IN this, the ſequel of my former tour, I directed my courſe weſtward from Downing, paſſed by Whiteford, our pariſh-church, and aſcended the hill of Garreg, or the Rock, a high and moſt conſpicuous part of the country. The Romans took ad⯑vantage of it, and placed on its ſummit a Pharos, A PHAROS. to conduct the navigators to and from Deva, along the difficult channel of the Seteia Portus. The building is ſtill remaining. I hope my friends will not deem me an antiquarian Quixote, and imagine me miſ⯑taking, in this my ſecond ſally, a building, hitherto ſuppoſed to have been a wind-mill, for a Roman light-houſe. It is tolerably entire; its form is circular; the height conſiderable; the inner diameter twelve feet and a half; the thickneſs of the walls four feet four inches. The doors, or entrances, are oppoſite to each other: over each is a ſquare funnel, like a chimney, which opens on the outſide, about half way up the building. On each ſide is [2] a window. About four feet from the ground are three circular holes, lined with mortar, as is frequent in Roman buildings; and penetrate the whole wall, for purpoſes now unknown.

WITHINSIDE are the veſtiges of a ſtair-caſe, which led to the floors, of which there appear to have been two. Along ſuch part of the upper, which was conſpicuous from the channel, are eight ſmall ſquare openings, caſed with free-ſtone (the reſt of the build⯑ing being of rude lime-ſtone, bedded in hard mortar) and each of theſe were ſeparated by wooden pannels, placed in deep grooves, the laſt ſtill in a perfect ſtate. In each of theſe partitions were placed the lights, which the Romans thought neceſſary to keep diſtinct, or to prevent from running into one, leſt they ſhould be miſtaken by ſeamen for a ſtar. Periculum in corrivatione ignium, ne ſidus exiſtimetur ^*.

To the building is very evidently a broad and raiſed road, pointing from the eaſt; and near its upper end are the marks of a trench, which ſurrounded and gave protection to this uſeful edi⯑fice. Deſcend, and near the foot of the hill leave on the left Maen Achwynfan, the croſs deſcribed in my former tour. Glol, an incloſed mountain a little farther on, has among the buſhes various circular foundations of ſtone unmortared building. About a mile from hence, NEWMARKET. viſit the ſmall town of Newmarket, almoſt the entire creation of its then owner, John Wynne, eſq of Gop, who died in the preſent century. The antient name of the pariſh is Tre⯑lawnyd, for which I can find no ſatisfactory reaſon. In the church-yard is a handſome old croſs. Here is fixed one of the charity-ſchcols, founded and opened in 1726, by doctor Daniel Williams, a diſſenting miniſter, with an endowment of eight pounds a year; a charity which he extended to every county in North Wales, diſ⯑tinguiſhing that at Wrexham, the place of his birth, by an annual [3] ſalary of fifteen pounds. He alſo eſtabliſhed a fund, I believe, to each, from which the children are apprenticed, at five pounds apiece.

FROM the town I aſcended the hill, Cor. called Copa'r'leni, on whoſe ſummit is a moſt enormous carnedd, or tumulus, formed of lime⯑ſtones. It was probably the ſite of ſpecula, or exploratory tower, and memorial of ſome chieftain. If Roman, perhaps Paulinus gave name to it, Cop-Paulini. There is great uncertainty in theſe derivations: I may poſſibly as well abide by my former etymo⯑logy of Cop yr Goleuni, or the Mount of Lights; for it might have been a place of ſignals by fire of the approach of an enemy by ſea ^*, or a ſtation of the holy fires, the Coel Ceithie of the Druids, ſimi⯑lar to the Karn Gollewa, the carn of lights, and Karn Leſkyz, or carn of burnings, of the Cornish, ſuppoſed by the learned BORLASE ^† to have been uſed for ſimilar purpoſes. The tract from hence to Caerwys was certainly a field of battle: no place in North Wales exhibits an equal quantity of tumuli; but all ſepulchral, as is proved by the urns diſcovered in them: they are of a far inferior ſize to the firſt, and covered with turf. It will not be too hazardous a conjecture to ſuppoſe, that in this place was the ſlaughter of the Ordovices by Agricola, when our gallant nation was nearly extir⯑pated. Part of the brow of the hill is called Bryn y Saethiau, or the Hill of Arrows, from being the ſtation of the archers in the en⯑gagement.

RETURN along the ridge of the hill, marked its whole length with verdant tumuli, the tombs of ancient heroes. See beneath [4] me the little church of Gwaen-yſkor, GWAEN-YSKOR. remarkable for its ancient regiſter.

DESCEND to the church and village of Llanaſa, the former dedi⯑cated to St. Aſaph, whoſe feſtival is kept on the firſt of May. LLANASA. Laurence Child, Biſhop of St. Aſaph, in 1385, procured the impro⯑priation of this church to ſupply his cathedral with lights ^*, and repair the ruins occaſioned by the wars. In my approach from theſe high lands towards the ſhore, obſerve the ruins of a ſmall chapel at the little hamlet of Gweſpyr, near Trelacre, one of the ſeats of Sir Pyers Moſtyn, Baronet, a branch of the houſe of Moſtyn. His adjacent quarry is noted for the excellence of the free-ſtone; and his vaſt and profitable warren beneath, noted for the delicacy of the rabbets, by reaſon of their feeding on the maritime plants.

PASS over Gronant-Moor. GRONANT. There is a tradition, that its extent was ſo great, that the people on this ſide could hold converſation over the channel with thoſe of Cheſhire. This may be exagge⯑rated; but from authentic records, it appears, that this flat was formerly very extenſive, and that it had been reduced to its pre⯑ſent ſcanty limits by the fury of the ſea, which ſtill poſſeſſes its antient place. Previous to that cataſtrophe, it was poſſeſſed by the ſee of St. Aſaph, by virtue of a grant made by Edward the Black Prince, ſon of Edward III. to Llewelyn ap Madoc, elected Biſhop of St. Aſaph in 1357. The inundation happened before the reign of Henry V. Previous to that time, the Biſhop paid annually into the exchequer at Cheſter, as an acknowlegement, the ſum of twenty marks: but Henry V. in 1414, and Henry VI. in 1445 and 1451, in conſideration of the misfortune, releaſed [5] the ſee from that rent^*. If this record did not remain an incon⯑teſlable proof of the ravages of the ocean on this part of the coun⯑try, there exiſt other natural ones, that would have given rea⯑ſonable grounds for ſuſpicion. The Hyle ſands, which run for twelve or fourteen miles parallel to the narrow hundred of Wiral, in Cheſhire, and divided from Wales by a narrow channel, were once, in all probability, part of the firm land of England. A few miles to the weſt of Gronant-Moor, under the pariſh of Aber⯑geleu, in Denbighſhire, are to be ſeen at low water, very remote from the ſhore, bedded in the ſand, immenſe numbers of oak-trees, a foreſt before this event. Laſtly, in the church-yard wall of Abergelli is a dateleſs epitaph, in Welſh, ſignifying the perſon who was interred there lived three miles to the north of that ſpot, a tract now entirely poſſeſſed by the ſea.

ON approaching Preſtatyn, about two miles from Trelacre, the flat becomes extremely fertile in corn, eſpecially wheat, which is of diſtinguiſhed excellence; and continues equally noted through all the flat tract, as far as Ruddlan, where it is interrupted for a ſpace by the marſh, and is again continued along the coaſt far beyond Abergeleu. A little below Preſtatyn-mill, in a meadow, is the ſite of its Caſtle: nothing more than an elevated ſpace, with foundations conſiſting of ſtone and mortar, and a foſs at ſome diſ⯑tance from it, now remain. PRESTATYN-CASTLE. This little fortreſs was probably built by the Welſh, but wreſted from them by the Engliſh, who were poſſeſſed of it in 1167, the only time I find any mention of it, when it was deſtroyed by Owen Gwynedd, Cadwalader his brother, [6] and Rees Prince of South Wales; and all Tegengle reduced to the power of its lawful ſovereign.

THE hamlet and village of Preſtatyn lie in the pariſh of Meli⯑den. This place was granted by Richard I. to Robert Banaſter, who enjoyed it for three years and a half, and built the town; which was deſtroyed by Owen Gwynedd. Robert de Crevecoeur, in the ſeventh year of Edward I. laid claim to it in right of his an⯑ceſtor, Banaſter. An inquiſition was made, before a jury of twenty-four men ^*: their determination was in favor of Robert; ſince I find, by another record, that he died poſſeſſed of lands in Maelwr Saeſneg and Preſtatyn, which he held by the ſervice of one knight's fee.

THE road from hence to Diſerth is extremely pleaſant, at the foot of high hills, rich in lead ore, with a fine and fertile flat to the right. The white rock makes a conſpicuous figure on the left, and its ſides appeared deeply trenched by the miners in ſearch of ore. Near this place is the beginning of the vale of Clwyd, and the ter⯑mination of the range of mountains, which bound it on the eaſt. At a ſmall diſtance from hence lies the church of Diſerth, in a pictureſque and romantic bottom, beneath ſome rude rocks: the church overſhaded with great yews, and the ſingular figure of ſome of the tombs, form a moſt ſtriking appearance. DISERTH CHURCH. A water-fall in the deep and rounded hollow of a rock, finely darkened with ivy, once gave additional beauty to this ſpot; but of late the di⯑verting of the waters to a mill, has robbed the place of this ele⯑gant variation. The ſtream, which is little inferior to that of Holywell, flows principally from a ſingle well, called Fynnon Aſa, [7] or St. Aſaph's Well, in a dingle in the pariſh of Cwm, about a mile diſtant. The fountain is incloſed with ſtone, in a polygonal form, and had formerly its votaries, like that of St. Winefrede.

ABOVE Diſerth church, on a high rock, ſtand the remains of its Caſtle. We cannot trace the foundation of this fortreſs, which went by the names of Din-colyn, Caſtell y Ffailon, and Caſtell Gerri ^* CASTLE. It probably was Welſh, and the laſt of the chain of Britiſh poſts on the Clwydian hills. Henry III. in 1241, fortified it ^†; but its date was but ſhort, for in 1261 Llewelyn ap Gryffydd raſed both this caſtle, and that of Diganwy ^‡. It was at a ſiege of this place that Eineon, the ſon of Ririd Vlaidd, was ſlain ^§. A croſs was erected on the ſpot, called Croes Eineon, the ſhaft of which, ornamented with ſtrange ſculpture, now is ſuppoſed to form the ſtile into the church-yard of Diſerth; in which is another croſs, of very curious work⯑manſhip.

THE caſtle occupied the ſummit of the rock, whoſe ſides are eſcarpée, or cut ſteep, to render the acceſs more difficult. On one part, beneath the top, is a ſquare out-work, with foſſes cut in part through the ſolid lime-ſtone. The fragments of the caſtle ſhew, that its ruin was not effected by time: they lie in vaſt maſſes, overthrown by mining, which was a common method of beſieging, very long before the uſe of powder.

IN a field a little to the ſouth of the caſtle, is a ruinous build⯑ing, called Siamber Wen. This is ſaid to have been the ſeat of a Sir Robert Pounderling ^‖, once conſtable of the adjacent caſtle, SIR ROBERT POUNDERLING. a knight valiant and prudent, who had one of his eyes knocked out [8] by a gentleman of Wales, in the rough ſport of tournament; but being requeſted to challenge him again to feates of armes, on meeting our countryman at the Engliſh court, declined the com⯑bat, declaring that he did not intend that the Welshman ſhould beat out his other eye ^*.

Moel Hiraddug, a Britiſh poſt, on a very ſteep and rocky hill, with an immenſe agger of looſe ſtones on the acceſſible part, ſtands to the ſouth of the caſtle, and forms the next to it in the chain of fortreſſes ^† On the eaſt ſide, and on a place called Marion, are long deep trenches, out of which minerals have been dug, proba⯑bly in the times of the Saxons: the ore appears, by the fragments, and color of the rubbiſh, to have been iron: and on the ſummit of the hill (which is in the pariſh of Cwm) is a great bed of beau⯑tiful red ſpar, which ſeems to take its tinge from the ore.

Cwn church, as the word ſignifies, is emboſomed with hills, and fronts the vale of Clwyd. CWM CHURCH. On a very antient ſtone in the church-yard is this inſcription, Hic jacet TANGWISTE, uxor LLEWELIN ap INIR; but whether of Inir of Yale is uncertain.

FROM Diſerth I rode to Bod-Rhyddan, long the reſidence of the Conways, a family derived from Sir Hugh Conway, ſon of old John Coniers, of Richmond, Yorkſhire, brother to Jevan Lord Coniers ^‡: his ſon Sir Henry, by marriage with Angharat, heireſs to Sir Hugh Crevecoeur, of Preſtatyn ^§, probably acquired the ſettlement in this country. Preſtatyn continued poſſeſſed by the Conways till the death of Sir John Conway, Baronet, in 1721, the laſt of the male line, when the eſtate was divided.

[9]ABOUT a mile and a half farther ſtands the ſmall borough of Rhuddlan, ſeated high on the red, clayey banks of the Clwyd, and above Morſa-Rhuddlan, a marſh celebrated for the battle in 795, between the Saxons and Welſh: our monarch Caradoc fell in the conflict ^*, and, I fear, victory declared againſt us. We do indeed ſay, that Offa, the famous king of Mercia, was ſlain here; but the Saxon chronicle places his death ^† the year before that battle. The fine plaintive Welſh tune, ſo well known by the name of Morfa-Rhuddlan, is ſuppoſed to have been compoſed on this occaſion: for victories are not the only ſubjects for the harp. How beauti⯑fully does David lament the blood of the ſlain on the mountains of Gilboa: HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN, AND THE WEAPONS OF WAR PERISHED!

THE caſtle had been a handſome building, in a ſquare, with two extremes placed at oppoſite corners, with a double round tower at each; and a ſingle one at the two other corners. CASTLE. The court forms an irregular octagon. The ditch is large, faced on both ſides with ſtone. The ſteep ſlope to the river was defended by high walls, and ſquare towers: one is entire, and there are veſtiges of two others: the firſt is called Twr-y-Silod; another, in the caſtle, was named Twr-y-Brenhin, or the King's Tower.

To the ſouth of the caſtle, at about a furlong diſtance, is a large artificial mount, the ſite of another fortreſs, of very early date; the whole ſurrounded by a very deep foſs (including alſo the abby) which croſſes from the margin of the bank, near the aſcent of the preſent road to St. Aſaph, to another parallel road; near which it is continued, then turns and falls nearly into the ſouthern part of the [10] walled ditch of the caſtle: the whole forms a ſquare area, of very great extent. Theſe different works were formed at three ſeveral times. The mount, now called Tut-Hill, and its ſuperſtructure, (whatever it was) is thoroughly Britiſh, and is ſaid to have been built by Llewelyn ap Sitſylt, who reigned from the year 1015 to 1020 ^*. It was a reſidence of our princes from that time: but Gryffyd ap Llewelyn, in 1063, having given offence to Edward the Confeſſor, by receiving Algar, one of his rebellious ſubjects, was attacked by Harold, who in revenge burned the palace at Rhudd⯑lan ^†. It was ſoon reſtored, and as ſoon loſt. Robert, afterwards ſurnamed of Rhuddlan, a valiant Norman, nephew to Hugh Lupus, earl of Cheſter, conquered it from the Welſh, and, by the command of William the Conqueror, fortified it with new works ^‡, and made it his place of reſidence; from whence he greatly annoyed our countrymen. The ſquare towers are evidently of Norman archi⯑tecture, and naturally adopted by the new owner. Robert received here a viſit from our prince Gryffydd ap Kynan, who came to ſolli⯑cit aid againſt his enemies, from the Norman warrior; which he obtained: but on ſome quarrel attacked him in his caſtle, took and burnt the bailey, or yard, and killed ſuch a number of his men, that very few eſcaped into the towers ^§.

Henry II. in 1157, added new ſtrength to the caſtle, and left a conſiderable garriſon in it before he quitted the country. Not⯑withſtanding this, Owen Gwynedd, in 1167, took and diſmantled [11] it; but it was afterwards re-fortified by the Engliſh; for it ap⯑pears that this fortreſs had, with two others, been beſtowed by Henry, with Emma his natural ſiſter, on David ap Owen, ſon and ſucceſſor to Owen Gwynedd. Here, in 1187, he entertained, very nobly, Baldwin archbiſhop of Canterbury, in his progreſs through Wales ^*. Poſſibly he reſigned it again to the Engliſh; for I find that in 1214 it was beſieged and taken by Llewelyn ap Jorwerth, his ſucceſſor in the principality ^†.

I MUST not omit relating, notwithſtanding I am unable to give the year of the event, that Randle Blundeville, earl of Cheſter, was in this caſtle ſurprized by a body of Welſh, and lay in the utmoſt diſtreſs, until he was relieved by his lieutenant, Roger Lacy, alias Hell; who collecting ſuddenly a rabble of fiddlers and idle people, put the beſiegers to flight. In reward, he received from the earl, Magiſterium omnium Leccatorum et meretricum TOTIUS CESTRESHIRE ^‡.

I FIND it in poſſeſſion of Edward I. in 1277; who was ſo well convinced of its importance in the conqueſt of Wales, that he made it the rendezvous of all the forces deſtined for that purpoſe. It was the place d'armes, and the great magazine of proviſion for the ſupport of his army, in its advance into the country. The reigning prince, Llewelyn ap Gryffydd, knew the danger of leaving ſo conſequential a place in the hands of his enemy: but it reſiſted all the moſt vigorous efforts made on it in 1281, by Llewelyn and his brother David, juſt reconciled to him by the ſenſe of their com⯑mon [12] danger. Soon after, it proved the place of confinement to the letter, not long before his ignominious end at Shrewſbury.

IN order to ſecure it from any future attempts, Edward turned all his thoughts towards founding a fortreſs impregnable by any future attempts of the Welſh. He accordingly began with an act of juſtice, that of making recompence to Maſter Richard Bernard, parſon of Rhuddlan, for certain lands taken from him for the pur⯑poſe of enlarging the caſtle ^*; and again, in 1282, made an ex⯑change with the ſame church, of ſix acres and a half, for the ſame uſes ^†: and on which he built the caſtle, whoſe ruins we now ſur⯑vey. The finiſhing of it took a conſiderable time; for I find an order in 1291, for overlooking the works at the caſtles of Rhuddlan, Flint, and Cheſter ^‡. I cannot but remark here, the ſtrong neceſ⯑ſity of curbing the new-conquered country with powerful garri⯑ſons; for notwithſtanding all the ravages of long and barbarous wars, it remained ſo exceedingly populous, that Edward politi⯑cally drafted out of it not leſs than fifteen thouſand men, in aid of his Scottiſh expedition ^§ The conſequence proved almoſt fatal to him: for while he lay encamped near Linlithgow, a national quarrel enſued between the Engliſh and Welſh troops; and after great bloodſhed, the latter ſeparated themſelves from his army ^‖.

DURING the civil wars of the laſt century, TAKEN BY GEN. MYTTON., it was garriſoned on the part of the king; was taken by general Mytton in July 1646; and in the ſame year ordered by the parlement in the phraſe of [13] the times) to be ſlighted, i. e. diſmantled, with many other Welſh caſtles ^*.

IN reſpect to the civil hiſtory of Rhuddlan, I find, that in the reign of Edward the Confeſſor, it made part of the great territo⯑ries of earl Edwin. It was then, by reaſon of the inroads of Ha⯑rold, a waſte; and continued ſo when it was poſſeſſed by Hugh Lupus. It then became the capital of the diſtrict: and Hugh en⯑joyed a moiety of the church, the mint, and mines of the iron ore found in the manor ^†; and a moiety of the water of Clwyd, i. e. of the mill and fiſhery on ſuch part which belonged to earl Edwin; a moiety of the foreſts on the manor, and of the toll, and of the village called Bren: and there were at this time in Rhuddlan eight burgeſſes. All this Hugh Lupus granted to Robert of Rhuddlan, with an addition of certain hamlets dependent on the place; and a new borough was erected, with eighteen burgeſſes, who enjoyed the ſame privileges with thoſe of Hereford and Bre⯑tril; and were exempted from all fines exceeding twelve-pence, except in caſe of manſlaughter, theft, and heinfare, i. e. the de⯑priving a perſon of his ſervant ^‡.

EDWARD I.A BOROUGH. made this town a free borough, appointed the con⯑ſtable of the caſtle for the time being to be mayor, and the bailiffs to be choſen annually by the burgeſſes on Michaelmas-day, who were to be preſented to the conſtable to be ſworn. The town [14] was to have power of impriſoning, except in ſuch caſes which affected the life, or loſs of limb: when criminals of this nature were to be committed to the caſtle, burgeſſes only were permitted to bail. No Jews were to inhabit the town. The burgeſſes had a foreſt and free warren; a gild cum hauſa et loth et ſhoth, ſok ſak et theam et inſangentheſt et lib. per totam terram de Theoloniis, leſta⯑gio, Muragio, Danegeld, Gaywite, &c.

THIS charter was given by the King at Flint, September 8th, in the twelfth year of his reign; Teſtibus, Rob. Bath & Wells, &c. and confirmed by Richard II. at Leiceſter, and again at Weſt⯑minſter.

No conſtable has been appointed ſince the days of Oliver Cromwel.

THE burgeſſes contribute towards electing a member for the borough of Flint. Thoſe who are qualified inhabit the place, and that part of the pariſh called Rhuddlan Franchiſe, which extends above a mile from the town.

THE parlement ſaid to have been held here in 1283, JTS PARLEMENT. by Ed⯑ward I. was probably no more than a council aſſembled by the conqueror, to divide his new conqueſts into counties, and to give ſalutary laws to the Welſh; to aboliſh any antient cuſtoms which the wiſe prince thought detrimental, and to introduce ſuch of the Engliſh as would prove of uſe. This was not done haſtily; for in the year preceding, a commiſſion had been appointed, with Tho⯑mas Beke, biſhop of St. David, preſident; who were to conſider and report upon oath the different laws of both countries. From their reſolutions were framed the famous STATUTE OF RHUDDLAN; in which, among many excellent inſtitutions, were introduced [15] ſheriffs and coroners, their powers defined, and the principal crimes of the times pointed out: moſt of which were acts of vio⯑lence, rapine, and theft; ſuch as might be expected to exiſt among people: an evil which reſulted more from the turbulence of the times, than the want of wholeſome laws ^*.

A PIECE of antient building, called the Parlement Houſe, is ſtill to be ſeen in Rhuddlan; probably the place where the king ſat in council. From hence he actually practiſed the well-known deceit of giving them a prince born among them, who never ſpoke a word of Engliſh, and whoſe life and converſation no man was able to ſtain ^†: all which our diſcontented nobility eagerly accepted, little thinking the perſon intended, to be the infant Ed⯑ward, juſt born at Caernarvon.

THE bridge conſiſts of two arches.BRIDGE. It appears to have been rebuilt or repaired in 1595: that date, with the arms of St. Aſaph, and the initials of William Hughes, the biſhop of that time, being cut in the battlements. The tides flow very little higher than this place; and bring up to the bridge ſlats or veſſels of about ſeventy tons. The port of theſe parts is about three miles further, at the vorryd, or great ford, where the river diſ⯑charges itſelf into the ſea; and from whence much corn and tim⯑ber is exported.

THE houſe called the Gwindy, or Wine Houſe, GWINDY. muſt not be for⯑gotten. There are few towns in Wales which have not one of that name: but the uſe has long been loſt. In old times, [16] moſt gentlemen's houſes had one in their neighborhood, where they met their friends and retainers, to ymgampio, or to exert feats of activity. Here the gentleman kept a wine cellar, which he retailed for his own profit. Here they paſſed the day in archery, wreſtling, throwing the ſledge, and other manly exerciſes. At firſt, the drinking was moderate: but at length the purpoſe was abuſed; and theſe places were made the ſanctuary for all ſorts of crimes, committed by the dependents or friends of the owner of the Gwindy, who were recommended to his care: and there Llawruddion, i.e. perſons who came red-handed from a murder, were protected till compoſition could be made for their crimes.

THE church is dedicated to St. Mary. CHURCH. It has nothing re⯑markable about it, except an antient grave-ſtone, with a flowery croſs and ſword; the laſt the mark of the gentility of the perſon interred. The patronage of this church was granted in 1284 to the ſee of St. Aſaph, in recompence for the loſs of that of Eglwys⯑vach, which had been taken from it, and beſtowed on the abby of Conway ^*.

THE priory of black-friers, ſtood about half a mile ſouth of the caſtle. There is a fragment which bears the marks of antiquity: the reſt is diſguiſed in the form of a farm-houſe and barn. We do not know the time of its foundation: but it was certainly be⯑fore the conqueſt by Edward I. as Anian, or Eineon de Schonan, a friar of this houſe, was made biſhop of St. Aſaph in 1268. It ſuffered much in the wars between Edward and Llewelyn, but ſoon recovered its loſſes, towards which they were allowed 17l. 10s. ^† [17] beſides a grant of a fiſhery on the Clwyd with one net, free from any obſtruction ^*. On the diſſolution, the houſe was granted to Harry ap Harry, and now belongs to John Davies, eſq of Llanerch.

NEAR this place were certain lands, called Nunneland and St. Marieland ^†: but whether they had reference to any houſe of fe⯑male religious, I cannot ſay.

THE hoſpital, which exiſted in 1281, ſtood between the town and Bodyryddan.

As ſoon as Edward I. had finiſhed the fortifications of Rhuddlan, and filled his new town with inhabitants, he and biſhop Anian II. made different petitions to the pope, to remove the ſee of St. Aſaph to this place ^‡ They urged the ſolitude and inſecurity of the former; its hazard from banditti; and the danger to which the body of the moſt glorious confeſſor St. Aſaph was continually expoſed: and the king in particular adds, the great ſafety of this place, by reaſon of the vaſt works he had completed. But theſe petitions never took effect: fruſtrated either by the death of the pope, or the exhortion of the archbiſhop of Canterbury, to rebuild the cathedral on its antient ſite.

A LITTLE beyond the priory I deſcended the bank, ST. ASAPH. and fording the Clwyd, ſoon came in ſight of St. Aſaph. The handſome exten⯑ſive bridge, the little town, and the cathedral mixed with trees, form a moſt agreeable view. The place is ſeated on the ſlope of a pleaſant eminence: the cathedral on its ſummit. The Clwyd [18] runs on the eaſtern ſide: the Elwy, a moſt turbulent ſtream; on the weſtern: and from the laſt is taken the Britiſh name of Llan-Elwy. The townſhip in which it ſtands, is alſo called Bryn-Paulin; and one part of it, Bron y Wylfa, or the brow of the watch: from which circumſtances, as well as the great fitneſs of the ſituation, between two rivers, I cannot but think that it was a place of encampment of Paulinus, in his way; to or from Mona.

ITS eccleſiaſtical hiſtory may be ſpoken of with more certainty. When Kentigern, biſhop of Glaſgow, was driven from his ſee in 543, he retired into Wales, and eſtabliſhed here a monaſtery for nine hundred and ſixty-five monks, inſtituted on the ſame plan with that of Bangor; part for labor, part for prayer. SII. Here he built a church; and having won over the British prince Maglo⯑cunus, once his violent opponent, eſtabliſhed here a ſee, and was himſelf the firſt biſhop. Being recalled to Scotland, he nominated for ſucceſſor, Aſaph, or Haſſaph, a Briton of great piety and good family (being grandſon of Pabo pou Prydain). He died in 596, was buried in his cathedral, and gave name to the place.

THE church was firſt built of wood; but ſoon after, of ſtone. In 1247, during the wars of Henry III. the dioceſe was deſtroyed by fire and ſword ^*, and the biſhop, who ſided with the Engliſh, obliged to live on alms. In 1282, CATHEDRAL. the cathedral was burnt down; but ample amends was made to the ſee, by the grant of Edward I. of lands in Newmarket, Nannerch, Dincolyn, Cwed y Mynedd, and a rich mineral tract in Diſerth: four hundred and nine acres were given, each of which appears at that time to be valued at only [19] ſix-pence ^*. In 1402, the church underwent new misfortunes: being burnt by Owen Glyndwr, together with the palace, and ca⯑nons houſes; who, ſtrange to ſay! ſoon after brought over to his party, John Trevor, the injured biſhop of the ſee, who was de⯑prived on account of his revolt. After this, the church remained in ruins for eighty years, when it was re-built by that worthy pre⯑late, Richard Redman. The ſame building ſtill remains, hand⯑ſome, plain, and neat. The preſent dean and chapter are now re⯑building (out of a fund veſted in them for that purpoſe) the choir, after the inevitable dilapidations of time in the ſpace of near four hundred years. The good imitation of the gothic, and the happy copy in the eaſt window, of the noble remains in Tintern abby, will add no ſmall beauty to the church, and credit to the idea.

THE tombs are very few.TOMBS. Here is one in an epiſcopal habit, ſuppoſed to commemorate that munificent biſhop, David ap Owen, who died in 1512; and in the church-yard, near the weſt door, is a plain altar monument of biſhop Iſaac Barrow, who de⯑parted in 1680: and whoſe pious addreſs I can read without any offence, howſoever papiſtical zealots may think it.

IN the church-yard of the pariſh-church, is another tomb, ſin⯑gular enough, with foliage, a ſhield with a lion rampant, inſcribed around, Hic jacet Ranulſus de Smalwode; and beneath the ſhield paſſes a ſword, held by a hand. It is ſaid to have been brought from Rhuddian; but we are left unacquainted with the perſon whoſe memory it perpetuates ^*.

THIS church ſtands at the lower part of the town, and ſerves for the uſe of the inhabitants of the town and country, the cathe⯑dral not being uſed for that purpoſe.

THE members of the chapter are the dean, archdeacon, (who is the biſhop) ſix prebendaries, and ſeven canons. Beſides theſe, belong to the church, four vicars choral, four ſinging-men, four choriſters, and an organiſt.

THE preſent palace is not very magnificent. The walls are the ſame with thoſe built by biſhop David ap Owen, reſtorer of the houſe, in 1503, after it had lain in ruins a hundred years.

THE dioceſe comprehends all Flintſhire, excepting Hawarden; all Denbighſhire, but the deanery of Dyffrin Clwyd; all Montgome⯑ryſhire, excepting ſeven pariſhes; and the hundreds of Mowddwie, [21] Penllyn, and Ideirnion, in Meirionyddſhire: and treſpaſſes a little even on Shropſhire. The number of livings are a hundred and thirty; of which all, except ſeven ^*, are in the patronage of the biſhop: as is the valuable deanery.

THE road from St. Aſaph along the common called the Row, is extremely beautiful: is watered by the Elwy, which runs be⯑neath lofty banks, finely wooded: at its extremity is Pont yr allt Gôch, a noble bridge of one lofty arch, eighty-five feet in dia⯑meter. The Elwy here takes another direction, running weſt, and then north, along moſt romantic dingles, varied with meadows, woods, and cavernous rocks: neither is it deſtitute of antiquities. Y fynnon vair, or our lady's well, a fine ſpring, incloſed in an angu⯑lar wall, formerly roofed; and the ruins of a croſs-ſhaped cha⯑pel, finely over-grown with ivy, exhibit a venerable view, in a deep wooded bottom, not remote from the bridge: and this, in days of pilgrimage, the frequent haunt of devotees.

THE moſt capital view of theſe pictureſque glens, PENCRAIG. is from Pen⯑craig, on the grounds of Mrs. Jones, of Galt-vaenan; from whence is a ſight of three at once, together with an unſpeakable variety of other objects, extremely worthy a viſit from every traveller.

AT Llannerch, the chief ſeat of my kinſman, John Davies, eſq formerly called Lleweni Vechan, about half a mile to the eaſt of the bridge, I ſtopped a while to admire the charming view of the vale of Clwyd, with the magnificent boundary between it and Flintſhire. The intervening plain is of matchleſs fertility: inclo⯑ſures creep high up the hills; the remaining part is divided into [22] various ſummirs, in the ſeaſon, glowing to the ſetting ſun with the purple flowers of the heath. Churches and neat manſions en⯑liven the ſcene. From Tremeirchion-Green, placed high above Llannerch, is a very fine view of the whole vale, of the weſtern [...]oundary, and the lofty tract of Snowdon. The middle, from end to end, is enriched with towns and caſtles; among which riſes ſupreme, the rock of Denbigh, topped with its great fortreſs.

IN Tremeirchion church is the mutilated tomb of Sir Robert Pounderling, before mentioned. By his croſſed legs, it ſeems he had attained the merit of pilgrimage to the holy ſepulchre.

UNDER a handſome gothic arch lies, DAFYDD DDU. in prieſtly veſtments, well executed, the image of Dafydd Ddu, or the black of Hirad⯑dug. Underneath is inſcribed, Hic jacet DAVID AP RODERIC AP MADOC. He was vicar of this place, and dignitary of St. Aſaph: prophet and poet; and had a great concern in regulating our proſody. The Daroganen, or prophecies of Robin Ddu, ſo cele⯑brated in North Wales, I believe properly belong to Dafydd, who flouriſhed in 1340, above a hundred years before the time of Robin.

IN this church ſtood a croſs, celebrated for its miracles, which are celebrated in an owdwl, or poem, about the year 1500, by Gryffydd ap Iſan ap Llen vychan. The croſs is now demoliſhed; but the carved capital is ſtill to be ſeen, in a building adjoining to the church-yard.

IN the bottom, not far from Tremerchion, lies, half buried in woods, the ſingular houſe of Bachegraig. It conſiſts of a manſion, and three ſides, incloſing a ſquare court. The firſt conſiſts of a vaſt hall, and parlour: the reſt of it riſes into ſix wonderful ſto⯑ries, [23] including the cupola; and forms from the ſecond floor the figure of a pyramid: the rooms ſmall, and inconvenient. The bricks are admirable, and appear to have been made in Holland; and the model of the houſe was probably brought from Flanders, where this ſpecies of building was not unfrequent. The country people ſay, that it was built by the devil, in one night, and that the architect ſtill preſerves an apartment in it: but Sir Richard Clough, an eminent merchant in the reign of queen Elizabeth, ſeems to have a better title to the honor. The initials of his name are in iron on the front, with the date 1567; and on the gate-way that of 1569.

SIR Richard was a man of diſtinguiſhed character, who raiſed himſelf, by his merit, from a poor boy at Denbigh, to one of the greateſt merchants of his time. He was firſt a choriſter at Cheſter ^*: then had the good fortune to become apprentice to the famous Sir Thomas Greſham; and afterwards his partner. His re⯑ſidence was chiefly at Antwerp, where his body was interred: his heart in Whichurch, a neighbouring church. He is ſaid to have made a pilgrimage to Jeruſalem, and to have been made knight of the holy ſepulchre: this is confirmed; for he aſſumed the five croſſes, the badge of that order, for his arms ^†. His wealth was ſo great, that Eſe a aeth yn Glough, or He is become a CLOUGH, grew into a proverb, on the attainment of riches by any perſon. He left two daughters: one he beſtowed, with this houſe, and certain tythes in Llein, on Roger Saluſbury, a younger ſon of Llewenni: the other on a Wynne, of Melay, with whom he gave [24] the abby of Maenan. Sir Richard meditated great things for the advantage of his country: he deſigned to make the Clwyd navi⯑gable from Rhuddlan; to have introduced commerce; and to have made the ſides of his court the magazines, from which he was to diſpenſe his imports to the neighboring parts.

IN front of the houſe, croſs the Clwyd on Pont y Cambull, and, turning to the left, croſs it again at Pont Gryffydd, in order to ſearch in the pariſh of Bodfari, for the antient Varis. Soon enter the deep paſs, formed by nature in the Clwydian hills, from the vales into the county of Flint. But neither my own examination, or that of ſome intelligent friends, availed any thing. The ſole remaining antiquity is Britiſh; a poſt on a hill to the left, called Moel y Gaer, or the hill of the camp. The beauty of the ride makes amends for the diſappointment. The vale is narrow, fer⯑tile, diverſified with groves, and watered by the cryſtal Wheeler. The part about Maes mynan is ſingularly fine, conſiſting of de⯑tached hills, cloathed with timber; a charming extent of mea⯑dows; and the lofty mountain Moel y pare, ſkirted with trees, contraſting; itſelf to the ſofter part of the ſcenery. This place is at preſent the property of Sir Roger Moſtyn, purchaſed by one of his family from the Meſſies, a name which repreſented the county of Flint as early as the firſt of queen Mary ^*. This place has been called Llys Maes Mynan, or the palace of Maes Mynan, where Llewelyn ap Gryffydd, laſt prince of Wales, reſided in a houſe, whoſe foundations, till within theſe few years, were to be ſeen in an adjacent meadow^†.

[25]BUT there is no part of this vale that furniſhed me with the leſt veſtige of the Roman ſtation, Varis, mentioned by Antonine, in his eleventh Iter. and placed at nineteen or twenty-one miles diſtant from Conovium, or Caer-hên; for there appears an uncer⯑tainty in the reading.

QUIT the turnpike road on the left; ford the Wheler; and, after croſſing the Clwyd, reach Lleweni. On this ſpot is ſaid to have reſided, about the year 720, Marchweithian, one of the fifteen tribes or nobility of North Wales. At preſent it is the ſeat of the honorable Thomas Fitzmaurice, lately purchaſed by him from Sir Robert Saluſbury Cotton, baronet, of Cumbermere-Abby, in Cheſhire. That gentleman poſſeſſed this place by the marriage of his an⯑ceſtor, Sir Robert Cotton, with Heſter, ſiſter to Sir John Saluſbury, the laſt baronet of his name, in the time of Charles II. The Saluſburies were an Engliſh family, ſettled here before the time of Henry III. Several of the portraits were transferred with the eſtate, to the preſent owner, and preſerved in the magnificent old hall. Sir John Saluſbury the Strong, SIR JOHN SALUSBURY. is repreſented on board, a half length, with ſhort duſky hair, beardleſs, in a yellow figured jac⯑ket, a vaſt ruff, and one hand on his ſword: dated 1591: aet. 24. He ſucceeded to the eſtate on the execution of his elder brother Thomas, I. SIR THOMAS. who ſuffered in 1586, for his concern in Babington's plot. A picture, ſuppoſed to be his, is to be ſeen here; repreſenting him in a grey and black veſt, dark hair, ſhort whiſkers, buſhy beard, and with an ear-ring: his bonnet in his hand; his breaſt naked.

SIR Henry, SIR HENRY. the firſt baronet, is placed ſitting in his ſhirt; his boſom naked: over one arm is caſt a red mantle: his breeches red, with points at his knees; his ſtockings purple; his ſlippers [26] rich in lace; his beard buſhy; his whiſkers ſmall: he is ſeated in a balcony, as if at his toilet. I have ſeen here a fine picture of his eldeſt ſon, Sir Thomas, II. SIR THOMAS. as much diſtinguiſhed by his pen as his ſword. He appears as if on the point of quitting his family, to join the army; for he was a diſtinguiſhed loyaliſt in the time of Charles I. He is taking leave of his lady and three children; is dreſſed in a buff ſurtout, brown boots, with a rich ſcymetar by his ſide; attended by two grehounds, a groom, dreſſed in a long canvas gown, holding a horſe, with the arms of the houſe on the man's ſhoulders, by way of badge. This gentleman was edu⯑cated at Jeſus College, Oxford: and having, as Wood ^* ſays, a na⯑tural geny to poetry and romance, exerciſed himſelf much in thoſe juvenile ſtudies; and produced from his pen, the Hiſtory of Joſeph, in Engliſh verſe, in thirteen chapters. He retired to Lleweni; and died in 1643.

I MUST not omit the portrait of a lady,CATHERINE Y BERAIN. exceedingly celebrated in this part of Wales; the famous Catherine Tudor, better known by the name of Catherine of Berain, from her ſeat in this neigh⯑borhood. She was daughter and heireſs of Tudor ap Robert Fychan, of Berain: ſhe took for her firſt huſband John Saluſbury, heir of Lleweni; and on his death gave her hand to Sir Richard Clough. The tradition goes, that at the funeral of her beloved ſpouſe, ſhe was led to church by Sir Richard, and from church by Morris Wynne, of Gwedir, who whiſpered to her his wiſh of being her ſecond: ſhe refuſed him with great civility, informing him, that ſhe had accepted the propoſals of Sir Richard, in her way to [27] church; but aſſured him (and was as good as her word) that in caſe ſhe performed the ſame ſad duty (which ſhe was then about) to the knight, he might depend on being her third. From this match I have the honor of ſome of Catherine's blood in my veins. As ſoon as ſhe had compoſed this gentleman, to ſhew that ſhe had no ſuperſtition about the number THREE, ſhe concluded with Ed⯑ward Thelwal, of Plas y Ward, eſq departed this life Auguſt 27; and was interred at Llanivydd on the 1ſt of September, 1591.

HER portrait is an excellent three-quarters, on wood. The plate repreſents the dreſs. By the date, 1568, it ſeems to have been painted by Lucas de Heere; the only artiſt which I know of in that period, equal to the performance. I was told, that in the locket ſhe wore to the gold chain, was the hair of her ſecond and favorite huſband.

Lleweni, notwithſtanding it lies on a flat, has moſt pleaſing views of the mountains on each ſide of the vale: the town and caſtle of Denbigh form moſt capital objects, at the diſtance of two miles: and the nearer environs of the place, promiſe to animate die country by the commercial ſpirit of their active maſter.

David, brother of our laſt Llewelyn, makes great complaints of the havock made by Reginald de Grey, juſtice of Cheſter, in cutting down his wood of Lleweni ^*; which David probably held as lord of Denbigh.

ABOUT a mile and a half weſt of this houſe, viſit the church of Whitchurch, or St. Marcellus, the pariſh church of Denbigh. In the porch, a ſmall braſs ſhews, kneeling at an altar, Richard Mid⯑delton (governor of Denbigh caſtle under Edward VI. Mary, and [28] Elizabeth) who, with Jane his wife, was interred beneath. Be⯑hind him are nine ſons: behind her ſeven daughters. He died in 1575: ſhe in 1565. His virtues are rehearſed in the following quaint lines:

SEVERAL of the ſons were men of diſtinguiſhed characters. The third, William, was a ſea captain, and an eminent poet. His early education was at Oxford: but his military turn led him abroad, where he ſignalized himſelf as ſoldier and ſailor. He tranſlated the pſalms into Welſh metre, and finiſhed them on Jan. 4th, 1595, apud Scutum inſulam occidentalium Indorum; which, as well as his Barddoniaeth, or art of Welſh poetry, were publiſhed in London: the firſt in 1603, the other in 1593^*. It is ſayed, that he, with captain Thomas Price, of Plâsyollin, and one captain Koet, were the firſt who ſmoked, or (as they called it) drank tobacco pub⯑lickly in London; and that the Londoners flocked from all parts to ſee them^†. Pipes were not then invented, ſo they uſed the [29] twiſted leaves, or ſegars. The invention is uſually aſcribed to Sir Walter Raleigh. It may be ſo; but he was too good a courtier to ſmoke in public, eſpecially in the reign of James, who even condeſcended to write a book againſt the practice, under the title of The Counter-blaſt to Tobacco.

Thomas, the fourth ſon, became lord mayor of London, and was the founder of the family of Chirkcaſtle. It is recorded, that having married a young wife in his old age, the famous ſong of Room for cuckolds, here comes my lord mayor! was invented on the occaſion^*.

Charles, the fifth ſon, ſucceeded his father in the government of Denbigh caſtle.

I NOW ſpeak of the ſixth ſon, Hugh; a perſon whoſe uſeful life would give luſtre to the greateſt family. This gentleman (after⯑wards Sir Hugh) diſplayed very early his great talents; and began, as we are told by himſelf, by ſearching for coal within a mile of his native place. His attempt did not meet with ſucceſs: his genius was deſtined to act on a greater ſtage. The Capital af⯑forded him ample ſpace for his vaſt attempts: few readers need be told, that he planned and brought to perfection, the great de⯑ſign of ſupplying the city with water. This plan was meditated in the reign of Elizabeth; but no one was found bold enough to attempt it. In 1608, the dauntleſs WELSHMAN ſtept forth, and SMOTE THE ROCK: and on Michaelmas 1613, the waters flowed into the thirſting metropolis. He brought it, in defiance of hills and vallies, reckoning every winding, near thirty-nine miles; conveyed it by aqueducts in ſome places; in others pierced the [30] high grounds, and gave it a ſubterraneous courſe. He was a true prototype of the later genius of ſimilar works; but he ſacrificed private fortune to the public good. Two thouſand pounds a month, which he gained from the Cardiganſhire mines, were ſwallowed up in this river^*. He received the empty honor of ſeeing himſelf attended by the king, his court, and all the corpo⯑ration of London, among whom was his brother (deſigned mayor for the enſuing year). The waters guſhed out in their preſence, and the great architect received their applauſe, and knighthood; and, in 1622, the title of baronet. His own fair fortune being expended on an undertaking, which now brings in to the pro⯑prietors an amazing revenue, he was reduced to become a hireling ſurveyor, and was eminently uſeful in every place where draining or mining was requiſite. I ſhall have occa⯑ſion to ſpeak of ſome other of his labors in the courſe of this book. He died in 1631^†. Sir — Myddelton, the laſt baronet of this branch of the family, died a few years ago. The preſent repreſentative is a widow in diſtreſsful circumſtances: Sir Hugh left a certain number of ſhares to the Goldſmith's company, to be divided among the poor members; but, as the huſband of this poor woman happened not to be of the company, the repre⯑ſentative of the greateſt benefactor London ever had, is, I truſt through ignorance of her caſe, permitted to linger away her days in cruel penury.

