstow lies upon inclosed lands : from one part, the Severn appears as two spacious lakes. Hardwick House, on the right, stands upon an eminence, commanding a view of the interesting country around. There is a chapel, dedicated to St. Treacle, near the mouth of the Wye, said to have been erected in the year 47. It has been covered by the sea, but its remains are yet visible, at some distance below the high-water-mark, (an instance that the sea encroaches on tlie Monmouthshire and Glamorganshire coasts), while on the Flintshire and Cheshire shores, much land has been gained from the sea. In the chancel of Mathern Church, (a Gothic structure, but of British origin), is an epitaph on Theodoric, king of Glamorgan. It was placed here by bishop Godwin, and decorated by painted ornaments, and military emblems. " Here lieth intombed the body of Theodorlck, king of Morganuch or Glamor- gan, commonly called St. Thewdric, and accounted a martyr because he was slain in a battle against the Saxons, (being then pagans,) and in defence of the Christian religion. The battle was fought at Tintern, where he obtained a great victory. He died here, being in his way homeward, three days after the battle, having given order to Maurice, his son, who succeeded him in the kingdom, ' that in the same place he should happen to decease, a church should be built, and his body buried in the same, which was accordingly performed, in the year 600.' " Within a short distance from Mathern, is Moinscourt, another deserted ecclesiastical man- sion. Its foundation is attributed to bishop Godwin : occupied also as a farm house. A handsome Gothic porch, defended by two lofty turrets, is presented. Within the court yard, are two Roman inscribed stones, said, by Gibson, to have been brought from Caerleon. FINIS. ^^fS^.-^-^ : ■^^Ifei KAv-n nnuE . CAMBRIA. R A GLAND, AND RAGLAND CASTLE, MONMOUTHSHIRE. Leland styles it a fair and pleasant castle, eight miles from Chepstow, and seven from Abergavenny, in the middle Vence Land, having adjoining two goodly parks. Camden calls it a fair house of the earl of Worcester's, built castle-way, and assigns the date of its erection in the time of Henry VII. ; but upon what authority he does not say. Collins informs us, in the pedigree of Herbert, that sir John Morley, knt. lord of Ragland Castle, resided here in the reign of Richard II., consequently between the years 1377 and 1399. In a manuscript belonging to Mr. Jones, it is said to have been built by sir William Thomas, and his son, William earl of Pembroke, who was beheaded at Banbury. Sir William Thomas lived in the reign of king Henry V. (1413), and was present with the king, in company with sir David Gam, at the ever memorable battle of Agincourt, where he lost his life. Wliat corroborates this opinion is, that some years ago a labourer, employed to remove some rubbish in the fold yard of the adjoining farm, found a pot of money consisting of English silver coins, and among others, a half groat of king Edward IV. It came into the noble family of Worcester, where it still remains, by sir Charles Somerset marrying the grand-daughter of the said William earl of Pembroke, heiress to his son William earl of Huntingdon, and heiress-general to all the Herberts in England. Sir Charles was the first earl of Somerset of this line. It is situated on a moderately rising- hill, called Twyn y Ciros, or the Cherry Hill, surrounded by a rich and well cultivated country, and, when in its splendour, was reckoned one of the finest buildings in Britain. A mile from the village is the castle farm, through which you enter by gates, erected by Mr. Evans, into the first or eastern court of the castle ; the first gate and steps have been destroyed, but part of the second is still standing. This front is very grand, including in the view, the towers which defended the principal entrance, and the broken angle of Melyn y Gwent, or the citadel. It was of hexangular form, each side thirty-three feet broad ; its walls ten feet thick, well built of hewn stone ; its height five stories, and com- manded a delightful prospect over the distant country. Its battlements being weak, were soon demolished, during the siege by sir Thomas Fairfax, in 1646, but the tower itself, though it sustained the shock of sixty shot (eighteen and twenty pounds weight), per day, received no injury. This is ascended by a geometrical stone staircase, consisting of ninety steps, so curiously put together as to be ascended with the utmost ease and convenience. It was encompassed with a moat, which is at present dry and overgrown with brambles and briars. The niches, in which were placed figures of Roman emperors, siill remain, 3 D CAMBRIA. tliough time and the weather have in a great measure destroyed the shell-work with which thev were ornamented. Within the castle g-ate was the pitched stone court, on the right side ot' which was the closet tower, now overspread with turf, alders, and ashlings, grow- ing in the wildest luxuriance. In this court was a deep draw-well, the water of which was brought from a spring two miles above Ragland ; it is now covered over, or filled up. Near the kitchen tower, as vou enter from the principal gate, the main wall is nearly levelled with the ground, which appears to have been effected by cannon shot. To the north of it there is the trace of a sunk battery, from which It is said the l)reach was made, that occasioned the surrender of the castle. Beneath are the kitchen, larder, and a variety of culinary offices, cellars, &c. all with arched roofs. The villagers speak of Immense ovens, aud fire-places for roasting oxen whole, and indeed, such is their extent, that this might easily be dmie. Passing parlours, dining and drawing rooms, you come to the music gallery, one hundred and twentj'-six feet long : and, leaving the chapel on the le.t, you enter the stately hall, sixty-sLx feet long, and twenty-eight broad, having a curious geo- metrical roof of Irish oak, with a dome at top for the admission of light. It has three large windows at the upper end ; but the large bow window on the left side of the court is a most beautiful object. The form is a half-hexagon, sixteen feet high, and the same wide, with proportionate well-executed moutons and transoms. The cupola above is crowded with ivy, which, hanging down with graceful negligence, forms a fine curtain of Nature's drapery. At the east end, in the centre of the hall. Is an achievement of the earl of Worcester, in stone work, but considerably defaced. The arms are surrounded with the legend of the order of the garter ; and underneath the earl's motto, " mutare vel timere sperne." Passing straight from tlic hall, you enter what is termed the large court, one hundred feet lon'4', and sixty broad, remarkable for tlio curious fretwork of Its walls and Avlndows, but especially for a marble fountain, constantly running with clear water, called the white horse. The horse is destroyed, but the capital of the pedestal on which the horse was placed, was tolerably perfect about fifty years ago ; but it is nearly demolished by knocking off |)ieces to give persDus coming to see the castle. What is called the bowling-green, now an orchard, was turned into a bastion prior to the siege, as plainly appears by the remains of the parapet wall. In the front is another bastion, at the south-east corner of the terrace, formed to flank tlie other. Before the principal gate, to cover it, was erected a large horn-work. Tbe great tower, after a tedious battering, was undermiiu^d, and prop])cd wltii timber, wliicli being burned, it fell down in the position we at present see it. Aliovc thirty vaults, anur (|uarter-niasters, besides fiftv-two es((uires and gentlemen. The demesnes of the castle corresponded with the magnitude of the establisiunent ; l)esides the gardens and pleasure-grounds adjoining to the mansion, the farms were numerous and well-conditioned. The meadows around Llandenny were appropriated to the dairy ; an extensive tract formed the home park, and (he reil-deer park stretched beyond T.landeilo Cresseney. In the thirteenth century, the family of Clare seem to have possessed a castle at Ilagland. According to Dugdale, Richard Strongbow, the last male of this puissant line, gave, in the reign of Ilein-v the second, the castle and manor of Kagland, in the county of Mon- mouth, to Waller Hloet, wiiose daughter brought it to sir James Berkeley. Wi^^-ii: •-■iVj*^^^' %^^.^fi^^^im^M/.. CAMBRIA. USK, AND VIEW FROM THE CASTLE, MONMOUTHSHIRE. UsK is situated upon a tongue of land, formed by the confluence of the Olwy with the Usk, in the centre of Monmouthshire, supposed by many to have been the Burrium of the Romans. It is, however, now a small village, much dilapidated and untenanted ; yet its situation, in the eye of a painter, is uncommonly beautiful, varied and interesting. The four lines of houses in this place form nearly an exact si|uare, the area of which is composed of gardens and orchards. A stone bridge of five arches is built across the Usk, from which the mountains in the neighbourhood of Abergavenny are seen with considerable effect: the even ridge of the Blorenge, and conical shape of the Sugar-loaf, are finely contrasted with the broken summit of the Skyrrid, appearing through an opening in the circumjacent hills. Usk is undoubtedly a place of great antiquity, and its ancient boundaries were of considerable extent, and may yet be traced in an imperfect rampart in the adjoining fields. In digging wells, and making foundations for buildings, three ranges of pavement have been discovered. In a field called Caeputa, to the south of the town, between the church and the turnpike-road, about the year 1796, a paved road was discovered under ground; it was nine feet broad, formed of hewn stones placed edgeways, supposed to have been a street of the town. The west part is more modern, and in better repair, and the place, of which tlie new market-house occupies the centre, has a neat appearance. Most of the inhabitants are employed in farming or fishing. The Usk abounds with fish, particularly salmon. The salmon of the Severn, the Wye, the Towey, and the Teifi, have been praised in their turns, but epicures have decided the boon of excellence on those caught in the Usk. Several weirs have been established on the river in this