A MURAL monument needleſsly attempts to preſerve the me⯑mory of that great antiquary,HUMPHREY LLWYD. Humphrey Llwyd. He is repre⯑ſented in a Spaniſh dreſs, kneeling at an altar, beneath a range of [31] ſmall arches; above, a multitude of quarterings proclame his long deſcent. He derived himſelf from the Roſendales of the north, who ſettled at Foxhall, in this neighborhood, in 1297, by marriage with the heireſs of the place. He himſelf was of a branch, which fixed at Denbigh. He was educated at Oxford, a commoner of Brazen-noſe college, and maſter of arts. He re⯑turned to his native place, an accompliſhed gentleman. He ſtu⯑died at the univerſity the healing art; but is celebrated as a per⯑ſon of great eloquence, an excellent rhetorician, and ſound philo⯑ſopher. After the panegyric paſſed on him by Cambden, it would be preſumptious to add any thing relative to his great ſkill in the antiquities of our country. He practiſed, for his amuſement, phyſic and muſic. The motto on his portrait, in poſſeſſion of his repreſentative John Lloyd, of Aſton, eſq expreſſes his liberal turn of mind: Hwy pery klod Nagolyd; FAME IS BETTER THAN WEALTH. In medicine, and the ſtudy of antiquities, he has left ſeveral proofs of his knowlege, which ſeems to have been quite unconfined. He made the map of England, for his friend Ortelius. For his bro⯑ther-in-law, lord Lumley, (whoſe ſiſter he married) he formed a large collection of uſeful and curious books; which were after⯑wards purchaſed by James I. and now make the moſt valuable part of the Britiſh Muſeum ^*. In his laſt letter to the great geo⯑grapher Ortelius ^†, he foreſees his own death, which happened ſoon after its date, in Auguſt 1568, aged 41. The very ſimple inſcription on the monument promiſes his character; but inſtead, appears only three lines of a pſalm tune.

[32]

THE tomb of Sir John Saluſbury is altar-ſhaped: his image, and that of his lady, are placed in it, recumbent; he in armour; ſhe with a great ruff. Nothing is recorded of this good couple, except that Sir John died in 1578; and that ten years after ſhe erected this monument to his memory, and I ſuppoſe to her own, a blank being left for the year and day of her departure.

A LITTLE further ſtands Denbigh, placed, like Sterling, on the ſlope of a great rock, crowned with a caſtle. Its antient Britiſh name was Caſtell Kled vryn yn Rhôs, or the Craggy Hill in Rhos, the former name of the tract in which it is ſeated. The word Dinbech, the preſent Welſh appellation, ſignifies a ſmall hill, which it is, comparative to the neighboring mountains. The firſt time I find any mention of it, is in the beginning of the reign of Edward I. from whom David, in defiance of his brother Llewelyn, choſe to hold this lordſhip, together with the cantred of Dyffryn Clwyd ^*. He made it his reſidence till the conqueſt of our country; ſoon after which, he was taken near the place, and car⯑ried, loaden with irons, to the Engliſh monarch at Rhuddlan.

THE king politically ſecured his new acquiſitions, by beſtowing ſeveral of the great lordſhips on his followers. He gave that of [33] Denbigh to Henry Lacy, earl of Lincoln, who built the caſtle, and incloſed within a wall the ſmall town he found there. Among other priveleges, he gave his vaſſals liberty of killing and deſtroy⯑ing all manner of wild beaſts on the lordſhip, except in certain parts reſerved out of the grant; I ſuppoſe for the purpoſe of the particular amuſement of the lord^*; for I find, in the reign of Henry VI. the names of five parks in this lordſhip, viz. Moylewike, Careſnodooke, Kylford, Bagh^a ̄, and Poſey, of which the king conſti⯑tuted Owen Tudor, ranger. On the death of Lacy, the lordſhip paſſed to Thomas earl of Lancaſter, by virtue of his marriage with Alicia, daughter of the laſt poſſeſſor. After the attainder of Tho⯑mas, Edward II. beſtowed it on Hugh D'Eſpencer; who proved an oppreſſive ſuperior, and abridged the inhabitants of the priveleges granted to them by Lacy ^†. By the fatal end of that favorite, it fell again to the crown; and was given by Edward III. to ano⯑ther, equally unfortunate, Roger Mortimer earl of March; whoſe death enabled the king to inveſt with this lordſhip William Moun⯑tacute earl of Saluſbury. He died in 1333: and on the reverſal of the attainder of the earl of March, it was reſtored to his family, in the perfon of his grandſon Roger: and by the marriage of Anne, ſiſter to another Roger, last earl of March, with Richard Plantagenet earl of Cambridge, it came into the houſe of York, and ſo into the crown. Queen Elizabeth, in 1563, beſtowed it, as a moſt valuable gift, on her unmerited minion, Robert Dudley earl of Leiceſter; who ſoon made the country feel the weight of his oppreſſion. Notwithſtanding the tenants made him a preſent of [34] two thouſand pounds at his firſt entrance into the lordſhip, he re⯑mained unſatisfied; he conſtrained the freeholders to raiſe the old rents of 250 l. a year, to 8 or 900 l. ^* and at his will incloſed the waſte lands, to the injury of the tenants; who, offended at his ra⯑pacity, aroſe, and levelled his encroachments. This was con⯑ſtrued into riot and rebellion: two hopeful young men, of the houſe of Lleweni, were taken to Shrewſbury, tried and executed there, for the pretended offence. He had the inſolence even to mortgage the manor to ſome merchants of London ^†; and, I ap⯑prehend, tricked them for their credulity. The various diſor⯑ders which roſe from theſe practices, were ſo great, that Eliza⯑beth interpoſed, and by charter confirmed the quiet poſſeſſion of the tenants, and allayed the diſcontents^‡. Theſe were again excited in die reign of king William, by the vaſt grant made to the earl of Portland. The ſame ferments aroſe, and the ſame means were uſed to allay them: at preſent, this, and the other great manors of Bromefield and Yale, remain in the crown, and are peacefully ſuperintended by a ſteward appointed by the king.

THE caſtle and incloſed part of the town, took up a very conſi⯑derable ſpace, and were defended by ſtrong walls and towers: the laſt are chiefly ſquare. There are two gates to the outmoſt pre⯑cinct: that called the Burgeſſes Tower, GATES. is large, ſquare, and built ſingularly, with ſmall aſhler ſtones. The other was called the Exchequer Gate, in which the lord's court was kept. Some few houſes, with moſt beautiful views, are at preſent inhabited in this [35] part. Leland ſays, that there had been divers rows of ſtreets; but in his time there were ſcarcely eighty houſholders within theſe walls. Here ſtands the chapel, called St. Hillary's, formerly be⯑longing to the garriſon, now the place of worſhip for the town. In old times, on every Sunday here were maſſes for the ſouls of Lacy and Percy ^*. Not far from it are the remains of an unfi⯑niſhed church, a hundred and ſeventy-five feet long, and ſeventy-one broad, and deſigned to have been ſupported by two rows of pillars. This noble building was begun in 1579, as appears by the date on a foundation-ſtone. It was to this purpoſe; for at preſent it is much defaced:

ON the other ſide appeared,

Veritas, vita, via. Duo ſunt templa Dei. Unu mudus I. ein: eſt Pontifex primogenties ejus verbu Dei: Alterum rationalis anima: cujus ſacerdos eſt verus homo.

G. A.^†

THIS church was begun under the auſpices of Leiceſter: CHURCH. but it is ſaid that he left off his buildings in Wales, by reaſon of the public hatred he had incurred on account of his tyranny^‡. A ſum was afterwards collected, in order to complete the work; [36] but it is ſaid, that when the earl of Eſſex paſſed through Denbigh, on his Iriſh expedition, he borrowed the money deſtined for the purpoſe, which was never repayed; and by that means, the church was left unfiniſhed^*.

THE Caſtle crowns the ſummit of the hill,CASTLE. one ſide of which is quite precipitous. The entrance is very magnificent, beneath a gothic arch, over which is the ſtatue of Henry Lacy, ſitting in ſtately flowing robes. On each ſide of the gate-way ſtood a large octagonal tower. The breaches in it are vaſt and awful: they ſerve to diſcover the antient manner of building: a double wall appears to have been built, with a great vacancy between, into which was poured all forts of rubbiſh, ſtone, and hot mortar, which time conſolidated to a ſtony hardneſs. This part, as Leland ſays, was never completed, the work having been deſerted by the earl, on the loſs of his eldeſt ſon, who was accidentally drowned in the well, whoſe opening is ſtill to be ſeen in the caſtle-yard. Charles I. lay here on the 23d of September, 1645, after his retreat from Cheſter, in a tower ſtill called Siamber y Brenbin, or the King's Tower.

THE proſpect through the broken arches is extremely fine, ex⯑tending in parts over the whole vale, and all its eaſtern hills, from Moel Venlli to Diſerth rock; a rich view, but deficient in water: the river Clwyd being too ſmall to be ſeen; and in great rains ſo furious, as to overflow a great ſpace of the meadowy tract.

faſper Tudor, earl of Pembroke, had, in the year 1459, poſſeſſed this place, and ſeveral others in the principality, in behalf of his weak half-brother, Henry VI.^* but they were wreſted from him by the Yorkiſts in the following year. In 1468 he returned, was joined by two thouſand Welſh, and burnt the town^†; meditating rather revenge than conqueſt.

IN the beginning of November 1645, the parlement army ob⯑tained, near this town, a moſt important victory over the royaliſts. The latter,BATTLE. under the command of Sir William Vaughan, had formed a conſiderable body of forces, Welſh and Iriſh, with a de⯑ſign of marching to the relief of Cheſter, then beſieged: Sir Wil⯑liam Brereton had notice of the deſign, and immediately detached that able officer Mytton, and under him colonel Jones and colonel Louthian, with one thouſand four hundred horſe, and a thouſand foot, to fruſtrate the plan. Mytton did his duty, attacked the royaliſts with vigor, and after ſeveral hot engagements, totally routed them, took five hundred horſe and four hundred foot, killed one hundred, and ſo entirely diſperſed them, as not to leave a hundred together in one place^‡.

In 164,SIEGE. we find the caſtle garriſoned by the loyaliſts: its go⯑vernor [38] was colonel William Saluſbury, of Bachymbyd, commonly called Saluſbury Hoſandu Gleiſiau, or Blue Stockings. The ſiege was begun under the conduct of major-general Mytton, about the 16th of July ^*; but ſuch was the gallant defence of the beſieged, that it was not ſurrendered till the 3d of November, and then only on the moſt honorable conditions^†. It is very remarkable, that notwithſtanding the orders of fallen majeſty, in June, for the ge⯑neral ſurrender of every garriſon in England and Wales, on fair and honorable terms, yet the firſt which yielded in North Wales, held out above two months longer than the laſt Engliſh caſtle.

THE priory of Carmelites, PRIORY. or White Friars, ſtood at the bottom of the town. It was founded by John Saluſbury, of Lleweni, who died, as appeared from a mutilated braſs, found in the conventual church, on the 7th of March, 1289^‡. Speed aſcribes the building to one John de Sunimore, in 1399; but the inſcription fixes the honor on Saluſbury. On the diſſolution, this houſe was granted to Richard Andreas and William L'Iſle. The church, now con⯑verted into a barn, is the only remaining building: it was the burying-place of the family of the founder, till the reformation; and ſome of their tombs were to be ſeen here within memory of man.

THE preſent town covers great part of the ſlope of the hill;TRADE. and ſome ſtreets extend along the plain. Its manufactures in ſhoes and gloves are very conſiderable; and great quantities are [39] annually ſent to London, to the great warehouſes of the Capital, and for the purpoſes of exportation.

THE conſtitution of this borough, and its origin, will be fully explained by the following tranſcript, communicated to me by one of its burgeſſes. It begins with citing the laſt charter,CHARTER. which is that granted by king Charles II. which recites letters patent granted by queen Elizabeth, and dated at Weſtminſter the 20th of June, in the thirty-ninth year of her reign; in which the ſaid queen recites, "That ſeeing Edward I. by his letters patent, dated at Northampton the 29th of Auguſt, in the eighteenth year of his reign, hath granted to Henry de Lacy, earl of Lincoln, that all his men then inhabiting his town of Denbigh, or that ſhould for ever inhabit it, through all his territories, formerly belonging to the king of Wales, and alſo through the counties of Cheſter, Salop, Stafford, Glouceſter, Worceſter, and Hereford, ſhould be free and ac⯑quitted for ever from all toll, ſtallage, payage, panage, murage, pontage, and paſſage; and ſeeing alſo king Edward III. by his letters patent, dated at York the 27th of October, in the ſixth year of his reign, hath, for himſelf, and his heirs and ſucceſſors, then inha⯑biting, and afterward to inhabit, the ſaid town, ſhould, through the kingdom and dominions, be free and acquitted from all ſuch toll, ſtallage, payage, murage, pontage, and paſſage; and ſeeing alſo that Richard II. by his letters patent, dated at Weſtminſter the 22d of February, in the ſecond year of his reign, granted to the aboveſaid men, that the aforeſaid town of Denbigh, and half a mile compaſs about the town, ſhould be a free borough, and that the men inhabiting, and afterwards to inhabit, ſhould be free bur⯑geſſes; and ſeeing alſo that Richard III. by his letters, dated at [40] Weſtminſter the 10th of December, in the ſecond year of his reign, confirmed the aforeſaid grants, and by his ſaid letters patent did grant unto the ſaid burgeſſes, their heirs and aſſigns, being Engliſh⯑men, common of paſture for all manner of cattle, at all times in the year, in the common paſture of the town and foreſt of Lleweney; and that the burgeſſes aforeſaid, and their heirs and aſſigns, ſhould be free and acquitted, in all his dominions and territories in England and Ireland, ſoc, ſac, toll, and them, laſtage, ſtallage, payage, pannage, pontage, murage, and other cuſtoms whatſoever. And the aforeſaid queen Elizabeth, by her ſaid letters patent, did ordain, conſtitute, grant, and confirm, that the town and borough of Denbigh may extend, on every ſide, one mile and a half, according to the common acceptations of that place, from the high croſs ſtanding in the market-place of the ſaid town; and that the ſaid town and borough of itſelf, and the burgeſſes of the ſaid borough, now and hereafter in being, be, and ſhall be for ever hereafter, one body corporate and politick, in things, fact, and name, by the name of "THE ALDERMEN, BAILIFFS, and BURGESSES of the borough of Denbigh;" and it is alſo ordained, that there be a common ſeal for tranſacting of any cauſes or buſineſſes; and alſo ordained, that there be two aldermen, two bailiffs, and two coro⯑ners, and twenty-five of the better ſort and beſt reputed of the bur⯑geſſes, to be capital burgeſſes and counſellors of the ſaid borough.

"THE aldermen and bailiffs are elected and nominated upon Michaelmas-day, yearly. There are two other officers, called ſer⯑jeants at mace (or mace-bearers) for the execution of proceſſes and mandates iſſuing out of the court of the ſaid borough; they are appointed by the bailiffs of the ſaid borough for the time being.

[41]"THERE is alſo a recorder of the ſaid borough, who is appointed by the aldermen, bailiffs, and capital burgeſſes.

"CONSTABLES, leavelookers, and other inferior officers, are likewiſe appointed by the aldermen, bailiffs, and capital burgeſſes.

"THERE is a council chamber, or guild, within the ſaid borough, for the purpoſe of holding and ſitting courts of convocation, be⯑fore the aldermen, bailiffs, and capital burgeſſes.

"THERE is a court of record, to be held every other Friday through the year, before the bailiffs of the ſaid borough, or one of them; and in that court, by complaint made in it, they may hold all and all manner of pleas, actions, ſuits, demands of all ſorts of tranſgreſſions vi et armis, or otherwiſe; and alſo all and all manner of debts, accompts, bargains, frauds, detaining of deeds, writings, muniments, and taking and detaining of beaſts and cat⯑tle, or goods; and all contracts whatſoever, ariſing within the ſaid borough; and that ſuch pleas, ſuits, and actions, be heard and terminated before the bailiffs, or one of them.

"THE aldermen are juſtices, and hold quarter ſeſſions, in the ſame manner as county ſeſſions are held by ſtatute, to hear and deter⯑mine cauſes; but not to proceed in caſe of death, or loſs of life or limb.

"No country juſtice to intermeddle with any matters or things whatſoever, appertaining to the office of juſtice of the peace, which ſhall ariſe or happen within the borough.

I CANNOT but record the virtue of thoſe of the year 1572, who [42] had the courage to withſtand the inſinuations, the promiſes, and the threats, of as unprincipled a lord as this kingdom was ever afflicted with; who had power to inflict, and will to execute, any vengeance that oppoſition to his arbitrary inclinations might excite. In that year it was his pleaſure that one Henry Dynne ſhould repreſent this borough in parlement; the burgeſſes were refractory, and choſe another perſon; which gave riſe to the fol⯑lowing letter, which I print, as a ſans pareille.

THIS doughty letter had no effect: the burgeſſes adhered to their own choice, and Richard Candiſhe, gent. ſtands as member for Denbigh in that year^*. Leiceſter did but copy his miſtreſs in his contempt of privelege of parlements: Elizabeth thought them the mere inſtruments of giving ſanction to her will: for if they once preſumed to oppoſe it, ſhe without ceremony informed them of her diſpleaſure. Peter Wentworth, for the ſimple propoſition, ‘that a member of parlement might, without controlment of his perſon, or danger of the laws, by bill or ſpeech, utter any of the griefs of this commonwealth whatſoever, touching the ſervice of GOD, the ſafety of the prince, and this noble realm,’ was ſent to the tower; and to the petition of the houſe for his releaſe, an anſwer was returned, that it was very unfit for her majeſty to give [44] any account of her actions. Her prerogative was the rule of go⯑vernment: the great council was expreſsly forbidden to meddle in matters of ſtate, or in cauſes eccleſiaſtical^*: and this was the GOLDEN REIGN of ELIZABETH!

FROM Denbigh I went to the hoſpitable houſe of Gwaenynog, about two miles diſtant, fronted by the moſt majeſtic oaks in our principality. The fine wooded dingles belonging to the demeſne are extremely well worth viſiting: they are moſt judiciouſly cut into walks by the owner, John Myddelton, eſq and afford as beautiful ſcenery in their kind, as any we have to boaſt. Moel Vamma ſuperbly terminates one view; and the ruins of Denbigh Caſtle burſt awfully at the termination of the concluding path.

IN rummaging over the family papers of this houſe, I met with an anecdote of it, too ſingular to be ſuppreſſed. It will prove at left, that private morals, and reſpect to the laws, were in that diſtant period but in a very low ſtate; for no notice ſeems to have been taken of ſo atrocious an offence. The criminal en⯑joyed the favor of the crown, in common with others its peaceful ſubjects.

David Myddelton, who is ſtyled receiver of Denbigh in the nine⯑teenth of Edward IV. and Valectus Coronae Dⁿⁱ Regis, in the ſecond of Richard III. made his addreſſes to Elyn, daughter of Sir John Done, of Utkinton, in Cheſhire, and gained the lady's affections; but the parents preferred their relation, Richard Done, of Croton. The marriage was accordingly celebrated; which David having notice of, watched the groom leading his bride out of church, [45] killed him on the ſpot, and then carried away his miſtreſs, and married her the ſame day; ſo that ſhe was a maid, widow, and wife twice, in one day. From Roger, the eldeſt ſon of the match, deſcended the Myddeltons of this place.

I MENTION Thomas Myddelton, another of his progeny, only to prove, that the cuſtom of the Iriſh howl, or Scotch Coranich, was in uſe among us; for we are told he was buried cum magno dolore et clamore cognatorum et propinquorum omnium.

HAVING made Gwaenynog my head quarters for this neighbor⯑hood, I one day viſited from thence Henllan, the pariſh church of theſe parts; remarkable for the ſchiſm between church and ſteeple: the firſt having retreated into the bottom, the laſt maintains its ſta⯑tion on the top of the hill. The church is covered with ſhingles; a ſpecies of roof almoſt obſolete. St. Sadwrn, or St. Saturnus, cotem⯑porary to St. Wenefrede, has it under his protection. Here was interred Sir Peter Mutton, knight, deſcended from Richard Mutton, of Rhuddlan, and Elen, daughter to John (Aer Hên) Conway, of Bod⯑rhyddan. Sir Peter, as his epitaph informs us, was chief juſtice of North Wales, a matter in chancery, prothonatory, and clerk of the crown. He died November the 4th, 1637. He had the ho⯑nor of repreſenting the borough of Caernarvon; and once occa⯑ſioned much diverſion to the houſe, by aſſerting, in one of his ſpeeches, "that he remembered fourteen years before he was he was born, &c. &c." But he was a good judge, made a fair fortune, and by marriage acquired the eſtate of Llanerch, which paſſed with his daughter to Robert Davies, of Gwyſaney, eſq anceſtor of the preſent owner.

NOT far from Henllan church, in the pariſh of Llan-nefydd, on [46] the bank of the brook Meirchion, are the remains of a ſeat of Me⯑reddydd ap Meirchion, or Merach y Meirch, lord of Iſdulas. Part is now ſtanding, particularly the chapel, which ſerves for a farm⯑houſe; but ſome very extenſive foundations ſhew its former im⯑portance.

FROM hence, after a ride of a few miles, I reached Dyffryn Al⯑led, or the vale of the river Alled, a very narrow tract, bounded by high hills, and of late ornamented by the magnificent ſeat built by Mrs. Meyric. At the head of the valley ſtand the village and church of Llanſannan, dedicated to St. Sannan, confeſſor and hermit; deſcended (for our very ſaints boaſt of their pedegree) from antient parentage, near the territory of the father of St. We⯑nefrede, with whom he maintained ſtrict friendſhip. Their re⯑mains were both enterred at Gwytherin; to which place, though unworthy, I reſolved on an immediate pilgrimage.

IN my way, I deſcended a very ſteep wooded dell, in the town⯑ſhip of Penared, to viſit the gloomy cataract of Llyn yr ogo, where the Alled tumbles into a horrible black cavern, overſhaded by oaks. Somewhat higher up is another, expoſed to full day, falling from a vaſt height, and dividing the naked glen. Llyn-Alled, the ſmall lake from which the river flows, lies at a ſmall diſtance, amidſt black and heathy mountains, through which runs much of the road to Gwytherin.

THAT little village and church ſtand on a bank, at the head of a ſmall vale, near the riſe of the Elwy. The church is celebrated for the honor of having firſt received the remains of St. Winefrede, ST. WINEFREDE. after her ſecond death. On the deceaſe of St. Beuno, ſhe was warned by a voice to call on St. Deifer at Bodvari; by St. Deifer [47] ſhe was directed to go to St. Saturnus, at Henllan; and by St. Sa⯑turnus, to ſeek a final retreat with St. Elerius, at Gwytherin. Hi⯑ther ſhe repaired, found a convent of nuns, received the veil from the ſaint, and, on the death of the abbeſs Theonia, ſucceeded to the high charge. St. Wenefrede died on the 3d of November, and reſted here in quiet, near the body of her predeceſſor, for the ſpace of five hundred years. By reaſon of a miracle, wrought, as was ſuppoſed, by her interceſſion, on a monk of Shrewſbury, the abbot determined on the tranſlation of her remains to their mo⯑naſtery.HER REMAINS TRANSLATED. Seven holy men were deputed: the inhabitants of Gwytherin refuſed to part with ſuch a treaſure: viſions deter⯑mined the former to perſiſt in their requeſt: and at length, on the declaration of the will of heaven, by another viſion, to the parſon of Gwytherin, who declared to his flock the impiety of far⯑ther reſiſtance, the reliques were delivered up, and carried with triumph to their place of deſtination^* The prior at this time was Robert. Mr. William Mytton ^† calls him Pennant. If he was of the neighborhood of Holywell, I do not wonder he was ſo anxious about the remains of his countrywoman, which he knew could not fail enriching his houſe, by virtue of the miracle-craft ſo frequent in that age.

IN the church is ſhewn the box in which her reliques were kept, before their removal to Shrewſbury. Here is alſo an antient grave⯑ſtone, with a flowery croſs and chalice (the laſt denoting the [48] prieſtly profeſſion of the deceaſed) with Hic jacet Llowarch Mab Cadell, inſcribed on the croſs.

THE Saint's Chapel, Capell Gwenfrewi, is now totally deſtroyed: it ſtood on the ſouth ſide of the church; but nothing remains: except ſome ſlight ditches and foundations.

ON the north ſide of the church-yard ſtand four rude upright ſtones. On one is rudely cut an inſcription, for which I refer to the ſupplemental plates.

IN my return, I followed the courſe of the Elwy, by Havodynos, the ſeat of Howel Lloyd, eſq by the church and village of Llangerniew; by Garthewin, the ſeat of Robert Wynn, eſq command⯑ing a moſt lovely view of a fertile little valley, bounded by hills covered with hanging woods; and by Llanvair Dôlhaearn, a vil⯑lage and church at a ſmall diſtance above the conflux of the Elwy and Alled. In this pariſh above the Elwy, was one of the reſi⯑dences of Hedd Molwynog, deſcended from RODERIC THE GREAT king of all Wales. YR HEN LLYS. A large moat, called Yr Hén Llys, marks th [...] place: as the field, ſtyled Maes y Bendithion, does the ſpot wher the poor received his alms^*. Molwynog was chief of one of the fifteen tribes of North Wales; was cotemporary with David a [...] Owen Gwynedd; and aſſiſted that prince to carry fire and ſwor [...] through England, even to the walls of Coventry. A deſcendant [...] his third ſon, Gwrgi, peopled North Wales with Llwyds; ſo Bleyddyn, the ſon of Bleyddyn Vychan, aſſuming the addition [...] Llwyd, or the Grey, founded the houſe of Havodynos. Among hi [...] good deeds muſt be told, that to him is owing the ſtone bridge [...] Llanſanan.

[49]I HOPE my countrymen will not grow indignant, when I ex⯑preſs my fears, that in very early times we were as fierce and ſa⯑vage as the reſt of Europe: and they will bear this the better, when they reflect, that they keep pace with it in civilization, and in the progreſs of every fine art. We cannot deny but that we were, to the exceſs, ‘Jealous in honor, ſudden and quick in quarrel.’

Two gentlemen of this houſe exemplify the aſſertion.RUDE TIMES. Meiric ap Bleyddyn, reſentful of the injuries which he and his tenants re⯑ceived from the Engliſh judges and officers) ſlew one of the firſt, and hanged ſeveral of the latter on the oaks of his woods; by which he forfeited to the crown the lands, ſtill known in theſe parts by the name of Têr Meiric Llwyd, or the eſtate of Meiric Llwyd ^*. As to his perſon, he ſecured it within the ſanctuary at Hulſton^†; and marrying, founded in that neighborhood the houſe of Llwyn y Maen.

Bleyddyn Vychan, another of this race, fell out with his tenants, and in a fit of fury chaſed them from his eſtate, and turned it into a foreſt^‡; a pretty picture of the manners of the times! The place lies in the pariſh of Llanſanan, and bears the name of Foreſt to this day.

RETURNED to Gwaenynog, and paſſing beneath Denbigh Caſtle, viſit Llanrhaider, a village in the middle of the vale, remarkable for an eaſt window of good and very entire painted glaſs, ex⯑preſſing [50] a favorite ſubject of the time, the root of Jeſſe. The pa⯑triarch is repreſented ſprawling at the bottom, with a genealogi⯑cal tree iſſuing out of him, containing all the kings of Iſrael and Juda, up to our SAVIOUR. The branches around the kings are in very beautiful foliage: at the top is a roſe of Lancaſter, and ano⯑ther with an eye in glory within it: the window being done in 1533, after the acceſſion of that houſe. Here, in a vaſt monu⯑ment of Maurice Jones, of Llanrhaider, eſq may be ſeen ‘Eternal buckle take in Parian ſtone.’ His figure is lying down, leaning on his arm, in his gown, with his wig in excellent curl, and ſurrounded by weeping genii, and much funebrial abſurdity.

IN the church-yard is a common altar-tomb of a gentleman, who choſe to build his fame on the long ſeries of anceſtors which diſtinguiſhed his from vulgar clay. It tells us, that

[51]ON an eminence to the north-weſt of the church, called Cader Gwladus, or Gwladus's ^* Chair, is an extremely beautiful view of the vale between Denbigh and Ruthin, FINE VIEW. and the whole breadth chequered with wood, meadows, and corn fields; and almoſt the whole range of the eaſtern limits ſoaring far above it. Denbigh Caſtle from hence ſhews itſelf to great advantage, with its walls and towers extending along its precipitous baſe.

AT the foot of this riſing is Fynnon Ddyſnog, a fine ſpring, de⯑dicated to St. Ddyſnog, one of our long pedegreed faints; for⯑merly much reſorted to by votaries. The fountain is incloſed in an angular wall, decorated with ſmall human figures; and before is the well for the uſe of the pious bathers.

NEAR this are ſome comfortable alms-houſes for eight widows, founded by Mrs. Jones, of Llanrhaider (a Bagot) in 1729: and each has her garden, and two ſhillings a week.

HERE the dioceſe of Bangor encroaches on that of St. Aſaph, and takes out of it the beautiful pariſh of Llanrhaider, and all the upper end of the vale.

ON the road to Ruthin, on an eſtate of Sir William Bagot, are to be ſeen ſome very fine cheſnut trees;CHESNUT TREES. one of which is near twenty-four feet in circumference. The reader need not be told, that this ſpecies of trees is not a native of Great Britain, nor even of Europe. We are indebted for it to the Romans, who probably firſt planted it in Kent, where it has been fo fully naturalized, as to form, in certain tracts, great woods; in other parts of the kingdom, it every where appears cultivated; as ſparingly as it [52] might have been originally in Italy, after it had been brought from Lydia, its native place^*.

REACH Ruthin, RUTHIN. and enter under Porth y Dwr, its only remain⯑ing gate. The town is pleaſantly ſeated, on the eaſy ſlope and ſummit of a riſing ground.CASTLE. The caſtle ſtood on the ſouth ſide, and in part ſunk beneath the earth: its poor remains impend over the fall of land fronting the weſt, where a fragment or two of a tower are ſtill to be ſeen, mixed with the native rock, which in parts ſerved as a facing to the fortreſs, whoſe lower part was formed out of it; a very deep foſs, hewen out of the live ſtone, with a portal at each end, divides it breadthways. Honeſt Church-yard, with great truth and ſimplicity, thus deſcribes the work:

A DRAWING I diſcovered in the Britiſh Muſeum, ſhews that it ſoared high above the ground, and that its numerous towers well merited the poet's praiſe.

THE views from the ſummit of the ruins, are very well worthy of the traveller's attention. If he is fond of a more aerial one, I would by all means have him aſcend the heights of Bwlch pen y Barras, from whence is a full proſpect of our boaſted vale, and the remote hills of our Alpine tract.

[53]THE Welſh name of the fortreſs is Caſtell Côch yn Gwernvor ^*. Poſſibly our countrymen had here a ſtrong-hold before the time of Edward I. who built the caſtle whoſe ruins we ſurvey^†, and beſtowed it, in 1281, with the cantred of Dyffryn Clwyd, on Regi⯑nald de Grey; for which he did homage, at Cheſter, to Edward of Caernarvon, then prince of Wales. The king added at the ſame time the townſhips of Maesmynnan, Pembedw, and Blowite, as de⯑pendencies on the caſtle; and I ought to add the land of Wenchal de Lacy. Out of this antient cantred was formed the preſent lordſhip of Ruthin, which comprehends ſeveral pariſhes. It re⯑mained in the family of the Greys till the time of Richard earl of Kent, who having diſſipated his fortune by gaming, ſold it to Henry VII. Queen Elizabeth beſtowed it on Ambroſe Dudley earl of Warwick: and it is now in poſſeſſion of Richard Myddelton, eſq of Chirk Caſtle. I muſt obſerve, this lordſhip was directed by Edward the Second, to contribute two hundred foot ſoldiers for his Scottiſh expedition, in 1309; but in 1325, only one man at arms and thirty footmen were required^‡.

THE inhabitants, united with thoſe of Denbigh and Holt, ſend a repreſentative to parlement.

THE town of Ruthin was burnt by Owen Glendwr, BURNT BY GLENDWR. on September the 20th, 1400. He took the opportunity of ſurprizing it during the fair, enriched his followers with the plunder, and then retired to his faſtneſſes among the hills.

IN the laſt century, the caſtle was garriſoned by the loyaliſts, [54] and ſuſtained, in 1646, a ſiege, from February to the middle of April; CASTLE TAKEN BY MYTTON. when it ſurrendered, with two months proviſions, to gene⯑ral Mytton, who received the thanks of the houſe for his ſervices; the commons ordered Mr. Fogge, his chaplain, fifty pounds for bringing the news, and confirmed the general's appointment or lieutenant-colonel Maſon to the government of the new con⯑queſt^†. The fortreſs was afterwards demoliſhed by an order of the houſe.

THE church is large,CHURCH. yet only a chapel to Llanruth. The roof prettily divided into ſmall ſquares, ornamented with ſculpture, and marked with the names of the workmen. The only monu⯑ment of any note, is that of Doctor Gabriel Goodman, dean of Weſtminſter in the time of queen Elizabeth, whoſe figure is repre⯑ſented by a buſt. This illuſtrious divine was a native of Ruthin, and was greatly diſtinguiſhed by his various merit. As a church⯑man, he acquired great fame by his tranſlation of the epiſtle to the Corinthians, being aſſiſtant in the verſion of the bible into Engliſh: as a philanthropiſt, his foundation of a hoſpital for twelve poor people, and a warden (who is the clergyman of the place) perpetuates his benevolent turn: and his affection to learned men is evident, not only by his eſtabliſhing here a free ſchool for this pariſh, and that of Llan-Elidan, with a ſtipend to the maſter of ſixty pounds a year; but by his being the patron of the great Cambden ^*, whom he enabled to take thoſe travels, which produced the fineſt collection of provincial antiquities ever extant.

[55]THE church was originally conventual, and belonged to a houſe of Bonhommes ^*, a ſpecies of Auguſtins, introduced into England in 1283: but the time of their continuance here could be but very ſhort; for, in 1310, John, ſon of Reginald de Grey, made it colle⯑giate, and eſtabliſhed ſeven regular prieſts, with an endowment of two hundred and five acres of land, in Roſmeryon and Rue, beſides other lands, and woods, a mill, paſture for twenty-three cows and a bull; and pannage, or the free keeping of ſixty hogs in the woods of the lordſhip^†. For theſe, and ſeveral other good things, the ſaid prieſts were for ever to celebrate daily a ſolemn maſs, for the ſouls of Edward I. queen Eleanor, Reginald de Grey and Matilda his wife, the founder and his wife, all their friends and relations, and of all the benefactors to this church^†.

John de Grey was poſſibly buried here; and his might be the tomb, which Churchyard calls that of an earl of Kent; which ſtood in the chancel, and in his days was placed on the right ſide of the choir.

THE apartments of the prieſts were connected to the church by a cloiſter; part of which is built up, and ſerves as the man⯑ſion of the warden. When John de Grey undertook this work, he obtained the conſent of Sir Hugh, then rector of Llanruth; to whom he allows this to have been ſubordinate, by cuſtom as well as right^‡.

IN 1583, here were left in charge four incumbents, with pen⯑ſions from ſix pounds to one pound ſix ſhillings and eight-pence [56] each^*. The lands were granted by Edward VI. to Wil⯑liam Winlove and Richard Fyld ^†.

Ruthin, and ſeveral other pariſhes, which formerly compoſed the cantref of Dyffryn Clwyd, form a deanery in the dioceſe of Bangor, bearing the antient name.

Leland mentions a houſe of white friers^‡ in this town, but gives no particulars. It poſſibly ſtood in the ſtreet, to this day called Prior's-Street.

THE new jail does much honor to the architect,JAIL. Mr. Joſeph Turner; the contrivance comprehending all the requiſites of theſe ſeats of miſery, ſecurity, cleaneſs, and health. The debtors are ſeparated from the criminals by a very lofty wall, dividing their reſpective yards, which are airy and ſpacious, and are ſupplied with baths. The condemned cells are on a level with the ground; are dry, light, and ſtrong; an excellent contraſt to the ſad dungeons of antient priſons.

FROM Ruthin. I viſited the neat little mother church of Llan⯑ruth, dedicated to St. Meugan, a great aſtrologer, and phyſician to king Vortigern. In it is the monument of John Thelwall, eſq of Bathavarn, and his wife, kneeling at an altar: behind him are ten ſons^§; behind her, four daughters. Of the ſons, Sir Bevis is armed; the reſt are in gowns; and three carry in their hands a ſkull, to denote their early departure. The other ſeven lived [57] to advanced life, and flouriſhed cotemporaries in the ſeveral pro⯑feſſions they had embraced.

John, the eldeſt, died aged 97, and left a poſterity, amounting to between two hundred and forty and two hundred and ſixty.

SIR Eubule became maſter of Jeſus College, Oxford. I will not tire the reader with the whole family hiſtory; but muſt not omit Ambroſe, the ninth ſon, who began life with being ſervant to Sir Francis Bacon; and ſo great a favorite was he, that in order to reward him, Sir Francis moved his royal maſter to knight all the maſters in chancery; for which Ambroſe was to have a gratuity of one hundred pounds a man. The affair was done, and the money paid, except by his brother, Sir Eubule, then one of the maſters, to whom he remitted the fees.

THERE is in the church a monumental buſt of Ambroſe, admi⯑rably cut: his hair ſhort; beard, peaked; and ruff, flat.

THIS family came from Thelwall, in Cheſhire, and took their name from the place. The founder was a follower of Reginald de Grey, and made a ſettlement in theſe parts. Notwithſtanding the numerous offspring of the family, and the other branches, only two remain of the name, my kinſman, Edward Thelwall, eſq of Llanbeder, a moſt beautiful ſituation, high on the ſide of the hills, two miles eaſt of Ruthin; and Simon Thelwall, eſq of Blaen-yâl.

FROM Llanruth the vale grows very narrow, and almoſt cloſes with the pariſh of Llanvair. If I place the extremity at Pont Newydd, there cannot be a more beautiful finiſhing; where the bridge, near the junction of the Clwyd and the Heſpin; and a lofty hill, with its cloathed with hanging woods, terminate the view.

[58]Go over part of Coed Marchan, a large naked common, noted for a quarry of coarſe red and white marble. Deſcend into the narrow vale of Nant-clwyd; and for ſome time ride over dreary commons. On one is a ſmall encampment, with a ſingle foſs, called Caer Senial. Near this place, enter MEIREONEDDSHIRE. And, within ſight of the former, viſit Caer Drewyn, another poſt, in full view of the beautiful vales of Glyn-dwrdwye and Edernion, watered by the Dee. It lies on the ſteep ſlope of a hill; is of a circular form,BRITISH POST. and about half a mile in circumference; and the defence conſiſts of a ſingle wall, moſtly in ruins; yet in ſome parts the facings are ſtill apparent: in the thickneſs of the walls are evident remains of apartments. It had two entrances. Near the north-eaſtern is an oblong ſquare, added to the main works; and as the ground there is rather flat, it is ſtrengthened with a great ditch, and a wall: within are the foundations of rude ſtone buildings; one of which is circular, and ſeveral yards in diameter: the ditch is carried much farther than the wall; and ſeems part of an unfiniſhed addition to the whole. It is conjec⯑tured, that Owen Gwynedd occupied this poſt, while Henry II. lay encamped on the Berwyn hills, on the other ſide of the vale. Owen Glyndwr is ſaid alſo to have made uſe of this faſtneſs, in his occaſional retreats.

NOT far from hence, near Gwyddelwern, is a place called Saith Marchog, from the circumſtance of Owen having there ſurprized Reginald de Grey, and ſeven knights (Saith Marchog) in his train^*.

[59]THIS poſt or faſtneſs of Caer Drewyn, is but one of the chain which begins at Diſerth, and is continued along the Clwydian hills into the mountains of Yale; for on the laſt are others; one on a Moel y Gaer, and another on Moel Forfydd; and Bryn Eglwys church ſeems to have been placed in the area of a third. Theſe were the temporary retreats of the inhabitants in time of war, or ſudden invaſions: here they placed their women, their children, and cattle, under ſtrong garriſon; or perhaps a whole clan or nation might withdraw into them, till the retreat of the enemy, who could never ſubſiſt long in a country, where all the proviſions were in this manner ſecured. It is alſo equally cer⯑tain, that the inhabitants themſelves could not remain here for any long ſpace, as moſt of theſe faſtneſſes are deſtitute of water^*.

DESCEND, and finding the uſual ford of the Dee to Corwen im⯑paſſable, get again into the Ruthin road, on a common marked with Tumuli, the frequent ſigns of ſlaughter. Theſe appear to me to have been the graves of the ſlain in ſome ſkirmiſh which the Welſh had with the Engliſh, about the year 1255; when Llewelyn ap Gryffyd, collecting all his power, recovered the inland part of North Wales, and all Merioneddſhire, from the uſurpation of Henry III.^†.

PASS near the houſe of Rûg. This place is memorable for the treacherous ſurprizal of Gryffyd ap Conan, king of Wales, ſoon af⯑ter his victory at Carno, in the year 1077; having been enveigled hither by the treaſon of one Muriawn Goch. The mount (in all likelihood originally Roman) on which the caſtelet ſtood, is ſtill [60] to be ſeen in the garden. Notwithſtanding his eminent ſucceſs, he fell into a long captivity, being here betrayed into the hands of Hugh Lupus earl of Cheſter, and Hugh Beleſme earl of Shrewſ⯑bury, and was conveyed to the caſtle of Chester, where he endured a twelve years impriſonment. At length he was releaſed by the bravery of a young man of theſe parts, Kynwric Hîr; who, com⯑ing to Cheſter under pretence of buying neceſſaries, took an op⯑portunity, while the keepers were a feaſting, to carry away his prince, loaden with irons, on his back, to a place of ſecurity^*.

IN after-times, this place became the property of Owen Bro⯑gyntyn, natural ſon of Madog ap Mereddydd, a prince of Powys. Such was the merit of Brogyntyn, that he ſhared his father's in⯑heritance equal with his legitimate brethren. His dagger, cu⯑riouſly wrought, is, I am told, ſtill preſerved in the houſe. By the marriage of Margaret Wenn, daughter and heireſs of Jevan ap Howel, a deſcendant of Brogyntyn, with Pyers Saluſbury, of Bachym⯑byd ^†, were derived the Saluſburies of Rûg; a name exiſting in the male line till the preſent century.

I MAY mention here, as a ſequel to the life of Owen Glyndwr, that on his attainder, Henry IV. ſold the lordſhip of Glyndwrdwy to Robert Saluſbury ^‡, of Rûg.

CROSS the Dee, on a very handſome bridge of ſix arches, from which the river ſhews itſelf to vaſt advantage, above and below, in form of two extenſive channels, bordered by trees, and ferti⯑lizing a verdant tract of meadow.

REACH Corwen, whoſe church and ſmall town, ſeated beneath a [61] vaſt rock at the foot of the Berwyn hills, form a pictureſque point of view, from various parts of the preceding ride.

Corwen is celebrated for being the great rendezvous of the Welſh forces under Owen Gwynedd ^*, who from hence put a ſtop to the invaſion of Henry II. in the year 1165. The place of en⯑campment is marked, as I am told, by a rampart of earth, above the church ſouthward; and by the marks of the ſites of abundance of tents from thence to the village of Cynwyd.

THE church is built in form of a croſs. Within is the tomb of one of its vicars, Jorwerth Sulien. His figure, holding a cha⯑lice in his hand, is repreſented as low as his breaſt, over which the inſcription, "Hie jacet Jorwerth Sulien, Vicarius de Corvaen, ora pro eo," is continued. The whole is a very elegant piece of engraving, upon the coffin-lid, I fear not old enough to make it the tomb of St. Julien, archbiſhop of St. David; the godlieſt man and greateſt clerke in all Wales ^†: yet that ſaint has his well here, and is patron of the church.

ON the ſouth ſide of the church wall is cut a very rude croſs, which is ſhewn to ſtrangers as the ſword of Owen Glyndwr. A moſt ſingular croſs in the church-yard merits attention: the ſhaſt is let into a flat ſtone, and that again is ſupported by four or five rude ſtones, as if the whole had been formed in imitation of, and in veneration of the ſacred Cromlehs of very early time.

A MONUMENT of our ſuperſtition remains in the Carreg y Big yn y fach Newlyd, a pointed rude ſtone, which ſtands near the porch. We are told that all attempts to build the church in any other place, were fruſtrated by the influence of certain adverſe [62] powers, till the founders, warned in viſion, were directed to the ſpot where this pillar ſtood.

IN the church-yard is a building, founded by William Eyton, of Plâs Warren, in Shropſhire; who, in 1709, left by will a ſum for the ſupport of ſix widows of clergy of the county of Merioneth only, and for the erecting ſix houſes for them to live in. In con⯑ſequence, this building was finiſhed, and lands, to the preſent amount of ſixty pounds a year, bought, which is equally divided among the widows reſident here.

LEAVE Corwen, and return as far as the bridge on the way I came. The vaſt Berwyn mountains are the eaſtern boundary of this beautiful vale. Their higheſt tops are Cader Fronwen, or The White Breaſt, and Cader Ferwyn. On the firſt is a great heap of ſtones, brought from ſome diſtant part, with great toil, up the ſteep aſcent; and in their middle is an erect pillar. Of him, whoſe ambition climbed this height for a monument, we are left in ignorance. Under their ſummit is ſaid to run an artificial road,FFORD HELEN. called Ffordd Helen, or Helen's Way; a lady, of whoſe labors I ſhall ſoon have occaſion to ſpeak further.

ON theſe hills, particularly about Cader Fronwen, is found the Rubus Chamaemorus,CLOUD BERRIES.Cloud Berries, or Knot Berries. Llwyd ^* ſays, that the Welſh call it Mwyar Berwyn, Mora Montis Berwyn. They are frequently uſed for the making of tarts; and the Swedes and Norwegians reckon the berries to be excellent antiſcorbutics, and preſerve great quantities in autumn, to make tarts. The Laplanders bruiſe and eat them as a delicious food, in the milk of rein-deer; and to preſerve them through the winter, bury [63] them in ſnow, and at the return of ſpring, find them as freſh as when firſt gathered^*. I have ſeen them in the Highlands of Scotland, brought to table as a deſert.

REACH Cynwyd, a ſmall village, formerly noted for the courts kept here by the great men of the neighborhood, to ſettle the boundaries of their ſeveral clames on the waſtes and commons, and to take cognizances of the encroachment; but they have been long diſcontinued, and the records deſtroyed.

VISIT from this place Rhaider Cynwyd, WATTER-FALL. or the fall of Cynwyd, which finely finiſhes the end of the dingle, that extends about half a mile from the village. The water of the river Tryſtion burſts from the ſides of the hill, through deep and narrow chaſms, from rock to rock, which are overgrown with wood. The rude and antient ſtocks, that hang in many parts over the precipices, add much to this pictureſque ſcene; which is ſtill improved by the little mill, and its inhabitants, in this ſequeſtered bottom.

PURSUE the journey to Bala. Go by the little church of Llangar. Obſerve ſomewhat farther on the left, in a field called Caer Bont, CAER BONT. a ſmall circular entrenchment, conſiſting of a foſs and rampart, with two entrances, meant probably as a guard to this paſs. My fellow-traveller, the reverend Mr. Lloyd, informed me, that in another tour he had aſcended a hill, above this place, called Y Foel, on whoſe ſummit was a circular coronet, of rude pebbly ſtones, none above three feet in height; with an entrance to the eaſt, or riſing ſun. The diameter of the circle is ten yards. Within was a circular cell, about ſix feet in diameter, ſunk a very little below the ſurface; and about a hundred yards diſtance, [64] facing this, are the reliques of a great Carnedd, ſurrounded by large ſtones. The whole of this formed a place of worſhip among the antient Britons, and probably was ſurrounded with a grove. But what I have to ſay on the ſubject of Druidiſm, is re⯑ſerved till I reach Angleſea, its principal ſeat.

PROCEED to Llandrillo, a village with a church dedicated to St. Trillo. It is ſeated on the torrent Keidio, at the mouth of a great glen, which extends upwards of two miles, emboſomed in the Berwyn mountains, and leads to the noted paſs through them, called Milter Gerrig, into the county of Montgomery.

AT about a mile diſtance from Llandrillo, I again croſſed the Dee, at Pont Gilan, a bridge of two arches, over a deep and black water. Beyond this ſpot, the valley acquires new beauties, eſpe⯑cially on the right. The valley here contracts greatly: the road runs at the foot of a brow, of a ſtupendous height, covered with venerable oaks, which have kept their ſtubborn ſtation, amidſt the rudeſt of rocks, which every now and then ſhew their grey and broken fronts, amidſt the deep verdure of the foliage of trees, which ſo ſtrangely find nutriment amongſt them. The growth of the oak, in forcing its root downward, frequently rends thſe vaſt ſtrata, whoſe fragments often appear ſcattered at the baſe, of moſt amazing ſizes. The whole ſcenery requires the pencil of a Sal⯑vator Roſa: and here our young artiſts would find a fit place to ſtudy the manner of that great painter of wild nature.

A LITTLE beyond the extremity of this romantic part, in an opening on the right,ST. DERFEL. ſtand the church and village of Llan-Dder⯑fel: the firſt was dedicated to St. Derfel Gadarn, and was re⯑markable for a vaſt wooden image of the ſaint, the ſubject of [65] much ſuperſtition in ancient times. The Welſh had a prophecy, that it ſhould ſet a whole foreſt on fire. Whether to complete it, or whether to take away from the people the cauſe of idolatry, I cannot ſay; but it was brought to London in the year 1538, and was uſed as part of the fuel which conſumed poor frier Foreſt to aſhes, in Smithfield, for denying the king's ſupremacy. This un⯑happy man was hanged in chains round his middle to a gallows, over which was placed this inſcription, alluſive to our image:

THE prophecy was fulfilled, the image burnt, and the Foreſt conſumed, to the great content of the lord mayor, the dukes of Suffolk and Norfolk, the lord admiral, and lord privy ſeal, and di⯑vers others of the nobility, who honored this auto de fe with their preſence^†; but unfortunately, the frier not having the inſenſi⯑bility [66] of our wooden ſaint, on the touch of the flames ſhewed the natural horrors at approach of an agonizing death, and payed very little reſpect to the arguments of the pious Latimer, who was placed oppoſite to the ſufferer, in a pulpit, to preach him into a ſenſe of the crime of differing in opinion with his ſovereign in re⯑ligious matters; for which the prelate himſelf ſuffered in a ſuc⯑ceeding reign. Foreſt thought fit to deny that Henry was head of the church; and Latimer would force that honor upon Mary, who choſe to cede it to the Pope.

OPPOSITE to this church is Llandderfel bridge, of four arches. At ſome diſtance from it, the vale almoſt cloſes; and at Kalettur finiſhes nobly with a lofty wooded eminence, above which ſoars the vaſt mafs of the Arennig mountains, notwithſtanding they ap⯑pear immediately after to be very remote. And I here ſtop a mo⯑ment, to recommend to the traveller, who does not chuſe pre⯑ciſely to purſue my ſteps, to follow the courſe of the Dee from Bangor, through the delicious tract it waters from thence to Llangollen, to follow it through Glyndwrdwy to Corwen, and thence, through the matchleſs vale of Edeirneon, to this ſpot, where, for a ſmall ſpace, it paſſes through a flat, an unpleaſant contrast to the preceding ride.

ON the left lies Rhiwaedog, or The Bloody Brow, noted for a battle between Llowarch Hên and the Saxons, in which he loſt Cynddelw, the laſt of his numerous ſons. A ſpot not far from hence, called Pabell Llowarch Hên, or the tent of that monarch, is ſuppoſed to have been the place where he reſted the night after the battle, and where he finiſhed that pathetic elegy, in which he laments the loſs of all his ſons. In it he directs the laſt to de⯑fend [67] the brow of that hill, indifferent to the fate of the only ſurvivor.

‘CYNDDELW, defend thou the brow of yonder hill. Let the event of the day be what it-will: when there is but one ſon left, it is vain to be over-fond of him.’

THE houſe and eſtate of Rhiwaedog is now owned by Mr. Dolben, deſcended by his mother from the Llwyds, the very antient poſſeſſors. Eineon ap Ithel, of this place, a valiant anceſtor of his, articled with John duke of Lancaſter, in 1394, to attend him for a year in his expedition to Guyen, with one mam at arms and one archer; for which the duke rewarded him with twenty marks, iſſuing out of his manor of Halton ^†.

PASS by the village and church of Llanvawr, and croſs the tor⯑rent Troweryn, beneath Rhiwlas, the antient ſeat of the Prices. In the houſe are the portraits of ſome of the family:RHIWDAS. among others, that of William Price, eſq member for the county in the long parlement, but ſoon diſplaced for his adherence to the king.

REACH Bala, a ſmall town in the pariſh of Llanyekil, noted for its vaſt trade in woollen ſtockings, and its great markets every Saturday morning, when from two to five hundred pounds worth are ſold each day, according to the demand. Round the place, women and children are in full employ,KNITTING. knitting along the roads; and mixed with them Herculean figures appear, aſſiſting their om⯑phales [68] in this effeminate employ. During winter the females, through love of ſociety, often aſſemble at one another's houſes to knit; ſit round a fire, and liſten to ſome old tale, or to ſome an⯑tient ſong, or the ſound of a harp; and this is called Cymmorth Gwau, or, the knitting aſſembly.

MUCH of the wool is bought at the great fairs at Llanrwſt, in Denbighſhire.

CLOSE to the ſouth-eaſt end of the town, is a great artificial mount,TOMMEN Y BALA. called Tommen y Bala, in the ſummer time uſually covered in a pictureſque manner with knitters, of both ſexes, and all ages. From the ſummit is a fine view of Llyn-tegid, and the adjacent mountains. On the right appear the two Arennigs, Vawr and Vach; beyond the farther end, ſoar the lofty Arans, with their two heads, Aran Mowddwy and Penllyn; and beyond all, the great Cader Idris cloſes the view.

THIS mount appears to have been Roman, and placed here, with a caſtelet on its ſummit, to ſecure the paſs towards the ſea, and keep our mountaneers in ſubjection. The Welſh, in after time, took advantage of this, as well as other works of the ſame nature.

THE town is of a very regular form: the principal ſtreet very ſpacious, and the leſſer fall into it at right angles. I will not deny, but that its origin might have been Roman.

Bala takes its name from its vicinity to the place where a river diſcharges itſelf from a lake. Balloch in the Erſe language ſigni⯑fies the ſame. I know little of its antient hiſtory, any more than it ſeems to have been dependent on the caſtle of Harlech; and that, in the reign of Edward II. it was committed to the care of Finian de Stanedon, conſtable of that caſtle^*; and in the time of Edward III. his great general, Walter de Manni, was rewarded with the fee-farm of Bala and Harlech, and was made ſheriff of this county for life^†. I may add incidentally, that Edward I. gave one Hugo de Turbervill liberty of hunting through Meirio⯑nithſhire all kinds of wild beaſts^‡, while probably the ſubdued natives were only his Chaſſeurs.

Bala Lake, Pimble Mere, LAKS. or Llyn-tegid, lies at a ſmall diſtance from the town; and is a fine expanſe of water, near four miles long, and twelve hundred yards broad in the wideſt place: the deepeſt part is oppoſite Bryn Golen, where it is forty-ſix yards deep, with three yards of mud; the ſhores gravelly: the bounda⯑ries are eaſy ſlopes, well cultivated, and varied with woods. In ſtormy weather, its billows run very high, and incroach greatly on the north-eaſt end, where, within memory of man, numbers of acres have been lost. It riſes ſometimes nine feet, and rains and [70] winds jointly contribute to make it overflow the fair vale of Edeirnion.

ITS fiſh are,FISH. pike, perch, trout, a few roach, and abundance of eels; and ſhoals of that Alpine fiſh, the Gwyniaid, which ſpawn in December, and are taken in great numbers in ſpring, or ſummer. Pike have been caught here of twenty-five pounds weight, a trout of twenty-two, a perch of ten, and a gwyniaid of five. Sir Wat⯑kin Williams Wynn clames the whole fiſhery of this noble lake. It had been the property of the abby of Baſingwerk; for Owen de Brogynton made a grant to GOD, St. Mary, and the monks of that houſe, of ‘a certain water in Penthlinn, called Thlintegit, or Pembelmore, and all the paſture of the ſaid land of Penthlinn.’ This was witneſſed by Reiner (who was biſhop of St. Aſaph from 1186 to 1224) and by Ithail, Owen's chaplain^*.

THE waters are diſcharged under Pont Mwnwgl y Llyn, a bridge of three arches. They ſeem inconſiderable in reſpect to the ſize of the ſtreams which feed the lake; for the Dee does not make in dry ſeaſons the figure I expected. Salmon come in plenty to this place, but neither do they treſpaſs into the lake, and the gwyniaids very rarely into the river. Report ſays, that the Dee paſſes through the lake from end to end, without deigning to mix its waters; as the Rhone was fabled to ſerve the lake of Ge⯑neva. But, in fact, the Dee does not aſſume its name, till it quits its parent.

NEAR the weſt ſide, cloſe to the bridge, and juſt oppoſite to Tommen y Bala, ſtood another caſtelet; not ſo high, but of a more extenſive form than that mount. It is now broke through by a [71] public road, but is very apparent on both ſides. The mount, or keep, was on the lower, immediately above the river; and the veſtiges of a wall are ſtill evident. This was ſubſervient to the ſame purpoſes as the others; for there muſt have been, from the nature of the ground, a travellable road on both ſides of the lake. This I apprehend to have been the caſtle of Bala, which Llewelyn ap Jorwerth founded in 1202^*.

THERE is no river in England which has been ſo much cele⯑brated by our poets, for its ſanctity, THR DLF, SACRED as the Dee. Moſt countries had one, which they held in peculiar veneration. The Theſſalians paid divine honors to their Paeneus, on account of its beauty: the Scythians worſhipped their Iſter, on account of its ſize: the Ger⯑mans the Rhine, becauſe it was the judge whether their offspring was legitimate; for the ſpurious ſunk, the lawful floated^†: and let me add to the liſt, the Ganges, out of whoſe waters no Indian of a certain ſect would willingly yield his laſt. breath. Our river foretold events by the change of its channel^‡; and it often ſeemed miracu⯑louſly to increaſe, without the uſual intervention of rains; therefore, in all probability, derived its name, not from Ddu, or black, becauſe its waters are not ſo, except in parts, by reaſon of the depth; nor from Dwy, two, becauſe it does not appear to flow from any two particular fountains; but from Duw, divine, by reaſon of its wondrous attributes. Our original ſtock, the Gauls, deified foun⯑tains, lakes, and rivers. They even had one, which in theirs (our [72] primitive tongue) bore the ſame name, and was called (Latiniſed) into Divona.

Giraldus, who travelled through our country in 1188, gives the firſt account of the prophetic quality of the Dee; and the notion was continued to many ages after his. Spencer introduces it among the rivers attendant on the marriage of the Thames and the Medway^†:

BUT Draiton is ſtill more particular, and adds many of its pre⯑ſaging qualities, delivered down to him from the more antient times.

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[73]WELL, therefore, might the ſacred rivers be called URBIS GENII; and that ours was as deſerving as the beſt of them of that title, is evinced from the above. Finally, Milton, in the follow⯑ing line, beautifully alludes to the interpreters of the preſages among the Britons, the antient Druids, who dwelt upon its banks: ‘Nor yet where DEVA ſpreads her wizard fſtream^*’.

IT was long before we got clear of theſe ſuperſtitions. They were very prevalent in the time of Gildas, in the ſixth century, when our anceſtors ſtrongly retained the idolatry of the Druids among their Chriſtian rites: and, notwithſtanding the fulmination of many a monarch^†, it kept its ground; and hydromancy ſtill remains practiſed among us; of which I ſhall have occaſion to ſpeak of more than one kind.

I FOUND that I could here,KERRIG Y DRU⯑IDION with greater eaſe than from any other place, digreſs to Kerrig y Druidion; a pariſh a few miles to the north, in the county of Denbigh, noted for certain Druidical remains, which gave name to the place. After a dreary ride, I found myſelf diſappointed; theſe ſacred reliques having been profanely carried away, and converted into a wall. It is therefore from the annotator on Cambden ^‡, and the drawings preſerved by him among the Sebright MSS. that I muſt form my deſcription.

THE largeſt was a fine ſpecimen of the Britiſh Kiſt vaen, or ſtone cheſt. It conſiſted of one ſtone at top, placed inclining to the north, and was, when meaſured by Mr. Llwyd, ten feet long, ſupported by a ſtone on each ſide about ſeven feet long, and near [74] two and a half broad. Under one end was a ſtone, three feet long; at the other, one of the length of two feet. The hollow beneath was only ſeven feet long, three and a half broad, and only two and a half high; which ſufficiently ſhews, that theſe mo⯑numents had not been the cells of Druids; their uſes, therefore, muſt: have been ſepulchral, according to the conjecture of Doctor Borlaſe. The antient natives of our iſle did not always burn their dead. Skeletons have been diſcovered in ſimilar Kiſt vaens, at full length: in ſuch as this, they might lie commodiouſly, with all the parade of arms, often buried with them. Around this, was a circle of ſtones, incloſing an area of about forty paces in diameter; and the precinct might be formed with the intent of keeping people at a reſpectable diſtance from the remains, per⯑haps of ſome mighty chieftain. This monument went by the name of Karchar Kynric Rwth; not that it ever was uſed for that purpoſe originally; but there is a tradition, that in aftertimes, a little tyrant of that name, in the neighborhood, was wont to cram thoſe who offended him, into the hollow of theſe ſtones; which might ſerve for the purpoſes of torment as well as the little eaſe in the tower of London, or the iron cages of the Baſtille.

THE other Kiſt vaen was nearly ſimilar to the firſt; but no mention is made of the circle of ſtones: probably they were taken away before Mr. Llwyd viſited the place.

AT Giler, BARON PRICE. in this pariſh, was born that upright and able judge; Robert Price, eſq baron of the exchequer, and finally juſtice of the common pleas. His famous ſpeech in the houſe of com⯑mons, againſt the grant of the great Welſh lordſhips to the earl of Portland, will ever teſtify his love to his country. His ſpeedy [75] promotion by king William, do equal credit to his majeſty, and Mr. Price; ſince the former, howſoever grievous to him might be the oppoſition to his will, yet no conſideration could induce him to permit his ſubjects to loſe the benefit of a magiſtrate ca⯑pable and honeſt, as he knew our countryman to be.

RETURN to Bala, and continue my journey on the ſouth ſide of the lake, a moſt beautiful ride. Paſs by Llanyckil church, dedi⯑cated to St. Beuno; and ſee, on the oppoſite ſide, Llangower, de⯑dicated to St. Gwawr, mother of the Cambrian bard Llowarch Hên. Beneath flows Avon Gwawr, the only feed of the lake on that ſide.

Go by Glan y Llyn, GLAN Y LLYN. an old houſe, near the water edge; which, as well as the following, had been the property of the Vaughans.

LEAVE on the right another antient ſeat, Caer Gai, placed on an eminence. Cambden ſays, it was a caſtle, built by one Caius, a Roman; the Britons aſcribe it to Gai, foſter-brother to king Ar⯑thur. It probably was Roman, for multitudes of coins have been found in different parts of the neighborhood; and it is certain, that it had been a fortreſs to defend this paſs, for which it is well adapted, both by ſituation, and form of the hill.

I PROCEEDED about two miles farther,CASTELL CORN⯑DOCHON. to viſit another, ſeated a mile from the Dolgelleu road, on the ſummit of a high rock, which bears the name of Caſtell Corndochon, the origin of which we are equally ignorant of. Two ſides of the rock are precipitous. In the front of the caſtle is cut a deep foſs: the caſtle conſiſted of an oblong tower, rounded at the extremity; and its meaſure within is forty-three feet by twenty-two. Behind that, and joined to it by a wall, are the ruins of a ſquare tower; this lies in the main [76] body of the fortreſs, whoſe form, as Cambden obſerves, inclines to oval. This had been very conſiderable; was built with mortar, made of gravel and ſea ſhells; and was faced with free-ſtone, ſquared, and well cut.

I RETURNED towards Caer Gai; LLAN⯑UWCHLLYN. and, not far from thence, to the village and church of Llan-uwchllyn. In the laſt is the figure of an armed man, with a conic helmet, and mail muffler round his chin and neck: on his breaſt is a wolf's head, and on his belly another; and in the intervening ſpace, three roſes. The firſt are the arms of Ririd Vlaidd; the others of Kynedda Wledig, or, The Warlike, a Cumbrian prince, whoſe ſons (after their father had been defeated by the Saxons, in the ſixth century) retired, and poſſeſſed themſelves of theſe parts of Wales: and from Mei⯑rion, a grandſon of his, is ſaid to be given the name of Meirionith to this ſhire. Ririd was lord of Pen-Llyn, which ſignifies the head of the lake, and forms one of the hundreds of Meirionithſhire. It had alſo its caſtle, which probably was that of Corndochon. Around the margin of the tomb is a mutilated inſcription, which, as far as I could diſcover, run thus: Hic jacet Johannes ap * * * * ap Madoc ap J—eth, cujus animae pr—etur. Deus amen. anno. D^•i MCCC. V. 88.

CLOSE by this village runs Avon-y-Llan, Avon Llew, or Amlêw. The laſt riſes from two ſprings, and falls into the former. Thoſe who chuſe to derive the Dee from its double origin, may fix on theſe: but I met with a third, at the fartheſt corner of the lake, ariſing from the neighborhood of the lofty Aran, ARAN HI [...] to which Spencer gives the honor of forming that celebrated river, I ſuppoſe after running through the lake, unmixed with the waters. The poet [77] makes the foot of that mighty mountain the place of education of our renowned prince, Arthur; who, on his birth, being deli⯑vered to a fairy knight, is by him inſtantly conveyed to an antient hero, ‘To be upbrought in gentle thews and martial might.’

IT is evident that Spencer, who was deeply read in all the ro⯑mance of his romantic days, had heard the tradition of Caer Gai, and its old inhabitant, Gai's father, to whom he chuſes to give the more claſſical name of Timon; for ſo prince Arthur is made to name his foſter-father.

.

THIS honored ſtream is now known by the name of Avon Twrch; is a fierce mountain torrent, precipitating itſelf from the Aran; and croſſes a road from whence I firſt begin my journey among the Alps of our country, and aſcend from hence, then ſink into very deep bottoms, bounded on each ſide by fields of ſuch ſteepneſs, as to put the inhabitants to great difficulties in the cul⯑tivation. Woods, eſpecially of birch, vary the ſcene. On the right, [78] tower the vaſt hills of Aran; or rather, two heads, ariſing from one baſe.

ARRIVE at the foot of Bwlch y Groes, or the paſs of The Croſs, one of the moſt terrible in North Wales. The height is gained by going up an exceeding ſteep and narrow zig-zag path: the paſs itſelf is a dreary heathy flat, on which I ſuppoſe the croſs ſtood, to excite the thankſgiving of travellers, for having ſo well accompliſhed their arduous journey. The deſcent on the other ſide, is much greater, and very tedious, into the long and narrow vale of Mowddwy. VALE OF MOWDDWY. It is ſeven or eight miles long; and ſo contracted, as ſcarcely to admit a meadow at the bottom. Its boundaries are vaſt hills, generally very verdant, and fine ſheep walks; but one on the left exhibits a horrible front, being ſo ſteep, as to balance between precipice and ſlope: it is red and naked, and too ſteep to admit of vegetation; and a ſlide from its ſummit would be as fatal as a fall from a perpendicular rock. In one place on the right, the mountains open, and furniſh a gap to give ſight to another pictureſque and ſtrange view, the rugged and wild ſummit of Aran Mowddwy, which ſoars above with tre⯑mendous majeſty.

THERE is a beauty in this vale, which is not frequent in others of theſe mountanous countries. The incloſures are all divided by excellent quickſet hedges, and run far up the ſides of the hills, in places ſo ſteep, that the common traveller would ſcarcely find footing. Numbers of little groves are interſperſed; and the hills above them ſhew a fine turf to the top, where the bog and heath commence, which give ſhelter to multitudes of red grous, and a few black. But their conſequences to theſe parts are infinitely [79] greater, in being the beds of fuel to all the inhabitants. The turberies are placed very remote from their dwellings; and the turf, or peat, is gotten with great difficulty. The roads from the brows of the mountains, in general, are too ſteep even for a horſe;TURF SLEDGES the men therefore carry up on their backs, a light ſledge, fill it with a very conſiderable load, and drag it, by means of a rope placed over their breaſt, to the brink of the ſlope^*; then go before, and draw it down, ſtill preceding, and guiding its mo⯑tions, which at times have been ſo violent, as to overturn and draw along with it the maſter, to the hazard of his life, and not without conſiderable bodily hurt.

AFTER riding ſome time along the bottom of the vale, paſs by the village and church of Llan y Mowddwy; the laſt is dedicated to St. Tydecho, ST. TYDECHO. one of our moſt capital ſaints. His legend^† is written in verſe, by Dafydd Llwyd ap Llewelyn ap Gryffydd, lord of Mathafarn; a perſon who had a great hand in bringing in Henry VII, by feeding his countrymen with prophecies, that one of them was to deliver Wales from the Engliſh yoke, by which means thouſands of them were induced to riſe, under Sir Rhys ap Thomas, and join Henry, then earl of Richmond, at Milford.

THIS illuſtrious bard informs us, that Tydecho had been an ab⯑bot in Armorica, and came over here in the time of king Arthur; [80] but after the death of that hero, when the Saxons over-ran moſt of the kingdom, the ſaint retired, and led here a moſt auſtere life, lying on the bare ſtones, and wearing a ſhirt of hair: yet he employed his time uſefully, was a tiller of the ground, and kept hoſpitality. Malgwyn Gwynedd, then a youth, took offence at the ſaint, and ſeized his oxen; but wild ſtags were ſeen the next day, performing their office, and a grey wolf harrowing after them. Malgwyn, enraged at this, brought his milk-white dogs to chace the deer, while he ſat on the blue ſtone, to enjoy the di⯑verſion; but when he attempted to riſe, he found his breech im⯑moveably fixed to the rock, ſo that he was obliged to beg pardon of the ſaint, who, on proper reparation, was ſo kind as to free him from his aukward pain.

So far legend. That St. Tydecho might have lived, and that Malgwyn Gwynedd did live a prince of our country, I make no doubt; and that the former did receive from the prince the pri⯑vileges it once enjoyed, of ſanctuary for man and beaſt, is equally probable: every offender, however criminal, met with protection here. Legend ſays, that it was to endure for a hundred ages; but, blind to futurity! the reformation was not foreſeen. This place was alſo exempted from all fighting, burning, and killing; nor was it permitted to affront any of the inhabitants, without making the moſt ample reparation.

THE lands of Tydecho were alſo freed from mortuaries, clames, oppreſſion, and that great duty, which moſt places were ſubject to, the Gobr Merched, the penalty of incontinence; which the ſaint, in tenderneſs to the poſſible frailty of his flock, wiſely took care to get it exempted from.

[81]ABOUT four or five miles farther, I reached Dinas y Mowydwy, DINAS MOWD⯑DWY. ſeated on the plain of an eminence, at the junction of three vales, beneath the rock Craig y Dinas; whoſe peat paths I now ſurvey with horror, reflecting on a frolick of my younger days, in climbing to its ſummit, to enjoy the pleaſure of darting down again in one of the peat ſledges. The foot of this eminence is watered by the Kerris and the Dyfi. The laſt, which retains its name till loſt in the ſea at Aberdyfi, riſes at the bottom of the rude rock Craig Llyn Dyfi, under Aran Mowddwy. It abounds with ſalmon, which are hunted in the night, by an animated, but illicit chace, by ſpear⯑men, who are directed to the fiſh by lighted whiſps of ſtraw.

THIS Mowddwy, notwithſtanding it is dignified with the name of Dinas, or city, conſiſts but of one ſtreet, ſtrait and broad, with houſes ill according with its title; but it ſtill preſerves the in⯑ſignia of power, the ſtocks, and whipping-poſt, the vag-vawr, or great fetter, the mace, and ſtandard meaſure. It is likewiſe the capital of an extenſive lordſhip, under the rule of my worthy couſin, John Mytton, eſquire.OWNERS. He derives it from William, or Wil⯑c [...]cke, as he is commonly called, fourth ſon of Gryffyd ap Gwen⯑wynwyn, lord of Powis. His grand-daughter and ſole heir mar⯑ried Sir Hugh de Burgh, ſon of the famous Hugh, juſticiary of England. His ſon, Sir John, left four daughters, married into the houſes of Newport, Leighton, Lingen, and Mytton; Alianor, the fourth daughter, having given her hand, and this ſeignory, to Thomas Mytton, anceſtor of the preſent lord.

THE powers of this capital over a diſtrict,PRIVILEGES. which comprehends this large pariſh, and ſeven out of the eight townſhips of that of Mallwyd, are conſiderable. The corporation conſiſts of a mayor, [82] aldermen, recorder, and ſeveral burgeſſes. The mayor tries crimi⯑nals; but, as the late worthy magiſtrate, a very honeſt ſmith, told me, that, for ſome years paſt, they have not adventured to whip; the ſtocks, or confinement in the vag-vawr, is the utmoſt ſeverity they have exerted: but then they retain the excluſive power of licenſing ale-houſes in their diſtrict, and are likewiſe juſtices of the peace as far as the limits of their little reign.

THE recorder (in abſence of the lord) tries all matters of pro⯑perty, not exceeding forty ſhillings; and the attornies, whoſe fees do not exceed half a crown, are choſen from the lettered part of the community, or thoſe who can read.

I WAS accommodated with entertainment at the manor-houſe, from whence I took a delightful walk of about two miles, along the vale, on the banks of the Dyvi. The valley expands, and the hills ſink in height, towards the weſt. After paſſing the Dyfi, croſs a bridge over the deep and ſtill water of the Klywêdog, black as ink, paſſing ſluggiſhly through a darkſome chaſm, into open day.

REACH Mallwyd, MALLWYD. remarkable for the ſituation of the altar, in the middle of the church; which Doctor Davies, author of the dictionary, then incumbent, in defiance of the orders of archbi⯑ſhop Laud, removed again from its imaginary ſuperſtitious ſite at the eaſt end.

ONE of the beautiful yew trees in the church-yard, is extremely well worth notice. It is a ſort of foreſt of vaſt trees, iſſuing from one ſtem, forming a moſt extenſive ſhade, and magnificent ap⯑pearance. Another reaſon for planting theſe trees in church-yards, beſides thoſe uſually aſſigned, was a cuſtom in old times, [83] upon Palme Sunday, to make this the ſubſtitute of the tree, from which that Sunday took its name; to bleſs on that day the boughs; alſo to burn ſome of them to aſhes; and with thoſe the prieſt, on the following Aſh-Wedneſday, ſigned the people on the forehead, ſaying. ‘Memento, homo! quod pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.’ And of the branches, ſo bleſſed, it was cuſtomary to ſtick ſome in the fields, in rogation week, or at the times of proceſſions.

RETURN to Dinas y Mowddwy. CRUEL MURDER. On the road was informed of the place, not far from hence, where Lewis Owen, vice-chamber⯑lain of North Wales, and baron of the exchequer of North Wales, was cruelly murdered in the year 1555, by a ſet of banditti, with which this country was over-run. After the wars of the houſes of York and Lancaſter, multitudes of felons and outlaws inhabited this country; and eſtabliſhed in theſe parts, for a great length of time, from thoſe unhappy days, a race of profligates, who conti⯑nued to rob, burn, and murder, in large bands, in defiance of the civil power; and would ſteal and drive whole herds of cattle, in mid-day, from one county to another, with the utmoſt impunity. To put a ſtop to their ravages, a commiſſion was granted to John Wynn ap Meredydd, of Gwedyr, and this gentleman, in order to ſettle the peace of the country, and to puniſh all offenders againſt its government. In purſuance of their orders, they raiſed a body of ſtout men, and on a Chriſtmas-Eve ſeized above four ſcore out⯑laws and felons, on whom they held a jail delivery, and puniſhed them according to their deſerts. Among them were the two ſons of a woman, who very earneſtly applied to Owen for the pardon [84] of one: he refuſed; when the mother, in a rage, told him (baring her neck) Theſe yellow breaſts have given ſuck to theſe, who ſhall waſh their hands in your blood. Revenge was determined by the ſurviving villains. They watched their opportunity, when he was paſſing through theſe parts from Montgomeryſhire aſſizes, to way-lay him, in the thick woods of Mowddwy, at a place now called, from the deed, Llydiart y Barwn; where they had cut down ſeve⯑ral long trees, to croſs the road, and impede the paſſage. They then diſcharged on him a ſhower of arrows; one of which ſtick⯑ing in his face, he took out, and broke. After this, they attacked him with bills and javelins, and left him ſlain, with above thirty wounds. His ſon-in-law, John Llwyd, of Ceiſgwyn, defended him to the laſt; but his cowardly attendants fled on the firſt onſet. His death gave peace to the country; for moſt rigorous juſtice enſued; and the whole neſt of banditti was extirpated, many by the hand of juſtice; and the reſt fled, never to return.

THE traditions of the country reſpecting theſe banditti, are ſtill extremely ſtrong. I was told that they were ſo feared, that travellers did not dare to go the common road to Shrewſbury, but paſſed over the ſummits of the mountains, to avoid their haunts. The inhabitants placed ſcythes in the chimneys of their houſes, to prevent the felons coming down to ſurprize them in the night; ſome of which are to be ſeen to this day. This race was diſtin⯑guiſhed by the titles Gwyllied y Dugoed, and Gwilliaid Cochion Mowddwy, i. e. The Banditti of the Black Wood, and The red-headed Banditti of Mowddwy.

LEAVE Dinas, and take the road towards Dolgelleu. Paſs by ſome deſerted lead mines; which, as yet, have never been worked [85] with ſucceſs. I may here mention an earth, which this place is noted for,OCHRE. a bluiſh ochre, which the ſhepherds wet, and pound in a mortar, then form into balls, and uſe in marking their ſheep. An old proverb of the three things which Mowddwy wiſhes to ſend out of the country, ſhews their long knowlege of it.

ABOUT three miles from Dinas, leave on the left the vaſt ſheep farm of Pennant-higi: a deep bottom, environed on three ſides by vaſt mountains, forming a noble theatre. This whole country abounds in ſheep and cattle; and the wool is manufactured in all parts into flannel and ſtockings.

ASCEND a ſteep hill, into the paſs Bwlch Oer-ddyrws; BWLCH OER-DDRWS. and the country beyond ſuddenly aſſumes a new face. Before us is a vaſt extent of dreary ſlope, bounded by vaſt rocky mountains; among which, Cader Idris ſoars pre-eminent.

THIS paſs is noted for being one of the three places,CONVENTION THERE. in which were aſſembled, ſix years after the wars of Glyndwr, all the great men of certain diſtricts, in order to enforce the obſervation of juſtice by their own weight, without any other legal ſanction. This, perhaps, was occaſioned by the mercileſs laws enacted againſt the Welſh by Henry IV. At each of theſe places, they en⯑tered into a compact to cauſe juſtice to be done for all wrongs [86] inflicted, before and after the wars, but not during that turbulent period. Every one was to have his goods, or land, which had been forced from him, reſtored without law-ſuit; and any goods detained after this, were to be deemed as ſtolen: or if his lord ſold them, he was fined ten pounds, and the goods, or their va⯑lue, to the owner. If the refractory perſon was hanged, or died a natural death, the demand lay good againſt the wife, heirs, or executors: but if they or ſhe denied the demand, the plaintiff muſt procure his compurgators, viz. ſix perſons with him, to ſwear to the right of his clame; but (like the Engliſh, in caſes of jury) the defendant had a right to challenge one of the ſix; and another was to be provided in his ſtead.

AFTER this, follow various regulations for reſtoring the go⯑vernment of the country in general; and ſeveral laws relative to waifs and eſtrays, vagrants, bail, recovery of debts, manſlaughter, thefts, duty of officers, &c. The code concludes with valuation of ſeveral goods and chattels, for which ſatisfaction was to be made. For example, a horſe and mare, on the oath of the owner and two neighbors, were valued at ten ſhillings; a foal at twenty pence; an ox at a mark; a cow at ten ſhillings; the hire of an ox, and the milk of a cow, were alſo valued; an ewe was eſteemed at ſixteen pence, her wool at four pence, her milk at two pence, and her lamb at eight pence.

As a proof of the high value of arms, and that we had few manufactures of that kind, a two-handed ſword was valued at ten ſhillings, a one-handed at ſix ſhillings and eight pence, and a ſteel buckler at two ſhillings and eight pence: but, what is very [87] ſingular; a bow, which themſelves could make, was valued at ſixteen pence, and an arrow at ſix pence.

To all theſe laws, no penalty was annexed for the breach; ex⯑cept the forfeiture of the benefit of the compact, which, in thoſe unſettled times, was probably ſufficient, as it left the party unſup⯑ported and friendleſs.

DESCEND from hence,DOLGELLEU. along very bad ſtoney roads, to Dol⯑gelleu; every entrance to which is barred by a turnpike, in imi⯑tation of other places; and every approach mended for a ſhort ſpace, by help of the ſcanty tolls. The town is ſmall; the ſtreets diſpoſed in a moſt irregular manner; but the ſituation is in a beautiful vale, fertile, well wooded, and embelliſhed with num⯑bers of pretty ſeats, and watered by the river Onion; over which, on account of its floods, is a bridge of ſeveral arches. The town takes its name from its being placed in a dale abundant in hazels. It has nothing in it remarkable but the church, which, notwith⯑ſtanding it is pew-leſs, is a good building. Within is the monu⯑ment of Meiric Vychan ap Ynyr Vychan, of the neighboring houſe of Nanney, fifth in deſcent from prince Cadwgan, ſon of Bleyddyn ap Cynvyn, who reſided there, and in whoſe poſterity it continues to this time; He is armed in a cloſe mail helmet and neck-guard, ſword in hand, and with a ſhort mantle over the reſt of his armour.

Cader Idris riſes immediately above the town,CADER IDRIS. and is generally the object of the traveller's attention. I ſkirted the mountain for about two miles, left on the right the ſmall lake of Llyn Gwernan, and began the aſcent along a narrow ſteep horſe-way, perhaps the higheſt road in Britain, being a common paſſage even for loaden [88] horſes, into Llan-vibangel-y-Pennent, a vale on the other ſide. On gaining the brow of the hill, I found it to be a very extenſive paſture of coarſe graſs, mixed with a little bog. The hill ſlopes from hence upwards: the ſteeper part to the higheſt peak, or the Pen yr Cader, grows more and more rocky: the approach to the ſummit extremely ſo, and covered with huge fragments of diſco⯑lored rocks, very rugged, and cemented by a ſemivitrified mat⯑ter, which gives them a very vulcanic look, added to their diſ⯑joined, adventitious appearance. I met with, on my aſcent, quantities of pumice, of the ſame cellular kind with the toadſtone of Derbyſhire, but of a green color. The day proved ſo wet and miſty, that I loſt the enjoyment of the great view from the ſummit. I could only ſee that the ſpot I was on was a rude ag⯑gregate of ſtrangely diſordered maſſes. I could at intervals per⯑ceive a ſtupendous precipice on one ſide, where the hill recedes inwards, forming a ſort of theatre, with a lake at the bottom; yet very high, in compariſon of the baſe of the mountain. On the other ſide, at a nearer diſtance, I ſaw Craig Cay, a great rock, with a lake beneath, lodged in a deep hollow; poſſibly the crater of an antient Vulcano. This is ſo excellently expreſſed by the ad⯑mirable pencil of my kinſman, Mr. Wilſon, that I ſhall not at⯑tempt the deſcription.

IN deſcending from the Cader; I kept on the edge of the greater precipice, till I came near the Cyfrwy, another peak. The whole ſpace, for a conſiderable way, was covered with looſe ſtones, in the form of a ſtream, ſloping from the precipitous ſide. Multi⯑tudes of them were columnar,COLUMNS. but not jointed, ſquare, or penta⯑gonal; none erect, but lying very diſorderly, in all directions. [89] Some appeared hanging down the face of the precipice; the ends of others were peeping out at a vaſt depth beneath me, which ſhewed the great thickneſs of the ſtream. I wiſh the day had been more favorable; but I hope another traveller will ſurround the whole, and make a more ſatisfactory relation of this moun⯑tain, than I have been able to do.

IN reſpect to the heights of this mountain,HEIGHT. and thoſe of Aran Benllyn, and the Arrenig Vawr, I am enabled to give a very exact account, by the aſſiſtance of the ingenious Mr. Meredith Hughes, of Bala; who aſſures me, that the Pen y Gader is nine hundred and fifty yards higher than the green near Dolgelleu; Aran Benllyn, ſeven hundred and forty above Llyn-tegid; and the Ar⯑renig, only twenty yards ſhort of the Aran; that the fall from the lake to Dolgelleu-Green, is one hundred and eighty yards; ſo that the real difference of height between the Cader and the Aran, is only thirty yards.

AFTER recovering the fatigue of this journey, I began another, in order to encircle the vaſt baſe of the mountain. I took the ſame road as I did before; and continued my ride beneath Tyrrau Mawr, one of the points of Cader Idris, the higheſt rock I ever rode under. Beyond, on the right, are the two pools called Llynian Cregenan; and not far diſtant, are ſome remains of circles of upright ſtones, with many carns; a vaſt ſtone, raiſed erect on the top of a neighboring rock; and ſeveral maeni hirion, or rude upright columns.

AT ſome diſtance beyond theſe,LLYS BRADWEN. near the river Kregennan, I ſaw the remains of Llys Bradwen, the court or palace of Ednowain, chief of one of the fifteen tribes of North Wales, either in the [90] reign of Gryffydd ap Cynan, or ſoon after. The reliques are about thirty yards ſquare: the entrance about ſeven feet wide, with a large upright ſtone on each ſide, by way of door-caſe: the walls with large ſtones, uncemented by any mortar: in ſhort, the ſtructure of this palace ſhews the very low ſtate of architecture in thoſe times: it may be paralleled only by the artleſs fabrick of a cattle houſe.

Ednyfed ap Aaren, a deſcendant of this great man, had the ho⯑nor of entertaining Owen Glyndwr, in one of his ſad reverſes of fortune; and is ſaid to have concealed him from the purſuit of his enemies, in the pariſh of Llan Gelynln, in a cave, to this day called Ogof Owain.

I MUST not lead the reader into a belief, that every habitation, of theſe early times, were equal in magnificence to that of Ednowain ap Bradwen. Thoſe of inferior gentry were formed of wattles, like Indian wigwams, or Highland hovels; without gar⯑dens or orchard, and formed for removal from place to place, for the ſake of new paſture, or a greater plenty of game. The fur⯑niture was correſpondent; there were neither tables, nor cloths, nor napkins^*; but this is leſs wonderful, ſince we find, that even ſo late as the time of Edward II. ſtraw was uſed in the royal apartment^†. ANTIENT HOSPI⯑TALITY. Notwithſtanding this, the utmoſt hoſpitality was preſerved: every houſe was open, even to the pooreſt perſon. When a ſtranger entered, his arms were taken from him, and layed by; and, after the ſcriptural cuſtom, water was brought to [91] waſh his feet. The fare was ſimple; the meal did not conſiſt of an elegant variety, but of numbers of things put together in a large diſh: the bread was thin oat-cakes, ſuch as are common in our mountanous parts at this time. The family waited on the gueſts, and never touched any thing till they had done, when it took up with what was left. Muſic, and the free converſation of the young women, formed the amuſements of the time; for jealouſy was unknown among us. Bands of young men, who knew no profeſſion but that of arms, often entered the houſes, and were welcome gueſts; for they were conſidered as the volun⯑tary defenders of the liberties of their country. They mixed with the female part of the family, joined their voices to the melody of the harp, and conſumed the day with the moſt animated feſti⯑vity. At length, ſunk into repoſe, not under rich teſters, or on downy beds, but along the ſides of the room, on a thin covering of dried reeds, placed round the great fire, which was placed in the centre, they lay down promiſcuouſly, covered only by a coarſe home-made cloth, called Brychan, or plaid, the ſame with the more antient Bracha; and kept one another warm, by lying cloſe together; or ſhould one ſide loſe its genial heat, they turn about, and give the chilly ſide to the fire^*.

SOME vein of the antient minſtrelſie is ſtill to be met with in theſe mountanous countries.ANTIENT MIN⯑STRELSIE. Numbers of perſons, of both ſexes, aſſemble, and ſit around the harp, ſinging alternately pennylls, or ſtanzas of antient or modern poetry. The young people uſually begin the night with dancing, and when they are tired, ſit down, [92] and aſſume this ſpecies of relaxation. Oftentimes, like the mo⯑dern Improviſitore of Italy, they will ſing extempore verſes. A perſon converſant in this art, will produce a pennyll appoſite to the laſt which was ſung: the ſubjects produce a great deal of mirth; for they are ſometimes jocular, at others ſatyrical, and many amorous. They will continue ſinging without intermiſſion, and never repeat the ſame ſtanza; for that would occaſion the loſs of the honor of being held firſt of the ſong. Like nightin⯑gales, they ſupport the conteſt throughout the night: Certant in⯑ter ſe, palamque animoſa contentio—victa morte finit ſaepe vitam, ſpiritu prius deficiente quam cantu, may almoſt be added. The au⯑dience uſually call for the tune: ſometimes only a few can ſing to it; and in many caſes the whole company: but when a party of capital ſingers aſſemble, they rarely call for a tune; for it is indifferent to them, what tune the harper plays. Pa⯑riſhes often contend againſt pariſhes; and every hill is vocal with the chorus.

CONTINUE the ride, as before, between high mountains, in a narrow glen. Quit the narrow paſs, and go along a good road, formed on the ſides of the hills, with a fine ſlope from it to the ſea, at this time ſtrangely mottled with black and green, varied by the light through the broken clouds. The road now paſſes between verdant and ſmooth hills, the great ſheep walks of the country; they are round at their tops, and covered with flocks, which yield the materials for the neighboring manufactures. From a place called Allt-Lwyd, have a very full view of the flat called Towyn Meirionydd, a mixture of meadow land and black turbery, watered by the Dyſynni, which falls into the ſea a few [93] miles lower. On one ſide is the village and church of Tywyn, TOWYN. or Towyn. The rectory is an impropriation in the biſhop of Lich⯑field: the vicarage formerly belonged to the nunnery of Barking, in Eſſex, now in the patronage of the biſhop of Bangor. I neg⯑lected viſiting this place; but believe my trouble would not have been thrown away; for I find, among Mr. Llwyd's papers^*, the drawing of the ſepulchral effigies of a churchman, another of a warrior, and two rude pillars, one ſeven feet high, with the figure of the croſs, and an inſcription on each ſide, in old characters. Another column, marked likewiſe with a croſs, but inſcribed with letters of a different form, is drawn in the ſame collection, from one in the church-yard of Llanvihangel y Traetheu, in this county.

FROM the place where I made this digreſſion, I deſcended a ſleep path through fields; and, croſſing the river, dined on a great ſtone beneath the vaſt rock Craig y Deryn, CRAIG Y DERYN. or The Rock of Birds, ſo called from the numbers of corvorants, rock pigeons, and hawks, which breed on it. At the foot is a prodigious ſtream of ſtones, which extend ſome hundreds of yards from the bottom of the rock, and is formed by the continual lapſe of fragments from it. Here the Towyn is contracted into a fertile vale, which extends about two miles further. Near its end is a long and high rock, narrow on the top. Here ſtood the caſtle of Teberri, TEBERRI CASTLE. which extended lengthways over the whole ſurface of the ſummit, and was a fortreſs of great ſtrength and extent. The moſt complete apartment was thirty-ſix feet broad, and was cut out of the rock on two ſides; for much of it is hollowed. In ſome parts, the [94] precipices, ſkirted by a wall, formed the defence. The remain⯑ing walls are well built: the ſtones ſquared: the mortar, ſhells, and gravel, but at preſent very rotten. The whole of this place is ſo overgrown with buſhes, as to render the ſurvey very diffi⯑cult. It lies in the pariſh of Llan vi hangel y Pennant, and is ſaid to have been once defended by a Coch o'r Pennant, or The Red, of that place.