vicinity. There is one at Trostrey, which Mr. Coxe has described as follows : — " An embankment of stakes and stones is thrown diagonally across the river, between two and three hundred yards in length ; in the middle of the weir is a vacancy, provided with an iron grate, through which a considerable body of the river rushes with great impetuosity. At the lower part of the weir, on one side of this stream, is a large wooden box, perforated with holes to admit the water and air, with an aperture, to which is afl&xed a long round wicker basket, resembling a tunnel. This aperture is closed with a small iron grate, which opens within tlie box, like a trap-door, and falls to its original position by its own weight. A square wooden frame, similar to those used at mills for the purpose of catching eels, extends nearly across the whole of the stream below the large iron grate, leaving only sufficient room for the salmon. The fish, in i\-s migration, is obliged to ascend this narrow opening, and having passed the wooden fivame is stopped CAM Bin A. by the grate. Instead of I'etreating' down the narrow pass by wliich he ascended, he turns sideways, is hurried by the rapidity of the stream along a narrow current leading through the tunnel, forces open the trap-door, which immediately fulls down behind him, and is thus secured in the box." Usk is a borough town. An agreeable walk leads under the first arch of the bridge to the Abergavenny road, through a meadow planted with large walnut trees, by the side of the murnmring Usk, under the ruins of the castle, and its high ponderous ivy-mantled tower, which are here seen to the best advantage. The ruins of the castle stand upon an abrupt eminence, to the east of the river, and follow the circular bend of the hill : they consist of the shell which incloses an area, or court, and some outworks to the west, formed by two straight walls converging one to the other, and strengthened at their union by a round tower. At the extremity of the south wall is a grand pointed gateway, with a groove for a portcullis, which was the principal entrance : the upper part has been converted into a farm-house, with considerable additions. Like all castles built at early periods, it consists of straight walls, strengthened with round and souare towers, having on the outside no aperture but luillets, except some which have been formed since its erection. Several of the apartments have chimnies. There is a baronial hall, measuring forty-eight feet by twenty-four. The founder's name has not been ascertained. No castle in Monmouthshire has been subject to more frequent assaults than that of Usk, from the merciless Owen Glendwr, who, after committing the most outrageous dej)redations, was defeated at the battle of Usk, by the royal troops, and driven into the mountains. A singular bird's-eye view of Usk is seen from the terrace, on the outside of the castle, under the ivy-mantled tower whiih overhangs the brow of the precipice. The town occupies a level, and not a single building seems to stand upon the smallest rise : the houses are intermixed with fields. The white church of Llanbaddoc, wiiich stands upon the opposite bank, seems included within the precincts of the town, and the river Usk enhances the beauty of the circumjacent scenery. The church is ancient, apparently of the Anglo-Norman era. It has been much larger. The s<]uare embattled tower, which now stands at the east end, occupied the centre, and communicated with a transept and choir. Four pointed arches separate the nave from a north aisle. The windows are ornamented Gothic, or rather Norman, and the porches are in the same style, but not elegant. It belonged to the priory, of which the remains still exist on the south-east side of the tower. A circular arched portal leads from the church-yard, tlirough the court, to the ancient edifice, which is now a farm-house. It was a priory of five benedictine nuns, founded by (be earls of Clare, about 123(). An apartment upon the first-floor is ornamented with thirty devices, and emblazoned coats of arms. CAMBRIA. LLANTHONY ABBEY, AND WEST FRONT VIEW, MONMOUTHSHIRE. Llanthony Abbey is situated about ten miles nortli of Abergavenny, in the deeply secluded vale of Ewias, encircled by the barren summits of the Black Moun- tains, but with some local cultivation, and enlivened by the crystalline Honddy. It was a Cistercian house, founded by Walter de Lacy, in 1103, and afterwards endowed liberally by Milo, earl of Hereford. Venerable and grand, but wholly devoid of ornament, it partakes of the character of the surrounding scenery. Not a single tendril of ivy decorates the massive walls of the structure, and but a sprinkling of shrubs and light-branchy trees fringe the parapets, or shade the broken fragments beneath. The area of the church is not very extensive ; the length is two hundred and twelve feet, the breadth fifty, and it measures one hundred across the transept. The roof has long since fallen in, and a great part of the east and south walls are now prostrate ; but the view afforded of the interior, in consequence, is grand. A double row of pointed arches, reposing on massive piers, separate the side aisles from the nave; above which, divided in the Gothic form by a straight band or fascia, is a series of small circular arches : an intermixture and arrangement of the two forms which characterise the earliest use of pointed architecture. Two lofty arches, rising from the middle of the church, still sustain a massive portion of the tower. The grandeur of the west fi'ont cannot be passed unnoticed ; nor, looking over the fragments of the choir, the fine view of the inside ruin seen through the great east arch of the tower ; neither is a small chapel, adjoining the south transept, with a well-formed engroined roof, to be overlooked : the transept is remarkable for a large Norman archway, which led into the south aisle of the choir. Since Mr. Wyndham visited this abbey in 1777, the east front has fallen. To the south of this chapel are the remains of an oblong room, which was probably the chapter-house ; beyond is a doorway, similar to that of the chapel, communicating with some apartments now dilapidated. Many portions of building appear in detached heaps near the abbey church, particularly a bold arch in a neighbouring barn, which seems to have formed the principal entrance to the abbey. Among these the natives point out a low subterraneous passage,, faced with hewn stone, which they suppose to have had a connexion with Old Castle, about three miles distant A mixture of Saxon and pointed characters prevail in this abbey ; the latter style, however, gains ground considerably, and it is curious to trace the building out of the new mouldings from those of the Saxon ; the ornaments seem more prominent in this respect : hence Llanthony, like Canterbury, forms an excellent school for the study of the rise and progress of English architecture. St. David, the uncle of king Arthur (say ancient legends), was so struck with this sequestered recess, then CAMBRIA. almost unconscious of a human footstep, that he built a chapel on the spot, and passed many years in it as a hermit, ^^'illiam, a retainer of the earl of Hereford, in the reign of \\^illiam Rufus, being led into the valley in pursuit of a deer, espied the hermitage. The deep solitude of the place, and the mysterious appearance of the building, conspired to fill him \yith religious enthusiasm, and he instantly disclaimed all worldly enjoyments. This abbey was rebuilt, and the monastery appropriated for Augustine monks, by sir William de Lacey, in the year 1108. The mountains of Ewias, now called the Hatterel hills, rise above the monastery of Llanthony, and join the black mountains of Talgarth at Capel Ftiu ; or the chapel upon the boundary. " Here," observes Mr. Skrine, " I first viewed the small but charming territory, of which I afterwards became the proprietor ; and I must risk even the imputation of partiality to bestow a well-merited degree of praise on the transcendent beauties of Dany-park and its viciuit)'. The house stands in a spacious lawn, beneath a thick range of spreading woods, which, descending from a great height, form at last an open grove, covering an upright knoll immediately over it. Above these, a fine mixture of pasturage and corn-fields stretch up to the feet of the mountains, which rise in native sublimity, and are crowned with the perpendicular rock of Desguilfli (the Prospect), so called from its almost unlimited view. Such is the south aspect. Towards the north stretches a charming variety of enamelled meadows, watered by the Usk, to some' fertile and ornamented hills. Towards the west, the Usk, emerging from the mountains which bound the vale of Brecon, passes round a high pyramidal hill, and, dividing the village of Llangattoc from the town and castle of Crickhowel, flows rapidly through the ivy-arched bridge ; while, on the east, it glides more gently between the verdant meads of Dany-paik and Court-y-Gollen towards Abergaveuu)-, which appears at a distance of six miles at the bottom of the vale." The following interesting inscription for a monument in the vale of Ewias, is by Robert Southey, esq. LL.D. " IIcio was it, slrnnger, that the patron saint Of Cambria pass'd liis age of penitence, A solitavy man ; and liere he made His hermitage, the roots liis food. Ids drink Of Ilonddy's mountain stream. Perchance thy youth Has read witli eager wonder how the kniglit Of Wales, in Ormandine's enchanted hower, Slept tlie long sleep ; and if that in thy veins Flows th.e pm-e blood of liritain, sure that blood Has flowed with (piieker impulse at the talc Of Dafydd's deeds, when through the press of war His gallant comrades followed his green crest To conquests. Stranger! llatterel's mountain heights Of Honddy to thine after thoughts will rise More ,';niteful, thus nssociato with the name Of Dafydd nnd the deeds of other days." MOirMOUTH.i CAMBRIA. CAERLEON, MONMOUTHSHIRE Caerleon, in Monmouthshire, was the Isca Silurum of Antoninus, where the invincible second Augustan legion was for years in garrison, the principal Roman town in the county of the Silures, called by Giraldus, Urbs Legionum, and was the capital of fifteen important stations in Siluria. The miserable descendant of this celebrated city, is seated