THIS probably was the caſtle Bere belonging to our laſt Llewelyn, which was taken, not long before the final conqueſt of Wales, by William de Valence, earl of Pembroke ^*. This ſeems to have been likewiſe the ſame which was committed by Edward I. to the cuſtody of Robert Fitzwalter, who had, at the ſame time, the liberty of hunting all kinds of wild beaſts in this county^†. It is fit to mention this, as there was another ſtrong fortreſs in Cardiganſhire, of a ſimilar name.

RETURN about half a mile,TAL Y LLYN. and ride ſeveral miles along the pretty vale of Tal y Llyn; very narrow, but conſiſting of fine mea⯑dows, bounded by lofty verdant mountains, very ſteeply ſloped. Went by Llyn y Myngil, a beautiful lake, about a mile long, which ſo far fills the valley, as to leave only a narrow road on one ſide. Its termination is very pictureſque; for it contracts gradually into the form of a river, and ruſhes through a good ſtone arch into a narrow paſs, having on one ſide the church, on the other a few cottages, mixed with trees. The church, and that of Llanvehan⯑gel y Pennant, are chapels to Towyn ^‡.

[95]ADJACENT to this valley,SINGULAR COFFIN. at a place called Llwyn Dôol Ithel, in the year 1684, was found, in digging turf about three yards deep, a coffin, made of deal, about ſeven feet long, carved and gilt at both ends. Two ſkeletons, ſuppoſed of different ſexes, were found in it, placed with the head of the one parallel to the feet of the other; the bones were moiſt; and tough, and of an uncom⯑mon ſize, the thigh bones being twenty-ſeven inches long. Within a yard of the coffin, were found two other ſkeletons, of the ſame dimenſions with the former, layed on the bare clay; and within two roods of them, a grave, with a ſkeleton of the uſual ſize. Along the graves and coffin were layed hazel rods, with the bark on, and ſo tough, as to be flexible^†. The high preſervation of theſe rods, and the toughneſs of the bones, were owing to the bituminous quality of the turbery in which they were depoſited. The rods were placed for ſome ſuperſtitious purpoſe, perhaps to avert the power of witchcraft, ſince a double hazel-nut, in ſome parts of the Highlands of Scotland, is to this day ſuppoſed to have that virtue.

A FEW miles beyond Tal y Llyn church, the hills almoſt meet at their bottoms, and change their aſpect. No verdure now is to be ſeen, but a general appearance of rude and ſavage nature. The ſides are broken into a thouſand crags; ſome ſpiring and ſharp pointed; but the greater part project forward, and impend in ſuch a manner, as to render the apprehenſion of their fall tre⯑mendous. A few buſhes grow among them; but the duſky color [96] of them, as well as the rocks, only ſerved to add horror to the ſcene.

ONE of the precipices is called Pen y Delyn, LLAM Y LLA⯑DRON. from ſome reſem⯑blance it has to a harp. Another is ſtyled Llam y Lladron, or The Thieves Leap, from a tradition that thieves were brought there, and thrown down. I have no doubt but that ſuch a puniſhment might have been inflicted from this Welſh Tarpeian, by order of an arbitrary lord; but we formerly very rarely uſed capital puniſh⯑ments, for any crime; not but the gallows was in uſe for theft^*, but fines were accepted in almoſt all inſtances, even in caſes of murder; which gave riſe to private revenge, and brought on a train of endleſs feuds and bloodſhed.

ON the left, is the rugged height of Cader Idris, LLYN Y TRI GRAIENYN. paſs near a ſmall lake, called Llyn y tri Graienyn, or of the three grains; which are three vaſt rocks, the ruins of the neighboring mountain, which ſome time or other had fallen into the water. Theſe, ſay the peaſants, were the three grains which had fallen into the ſhoe of the great Idris, which he threw out here, as ſoon as he felt them hurting his foot.

PASS over Bwlch Coch, NANNEY. and, after deſcending a very bad road, again reach Dolgelleu; from whence I viſited Nanney, the antient ſeat of the antient family of the Nanneys, now of the Vaughans. The way to it is a continual aſcent of two miles; ſo perhaps it is the higheſt ſituation of any gentleman's houſe in Britain. The eſtate is covered with fine timber, which clothe all the ſides of the dingles for many miles. On the road ſide is a venerable oak, in its laſt ſtage [97] of decay, and pierced by age into the form of a gothic arch; yet its preſent girth is twenty-ſeven feet and a half. The name is very claſſical, Derwen Ceubren yr Ellyll, the hollow oak, the haunt of daemons. How often has not warm fancy ſeen the fairy tribe revel round its trunk! or may not the viſionary eye have ſeen the Hamadryad burſt from the bark of its coeval tree?

ABOVE Nanney is a high rock, with the top incircled with a dike of looſe ſtones. This had been a Britiſh poſt, the ſtation, perhaps, of ſome tyrant, it being called Moel Orthrwm, or the hill of oppreſſion.

THE park of Nanney is remarkable for its very ſmall, but very excellent veniſon. I have before mentioned the ruins of the houſe of Howel Sele, within this park, and related his unfortunate hiſtory^*.

RETURN through Dolgelleu; and about a mile beyond, on a riſing ſpot, have a beautiful view of three vales, finely bounded by hills, and embelliſhed with gentlemen's houſes; finely watered by the junction of the Onion and the Maw, or Mowdach. I was diverted from taking the direct road to Barmouth, by the great deference I always found reaſon to pay to the judgement of a gentleman, who, a few years ago, honored our country with his remarks^†, and has made a particular euloge on the caſcades of Glyn-Maw. Let me add, that the conſideration of ending this little excurſion at the hoſpitable houſe of Mr. Garnons, of Rhiw Goch was another ſpur to my deſign.

[98]CROSS the bridge of Llan Elltyd. Below is a fine tract of mea⯑dow, wretchedly deformed by the neceſſity of digging into them for turf, the fuel of the country. The tide flows within a ſmall diſtance of this place; and on the banks I ſaw a ſmall ſloop, ready to be launched. On the left is the church of Llan-Elltyd: on the right, in a rich flat, ſtand the remains of the abbey of Cymmer. CYMMER ABBEY. Part of the church is ſtill to be ſeen, and ſhews its an⯑tient grandeur. At the eaſt end are three lofty, but very narrow windows, pointed at top; and over them three leſſer, mantled in a great and gloomy thicket of ivy. The great hall, and part of the abbot's lodgings, now form a farm-houſe.

THIS had been an abbey of Ciſtercians, founded (not by Llewelyn ap Jorwerth, as has been ſuppoſed, who only confirmed the dona⯑tions, as prince of Wales) but by the two princes Meredydd and Gryffydd, the ſons of Conan and Howel, the ſon of Gryffydd, about the year 1198. In the charter of Llewelyn, in 1209, is mention of their benefactions, of his own, and of the boundaries of the abbey lands^*; which ſhew it had been founded by other perſons. This charter is moſt ample, over rivers, lakes, and ſea; birds, and wild beaſts and tame; over all mountains, woods, things moveable and immoveable; and over all things under and over the lands ſo granted; and gives liberty of digging for metals and hidden treaſures: all which was done in preſence of Eſau, then lord abbot, and others, religious of the houſe ^†. At the diſſolution, its re⯑venues [99] were valued at fifty-one pounds thirteen ſhillings and ſix pence, by Dugdale, at fifty-eight pounds fifteen ſhillings and four pence, by Speed. The only charge on it in 1553, was ſix pounds thirteen ſhillings and four pence, paid to Lewis ap Thomas, ſup⯑poſed to have been the laſt abbot^‡.

Uchtred ap Edwyn built a caſtle here,CASTLE. which was taken and overthrown, about 1116, by Eneon ap Cadwgan, and Gryffyd ap Meredydd ap Bleyddyn ^§; and its place is not at preſent even known.

CONTINUE my journey on a bank high above the Maw. The valley grows ſoon very contracted; the ſides of the hills finely covered with wood, almoſt to the top; and the river aſſumes the form of a torrent, rolling over a rocky channel.

ABOUT five or ſix miles from Dolgelleu, at Dôol y Melynllyn, I turned out of the road, meeting the furious courſe of the Gamlan, that falls, with ſhort interruptions, from rock to rock, for a very conſiderable ſpace, amidſt the woods and buſhes, till it reaches a lofty precipice, from whence it precipitates into a black pool, ſhaded by trees (which gives to the cataract the name of Rhaia⯑der-ddu, RHAIADER DDU or The Black.) A noble birch, placed above, finely finiſhes this pictureſque ſcene.

CROSS Pont ar Gamlan, below which the river falls into the Maw. Not far from thence, the junction of the Maw and Eden forms another fine ſcene. A lofty hill, cloathed with woods, ends here, and forms the forks of the rivers, correſpondent to the ſteeps [100] through which theſe torrents roll, and exhibits a view like thoſe of the ſhady wilds of America.

BEGIN a conſiderable aſcent, and find on the top ſome groves of handſome oaks: before me, a naked country. Deſcend, through ſome ſteep fields, to another ſet of wooded dingles, that wind along the bottoms, and join with the former. In various parts, Cader Idris appears in full majeſty over theſe ſloping foreſts, and gives a magnificent finiſhing to the proſpect. Soon after my ar⯑rival among the woods, another caſcade aſtoniſhes me with its grandeur. From the ſituation I was in, it formed a vaſt fall, bounded on one ſide by broken ledges of rocks, on the other by a lofty precipice, with trees here and there growing out of its mural front. On the ſummit of each part, oaks and birch form diſtinct little groves, and give it a ſort of character diſtinct from our other cataracts. After the water reaches the bottom of the deep concavity, it ruſhes in a narrow rocky chaſm, of a very great depth, over which is an admirable wooden Alpine bridge; and the whole, for a conſiderable way, awefully canopied by trees. This is called Piſtill y Kain, or the ſpout of the river Kain. At no great diſtance from it, is another (for nature is here profuſe in her beauties of this kind).PISTILL Y MAW. The Maw, for ſome ſpace, runs along a deep glen, finiſhed by a bare mountain, ſeen through viſtos, formed by the woods on each ſide. The water tumbles down a ſeries of ledges, of different heights, into a very black and ſullen pool, from which it re-aſſumes its violence, and is loſt among the far extending woods.

IN the nakedneſs of winter, there is a ſpot, far above, from whence theſe two cataracts may be ſeen at once, exhibiting through [101] the trees a piece of ſcenery, as uncommon as it is grand. After emerging from theſe romantic depths, I reach a long extent of woodleſs tract, the vaſt pariſh of Trawsfynnydd, walled in on all ſides by lofty rugged mountains, of various forms.

IN a farm-houſe,BEDH PORUS. not far from this road to Rhiw Goch, I viſited Bedh Porus, or the grave of Porus. On a flat ſtone over it, is the following inſcription, copied ſomewhat differently by Mr. Llwyd, in the Britannia ^*:

SOME have ſuppoſed the P to have been an R, and the word to have been CHRISTIANUS FUIT; but, whatſoever the let⯑ter in diſpute might have been, there certainly never was room between HOMO and the next word, for the letters CHRIS.

NOT far from it, in another field, is a great upright ſtone, called Llech Idris. There is ſome ſilly legend about it, concern⯑ing the giant Idris; but it is no more than one of the monu⯑mental columns, ſo frequent in Wales, and many other parts.

AFTER a ſhort ride,SARN HELEN. ſee on a common, for the firſt time, the noted Sarn, or Llwybr Helen, the cauſeway or path of Helen; a road ſuppoſed to have been made through part of North Wales, by Helena, daughter of Eudda, or Octavius, and wife to the em⯑peror Maximus ^†.

THIS road is now entirely covered with turf; but, by the riſing of it, is in moſt parts very viſible: beneath are the ſtones which [102] form it, and extend in all its courſe, to the breadth of eight yards. There are tumuli near it, in various places, it being very uſual for the Romans to inter near their highways. Cloſe to the part in queſtion is one, in which were found five urns: the whole ma⯑terials of it are compoſed of burnt earth and ſtones, with ſeveral fragments of bricks, which had been placed round the urns, to keep them from being cruſhed.

AFTER repoſing a night at Rhiw Goch, CASTELL PRYSOR. adjacent to this part of the journey, I continued it a few miles to Caſtell Pryſor, a very ſingular little fort, placed in a paſs between the hills, on a natural round rock, appearing, at firſt ſight, like the artificial mounts we had before obſerved. Around its ſummit had been the wall, whoſe remains are viſible in ſeveral places; and in one is the ap⯑pearance of a round tower: the facings are very regular, but the work deſtitute of mortar. Notwithſtanding this, the caſtelet is probably Roman; for multitudes of coins and urns are found about it. The name explains the cauſe of the want of lime in the walls, Caſtell Pryſor ſignifying a caſtle made in baſte, ſo that there was not time to prepare the uſual cement. Around its baſe are the foundations of ſeveral buildings, which were placed there to enjoy the protection of the place.

FROM hence I took the track towards Feſtiniog, and ſaw, by the road ſide, Llyn Rathllyn, a ſmall lake, noted for a ſtrange variety of perch,CROOKED PERCH. with a hunched back, and the lower part of the back-bone, near the tail, oddly diſtorted^*: in other reſpects, they re⯑ſemble the common kind, which are equally numerous in this water. The ſame are found at Fablun, in Sweden.

[103]NOT far from hence,ROMAN CAMP. within the incloſed country, I found a very fine Roman camp, moſt judiciouſly placed, in a ſituation over an extenſive view of the country, partly level, partly inclin⯑ing from it, and commanding a number of paſſes to die leſſer poſts of this mountanous tract. It is ſurrounded with a ditch and bank, on the laſt of which are the veſtiges of a wall: near one end is a great mount of earth, broken and hollow in the middle, from the removal of the ſtones which compoſed the fort: round its baſe is a deep ditch. This camp is called Tomnen y Mur, or the mount within the wall. Coins and urns are as frequent about this place as the former. Sarn Helen runs into it at one end, and is continued to Rhyd yr Halen, in Feſtiniog pariſh, and by the ſide of Fannod Vawr, and over a farm called Cae Du, to Ffrydd y Dduallt, to the upper part of a farm called Croeſor, at the upper end of Cwm Croeſor, and through Cae Ddafydd, in Nanmor, and perhaps to Dinas Emrys. The branches are numerous: I cannot entertain a doubt but that one pointed, by Caſtell Dol Wyddelan, to Caer Hûn, or Conovium; and that by Pont Aber Glas Llyn, and y Gymwynas, or the work done in kindneſs, may be ſuppoſed to have been another, pointing to Segontium. I have before men⯑tioned a Ffordd Helen, among the Berwyn hills; and let me add thoſe recorded by the annotator on Cambden, in Llanbadarn Odyn, in Caerdiganſhire; and from Brecknock to Neath, in Glamorganſhire; which paſs under the name of the ſame princeſs^*.

CLOSE by the road ſide,OVAL INCLOSURE. on the common, at a ſmall diſtance from the camp, is an oval incloſure, about thirty-ſix yards long, [104] and twenty-ſeven wide in the middle, ſurrounded by a high mound of earth, but without a foſs. There were two entrances, one op⯑poſite to the other; and near one end, a part ſeemed to have been divided off by a wall, whoſe foundations ſtill remain.

I RETURNED out of the pariſh of Trawsfynnydd, along the beautiful road of the preceding day, till I reached Llan Elltyd, when I kept on the ſide of the hill, above the valley which leads to Barmouth. The ride is very pictureſque; the vale wa⯑tered by the Maw (known here only by the name of Avon, or The River) which widens as we advanced: the ſides bounded by hills, chequered with woods. I found the little town of Barmouth, BARMOUTH ſeated near the bottom of ſome high mountains, and the houſes placed on the ſteep ſides, one above another, in ſuch a manner as to give the upper an opportunity of ſeeing down the chimneys of their next ſubjacent neighbors. The town is ſeated very near to the ſea, at the mouth of the Maw, or Mawddoch; and takes its name of Barmouth, i. e. Aber Maw, or Mawddoch, from that circumſtance. At high water, the tide forms here a bay, about a mile over, but the entrance hazardous, on account of the many ſand-banks. This is the port of Meirio⯑niddſhire, but not ſo much frequented as it ought to be, by reaſon the inhabitants do not attempt commerce on a large ſcale, but vend their manufactures through the means of factors, who run away with much of the advantages which the natives might en⯑joy; yet ſhips now and then come to fetch the webs, or flan⯑nels; and I am informed, that a few years ago, forty thouſand pounds worth have been exported in a year, and ten thouſand [105] pounds worth of ſtockings. Many of the webs are ſold into Spain, and from thence ſent to South America.

IN a former viſit^* to this place, FASTING WOMAN. my curioſity was excited to examine into the truth of a ſurprizing relation of a woman in the pariſh of Cylynin, who had faſted a moſt ſupernatural length of time. I took boat, had a moſt pleaſant paſſage up the harbour, charmed with the beauty of the ſhores, intermixed with woods, verdant paſtures, and corn fields. I landed, and, after a ſhort walk, found, in a farm called Tydden Bach, the object of my excurſion, Mary Thomas, who was boarded here, and kept with great humanity and neatneſs. She was of the age of forty-ſeven, of a good countenance, very pale, thin, but not ſo much emaciated as might be expected, from the ſtrangeneſs of the circumſtances I am going to relate; her eyes weak, her voice low, deprived of the uſe of her lower extremi⯑ties, and quite bed-ridden; her pulſe rather ſtrong, her intel⯑lects clear and ſenſible.

ON examining her, ſhe informed me, that at the age of ſeven, ſhe had ſome eruptions like the meaſles, which grew confluent and univerſal; and ſhe became ſo fore, that ſhe could not bear the left touch: ſhe received ſome eaſe by the appli⯑cation of a ſheep's ſkin, juſt taken from the animal. After this, ſhe was ſeized, at ſpring and fall, with ſwellings and in⯑flammations, during which time ſhe was confined to her bed; but in the intervals could walk about; and once went to Holywell, in hopes of cure.

[106]WHEN ſhe was about twenty-ſeven years of age, ſhe was at⯑tacked with the ſame complaint, but in a more violent man⯑ner; and during two years and a half, remained inſenſible, and took no manner of nouriſhment, notwithſtanding her friends forced open her mouth with a ſpoon, to get ſomething down; but the moment the ſpoon was taken away, her teeth met, and cloſed with vaſt ſnapping and violence: during that time, ſhe flung up vaſt quantities of blood.

SHE well remembers the return of her ſenſes, and her know⯑lege of every body about her. She thought ſhe had ſlept but a night, and aſked her mother whether ſhe had given her any thing the day before, for ſhe found herſelf very hungry. Meat was brought to her; but ſo far from being able to take any thing ſolid, ſhe could ſcarcely ſwallow a ſpoonful of thin whey. From this, ſhe continued ſeven years and a half without any food or liquid, excepting ſufficient of the latter to moiſten her lips. At the end of this period, ſhe again fancied herſelf hungry, and deſired an egg; of which ſhe got down the quan⯑tity of a nut kernel. About this time, ſhe requeſted to receive the ſacrament; which ſhe did, by having a crum of bread ſteeped in the wine. After this, ſhe takes for her daily ſub⯑ſiſtence a bit of bread, weighing about two penny-weights ſeven grains, and drinks a wine glaſs of water: ſometimes a ſpoonful of wine, but frequently abſtains whole days from food and liquids. She ſleeps very indifferently: the ordinary func⯑tions of nature are very ſmall, and very ſeldom performed. Her attendant told me, that her diſpoſition of mind was mild; her temper even; that ſhe was very religious, and very ſervent [107] in prayer: the natural effect of the ſtate of her body, long un⯑embarraſſed with the groſſneſs of food, and a conſtant aliena⯑tion of thought from all worldly affairs^*.

THIS inſtance of the influence of diſeaſe (for ſuch only can it be called) ſtrange as it is, is not without parallel.

THE firſt is the caſe of a lady, a patient of the late doctor Gower, of Chelmsford, who was confined to her bed for ten years, during which time ſhe had an extreme and conſtant averſion to all kinds of ſolid nouriſhment. She drank a pint of tea daily; and once in three or four days chewed, without ſwallowing, a few raiſins of the ſun and blanched almonds, about four or half a dozen of each: ſhe ſeldom eat oftener than once a month, and then only a bit of dry bread, of the ſize of a nutmeg; but frequently abſtained from food for many weeks together. This lady recovered, by means of conſtant medical regimen; ſo that ſhe could walk two miles, without taking ei⯑ther reſt or refreſhment.

I REFER the reader to the Tour in Scotland of 1769, for the extraordinary caſe of Katherine Macleod, of the county of Roſs; and finally, ſhall mention that of Martha Taylor, of —, near Bakewell, Derbyſhire, who abſtained from food from De⯑cember 22, 1669, for thirteen months, and took nothing the whole time, excepting a few drops of ſyrup, water and ſugar or the juice of roaſted raiſins. She was alſo very religious; was much emaciated; her palms moiſt; her other evacuations very ſmall^†.

[108]I SHALL now mention another ſingular perſonage,EVANS THE CONJURER. but less innocent, a native of the ſame pariſh with Mary Thomas. This was the noted aſtrologer, and ill-favored knave, Ariſe Evans, a character and ſpecies of impoſtor frequent in the reigns of Elizabeth and James I. His figure is preſerved in the Antiqua⯑rian Repertory, and anſwers the deſcription given of him by his great pupil, William Lilly, of having a broad forehead, beetle⯑brows, thick ſhoulders, flat noſe, full lips, a down look, black curling ſtiff hair, and ſplay foot. He was a deep ſtudent in the black art; and Lilly aſſures us, that he had moſt piercing judgement naturally upon a figure of theft, and many other queſtions, he ever met withal; was well verſed in the nature of ſpirits; and had many times uſed the circular way of invocating. He then tells how his friend Evans, by means of the angel Salmon, brought to him a deed, which one of his cuſtomers had been wronged of, at the ſame time blowing down part of the houſe of the perſon in whoſe cuſtody it was: and again, how, to ſatisfy the curioſity of lord Bothwel and Sir Kenelm Digby, who wanted to ſee a ſpirit, he liked to have loſt his life, being carried over the Thames, and flung down near Batterſea, by the ſpirits, whom he had vexed at the time of invocation, for want of making ^* a due fumigation. Theſe ridiculous impoſtures were the faſhionable credulity of the times; and the greateſt men were the dupes of theſe pretenders to occult ſcience. To ſhew that Wales was fertile in geniuſes of every kind, we muſt lay clame to the celebrated doctor John Dee, or Dû, who. [109] was born at Nant-y-Groes, Radnorſhire ^†, and was ſought after by the greateſt princes in Europe. Ben. Johnſon, in his excel⯑lent comedy of The Alchemyſt, for a time, gave almoſt as fatal a blow to the black art, as Quevedo did in Spain to chivalry; but, ſince avarice and curioſity are paſſions moſt difficult of conqueſt, it roſe again with freſh vigor, and maintained its ground till the reſtoration^‡.

ON my return to Barmouth, I proceeded for ſome time along the coaſt, among ſhifting ſands. Paſs near Kail Wart, by a ſtone, now ſerving as a foot bridge, on which was this inſcrip⯑tion: Hic jacet CALIXTUS Monedo Regi. There is no tradition of the place it was removed from.

ASCEND from the coaſt to Cors-y-gedol, CORS-Y-GEDOL. the antient ſeat of the Vaughans, where I was entertained by William Vaughan, eſquire, for ſome days, in the ſtyle of an antient baron. The woods near his houſe are extenſive, but affected by the weſt winds in a very ſurprizing manner: the tops are ſhorn quite even, and the boughs ſo interwoven, as to form ſeemingly a cloſe and al⯑moſt impenetrable ſurface.

THERE are few places which abound more in Britiſh anti⯑quities, than the environs of Cors-y-Gedol. CRAIG Y DINAS. I firſt viſited Craig y Dinas, the ſummit of a hill, ſurrounded with a vaſt heap of ſtones, the ruins of a wall, which, in many parts, retain a re⯑gular and even facing: this, and ſome others ſimilar, are the firſt deviations from the rude ramparts of ſtone, and prior to the improvement of maſonry by the uſe of mortar. Into this [110] is an oblique entrance, with ſtone facings on both ſides; and near it are two ramparts of ſtones. The whole is on the ſteep extremity of the hill, near to which is a paſs into the country.

ABOUT a mile farther,LLYN BODLYN. is Llyn Bodlyn, a ſmall lake, beneath a lofty precipice, well ſtocked with char, which will take a bair, and afford good diverſion to the angler. Llyn Cwm Howel is another lake in this neighborhood, noted for a race of trouts (which I have ſeen) with moſt deformed heads, thick, flatted, and toad ſhaped; and which, probably, might give riſe to the fabled accounts of the monſtrous ſpecies recorded by Giraldus.

AFTER paſſing by Llyn-Irddin, a ſmall piece of water, on a plain, arrive amidſt a wondrous group of Druidical antiquities. On the flat appear two circles.CIRCLES OF STONES. The firſt is about fifty-ſix feet in diameter, formed of piles of looſe ſtones, with upright co⯑lumns, placed at five yards diſtance from each other, in pairs, ſo as nearly to divide the circle into four parts. About thirty yards from this, is a leſſer, with ſeveral upright ſtones among the ſmaller, but placed with leſs regularity. Deſign, not chance, certainly directed the founders of theſe circles in the diſpoſition of the columnar ſtones; but I fear, when I come to ſpeak more fully of them, the cauſe muſt remain unaccounted for, by reaſon of the remoteneſs of the time, and the myſtery of the antient prieſthood.

HALF a mile fouth of theſe, on the ſide of a hill, are two car⯑nedds, of a moſt ſtupendous ſize, containing an uncommon aſ⯑ſemblage of druidical cuſtoms,CARNEDDEU HENGWM. or religion, in form of Cromleh, Maen Hir, and Kiſt Vaen. Both are of an oblong form, and [111] compoſed of looſe ſtones: the largeſt is fifty-five feet, long, and twelve high, in the middle. At the eaſt end is a great Crom⯑leh altar, compoſed of two ſloping ſtones, one placed over the edge of the other, upon five flat upright ſtones, ſeven feet high in one part, and four feet ten in the loweſt. About eight yards from this, is the upper ſtone of a Cromleh, lying flat on the carnedd, without the appearance of any other ſupport.

ELEVEN yards farther, is another great heap of ſtones, and in it a large Cromleh, ſupported with upright ſtones. It is now converted into a retreat for a ſhepherd, who has placed ſtone ſeats within, and formed a chimney through the looſe ſtones above. In the ſame carnedd, a little farther on, is another magnificent Cromleh, whoſe incumbent ſtone is twelve feet by nine; four vaſt columns, or maen hirion, three now fallen, and a third erect. The columns are from the height of ten feet four, to that of twelve feet eight; and each between four and five feet broad.

NORTH-WEST of theſe antiquities,CASTELL DINAS CORTIN. on the top of a hill, is a ſtrong poſt, called Caſtell Dinas Cortin, entrenched around, with an advanced work on one ſide. This, and Caſtell Craig y Dinas, were doubtleſsly formed as defences to the ſacred ground, the ſubject of the above deſcription. I may add like⯑wife another object of protection, of the ſame nature, which I met with on my return to Corſegedol, two great Carnedds, placed on ſmall eminences, near to each other; and within one, the five ſquare flags of a Kiſt vaen, the top being de⯑ſtroyed. The place is moſt remarkable for the name, Bryn Cornyn JAU. The neighbors of this antiquity are fond of ren⯑dering [112] it, The Hill of the Horns of JOVE. It more probably was a place of ſacrifice before or after the chace, and derived its title from the horned deity Cernunnos, CERNUNNOS. who was venerated by the Gauls, and applied to as a protector from the dangers attendant on the diverſion^† Both the Gauls and Britons had one com⯑mon religion; ſo that Cernunnos might as reaſonably be ſuppoſed to have a place here as in France.

THIS neighborhood alſo abounds with Cromlechs of very great ſize.CROMLECHS. I meaſured one, in a tenement called Bryn-y-Voel, which was ſixteen feet four inches long, ſeven feet four broad, and twenty inches thick. It lay about two feet above the ground, ſupported by ſmall ſtones, and was ſurrounded with a circle of looſe ſtones. Moſt of the Cromlechs of theſe parts lie very near to the ground, and in that reſpect differ from thoſe of other places. They lie likewife horizontally, which ſhews that their object was different, whatſoever it was.

THIS country is in the hundred of Ardudwy. The entrance into it from Trawsfynnydd is called Drws Ardudwy, DEWS ARDUDWY. or the door of Ardudwy, formed by nature through the ſterile mountains, which ſeparate the places. I was tempted to viſit this noted paſs, and found the horror of it far exceeding the moſt gloomy idea that could be conceived of it. The ſides ſeemed to have been rent by ſome mighty convulſion into a thouſand precipices, forming at their tops rows of ſhelves, which the peaſants, com⯑paring to the ranges in a dove cot, ſtyle Carreg y Klommenod, or the rock of the pigeons. The bottom of this paſſage is covered [113] with a deluge of ſtones, which have ſtreamed from the ſides; and along it is a narrow horſe-path, on the ſlippery rock, formed by the removal of a few of the fragments, which, in other places, are diſpoſed into form of moſt ſteep and hazardous flights of ſteps: and yet, as if the natural and artificial difficulties of theſe ways were not ſufficient to terrify invaders, there are, in one place, the veſtiges of a wall, which went acroſs the paſs, in which might have been the door which gave name to it.

ON my return, I viſited an ordinary houſe, called Maes y Gar⯑nedd, the birth place of the regicide colonel Jones; whoſe inſo⯑lence to the neighboring gentry is ſtill ſpoken of, even to this day, with much warmth. Actuated by enthuſiaſm, he went every length that the congenial Cromwell dictated; and was a brave and ſucceſsful officer in a cauſe, which, after a certain pe⯑riod, was the reſult of ambition, and the foundation of tyranny.

FROM ſome of the adjacent heights of this ride, I had a full view beneath me (it being low water) of the long range of ſand and gravel, which runs from this coaſt twenty-two miles into the ſea. It is deſervedly called Sarn Badrig, SARN BADRIG. or, more properly, Bad-rhwyg, or Ship breaking Cauſeway, from the number of ſhips loſt upon it. This ſhoal is dry at the ebb of ſpring-tides, and marked in ſtorms by horrible breakers. Tradition ſays, that all this part of the ſea had been a habitable hundred, called Cantréer Gwaelod, or The Lowland Hundred; and that it was overwhelmed by the ſea, about the year 500, in the time of Gwyddno Go⯑ronhir.

A SIMILAR accident happened, in ſome diſtant period, on the coaſt of Eſſex. The canons of St. Paul muſt be poſſeſſed of a [114] prebend, before they can become reſidentiaries; and the one uſually given is, The Praebenda conſumpta per mare, which lay on the coaſt of that county.

FROM Corſegedol, I purſued my journey towards Harlech; but, on the road, was tempted, by my conſtant fellow-traveller, the reverend Mr. John Lloyd, to make a ſmall deviation to the right, to viſit a near relation of his, who lived a few miles to our right, in his antient territories of Cwm Bychan. We approached it through Glyn Artro, a little valley, watered by a river of the ſame name, and prettily wooded. The view upwards was extremely pictu⯑reſque, of a conic rock, ſkirted by a ſweet grove; and beyond ſoared the naked mountains, which bounded the object of our ride.

AFTER paſſing through the wood, and aſcending Dinas Porch⯑ellyn, had before us a wild horizon of rocks and rocky moun⯑tains. Even theſe tracts, unfriendly as they ſeem to vegetation, had once been covered with venerable oaks; and there ſtill re⯑mained a few, between eight and nine feet in circumference. We went under their ſhade, above a rapid torrent, with a de⯑lightful view before us of a true Alpine wooden bridge, and a ſmall mill; and, a little farther, an antient arch, flung from rock to rock, giving paſſage over a ſtill and black water, ſhaded by trees. Ford the river again near Llyn Sarph, or The Serpent's Hole. Wind up a rocky ſtair-caſe road, and arrive full in ſight of Cwm Bychan, CWM BYCHAN. emboſomed with rocks of magnificent height. After a ſhort ride, high above a lake of the ſame name, deſcend, and reach the houſe of the venerable Evan Llwyd, who, with his anceſtors, boaſt. of being lords of theſe rocks, at left ſince the [115] year 1100. This, and the fortified paſs of Drws Ardudwy, were moſt probably occupied by the ſons of Cadwgan, in their conteſts with the ſons of Uchtryd ap Edwyn, whom they at laſt expelled the country.

The following, as it is the true deſcent of Mr. Evan Llwyd, and my fellow-traveller, who, being brother's children, are eighteenth in deſcent from Blyddyn ap Cynvyn, ſo it is a genuine copy of the form of a Britiſh pedegree:

Evan ap Edward, ap Richard, ap Edward, ap Humphrey, ap Edward, ap Dafydd, ap Robert, ap Howel, ap Dafydd, ap Meirig Llwyd o Nannau, ap Meirig Vychan, ap Ynyr Vychan, ap Ynyr, ap Meuric, ap Madog, ap Cadwgan, ap Bleddyn, ap Cynvyn, prince of North Wales and Powys ^*.

I WAS introduced to the worthy repreſentative of this long line, who gave me the moſt hoſpitable reception, and in the ſtyle of an antient Briton. He welcomed us with ale and po⯑tent beer, to waſh down the Coch yr Wden, or hung goat, and the cheeſe, compounded of the milk of cow and ſheep. He likewiſe ſhewed us the antient family cup, made of a bull's ſcro⯑tum, in which large libations had been made in days of yore. The family lay in their whole ſtore of winter proviſions, being inacceſſible a great part of the ſeaſon, by reaſon of ſnow. Here they have lived for many generations, without bettering or leſſen⯑ing their income; without noiſy fame, but without any of its embittering attendants.

[116]OF this houſe was the valiant Dai Llwyd, to whom is ſaid to have been addreſſed the noted Welſh tune, Ffarwel DAI Llwyd, on occaſion of his going with Jaſper Tudor and Owen Lawgoch, to fight Riſiart Frawdwr, or Richard the Traitor, by which name the Welſh ſtigmatized Richard the Third.

THE manſion is a true ſpecimen of an antient ſeat of a gen⯑tleman of Wales. The furniture rude: the moſt remarkable were the Ciſtie Styffylog, or the great oatmeal cheſts, which held the eſſential part of the proviſion.

THE territories dependent on the manſion, extend about four miles each way, and conſiſt of a ſmall tract of meadow, a pretty lake ſwarming with trout, a little wood, and very much rock; but the whole forms a moſt auguſt ſcenery. The naked moun⯑tains envelope his vale and lake, like an immenſe theatre. The meadows are divided by a ſmall ſtream, and are bounded on one ſide by the lake; on the other, by his woods, which ſkirt the foot of the rocks, and through which the river runs, and beyond them tumbles from the heights, in a ſeries of cataracts. He keeps his whole territory in his own hands; but diſtributes his hinds among the Havadwys, or ſummer dairy-houſes, for the conveniency of attending his herds and flocks: he has fixed his heir on another part of his eſtates. His ambition once led him to attempt draining his lake, in order to extend his landed pro⯑perty; but, alas! he gained only a few acres of ruſhes and reeds; ſo wiſely bounded his deſires, and ſaved a beautiful piece of water. He found on one ſide a ſtratum of fine white earth, about half a yard thick, which I knew was what mineralogiſts dignify with the name of Lac Lunae, and Agaricus Mineralis. [117] The Germans uſe it as an abſorbent in dyſenteries and malignant fevers^*; and it would prove a good manure.

STOOLS and roots of firs, of vaſt ſize, are frequently found near the lake. Mr. Llwyd found one, with the marks of fire on it, which he uſed to repair the Tyddyn y Traian, or jointure-houſe of his family; an ancient cuſtomary appendage to moſt of the Welſh houſes of any note.

AMONG the mountains which guard the Cwm, is one named Carreg y Saeth, on whoſe verge is a great Maen Hîr, and Car⯑nedd. Saeth ſignifies an arrow; ſo probably the antient ſportſ⯑men here took their ſtand, to watch the paſſing of the deer, which formerly abounded in theſe parts. Nor have they long been extinct; a perſon of the laſt generation informed my hoſt, that he had ſeen eighteen at once, grazing in the meadow.

THE Welſh had ſeveral animals,ANTIENT HUNTING. which were the objects of the chace; ſuch as, y Carw, or the ſtag; Kaid Wenyn, a ſwarm of bees; and y Gleiſiad, or the ſalmon. Yr Arth, the bear; y Dringhedydd, climbing animals, I ſuppoſe wild cats, martins, and ſquirrels; and Ceiliog Coed, or cock of the wood. And the laſt diviſion was, y Llwynog, the fox; Yſgyfarnog, the hare; and yr Ywrch, the roe. Some of the above come very improperly under our idea of hunting, yet were comprehended in the code of laws relative to the diverſion, formed, as is ſuppoſed, by Gryffyd ap Cynan ^†.

I SUSPECT alſo, that the otter was an object of diverſion; there [118] being a Cylch Dyfrgwm, or an annual payment, by the Welſh, for the prince's water dogs^*.

THE three firſt were Helfa Gyffredyn, or the common hunt. The ſtag, becauſe he was the nobleſt animal of chace; and be⯑cauſe every body, who came by at his death, before he was ſkinned, might clame a ſhare in him. The next animals were, Helfa Gyfarthfa, or the animals which could be brought to bay, ſuch as the bear, &c. which were hunted with hounds till they aſcended a tree. The bird mentioned here, is the cock of the wood, whoſe nature it is to ſit perched on a bough, where they will gaze till they are ſhot, as they were, in old times, by the bow, or croſs-bow.

THE third diviſion was Helfa Ddolef, or the ſhouting chace, becauſe attended by the clamor of the ſportſmen; and compre⯑hended the fox, the hare, and the roe. The method of hunting was either with hounds, or grehounds, which they let ſlip at the animals, holding the dogs in leaſhes. No one was to ſlip his grehound when the hounds were in chace, unleſs he had a hound in the pack, on penalty of having the grehound ham-ſtrung: neither was it allowed to kill any animal of chace on its form, or at reſt, on pain of forfeiting his bow and arrow to the lord of the manor. When ſeveral grehounds, the property of different perſons, were ſlipt at any animal, the perſon whoſe dog was neareſt the beaſt, when laſt in ſight, clamed the ſkin. A bitch was excepted, unleſs it was proved ſhe was pregnant by a dog which had before won a ſkin.

[119]EVERY perſon who carries a horn, muſt give a ſcientifical ac⯑count of the nine objects of chace, or elſe he will be looked on as a pretender, and forfeit his horn. The ſame penalty at⯑tends the Cynllafan, or leaſh; he is never again to wear it round his middle, on pain of forfeiture; but then he is ſuffered to wear it round his arm.

THE antient Welſh held the fleſh of the ſtag, hare, wild boar, and the bear, to be the greateſt delicacies among the beaſts of chace.

THE prince had his Pencynwydd, or chief huntſman. He was the tenth officer of the court. He had for his own ſupper one diſh of meat; and after it, three horns of mead, one from the king, another from the queen, the third from the ſteward of the houſhold. He was never to ſwear, but by his horn and his leaſh. He had the third of the fines and heriots of all the other huntſmen; and likewiſe the ſame ſhare of the amobr, on the marriage of any of their daughters. At a certain time of the year, he was to hunt for the king only: at other ſeaſons, he was permitted to hunt for himſelf. His horn was that of an ox, of a pound value. He had in winter an ox's hide, to make leaſhes; in ſummer, a cow's, to cut into ſpatterdaſhes.

THE king had liberty of hunting whereſoever he pleaſed; but if a beaſt was hunted and killed on any gentleman's eſtate, and not followed and clamed by the huntſman that night, the owner of the land might convert it to his own uſe, but was to take good care of the dogs, and preſerve the ſkin.

THE penalty of killing a tame ſtag of the king's, was a pound; and a certain fine, if it was a wild one, if it was killed between [120] a certain day in November and the feaſt of St. John, the va⯑lue was ſixty pence; but the fine for killing it, a hundred and eighty pence. A ſtag was alſo reckoned equivalent to an ox; a hind to a well grown cow; a roe to a goat; a wild ſow to a tame ſow; a badger had no value, becauſe in ſome years it was meaſled; wolves and foxes, and other noxious animals, had no value, becauſe every body was allowed to kill them; and there was none ſet upon a hare, for a very ſingular reaſon, becauſe it was believed every other month to change its ſex^*.

FROM Cwm Bychan, HARLECH. took the road to Harlech, a ſmall and very poor town, remarkable only for its caſtle, which is ſeated on a lofty rock, facing the Iriſh ſea, above an extenſive marſh, once occupied by the water. This fortreſs was antiently called Twr Bronwen, from Bronwen or The White-necked, ſiſter to Bran ap Llŷr, king of Britain. In after-times, it got the name of Caer Collwyn, from Collwyn ap Tango, one of the fifteen tribes o North Wales, and lord of Efionydd, Ardudwy, and part of Llŷn. His grand⯑children flouriſhed in the reign of Gryffydd ap Cynan. He reſided ſome time in a ſquare tower in the antient fortreſs, whoſe remains are very apparent; as are part of the old walls, which the more modern, in certain places are ſeen to reſt on.

THE preſent caſtle was the work of Edward I. is a noble ſquare building, with a round tower at each corner, and one on each ſide the entrance, with elegant turrets iſſuing out of the great rounders, like thoſe of his other caſtles of Caernarvon and Conway. It was completed before the year 1283: at leſt, I then [121] find, that a hundred pounds was the annual ſalary of Hugh de Wlonkeſlow, the conſtable^*; but it was afterwards reduced; for it appears, that the annual fee was only twenty-ſix pounds thir⯑teen ſhillings and four pence, and in ſome accounts fifty pounds, which was ſuppoſed to be for both conſtable and captain of the town. The whole garriſon, at the ſame time, was twenty ſol⯑diers, whoſe annual pay amounted to a hundred and forty pounds^†. The preſent conſtable is Evan Lloyd Vaughan, eſq with a ſalary of fifty pounds a year, payable out of the revenues of North Wales. It was impregnable on the ſide next to the ſea: on the other, it was protected by a prodigious foſs, cut with vaſt expence and trouble in the hard rock.

THIS place was poſſeſſed,BESIEGED IN 1468 in 1468, by Dafydd ap Jevan ap Ei⯑nion, a ſtrong friend of the houſe of Lancaſter, and diſtinguiſhed as much by his valour, as his goodly perſonage, and great ſta⯑ture^‡. He was beſieged here by William Herbert, earl of Pem⯑broke, after a march through the heart of our Alps, attended with incredible difficulties; for in ſome parts, the ſoldiers were obliged to climb; in others, to precipitate themſelves down the rocks^§; and at length inveſted a place, till that time deemed impregnable. Pembroke committed the care of the ſiege to his brother, Sir Richard, a hero equal in ſize and proweſs to the Bri⯑tiſh commandant. Sir Richard ſent a ſummons of ſurrender; but Dafydd ſtoutly anſwered, that he had kept a caſtle in France [122] ſo long, that he made all the old women in Wales talk of him; and that he would keep this ſo long, that all the old women in France ſhould talk of him. Famine probably ſubdued him: he yielded on honorable terms, and Richard engaged to ſave his life, by interceding with his cruel maſter, Edward IV. The king at firſt refuſed his requeſt; when Herbert told him plainly, that his highneſs might take his life, inſtead of that of the Welch captain; or that he would aſſuredly replace Dafydd in the caſtle, and the king might ſend whom he pleaſed to take him out again. This prevaled; but Sir Richard received no other reward for his ſervice^*.

Margaret of Anjou, the faithful and ſpirited queen of the meek Henry VI. found in this caſtle, in 1460, an aſylum, after the un⯑fortunate battle of Northampton. She firſt fled to Coventry, and from thence retired to this fortreſs^†: after a ſhort ſtay here, ſhe went to Scotland, and, collecting her friends in the north of England, poured all her vengeance on her great enemy, duke of York, at the battle of Wakefield.

THE place more than once changed maſters,AND IN 1647. during the laſt civil wars. It was well defended by major Hugh Pennant, till he was deſerted by his, men. It was finally taken, in March 1647, by general Mytton, when Mr. William Owen was go⯑vernor, and the whole garriſon conſiſted but of twenty-eight men. It had the honor of ſurrendering on articles, and of being the laſt in North Wales which held out for the king.^‡

[123] Edward I. formed the town into a borough, and conferred on it grants of certain lands, and other emoluments.

NEAR this place was found the celebrated piece of antiquity^*,TORQUES. on which the learned have thought ſit to beſtow the name of Torques. It is well deſcribed in Cambden, as a wreathed rod of gold, about four feet long, with three ſpiral furrows, with ſharp intervening ridges running its whole length to the ends, which are plain truncated, and turn back like pot-hooks. Whether this was purely Roman, or whether it might not have been com⯑mon to both nations, I will not diſpute. The uſe was that of a baldric, to ſuſpend gracefully the quiver of men of rank, which hung behind by means of the hook, and the golden wreath croſſed the breaſt, and paſſed over the ſhoulder. Virgil, in his beautiful deſcription of the exerciſes of the Trojan youth, expreſſes the manner in theſe frequently miſconſtrued lines:

THE Torch, or Torques, worn by the Gauls and Britons, was a very different affair, a collar of gold, or other metal, worn round the neck. Our heroine Boadicia had a great one of that precious [124] metal; and Virdomarus wore round his neck another, faſtened behind with hooks, which fell off when the conqueror cut off his head.