upon rising ground, in a deep bottom, surrounded by lofty verdant hills. The river Usk, at this place, assumes considerable importance. Caerleon seems to have been, according to Giraldus, in a declining state, as far back as the fourteenth century, who remarks, that " many remains of its former magnificence are still visible — splendid palaces, which once emulated, with their gilded roofs, the grandeur of Rome ; for it was originally built by the Roman princes, and adorned with stately edifices ; — a gigantic tower, numerous baths, ruins of a temple, and a theatre, the walls of which are partly standing. Here we still see, within and with- out the walls, subterraneous buildings, aqueducts, vaulted caverns, and stoves so excellently contrived, as to convey their heat through secret and imperceptible pores." Mr. Barber says, that the vestiges of its former magnificence, to be seen, must now be diligently sought after. Statues, altars, columns, friezes, sarcophagi, brass and silver coins of Constantine and Valentlnian ; intaglios, febulao, rings, seals, and fragments of lamps, have been discovered from time to time during several ages; but they have been carried off by collectors, or applied to domestic purposes by the unlettered. The castle stood between the south side of the Roman wall and the river ; a circular tower, near the Hanbury Arms, marks one termination, and the other may be found in two round bastion towers, upon the margin of the Usk. At a little distance, upon the opposite side of the road, is a high artificial mound, about three hundred yards in circumference, the site of the citadel described by Giraldus as gigantic. From the top of this eminence, the wild and beautiful environs of Caerleon are seen to the greatest advantage. The principal objects are, the town, gently rising at the extremity of an oval vale ; the bridge, supported by lofty and slender piles ; the rapid Usk, flowing through fertile meadows ; the sloping hills, richly clothed with wood ; and Christ church, towering like a cathedral, upon the brow of an overhanging eminence. As a residence of several Welsh chieftains, Jorwerth seems to have been the fiercest assailant of this castle ; and, after a variety of fortunes, was settled in it, by a grant from Henry II. But, in 1169, when Henry was on his journey to Scotland, he called at Caerleon, and being dissatisfied with Jorwerth 's conduct, turned him out. Jorwerth's sons long contended for the possession. On the subjection of CAMBRIA. Wales to Edward I. the castle and domains were restored to their original proprietors, the family of Clare. Edward IV. and Richard III. were afterwards possessors. The Morgan family, of Llantarnam, afterwards became their owners. NEWPORT, MONMOUTHSHIRE. Newport is a market town and parish in the hundred of Wentlog, Monmouthshire. The situation is fortunate, being upon the banks of a navigable river, in a district extremely fertile ; where the mineral treasures of the hills may be conveyed by canals. This town, called by Gyraldus Novus Bergus, arose out of the declining greatness of Caerleon, and was denominated by the Welsh, Castle newydd, or New-casile. The Castle, standing near the foot of the bridge, on the right bank of the Usk, is of inconsiderable dimensions. The building forms nearly a parallelogram, and is constructed with rubble, coigned with hewu stone. The side towards the town consists simply of a plain wall, devoid of buttresses. Towards the north, in the centre, is a square tower, forming tlit^ citadel, Hanked wltli small turrets. Beneath, is a sallyport, facing the river, with a pointed arch and groove for a portcullis ; on each side is a large massy tower, with windows and oeillets in the pointed style. Tiie centre contains the state-room ; adjoining are the remains of the baronial hall, with decorated windows of rich stone tracery. New- port was once surrounded with walls, of which no vestiges remain. It appears from Leland, tiiat three gates were standing in his time : one, a large stone gate, by the bridge at the east end of the town ; another, at the west end, near the church ; and another in the centre of High-street. The site of the east and west may be traced ; the central was taken down about the year 1808. An old building, near the spot where tiie gale stood, is called the murenger's house, an officer of consequence, who superintended the walls, and collected the tolls for keeping them in repair. The edifice has an orna- mented front, with sliields of arms carved in stone over an antiquated doorway. In a niche in tlie upper window of tlie west front of the tower, is a curious statue of Ileiiry Hi. as decapitated by Cromwell's soldiers. The town is governed by a corporation denominated the mayor, aldermen, and liurgesses. The place is long, narrow, and straggling, consisting principally of one street, built partly upon the banks of the Usk, and partlv upon a declivity, the sunnnit of wliirii is crowned willi the parish ciiurch. Leland says, *' ther was a iiouse of religion by the key, l)eueth (lu- bridge," Itin. iv. 53. Tanner has conjerlured, that it was a monastery of friars' preaciiers. The remains are lU'ar the river below the bridge, consisting of several detaciied apart- ments. MONMOUTHSHrRE, CAMBRIA. CALDICOT CASTLE AND SUDBROOK CHAPEL, MONMOUTHSHIRE. Caldicot Castle, in Monmouthshire, is situated in an undiversified swampy plain, called Caldicot Level, or vale of Trog'gy. Viewed from an elevation in the approach, the towers and citadel appear sunk and undistinguished from the curtain wall of the fortification; but on a nearer inspection, the ruin rises into importance, and the aspect of its chief entrance, a large Gothic gateway, guarded by two massive projecting towers, is truly grand. The light grey masonry of this entrance is agreeably relieved by a profusion of ivy, over- spreading nearly the whole of one tower, and throwing the broad shadow of its pendant foliage upon part of the other. Within the portal on the south side, the grooves of two portcullises are apparent. There are holes also in the arch, probably intended for pouring down melted lead upon the besiegers. The west side has also round towers; but the three remaining sides have square ones at their terminations. On entering the court, there appears some remains of the baronial hall ; and the foundations of other buildings, within the area of the walls, are apparent. A small artificial mount at the north-east angle of the ruin sustains the citadel, a lofty round tower ; to which last resort of the garrison a ready communication seems to have been conducted on the walls, from the different towers and other parts of the fortress ; the whole of which is surrounded by a broad and deep moat. The style is Norman ; the ruins considerable ; the form is an irregular pentagon, two of the sides being those of a square. The early history of this castle is uncertain. Some have conjectured that part of it was built by Harold ; and, indeed, a round tower on the south-west side of the castle, with a circularly arched entrance, bears a Saxon character ; but the general architecture of the building is Gothic. Dugdale relates that, in 1221, Humphrey, Earl of Hereford, did homage and had livery of this castle. The ancestors of the Bohiui family were early pos- sessors; and, on the assassination of the Earl of Hereford, in 1397, the castle was seized on by the crown, but was restored to the son, by Henry IV. ; at his death, it became the 3n CA.MBiilA. property of the Earl of Stafford, by marriage ; and, on the division of the estates among the Bohun family, it was retained by Henry VI. ; afterwards it belonged to Edward IV., who granted it to Lord Herbert, of Raglan, afterwards created Earl of Pembroke ; it then reverted to Henry XL ; and was again inherited by Edward 1\. ; Richard 111. returned it to the Duke of Buckingliam, a descendant of the Earl of Stafford; but when both the duke and his son were beheaded for rebellion, the castle was added by Henry VHI. to the duchv of Lancaster, from which it was leased by the Earls of Worcester, during the reigns of Elizabeth, James L, and Charles I., and is now held by C. H. Leigh, Esq. The entrance and front of this castle have withstood the attacks of the seasons and the caustic of time, exhibiting a venerable fortress. It was evidently built in different ages, as both Saxon and Norman characters are still visible. The structure has been surrounded by a moat ; and the remains of the keep, and contiguous parts, may easily be descried. The moat probably was filled from the river Troggy, which is said to have been navigable up to Caerwent, once a mart of some consequence. Caldicot Church is an extensive and highly ornamented Gothic structure, at present str.ingely disproporlioned to the scanty tlock which it has lo fold. It consists of a nave, a side aisle to the north, with a massive tower in the middle, and a chancel. The style is Gothic ; the nave is separated from the side aisle bv five pointed arches or clustered piers ; the windows are ornamtniled Gothic, and contain several remains of painted glass, princi- pally coats of arms. Upon the outside of the wall, over the south door, is a small figure of the Virgin, to whom it was dedicated. On the road to the New Passage is passed the Nevern brook, and soon after the small hamlet of Porthskewydd, or Portscewit, a name probably derived from portiscoed, or the part under the wood. At this place is the ancient encampment called Sudbrook or South- brook, upon tlie verge of a cliff, rising from the Severn Sea. The form is a semicircle, opening towards the water. On the land side, it was defended by a triple rampart of earth and two ditches. The prevailing opinion respecting the use of these works is, that it was intended by the Romans to defend their vessels lying in the pill beneath, and to keep up a communication between their naval station upon the opposite shore near King-road. A small C'iiAi'i;i, in ruins, which is our second sidjject, stands near the sea, upon the outside of the great rampart, supposed to have been attached to some contiguous mansion. A'M. IPC' CAMBRIA, VIEW NEAR PONT Y POOL AND NANT Y GLO, MONMOUTHSHIRE. Pont y Pool, near Usk, in Monmouthshire, is singularly placed on the edge of a steep olifF, overhanging the Afon Lhvyd, or Torfaen