Manlius acquired the addition of Torquatus, from a Torques which he won from a Gaul, whom he ſlew in ſingle combat, in ſight of the army; and Publius Cornelius, after his ſlaughter of the Boii, took, among other ſpoils, not fewer than four thouſand and ſeventy golden Torques ^†.

THEY were alſo in uſe among the Romans, who beſtowed them as military rewards; and, as Pliny pretends, the golden on the auxiliaries, the ſilver on the citizens^‡. They probably were made in ſeveral ways: I have ſeen a very beautiful one (I think at preſent in poſſeſſion of the reverend Mr. Preſcot, of Cambridge) compoſed of ſeveral links of ſilver wire, moſt elegantly twiſted together: it was long enough to go twice round the neck, and had claſps, which faſtened it on.

THE cuſtom of wearing the Torques was continued from the more remote periods of Britain, to later times. Llewelyn, a a lord of Yale, was called Llewelyn aur Dorchog, Llewelyn with the golden torques, on that account; and the common proverb, Mi a dynna'r dorch a chwi, I will pluck the torques with you, [125] ſignifies, to this day, a hard ſtruggle of a perſon before he would yield a victory.

FROM Harlech I aſcended a very ſteep hill, and on my way obſerve ſeveral maen hirion, and circles formed of large common pebble-ſtones, and of different diameters; ſometimes appears circle within circle; in other places, they interſect each other. I ſhould have doubted whether they had not been the founda⯑tions of Cytti'er Gwyddelod, CYTTI'ER GWYD⯑DELOD. or the cottages of the wood rangers, a ſort of temporary hovels, erected for the purpoſes of hunting, by our remoteſt anceſtors^*, had it not been for their inter⯑ſections. The learned Borlaſe gives inſtances of ſuch, in the circles of Botallek ^†, which he ſuppoſes to have been formed for reli⯑gious ceremonies; and that one rite might have been performed in one particular circle, and another again in a compartment al⯑lotted for it by the ſuperſtition of Druidiſm. Cluſters of circles were not peculiar to our iſland: baron Dahlberg ^‡ has given a plate of ſimilar aſſemblages, near the town of Wexio, in Smaland, in Sweden, which are on a flat, at the foot of a vaſt ſepulchral tumulus, with a high column, and great globe of ſtone on the ſummit. Some columnar ſtones, or maen hirion, appear in the ranges of ſtones compoſing the circles.

THE tumulus is called that of king Ingo: but ſince the three monarchs of that name were ſaid to have been ſteady chriſtians, and to have lived in the eleventh century, I do gueſs both tu⯑mulus [126] and circles to have been of earlier date, and formed in honor [...] pagan potentate; for the northern chriſtendoms old ^*, or [...] of chriſtianity, aboliſhed all ſuch cuſtoms.

I MUST obſerve, that this place is called Bon-leff Hir, or the loud ſhout or cry to battle. Poſſibly it had been a field of com⯑bat, and a chieftain had fell here, for one of the maen hirion is of a diſtinguiſhed ſize.

FROM hence the road is intolerably bad and ſtoney,GLYN. till I reached Glyn, a houſe of my kinſman, Robert Godolphin Owen, eſq ſeated in a romantic bottom, well wooded. This had been the reſidence of the antient family of the Wynnes, from whom it paſſed to the Owens, by the marriage of Sir Robert with the heireſs of the place, in the laſt century.

PASS by the village of Llan Tegwyn, and near a ſmall lake, filled with that beautiful aquatic, the Water Lilly. Somewhat farther is Llyn-Tegwyn, LLAN-TEGWIN. which well merits the name of Fair and Lovely, a lake about a mile round, whoſe waters are of a cryſtal⯑line clearneſs; its margin full; its boundaries neat and clean. The narrow path we rode on, impends over it, and is cut out of a hill, whoſe ſides are compoſed of ſhivering ſlate, ſtarting out at an immenſe height above, threatening deſtruction: they were much enlivened by flocks of milk-white goats, which ſkiped along the points, and looked down on us with much un⯑concern.

FROM one of the heights, a vaſt Alpine proſpect appears in view. The ſtupendous mountains of Caernarvenſhire, and thoſe [127] of Merioneddſhire, not much inferior, form a tremendous ſcenery, and riſe divided into a multitude of craggy heads. The laſt are particularly barren, and appear quite naked, excepting where varied by a moſſy verdure, or whitened by the lichen tartaricus. The higheſt ſummit of Snowdon, called y Wyddfa, ſoars pre-emi⯑nent. From thence, the mountains gradually lower, to Lleyn, which ſtretches in view far to the weſt, and terminates on the point of Aberdaron. Deſcend into a deep glen, cloathed on each ſide with trees, with the Velyn-Rhyd, VELYN RHYD. or Yellow Ford, at bottom; notwithſtanding its name, a moſt inky ſtream; the fine cataract a little above, being moſt fitly ſtyled Rhaiader-Du, or The Black.

AFTER a ſhort ride, reach the village and chapel of Maen Twrog, dependent on the church of Feſtiniog, Near one end is a great upright ſtone, from which it takes the name. This ſtone is taken into the Welſh calendar, canonized by the name of St. Twrog. The place lies in the Tempe of this country, the vale of Tan y Bwlch, TAN Y BWLCH. a narrow, but beautiful tract, about three or four miles long, divided by the ſmall river Dwy'ryd, or The Two Fords, being formed by the Cynſael and another ſtream, which unite towards the upper ends. The vale is compoſed of rich meadows; the ſides edged with groves; and barren preci⯑pitous mountains cloſe this gem, as it were, in a rugged caſe. Here is a very neat ſmall inn, for the reception of travellers, who ought to think themſelves much indebted to a nobleman^*, for the great improvement it received from his munificence.

[128]ABOVE it is a houſe, emboſomed with woods, moſt charmingly ſituated on the ſide of the hill. This ſeat, from the quick ſuc⯑ceſſion of owners by the fatal attachment to the bottle, has oc⯑caſioned many a moral reflection from the Engliſh traveller. ‘A heavy glutinous ale has charms enough to debauch the ſenſes of the whole principality;’ and, let me add, after a certain ſtage, the fiery dram is called in, to effect the deſtruction the former had begun; yet I truſt that its charms do not faſci⯑nate the ſenſes of the WHOLE principality; but that, after a fair ſcrutiny, there may be found ſome corner free from the Baccha⯑nalian rout.

THE river hereabouts widens into a good ſalmon fiſhery; and, after ſome ſpace, falls into an arm of the ſea, called Traeth Bach, or the little ſands.

RIDE up the vale, and diſmounting, meet the courſe of the Cynfael, FALLS OF THE CYNFAEL. which tumbles along the bottom of a deep time-worn chaſm, ſided with ſharp and rugged rocks for a very conſiderable ſpace, darkened by trees that overſpread the whole, iſſuing both from the ſides and margin. Near Feſtiniog is one caſcade, re⯑markably fine, conſiſting of three great falls, the loweſt dropping into a deep pool, black, and over-ſhadowed by far impending rocks. Below, is a magnificent columnar rock, riſing out of the torrent, and called Pulpit Hugh Llwyd Cynfael. Hugh lived in the time of James I. was ſuppoſed to have been a magician, and from thence to have delivered his nocturnal incantations; a place, fit indeed for the purpoſe as the pit of Acheron.

ABOUT a mile from the Cynfael, is another comfortable inn, which has often received me, after my toilſome expeditions. [129] Oppoſite to it lies Cwm Cwm̄orthin; CWM̄ORTHIN. a retreat much more ſequeſ⯑tered, and much more difficult of acceſs, than even Cwm-bychan. In my viſit to it, I deſcended through woods, along a ſteep road, into a very deep, but narrow valley, which I croſſed, and began a very hazardous and fatiguing aſcent up the rocky front of a loſty mountain: the path narrow and dangerous, and, I be⯑lieve, very rarely attempted by horſes. After the labor of a mile, reached this ſtrange habitation of two farmers, in a hollow ſurrounded on three parts by the rudeſt of environs, and con⯑taining a pretty lake, and two tenements, which yield only graſs; ſo that, in caſe the inhabitants have any other wants, they muſt deſcend from their Cwm to get them ſupplied. The mountains which incloſe it, are the Moel-wyn yr Hydd, and the Moel-wyn Gwyn, and others equally rude. High in the firſt is the lake Du-bach, which affords perch; and another, called Llyn Trwſtyl⯑lon; and oppoſite to the laſt, a third, called Llyn Conglog; all of which, after hard rains, form noble cataracts down the fronts of the hills. We preferred another way out of this ſingular place, and wound up a narrow path at the fartheſt end, on part of Molwyn y Hydd, in order to deſcend through Cwm Croeſor; being then deſirous of getting by the neareſt road to Pont Aber Glâs Llyn. But in our deſcent we met with ſuch narrowneſs of path, ſuch ſhort turnings, and horrible precipices, that our poor beaſts, with much reaſon, trembled in every limb; and, in fact, had a wonderful eſcape in getting ſafe to the bottom. The traveller who chuſes to follow our ſteps, will find a narrow graſſy bottom in Cwm Croeſor, with a few tenements: he will paſs through a [130] pretty wood, and ſoon after find himſelf on the high road from Tan y Bwlch to Caernarvon.

IN this journey, I went from Feſtiniog on a leſs hazardous way. Not two miles from thence, on the road from Trawsfyn⯑nydd to Yſpytty, I fell again into Fford Helen, which is here quite bare, and exhibits the rude ſtones with which it was made.

NEAR it,BEDDAU GWYR ARDUDWY. at Rhyd yr Halen, on the right, are the remains of Beddau Gwyr Ardudwy, or the graves of the men of Ardudwy. Theſe graves were about ſix feet long, marked at each end by two upright ſtones; but moſt of the ſtones are now removed. There are yet to be ſeen ſeveral circles of ſtones, the largeſt about fifty-two feet in diameter; a vaſt carnedd, with two up⯑right ſtones placed on one part, as if to mark the entrance to the cell, which it probably incloſes; and near it a leſſer heap, and a ſmall circle; all of which had been ſurrounded with a larger circle, now incomplete by the application of the materials to the making of walls. The tradition relating to theſe monuments, is claſſical; nearly parallel with the rape of the Sabines. The men of Ardudwy, to populate their country, made an inroad into the vale of Clwyd, and layed violent hands on the fair ladies of the land: they carried them in ſafety to this place, where they were overtaken by the warriors of the vale: a fierce battle enſued, and the men of Ardudwy all ſlain; but the raviſhers had ſome how or other ſo gained the hearts of their fair prey, that, on their defeat, the ladies, rather than return home, ruſhed into an adja⯑cent water, called, from the event, Llyn y Morwynion, or The Maiden's Lake, and there periſhed. That this had been the [131] ſcene of a bloody conflict, there is a probability: the graves and carnedds prove it; and the circles evince, that it was in the time when the ceremonies of druidiſm exiſted.

FROM hence I deſcended the long and tedious ſteep of Bwlch Carreg y Frân, into the narrow vale of Penmachno; and, after aſcending another hill, turn to the right into the black and moory mountains, to viſit Llyn Conwy, LLYN CONWY. the ſource of the noted river of that name. It is a very large piece of water, moſt diſmally ſi⯑tuated among rock and bog, and the ſides very irregularly in⯑dented. It is placed the higheſt of any large piece of water I have met with in theſe parts. In it are three iſlands, one of which is the haunt of the black-back Gulls, during the breeding ſeaſon. They are ſo exceedingly fierce in the defence of their young, that I knew of a man who was nearly drowned, in an at⯑tempt to ſwim to their neſts, being ſo violently beaten by the old birds, that he thought he eſcaped well, with the dreadful bruiſes he received on all the upper part of his body. The water iſſues out of the end of the lake, in form of a little rill; but in the courſe of a few miles, before it reaches Llanrwſt, becomes a moſt: conſiderable river, by the addition of the various mountain ſtreams.

DESCEND for two or three miles, and reach the village of Yſpytty Jevan, YSPYTTY. or the hoſpital of St. John of Jeruſalem; ſo ſtyled from its having formed, in the then inhoſpitable country, an aſylum and guard for travellers, under the protection of the knights who held the manor, and made its precincts a ſanctuary. After the abolition of the order, this privelege became the bane of the neighborhood; for the place, thus exempted from [132] all juriſdiction, was converted into a den of thieves and mur⯑derers, who ravaged the country far and wide with impunity, till the reign of Henry VII. when they were extirpated by the bravery and prudence of Meredydd ap Evan.

AFTER a very long interval, another charity ſucceeded, in the alms-houſes for ſix poor men, founded in 1600, by captain Richard Vaughan, a poor knight of Windſor, and deſcended from the neighboring houſe of Pant Glâs.

IN the church are three alabaſter figures.TOMBS. The firſt is the va⯑liant Rhys Vawr ap Meredydd, of the houſe of Plâs Yolyn; to whom, at the battle of Boſworth, Henry VII. entruſted the ſtan⯑dard of England, after the bearer, Sir William Brandon, was ſlain by Richard: a proper reſpect to the Welſh, who ſo highly fa⯑vored the Lancaſtrian cauſe. The next is an eccleſiaſtic, his ſon, Robert ap Rhys, croſs-bearer and chaplain to cardinal Wolſey: and the third Lowry, the wife of the great Rhys. I may add, that he left ſeveral ſons, from whom were deſcended many familes, particularly thoſe of Rhiwlas, Pant Glâs, Giler, and Voelas.

FROM Yſpytty I made an excurſion to Voelâs, VOELAS. about two miles diſtant, remarkable for a great column, with an inſcription in memory of Llewelyn, prince of Wales, who was ſlain in the year 1021. Here is likewiſe a vaſt artificial mount, the ſite of a Welſh caſtelet, deſtroyed by Llewelyn the Great^*. Mr. Llwyd confeſſes the inſcription to be very obſcure. It is part in [133] Latin, part in Welſh. The laſt line ſays, Levelinus optimus prin⯑ceps hic humatus; which, if meant of any of the actual princes of Wales, muſt intend Llewelyn ap Sitſyllt; he being the only one of the three of the name of Llewelyn, of whoſe place of interment we are ignorant^*.

TURN back, and again reach the river Conway. Enter CAERNARVONSHIRE, And, after a ſhort ride,RHAIADER Y GRAIG LLWYD. arrive at its celebrated falls, not very far from its junction with the Machno. The proſpect is very ex⯑traordinary, from the neighborhood of a fulling mill, where the channel of the rivers form a triangle of deep and doleful chaſms, worn by the water through the live rock. Not far below, be⯑gins the cataract, the moſt tremendous I ever ſaw, and whoſe roaring gives ſufficient notice of its vicinity. The rocks which bound it are of a vaſt height, and approach very near to each other, and want the pleaſing accompaniment of trees, attendant on moſt of our caſcades. One fall is of very great height; and be⯑neath that, full in view, is a ſucceſſion of four leſſer. The de⯑ſcent is ſteep and dangerous, and not to be attempted but by thoſe who have ſtrength of body, and ſteadineſs of head. When down, I found myſelf environed with naked precipices, faced with angular columnar rocks, pointing in a ſloping direction towards the river, adding to the ſtrangeneſs of the ſcenery.

DESCEND a ſteep hill, and arrive in Nant Conwy, or the vale of Conwy, after paſſing over Pont-or-Lleder; beneath which, the [134] river Lleder haſtens to join thar which gives name to the valley, Obſerve, in the courſe of the Conwy, a deep, wide, and ſtill wa⯑ter, called Llyn yr Afange, or The Beavers Pool, BEAVERS. from being, in old times, the haunt of thoſe animals. Our anceſtors alſo called them, with great propriety, Lloſt-Lydan, or the broad tailed ani⯑mal. Their ſkin was in ſuch eſteem, as to be valued at a hun⯑dred and twenty pence; while that of the martin took no more than twenty-four pence; an ermine, twelve; an otter, wolf, or fox, only twelve^*. They ſeem to have been the chief finery and luxury of the days of Hoel Dda.

THE vale gradually expands from this end, and extends about twenty miles, terminating at the town of Conway. It ſoon widens to about a mile in breadth, and improves in beauty, eſpecially in the neighborhood of Llanrwſt, where it is divided into the moſt beautiful meadows. The ſides of the hills finely cultivated: on the weſtern, the vaſt mountains of Snowdon riſe in a majeſtic range. The eaſtern conſiſts of low and broken hills, chequered with rich paſturage, corn fields, and groves. The river mean⯑ders through the whole, and before it reaches Llanrwſt, is of a conſiderable ſize.

VISIT the church of Bettws Wyrion Iddon, BETTWS WYRION. or the bead-houſe of the gran-children of Iddon. Within is the figure of Gruffydd ap Dafydd Goch, ſon to Dafydd Goch, natural ſon of Dafydd, bro⯑ther to the laſt prince of Wales. He is in armour, recumbent, with this inſcription: Hic jacet Grufud ap Davyd Goch, agnus DEI miſere mei.

[135]A LITTLE farther, paſs by Pont y Pair, PONT Y PAIR. a moſt ſingular bridge, flung over the Llugwy, conſiſting of five arches, placed on the rude rocks, which form moſt durable piers. Theſe rocks are precipitous, and in high floods exhibit to the paſſenger moſt awful cataracts below the bridge. The ſcenery beyond, of rocky mountains, fringed wich woods, is very ſtriking.

THIS bridge was built on the following occaſion: One Howel, a maſon from Penllyn, having occaſion, about the year 1468, to attend the Merionethſhire aſſizes, then held at Conway, had his paſſage over the Lleder obſtructed by floods. This determined him to remove to the ſpot, where he built a bridge, at his own expence, and received no other gratuity than what reſulted from the ſpontaneous generoſity of paſſengers. He afterwards moved to the Llugwy, and began that of Pont y Pair, but died before he completed his work^*.

I SOON left the bridge, and, after a ſteep aſcent, arrive at Dolwyddelan caſtle,DOLWYDDELAN CASTLE, ſeated in a rocky valley, ſprinkled over with ſtunted trees, and watered by the Lleder. The boundaries are rude and barren mountains; and, among others, the great bending mountain Scabod, often conſpicuous from moſt diſtant places.

The caſtle is placed on a high rock, precipitous on one ſide, and inſulated: it conſiſts of two ſquare towers; one forty feet by twenty-five; the other thirty-one by twenty. Each had for⯑merly [136] three floors. The materials of this fortreſs are the ſhat⯑tery ſtone of the country; yet well ſquared, the maſonry good, and the mortar hard. The caſtle-yard lay between the towers.

THIS had been founded by ſome of our princes; but we are ignorant of its origin. There were very few caſtles in North Wales, before its conqueſt by the Engliſh. They were needleſs; for Nature created in our rocks and mountains, fortifications (un⯑till our fatal diviſions) quite impregnable. Had there been oc⯑caſion for artificial retreats, the wealth of our country could rea⯑dily have ſupplied the means of erecting them. We had the ba⯑lance of trade in our favor. This prevented our princes from ever making uſe of their third prerogative, that of coining^*. Our herds and flocks were the frequent reſource of the Engliſh, and brought large ſums into Wales. Witneſs the large ſums of money we too frequently were obliged to pay, as purchaſers of diſgraceful peace. Beſides, caſh was far from being requiſite, ſince, by our laws, every ſubject was bound to aſſiſt in building the royal caſtles, excepting the huſbandmen belonging to the king^†.

Jorwerth Drwndwn made this place his reſidence; and here is ſaid to have been born his ſon, Llewelyn the Great ^‡, who began his reign in the time of Richard I. If Dolinchalan caſtle is, as I [137] ſuppoſe, the ſame with this, Gryffydd ap Tudor, in the reign of Edward I. had a fee of fifteen pounds as conſtable^*.

Meredydd ap Jevan, an anceſtor of the Wynnes, of Gwedir, in the reign of Henry VII. purchaſed the leaſe of this caſtle, and the incloſures belonging to it, from the executors of Sir Ralph Berkenet; it having been excepted among the places granted by Richard III. and reſumed by his ſucceſſor^†. Before that time, Hoel as Evan ap Rhys Gethin, a noted outlaw, reſided here. As ſoon as it came into poſſeſſion of Meredydd, he removed his habi⯑tation in Evionedd, a hundred in the county, to this caſtle; giv⯑ing this excellent reaſon: ‘I had rather fight with outlaws and thieves, than with my own blood and kindred: if I live in my own houſe in Evionedd, I muſt either kill mine own kinſmen, or be killed by them!’ The feuds among the gentry in Evionedd, occaſioned perpetual murders; and Nant-Conwy was filled with banditti.

THIS gentleman ſoon reformed the country: he eſtabliſhed colonies of the moſt tall and able men he could procure; till at laſt they amounted to ſeven ſcore tall bowmen, every one arrayed in a ‘jacket or armolet coate, a good ſteele cap, a ſhort ſword and dagger, together with his bow and arrowes; many of them alſoe had horſes and chaſing ſlaves, which were ready to anſwer the crie on all occaſions^‡’.

[138]HE founded the ſtrong houſe of Penamnaen, PENAMNAEN. a mile diſtant from the caſtle. He removed the church, which before lay in a thicket, to a more open place, by way of ſecurity; for he never dared to quit his houſe, without leaving in it a ſtrong guard; and another of twenty tall archers to attend him, whenever he went to church; beſides a watchman, on a rock called Carreg y Big, to give notice of the approach of the banditti. He ended his uſeful life in 1525, and left behind him twenty-three legiti⯑mate, and three natural children.

THE church had been an impropriation of the abby of Bedd⯑kelert; is very ſmall; and has in it a monument, commemorating ſuch of the family who were buried here^*.

IN my return to Pont y Pair, digreſſed a little up the river Llugwy, to ſee a noted caſcade, called Rhaiader y Wenol, or The Water-fall of the Swallow. The river runs along a ſtrait ſtony channel, for a conſiderable way, amidſt narrow meadows, bounded by majeſtic Alpine ſcenery; then falls into an amazing hollow. The bottom is difficult of acceſs; but when arrived at, exhibits a wonderful ſcene of mountain and precipice, ſhaded with trees, which fringe the top, and ſtart even from the fiſſures of the ſides.

CROSS Pont y Pair, CARREG Y GWALCH. and go beneath a very lofty rock, cloathed with wood, called Carreg y Gwalch, or The Rock of the Faleon. Here was the retreat of a famous partizan of the houſe of Lan⯑caſter, called, Dafydd ap Shenkin, who lurked in a cave, ſtill named, from him, Ogo Davyd ap Shenkin. The nobleſt oaks in [139] all Wales grew on this rock, within memory of man. I remem⯑ber the ſtools of ſeveral, which proved that they were equal to any which grow in the deepeſt ſoil; yet theſe rocks are totally deſtitute of all earth for a conſiderable way, ſo that the nutri⯑ment which the oaks received, muſt have been derived from the deep penetration of the roots, through the fiſſures of the ſtones, into ſome nutritive matter.

THE antient houſe of Gwedir ſtands near the foot of this rock.GWEDIR. It is built round a greater and leſſer court. Over the gate-way is the date, 1558, with I. W. John Wynne ap Meredydd, gran-fa⯑ther to the famous Sir John, author of the memoirs of the family. This ſhews 1553, the ſuppoſed time of the death of the former, to be a miſtake. The place takes its name from Gwaed-dir, the bloody land, from the battles fought here by Llywarch Hên ^*, about the year 610; or perhaps from the cruel battle in 952, between the ſons of Hoel, and the princes Jevaf and Iago ^†; and a third may be added, between Gryffydd ap Cynan, and Trahaern ap Cradog, equally bloody^‡ The ſuppoſition that it was de⯑rived from its being the firſt houſe in Wales which had glaſs win⯑dows, is not well founded, thoſe conveniences having been known long before. Sir John Wynne himſelf even mentions a date of 1512, on a window at Dolwyddelan, which is long before the building of Gwedir. But the following lines of a poet, who flouriſhed ſome centuries before, is ſtill a ſtronger proof of the antiquity of glaſs in our country: [140]

ON a rock, high above the Lower Gwedir, ſtood another, called The Upper, ſeemingly built for the enjoyment of the beautiful view it commands of the rich meadows watered by the Conwy, and their elegant boundaries. It was a ſort of Diaeta, or ſummer-houſe, erected by Sir John Wynne, in 1604, who had a claſſical taſte. The walls were covered with inſcriptions; and the ſituation well deſerved the panegyric beſtowed on it in the following Welſh lines, placed over the entrance:

‘A conſpicuous edifice on Gwider hill, towering over the adjacent land; a well-choſen ſituation, a ſecond paradiſe, a fair bank, a palace of royalty^†’.

SIR John was ſent to London in 1574, to ſtudy the law; was a man of abilities, and particularly attentive to the antiquities of his country and family. His conſequence made him to be taken notice of by the court; for he was made a baronet in June 1611.

THIS place continued in the family till the year 1678, when it paſſed into that of the late duke of Ancaſter, by marriage of Mary, daughter and heireſs of Sir Richard Wynne, with Robert marqueſs of Lindſey; and is now poſſeſſed by Peter Burrell, eſq in right of his wife Priſcilla, baroneſs Willoughby, eldeſt ſiſter to Robert, late duke of Ancaſter.

FROM hence to Llanrwſt is a pretty walk,LLANRWST BRIDGE. moſtly by the ſide of the river. The town lies in Denbighſhire, on the oppoſite bank. The approach is over the bridge, the boaſted plan of Inigo Jones. INIGO JONES. It conſiſts of three arches; the middle fifty-nine feet wide: two are extremely beautiful, and mark the hand of the architect: the third differs greatly, having been re-built in 1703, by a very inferior genius. I wiſh I could do more honor to my country, than ſuppoſe him to have been a deſcendant of this neighborhood: but he ſeems to have been by birth a Lon⯑doner, [142] a ſon of a cloth-worker^*, who, in all probability, was a native of this part of Wales; but our country is right to clame the ſon, which is done by univerſal tradition of the country. The turn of his countenance, and the violence of his paſſions^†, at leſt legitimate no diſtant deſcent. He was patronized by the earl of Arundel, and William earl of Pembroke; and by one or other ſent into Italy. His real chriſtian name was Ynyr, which he there changed into Inigo, or Ignatius. Thus, John Cooper, maſter of the Viol de Gambia to Charles I. after he had been in Italy, aſſumed the name of Giovanni Coperario ^‡. It is in vain to give the life of a man, which has been ſo amply written by one of the ableſt pens in the fine arts. Let it ſuffice to ſay, that the firſt Sir Richard Wynne procured from Jones the plan of this bridge, of which he was founder, in 1636; determined to do his country all poſſible honor, by the beauty of the deſign, invented by an architect to which Wales had at leſt a near relation^ſec;.

THERE is one circumſtance attending this great genius, which deſerves mention, as it bears ſome relation to the country from whence he may have derived his origin. When he was em⯑ployed to furniſh rare devices, and paint the ſcenery for the maſques of the feſtive year 1619, he painted the Creigie'r eira, or a ſcene in Snowdonia, for the maſque FOR THE HONOUR OF [143] WALES. He did it with ſuch ſucceſs, as to excite the envy of the poet, Ben Jonſon; for the ſcenes were more admired than the entertainment, which might very well be: but Jonſon was ſo offended; as to give vent to his ſpleen in a copy of verſes, as im⯑becil as they were rancorous and ill-founded^*.

THE river here makes a handſome appearance, extending in a direct line far above the bridge, and often enlivened with the coracles, the vitilia navigia of the antient Britons, buſied in tak⯑ing ſalmon; and in the months of February and March, numbers of ſmelt. The tide does not flow nearer than Llyn y Graig, a mile and half below the bridge, where, in ſpring tides, boats of twelve tons may come.

THE town of Llanrwſt is ſmall,TOWN OF LLAN⯑RWST, AND CHURCH. and ill built; and has nothing remarkable, except the church, which is dedicated to St. Ryſtyd, or Reſtitutus, archbiſhop of London in 361, preſent at the council of Arles in 353. The ground on which it is built, is ſaid to have been given by Rhun, the ſon of Nefydd Hardd, to expiate the foul murder of prince Idwal, a ſon of Owen Gwynedd, ſlain by order of his foſter-father, Nefydd, to whom he had been intruſted^†. Some curious carving, ſaid to have been brought from the neighboring abby, graces the inſide. The Gwedir chapel, founded in 1633, by the above-mentioned Sir Richard Wynne, from a deſign of Inigo, would be another ornament, if not ſo ſhamefully neglected. On the wall is a ruinous marble monument, elegantly ornamented with trophies: it was meant [144] to comemorate the anceſtors of the family; but ſoon promiſes to tumble into a heap of undiſtinguiſhable rubbiſh.

A VERY plain ſtone records the death of his eldeſt brother, Sir John Wynne, knight, who died at Lucca, on his travels, in 1614, and was buried there, in the pariſh of St. John. I have ſeen numbers of his letters, which ſhew him to have been a very obſervant man; ſome of which may, in the Appendix, be an amuſement to the reader.

ONE other tomb, of far greater antiquity than the others, re⯑mains to be mentioned; that of Howel Coytmor, whoſe figure, armed, is repreſented in ſtone. He was gran-ſon of the knight at Bettws; owned Gwedir, which was ſold by one of his poſte⯑rity to the family of the Wynnes,

IN this church is preſerved the ſtone coffin of Llewelyn the Great, with the ſides curiouſly cut into quatre-foils. That prince was enterred in Conwy abby; but at the diſſolution, the coffin was removed to this place.

I MADE from Llanrwſt two excurſions; one to viſit Maynan Abby, MAYNAN ABBY. tranſlated hither in 1289, from Conwy, by permiſſion of pope Nicholas ^*, as he ſays, at the requeſt of Edward I. and the monks. The king beſtowed on them the townſhip of Maynan, in lieu of Conwy, and confirmed to them all the revenues and priveleges they before enjoyed, together with various immuni⯑ties from taxes, tolls, and duties^†; and beſides, gave them the patronage of their antient church at Conwy ^‡ The revenues of [146] this houſe, at the diſſolution, were, according to Dugdale, one hundred and ſixty-two pounds fifteen ſhillings; to Speed, one hundred and ſeventy-nine pounds ten ſhillings and ten pence. The laſt abbot was Richard Kyffyn ^*, who had a penſion of twenty pounds a year. The abby was granted, in the fifth of queen Elizabeth, to Elizeus Wynne; and it is ſtill poſſeſſed by his deſcendant, lady Wynne, widow of the late Sir John Wynne, of Glynllivon. A large old houſe, built from the materials of the abby, ſtill remains.

I RETURNED through Llanrwſt, TREFRIW. and, about two miles beyond, high over the Conwy, viſit the village of Trefriw, where num⯑bers of ſmall veſſels are built, and ſent down the river at ſpring tides. It is ſaid that Llewelyn the Great had near this place a palace; and, as a proof, ſeveral hewen ſtones have been found, in ploughing a field called Gardd y Neuodd. The church of Trefriw was originally built by Llewelyn, for the eaſe of his prin⯑ceſs, who before was obliged to foot it to Llanrhychwyn, a long walk among the mountains^†.

FROM hence I went back as far as Gwedir, and aſcend a very ſteep hill, leaving the park belonging to the houſe on the left. Go over an open ſpace, called Bwlch yr Haiarn, full of turbe⯑ries, the providential fuel of the country. Some lead-mines have been diſcovered in theſe parts, but none of any conſequence. The Gale, GALE, OR BOG MYRTLE. or bog myrtle, abounds here, and perfumes the air with its ſpicy ſmell. It is a northern plant, but does not extend [147] far. It is found in Lapland, Norway, and Sweden, and ſeveral parts of the Alpine ſituations of Great Britain. It is called Bwrli, or the emetic plant; and Gnwyrddling, or green plant. Our countrymen uſe it as a yellow dye. They lay branches of it upon and under their beds, to keep off fleas and moths; and alſo give it in powder or infuſion, and apply it to the abdomen as a vermifuge. It is beſides ſometimes uſed as a ſuccedancum for hops.

THE Sorbus Aucuparia, or mountain aſh, is frequent in theſe parts. The poorer ſort of people make a drink, called diod⯑griafel, by infuſing the berries in water. In former times, a ſu⯑perſtitious uſe was made of the wood: a piece, made in form of a croſs, was carried in the pocket, as an infallible preſervative againſt all ſorts of faſcinations.

AFTER gaining the ſummit, viſit, to the right, Llyn Geirion⯑nydd, a ſmall lake, noted for having had near it the habitation of the celebrated Talieſin, TALIESIN. who flouriſhed about the year 560, in the time of Gwyddno Goronhir, a petty prince of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The hiſtory of our famous bard begins like that of Moſes; for he was found expoſed on the water, wrapped in a leathern bag, in a wear which had been granted to Elphin, ſon of Gwyddno, for his ſupport. The young prince, reduced by his extravagance, burſt into tears, at finding, as he imagined, ſo unprofitable a booty. He took pity on the infant, and cauſed proper care to be taken of him. After this, Elphin proſpered; and Talieſin, when he grew up, addreſſed to him the following moral ode, ſtyled Dyhuddiant ELPHIN, or ELPHIN'S Conſolation; ſuppoſed to have been addreſſed to the prince by the infant bard, on the night he [148] was found. I take the liberty of uſing the beautiful tranſla⯑tion, with which a fair countrywoman of mine hath lately favored the world^*.

OUR pains were fully repaid, on attaining the ſummit.GLYDER BACH. The area was covered with groupes of columnar ſtones, of vaſt ſize, from ten to thirty feet long, lying in all directions: moſt of them were of a columnar form, often piled on one another: in other places, half erect, ſloping down, and ſupported by others, which lie without any order at their baſes. The tops are frequently crowned in the ſtrangeſt manner with other ſtones, lying on them horizontally. One was about twenty-five feet long, and ſix broad: I climbed up, and, on ſtamping it with my foot, felt a ſtrong tremulous motion from end to end. Another, eleven feet long, and ſix in circumference in the thinneſt part, was poiſed ſo nicely on the point of a rock, that, to appearance, the touch of [152] a child would overſet it. A third enormous maſs had the pro⯑perty of a rocking ſtone.

MANY of the ſtones had, bedded in them, ſhells; and in their neighborhood I found ſeveral pieces of lava. I would therefore rather conſider this mountain to have been a ſort of wreck of nature, formed and flung up by ſome mighty internal convulſion, which has given theſe vaſt groupes of ſtones fortuitouſly ſuch a ſtrange diſpoſition; for had they been the ſettled ſtrata, bared of their earth by a long ſeries of rains, they would have retained the regular appearance, as we obſerve in all other beds of ſimilar matter.

ONE ſide of this mountain is formed into a gap, beriſſce, I may call it, with ſharp rocks, pointing upwards, one above the other, to a great height. In the midſt of a vale far below, riſes the ſin⯑gular mountain Trevaen, TREVAEN. aſſuming on this ſide a pyramidal form, naked, and very rugged. A precipice, from whoſe ſummit I ſurveyed the ſtrange ſcene, forbad my approach to examine the nature of its compoſition; and whether it might not have been ſuſpected of being formed at the ſame time with the phoenomena on the top of its neighbor Glyder: for I have heard that inſu⯑lated mountains of this form often appear at the baſe of greater, which have been ſuppoſed to owe their origin to volcanic force.

FROM Glyder Bach I paſſed over a plain, above half a mile broad, called Y Waun Oer, The Chilly Mountainous Flat. Ob⯑ſerve from the edge, in a tremendous hollow, Llyn y Boch Llwyd, or The Lake of the Grey Goat; and in the bottom of the valley, [153] near the foot of the Trevaen, Llyn Ogwen, noted for its fine trout.

FROM Waen Oer we made a moſt hazardous deſcent to Cwm Bochllwyd, and from thence to Llyn Ogwen. The way from that place into the valley, or rather chaſm, of Nant Frankon, is called The Ben-glog, BEN-GLOG. the most dreadful horſe path in Wales, worked in the rudeſt manner into ſteps, for a great length. On one ſide, in a deep hollow, formed under fallen rocks, was once the hiding place of Rys Goch o'r Eryri, or Rhys the Red, of Snowdon; a mountain bard, patroniſed by Robert Meredydd, a partizan of Glyndwr, an outlawed chieftain, of whoſe fortunes he partook.I do aſſure the traveller, who delights in wild na⯑ture, that a viſit to it up Nant Frankon, from Bangor, will not be repented. The waters of five lakes dart down the precipice of the middle of the Benglog, and form the torrent of the Ogwen, which falls into the ſea a few miles lower. This bottom is ſur⯑rounded with mountains of a ſtupendous height, moſtly preci⯑pitous; the tops of many edged with pointed rocks, I have, from the depth beneath, ſeen the ſhepherds ſkipping from peak to peak; but the point of contact was ſo ſmall, that from this diſtance they ſeemed to my uplifted eyes like beings of another order, floating in the air.

THE Trevaen, from this bottom, makes alſo a very ſingular ap⯑pearance, reſembling a human face, reclined backward. Fore⯑head, noſe, lips, and chin, are very apparent; and you may add, without any great ſtrain of fancy, the beard of an antient inha⯑bitant, an arch-druid.

[154]BEGIN another hard aſcent to Cwm Idwal, CWM IDWAL. infamous for the murder of a young prince of that name, ſon of Owen Gwynedd, by Dunawt, ſon of Nefydd Hardd, one of the fif⯑teen tribes of North Wales, to whom Owen had entruſted the youth, to be foſtered, according to the cuſtom of the country. It was a fit place to inſpire murderous thoughts, environed with horrible precipices, ſhading a lake, lodged in its bottom. The ſhepherds fable, that it is the haunt of Daemons; and that no bird dare fly over its damned water, fatal as that of Avernus.

NEAR this place is a quarry, noted for excellent hones, of which quantities are ſent annually to London.

A NEW and greater toil is to be undergone in the aſcent from Cwm Idwal, to the heights I had left. The way lies beneath that vaſt precipice, Caſtell y Geifr, or The Caſtle of the Goats. In ſome diſtant age, the ruins of a rocky mountain formed a road by a mighty lapſe. A ſtream of ſtones, each of monſtrous ſize, points towards the Cwm; and are to be clambered over by thoſe only, who poſſeſs a degree of bodily activity, as well as ſtrength of head to bear the ſight of the dreadful hollows frequent beneath them.

OBSERVE, on the right, a ſtupendous roche fendue, or ſplit rock, called Twll-Du, TWLL DU. and The Devil's Kitchen. It is a horrible gap, in the center of a great black precipice, extending in length [155] about a hundred and fifty yards; in depth, about a hundred; and only ſix wide; perpendicularly open to the ſurface of the mountain. On ſurmounting all my difficulties, and taking a little breath, I ventured to look down this dreadful aperture, and found its horrors far from being leſſened, in my exalted ſi⯑tuation; for to it were added the waters of Llyn y Cwn, impe⯑tuouſly ruſhing through its bottom.

REACH the Glyder Vawr, KLOGWYN DU. and paſs by the edge of Klogwyn Du Ymben y Glyder, as dreadful a precipice as any in Snowdonia, hanging over the dire waters of Llyn Idwal. Its neighborhood is of great note among botaniſts for rare plants, among which may be reckoned the Saxifraga Nivalis, Bulbocodium, and the Lichen Iſlandicus, The laſt is of ſingular uſe to the Icelanders. A decoction of the freſh leaves in water ſerves them in the ſpring as a powerful cathartic; and yet, when dried, changes its qua⯑lity, and if grinded to powder, is a common food, either made into bread, or boiled with milk, or water. Haller and Scopoli alſo mention its uſe, at their time, in Vienna, in coughs and conſumptions, made into broth, or gruel^*.

THE proſpect from this mountain is very noble.GLYDER VAWR. Snowdon is ſeen to great advantage; the deep vale of Llanberris and its lakes, Nant Frankon, and variety of other ſingular views. The plain which forms the top is ſtrangely covered with looſe ſtones like the beach of the ſea; in many places croſſing one another, in all directions, and entirely naked. Numbers of groupes of ſtones are placed almoſt erect, ſharp pointed, and in ſheafs: all [156] are weather-beaten, time-eaten, and honey-combed, and of a ve⯑nerable grey color. The elements ſeemed to have warred againſt this mountain: rains have waſhed, lightnings torn, the very earth deſerted it, and the winds made it the conſtant object of their fury. The ſhepherds make it the reſidence of ſtorms, and ſtyle a part of it Carnedd y Gwynt, or The Eminence of Tempeſts.

THIS mountain is connected to the leſſer Glyder by the Weyn Oer: the traveller therefore has his choice of ways to theſe won⯑drous mountains; but the moſt: preferable for eaſe, is the road I deſcend into the vale of Llanberis. In my way, paſs cloſe by a rugged brow of a hill, which I think is Rhiw y Glyder, recorded by LLWYD and RAY, for its variety of plants. From thence deſcend by Oleu Fawr.

SOON after, viſit the ſmall lake, called Llyn y Cwn, LLYN Y CWN. noted for the tale of Giraldus; who informs us, that in his days, the three kinds of fiſh it yielded, trouts, perch, and eels, were mon⯑ocular, every one wanting the left eye. At preſent, there is not a fiſh in it to diſprove the relation. To make amends, the botaniſt will find in it the Lobelia Dortmanna, Sabularia Aquatica, and Iſoetis Lacuſtris; and not far from it, the Juncus Triglumis, common to this, and ſome of the Highland mountains. The Hieracium Alpinum, Ruhus Saxatilis, Solidago Cambrica, and other rare plants, are to be met with. In the courſe of this part of the deſcent, leave o [...] the right Llider Vawr and Llider Vach, two great mountains, part of the boundaries of Nant-Beris; and ar⯑rive in that vale by Caunant yr Eſgar, or The Dingle of the Enemy.

ON the loftieſt part,CASTELL DOLBA⯑DERN. over one of the lakes, ſtand the remains of Caſtell Dolbadern, conſiſting of a round tower, and a few frag⯑ments of walls. It was conſtructed with the thin laminated ſtones of the country, cemented with very ſtrong mortar, with⯑out ſhells. The inner diameter of the tower is only twenty-ſix feet. This ſeems to have been built to defend the paſs into the interior parts of Snowdonia; and it was likewiſe uſed as a ſtate priſon. The founder is unknown to me; but it was evidently a Welſh prince.

IN this valley are two groupes of wretched houſes. The fartheſt is near the end of the upper lake, with its church, dedi⯑cated to St. Peris, who was, as we are told, a cardinal. Here [158] is to be ſeen the well of the ſaint, incloſed with a wall. The ſybil of the place attends, and divines your fortune by the appearance or non-appearance of a little fiſh, which lurks in ſome of its holes.

FROM hence I took a ride above the lakes, to their lower ex⯑tremity. The upper is the leſſer, but much the moſt beautiful piece of water. It is ſaid to be in places a hundred and forty yards deep; to have abounded with char, before they were re⯑duced by the ſtreams flowing from the copper mines, which had been worked on the ſides of the hills. The lower lake is about a mile and a half long, narrows gradually into the form of a river, called the Rythell, and flows in a diffuſed channel to Caer⯑narvon, where it aſſumes the name of Seiont.

NEAR this end of the lake lived a celebrated perſonage,MARGARET UCH EVAN. whom I was diſappointed in not finding at home. This was Margaret uch Evan, of Penllyn, the laſt ſpecimen of the ſtrength and ſpirit of the antient Britiſh fair. This extraordinary female was the greateſt hunter, ſhooter, and fiſher of her time. She kept a dozen at leſt of dogs, terriers, grehounds, and ſpaniels, all excel⯑lent in their kinds. She killed more foxes in one year, than all the confederate hunts do in ten: rowed ſtoutly, and was queen of the lake: fiddled excellently, and knew all our old muſic: did not neglect the mechanic arts, for ſhe was a very good joiner: and notwithſtanding ſhe was ſeventy years of age, was the beſt wreſtler in the country, and few young men dared to try a fall with her. Some years ago, ſhe had a maid of con⯑genial qualities; but death, that mighty hunter, at laſt earthed this faithful companion of her's. I muſt not forget, that all the [159] neighboring bards payed their addreſſes to Margaret, and cele⯑brated her exploits in pure Britiſh verſe.

ABOUT half a mile farther, I viſited the remains of Llŷs Di⯑norwig, a houſe ſaid to have been one of the palaces of prince Llewelyn ap Gryffydd: the walls high and ſtrong; the hall twenty-four yards long; and before the houſe is a deep ditch, over which had probably been a draw-bridge. Not very far from hence is a ſpot, called Rhiw'r Cyrn, or The Brow of the Horns; where, ac⯑cording to old uſage, an officer ſtood and blew his horn, to give notice to the houſhold of the approach of their maſter, or to ſummon the vaſſals to aſſemble on all emergent occaſions.

THIS country is part of the woodleſs flat,BRITISH POSTS. between the moun⯑tains and the Menai. Its want of ſtrength is ſupplied with ſe⯑veral poſts, fortified in the Britiſh manner. Dinas Dinorwig, about half a mile ſouth of the church of Llandeniolen ^*, is the chief. The area is very large, ſurrounded with an agger of ſmall ſtones, backed by another of very large ones: then ſuc⯑ceeds a deep ditch, a rampart of earth, a ſecond vaſt ditch, and a third rampart: within the area is a circle of ſtones, the poſt probably of the commander in chief.

IN our way from hence, we paſſed by another, called Pen y Gaer; and ſoon after, by a ſmaller, called Bryn y Caſtrelau, ſur⯑rounded with a ſingle wall; and on a riſing on the other ſide of the Rythell, is another, named Caer Cwm y Glo, or Caer Carreg-y-Fran, from which had been (as we were informed) a paved way to Llŷs Dinorwig. I may here add, that after the death of [160] Llewelyn, Edward I. beſtowed that palace on Sir Gryffydd Llwyd, the ſame gentleman who firſt brought him the news of the birth of his ſon Edward of Caernarvon.