river, wliich, though usually but a rivvdet, in times of heavy rains is swelled into a torrent. This stream originates in a lake at the foot of Mynydd Maen, runs by this place^ passes under the canal, and joins the river L^sk in the valley beneath, and on* the slope of a declivity, under impending hills. It is the principal mart for the inhabitants of the mountains, and its market, on Saturday, is well supplied. The uame of Pont y Pool is modern, supposed to be derived from a bridge thrown over a large pool, which supplies water for a forge, but is a corruption of Pont ap Howell, or Howell's bridge. The place, in its appearance, is disordered and straggling, containing 230 houses, and 1500 inhabitants. Several neat habitations, and numerous shops, present an appearance of thriving prosperity. This place arose from the small village of Trefedden, the church of which parish is one mile distant from the town. This place owes its increase to the neighbouring iron-works, established by the Hanbury family; but it is chiefly noted for the japan manufactory, called Pont y Pool ware, the invention of Thomas Allgood, in the reign of Charles II., and gradually perfected by his descendants. This trade is still carried on, but has declined exceedingly since the improvements of a Baskerville and a Taylor, of Birmingham, who at one period nearly monopolized this branch of traffic. The family of Hanbury were formerly seated at Hanbin"y-hall, in Worcestershire. Capel Hanbury, a branch of this family, purchased an estate at Pont y Pool, who first founded the iron-works. He possessed landed property in the parish of Kidderminster, Worcestershire, where he and his family resided. He died in 1704, aged seventy-nine, and was buried in Kidderminster church. The head of Pont y Pool canal is one mile from the town, and twelve from Newport. It is the means of conveyance for the goods manufactured at Pont y Pool, and the produce of the Blaenavon iron-works, to Newport, whence they may be shipped in the Usk, and exported to any part of tlie world. The Gray river furnishes it with a constant supply of water. The parish church of Pont y Pool, called Trefedden, is situated upon an eminence in the vicinity of the town ; a neat gravel-walk ascends to it through the plantations of Pont y Pool park, begun at the CAMBRIA. expense of Mrs. Evans, daughter of the curate. The church consists of a square tower of stone, with white-washed battlements, a nave, a north aisle, and a chancel, separated by a pointed arch. At the eastern extremity of the nave is a small chapel, tlie cemetery of the Hanburies. Pont y Pool park is pleasantly situated upon an eminence, forming part of the hill, called Moel, between the town and Trefethin church. This spot is charmingly diversified. The western boundarv is the wild torrent of Afon Lwyd, attended with romantic scenery, over which towers the Mynydd Maen. A narrow lawn extends from Pout y Pool to the house, skirted by plantations. On the opposite side, the grounds rise in irregular accli- vities, co\'ered with hanging groves, and beyond is a succession of swelling eminences. From a summer-house, upon an eminence, near the southern extremity of the chain of hills extending from the park to the Blorenge, is a gratifying and almost boundless prospect. The immense iron-works of Nant y Glo, which present so extraordinary an appearance, and seem to the distant spectator as if the whole surrounding country were in flames, were originally commenced by Hill, Hertford, and Co., and were held under lease from the owners of Blaenavon works. They were finished, at avast expense, in 1795; and after being wrought a year, were discontinued for a time, on accoimt of a dispute among the proprietors. They then consisted of two furnaces, several forges, a steam engine, and the necessary buildings and machinery for smelting and forging, but have since become of vast extent and importance. •.W.&1CT ir. CAJIBRIA. ABERYSTWITH, OR BLAENAU GWENT, AND VIEW IN COLDBROOK VALE, MONMOUTHSHIRE. The indefatigable Mr. Coxe, Avho left no district in Monmouthslure unexplored, penetrated into the remoter parts of the valleys of the Ebwy and Sorwy. Under this description may be included the mountainous region, watered by the Afou Lhvyd, Ebwy, Sorw)', and Rumney, called the wilds of Monmouthshire, a district seldom visited except for the purpose of grouse shooting. Impressed with the general prejudice, Mr. Coxe had neglected this district even to his third tour. But when from the top of Twyn Barlwm he had seen the populous district of Cross pen Main, and the vales of Ebwy and Sorwy, his curiosity was excited. He was, moreover, assured by a friend, that in these wilds he would find some Swiss scenes ; and he was not disappointed. In his first excursion he rode along the side of the canal to Pont Newynydd; quitted the rail-road to Blaenafon, and passed up a steep and paved ascent, which led through thick coppice woods to the moors. Continue along the level surface of the summit, over a boggy district. At the extremity of this moor, approach the descent leading to Cwm Tilery. In this descent, is presented a district well peopled, richly wooded, and highly cultivated. The numerous valleys below abounded with romantic scenery. Pass several rills, bubbling from the sides of the hill, and swelling the Tilery. Beneath, at a distance, bursts the little Ebwy, through a deep, narrow, and woody glen, visible only by its foam glistening through tlie thick foliage. Crossing this torrent over a stone bridge at the bottom of the descent, pass along a narrow and rugged path, winding round the pre- cipitous sides of the Brecon mountain, which are thickly clothed with underwood, and occasionally tufted with hanging groves of oak, beech, ash, and alder ; the wild raspberry twining in the thickets, and the ground overspread with the wood strawberry. This valley is usually called Ebwyfach, but by the natives, the Valley of the Church. It is bounded on the east by a ridge, called Milfre-hill, which separates it from the parishes of Llanfoist and Trefethin ; and on the west by the Brecon mountain, which divides it from the valley of Ebwy Fawr. Towards the extremity of the vale, cross the Ebwy vach, over another stone-bridge, to the church, situated in the midst of fields, upon a gentle rise overhanging the torrent. In this track, pass the Istwyth, a lively rill, which descends from a wooded 3o CAMBRIA. dingle, and in a few paces falls into the Ebwyfach. This stream gives the name of Aberystwith to the scattered village, which is likewise called Blaenaugwent. The church is a handsome building, in the pointed or Norman style, with a square tower. The inside consists of a nave and north aisle, separated by five arches. As there is no chancel, the communion table is placed in a small recess at the extremity of the nave ; over it is a whimsical group, carved in wood, and painted ; two angels are represented sounding brazen trumpets, and between them a clergyman in his robes, holding an enormous trumpet in his hand. The service is performed in Welsh, the English language being little understood. The church-yard contains eleven old yews ; the largest is twenty-four feet in circumference, the smallest eleven and a half. The natives wear flannel shirts, some white and others red. In ascending the northern extremity of this delightful' vale, gradually advance into a wild, dreary, and almost uninhabited district, among bleak hills and barren moors. Excursions from Abergavenny are frequently made to Blaenavon iron-works, distant about six miles. The road passes the Usk l)y a stone-bridge, along the plain, between the river and the Blorenge, and crosses the summit of the mountain. Many men are employed in these works. The iron is conveyed to the canal on railways. The tourist may take the road to Pont y Pool, leading down the valley of the Avon Lwyd. 3PJEM]BK®KE T®'WH, A\M© )i' jf, m M M 'U) IP- jt; CAMBRIA. PEMBROKE TOWN, AND CASTLE. The situation of Pembroke is in many respects eligible and pleasant, lying in a rich country, on the shores of a navigable creek of Milford Haven, called Down Pool, which, dividing here into two branches, partially insulates the place. The town is formed of one long street running nearly due east and west, with a short cross street leading to the north gate. It was once surrounded by a lofty wall, in which were three gates, one at each end of the main street, and one on the north, which alone remains; besides which it had a postern on the south. A very considerable portion of the north wall is yet standing, in good preservation; it is of great strength, and flanked with several bastions of very solid mason work. Pembroke boasts no manufactory, and notwithstanding it possesses many local advantages for trade, its commercial importance is at this time extremely insignificant. There are here two churches: St. Michael's, near the eastern extremity of the town; and St. Mary's, in the vicinity of the northern gate. They are both of them ancient structures, but are distinguished by no peculiarity or excellence of architecture ; nor do they contain any monuments entitled to notice. In the suburb of Monkton, to the westward of Pembroke, stands the church of St. Nicholas, the oldest religious edifice, probably, belonging to the place. Arnulph de Montgomery, in 1078, gave this church, with twenty carucates of land, to the abbey of St. Martin, at Sayes in Normandy, with a view to the erection of a Benedictine Priory here, which was shortly after established as a cell of that house. William and Walter Marshal, earls of Pembroke, made some additions to its endowments. It was seized as an alien priory by Edward the Third, during his wars in France, but was afterwards restored by Henry the Fourth. Having been once more seized by the crown, it was bestowed in the 19th of Henry the Sixth, on Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, who gave it as a cell to the abbey of St. Alban's. At the dissolution it was valued, according to Speed, at 113/. 2s. 6d., or 57/. 9s. 3d., according to Dugdale, and granted to John Vaughan and Catherine his wife. Pembroke castle, even in its present dilapidated state, is a most magnificent pile of building. It occupies an elevated rocky point of land at the west end of the town, where its walls and towers rise majestically from the shores of the two branches, into which the creek is divided by this promontory. The view from the water is inexpressibly grand, and is not surpassed by any of a similar description in the kingdom. Leland thus describes this edifice, as he saw it in the reign of Henry the Eighth. " The castel standith hard by the waul on a hard rokke, and is veri larg and strong, being doble warded. In the utter ward I saw the chaumbre wher king Henri the VII. was borne, in knowledge wherof 2c CAMBRIA. a cliynuneney is now made, with the armes and badges of king Henri tliu \'II. In the botom of the great stronge rownd tower in the inner ward is a marvelus vault caulhd the Hogan. The toppe of this roimd towr is gatherid with a rofe of stone ,ahuost in amum, the top wherof is keverid \v\t\\ a flat mille stone." The outer ward, of which our author speaks, was entered from tlie town by a grand gateway, jet standing, constructed of prodigious strength, and defended by two round towers, one on each side. This building contained some elegant apartments, appropriated to the residence of the noble proprietors, and if Loland's authority is to be credited, in one of these was born king Henry the Seventh. In the inner ward stands the keep, a circular tower of great height, elegant proportions, and extraordinary strength. The height has been estimated at seventy feet. The interior diameter is about twenty-four feet, and the walls from fourteen to seventeen feet in tliickness. It seems to have been originally divided into four or five stories, each story gradually diminishing in size, the diameter of the building having been regularly lessened, in order to bring the summit into a cone or arched roof of stone. The apartments in the middle stories appear to have been finished in a style of great elegance, and were probably occupied by the proprietors as their ordinary residence. There is on the nortli of this tower a long range of apartments, which seem of more recent erection, or to have been modernised by the later owners of the place. A staircase leading from this part of the castle communicates with the " marvelus vault caulhd the Hogan," of which Leland speaks. This is a large cavern in the rock, opening upon the water, and extending a great way under the buildings. Its length is computed at about seventy-seven feet, and the width at about fifty-seven feet. The roof, particularly towards the centre, is very lofty. Tiie entrance lias been partially walled up, and formed into a spacious door-way. The name of this cavern has fretjuently exercised the conjectural ingenuity of the antiquarian. It is commonly called the Wogan, but sometimes, as may be seen in the above extract from Leland, it is written Hogan. From tlie latter word the Welsh antiquary .will have no difficulty in referring the etyniology to Ogof, or Ogov, the British term for a cave. No mistake is more common among printers than the substitution of the letter n for « ; it constantly occurs in the spelling of the Welsh names in Leland's Itinerary. Hogan was tlien probably written at first Hogan, n being put for v, which is a very natural corruption of Ogov. The uses of this great cave or natural vault are not known. It is said to have once con- tained a spring which supplied the garrison with water. Pembroke ciistle was a place of great strejigth, as late as tiic civil wars in the seventeenth century, and held out fi)r a considerable time against the forces of the ])arlianient. Major- general Laugharne, in conjunction with colonels Powell and Poyer, seized on this fortress, and made it his head-quarters, and rendezvous. Here, after the battle of St. Fagiins, he retired; but waH quickly followed by Croui well, who, on arriving under the walls, connnenced hiH operations for the reduction of thi^ ])l;icc, wliicli, however, did not surrender until he found means t() destroy tiieir mills, and I'ut oli'tlieir supply of waler. All (;u"ther resistance appearing fruitless, they surrendered at discretion. PEMBROKESHIRE CAMBRIA. KILGERRAN CASTLE, AND REMAINS OF ST. DOGMAEL'S PRIORY, PEMBROKESHIRE. KiLGERRAN, OF CUgeran, in Pembrokeshire, consists of one irregular and ill-built street, straggling' at least half a mile from the church. It is said that the church formerly stood in the centre of the town. It is inhabited by labouring farmers and fishermen ; yet to this assertion must be excepted the curate's little mansion, a cottage completely wooded with ivy. It is situated upon the river Teivy, at the foot of a steep hill. This ancient village is go- verned by a portreve and bailiffs. Its castle crowns, with truly picturesque grandeur, the summit of a naked rock which rises proudly from the bed of the river Teivy. The posi- tion of Kdgerran castle is nearly self-defended on all sides ; but on the isthmus which con- nects the projecting rock with the main land, two ponderous round towers seem to have formerly defied the assault of war, as they now do that of pilfering dilapidation. The broken walls, watch-towers, and apartments which compose the minor parts of this fortress, bespeak that it has been of no great extent, nor highly ornamented ; yet the scattered relics, variously interwoven with ivy, offer an appearance from most points of view highly im- posing and grand. It had once another ballium or ward, flanked with bastions, the founda- tion of which may be clearly traced. The inner ward is extensive, involving the keep and State apartments. The surrounding avenues leading from the village to the castle are called Pumporth, the five gates there, having formed that number of entrances, besides a sallyport opening on the east side of the cape it occupies. The foundation of the castle is uncertain, and the styles of different ages appear throughout the building. According to Carradoc, this fortress was erected about the year 1223, when Marshall, earl of Striguil (Chepstow), vanquished the Welch under their prince Gryffydd, and gained an undisputed footing in these parts. " The beautiful scenery around this castle," says Sir Richard Hoare, " stands unequalled in South Wales, and can only be rivalled by that of Conway in North Wales ; but it must be visited by water, down the river, not by land. Having skirted the sides of a long and extensive marsh, a sudden bend of the river contracting its channel, conducts us into a narrow pass, surrounded by a perpendicular rampart of wood and rock, with steep and precipitate banks of oak and copse wood, feathering down to the water's edge. The first view we catch of the castle, at a distance, between a perspective range of well-wooded hills, is very striking ; and what, on a nearer approach, it may lose in picturesque beauty, it certainly gains in grandeur : the proud walls of a large castle appear towering full in front; the hill on which they stand is rather destitute of wood, but boldly broken with projecting rocks ; and perhaps the general effect of the landscape may not lose by this contrast to the 2 E CAMBRIA. rich surrounding scenery of wood." The church of Kilgerran, as seen from the bottom of the hill upon which it stands, forms a very interesting- subject for the pencil. \\liile in the neighbourhood of Kilgerran, Mr. Fentou engaged, in company with John Hamraet, esq. of Castle ^Slaelgwn, to make a visit to the mountains, for the purpose of examining some of the ancient sepulchres. Mr. Hammet having employed a number of labourers, thev, with a sumpter cart, set out with their directors. Vrcnny-vmcr, the most easterly of the Pembrokeshire hills, was destined for the scene of demolition. The tumulus on which the attack was made, occurred the first after the niid-acclivity of the mountain had been gained. Its dimensions might be thirty feet in diameter, and about eight feet eight inches hi"h. A large section was made, and, at the depth of two feet, marks of cremation appeared. At two feet and a half farther, several flat stones were tiled one over the other, and underneath was a receptacle of the size and shape of a common country oven, two feet in diameter and two in depth ; being opened, it was found full of water ; there was a coarse flag at bottom, and similar stones formed the sides. After lading out the water, fragments appeared of a large urn of very rude pottery, and half-burnt bones, iutermixedwith a thick black sediment, apparently decomposed charcoal. This substance was carefully searched, expecting that it contained beads, amulets, bone utensils, arrow heads, or other relics, which generally accompany such interments upon the downs of Wiltshire, but nothing of this kind was discovered. Two other tumuli nearer the summit were intersected, but no discovery made ; they seemed to have been ransacked before. The monarch barrow upon tiie summit of the mountain seemed to have shared the fate of those just mentioned ; it had moreover been converted into a beacon. The party retiu-ned- to Castle Maelgwn by a difterent route across a delightful vale. A water excursion was next engaged in. The tide concurred, a barge was manned and well provisioned. The scenes, though before examined, appeared to have put on new beauties. Every reach produced a new variety of ruin, rock, or wood. Passing the lofty turrets of Kilgerran, and doubling a little craggy projection, the stupen- dous object is intercepted, but in the winding progress of a mile, this ruin is alternately seen and lost, changing its shape from difterent positions. A little farther on, ^^ here a large slate (juarry on each side the river marks the limits of its more intricate and narrow channel, the scene suddenly shifts, and a wide expanded reach opens, dotted with patches of the micDvered marsli, terminated by the bridge anil town of Cardigan. Having passed the shoot of Cardigan bridge, a little way below are the small remains of St. Dogmael's Priory, which, if we may judge by the few fine specimens of arches and ornamental mould- ings in the renmant of the choir, as well as foundations and other fragments of buildings, was an extensive and splcuiiid eslalilisliment. Tile refectory is a ctu-ions structure, now used as a barn. it wa-; oiii'e lit;lili'd liy li;iii(lsi>nic end and side windows ol Hue tracery. In th(! time ol' Kiizai)eth, St. Dogmael's was deemed a corporation, anied the south-e.xst portion of the bullilings. The mount;iin of Carn Knglyn rises boldly