RETURN by the ſame road, and, after refreſhing myſelf with a night's reſt at Mr. Cloſe's, agent to the mines in Llanberris, early in the morning begin our aſcent to the higheſt peak, of Snowdon, under the guidance of Hugh Shone, whom I beg leave to recom⯑mend as a moſt able conductor. Keep upon the ſide of the lake for a conſiderable way; then turn to the left, and ſee, not far from the road, Caunant Mawr, CAUNANT MAWR. a noble cataract, precipitating over two vaſt rocks into two moſt horrible chaſms. Near this place were found ſeveral beads; ſome of glaſs, and one of jet.

ASCEND, above Cwm Brwynog, a very deep bottom, fertile in Gwair y Rhoſydd, which is compoſed chiefly of different kinds of ruſhes, particularly Juncus Squarroſus, the moſs-ruſh, Scirpus Caſpitoſus, the heath club ruſh, Schaenus Nigricans, the black bog ruſh, and Carexes, intermixed with few kinds of graſs. The hay which the lower meadows produce, is very different in qua⯑lity,GRASSES. being remarkably fine and ſoft; and conſiſts in great part of the fine bent graſs, Agroſtis Capillaris. As we are on the ſubject of graſſes, it may be pleaſing to obſerve, how ſome of them wonderfully change their appearance, as they aſcend the higher hills: the turfy hair graſs, Aira Caeſpitoſa, ſheep's feſcue graſs, Peſtuca Ovina, Alpine meadow graſs, Poa Alpina, and ſome others, which, in the low countries, where they enjoy the due influence of the ſun, and length of ſummer, to ripen their ſeeds, are propagated in the common manner that graſſes are; [161] as they reach a more exalted ſituation, where they want conti⯑nuance of ſummer, and the neceſſary power of that enlivening body, to perfect their ſeeds, become viviparous; that is, the ru⯑diment of the Germen vegetates, and ſhoots into blade in the cup, from whence falling, it readily takes root, and grows; a kind and providential diſpenſation, for the advantage of thoſe colder climates, which are leſs favorable to vegetation!

THIS mountanous tract ſcarcely yields any corn. Its produce is cattle and ſheep, which, during ſummer, keep very high in the mountains, followed by their owners, with their families, who reſide in that ſeaſon in Havodtys, SUMMER DWELLINGS. or ſummer dairy-houſes, as the farmers in the Swiſs Alps do in their Sennes. Theſe houſes conſiſt of a long low room, with a hole at one end, to let out the ſmoke from the fire, which is made beneath. Their furniture is very ſimple: ſtones are the ſubſtitutes of ſtools; and the beds are of hay, ranged along the ſides. They manufacture their own cloaths; and dye their cloths with Cenn du y Cerrig, or Lichen Omphaloides; and another Cenn, the Lichen Parietinus; native dyes, collected from the rocks. During ſummer, the men paſs their time either in harveſt work, or in tending their herds: the women in milking, or making butter and cheeſe. For their own uſe, they milk both ewes and goats, and make cheeſe of the milk, for their own conſumption. The diet of theſe mounta⯑neers is very plain, conſiſting of butter, cheeſe, and oat-bread, or Bara Cyrch: their drink whey: not but they have a reſerve of a few bottles of very ſtrong beer, by way of cordial, in illneſs. They are people of good underſtanding, wary and circumſpect; uſually tall, thin, and of ſtrong conſtitutions, from their way of [162] living. Towards winter, they deſcend to their Hên Dref, or old dwelling, where they lead, during winter, a vacant life.

IN the courſe of our aſcent, ſaw on the left, above the Cwm, Moel y Cynhorion, or The Hill of Council. Paſs through Bwlch y Maes-cwm, and ſkirt the ſide of Snowdon, till we reach Bwlch y Cwm Brwynog, where the aſcent becomes very difficult, by reaſon of its vaſt ſteepneſs. People here uſually quit their horſes. We began a toilſome march, clambering among the rocks. On the left were the precipices over Cwm Brwynog, with Llyn du yr Ard⯑dwy at their foot. On our right were thoſe over the ſmall lakes Llyn Glâs, Llyn y-Nadroedd, and Llyn Coch. THE HIGH LAKES. The laſt is the higheſt on this ſide of the mountain; and on whoſe margins, we were told, that, in fairy days, thoſe diminutive gentry kept their revels. This ſpace between precipice and precipice, forms a ſhort, and no very agreeable iſthmus, till we reached a verdant expanſe, which gave us ſome reſpite, before we labored up ano⯑ther ſeries of broken crags: after theſe, is a ſecond ſmooth tract, which reaches almost to the ſummit,TOP OF SNOWDON. which, by way of pre-emi⯑nence, is ſtyled Y WYDDFA, or The Conſpicuous. It riſes almoſt to a point, or, at beſt, there is but room for a circular wall of looſe ſtones, within which travellers uſually take their repaſt.

THE mountain from hence ſeems propped by four vaſt buttreſſes; between which are four deep Cwms, or hollows: each, excepting one, had one or more lakes, lodged in its diſtant bot⯑tom The neareſt was Fſynnon Lás, FYNNON LAS. or The Green Well, lying im⯑mediately below us. One of the company had the curioſity to deſcend a very bad way to a jutting rock, that impended over the monſtrous precipice; and he ſeemed like Mercury ready to [163] take his flight from the ſummit of Atlas. The waters of Ffynnon Lâs, from this height, appeared black and unfathomable, and the edges quite green. From thence is a ſucceſſion of bottoms, ſurrounded by the moſt lofty and rugged hills, the greateſt part of whoſe ſides are quite mural, and form the moſt magnificent amphitheatre in nature. The Wyddfa is on one ſide; Crib y Diſtill, with its ſerrated tops, on another; Crib Coch, a ridge of fiery redneſs, appears beneath the preceding; and oppoſite to it is the boundary called the Lliwedd. Another very ſingular ſup⯑port to this mountain is Y Clawdd Coch, riſing into a ſharp ridge, ſo narrow, as not to afford breadth even for a path.

THE view from this exalted ſituation is unbounded. In a former tour^*, I ſaw from it the county of Cheſter, the high hills of Yorkſhire, part of the north of England, Scotland, and Ireland: a plain view of the Iſle of Man; and that of Angleſea lay extended like a map beneath us, with every rill viſible. I took much pains to ſee this proſpect to advantage; ſat up at a farm on the weſt till about twelve, and walked up the whole way. The night was remarkably fine and ſtarry: towards morn, the ſtars faded away, and left a ſhort interval of darkneſs, which was ſoon diſ⯑perſed by the dawn of day. The body of the ſun appeared moſt diſtinct, with the rotundity of the moon, before it roſe high enough to render its beams too brilliant for our ſight. The ſea which bounded the weſtern part was gilt by its beams, firſt in ſlender ſtreaks, at length glowed with redneſs. The proſpect was diſcloſed to us like the gradual drawing up of a curtain in a [164] theatre. We ſaw more and more, till the heat became ſo power⯑ful, as to attract the miſts from the various lakes, which in a ſlight degree obſcured the proſpect. The ſhadow of the moun⯑tain was flung many miles, and ſhewed its bicapitated form; the Wyddfa making one, Crib y Diſtill the other head. I counted this time between twenty and thirty lakes, either in this county, or Meirionyddſhire. The day proved ſo exceſſively hot, that my journey coſt me the ſkin of the lower part of my face, before I reached the reſting-place, after the fatigue of the morning.

ON this day^*, the ſky was obſcured very ſoon after I got up. A vaſt miſt enveloped the whole circuit of the mountain. The proſpect down was horrible. It gave an idea of numbers of abyſſes, concealed by a thick ſmoke, furiouſly circulating around us. Very often a guſt of wind formed an opening in the clouds, which gave a fine and diſtinct viſto of lake and valley. Some⯑times they opened only in one place; at others, in many at once, exhibiting a moſt ſtrange and perplexing ſight of water, fields, rocks, or chaſms, in fifty different places. They then cloſed at once, and left us involved in darkneſs: in a ſmall ſpace, they would ſeparate again, and fly in wild eddies round the middle of the mountains, and expoſe, in parts, both tops and baſes clear to our view. We deſcended from this various ſcene with great reluctance; but before we reached our horſes, a thunder ſtorm overtook us. Its rolling among the mountains was inexpreſſibly awful: the rain uncommonly heavy. We re-mounted our horſes, and gained the bottom with great hazard. The little [165] rills, which on our aſcent trickled along the gullies on the ſides of the mountain, were now ſwelled into torrents; and we and our ſteeds paſſed with the utmoſt riſque of being ſwept away by theſe ſudden waters. At length we arrived ſafe, yet ſufficiently wet and weary, to our former quarters.

IT is very rare that the traveller gets a proper day to aſcend the hill;ATTRACTION OF CLOUDS. for it often appears clear, but by the evident attraction of the clouds by this lofty mountain, it becomes ſuddenly and unexpectedly enveloped in miſt, when the clouds have juſt be⯑fore appeared very remote, and at great heights. At times, I have obſerved them lower to half their height, and notwithſtand⯑ing they had been diſperſed to the right and to the left, yet they have met from both ſides, and united to involve the ſummit in one great obſſcurity.

THE quantity of water which flows from the lakes of Snow⯑donia, RIVERS. is very conſiderable; ſo much, that I doubt not but col⯑lectively they would exceed the waters of the Thames, before it meets the flux of the ocean.

THE reports of the height of this noted hill have been very differently given.HEIGHT. A Mr. Caſwell, who was employed by Mr. Adams, in 1682, in a ſurvey of Wales, meaſured it by inſtruments made by the directions of Mr. Flamſtead: ^*; and aſſerts its height to have been twelve hundred and forty yards: but for the honor of our mountain I am ſorry to ſay, that I muſt give greater credit to the experiments made of late years, which have ſunk it to [166] one thouſand one hundred and eighty-nine yards and one foot, reckoning from the quay at Caernarvon to the higheſt peak.

THE ſtone that compoſes this,STRATA. and indeed the greateſt part of Snowdonia, is exceſſively hard. Large coarſe cryſtals are often found in the fiſſures, and very frequently cubic pyritae, the uſual attendants on Alpine tracts. Theſe are alſo frequented by the rock ouzel, a mountain bird; and ſome of the lakes are ſtocked with char and gwyniads, Alpine fiſh. The antient inhabitant, the goat, decreaſes daily in value, ſince the decline of orthodoxal wigs, to which its ſnowy hair univerſally contributed. Still large flocks are kept for the dairy, and milked with great regularity.

BOTANY is not within my province.BOTANY. I ſhall therefore ſay no⯑thing more of the plants, than that thoſe ſpecies which LIN⯑NAEUS ſo very expreſſively ſtyles. Aethereae, are entirely confined to the higher parts of the mountains; and notwithſtanding the ſeeds muſt be blown downwards, they never vegetate in the lower parts, which are deſerted by certain plants, which are natives of a higher tract of the ſame hill.

THE animals of theſe regions are chiefly foxes. Stags were found here in the days of Leland, in ſuch numbers, as to deſtroy the little corn which the farmers attempted to ſow: but they were extirpated before the year 1626^*. A ROYAl FOREST. Snowdon being a royal foreſt, warrants were iſſued for the killing of the deer. I have ſeen one from the duke of Suffolk, dated April the 30th, 1552; and another, in the firſt year of queen Elizabeth, ſigned by Robert To [...]neſend; and a third, in 1561, by Henry Sydney. The ſecond [167] was addreſſed to the maſter of the game, ranger and keeper of the queen's highneſs forreſt of SNOWDON, in the county of Caernarvon. The laſt extended the foreſt into the counties of Meirionydd and Angleſea, with the view of gratifying the rapacity of the favorite, Dudley, earl of Leiceſter, who had by letters patent been appointed chief ranger of the foreſt. In conſequence, he tyrannized over the counties with great inſolence. A ſet of informers imme⯑diately acquainted him, that moſt of the freeholders eſtates might be brought within the boundaries. Commiſſioners were ap⯑pointed to enquire of the encroachments and concealments of lands within the foreſt. Juries were empannelled; but their re⯑turns were rejected by the commiſſioners, as unfavorable to the earl's deſigns. The jurors performed an honeſt part, and found a verdict for the country. Leland, who, no longer before than the reign of Henry VIII. had gone over this tract, as he did moſt of England, under the royal commiſſion; and yet reports, that all Cregery, i. e. Snowdon, is in Caernarvonſhire, and no part in Merionethſhire; though, ſays he, that ſhire be montanius ^*.

A NEW commiſſion was then directed to Sir Richard Bulkeley, of Baron Hill, Angleſea, Sir William Herbert, and others; but this, by the firmneſs of Sir Richard, was likewiſe ſoon ſuperſeded. But, in 1578, another was appointed, dependent on the favorite. A packed jury was directed to appear at Beaumaris, who went on the ſame day to view the marſh of Malltraeth, ten miles diſtant; and found that marſh to be in the foreſt of Snowdon, notwith⯑ſtanding it was in another county, and divided from the foreſt [168] by an arm of the ſea; becauſe the commiſſioners had told them, that they had met with an indictment in the exchequer of Gaernarvon (which they had the year before broke open and ranſacked) by which they had diſcovered that a ſtag had been rouzed in the foreſt of Snowdon, in Caernarvonſhire, was purſued to the banks of the Menai; that it ſwam over that branch of the ſea, and was killed at Malltraeth INFRA foreſtam noſtram de Snow⯑don. The jury appeared in the earl's livery, blue, with ragged ſtaves on the ſleeves; and were ever after branded with the title of the black jury, who ſold their country.

SIR Richard Bulkeley, not the leſt daunted with this deciſion, continued ſteady in his oppoſition to the tyrant; and laid be⯑fore the Queen the odiouſneſs of the proceedings, and the grievances her loyal ſubjects, the Welſh, labored under, by the commiſſion, inſomuch, in 1579, her highneſs was pleaſed, by pro⯑clamation at Weſtminſter, to recall it. Leiceſter, diſappointed in his views, purſued Sir Richard with the utmoſt inveteracy: he even accuſed him of a concern in Babington's conſpiracy. ‘BEFORE GOD,’ ſays the Queen, ‘we will be ſworn upon the evangeliſts, he never intended us any harm;’ and ſo ran to the bible, and kiſſed it, ſaying, ‘We ſhall not commit him: we have brought him up from a boy^*.’

Snowdon was held as ſacred by the antient Britons, SACRED. as Parnaſſus was by the Greeks, and Ida by the Cretans. It is ſtill ſaid, that whoſoever ſlept upon Snowdon, would wake inſpired, as much as if he had taken a nap on the hill of Apollo. The Britons, in very [169] early times, worſhipped mountains and rivers;^* but that does not appear from the triambics quoted by our able antiquary, Mr. Rowlands ^† for the words Eiry Mynydd are applicable, not to this mountain in particular, but to all which are covered with ſnow. There are multitudes of theſe triambics, each ending with a moral reflection, the work of Llywarch Hêen; of which the following may ſerve as an example:

THE Welſh had always the ſtrongeſt attachment to the tract of Snowdon. It was, ſay they the appertenance of the principality of Wales, which the prince and his predeceſſors held ſince the time of Brute. Edward I. was told by the inhabitants of Snow⯑don, in the treaty he held with our countrymen, in the year 1281, that even ſhould their prince be inclined to gratify the king, in yielding him poſſeſſion, they would not do homage to ſtrangers, of whoſe tongue, manners, and laws, they were ignorant^§. Our [170] princes had, in addition to their title, that of LORD OF SNOWDON. They had five hardy barons within the tract, who held of them. Such was the importance of this ſtrong region, that when Llewelyn was at the laſt extremity, he rejected the propoſal of Edward, of a thouſand a year, and ſome honorable county in England, well knowing that his principality muſt terminate with the ceſſion.

No ſooner had Edward effected his conqueſt,FAIR HELD THERE. than he held a triumphal fair upon this our chief of mountains; and adjourned to finiſh the joy of his victory, by ſolemn tournaments on the plains of Nevyn.

I SHALL take my leave of Snowdonia, NAME. with ſome remarks on the name, and the weather. The firſt is a literal tranſlation^* of the antient appellation, Creigie'r Eira, The Snowy Mountains, from the frequency of ſnow upon them. Niphates, in Armenia, and Imaus, in Tartary, derive their name from the ſame circumſtance. Some have ſuppoſed it to be taken from Creigiau'r Eryri, or The Eagle Rocks; but that bird appears very ſeldom among them. The other circumſtance is conſtant: not that it is to be imagined that they are covered with ſnow in ſome part or other the whole year, as has been idly fabled; there being frequently whole weeks, even in winter, in which they are totally free.

THE earlieſt appearance of ſnow,WEATHER. is commonly between the middle of October, and the beginning of November: the falls which happen then, are uſually waſhed away with the rains, and the hills remain clear till Chriſtmas. Between that time and the end of January, the greateſt falls happen; which are ſucceeded [171] by others, about the latter end of April, or beginning of May, which remain in certain places till the middle of June, in which month it has been ſeen of the depth of ſome feet. It has even happened, that the greateſt fall has been in April, or beginning of May; and that never fails happening, when the preceding winter has had the ſmalleſt falls. But the fable of Giraldus, con⯑cerning the continuance of ſnow the whole year, is totally to be exploded.

NEAR the end of Nant-beris, paſs beneath Glyder Vawr, and obſerve the ſtrata of a columnar form, high above our heads. At times, vaſt fragments of this tremendous rock tumble down, the ruins are ſcattered about the baſe, and exhibit awful ſpeci⯑mens of the frequent lapſes. One is ſtyled the Cromlech, for having accidentally fallen on other ſtones, it remains lifted from the earth, with a hollow beneath, reſembling one of thoſe Druidical antiquities. The length of the incumbent ſtone is ſixty feet: the breadth forty-ſix: the thickneſs ſixteen. The hollow is ſaid once to have been occupied by an old woman; but now ſerves for a ſheep pen.

THE aſcent from hence is either over looſe ſtones, or ſolid ſtair-caſe; and is exceedingly ſteep. It is a ſingular road, lying in a ſtupendous chaſm, bounded for above a mile by nearly equidiſtant precipices, of prodigious height; on one ſide belong⯑ing to the Glyders, on the other by the parts of Snowdon.

REFRESH ourſelves on a ſpot called The Gorphwysfa, GORPHWYSFA. or The Reſting-Place. At a ſmall diſtance from which is Bwlchy Gwyd⯑dyl, or The Paſs of the Iriſhmen; from whence is a ſingular view of Dyffryn Mymbyr, the chaſm we had left; and far below us, [172] the pictureſque vale of Nant Gwynnan, the ſcene of many a bloody ſkirmiſh in the time of Edward IV. between William earl of Pembroke, and the Welſh Lancaſtrians, under Jevan ap Robert.

DESCEND a very ſteep road,CWM DYLI. into that part called Cwm Dyli; where we quitted our horſes, and began a moſt toilſome journey to viſit the hidden vales lodged in the boſom of the mountains. We began with clambering up the rugged face of a rock, broken into a multitude of ſhort precipices, and divided in the middle by a cataract, the diſcharge of the waters from the Alpine lakes. After about a quarter of a mile's labor,CWM DYLI UCHA. we reached Cwm y Cwm Dyli, a flat tract of hay ground, watered by a river, and filled with hay-makers; the farmer and his family being reſident here in his Havodtu, for the ſummer ſeaſon. After dining with them on curds and whey, we kept along the river's ſide, and found oppoſed to us another front, rugged as the former, and attended with a cataract. This was ſurmounted with equal difficulty. We found, on arriving at the top, a bottom a mile in length, filled with Llyn Llydaw, LLYN LLYDAW. a fine lake, winding beneath the rocks, and vaſtly indented by rocky projections, here and there jutting into it. In it was one little iſland, the haunt of black-backed Gulls, which breed here, and, alarmed by ſuch unexpected viſi⯑tants, broke the ſilence of this ſequeſtered place by their deep ſcreams. We continued our walk, aſcending along a narrow path above the lake, as far as the extremity; then deſcending, reached the oppoſite ſide, in order to encounter a third deſcent, as arduous as the preceding. This brought us into the horrible crater, immediately beneath the great precipice of the Wyddfa, in which is lodged Ffynnen Lâs. FFYNNON LAS. Its ſituation is the moſt dread⯑ful, [173] ſurrounded by more than three parts of a circle, with the moſt horrible precipices of the Wyddfa, Crib y Diſtill, and Crib Coch, with the vaſt mural ſteeps of Lliwedd, continued over the other lake and Cwm Dyli. In the Lliwedd was a ſtrange break, called Bwlch y Saethau, or The Paſs of the Arrows; probably a ſtation for hunters, to watch the wanderings of the deer.

THE margins of Ffynnon Lâs here appeared to be ſhallow and gravelly. The waters had a greeniſh caſt; but what is very ſin⯑gular, the rocks reflected into them ſeemed varied with ſtripes of the richeſt colors, like the moſt beautiful luteſtrings; and changed almoſt to infinity.

HERE we obſerved the Wheat-ear, WHEAT-EAR a ſmall and ſeemingly ten⯑der bird; and yet is almoſt the only ſmall one, or indeed the only one, except the Rock Ouzel, or Mwyalchen y Graig, that frequents theſe heights▪ the reaſon is evidently the want of food.

WE deſcended from this dreary ſcene, on the other ſide of the hill,CRIB COCH. above Llyn Llydaw, having the tremendous red preci⯑pices of Crib Coch high above us, riſing into a mere ridge, ſer⯑rated, or rather heriſſee, its whole length. The face of many of the rocks were marked with large veins of coarſe white cryſtal; and others, eſpecially Crib Coch, were varied with the deep green of the dwarf Alpine juniper. On attaining the top of the hills, above the lower end of the lake, we deſcend to the Gorphwysfa, where we found our horſes, and returned once more into Nant-Gwinan.

THIS is the moſt beautiful vale in Snowdonia, NANT GWYNAR varied with woods, lakes, river, and meadows; beſides the moſt auguſt [174] boundaries: being guarded on each ſide by vaſt mountains, ſuch as Crib Du, or part of Mynydd Nanmer, the Aran, Lliwedd, Dduallt, and Wenallt, extending about five miles to the church of Beddkelert. On the left, we paſſed by Havod Lwyvog, the ſeat of the late Meyric Meredydd, eſq ſurrounded with large woods. A little farther is the pretty lake Llyn Gwynan, about three quarters of a mile long, and near it are the ruins of a chapel of the ſame name. The chapel had been an eaſe to the church of Beddkelert, and was ſupported by a ſtipend of five pounds a year from the eſtate of Gwedir. It is ſaid to have been founded by John Williams, grandſon of John Coetmor, ap Meredydd, ap Je⯑van, ap Robert, of Keſelgyfarch and Gwedir, and goldſmith in London; the ſame who is reported to have furniſhed Michael Drayton with Leland's papers.

NEAR the end of the lake, the valley grows ſo contracted, as to form only a narrow ſtreight; but almoſt inſtantly opens again into a fine expanſe, chiefly filled with the beautiful Llyn Di⯑nas. Beyond that, is a tract of meads, chequered with woods, and watered by the river created by the various lakes; but re⯑tains the name of Avon Glás-Lyn, from the lofty Ffynnon-Lâs, from which it originates.

AT the bottom riſes a vaſt rock,DINAS EMRIS. inſulated, and cloathed with wood; the famous Dinas Emris, from early times celebrated in Britiſh ſtory; for here

[175]WHEN Vortigern found himſelf unable to conteſt with the treacherous Saxons, ITS LEGEND. whom he had, in the year 449, invited into Britain, he determined, by the advice of his magicians, on build⯑ing an impregnable fortreſs in Snowdon. He collected the ma⯑terials, which all diſappeared in one night. The prince, aſto⯑niſhed at this, convened again his wiſe men. They aſſured him, his building would never ſtand, unleſs it was ſprinkled with the blood of a child born without the help of a father. The realm was ranſacked: at length, one of his emiſſaries overheard ſome boys at play reproach another, and call him an unbegotten knave. The child and his mother were brought before the king. She confeſſed he was the offspring of an Incubus; a ſpecies of being, now unhappily out of all credit. The boy, whoſe name was Merlin, was ordered to be ſacrificed; but on confounding all the magicians with his queſtions, and explaining the cauſe of the miſcarriage, got his liberty^*, and

THIS is the poetical tranſlation of the legend. Merlin, MERLIN. or [176] Merd [...]il [...] Emris, or Ambroſius, was in fact the ſon of a noble Ro⯑man, of the ſame name. His mother, a Veſtal, to ſave her life and honor^*, invented the fable of his father, which was ſwal⯑lowed by the credulity of the times. Merlin was an able ma⯑thematician and aſtronomer, and deeply read in all the learning of his age. The vulgar, as uſual, aſcribed all he did to art ma⯑gic; and his diſcovery that Vortigern had begun to found his caſtle on a moraſs, was immediately ſaid to have been attended with moſt portentous circumſtances. Numbers of prophecies were attributed to him; the repetition of which is ſaid to have been forbidden by the council of Trent.

THREE ſides of this famous rock are precipitous. On the top is a large area; on the acceſſible part of which are two great ramparts of ſtone, and within is the ruin of a ſtone building, ten yards long: the walls are dry, but ſtrong. Since it is certain that Vortigern, after his misfortunes, retired to the Snowdon hills, and died not very remote from them, it is poſſible he might have ſelected this for his ſtrong-hold, as it is admirably adapted for that purpoſe, and nearly fills the ſtreight of the valley, and Merlin Ambroſius might have given to it the name of Emris. A place cloſe by, ſtyled Cell y Dewiniaid, or The Cell of the DIVINERS, alluſive to the magicians of Vortigern's court, is ano⯑ther circumſtance which favors the hiſtory of this celebrated ſuppoſed prophet.

THIS church had been conventual,PRIORY. belonging to a priory of Auguſtines, dedicated to St. Mary. There is reaſon to ſuppoſe they might have been of that claſs which was called Gilbertines, and conſiſted of both men and women, who lived under the ſame roof, but ſtrictly ſeparated from each other by a wall. The cauſe of my ſuſpicion is, that I diſcovered a piece of ground near the church, called Dôol y Llein, or The Meadow of the Nun.

BEDD KELERT had been the moſt antient foundation in all the country, excepting Bardſey. Tanner aſcribes it to our laſt prince; but it muſt have been long before his days, there being a recital [178] of a charter for certain lands beſtowed on it by Llewelyn the Great, ^*, who began his reign in 1194. It was favored in the ſame manner by others of the ſucceeding princes. David ap Llewelyn beſtowed on it ſome lands in Pennant Gwernogan, be⯑longing to Tudor ap Madoc, to which the prince had no right. This occaſioned a ſuit between the ſons of Tudor, and Philip, prior of the houſe, before William de Grandiſon and R. de Stanedon, at Caernarvon, when a verdict was given againſt the convent^†. The prior had for his ſupport the grange of Llecheidior and part of a mill, the grange of Fentidilt and village of Gwehelyn, the grange of Tre'rbeirdd, one plough land, and a certain ſhare of the bees. The eſteem which theſe inſects were held in by the antient Britons, on account of their pro⯑ducing the nectareous Medd, was ſo great, that they conſidered them as created in PARADISE; that when they quitted it on the fall of man, they were bleſſed by God himſelf; and therefore, no maſs ought to be celebrated, but by the light of their wax^‡.

THE prior had beſides, an allowance of fifty cows and twent-two ſheep. The expences of the houſe muſt have been large. It lay on the great road from England and Weſt Wales into North Wales, and from Ireland and North Wales into England. In order to enable this place to keep its uſual hoſpitality, after it had ſuffered, in 1283, by a caſual fire, Edward I. moſt mu⯑nificently repaired all the damages; and biſhop Anian, about the year 1286, for the encouragement of other benefactors, re⯑mitted [179] to all ſuch who were truly repentant of their ſins, forty days of any penance inflicted on them^*.

IN 1535, it was beſtowed, by Henry VIII. on the abby of Chertſey, in Surry; and in 1537, it was given with the laſt, as an appertenance to that of Biſham, in Berkſhire ^†. On the diſſolu⯑lution, the king gave to the family of the Bodvels, all the lands in Caernarvonſhire which belonged to this priory; and all thoſe in Angleſey, to that of the Prydderchs, excepting the townſhip of Tre'rbeirdd.^‡. The revenues of Bedd Kelert were valued by Dugdale at ſeventy pounds three ſhillings and eight pence; by Speed, at ſixty-nine pounds three ſhillings and eight pence. Ed⯑ward Conway is mentioned as laſt prior. There are not the leſt reliques of the houſe.

IN order to complete the mountain ramble, as far as was in my power, I made an excurſion from this village up a narrow vale. Aſcend a ſteep road, amidſt a thin hanging wood; and ſee from the road multitudes of black cattle, deſending from all parts, on their way to a neighboring fair. The vale expands; is watered by the Colwyn, which flows from a ſmall lake we paſſed by, called Llyn Cader. LLYN CADER. Left on the right another aſcent to the Wyddfa, where its baſe extends to a conſiderable breadth, and is far leſs ſteep than that on the ſide of Nant-Beris. We ſoon reached the pretty lake of Cawellyn, noted for its Char. The mountains hereabouts approach near to each other. On the right, Mynydd Mawr forms a ſtriking feature: its top is ſmooth, but its front is formed into a moſt immenſe precipice, retiring [180] inwards in a ſemicircular ſhape. Moel Eilio, is another mountain of a ſtupendous bulk, moſt regularly rounded, and of a beautiful verdure. At Bettus Garmon, a village with a church dedicated to St. Germanus, the ſcene changes into a range of beautiful meadows, watered by a rapid ſtream.

I HERE turn my back on the humble flats, and reſume my former road, till I had paſſed Cawellyn. Not far beyond that lake,LLYN Y DYWARCHEN. I turned to the right, to viſit Llyn y Dywarchen, or The Lake of the Sod, long ſince celebrated by the hyperbolical pen of Giraldus ^*, for its inſula erratica, its wandering iſland, as he calls it. That little lake is ſeated in the middle of a turbery; and at this time actually exhibited the phaenomenon recorded by our romantic hiſtorian. It had on it a floating iſland, of an irregu⯑lar ſhape, and about nine yards long. It appeared to be only a piece of the turbery, undermined by the water, torn off, and kept together by the cloſe entangling of the roots, which form that ſpecies of ground. It frequently is ſet in motion by the wind; often joins its native banks; and, as Giraldus ſays, cattle are frequently ſurprized on it, and by another gale carried a ſhort voyage from the ſhore.

CONTINUE our journey to Drws y Coed, DRWS Y COED. or The Door of the Wood, a paſs towards Clynnog. It is bounded by vaſt moun⯑tains: on one ſide by Tal Mignedd; on the other, by a great clift of Mynydd Mawr. Some years ago, here were con⯑ſiderable adventures for copper, of the yellow kind; and in the rocks were ſometimes found ſome very thin laminae of the native [181] metal. I was tempted here to exceed a little the limits of my Alpine tour; for now the mountains deſcend faſt from their ma⯑jeſtic heights, growing leſs and leſs as they approach the Iriſh ſea. My motive was to obtain a ſight of two fine lakes, called Llynnieu Nanlle, which form two handſome expanſes,LLYNIEU NANLLE. with a very ſmall diſtance between each. From hence is a noble view of the Wyddfa, which terminates the view through the viſto of Drws y Coed. It is from this ſpot Mr. WILSON has favored us with a view, as magnificent as it is faithful. Few are ſenſible of this; for few viſit the ſpot.

NEAR theſe lakes Edward I. in the ſummer of 1284, reſided for ſome days; and from hence iſſued out more than one of his edicts. I find ſome dated July the 17th and the 20th. Others are dated in the ſame year, from Bangor, Caernarvon, Mold, and Hope. One from Caernarvon ^* is dated as late as the 22d of October; which ſhews what attention he paid to the eſtabliſhment of government in his new dominions, by the long viſit he deigned to honor them with. The place he reſided at here, was called Bala Deu Llyn, or the place where a river diſcharges itſelf from two lakes: but at preſent all memory is loſt of the ſituation of the town, whoſe traces might perhaps be ſtill diſcovered, after proper ſearch.

I RETURNED by the ſame road; and again reach Bedd Ke⯑lert, where I made a coarſe lodging. The evening was ſo fine, that we were irreſiſtibly tempted not to defer till morning our viſit to Pont Aberglas Llyn, a ſhort walk from hence.PONT ABERGLAS LLYN. The firſt part is along the narrow vale; but in a very little time [182] the mountains approach ſo cloſe, as to leave only room for the furious river to roll over its ſtony bed; above which is a narrow road, formed with incredible labor, impending over the water. The way ſeems to have been firſt cut out of the rock, and then covered with great ſtones, as uſual in ſeveral of our narrow paſſes. The ſcenery is the moſt magnificent that can be ima⯑gined. The mountains riſe to very uncommon height, and op⯑poſe to us nothing but a broken ſeries of precipices, one above the other, as high as the eye can reach. Here is very little ap⯑pearance of vegetation; yet in ſpots there is here and there enough to tempt the poor goat to its deſtruction; for it will ſometimes leap down to an alluring tuft of verdure, where, with⯑out poſſiblity of return, it muſt remain to periſh, after it has fi⯑niſhed the dear-bought repaſt.

THE bridge terminates the paſs; and conſiſts of a ſingle arch, flung over a deep chaſm, from rock to rock. Above is a conſiderable cataract, where the traveller at times may have much amuſement, in obſerving the ſalmon, in great numbers, make their efforts to ſurpaſs the heights. Near the place is a ſalmon fishery. Here had been a royal wear in the reign of Henry IV. which was then rented by Robert ap Meredydd. It probably be⯑longed in old times to our natural princes; for it ſeems to have been a moſt valuable privelege. We have ſeen before, that young Elphin was endowed with one by his royal father; and the effect of his diſappointment in miſſing his uſual revenues, by finding (which, I dare ſay, was in thoſe days a very rare in⯑ſtance) an empty wear. Salmon was the moſt uſeful and eſteemed fiſh among the Welſh: it was reckoned among the game; and, if I remember right, is the only ſpecies which was preſerved by law.

[183]ON my return to Bedd Kelert, RHYS GOCH. a ſtone by the road ſide was pointed out to me, by the name of the chair of Rhys Goch O'ryri, the famous mountain bard, cotemporary with Owen Glyndwr. He was of the houſe of Havod Garregog at the entrance into Traeth Mawr, from whence he uſed to walk, and ſitting on this ſtone, compoſe his poems. Among others, is a ſatire on a fox, for killing his favorite peacock. He died about the year 1420, and was interred in the holy ground at Bedd Kelert, after eſcaping the vengeance of the Engliſh, for inſpiring our countrymen with the love of liberty, and animating them, by his compoſitions, into a long and gallant reſiſtance to the galling yoke.

CONTINUATION OF THE JOURNEY.

FROM Bedd Kelert I returned to Pont Aber Glas lyn; and ſoon reached Traeth Mawr, a large extent of ſands, be⯑tween the counties of Caernarvon and Meirionydd, of moſt dan⯑gerous paſſage to ſtrangers, by reaſon of the tides which flow here with great rapidity. This forms the bottom of the vaſt bay of Cardigan. In the year 1625, Sir John Wynne, of Gwedir, conceived the great deſign of gaining this tract, and a leſſer, called Traeth Bychan, from the ſea, by means of embanking. He implored the aſſiſtance of his illuſtrious contryman Sir Hugh Middleton. Sir John's letter, and Sir Hugh's reply, will be the beſt account I can give of the affair; which never was carried into execution, as I imagine, for want of money. Sir John's is as follows:

Note: VIEW FROM THE SANDS.THE view from the middle of the ſands towards Snowdonia, is moſt extravagantly wild. Mountain riſes above mountain, expoſing the moſt ſavage and barren aſpect imaginable, naked, precipitous, and craggy. The Cyfnicht ſoars into a pictureſque rocky cone; and Y Wyddfa riſes in the back-ground pre-emi⯑nent among its companions.

ON quitting the ſands, arrive in a tract of meadows, ſprinkled with inſulated rocks riſing in various places, and emboſomed with woods, rocks, and precipices. On the road obſerved ſome poor iron ore, and groups of coarſe cryſtals, the reliques of an unprofitable mine-adventure.PENMORVA. The ſmall town of Pen⯑morva lies at the head of theſe meadows. The church is dedi⯑cated [188] cated to St. Beuno, and annexed to it is the chapel of Dolben⯑maen. Here was interred that valiant knight Sir John Owen. Beſides his monument, is another ſmall one to Sir William Morris of Clenenney, who died Auguſt 11th 1622.

IN former times this neighborhood abounded with gentry. It lies in the hundred of Evionydd, in remote days poſſeſſed by two clans; one deſcended from Owen Gwynedd, prince of Wales, and conſiſted of four houſes, Ceſſail Gyfarch, Yſtym-cegid, Clenenney, Brynker, Glasfryn, or Cwmſtrallyn; the other was de⯑rived from Collwyn ap Tangno, and conſiſted of the houſes of Whilog, Bron y Foel, Berkin, Gwynfryn, Tal Hén Bont (now Plas Hén), and Pennardd. ^* My curioſity once led me to make a tour of a few miles from hence to viſit theſe antient manſions. In the days I allude to, the feuds among the gentry filled the land with blood. The hiſtory of our country, during that period, is the hiſtory of revenge, perfidy, and ſlaughter. This conſideration induced Meredydd ap Jevan, anceſtor of the Wynnes of Gwedir ^†, to quit this his paternal country. "I had rather," ſays he, ‘fight with outlaws and thieves, than with my own blood and kindred. If I live in my own houſe in Evionydd, I muſt either kill my own kinſmen, or be killed by them.’

THERE was not a houſe in the hundred but had its dreadful tale. They would quarrel, if it was but for 'the maſtery of the country, and the firſt good morrow ^‡!' John Owen ap John ap Mereddyd and Howel ap Madoc Vychan, fell out for no other reaſon. Howel and his people fought valiantly. When he fell, his [189] mother placed her hand on his head, to prevent the fatal blow, and had half her hand and three of her fingers cut off by ſome of her neareſt kindred. An attempt was made to kill Howel ap Rhys in his own houſe, by the ſons of John ap Mereddyd, for no other reaſon but that their ſervants had quarrelled about a fiſhery.

Note: ANTIQUETIES. THEY firſt ſet fire to the manſion with great bundles of ſtraw. The beſieged, terrified With the flames, ſheltered themſelves under forms and benches; while Rhys, the old hero, ſtood ſword in hand, reproaching his men with cowardice, and telling them be bad often ſeen a greater ſmoke in that hall on a Chriſtmas even. Theſe flagitious deeds ſeldom met with any other puniſhment than what reſulted from private revenge; and too often compoſi⯑tion was made for the moſt horrible murders. There was a Gwerth, or price of blood, from the ſlaughter of a king to the cutting off of one of his ſubject's little fingers.

SEVERAL antiquities are ſcattered over this part of the county. Near Dolbenmaen is a large mount, on which might have been, as Mr. Rowland conjectures, a watch-tower. Near Yſtym⯑kiged are three Cromlehs joining to each other, poſſibly me⯑morial of three chieftains ſlain on the ſpot. And near Clenen⯑ney, on Bwlch Craigwen, is a fine druidical circle, conſiſting at preſent of thirty-eight ſtones: at a mile's diſtance, and within ſight of this, above Penmorva, is another. Before I returned, I viſited Brynkir, in my memory inhabited by a family of the ſame name. It lies beneath the great mountain Hedog, which, divides this country from the vale of Bedd Kelert. From hence the country gradually lowers to the extremity of the county.

[190]DURING my ſtay at Penmorva, DWARFS. I was deſired to obſerve Dick Bach, a diminutive perſon, who caſually called there. He was ſervant to a neighboring gentleman, about the age of thirty, and only three feet eleven inches high. He was pointed out to me only for the ſake of deſcribing his ſiſter, Mary Bach o Cwmmain, or, little Mary of Cwmmain; a well-proportioned fairy, of the height of three feet four. Her virtues are ſuperior to her ſize: ſhe brews, bakes, pickles; in ſhort, does every thing that the beſt houſekeeper can do. Their parents live in theſe parts, have many children of the common ſtature of man; but nature choſe to ſport in the formation of this little pair.

IN the winter of 1694,A MEPHITIC VA⯑POUR. this neighborhood was remarkable for an amazing and noxious phaenomenon. A mephites, or peſti⯑lential vapour, reſembling a weak blue ſlame, aroſe, during a fortnight or three weeks, out of a ſandy marſhy tract, called Morva Bychan ^*, and croſſed over a channel of eight miles to Harlech. It ſet fire on that ſide to ſixteen ricks of hay and two barns, one filled with hay, the other with corn. It infected the graſs in ſuch a manner, that numbers of cattle, horſes, ſheep, and goats, died. One character of a mephites was wanting; for men went into the midſt of it with impunity. It was eaſily diſpelled; any great noiſe, ſuch as the ſounding of horns, the diſcharging of guns, or the like, at once repelled it. It moved only by night; and appeared at times, but leſs frequently, the following ſummer; after which this phaenomenon ceaſed. It may poſſibly ariſe, as the editor of Cambden conjectures, from a local [191] caſualty, ſuch as the fall of a flight of Locuſts in that ſpot, as really did in the ſea near Aberdaron; which growing corrupt, might, by the blowing of the wind for a certain period from one point, direct the peſt to a certain ſpot, while others leſs remote might, for the ſame reaſon, eſcape the dreadful effects. Mouffet gives an account of a plague in Lombardy, about the year 591, which aroſe from the fall of a cloud of Locuſts, which corrupted the air to ſuch a degree, that eighty thouſand men and cattle periſhed^*.

I continued my journey along the ſhore,WRECK OF BIRDS. which is for the moſt part flat, except where ſome ſmall headland juts into it. On this coaſt the Reverend Mr. Hugh Davies, of Beaumaris, was witneſs to a very uncommon wreck of ſea-fowl, which had happ⯑ened in 1776. He ſaw the beach, for miles together, co⯑vered with dead birds, eſpecially thoſe kinds which annually viſit the rocks in ſummer; ſuch as Puffins, Razor-bills, Guil⯑lemots, and Kittiwakes; of the laſt. there were many many thou⯑ſands. Numbers alſo of Tarrocks. And of birds which retire to diſtant countries to breed, were Gannets, Wild-geeſe, Bernacles, Brent-geeſe, Scoters, and Tufted-ducks. The froſt, from Ja⯑nuary 6th to February the 2d, had been in that winter uncom⯑monly ſevere: a ſtorm had probably overtaken both the mi⯑grants and re-migrants, and occaſioned this havock; and the birds, which are perpetually reſident with us, underwent the ſame fate, unable to reſiſt the freezing gale.

Paſſed by Stymllyn, the ſeat of — Wynne, Eſq and ſoon reach Crickaeth, CRICKAETH. a poor borough town, contributory to Caernarvon.

[192]Its caſtle is ſeated on a pretty round hill, jutting far into the ſea, and the iſthmus croſſed, by way of defence, by two deep ditches; on each ſide of the entrance is a great round tower. The court is of an irregular form, and has the remains of a ſquare tower; beyond is another court, and in it, on the verge of the rock, are two others, alſo ſquare. It is probable that all the towers were originally ſquare, for the inſides of the two round towers are of that form. They have ſo much the appearance of the architecture of Dolwyddelan caſtle, that I entertain no doubt but that this caſtle was founded by a Welſh prince, and that its ſuppoſed founder Edward I. did no more than caſe the towers, which at preſent are the two rounders. After the Con⯑queſt, Edward appointed William de Leybourn to be conſtable, with a ſalary of a hundred pounds a year; for which he was to maintain a garriſon of thirty ſtout men (ten of whom were to be croſs-bow men) one chaplain, one ſurgeon, one carpenter, and one maſon^*.

OUR boaſted countryman,SIR HOWEL Y FWYALL. Sir Howel y Fwyall, was con⯑ſtable of this caſtle; a hero deſcended from Collwyn ap Tangno. He attended the Black Prince to the battle of Poitiers, and, as we ſay, was the perſon who took the French king priſoner; but hiſtory beſtows that honor on Denis de Morebeque, a knight of Artois ^†. Perhaps we muſt wave that particular glory; but he undoubtedly behaved on the occaſion with diſtinguiſhed valour: for the Black Prince not only beſtowed on him the conſtableſhip of this caſtle, which he afterwards made his reſidence, but [193] knighted him, and, in perpetual memorial of his good ſervices, ordered that from thenceforth a meſs of meat ſhould be ſerved up before the pole-ax with which he performed ſuch great feats; for what reaſon he bore it in his coat of arms, and was ſlyled Sir Howel y Fwyall, or of the Ax: after the meſs had appeared before the knight, it was carried down and beſtowed on the poor. Eight yeomen attendants were conſtituted to guard the meſs, and had eight pence a day conſtant wages, at the king's charge; and theſe, under the name of yeomen of the crown, were continued on the eſtabliſhment till the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Some do not ſcruple to ſay, that the yeo⯑men of the crown were grafted upon this ſtock. After the death of Sir Howel, the meſs was carried as before, and beſtowed on the poor, for the ſake of his ſoul; and probably as low as the period above mentioned^*.