behind it, and the bay, bounded by the headlands of l)ln;us and Celbwr, opens beauti- fidly in front. The church is a cruciform building, consisting of a nave, chancel, and cross aisles, roofed witli oM oak. On tlie south side (ifilie belfry there is an elegant niche for holy-water, and r)n the west side of the entrance porcii tiie ruins of a detached l)uilding, sail! to havi' been tile record-olHce of the town. At the end of tiie nave, issuing from the roof on ihr outside, is u richly-wrought spire for a bell. It is a disuliarged rectory. JASTJOE. CAMBniA. REMAINS OF THE PRIORY, HAVERFORDWEST, PEMBROKESHIRE. Haverfordwest may be considered as the modern metropolis of the county. The situation of this town is such as to render its appearance, when approached by the Narberth road, very pleasing and picturesque. It is built on the steep declivity of a hill, with the houses rising in a striking manner above each other in succession to the summit; while the castle, placed upon a conspicuous eminence above the river, communicates to the whole an air of much grandeur. The interior is, however, in many respects, inconvenient and dis- agreeable. Haverfordwest ranks among the largest of the towns of South Wales. It spreads over a considerable extent of ground, containing many inhabitants. By the act of Union (27 Henry the Eighth) it Avas constituted a county of itself, with corporate privileges, and obtained the right, which it still retains, but jointly with Narberth and Fishguard, of retui-ning a member to represent it in parliament. The charter under which the corporation now exists was granted in the seventh year of the reign of James the First. The markets are held on Tuesday and Saturday, and the fairs annually on the 12th of April, the 12th of May, the 12th of June, the 18th of July, the 4th and 24th of September, and the 18th of October. There is here no manufacture entitled to notice, and the commerce of the place is incon- siderable. The river Cleddau, the western stream of that name, on which the town is built, is navi- gable as high as the bridge for ships of small burden, and convenient quays have been constructed for the accommodation of the trade. Other commercial facilities are afforded by the situation of the town on the great western road, having the London mail-coach passing through it every day, in each direction. Haverfordwest comprises three parishes, St. Mary's, St. Thomas's, and St. Martin's. There was formerly within the to^vn, and situated in the present Bridge Street, a house of black friars, which at the dissolution was sold to Roger and Thomas Barlow. A little below the town, in a meadow on the banks of the river, are the remains of a Priory, founded and endowed by Robert de Hwlftbrdd, the first lord of Haverfordwest, for black canons of the order of St. Augustine, and dedicated to St. Mary, and St. Thomas the martyr. This house appears to have been of great extent, as may be seen by the ruins and foundations of walls yet remaining. The church was a large cruciform building, one hun- dred and sixty feet in length from east to west, with transepts measuring about ninety feet. The tower rose in the middle, and was supported by four pointed ai'ches. The windows were lancet^formed, and seem to have been very handsome. 2 M CAMBRIA. The castle occupies a commanding eminence above the river, and must, when perfect, have been a large and magnificent structure. The keep is the only portion that now re- mains entire, and it is Itself a noble pile of building. It has lately been converted into a county gaol. From the castle a strong embattled wall once surrounded the town, in whiclj were four gates, communicating with the principal thoroughfares. Three of these were standing a few years ago, but have now disappeared. On the route along the great western road towards Milford, a steep descent from Ha- verfordwest brings to Marian's, or Mawdlen's Bridge, near which are some remains of an ancient buildino-, where a small religious establishment is thought to have once existed, from which the present name of the place was derived. A few miles farther, near the road, occurs Johnston, the property of Lord Kensington. This neighbourhood contains some other gentlemen's seats, but none of them oiler many attractions to the traveller. C A L D Y ISLAND, PEMBROKESHIRE. Immediately to seaward of Tenby are some insulated rocks, of wild and romantic ap- pearance, which exhibit curious excavations. Some of them are accessible on foot at low water; this is the case with tlie island of St. Catherine, oifthe Castle Point, which in one direction has been perforated quite through by the repeated action of the tides. The prin- cipal of these islands is Caldey, situated about two miles from the main land. It is about a mile in length, and half a mile in width, and is estimated to comprise ratiier more than six hvmdred acres of surface, of which about one third is under cultivation. George Owen, speaking of this spot, says, " it is very fertille, and yeeldeth plenty of come; all their plowes goe with horses, for oxen the inhal)itants dare not keepe, fearing the purveyors of the pirattes, as they themselves told me, whoe often make them provisions there, by theirc own commission, and most commonly to the good contentment of the iniiabitants, when consi- derable thieves arrive there. The island is of eight or ten housholds, and some parte of the demaynes annexed to tlie ruins of the prinry tlio lord k('(>])eth in liis hands." There; was a priory at Caldey, ibunded, it is su|)posed, by Robert the sou of jMartin de Turribus, as a cell to the al)bey of St. Dogmael's, to which estabiislnnent the island had been given by his mother. Tlie tower of tlie priory ciiurch, surmounted by a stone spire, is yet stiuiding, and many of the coiive'iitual buildings have been cmiverled into ollices, and attaciied to a handsome modern edifice, tiie seat of tlie present proprietor. The Welsh name of Caldey, is Ynis Pyr, the island of Pyr. Wliat the real etymology of Pyr is, has not yet been satisfactorily determined. T s H m "ar, PZMBB.OKE SHIK-E. JlJaniKiK iUm ravaged and burnt. The Iowusuumi of Fishguard caught the general panic, and rapidly removed their Avives, their chllilren, and llie valuable part of their property. The first impulse of the invading crew was the satia- ting of hunger; the fields were occupied in the business of cookery, and the order of the night was plunder ! Gluttony was followed by intoxication. A wreck of wine had occurred a (cw days before, and every cottage was supplied with a cask of it. The inlcm[)('rate use of this article, raisnl liic men above the coulroul of discipliiu!, and rendei'cd even the officers negligent of command. The number of llicsc invaders was about one thousand four hiuidred, who, after a few days of iuelirietv, surrendered to a force of six bundreil and sixty men, ('omjjosed of the yeomanry, lencililes, and niililia of the iieighbonrhood. PEUBKOKESmBE i xriHA.y. I'l.MiiifOKr.tuiitti. CAMBRIA. SOLVA, PEMBROKESHIRE. Is beautifully situated in a deep valley, pervaded by the river of the same name. Most of tlie houses are of modern erection, and have a neat appearance. They lie principally on the western side of the vale, forming one street in the direction of the river, but scattered without plan or order on the steep acclivity above. Solva is a sea-port, and carries on a small commercial intercourse with the adjacent parts of tiie coast, chiefly with Milford. Its rapid increase in size, of late years, is a sure evidence of its prosperity. SOLVA AND DINAS, PEMBROKESHIRE. The Peninsula of Dinas is one large farm, separated from the continent by a narrow isthmus, which appears to have had a slight agger of earth running across it. The extreme cape, or ness, which presents its bold front to the ocean, is a cliff of tremendous height, the ground of the whole peninsula falling from it in rather an inclined plane. The soil produces excellent crops of corn, the vegetation is quick, the harvest early. The top of Carn Englyn aifords a charming prospect of the bays of Newport and Fishguard, the vale of Nefern on one side, and the vale of Gwayn on the other. It bears marks of early habitation and en- closures. George Owen says, " The high sharpe rocke over Newport, called Carn Englyn, supposed by the vulgar to take its appellative from a cawr or giant of that name, is a very steepe and stony mountaine, having the toppe thereof sharp, and aU rockes shewing from the east and by north, like the upper part of the capital Greek omega n. The pasture of this mountaine was given in common by Nicholaus filius Martini, then lord of Kemes, to the burgesses of his town of Newport, which they enjoy to this day, with divers other freedomes and liberties to them granted by divers charters yet extant and fiiire, sealed with his scale of the armes of the saide lordshipp of Kemes, but all of that antiquity that they are sans date. 2 s CAMBRIA. This raountaine is several miles in circuit, and surmountelh all other for good sheep pasture, both for fatting and soundness, and especially commodiouse in this, that noe snowe stayeth on it, by reason of the neerues of the sea, and that it is watered with fine and cleare springs. Frenny-fawr, the first and most easterly point of the long Presselly line, and this the last and most west, Carn Englyn, stand as captaine and lieutenant, the one leading the vanne-garde, the other following the rere-warde, among whom Cwm Cerwyn being neere middway between them, may well, for his high stature overlooking the rest, clapne the place of standard bearer." Near these parts Mr. Fenton came to a singular cluster of cistvaens, which he had prepared to ransack. The group consisted of five, ranged round an overturned cromlech. " Having removed," says he, " the lid stones of these cists, and digging down about a foot, through fine mould, I came to charcoal, and soon after discovered urns of the rudest pottery, some particles of bones, and a quantity of black sea pebbles. I opened them all, and with a very trifling variation of their contents found them of the same character." The result of Mr. Fenton's overthrow of cistvaens and cromlechs is that the former are decidedly sepulchral, but respecting the latter he does not hazard a conjecture. The farm near this place is called the Forest, which seems to indicate that the tract was once covered with trees. € ii. IK E *r € A ^ U: IL, }£ . GEi'ERAX VIF.W. PEMnROKESniB t CAMBRIA. CAREW CASTLE, PEMBROKESHIRE. Carevv Castle is one of the most conspicuous features in tiie county, exhibiting tlie ruins of a magnificent pile, once the residence of great characters. The name may have been corrupted from Caerau. It was one of the royal demesnes belonging to the princes of South Wales, and, with seven others, was given as a dowry to Nesta, daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwi, on her marriage with Gerald de Windsor, wlio was appointed lieutenaut of those parts by Henry I. His son William took tlie name of Carew, and this castle passed into the possession of various branches of this family. In 1644 it was garrisoned for the king, and held out a long siege. The noble edifice is situated upon a neck of land washed by the tide of two estuaries with a gentle fall towards the water, and consists of a superb range of apartments, round a quadrangle, with an immense bastion at each corner, containing handsome chambers. Almost every room once had elegant chimney-pieces of wrought freestone. Some of these have been carried oft", and others destroyed by the neighbouring inhabitants, for the purpose of scouring their wooden ware. The barbican may be traced, and through the port- cullised gateway or grand entry you pass into the great court or inner ballium. The ground rooms of the north front contain nobly magnificent windows, lighting the great state room, one hundred and two feet long by twenty feet wide. On the east side, over the chimney- piece, there is an escutcheon bearing the royal arms, perhaps in compliment to Henry VII., who is said to have been entertained and lodged here by Sir Rhys ap Thomas, on his way to Bosworth-field. A handsome suite of rooms are included in an octagon tower to the right of the grand entrance. All the south-west side of the castle shows old towers of various height, diameter, and form. The whole north side is very majestic, ending in the return of a bastion to the east. The building is of various eras. According to Leland, Sir Rhys ap Thomas new modelled the whole, and enlarged it. This castle had to the south a very extensive deer park. In part of this ground, at a short distance from the castle. Sir Riiys ap Thomas held a tilt and tournament, with other warlike pastimes, to the honour of St. George, chief patron of men of war. CAMBRIA. Opposite to the entrauce into the lawn before the castle, just without the wall, and on ihe road-side leading to Carew church and village, stands one of the early crosses, richly ornamented with knots, &-c. Near the centre is an inscription, which has not been decvphered. The church lies about half a mile to the south-east of the castle, in the middle of a spacious cemetry, and is a large building, having a nave, chancel, two aisles, and a north transept, with a well-built lofty tower. The nave is separated from the aisles bv pointed arches, resting upon plain columns. The chancel is large, and paved with bricks, ornamented with pious mottos and coats of arms. In the south aisle, to the right of the door, entering the church, are two effigies, resting upon the projecting bench running the length of the aisle, of a cross-legged knight and a priest; probably plundered from two recesses stopped up in the chancel. The north transept seems to have been appropriated as a mausoleum to the castle. There is an ancient escutcheon ; and the only monument in this family chapel is one bearing the recumbent figures of Sir John Carew and his wife, dated 1637. At the west end of the church-yard is a neat old detached buildine used for a school, supported by a voluntary parochial contribution. Exactly opposite the church, separated only by the road, a handsome arched gateway leads to the rectorv. It was a large irregular building, now unroofed, and in ruins. This living is valuable, and an episcopal sinecure. On the road to Pembroke is a Gothic cross on the way side, about twelve or fourteen feet high, and apparently formed of one single stone ; it is carved all over with knots and scrolls. Pursuing this road, from the summit of a hill, there is a grand view of Carew Castle; indeed, it is from the south and south-west alone that its important dimensions fully appear. AJK.lEJK jt;jii)»>i(. liiiJK AJIi>jtJK]b;itoJQ>®WCJE[lff«8C!EC. KADWOBSIlUtE CAMBRIA. ABER EDWY CHURCH, AND THE WYE AT ABER EDWY, RADNORSHIRE. Abee Edavy takes its name fi-om the situation near the confluence of the little ri\'cr Edwy with the Wye. This is one of the most enchanting spots in the principality. No- thing' can exceed in grandeur and picturesque beauty the scenery by which it is surrounded in every du-ection. The Edwy descends for a considerable distance through a deep valley ; but, for about half a mile before it joins the Wye, its channel is confined on either side by a lofty wall of rock, in some places broken into crags which overhang the abyss, and threaten the daring intruder, who ni.iy venture beneath to view with the greater advantage the sub- lime prospect they offer to his contemplation. The village is small and dirty, but the church forms a pleasing object in the landscape. Close to the church-yard is a large tumulus, which was surmounted probably at one time by a small fort. Near the village, in the angle formed by the Wye on the south, and the Edwy on the east, are some remains of Aber Edwy Castle. They are at present inconsiderable, nor do they Avarrant the inference that it was at any time a place of great strength. What, how- ever, it wants in point of grandeur, is amply compensated to the Welsh antiquary, by the interest it must excite from having been the favourite residence and the last retreat of Llewelyn ab Gruffydd, the last native prince of Wales who wore the ensigns of royalty. The circumstances related of him after his arrival here, and the course he took to elude>the pursuit of his enemies, are stated in so confused a manner by all the historians who have pretended to detail them, that it is wholly impossible to understand their accounts, or to reconcile them to the local position of places. Mr. Theophilus Jones, the historian of Brecknockshire, whose intimate local knowledge of the country peculiarly qualified him for the task, has taken considerable pains to reduce the different statements into some kind of order, and we present our readers with an abridgment of his account. " The object of Llewelyn's journey to Aber Edwy was to enter into consultation with some of the chief persons of the district, whom he was anxious to engage in his service against the English sovereign, whose forces were then invading the principality in different quarters. On his arrival, however, he found himself fiitally disappointed; for instead of meeting friends, he perceived himself nearly surrounded by the forces of his enemy. Edmund Mortimer and John Giffard, having had intimation of his road, marched to meet him with a large body of troops from Herefordshire. Considering from the numbers of the enemy, that resistance would be in vain, Llewelyn withdrew with his men to Builth ; and as the ground was covered with snow, he is said to have had his horse's shoes reversed, in order to deceive 2 2 CAMBRIA. his pursuers. This is the tradition still preserved at the place, which adds, that the smith, whose name was Madoc-goch-min-mawr, ' red-haired wide-mouthed Madoc,' betrayed the secret to the English commanders. Llewelyn succeeded in passing the bridge at Builth, and brenkinof it down before the arrival of his pursuers. ■' Havinsf thus missed their prey, the English party returned down the river, and crossed eight miles below at a ferry known to some of them, and called Caban Twm bach, or Little Tom's ferry-boat. It is supposed that the garrison of Builth, overawed by the presence of so larffe an Englisii force in the neighbourhood, refused to treat with the Welsh prince; and tliat he, in consequence, immediately proceeded to the westward, with the view of re- turnino- to North Wales, or of gaining Caermarthenshire. He ascended the vale of Irvon on the southern side for about three miles, and crossed the river above Llanynis, over a brido-e called Pont y Coed, or the ' l)ridge of the wood.' Having reached the opposite bank, he stationed the few troops who had accompanied him on the northern side of the river, where the ground was peculiarly favourable for defending the passage. On the arrival of the English forces, they made a fruitless attempt to gain the bridge ; but a knight of the party, sir Elias \\'al\vyii (a descendant of sir Philip Walwyn of Hay), discovered a ford at some distance, where a detachment crossed the river. These coming miexpectedly on the rear of the Welsh troops, routed them without difficulty. Llewelyn himself, either in the flight, or while watching the movements of the main body, who were still on the other side of the ri\er, was attacked miarmed in a small dell, about two hundred yards below the scene of action, from him called Cwm Llewelyn, or Llewelyn's dingle, by one Adam Francton, who plunged a spear into his body. Francton took no farther notice of his victim, but joined in the pursuit of th(' enemy. On his retm-n, proI)al)ly with the view of phmdering the slain, he discovered that the person whom he had wounded (for he was still alive) was the prince of Wales; and on stripping him, a letter in cipher and his privy seal were found concealed about him. Francton, overjoyed at perceiving whom ho had in his power, immediately cut off his head, and sent it to the king of England. The body was dragged to a little distance and buried in a place still known by the name of Cefn y bedd, or Cefnbedd Llewelyn, ' the ridge of Llewelyn's grave,' near the banks of the Irvon. " Those who attentively read the history of Llewelyn (of whatever country they may be) will I trust lament the fate, and sigh while they contemplate the fall, of the last and greatest of the Welsh princes. His grandfather, Llewelyn ab Jorwertb, had courage and considerable talents, but be was savage in manni'rs, varialile in politics, fickle in ins attach- nient.s, and brutal in his revenge. Dtn'ing the greatest part of his life be had a mere driveller to oppose ; Imt the last Llewelyn had to contend with