EIGHT miles farther is Pwllheli. In my way croſs over a pretty ſtream, on a bridge of three arches, at Llan Yſtyndwy, a church and village in a pretty wooded bottom. A little farther inland is Plâs Hén, a ſeat of Evan Lloyd Vaughan, Eſq by marriage of an heireſs of the name of Vaughan, a deſcendant of Colwyn ap Tangno: ſhe afterwards married William Lloyd, a younger ſon of Bod-idris. Croſs the little river Arch, at Aber-arch, or the port of the coffin, near a church dedicated to St. Cwrda. After another mile's ride reach Pwllheli, the beſt town in this country, and the magazine of goods which ſupplies all this tract. It lies cloſe on the ſhore, and has a tolerable harbour for veſſels of about ſixty tons. The en⯑trance [194] is by a high rock called The Gimlet, a mile from land, to which it is joined by a range of ſand-hills. This place was made a free borough by the Black Prince, by charter, dated in the 12th year of his principality, at Caernarvon, in compliment, to Nigel de Loryng or Lohareyn, one of the gentlemen of his bedchamber, on whom he had beſtowed Pwllheli and Nevyn, in conſideration of his great ſervice in Gaſcony, and particularly at the battle of Poitiers. He entitles him to Servitiis quorum⯑cunque tenentium tam liberorum quam nativorum; by which it may be preſumed that he did not include the Welſh in the privileges. What thoſe were I do not learn; but they were the ſame which the burgeſſes of Rosfair in Angleſey enjoyed: and for them Pwll⯑heli was to pay to Nigel fourteen pounds a year, and Nevyn thirty⯑two. This borough and Nevyn he freely beſtowed on him, with all its appurtenances, together with four librates of land, to⯑wards the repair of his manors; and for all theſe he was only to pay an acknowlegement of a roſe, in lieu of all ſervices. If he died without iſſue, the whole was to revert to the crown. Edward III. afterwards confirmed theſe grants at Sandwich.

FROM hence I took a ride about five miles inland to Carn Madryn, CARN MADRYN. a lofty rocky inſulated hill, noted for having been a ſtrong hold of the ſons of Owen Gwynedd, Roderick and Mal⯑gwn, to whom this part of the country belonged. The bottom, ſides, and top, are filled with cells, oblong, oval, or circular, once thatched, or covered from the inclemency of the weather: many of them are pretty entire. The chieftains reſided on the top; the country, with the cattle, in times of invaſion, occu⯑pied the ſides and bottom. The whole ſummit was ſurrounded with a wall, ſtill viſible in many places. From the ſummit is [195] an extenſive view of the country, with the bay of Caerncr [...] on one ſide, and that of Cardigan on the other. Sarn Badrig ^* is ſeen extending from Meireonyddſhire its dangerous length, nearly parallel to the ſhore of Lhein. South Wales may be ſeen plainly, and in clear weather Ireland; and in front the whole tract of Snowdonia exhibits a moſt magnificent and ſtupendous barrier.

AT the foot of this hill is Madryn, formerly the ſeat of the Bodvels, deſcended from Collwyn ap Tangno; but on the death of the laſt male heir the eſtate was purchaſed by — Parry, Eſq of Wern Vawr. From Pwllheli I continued my journey near the ſhore to Llan Badrog, along the ſides of that noble bay the Tudwal's road, ſheltered by two iſlands of that name, ſo named from St. Tudwal; ſacred to whom was a ſmall chapel on the greater. Its preſent inhabitants are ſheep, rabbits, and, in the ſeaſon, puffins.

IN the promontory Penrhyn Du, PENRHYN DU. one of the points of this bay, have been conſiderable adventures for lead ore; and of late years attempts to drain the mines, by means of a fire engine: but the expences proved ſuperior to the profits. A little be⯑yond this is another bay, called Hell's Mouth, dreaded by mari⯑ners, being the Scylla to the Charybdis of Sarn Badrig, whoſe extremity lies nearly oppoſite.

IN a ſmall time I reached Aber- [...]aron, ABER-DARON. a poor village, at the very end of Caernarvonſhire, ſeated on a ſandy bay, beneath ſome high and ſandy cliffs. The mouth of the bay is guarded by two little iſlands, called Ynys Gwylan, a ſecurity to the ſmall craft of the inhabitants, who are all fiſhermen. It takes its [196] name from the ſmall rivulet the Daron, which empties itſelf here.

IN the church are two ailes, ſupported by four very handſome pillars. This being the place where devotees uſually took boat for Bardſeye iſland, was greatly reſorted to. It was dedicated to St. Hywyn, a ſaint of that iſland: was a ſanctuary^*, and alſo much frequented by pilgrims. Leland ſays, it was called Llan Engas Brenin, Fanum Niniani Reguli ^†. Ninian is a ſaint, ſon of a Cumbrian prince, and whom legend might have ſent here to found the church.

FROM this port I once took boat for Bardſeye iſland,BARADSEYE ISLAND. which lies about three leagues to the weſt. The mariners ſeemed tinctured with the piety of the place; for they had not rowed far, but they made a full ſtop, pulled off their hats, and offered up a ſhort prayer. After doubling a headland, the iſland ap⯑pears full in view: we paſſed under the lofty mountain which forms one ſide. After doubling the farther end, we put into a little ſandy creek, bounded by low rocks, as is the whole level part. On landing, I found all this tract a very fertile plain, and well cultivated, and productive of every thing which the main land affords. The abbot's houſe is a large ſtone build⯑ing, inhabited by ſeveral of the natives: not far from it is a ſingular chapel, or oratory, being a long arched edifice, with an inſulated ſtone altar near the eaſt end. In this place one of the inhabitants reads prayers: all other offices are performed at Aber-daron.

[197]THE iſland is about two miles in circumference, contains a few inhabitants, and is rented from Lord Newborough. It was granted by Edward VI. to his uncle Sir Thomas Seymour, and after his death to John Earl of Warwick ^*. The late Sir John Wynn purchaſed it from the late reverend Dr. Wilſon of Newark.

THE iſland, whoſe ſpiritual concerns are at preſent under the care of a ſingle ruſtic, once afforded, during life, an aſylum to 20,000 ſaints; and after death, graves to as many of their bodies: well therefore might it be called Inſula Sanctorum, The Iſie of Saints. But, with Dr. Fuller, I muſt obſerve, that ‘it would be more facile to find graves in Bardſeye for ſo many ſaints, than ſaints for ſo many graves^†,’ But to approach the truth;S [...]. DUBRITIUS let it be ſaid, that Dubritius, archbiſhop of Caer-leon, almoſt worn out with age, reſigning his ſee to St. David, re⯑tired here, and, according to the beſt account, died in 612; was interred on the ſpot; but in after times his body was re⯑moved to Llandaff. The ſlaughter of the monks of Bangor, about the year 607, is ſuppoſed to have contributed to the population of this iſland; for not only the brethren who eſ⯑caped, but numbers of other pious Britons, fled hither to avoid the rage of the Saxons.

THE time in which the religious houſe was founded,CONVENT. is very uncertain; it probably was before the retreat of Dubritius; for ſomething of that kind muſt have occaſioned him to give the preference to this place. It ſeems likely to have been a ſeat of the Culdees, or Colidei, the firſt religious recluſes of Great [198] Britain; who ſought iſlands and deſert places in which they might in ſecurity worſhip the true GOD. It was certainly re⯑ſorted to in very early times; for our accounts ſay, that it flouriſhed as a convent in the days of Cadwan king of Britain, ^*, coeval with Dubritius. It was an abbey dedicated to St. Mary. I find among the Sebright MSS. mention of a petition from the abbot to Edward II. in which he ſets forth the injuries he had received from the ſheriff of Caernarvon, who had extorted from him 68s. and 6d. contrary to his deed of feoffment: on which the king directed Roger de Mortimer, juſticiary of Wales, to make enquiry into the matter; who reported, that the abbot held his lands in the county of Caernarvon, in puram et perpe⯑tuam elemoſynam, without any ſervice or ſecular acknowlegement; and further, that David, lord of Lhein, and brother to the laſt Prince of Wales, had exacted the ſame ſum; as did his Pen⯑cynydd, or maſter of his dogs, poſſibly under pretence of maintaining them. The king therefore, by his ſpecial favor, and by advice of his council, does for ever remit the ſaid ſum, and all arrears; and directs that no one in future, either on his account, or that of his heirs, ever ſhould moleſt the convent.

THE houſe underwent the common fate of others at the diſ⯑ſolution. Its revenues were, as Dugdale ſays, 46l. 1s. 4d. according to Speed, 58l. 6s. 2d. In the year 1553, only 1l. 6s. 8d. remained in charge to the ſurviving religious of this place.

THE Britiſh name of the iſland is Ynys Enlli, or the Iſland in the Current, from the fierce current which rages particu⯑larly [199] between it and the main land. The Saxons named it Bardſeye, probably from the bards who retire here, preferring ſolitude to the company of invading foreigners.

THERE are great plenty of fiſh round the iſland, and abun⯑dance of lobſters: the ſpiny lobſter, Br. Zool. iv. N^o 22. is more frequent here than in moſt other places.

WE re-embarked from the rocks on the oppoſite ſide of the iſland to that on which we landed. Rowed through the rapid current called the Race of Bardſey, between the iſland and the great promontory Braech y Pwll, the Canganum Promontorium of Ptolemy: part of it is called, from certain yellow ſtones, Maem Melyn; the reſt is a vaſt precipice, black and tremen⯑dous. After landing at Aber-daron, I rid to its ſummit, and found the ruins of a ſmall church,CAPEL VAIR. called Capel Vair, the Chapel of our Lady; and I was informed, that at the foot of the pro⯑montory, below high-water mark, was a fountain of freſh water, to which devotees were wont to deſcend by a circuitous and moſt hazardous path, to get, at low-water, a mouthful of the ſpring; which if they carried up ſafe to the ſummit, their wiſh, whatſoever it was, was to be ſurely fulfilled. This was under the protection of our Lady, and called Ffynnon Vain. The chapel was placed here to give the ſeamen opportunity of invoking the tutelar ſaint for protection through this dangerous ſound, and I dare ſay, in old times, the walls were covered with votive tables. Not far from hence I paſfed by the ruins of Capel Anhelog, or, the Chapel without Endowment.

NOT far from thence, about a quarter of a mile from the ſhore, riſes a high rock, called Maen y Mellt, or, The Stone of Lightning.MAEN Y MELLT. Ride by Cefn-amwlch, the ſeat of John Griffith, Eſq and ſoon after to Brynodol, that of Hugh Griffith, Eſq where I met with a moſt hoſpitable reception for two nights. From hence I viſited the neighboring ſhore, which is here low and rocky, opening into frequent little creeks, uſeful to the fiſhermen; who find in them, during the herring-fiſhery, a ſafe retreat from ſtorms. Among theſe are, Porth Towyn, Porth Colman, Porth Gwylan, and Porth Yſgadan. Near the laſt, about thirty years ago, a rock, which towered a great height out of the ſea, was ſuddenly miſſed, after a horrible night of thunder and lightning, ſuppoſed to have been ſtruck down by the reſiſtleſs bolt. I obſerved that the fields about Porth Gwylan were covered with y ddafad, or ſamphire, which ſheep and cattle eagerly feed on, and grow very fat. I was pleaſed here with the fine bloſſom of thrift glowing over numbers of the paſtures.

LLŶN or Lleyn is a very extenſive hundred: in general flat,LLŶN, PRODUCE OF. but interſperſed with moſt characteriſtic hills or rocks, riſing inſulated in ſeveral parts: none makes ſo conſpicuous a figure as Carn Madryn and Carn Boduon. The houſes of the common people are very mean; made with clay, thatched, and deſtitute of chimnies. Notwithſtanding the laudable example of the gentry, the country is in an unimproved ſtate, neglected for the ſake of the herring-fiſhery. The chief produce is oats, and black cattle. I was informed that above three thouſand are [201] annually ſold out of theſe parts. Much oats, barley, butter, and cheeſe, are exported. The land is excellent for grazing, be⯑ing watered by a thouſand little rills. It is deſtitute of trees, except about the houſes of the gentry.

THE herrings, about the year 1771, HERRINGS. were taken here in vaſt abundance, from Porth Yſgadan, or the Port of Herrings, to Bard⯑ſeye iſland. The capture amounted uſually to the value of about four thouſand pounds. They were ſometimes ſalted on ſhore; at other times bought from the fiſhers by the Iriſh wherries at ſea, and carried to be cured in Dublin. Theſe deſultory fiſh, about the period mentioned, appear in July and went away in October; in earlier times they came in September and went away in No⯑vember. Dories are often taken here. The fiſhermen were wont to fling them away, on account of their ugly appearance: nor was this luxury known to the gentry, till one of their ſervants, who was acquainted with the fiſh, informed them of its being an inhabitant of thefe ſeas. The Atherine, Br. Zool. iii. No 157, is taken near Pwllbeli; and a ſmall lobſter is often found burrowing in the ſand; but differs from the common kind only in its place of reſidence, and in ſize. The traps for lobſters are made with packthread, like thief-nets, and baited with pieces of the leſſer ſpotted ſhark, Br. Zool. iii. N^o 47. The fiſhers remark, that the ſexes of theſe voracious fiſh confort, at certain times, apart; for at certain periods they take only males, at others only females.

THE churches in this country are of very antient foundation. Some cauſe or other prevented me from ſeeing ſeveral old inſcriptions; a few of which I have ſince picked up. In the church of Llangynodol is ſaid to be this; Hic jacet GWEN HOEDL, [202] a holy lady, who lived in very early times. DERVORI hic jacet, is another inſcription, on a ſtone now placed over a door of Pen⯑prys ſtable, in Llannor pariſh^*; and at Capel Yverach, in Aber⯑daron pariſh, is another, which I think better expreſſed by an engraving^†. They are cut on very rude ſtones, and were cer⯑tainly the work of the early times of Chriſtianity.

BRYNODOL, by advantage of ſituation on the ſide of a hill, commands a vaſt view of a flat woodleſs tract, the ſea, and a noble maſs of mountains. The Eiſt hills, Boduon, and the vaſt Carn Madryn, riſe in the fore ground; and beyond theſe ſoars all Snowdonia, from thoſe alps which ſurround the Wyddfa, to the moſt remote in the county of Meireonydd.

ON quitting Brynodol I deſcended into an extenſive flat;PORTH YN LLŶN. reached Porth yn Llŷn, a fine ſafe and ſandy bay, guarded on the weſt by a narrow headland, jutting far into the ſea. On part of it are the remains of very ſtrong entrenchments; pro⯑bably an out-poſt of the Romans: who, as I ſhall have occaſion to mention, had another between this place and Caernarvon.

SEPARATED from this bay by a ſmall headland, is that of Nefyn; and near it a ſmall town of the ſame name,NEFYN. a contribu⯑tory borough to Caernarvon. This place had been beſtowed on Nigel de Lohareyn by the Black Prince, in the 12th year of his principality, and made a free borough: was allowed a guild mercatory, with every privilege attendant on other free boroughs, and all the liberties and cuſtoms granted here⯑tofore to that of Newborough in Angleſey. He alſo gave it a grant of two fairs annually, and a market on a Sunday; to [203] which the inhabitants of that part of the Commot y Llŷn, then called Dynthlayn, were obliged to reſort.

HERE Edward I, in 1284, held his triumph on the conqueſt of Wales; and perhaps, to conciliate the affections of his new ſubjects, in imitation of our hero Arthur, held a round table, and celebrated it with dance and tournament ^*.

Note: TOURNAMENT.The concourſe was prodigious; for not only the chief nobi⯑lity of England, but numbers from foreign parts, graced the feſtival with their preſence.

THE cuſtom is very antient; for it may be derived even higher than the days of Arthur. We may allow that he held his round table on account of one of his victories; and that he had four-and-twenty knights who ſat at the feſtive board; which might have been deſignedly made of a circular form, in order to deſtroy all diſpute about pre-eminence of ſeat. But the Gauls alſo ſate at their round tables, and every knight had at his back a ſquire with his armour, in waiting^†. This gallant aſſem⯑bly was held for many ages after. Beſides this held at Nefyn, [204] another was preſented by Earl Mortimer at Kenilworth, where the knights performed their martial exerciſes, and the ladies danced in ſilken mantles^*.

Note: VORTIGERN's VALLEY,THE firſt, I apprehend to have been performed in thoſe cir⯑cular areae, which we ſtill meet with in ſome parts of England, ſurrounded with a high mound, a ditch in the inſide, and two entrances one oppoſite to the other, for the knights to enter at and make their onſet. One of theſe I have ſeen by Penrith, which bears the name of Arthur's round table^†; others, which are far larger, I found on Thornborough heath, in Yorkſhire; of which I may in future time give ſome account.

ASCEND from Nefyn for a conſiderable way up the ſide of the high hill; and after a ſhort ride on level ground quit our horſes, in order to viſit Nant y Gwrtheyrn, or Vortigen's valley, VORTIGERN'S VALLEY. the immenſe hollow, to which Vortigern is ſaid to have fled from the rage of his ſubjects, and where it was ſaid that he and his caſtle were conſumed with lightning. Nennius ^‡ places the ſcene near the Teivi, in Caermarthenſhire; but I believe that the hiſtorian not only miſtakes the ſpot, but even the man⯑ner of his death. His life had been profligate; the monks therefore were determined that he ſhould not die the common death of all men, and accordingly made him periſh with ſignal marks of the vengeance of Heaven. Fancy cannot frame a place more fit for a retreat from the knowlege of mankind, or more apt to inſpire one with full hopes of ſecurity from any purſuit. Emboſomed in a lofty mountain, on two ſides bounded by [205] ſtony ſteeps, on which no vegetables appear but the blaſted heath and ſtunted gorſe; the third ſide exhibits a moſt tremen⯑dous front of black precipice, with the loftieſt peak of the mountain Eifl ſoaring above; and the only opening to this ſecluded ſpot is towards the ſea, a northern aſpect! where that chilling wind exerts all its fury, and half freezes, during winter, the few inhabitants. The glen is tenanted by three families, who raiſe oats, and keep a few cattle, ſheep, and goats; but ſeem to have great difficulty in getting their little produce to market.

JUST above the ſea is a high and verdant mount, natural; but the top and ſides worked on by art. The firſt flat⯑ted: the ſides marked with eight prominent ribs from top to bottom. On this might have been the reſidence of the unfortunate prince; of which, time has deſtroyed every other veſtige. Till the beginning of the laſt century, a tumulus, of ſtone within, and externally covered with turf, was to be ſeen here; it was known by the name of Bedd Gwrtheyrn: tradi⯑tion having regularly delivered down the report of this having been the place of his interment. The inhabitants of the pariſh, perhaps inſtigated by their then miniſter, Mr. Hugh Roberts, a perſon of curioſity, dug into the carn, and found in it a ſtone coffin, containing the bones of a tall man^*. This gives a degree of credibility to the tradition, eſpecially as no other bones were found with it; no other tumuli on the ſpot: a proof at leſt of reſpect to the rank of the perſon; and that the place was deſerted after the death of the royal fugitive, about the year 465.

[206]AFTER emerging out of this chearleſs bottom, I found fresh and amazing matter of ſpeculation. I got into a bwlch, or hollow, between two ſummits of the Eifl mountains;THE EIFL HILLS. a range that makes a moſt diſtinguiſhed figure, with the ſugar-loaf points, from various and diſtant parts of the country: they range obliquely, and ſeparate Lleyn from the hundred of Arfon, and jut into the ſea near Vortigern's valley.

ACROSS this hollow, from one ſummit of the Eifl to the other, extends an immenſe rampart of ſtones, or perhaps the ruins of a wall, which effectually blocked up the paſs. On the Eifl is the moſt perfect and magnificent, as well as the moſt artful, of any British poſt I ever beheld. It is called Tre'r Caeri, TRE'R CAERI. or, the Town of the Fortreſſes. This, which was the acceſſible ſide, is defended by three walls; the loweſt is very imperfect, the next tolerably entire, and has in it the grand entrance. This wall in one part points upwards towards the third wall, which runs round the edges of the top of the hill: the ſecond wall unites with the firſt, which runs into a point, re⯑verts, and joins the higheſt, in a place where the hill becomes inacceſſible. The facings on the two upper walls are very entire, eſpecially that of the uppermoſt. They are lofty, and exhibit from below a grand and extenſive front. The ſpace on the top is an irregular area; part is ſteep, part flat: in moſt parts covered with heath, giving ſhelter to a few red grouſe. The whole is almoſt filled with cells. To be ſeen with advantage, the ſtation ſhould be taken from the ſummit, about which the cells are very diſtinct, and diſpoſed with much art. About the middle is a ſquare place fenced with ſtones; a ſort of praetorium, ſurrounded with two rows of cells: numbers [207] are alſo ſcattered about the plain, and others again are conti⯑guous to the wall all along the inſide.

THE cells are moſtly perfect: of various forms; round, oval, oblong, ſquare. Some of the round were fifteen feet in dia⯑meter; of the oblong, thirty feet in length, with long entrances regularly faced with ſtone. All of them, when inhabited, were well protected from the weather by roofs of thatch or ſod.

THE upper wall was in many places fifteen feet high on the outſide, and often ſixteen feet broad. It conſiſted of two pa⯑rallel and contiguous parts, one higher than the other, ſerving as a parapet to the lower, which ſeemed to have had its walk, like that on the walls of Cheſter. There was in one place a cell in the thickneſs of the wall, or perhaps a ſally-port, in part ſtopped by the falling-in of the ſtones.

I was determined to trace every ſpecies of fortreſs of this nature which lay in the neighborhood. On deſcending from Tre'r Caeri to the ſouth,GARY GUWCH. I very soon ascended Moel Garn Guwh, a hill of conic form, on the ſummit of which is a prodigious heap of ſtones, ſeemingly a ſhapeleſs ruin; if it was not for the appearance of certain facings of a central cell ſtill remaining, to prove that it had been a large tower, and an out-poſt to the preceeding place. Theſe ruins are called by the country people A [...]g [...]d y G [...]s, or, The apron-full of ſtones flung down by [...]he G [...]s.

AFTER viewing the Arffedoged-y-Gowres, I deſcended to the village and church of Llan-Aelhaiearn, LLAN-AELHALEARN. the laſt dedicated to St. Aelhaiearn, or, the ſaint with an iron eyebrow, from a legend too abſurd to relate. Near it is a fine well, once much fre⯑quented for its reputed ſanctity. Continue deſcending: on the right are the high conic hills of Gern goch and Gern ddu, the extremity of the long chain which extends obliquely from Snowdon, beginning at Talmignèdd. Reach

CLYNNOG,CLYNNOG. ſeated in a ſmall grove near the ſhore, on a plain near the foot of the hills.CHURCH. The church is the moſt magnificent ſtructure of its kind in North Wales, built in form of a croſs; the length from eaſt to weſt is about a hundred and thirty-eight feet, from north to ſouth ſeventy. Near the altar are three neat ſtalls, divided by pillars ſupporting gothic arches, the ſeats of the officiating prieſts. The monuments are few: one to Wil⯑liam Glynn de Lleiar, with his figure, and thoſe of his wife and ſeven children: another to his ſon-in-law George Twiſleton, Eſq of Aula Barrow in Yorkſhire, and in right of his wife, of Lleiar. I imagine him to be the ſame with Colonel Twiſleton, an active officer under Cromwell, and the ſame who had the honor of beating and making priſoner the gallant Sir John Owen ^*.

[209]ADJOINING to the church is the chapel of St. Beuno. The paſſage to it is a narrow vault covered with great flat ſtones, and of far greater antiquity than either church or chapel; which ſeem nearly coeval. Leland ſpeaks of the firſt as new worke, and the architecture verifies his account. He speaks alſo of the old church, where St. Beuno lieth, being near the new^*. The paſſage is the only part left. The chapel was probably built after that traveller had viſited the place, in the room of the old church, which might have fallen to ruin. In the midſt is the tomb of the ſaint, plain, and altar-ſhaped.TOMB OF ST. BEUNO. Vota⯑ries were wont to have great faith in him, and did not doubt but that by means of a night's lodging on his tomb, a cure would be found for all diſeaſes. It was cuſtomary to cover it with ruſhes, and leave on it till morning ſick children, after making them firſt undergo ablution in the neighboring holy well; and I myſelf once ſaw on it a feather bed, on which a poor paralytic from Meirionyddſhire had lain the whole night, after undergoing the ſame ceremony.

I HAVE given ſome account of St. Beuno in the preceding volume^†.ST. BEUNO, ACCOUNT OF. After he had aſſumed the monaſtic habit, he here founded a convent in 616. Cadvan, king of North Wales, was his great patron, and promiſed him much land: his ſon Cad⯑wallan performed the promiſe, and received from the Saint a golden ſceptre worth ſixty cows. The land was clamed in behalf of a little infant, and his title proved good: the king refuſes either to give other land in lieu, or to reſign the pre⯑ſent. Beuno curſed him, and went away; but was appeaſed by Gwrddeint, firſt couſin to the king, who overtook him, and [210] gave the town of Celynnog for ever to GOD and St. Beuno, for his own ſoul's ſake, and that of the wicked Cadwallan. Long after his time, the Carmelites, or white monks, had here an eſtabliſhment. They were ſuppreſſed, but I cannot learn the period. At the time of the Lincoln taxation, or the year 1291, the church was collegiate, conſiſting of five portioniſts or pre⯑bendaries; and it continued ſo to the diſſolution^†. The rectory is a ſinecure annexed to the headſhip of JESUS College, Oxford; the poor vicarage is the gift of the biſhop.

ITS revenues at the diſſolution are not recorded; but they muſt at one time have been very great: many of the kings and firſt: people of the country appear on the liſt of benefactors. Cadwaladr gave Grayanoc; Tegwared gave Porthamel; Cadel be⯑ſtowed Kylcourt; prince Mervyn, Carnguin; Cadwgan ap Cynvelyn, Bodveilion in Llŷn; Idwal endowed it with Penrhos and Clynog Vechan in Angleſey: and beſides theſe are numbers of others, for which I refer the reader to my authority^‡.

AT preſent there are, I believe, no ſort of revenues to keep this venerable pile from falling to ruin. The offerings of calves and lambs, which happen to be born with the Nôd Beuno, or mark of St. Beuno, a certain natural mark in the ear, have not entirely ceaſed.OFFERINGS TO. They are brought to the church on Trinity Sunday, the anniverſary of the Saint, and delivered to the churchwardens; who ſell and account for them, and put it into a great cheſt, called Cyff St. Beino, made of one piece of oak, ſecured with three locks. From this the Welſh have a proverb for attempting any very difficult thing, You may as well try [211] "to break up St. Beuno's cheſt." The little money reſulting from the ſacred beaſts, or caſual offerings, is either applied to the relief of the poor, or in aid of repairs.

THOSE who are curious in druidical antiquities,A CROMLEH. may ſee a very uncommon Cromleh on the tenement of Bachwen, about half a mile from this place. The inclination of the upper ſtone is to the weſt; on its ſurface are numbers of ſmall ſhallow holes, with two or three larger than the reſt, poſſibly for ſome purpoſe of augury. At thirty paces diſtance is an upright ſtone, placed, as is ſuppoſed, to mark the limits of approach to the people, while the rites were performing by the Druid⯑prieſt.

THE diſtance from Clynnog to Caernarvon is ten miles; a continued plain: the mountains recede gradually from the ſea, ſo as to leave a conſiderable extent of level ground as we ap⯑proach the capital of the county. The road is excellent, and the greateſt part has the merit of being made at the expence of the pariſhes. The ſhore is low, gravelly, or ſandy, and forms one ſide of the bay of Caernarvon.

CROSS the Llyfni, a rapid ſtream flowing out of Llyn Nanlle. I heard here of a ſtrong camp, called Carreg y Di⯑nas; of which I find this note in the MS. travels of the late ingenious Dr. Maſon of Cambridge. He mentions it as being placed upon the Iſthmus of the Llyfni, oppoſite to the houſe of Lleiar. The three ſides to the river are very ſteep; the fourth is defended by two foſſes and two banks, made chiefly of ſtone, eſpecially the inner one, which is ſix yards high. In the middle is a mount, poſſibly the ruins of a tower. The entrance is at the eaſt end, between the ends of the banks.

[212]ABOUT three miles,DINAS DINLLE. turn to the left, to viſit Dinas Dinlle, a vaſt mount of gravel and ſand, on the verge of a great marſh, upon the ſhore. On the top is a large area, ſurrounded by an amaz⯑ing agger, ſeemingly formed by the earth ſcooped out of the ſummit. Within are remains of foundations of buildings, of an oblong form, conſtructed with earth and round ſtones; and in one part is a tumulus of the ſame materials. On the outſide of the agger, on one part, is a very deep ditch, with another high rampart; and the ground towards the baſe ſeems every where to have been ſmoothed by art. There is a regular entrance at one end; on the other, the ground ſlopes to the ſea, and is quite open, a defence being there needleſs. The waves have made great depredations, and worn one ſide into a cliff. I muſt attribute this fortreſs to the Romans; and am the more confirmed in my notion, as I am informed that coins have been found here, among which was one of Alectus. The Romans might poſſibly be induced to form this poſt, to ſecure a landing-place for any neceſſaries the country might want; for the entrance into the port Segontium ▪s often, even at pre⯑ſent, very difficult; much more ſo in the earlier times of navi⯑gation.

THAT intelligent traveller and able botaniſt Mr. Thomas Johnſon ^* ſpeaks thus of Dinas Dinlle, ‘Stationem hie in ipſo littore Romani milites habuerunt, cujus adhuc ſatis clara veſtigia manent.’ Poſſibly there may be another of the [213] ſame kind; for I find in the old maps, both of Saxton and Speed, the name Caer Ierienrode, a little lower down, at the mouth of the Llyfni; and by the addition of the word Caer, it muſt have been a fortified place.

WHEN I made my viſit to Dinas Dinlle, I was under the guidance of a worthy friend, and learned antiquary, the Re⯑verend Richard Farrington (now deceaſed). He conducted me to his reſidence at Dines Dincethwy, about four miles diſtant. In the way he ſhewed to me Dinas y Prif, or, The Poſt of the Chieftain; a ſmall camp, about forty-four yards ſquare. Each corner is elevated above the ramparts; and withinſide are foundations of ſome ſtone buildings. By the name, it might: be the ſummer ſtation of the Roman commander in chief, reſident in winter at Segontium.

FROM Dinas I viſited Glynllivon, a houſe built by the late Sir John Wynn, ſeated near the little river Llifon, iſſuing from the Kilgwyn mountain. Cilmin Troed-ddu, or, Cilmin with a black foot, one of the fifteen tribes of North Wales, and nephew to Merfyn Fryeh, prince of Wales, ſlain in 841, had his reſidence on this ſpot. From him are deſcended the family of the Glynns, who took their name from the place. They bear, in alluſion to the name of their anceſtor, a man's leg, coupè a la cuiſſe, ſable. A ridiculous legend tells you, that Cilmin's leg became ſo diſ⯑colored by eſcaping from a daemon, whoſe books he had aſſiſted a magician to ſteal. In leaping over a brook, which was to be the limit of the purſuit, Cilmin's left leg plunged into the water, and aſſumed its ſable dye. Our ſtories are abſurd; but not more ſo than an Eaſtern tale. Glynllivon came into poſ⯑ſeſſion of the late Sir John Wynn, by the marriage of his father, [214] Tho. Wynn, Eſq ^* of Boduan, with Frances ſecond daughter to John Glynn, Eſq of Glynllivon.

CONTINUE my journey on a turnpike road. Croſs, at Pont Newydd, the Gwyrfai, which flows from Llyn Cwellyn; CAERNARVON. and ſoon after croſs the Seiont, and reach CAERNARVON.

THIS town is juſtly the boaſt of North Wales, for the beauty of ſituation, goodneſs of the buildings, regularity of the plan, and, above all, the grandeur of the caſtle, the moſt magnificent badge of our ſubjecton. The place ſprung from the ruin of the antient Segontium; but it does not owe its name to Edward I. as is generally ſuppoſed. Giraldus Cambrenſis mentions it in his journey of the year 1188^†; and Llewelyn the Great dates from it a charter in the year 1221^‡. I greatly ſuſpect the Caernarvon of thoſe times to have been no other than the antient Segontium, whoſe name the Welſh had changed to the apt one of Caer ar Fôn, or, The ſtrong hold oppoſite to Angleſey. But the preſent town was in all probability a creation of our conqueror. A judicious warrior, ſuch as Edward, could not fail profiting of ſo fit a ſitu⯑ation for a curb on the new-conquered country. It had natural requiſites for ſtrength; being bounded on one ſide by the arm of the ſea called the Menai; by the eſtuary of the Seiont on another, exactly where it receives the tide from the former; on a third ſide, and part of the fourth, by a creek of the Me⯑nai; and the remainder has the appearance of having the in⯑ſulation completed by art. Edward undertook this great work immediately after his conqueſt of the country in 1282, and completed the fortifications and caſtle before 1284; for his queen, on April 25th in that year, brought forth within its [215] walls Edward, firſt prince of Wales of the Engliſh line. It was built within the ſpace of one year, by the labor of the peaſants, and at the coſt of the chieftains of the country, on whom the conqueror impoſed the hateful taſk^*. Henry Ellerton, or de Elreton, was appointed maſter maſon of the caſtle^†, and per⯑haps was the architect; and under him muſt have been num⯑bers of other ſkilful workmen: for I dare ſay that the Welſh peaſants were no mare than cutters of wood and hewers of ſtone. It is probable that many of the materials were brought from Segontium, or the old Caernarvon; and tradition ſays, that much ot the lime-ſtone, with which it is built, was brought from Twr-kelyn in Angleſey;; and of the grit-ſtone, from Vaenol in this county. The Menai greatly facilitated the car⯑riage from both places.

THE external ſtate of the walls and caſtle are at preſent exactly as they were in the time of Edward. The walls are defended by numbers of round towers, and have two principal gates: the eaſt, facing the mountains: the weſt, upon the Menai. The entrance into the caſtle is very auguſt, beneath a great tower, on the front of which appears the ſtatue of the founder, with a dagger in his hand, as if menacing his new-acquired unwilling ſubjects. The gate had four portculliſes, and every requiſite of ſtrength. The court is oblong. The towers are very beautiful; none of them round, but pentago⯑nal, hexagonal, or octagonal: two are more lofty than the reſt. The Eagle tower is remarkably fine, and has the ad⯑dition of three ſlender angular turrets iſſuing from the top. Edward II. was born in a little dark room in this tower, not

[216]twelve feet long, nor eight in breadth: ſo little did, in thoſe days, a royal conſort conſult either pomp or conveniency.QUEEN'S GATE. The gate through which the affectionate Eleanor entered, to give the Welſh a prince of their own, who could not ſpeak a word of Engliſh, is at the fartheſt end, at a vaſt height above the out⯑ſide ground; ſo could only be approached by a draw-bridge. In his ſixteenth year, the prince received the homage of his duped ſubjects at Cheſter ^*, inveſted, as marks of his dignity, with a chaplet of gold round his head, a golden ring on his finger, and a ſilver ſceptre in his hand^†.

THE walls of this fortreſs are about ſeven feet nine inches thick; and have within their thickneſs a moſt convenient gal⯑lery, with narrow ſlips, for the diſcharge of arrows. The walls of the Eagle Tower are near two feet thicker. The view from its ſummit is very fine, of the Menai, Angleſey, and the nearer parts of the Britiſh alps.

THE firſt whom I find appointed by Edward to be governor of the caſtle, was John de Havering, with a ſalary of two hun⯑dred marks; for which he was obliged to maintain conſtantly, beſides his own family, fourſcore men, of which fifteen were to be croſs-bowmen, one chaplain, one ſurgeon, and one ſmith; the reſt were to do the duty of keepers of the gates, centinels, and other neceſſary offices^‡.

IN 1289, I find that the king had appointed Adam de Weten⯑hall to the ſame important office^‖.

THE eſtabliſhment for town and caſtle was as follows:

THE conſtable of the caſtle had ſometimes ſixty pounds, at others only forty.

[217]THE captain of the town had 12l. 3s. 4d. for his annual fee; but this office was ſometimes annexed to the former, and then the ſee was 60l. for both.

THE conſtable and the captain had twenty-four ſoldiers al⯑lowed them for the defence of the place, at the wages of 4d. per day each. Surely this ſlight garriſon was only during peaceful times!

The porter of the gates of the town had for his annual ſee 3l. 10s ^*.

I can diſcover no more than two inſtances of this place hav⯑ing ſuffered by the calamities of war. In the great insurrec⯑tion of the Welſh, under Madog, in 1294, they ſurpriſed the town during the time of a fair, and put many Engliſh to the ſword^†; and, according to Mr. Carte ^‡, took the caſtle, that of Snowdon (Conway), and made himſelf maſter of all Angleſey.

In the laſt century, Captain Swanly, a parlementarian officer, took the town in 1644, made four hundred prisoners, and got a great quantity of arms, ammunition, and pillage. The royal⯑iſts afterwards repoſſeſſed themſelves of the place. Lord Byron was appointed governor; was beſieged by General Mytton in 1646, and yielded the place on the moſt honorable terms. In 1648, the General himſelf and Colonel Moſon were beſieged in it by Sir John Owen; who hearing that Colonel Carter and Co⯑lonel Twiſſelton were on the march to relieve the place, drew a party from the ſiege, in order to attack them on the way. The parties met near Llandegay: Sir John was defeated, and made [218] priſoner; and after that all North Wales ſubmitted to the par⯑lement^*.

THE quay is a moſt beautiful walk along the ſide of the Me⯑nai, QUAY. and commands a moſt agreeable view.

CAERNARVON is deſtitute of manufactures,TRADE. but has a briſk trade with London, Briſtol, Leverpool, and Ireland, for the ſeveral neceſſaries of life. It is the reſidence of numbers of genteel families; and contains ſeveral very good houſes; a very antient one, called Plâs Puleſdon, is remarkable for the fate of its firſt owner, Sir Roger de Puleſdon, ROGER DE PULES⯑DON. a diſtinguiſhed favorite of Edward I, He had been appointed ſheriff and keeper of the county of Angleſey ^† in 1284. What office he held here, I am unacquainted with; but in 1294, being directed to levy the ſubſidy for the French war, a tax the Welſh had never been accuſtomed to, they took up arms, and hanged de Puleſdon and ſeveral of his people. This was a ſignal for a general inſurrection: Madoc, a relation of the late Prince Llewelyn, headed the people of this country. Edward marched againſt them in perſon, and with great difficulty reduced the country to ſubmit again to his yoke^‡.

THE church is no more than a chapel to Llan Beblic; CHAPEL. and probably originally only a chapel to the garriſon.

EDWARD I. beſtowed on Caernarvon its firſt royal charter,CHARTER. and made it a free borough. Among other privileges, none of the burgeſſes could be convicted of any crime committed be⯑tween the rivers Conwy and Dyfy, unleſs by a jury of their own townſmen^‖ It is governed by a mayor, who, by patent, [219] is created governor of the caſtle.CORPORATION. It has one alderman, two bailiffs, a town-clerk, and two ſerjeants at mace. The repre⯑ſentative of the place is elected by its burgeſſes, and thoſe of Conwy, Pwllbeli, Nefyn, and Crickaeth. The right of voting is in every one, reſident or non-reſident, admitted to their freedom^* FIRST MEMBERS. The firſt member was John Puleſton: and the ſecond time it ſent repreſentatives, which was in the 1ſt of Edward VI. it choſe Robert Puleſton, and the county elected John ^†; as if both town and county determined to make re⯑paration to the family for the cruelty practiſed on its an⯑ceſtor.

The mother church of Caenarvon is about half a mile ſouth⯑eaſt of the town; is called Llan Beblic, being dedicated to Sr. Peblic or Peblicius, (according to our hiſtorians) ſon of Maxon Wledic (Maximus the tyrant) and his wife Helen, daughter of Euddaf. It is ſaid that he retired from the world and took a religious habit^‡. Richard II. beſtowed this church, and the chayel of Caernarvon, on the nuns of St. Mary's in Cheſter, in conſideration of their poverty^‖ I find in the recital of another charter of the ſame prince, that his grandfather Edward III. had beſtowed on thoſe religious the advowſon of Llangathen in Caer⯑martſoerſhire ^§: both which, on the diſſolution, were annexed to the ſee of Cheſter, and remain to this day under the patronage of the Biſhop of Cheſter. In the church is the tomb of a ſon^¶ of Sir William Gryffydd of Per [...]byn, who died in 1587; and [220] Margaret, daughter to John Wynne ap Mereddyd. Their figures are in white marble, lying on a mat, admirably carved. He is in armour. She has on a ſhort quilled ruff, and quilled ruffles at her wriſts; in a long gown, and a ſaſh round her waiſt.

NEAR the ſteep bank of the river Seiont, ROMAN FORT. at a ſmall diſtance from the caſtle, is an ancient Roman fort. On two ſides the walls are pretty entire; one is ſeventy-four yards long; the other, which points to the river, is ſixty-four. The height ten feet eight inches. The thickneſs ſix feet. Much of the facing is taken away, which diſcovers the peculiarity of the Roman maſonry. It conſiſts of regular courſes, the others have the ſtones diſpoſed in zigzag faſhion. Along the walls are three parallel lines of round holes, not three inches in diameter, nicely plaſtered within, which paſs through the whole thickneſs. There are other ſimilar holes, which are diſcovered in the end of the wall; and ſeem to run through it lengthways. I can diſcover the uſe of neither one or other. Thoſe that run through the walls are ſuppoſed to be for the purpoſe of annoy⯑ing an enemy with arrows; but from the ſmallneſs of the dia⯑meter, a compaſs of aim in directing the ſhot is wanting. Near the corner of one of the walls is a heap of ſtones, the ruins of a tower; for on digging, ſome years ago, the founda⯑tion of a found one was diſcovered. It was paved, and in it were found the horn of a deer and ſkeletons of ſome leſſer ani⯑mals. This place ſeems intended to ſecure a landing-place from the Seiont, at time of high water; and I was informed, that in Tre'r Beblic, on the oppoſite ſhore, had been other ruins, the work of the ſame people.

[221]AT a ſmall diſtance above this,SEGONTIUM. and about a quarter of a mile from the Menai, is the antient Segontium, to the uſe of which the fort had been ſubſervient. It forms an oblong of a very conſiderable extent, ſeemingly about ſix acres, placed on the ſummit of riſing ground, and ſloping down on every ſide. It is now divided by the public road; but in ſeveral parts are veſtiges of walls; and in one place appears the remnant of a building made with tiles, and plaſtered with very hard and ſmooth mortar: this ſeems to have been part of a hypocauſt. The mortar in all other parts is very hard, and mixed with much gravel and ſand. At preſent a public road paſſes through the midſt of this antient ſtation, beyond which the Romans had only a ſmall out-poſt or two in this county. A gold coin, of about ſeventeen ſhillings weight, was found here, inſcribed T. DIVI AVG, FIL AVGVTVS.

CAMBDEN ſuſpects that this might have been the Setantiorum Portus of Ptolemy, being willing to read it Segontiorum ^*; but the ſituation of the former is certainly at the mouth of the Ribble. He may be right in ſuppoſing it to have been in after times named Caer Cuſtenin, or the Caſtle of Conſtantine ^†, and that Hugh Lupus, who certainly invaded Angleſey in 1098, had here a temporary poſt. How far the relation of Matthew of Weſt⯑minſter, that Cenſtantius, father of Conſtantine, was interred here, may be depended on, I will not ſay; nor whether, as the hiſto⯑rian farther aſſerts, that Edward cauſed the body to be taken up, and honorably re-buried in the church, I ſuppoſe of St. Publicius ^‡. Mr. Rowlands ſays, that Helen, the mother of Pub⯑licius, [222] had a chapel here, which he tells us was in being in his days^*. A well, near the fort, bears the name of that princeſs; and ſome very ſlight remains of ruins are to be ſeen adjacent. Tradition ſays, the chapel ſtood on that ſpot.

THE traveller who wiſhes to viſit Snowdon, ROAD FROM CAERNARVON TO SNOWDON. from this town, may have a very agreeable ride. After croſſing the Fai, or Gwyrfai ^†, at Pont y Bettws, about four miles and a half from Caernarvon, he will find about the village of Bettws Garmon, or Is-Gwrfai, a beautiful caſcade fronting him, as he paſſes up a valley; which conſiſts of verdant meadows, watered by the ſame river, and bounded by hills riſing faſt into alpine majeſty. He will go under Moel Elian, a noble mountain of a ſtupendous bulk, cloathed with a ſmooth green turf, and moſt regularly rounded. He will paſs on the right near Caſtell Cedwm, ſaid by Mr. Rowlands to be one of the guards to the entrance into Snowdon: it is a great rock; which I did not aſcend, ſo cannot certify whether it had any works like thoſe of other Britiſh poſts. The lake Cwellyn here almoſt fills the valley; a water famous for its Char, which are taken in nets in the firſt winter months, and after that ſeaſon retire to the inacceſſible depths. In former times, this water was called, from the ſteepneſs of its banks, Llyn y Torlennydd. Above, on the right ſide of the lake, ſoars the magnificent Mynnydd Vawr, ſmooth on the top, but the ſides receding inwards in a ſemicircular form, exhi⯑biting a tremendous precipice. Soon after this, the vale ex⯑pands; [223] y Wyddfa appears full in view. The traveller will paſs by LLYN Y CADER, and join in my former tour at Bedd Kelert.

FROM Caernarvon I croſſed in the ferry to Tal y Voel, in the iſland of ANGLESEY.

THE Menai is here two miles broad. In my paſſage had a view of Abermenai, ABERMENAI. the very narrow paſſage into the port of Caernarvon, and rendered more dangerous by the ſands both within and without. Abermenai has its ferry, and is one of the five over this ſtrait. They were originally the property of the crown of England; till Henry VIII. granted all of them to Richard Gifford, one of the ſewers of his chamber; who again ſet them to William Bulkely, in the 33d year of his royal maſter: but ſince that period, every one has been transferred to other hands.