an Alexander (Edward I.) supported by s\iperior numbers and revenues; in short, he had all the virtues of his ancestor, with scarcely any of his vices; he had infinitely inorc diliiculties to encounter ; and when ho. was favoured with the smiles of fortuui', injoweil iheni entirely to his own merit and exertions." Tiio accompanying View of "Tin; Wvi; nkak Aiilii Edwv," for its pictures(|ue beauty niu^t interest every Cambrian tourist. ^•^■x :♦ jfc^>3i>' >~v ** ''^"' CAMBRIA. OLD RADNOR, RADNORSHIRE. Old Radnor, called also Pen y Graig, or Pen y dug, the summit of the rock, or the summit of the hill, is situated on a rocky eminence. The present village consists of a few straggling cottages ; hut the church is a large and venerable edifice, comprising a nave, two side aisles, and a chancel, and having a lofty square tower at one end. From its elevated site it forms a very striking object in the landscape. In the interior are several handsome monuments of modern date, raised to some of the family of the Lewises of Harpton. It is also ornamented with a screen of rich and curious workmanship, which extends entirely across the nave and the aisles. Tliere are at present no remains of the castle to be seen. There can be no difficulty, as sir Richard Hoare suggests, in identifying it with the Cruker castle of Giraldus, this name being an easy corruption of Crug, or Craig. The claims of this place to a Roman origin appear wholly destitute of foundation. A few miles to the south-westward of Old Radnor lies the church of Glascwm, celebrated in legendary story on account of a circumstance which has been recorded by Giraldus. " In the church of Glascwm," obsei'ves this writer, " is a portable bell, endowed with great virtues, called Bangu, and said to have belonged to St. David. A certain woman secretly conveyed this bell to her husband, (who was confined in the castle of Rhaiader-gwy, near Warthrenion, which Rhys, son of Gruffydd, had lately built,) for the purpose of his deliver- ance. The keeper of the castle not only refused to liberate him for this consideration, but seized and detained the bell ; and in the same night, by divine vengeance, the whole town, except the wall on which the bell hung, was consumed by fire." RHAIADER BRIDGE, RADNORSHIRE. Rhaiader, or Rhaiadyr-gw)', signifying a fall of water, was formerly the principal village in the cantref of Maelienydd, now being in the hundred of Rhaiader, Radnorshire. The market is on Wednesday ; the fairs on the 6th and 27th of August, September 26, October 14, and December 3 ; besides three great markets in May. The town lies in a valley sur- CAMBRIA. rounded bv lulls, aud contains four streets, which intersect at right angles, the town-hall standing in the centre. In the year 457, Vortigern being discomfited by Hengist, whom he had invited to his assistance against the Picts and Scots, took shelter in the fastnesses of this neighbourhood. There are several earns or barrows in the vicinity of this place, the most remarkable of which is that of Tommen Saint Ffraid, on the west south-west side of the town, in the parish of Cwm y dau ddwr, supposed to be the cemetery of Saint Ffraid, the tutelary saint of that parish. On the west north-west side formerly stood a castle, built about the year HTS, by Rhys ap Gruffydd, to clieck the incursions of the Normans. In 119-i, prince Rhys was surprised and taken prisoner by his unnatural sons. During this confinement, the sons of CadwaUion ap Madawe, of Maelienydd, besieged and took Rhaiader-gwy Kistle. In 1231, prince Llewelyn of North Wales, after burning Montgomery castle to the ground, marched to Rhaiader and subjected its castle to the same fate ; not a vestige of which remains, except the fosse. The tower or citadel stood in a direct line between the castle and jail, overlooking the river. The mount adjacent still retains the name of Tower-hill. Near the bridge, tlie dominicans, or black friars, who came into England in 1221, had a religious house, which was suppressed, with others, in the thirty- first year of Henry the eighth. A woollen manufactory is ciirried on here and in the neighbourhood, in wiiich carding engines and spinniag macliines are used. A stage-coach passes through this place on the road from London to Aberystwith during the smnmer. The south side of Rh;iiader bridge affords a very characteristic view of locid features. The arch of the bridge is elegant, and tlie picturesque line of the river furnishes a most agreeable morceau. Over the bridge passes the high road to Aberystwith. The principal inns at this place are the Red Lion, and Royjil Oak, where are post-chaises. Of one of them [not disthiguished], Mr. Skrine says, "tliough small and rustic, it is sutficiently commodious ; and, what would render ;uiy fare agreeable, die civilities of the people were native and sincere." Mr. Lipscombe remarks, that tlie landlord of the Red Lion inn is a sensible, well-informed man, who took the pains, with great civility, to coiTect his ortho- graphy of the Welsh names of towns. At the distance of seven miles north-east of Rhaiader, was a religious house, called Ahh'ij Cwm Ilir, but now a heap of ruins. The valley in which it stood is delightful. The hills around appear extremely grand, forming an amphitheatre round its rich bottom, wherein tills veii(!("abl(' monastery stood. Its situation upon a fertile bank of the Clewedog, abound- ing in beautiful and sublime objects, was exceedingly cidculated to inspire religious ideas. The hill on the north is one thousand five hundred and eleven yards high, with a gradual ascent on one side, called the Park, tniincrlv nine miles in circuiiilereiu'e, and stdcKed with aljove three Inmdreil deer. An old gate aud sonic pales are still visible, with two foundations of deer-houses. fS? T. *A -R %i TT A -^ !\JS) AK., , *.M( i^,j.''i mUKKSSm 'i^asmkii CAMBRIA. NEW RADNOR, AND VIEW NEAR RHAIDYR, RADNORSHIRE. New Radnor is a town having separate jurisdiction, which has long been degraded into an inconsiderable village, containing but very few houses, and those few ill arranged, situated in a district called the Liberties of the Town of New Radnor, Radnorshire. The market has long been discontinued. The fairs are held on Tuesday before Holy Thursday, Tuesday after Trinity Sunday, August 14, Oct. 28, and 29. The annual wake is held on the third Sunday in August. The parish contains 3750 acres. This village is placed near the river Somergill, at the entrance of the pass from the mountainous part of the county to the fertile vale of Radnor, We are informed by Caradog, that about the year 990, Meredydd ab Owain destroyed the town of Radnor, In a ferocious contest with his nephew, who had been assisting the English to ravage South Wales. There are still some remains of its castle, upon an emi- nence commanding the town ; and about the year 1773, upon digging upon Its site, six or SBTen small pointed, arches of good masonry were discovered, and several ancient instru- ments. The Intrenchments are nearly entire. The outer ward, called Balll Glas, or the Green Court-yard, Is still distinct from the keep. About the year 1788, when the turnpike-road was made, some workmen digging for stones, discovered among the rubbish several cannon-balls, and two battle-axes. The building was demolished by the parliamentary forces in the civil wars. The site of the town walls and the moat are visible, particularly on the west and south sides. The area of the town enclosed was an oblong square, containing about twenty-six acres of ground. It seems to have been laid out into three longitudinal streets, called High-street, Broad-street, and Water-street, Intei'secled by five transverse ones. Several of these have no buildings, and some of them are only foot-paths. Its decline may be ascribed, first to its ceasing to be kept fortified and garrisoned as a frontier town, its proximity to Presteign and Kington, and its cold situation and scarcity of fuel. As this place declined, Presteign improved, and became the principal town in the county. Old Radnor had been burnt about the close of the twelfth century, and, about a century after, In the time of the rebellion against Henry the fourth. New Radnor shared the same fate, and has never been restored. The town-hall and prison are opposite one to the other, In Broad-street. The corporation consists of a bailiff, twenty-five capital burgesses, two aldermen, a recorder, coroner, town- clerk, and other officers. The ballift''s courts, and petty sessions, are regularly holden every Monday, and the quarter sessions for the borough, on the Monday In the second week after Epiphany, Easter, July 7, and Michaelmas. The sheriff's county-courts, for CAMBRIA. the recovery of small debts under forty shillings, are held here alternately uitli Presteign. A beneKt society for the relief of diseased members, commenced in 1778, consists of about one hundred persons. Each member contributes monthly, and in illness receives five shillings weekly; at his death, five pounds are paid towards his (uneral expenses. Some honorary members contribute one guinea annually. Henry Smith, Esq. of London, left an annuity out of an estate and lands, called Longney-farm, near Gloucester. John Green, gent, of Hereford, bequeathed three hundred pounds, the interest of which was to be distri- buted, ten pounds to a charity-school in the parisli of New Radnor, three pounds in bread monthly, and t\w. remainder to purch;ising articles for the church. The churcli stands upon an eminence, just below the castle. It is a small edifice, con- sisting of a nave, a side aisle on the south side, and a chancel. It has a tower, containing fi)iir large beUs, a smaller one, and a clock. The side aisle is separated from the nave by five octagon pillars and pointed arches. The tower, and a considerable part of tlu! chin-ch, were erected upon a portion of wall which was probably part of a former church, supposed to be coeval with the castle. The tower was originally higher. A View nkau Rhaidyk accompanies this subject. /f THE LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara STACK COLLECTION THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW. Ipgg^^P JUHS 1983 Z2.'J^sc 1 llmo; ' lV2 ( C9 ' iTt 1 Vl TffI ) UC SOUTHERN RFCIfWAL LIBRARY FACII ITY D 000 820 152 ^?:3^^;^:^'<^i^iiiii!iiiliili|iS^^^^^^^