I SOON reached Newborough, NEWBOROUGH. about three miles from the ſhore, a place greatly fallen away from its antient ſplendor. Here had been one of the reſi⯑dences of his princes. In Mr. Row⯑lands' time, the foundation of the Llŷs, or palace, was to be ſeen a little to the ſouth of the church; which is ſuppoſed to have been the domeſtic chapel. In its neighborhood, at Vrondeg, is a ſtone which I overlooked. I find it mentioned in the manuſcripts of Mr. ROWLANDS; who has given the following inſcription: CUR ..... FILIUS CUURICINI EREXIT HUNC LAPIDEM. The author of the Hiſtory of Angleſey ^* alſo men⯑tions it, but varies in the name of the founder, and his father. [224]His reading is thus: FILIUS ULRICI EREXIT HUNC LAPIDEM. I am credibly informed that the inſcription is at preſent ille⯑gible; but the ſtyle of the memorial induces me to give it to a Dane: ſuch are extremely frequent in Scandinavia. STO⯑DINGUS fecit erigi lapidem in memoriam ARNONIS filii ſui qui profectus eſt in HARDALAM^*—THORSTATUM & GURA fecerunt erigi ſaxum in memoriam LAFSONIS patris ſui ^† —and the imper⯑fect one, like this of Ulric, SAXO lapidem hunc poſuit ^‡, are proofs of the cuſtom in the Baltic kingdoms.

THE Danes frequently invaded Angleſey, and between the years 969 and 972 Godfryd, the ſon of Harold, ſubdued the whole iſland^‖: a pious ſon in one of the times might, according to the cuſtom of his country, have erected this monument to his father; but from the imperfect ſtate of the inſcription, we are at a loſs to know whether it was ſepulchral or votive.

NEWBOROUGH, or more properly Rhos-vair, the Britiſh name, was a manor of our princes. It was divided into two parts; the one conſiſted of officers of the houſhold under the prince; which were of two kinds, and had twelve gavels in land be⯑tween them: part maintained the Maer-drefyrs, or perſons who overlooked his demeſn; the other was for the Garddwyr, certain perſons reſembling our cottagers, who poſſeſſed ſmall parcels of land called Gardds. ^§. There were beſides eight gavels, which were the property of freeholders; the poſterity of whom en⯑joyed the ſame to the very time of my author, Mr. Rowlands. This was alſo the feat of juſtice for the whole commot of Menai, [225] and continued ſo long after it became ſubject to the Engliſh. A reſpect to a royal ſeat was ſtill maintained by the new royal poſſeſſors. It became a manor of the princes of Wales. Ed⯑ward I. erected the town into a corporation, and gave it a gild mercatory, and other privileges, which were confirmed by parlement in the firſt year of Edward III^*. From this time it was called Newborough. In the latter part of that reign were found ninety-three houſes, thirteen gardens, one orchard, twelve cro [...]ts, and ſixty ſmall pieces of ground incloſed for the uſe of the houſes. The crown had its ſteward for this diſtrict, with a ſalary of ten pounds a year. The palace and royal chapel exiſted in the time of Edward III; for it appears by an inquiſition taken here in 1329, before William de Shalde⯑ford, repreſentative of Richard Earl of Arundel, juſticiary of North Wales, that the tenants of the commot of Menai had been required to put thoſe buildings into repair: but, on their repreſenting that, if that duty was put in force, they would be of little or no advantage to the king, the juſticiary was directed to enquire into the truth; and whether it would not be better for him to take an annual ſum in lieu of the repairs, not only of the palace and chapel, but of all the other buildings on the royal manor^† In after times it had the honor of ſend⯑ing repreſentatives to the Britiſh parlement. Richard ap Rhydderch ap Myfyrian ſate in the third of Henry VIII. and John ap Robert Llwyd in the firſt of Edward VI; who in the next year transferred this honor to Beaumaris. The glory of Newborough is now paſſed away.

[226]IT now ſubſiſts by a manufacture of mats, and Rhoſir mor⯑heſg ropes, made of ſea reed-graſs; a plant of which Queen Elizabeth, in tenderneſs to ſuch of her ſubjects who lived on ſandy ſhores, wiſely prohibited the extirpation^*, in order to prevent the misfortunes which have ſince happened, of having half the pariſh buried in the unſtable ſands by the rage of tempeſts.

SUCH is the caſe of Llanddwyn, LLANDDWYN. a pariſh which extends below into the ſea, and terminates in a narrow peninſula: almoſt the whole is at preſent covered with ſand-hills. We are told that in the time of Edward III. there were on it no more than eight ſmall houſes, or, as they were then called, weles ^†; yet in the reign of Henry VIII. it was one of the richeſt prebends in the cathedral of Bangor. Its wealth aroſe not from the real fertility of the place, but from the ſuperſtition of the common people; from pilgrimages to croſſes, reliques, holy wells, or⯑deals, and what Mr. Rowlands calls [...], or divination from fiſhes^‡ In the time of Owen Glyndwr, one Yerwerth Vychan, rector of Llanddoged, made pretenſions to the offerings, and ſacrilegiouſly ſeized on them; but Griffydd le Yonge, chan⯑cellor to our hero, interfered, and by a decree of his put a ſlop to the invaſion of the rights of the place^‖.

ON the peninſula are the ruins of the church,CHURCH. dedicated to St. Deuwen, daughter of Brychan, one of the holy Colidei, or primitive Chriſtians of Britain. Near it are the ſmall remains [227] of the prebendal. houſe. The firſt appears to have been no inelegant building. The laft is noted for the reſidence of Richard Kyſſyu, then rector of Llanddwyn, and afterwards dean of Bangor. He was a ſtrenuous friend to the houſe of Lancaſter, and here concerted with Sir Rhys ap Thomas, and other Welſh chieftains, a plan for the bringing in the Duke of Richmond, then in Britany; to whom they tranſmitted, by means of fiſh⯑ing-veſſels, all neceſſary intelligence.

FROM Newborough, I, ſeveral years ago, made an excurſion to Aherſraw, about ſeven miles to the north, in ſearch of another palace of our antient princes. They took one of their titles from this place, Princeps de Aherſraw, which preceded that of Dominus de Snowdon. I croſſed, at low-water, the arm of the ſea called Malltraeth; LLAN-GADWA⯑LADR. and rode by the church of Llan-Gadwa⯑ladr, ſaid to have been founded by Cadwalladr, laſt king of the Britons, and made one of the ſanctuaries of the iſland. Over the door is ſaid to be an inſcription in memory of Cadvan, grandfather to the founder, to this effect.: CATAMANUS Rex ſa⯑pientiſſimus opimutiſſimus omnium Regumſ ^*. The ſtone on which this is inſcribed, is ſaid to-be in form of a coffin; and pro⯑bably in the former church had a more ſuitable place.

ABOUT a mile or two farther reach the ſite of the princely reſidence.ABERFRAW. It is now reduced to a few poor houſes, ſeated on the river Ffraw, near a ſmall bay. Not a veſtige is to be ſeen of its former boaſt. It was a chief ſeat of our princes, and one of the three courts of juſtice for the principality^†. Here was always kept one of the three copies of the antient [228] code of laws; another at Dinevawr in Caermarthenſhire; and the third was kept by the Blegored, or doctors of laws, for their conſtant uſe^*. This place was of great antiquity, being one of the three fixed on by Roderic the Great, about the year 870, for the reſidence of his ſucceſſors. In 962 it was ravaged by the Iriſh ^†. An extent was made of Aberfraw in the 13th Edward III; from which may be learned ſome of the antient revenues of the Welſh princes. It appears that part aroſe from rents of lands, from the profit of mills and fiſheries, and often in things in kind; but the laſt were frequently com⯑muted for their value in money. Thus one place payed XIII^s VII^d inſtead of butter, milk, and ſervices in work; and another diſ⯑trict rendered for CIV ſheep, IX hens, and XXXVII^s II^d in lieu of the labor of a hundred and ſixty-one days.

BUT to return to the Menai. From Newhorough I viſited Llanidan, LLANIDAN. a ſeat of Lord Boſton's, finely ſituated on that arm of the ſea, commanding upwards a beautiful, proſpect of Caernar⯑von, and the Snowdon hills. The church, which is adjacent, was once belonging to the convent of Beddcelert. In 1535 it followed, the ſate of that houſe. Queen Elizabeth granted it to Edmond Downam and Peter Aſhton; who ſold it in 1605 to Richard Prytherch of Myfyrian, whoſe daughter married a Llwyd of Llugwy, on the other ſide of the iſland. On the ex⯑tinction of that family all their eſtates were bought by Lord Uxbridge, who left them to his nephew Sir William Irby, the late Lord Boſton.

IN the church is a reliquary, made neither of gold nor ſilver, [229] nor yet ornamented with precious ſtones; but of very ordinary gritſtone, with a roof-like cover. Whether it contained any reliques of the patron ſaint, a St. Aiden, of whom the venerable Bede makes ſuch honorable mention^*, I cannot ſay. The church of Durham poſſeſſed his croſs, three of his teeth, his head, and two Griffin's eggs^†. The living is a rectory, but ſaddled with the churches of Llanedwen, Llan-ddaniel, and Llanvair y Cwmmwd.

I MUST not paſs unnoticed the celebrated ſtone Maen Mordbwyd, or the ſtone of the thigh, now well ſecured in the wall of this church. In old times it was ſo conſtant to one place, that, let it be carried ever ſo far, it would be ſure of returning at night. Hugh Lupus Earl of Cheſter, determined to ſubdue its loco-motive faculties, faſtened it with iron chains to a far greater ſtone, and flung it into the ſea; but, to the aſtoniſh⯑ment of all beholders, it was found the next morning in its uſual place^‡.

I NOW enter on claſſical ground, and the pious ſeats of the antient Druids; the ſacred groves, the altars, and monumental ſtones. A ſlight mention of what I ſaw muſt content my reader; who is referred to the works of the celebrated and learned Mr. Henry Rowlands, the former rector of this place, and to thoſe of my friend the late reverend Dr. Borlaſe, who hath added freſh illuſtrations of theſe obſcure remains.

AT Tre'r Dryw, TRE'R DRYW. or the habitation of the Arch-Druid, I met with the mutilated remains deſcribed by Mr. Rowlands. His [230] Bryn Gwyn, or Brein Gwyn, or royal tribunal, is a circular hollow of a hundred and eighty feet in diameter, ſurrounded by an immenſe agger of earth and ſtones, evidently brought from some other place, there not being any mark of their being taken from the ſpot. It has only a ſingle entrance. This is ſuppoſed to have been the grand conſiſtory of the druidical adminiſtration.

Not far from it was one of the Gorſeddau, now in a manner diſperſed, but once conſiſted of a great copped heap of ſtones, on which ſate aloft a Druid inſtructing the ſurrounding people^* multa de Deorum immortalium vi et poteſtate diſputare, et juven⯑tuti tradunt ^†.

HERE were alſo the reliques of a circle of ſtones, with the Cromlech in the midſt; but all extremely imperfect. Two of the ſtones are very large; one, which ſerves at preſent as part of the end of a houſe, is twelve feet ſeven inches high, and eight feet broad; and another eleven feet high and twenty-three feet in girth. Some leſſer ſtones yet remain. This circle, when complete, was one of the temples of the Druids, in which their religious rites were performed. It is the conjecture of Mr. Rowlands, that the whole of theſe remains were ſurrounded with a circle of OAKS, and formed a deep and ſacred grove, Tam per ſe roborum elegunt lucos, neque ulla ſacra ſine ea fronde conficiunt ^‡.

NEAR this is Caer-Lēb ^‖, CAER-LĒB. or the moated entrenchment; of a ſquare form, with a double rampart, and broad ditch interven⯑ing, and a leſſer on the outſide. Within are foundations of [231] circular and of ſquare buildings. This Mr. Rowlands ſuppoſes to have been the reſidence of the arch-druid, and to have given the name, Tre'r Dryw, to the townſhip in which it ſtands.

AT Trev-Wry ^* I ſaw ſeveral ſaint traces of circles of ſtones,TREV-WRY. and other veſtiges of buildings, all ſo dilapidated, or hid in weeds, as to become almoſt formleſs. To divert our thoughts from their preſent dreary view, let us change the period to that in which they

Bod-drudan, or the habitation of the Draids, Tre'r-Beirdd, or that of the Bard, and Bodowyr, BODOWYR: or that of the prieſts^‡, are all of them hamlets, nearly ſurrounding the feat of the chief Druid, compoſing the eſſential part of his ſuite. At the laſt I ſaw a thick Cromlech, reſting on three ſtones.

THE ſhore near Porthamel, not far from hence, is famed for being the place where Suetonius landed, and put an end in this iſland to the Druid reign. His infantry paſſed over in flat-bot⯑tom boats, perhaps, at the ſpot ſtill called Pant yr Yſcraphie ^‖, or the valley of Skiffs. His horſe croſſed partly by fording, partly by ſwimming. The deſcription of the conflict is ſo animated, that I beg leave to give it in the words of the Ro⯑man hiſtorian.

[232] ‘STAT pro littore diverſa acies, denſa armis viriſque, inter⯑curſantibus faeminis in modum furiarum, veſte ferali, crini⯑bus dejectis, faces preferebant; Druidaeque circum, preces diras ſublatis ad coelum manibus fundentes. Novitate aſpec⯑tus percutere militem, ut quaſi haerentibus membris, im⯑mobile corpus vulneribus praeberent. Dein cohortionibus ducis, et ſe ipſe ſtimulantes, ne muliebre et fanaticum agmen paveſcerent, inſerunt ſigna, ſternuntque obvios et igni ſuo involvunt. Praeſidium poſthac impoſitum vicis, exciſque luci, ſaevis ſuperſtitionibus ſacri. Nam cruore cap⯑tivo adolere aras, et hominum fibris conſulere deos fas ha⯑bebant^* ON the ſhore ſtood a motley army in cloſe array, and well armed; with women running wildly about in black attire with diſheveled hair, and like the furies brandiſhing their torches; ſurrounded by the Druids, lifting up their hands to heaven, and pouring forth the moſt dreadful im⯑precations. The ſoldier ſtood aſtoniſhed with the novelty of the ſight. His limbs grew torpid, and his body remain⯑ing motionleſs, reſigned to every wound. At length, ani⯑mated by their leader, and rouzing one another not to be intimidated with a womanly and fanatic band, they diſplayed their enſigns, overthrew all who oppoſed them, and flung them into their own fires. After the battle, they placed gar⯑riſons in the towns, and cut down the groves conſecrated to the moſt horrible ſuperſtitions: for the Britons held it right to ſacrifice on their altars with the blood of their captives, [233] and to conſult the gods by the inſpection of human en⯑trails.’

WHAT a ſcene was this! and how worthy of the pencil of an inſpired painter!

THERE are no traces of any Roman works left in this country. Their ſtay was ſo ſhort, that they had not time to form any thing permanent.BRYN GWYDRYN. At Bryn Gwydryn, behind Llanidan, are two or three dikes and foſſes of a ſemicircular form, each end of which terminates at a precipice, leaving an intervening area of no great ſpace. Both from its figure and name, Caer Idris, I ſuſpect it to be Britiſh.

I AM ſorry that it is not in my power to give a better ac⯑count than the following of that prodigy of learning the re⯑verend HENRY ROWLANDS, vicar of this pariſh. His account of the druidical antiquities of this part of the iſland, and his comments on them, is a moſt extraordinary performance, con⯑ſidering that he never enjoyed any other literary advantages than what he found in his native iſle. It is ſayed that he never even travelled farther than Conway; but I believe it is certain that Shrewſhury was the fartheſt limits of his travels. He died in 1723, aged 68, and was interred under a ſlab of black Angleſey marble, in the pariſh of Llanedwen. He was deſcended from Henry Rowlands, who died Biſhop of Bangor in 1616, and who in 1600 purchaſed from Robert Gryffydd of Penrhyn the eſtate of Plas Gwyn, in the fore-mentioned pariſh, which re⯑mains to this day in his poſterity. The inſcription on his tomb was of his own compoſing, and is as follows.

[234]

ABOUT three miles from this place is Moel y Don ferry.MOEL Y DON. It is ſaid; that Aeloedd, king of Dublin, and father to Racwel, mother of Gryffydd ap Cynan, built a caſtle here, called in old times Caſtell Aeloedd Frenin, but by the country people Bon y Dom ^*. The army of Edward I. in 128,ENGLISH DEFEAT. made here an attempt fatal to many a gallant man. He landed his forces in this [235] iſland, and, after reducing to obedience the few inhabitants who had not taken the oath of fealty to him, built a bridge of boats near this place, ſome ſay at the very ſpot where Agricola paſſed. The Welſh, aware of his deſign, flung up entrench⯑ments to ſecure the entrance into the mountains. Luke de Tany, a gallant commander, who had lately come from Gaſcony with a number of Gaſcon and Spaniſh troops, raſhly paſſed over the unfiniſhed bridge at low-water, in contempt perhaps of the enemy: none appeared; but on the flowing of the tide, which cut off acceſs to the neareſt part of the bridge, the Welſh ſud⯑denly ruſhed on them with hideous ſhouts, flew numbers, and forced the remainder into the ſea. On this occaſion periſhed Tany himſelf, Roger Clifford the younger, thirteen knights, ſe⯑venteen young gentlemen, and two hundred ſoldiers; Wil⯑liam Latimer alone eſcaped by the goodneſs of his horſe, which ſwam with him to the bridge^*.

LET us ſuppoſe a panic at this time to have ſeized the Engliſh forces: yet, as that muſt have been unforeſeen by the Welſh, ANTIENT WEA⯑PONS OF THE WELSH. let us pay due praiſe to the intrepidity of my countrymen, at a period in which (in compariſon of the well-appointed ſol⯑diery of other countries) they fought nearly unarmed. A poet of the latter end of the thirteenth century thus deſcribes the character and accoutrements of the army of antient Britons, led by our valiant prince Richard Coeur de Lion into France.

AT a ſmall diſtance from Moel y Don I entered into the fine woods of Sir Nicholas Bayley, WOODS. ſkirting the Menai for a confi⯑derable way. The wooded part of the iſland is on this ſide. It commences at Llanidan, and recalls the antient name of Angleſey, Ynys Dywyll, or the Dark Iſland, on account of the deep ſhade of its groves: but at preſent it is (except in this part) entirely diveſted of trees; and the climate ſo averſe to their growth, that in moſt parts it is with great difficulty the gentry can raiſe a plantation round their houſes.

PLAS NEWYDD,PLAS NEWYDD. the ſeat of Sir Nicholas Bayley, lies cloſe upon the water, protected on three ſides by venerable oaks and aſhes. The view up and down this magnificent river-like ſtrait is extremely fine. The ſhores are rocky; thoſe on the oppoſite ſide covered with woods; and beyond ſoar a long range of Snowdonian alps. Here ſtood a houſe built by Gwen⯑llian, a deſcendant of Cadrod Hardd^†. The manſion has been improved, and altered to a caſtellated form, by the preſent owner.

IN the woods are some very remarkable druidical antiquities, Behind the houſe are to be ſeen two vaſt Cromlechs. CROMLECHS. The up⯑per [237] ſtone of one is twelve feet ſeven inches long, twelve broad, and four thick, ſupported by five tall ſtones. The other is but barely ſeparated from the firſt: is almoſt a ſquare, of five feet and a half, and ſupported by four ſtones. The number of ſupporters to Cromlechs are merely accidental, and depend on the ſize or form of the incumbent ſtone. Theſe are the moſt magnificent we have, and the higheſt from the ground; for a middle-ſized horſe may eaſily paſs under the largeſt.

DR. BORLASE has ſhewn the improbability of theſe ſtones ever being deſigned or uſed as altars. The figure proves the impoſſibility of making fires, or performing ſacrifices on their ſloping ſummits; and almoſt all which I have ſeen have an inclination. It is reaſonable to ſuppoſe them to have been ſe⯑pulchral monuments, and that the body might be lodged in the ſpace beneath; and near the monument divine honors might be payed, or ſacrifices performed to the manes of the dead^*.

NOT far from the Cromlech is a large Carnedd: CARNEDD. part has been removed, and within was diſcovered a cell about ſeven feet long and three wide, covered at top with two flat ſtones, and lined on the ſides with others. To get in I crept over a flag, placed acroſs the entrance. On the top of the ſtone were two ſemicircular holes, of ſize ſufficient to take in the human neck; it is conjectured, that above might have been another; ſo that both together might perform the office of a ſtocks. It is in⯑deed conjecture, yet not an improbable one, that in this place had been kept the wretches deſtined for ſacrifice; as it is well known that they performed thoſe execrable rites, and often upon captives who had ſuffered long impriſonment^‡, perhaps in cells ſimilar to this.

A LITTLE below Plas Newydd, on the Caernarvonſhire ſide,VAENOL. appear the extenſive woods of Vaenol, with the old houſe of the ſame name. This place had long been the reſidence of the Williams, a branch of the family of Edneved Vychan, and which were honored with a baronetage June 15th 1622. Sir William [239] Williams, the laſt of the line, was a man of profligate life; had been married, but had no iſſue. He got acquainted with Sir Bourchier Wrey of Trebitch, and a young man brought up to the law. In a drunken ſit he was prevaled on to make a will, and diſpoſe of his whole eſtate to Sir Bourchier for the terms of his life, and that of his brother the reverend Chicheſter Wrey, and the remainder to King William in ſee.LEFT TO KING WILLIAM. The young lawyer alſo leſt to himſelf 540l. annuity in ſee, the odd forty pounds towards the trouble and expence of collecting the reſt. He alſo purchaſed Sir Bourchier's life eſtates, which his repreſenta⯑tives enjoyed till the death of the reverend Mr. Wrey. On which the late Mr. Smith, of Tedworth in Hampſhire, took poſ⯑ſeſſion of it by virtue of a grant from King William to his an⯑ceſtor, a commiſſioner of the ſalt office: and at preſent the whole, to the amount of upwards of 4000l. a year, is enjoyed by his great nephew Aſhton Smith, Eſq

A LITTLE lower down, on a ſmall rocky peninſula, ſtands the church of Llandyſſilio, jutting far into the water; a moſt dreary cure. It is remarkable that moſt of the ſeventy-four pariſhes, which this iſland is divided into, have their churches not re⯑mote from the ſhores.

PORTH-AETHWY,PORTH-AETHWY. the moſt general ferry into Angleſey, is im⯑mediately below the church. The paſſage of cattle at this place is very great: I cannot enumerate them; but it is computed that the iſland ſends forth annually from twelve to fifteen thou⯑ſand heads, and multitudes of ſheep and hogs. It is alſo com⯑puted that the remaining ſtock of cattle is thirty thouſand^*. My ſame authority ſays, that in 1770 upwards of ninety thou⯑ſand buſhels of corn were exported. He reckons only barley, rye, and oats; but I have ſeen moſt incomparable wheat grow⯑ing on the iſland. The improvement in huſbandry has greatly increaſed ſince the ſuppreſſion of ſmuggling from the Iſle of Man; before that time every farmer was mounted on ſome high promontory, expecting the veſſel with illicit trade: but ſince that period, he ſets in earneſt to induſtry and cultivation. [241] Not but that the iſland was in moſt remote time famous for its fertility. Môn, Mam Gymry, Angleſey, the nurſing-mother of Wales, was a title it aſſumed even in the twelfth century^*.

A BARBAROUS accident in the feudal ſyſtem prevaled in this iſland,A BARBAROUS CUSTOM. and poſſibly in many other parts. Here was exempli⯑fied the power of a lord to ſell his vaſſals and their offspring, as he would the cattle of his eſtate. It was done in the town⯑ſhip of Porth-aethwy, many years after the reign of our princes^†. The deed of ſale in this inſtance is not extant; but I find among Mr. Rowlands' three ſpecimens, of which the following is the full form of the cruel uſage.

‘EDNYFED Vychan ap Ednyfed, alias dictus Ednyfed ap Ar⯑thelw uz Davydd ap Gryffydd et Howel ap Davydd ap Ryryd, alias dictus Howel ap Arthelw uz Davydd ap Gryffydd, Liberi tenentes Dⁿⁱ Regis villae de Rhandir Gadog, &c. dedimus et confirmavimus Willimo ap Gryffydd ap Gwilim armigero et libero tenenti de Porthamel, &c. ſeptem nativos noſtros; viz. Howel ap Davydd Dew, Matto ap Davydd Dew, Tevan ap Evan Ddu, Llewelyn ap Davydd Dew, Davydd ap Matto ap Davydd Dew, Howel ap Matto ap Davydd Dew, et Llewelyn ap Evan Coke, cum eorum ſequelis tum procreatis tuam pro⯑creandis ac omnibus bonis catellis, &c. habend. &c. prae⯑dictos nativos noſtros, &c. praefato Willimo Giyffydd ap Gwi⯑lim heredibus et aſſignatis ſuis in perpetuum. Datum apud Rhandir Gadog, 20 die Junii, an. Henr. 6 ti, 27 mo^‡’.

THE country from hence, and quite to Holyhead (twenty-five miles) right and left, is dreary, woodleſs, hedgeleſs, riſing [242] into ſmall hills, watered with numberleſs rills, and fertile in graſs and corn.

I CONTINUED my ride near the Menai, which now widens conſiderably. The oppoſite limits are inexpreſſibly beautiful, lofty, and finely cloathed with hanging woods.NOBLE VIEWS. Bangor opens on the Caernarvonſhire ſide; and in front is a magnificent bay, bounded by the great promontory Pen Maen Mawr, and the vaſt Llandidno, apparently inſulated; and the eſtuary of the river Conwwy flows at its bottom between thoſe noble headlands. This proſpect is ſeen to beſt advantage from that beautiful ſpot the Green, near the caſtle of Beaumaris: from whence may be ſeen, in addition, Prieſtholm iſland, and the ſemilunar bay from thence to the town; the fortreſs itſelf; Baron Hill, and its elegant improvements; nor muſt Red Hill, the houſe of Mr. Sparrow, ſeated at the head of a wooded dingle, directing the eye to great part of this delicious view, be left out of the deſcription.

THE town of Beaumaris is,BEAUMARIS. as the name implies, pleaſantly ſeated on a low land at the water's edge; is neat, and well built, and one ſtreet is very handſome. Edward I. created the place; for, after founding the caſtles of Caernarvon and Conway, he diſcovered that it was neceſſary to put another curb on my headſtrong countrymen.CASTLE. He built this fortreſs in 1295, and fixed on a marſhy ſpot, near the chapel of St. Meugan, ſuch as gave him opportunity of forming a great foſs round the caſtle, and of filling it with water from the ſea. He alſo cut a canal, in order to permit veſſels to diſcharge their lading beneath the walls^*: and, as a proof of the exiſtence of ſuch [243] a conveniency, there were within this century iron rings af⯑fixed to them, for the purpoſe of mooring the ſhips or boats. The marſh was in early times of far greater extent than at preſent, and covered with fine bullruſhes^*. There is even a ſtrong tradition that one Helig ap Clunog had great poſſeſſions, which extended even to Dwygyfyechau, and fair houſe where now the ſea flows; all which were ſuddenly overwhelmed: and it is pretended that there may ſtill. be ſeen, at very low ebbs, ruins of houſes, and a cauſeway from Prieſtholm pointing to⯑wards Penmaen Mawr ^†.

THE lands, on which Edward built the caſtle, were private property: and it appears he made them full ſatisfaction; and, among other recompences, beſtowed on Eneon ap Meredydd, Gryffydd ap Evan, and Eneon ap Tegerin, lands in the town⯑ſhip of Earianell, and Tre'r Ddôl, free from rent or ſervice. The caſtle itſelf being built on their ground^‡.

EACH of Edward's, three caſtles differs in form. This has leſt clame to beauty, not having the height or elegance of Caer⯑narvon or Conwwy. The exterior walls are guarded by ten ſtrong round towers. Theſe are the caſe to the caſtle, which ſtands within at a conſiderable equidiſtant ſpace; is far ſuperior in height to the former, and has alſo its round towers. With⯑in is a ſquare of one hundred and ninety feet, or, as Mr. Groſe expreſſes it,HALL. a ſquare with the corners canted off. The great hall has five windows in front, is ſeventy feet long, and twenty⯑three and a half broad. The approach ſeems to have been through a ſub-hall, by a flight of ſteps.

[244]WITHIN, the walls on one ſide is a beautiful chapel,CHAPEL. in form of a theatre, the ſides ornamented with Gothic arches, and the roof ſupported by ribs ſpringing from elegant pilaſters; be⯑tween each of which is a narrow window, and behind ſome are ſmall cloſets, gained out of the thickneſs of the wall, probably allotted to the officers, or perſons of rank. A narrow gallery runs within the whole ſpace of the caſtle walls.

THE entrance faces the ſea; and near it is a long narrow ad⯑vanced work, called the Gunners Walk.

THE firſt: governor, was Sir William Pickmore, a Gaſcon knight, appointed by Edward I.CONSTABLE OF THE CASTLE. There was a conſtable of the caſtle, and a captain of the town. The firſt had an annual fee of forty pounds, the laſt, of twelve pounds three ſhillings. and four pence; and the porter of the gate of Beaumaris had nine pounds two ſhillings and ſix pence. Twenty-four ſoldiers were allowed for the guard of the caſtle and town, at four pence a day to each^*.

THE conſtable of the caſtle was always captain of the town, except in one inſtance: in the 36th of Henry VI. Sir John Boteler. held the firſt office, and Thomas Norreys the other.

THE caſtle was extremely burthenſome to the country: quarrels were frequent between the garriſon and the country people. In the time of Henry VI. a bloody fray happened, in which David ap Evan ap Howel of Llwydiarth, and many others were ſlain.

FROM the time of Sir Rowland Villeville, alias Brittayne, re⯑puted baſe ſon of Henry VII. and conſtable of the caſtle, the [245] garriſon was withdrawn till the year 1642, when Thomas Cheadle, deputy to the Earl of Dorſet, then conſtable, put into it men and ammunition. In 1643, Thomas Bulkeley, Eſq ſoon after created Lord Bulkeley, ſucceeded: his ſon, Colonel Richard Bulkeley, and ſeveral gentlemen of the country, held it for the king till June 1646,TAKEN IN 1646. when it ſurrendered on honorable terms to General Mytton, who made Captain Evans his deputy-go⯑vernor. In 1653, the annual expence of the garriſon was ſe⯑venteen hundred and three pounds.

EDWARD I. when he built the town,TOWN. ſurrounded it with walls, made it a corporation, and endowed it with great pri⯑vileges, and lands to a conſiderable value. He removed the antient freeholders, by exchange of property, into other countries. Henllŷs, near the town, was the ſeat of Gwerydd ap Rhys Goch, one of fifteen tribes, and of his poſterity till this period, when Edward removed them to Boddle Wyd⯑dan in Flintſhire, and beſtowed their antient patrimony on the corporation^*. It ſends one member to parlement. Its firſt repreſentative was Maurice Gryffydd, who ſat in the 7th year of Edward VI^†.

THERE is very good anchorage for ſhips in the bay which lies before the town;THE BAY. and has ſeven fathom water even at the loweſt ebb. Veſſels often find ſecurity here in hard gales. The town has no trade of any kind, yet has its cuſtomhouſe for the caſual reception of goods.

THE ferryFERRY. lies near the town, and is paſſable at low-water. It was granted by charter to the corporation in the 4th of [246] Queen Elizabeth. I find an order from Edward II. to Robert Power, chamberlain of North Wales, to inſpect into the ſtate of the boat, which was then out of repair; and, in caſe it was feaſible, to cauſe it to be made fit for uſe, at the expence of the baileywick: but if the boat proved paſt repair, a new one was to be built, and the expence allowed by the king. It ap⯑pears that the people of Beaumaris payed annually, for the pri⯑vilege of a ferry, thirty ſhillings into the exchequer; but by this order it ſeems that the king was to find the boat^*. Af⯑ter paſſing the channel, the diſtance over the ſands to Aber in Caernarvonſhire, the point the paſſenger generally makes for, is four miles. The ſands are called Traeth Telaven, and Wy⯑lofaen, or the Place of Weeping, from the ſhrieks and lamenta⯑tions of the inhabitants when it was overwhelmed by the ſea, in the days of Helig ap Clunog.

THE church is dependant on Llandegvan, CHURCH. which is in the gift of Lord Bulkeley. The former is called the chapel of the Bleſſed Virgin; yet in antient writings one aile is called St. Mary's chapel, and another that of St. Nicholas. In the firſt is a beautiful monument of a knight and his lady in white ala⯑baſter, placed recumbent on an altar tomb. It had been re⯑moved to this place on the diſſolution, from the religious houſe at Llanvaes, and the memory and names of the perſons repreſented loſt. On the ſouth ſide of the altar is a ſtone with the following inſcription: how it came here, or for what pur⯑poſe, I cannot diſcover.

[247]

AT a ſmall diſtance from the town, on the ſhore,LLANVAES. ſtand the remains of Llanvaes, or the Friers. It was founded by Prince Llewelyn ap Jerwerth, and, according to the general tradition of the country, over the grave of his wife Joan, daughter of King John, who died in 1237, and was interred on the ſpot. Here alſo were interred a ſon of a Daniſh king, Lord Clifford, and many barons and knights who fell in the Welſh wars^*. It was dedicated to St. Francis, and conſecrated by Howel biſhop of Bangor, a prelate who died in 1240. The religious were Franciſcans, or minor friers. Their church and houſe were de⯑ſtroyed, and their lands waſted, in the inſurrection made ſoon after the death of Llewelyn, our laſt prince, by his relation Madoc. Edward II. in conſideration of their misfortunes, re⯑mitted to them the payment of the taxes due to him, which before the war were levied at the rate of twelve pounds ten ſhillings. Theſe friers were ſtrong favorers of Glyndwr Henry, in his firſt march againſt Owen, plundered the convent, put ſeveral of the friers to the ſword, and carried away the reſt; but afterwards ſet them at liberty, made reſtitution to [248] the place, but peopled it with Engliſh recluſes. It poſſibly was again reduced to ruin; for Henry V. by patent, eſtabliſhes here eight friers, but directs that two only ſhould be Welſh ^*.

AT the diſſolution, Henry VIII. ſold the convent, and its poſ⯑ſeſſions, to one of his courtiers. They became in later days the property of a family of the name of White (now ex⯑tinct) who built here a good manſion. It of late became, by purchaſe, the property of Lord Bulkeley. The church is turned into a barn, and the coffin of the Princeſs Joan now ſerves for a watering-trough. I am informed, that on the farm of Cremlyn Monach, once the property of the friery, is cut on a great ſtone the effigies of its patron St. Francis; and that his head is alſo cut on the ſtone of a wall, in a ſtreet of Beaumaris, to which all paſſengers were to pay their reſpects, under pain of a forfeit.

ABOUT the year 818,BATTLE. a bloody battle was fought near Llan⯑vaes: neither occaſion or parties are mentioned; but by the text^† I gueſs it to have been between Egbert king of the Weſt Saxons, and the Welsh; for the former, in the reign of Merfyn Frych, carried his arms into all parts of North Wales.

A LITTLE farther is Caſtell Aber Llienawg, CASTELL ABER LLIENAWG. a ſmall ſquare fort, with the remains of a little round tower at each corner. In the middle one ſtood a ſquare tower. A foſs ſurrounds the whole. A hollow way is carried quite to the ſhore, and at its extremity is a large mound of earth, deſigned to cover the landing. This caſtle was founded by Hugh Lupus Earl of Cheſter, and Hugh the Red Earl of Shrewſbury, in 1098, when [249] they made an invaſion, and committed more ſavage barbarities on the poor natives, eſpecially on one Kenred, a prieſt, than ever ſtained the annals of any country. Providence ſent Magnus king of Norway to revenge the cruelties. His coming was to all appearance caſual. He offered to land, but was oppoſed by the earls. Magnus ſtood in the prow of his ſhip, and, calling to him a moſt expert bowman, they at once directed their arrows at the Earl of Shrewſbury, who ſtood all armed on the ſhore. An arrow pierced his brain through one of his eyes, the only defenceleſs part^* The victor, ſeeing him ſpring up in the agonies of death, inſultingly cried out, in his own lan⯑guage, Leit loupe—Let him dance ^†.

THIS fort was garriſoned fo lately as the time of Charles I; when it was kept for the parlement by Sir Thomas Cheadle; but was taken by Colonel Robinſon in 1645 or 6^‡.

ABOUT a mile farther I viſited the Priory of Penmon, PENMON PRIORY placed, like the former, on the ſhore. The remains are the ruinous refectory, and the church; part of the laſt is in preſent uſe. Within is a ſmall monument, informing us that Sir Thomas Wil⯑ford, of Ildington in Kent (one of whoſe daughters married Sir Richard Bulkeley) died January 25th, 1645. About a mile from the ſhore is the little iſland of Prieſtholm, St. Seiriol, or Glannauch, which perhaps might have been the principal reſi⯑dence of the religious, for the priory goes under both names: uſually they were called Canonici de inſula Glannauch ^‖. Pro⯑bably part might reſide on the main land, to look after their [250] property, and others be engaged in acts of devotion in their retirement. The only remains of their reſidence is a ſquare tower; but abundance of human bones ſcattered up and down, are ſtrong proofs of its reputed ſanctity, and the ſuperſtitious wiſh of people to have this made the place of their interment. The firſt recluſes of this iſland, according to Giraldus, were hermits; of whom (as uſual) he tells a ſuperſtitious tale, that whenever they diſagreed, they were plagued with ſwarms of mice; which quitted them as ſoon as they had layed aſide their animoſity^* Their ſucceſſors were black monks, dedicated to St. Mary, endowed, if not founded, by Llewelyn ap Jorwerth, before the year 1221^† The Prior was one of the three ſpi⯑ritual lords of Angleſey. At the diſſolution the revenues were valued at 47l. 15s. 3d. in the whole, or 40l. 17s. 9d. clear; granted in the 6th of Queen Elizabeth to John More.

THE channel,PRIESTHOLM. or, as it is called, the Sound, between the main land and Prieſtholm is very deep, and is the common paſſage for ſhips to and from the road of Beaumaris. On the other ſide is the Eaſt paſſage, which, at low-water, is between the iſland and the point of Traeth Telaven, little more than a quarter of a mile broad, and navigable for only very ſmall veſſels. The iſland is about a mile long, extremely lofty, and bounded by precipices, except on the ſide oppoſite to Penmon, and even there the aſcent is very ſteep. The land ſlopes greatly from the ſummit to the edge of the precipices. During part of ſummer the whole ſwarms with birds of paſſage. The ſlope on the ſide is animated with the PUFFIN AUKS,PUFFINS. Br. Zool. i. N^o 232. [251] which inceſſantly ſquall round you, alight, and diſappear into their burrows; or come out, ſtand erect, gaze at you in a moſt groteſque manner, then take flight, and either perform their evolutions about you, or ſeek the ſea in ſearch of food.

THEY appear firſt about the fifth, or tenth of April; but quit the place, almoſt to a bird, twice or thrice before they ſettle. Their firſt employ is the forming of burrows; which falls to the ſhare of the males, who are ſo intent on the buſineſs as to ſuffer themſelves at that time to be taken by the hand. Some few ſave themſelves the trouble of forming holes, and will diſ⯑poſſeſs the rabbits; who, during the Puffin ſeaſon, retire to the other ſide of the iſland.

THEY lay one white egg. Males, as well as females, per⯑form the office of ſitting, relieving each other when they go to feed. The young are hatched in the beginning of July. The parents have the ſtrongeſt affection for them; and if layed hold of by the wings, will give themſelves moſt cruel bites on any part of the body they can reach, as if actuated by deſ⯑pair: and when releaſed, inſtead of flying away, will often hurry again into the burrow to their young. The noiſe they make when caught is horrible, and not unlike the efforts of a dumb perſon to ſpeak. This affection ceaſes at the time of re⯑migration, which is moſt exactly about the eleventh, of Auguſt. They then go off, to a ſingle bird, and leave behind the un⯑fledged young of the later hatches a prey to the Peregrine Fal⯑con, which watches the mouth, of the holes for their ap⯑pearance, compelled as they muſt ſoon be by hunger to come out.

IT appears certain that the Puffins do not breed till their third year.THEIR BILLS. CHANGE IN. The proof ariſes from the obſervations made by the reverend Mr. Davies on the different forms of the bills, among the thouſands of this ſpecies which he ſaw wrecked, as I have mentioned in page 192. He remarked them in their ſeveral periods of life. Thoſe which he ſuppoſes to have been of the firſt year, were ſmall, weak, deſtitute of any furrow, and of a duſky color; thoſe of the ſecond year, were conſidera⯑bly larger and ſtronger, lighter colored, and with a faint veſtige of the furrow at the baſe; thoſe of more advanced years, were of the vivid colors, and great ſtrength. Among the myriads which annually reſort to Prieſtholm, not an individual has ever been obſerved which had not its bill of an uniform growth. Per⯑haps the ſame remark may hold good in reſpect to the RAZOR-BILL, Br. Zool. i. N^o 230, Mr. Davies having found multi⯑tudes with bills far inferior in ſtrength to thoſe which haunt the iſland; of an uniform black color, and without the cha⯑racteriſtic white furrow, and black grooves.

The channel between Prieſtholm and Angleſey has produced ſome very uncommon fiſh.FISH. The Beaumaris SHARK, Br. Zool iii. N^o 50; the MORRIS, N^o 67; and the trifurcated HAKE, N^o 84, are new ſpecies taken in this ſea. I was indebted to the late Mr. William Morris of Holyhead, for that on which I beſtowed his name. The reverend Mr. Hugh Davies favored me with two others. The new Muſſel, called the umbilicated, Br. Zool. iv. N^o 76, is alſo frequently dredged up in the neigh⯑borhood of this iſle

[253]THE Smirnium Oluſatrum, PLANTS. or Alexanders, almoſt covers the ſouth-weſt end of the iſland, and is greedily eaten (boiled) by ſailors who are juſt arrived from long voyages. The Iris Foeti⯑diſſima, or ſtinking Gladwin, is common about the ſquare tower, and is frequently made into a poultice with oatmeal, and uſed by the country people with ſucceſs in the quincy.

I RETURNED to Beaumaris, and from thence viſited Baron-Hill. BARON-HILL. The ſeat of Lord Bulkeley, placed at the head of an extenſive lawn ſloping down to the town, backed and winged by woods, which are great embelliſhments to the country. The founder of Baron-Hill was Sir Richard Bulkeley, a moſt diſ⯑tinguiſhed perſonage of the name^*. He built it in 1618: be⯑fore that time the reſidence of the family was at Court Mawr in the ſubjacent town, and afterwards in another houſe, called Old Place. The preſent ſeat has of late been wholly altered, with excellent taſte, by its noble owner, by the advice of that elegant architect Mr. Samuel Wyat.

THE view is juſtly the boaſt of the iſland. The ſea forms a moſt magnificent bay, with the Menai opening into it with the grandeur of an American river. The limit of the water in front is a ſemicircular range of rocks and mountains, the chief of Snowdonia, with tops ſpiring to the clouds, and their bottoms richly cultivated, ſloping gently to the water edge. The great promontory Penmaen Mawr, and the enormous maſs of Llan⯑dudno, are rude but ſtrinking features, and ſtrong contraſts to the ſofter parts of the ſcenery.

[254]I PROCEEDED on my journey,CROMLECH. and at Trevawr paſſed by a great and rude Cromlech, with the ruins of others adjacent. Reach Plâs Gwyn, PLAS GWYN. the ſeat of my friend Paul Panton, Eſq in right of his firſt wiſe Jane, daughter of William Jones, Eſq The houſe was built by Mr. Jones, and may be reckoned among the beſt of the iſland. Here are preſerved two portraits, heads of two prelates, natives of Wales. Humphrey Humphreys, who died biſhop of Hereford in 1712, aged 63. He was painted by Mrs. Mary Beale, when he was biſhop of Bangor; and is re⯑preſented in lawn ſleeves, with dark hair, and a good counte⯑nance. The other prelate is Robert Morgan, who died biſhop of the ſame dioceſe in 1673, and is recorded to have been a conſiderable benefactor to his cathedral. He is dreſſed like the former; has ſhort grey hair, a cloſe black cap, and hard coun⯑tenance.

FROM Plâs Gwyn I made an excurſion to Traeth Coch, or Redwharf, REDWHARF. a large bay covered with a firm ſand; which, on the weſt ſide, has ſo large a mixture of ſhells, as to be uſed as a manure in all parts of the iſland within reaſonable diſtance. On the eaſt ſide, about three miles from Plâs Gwyn, near the ſhore, are two rounded mounts on each ſide of a deep gully leading towards Llanddona church. Theſe ſeemed to have been the work of the Danes, caſt up to protect their veſſels in their plundering excurſions; a calamity to which, it appears from the writing of our poets, this iſland was much ſubject.

ABOVE Llanddona is a high hill, called Bwrdd Arthur, BWRDD ARTHURY or Arthur's round table: the true name was probably Din, or Di⯑nas Sulwy; for a church immediately beneath bears that of Llanvihangle Din-Sulwy. On the top of it is a great Britiſh [255] poſt, ſurrounded by a double row of rude ſtones with their ſharp points uppermoſt; and in ſome parts the ramparts are formed of ſmall ſtones. In the area are veſtiges of oval build⯑ings: the largeſt is formed with two rows of flat ſtones ſet an end. Theſe had been the temporary habitations of the poſſeſſors. It had been a place of vaſt ſtrength; for, beſides the artificial defence, the hill ſlopes ſteeply on all ſides, and the brink, next to the ramparts, are moſtly precipitous. It is worth while to aſcend this hill for the ſake of the vaſt proſpect; an inter⯑mixture of ſea, rock, and alps, moſt ſavagely great.

ABOVE it, the reverend Mr. Hugh Davies pointed out to me the Hypericum Montanum; and beneath, on the weſt ſide, the Cyſtus Hirſutus.

I DESCENDED to the church of Llan-jeſtyn, LLAN-JESTYN. remarkable for the tomb of its tutelar ſaint, St. Eſtyn, or Jeſtyn, ſon of Geriant, a worthy knight of Arthur's round table, ſlain by the Saxons at the ſiege of London! The figure of the ſaint repreſents a man with a hood on his head, a great round beard, and whiſkers on upper and under lip. He has on a long cloak faſtened by a broche: in one hand is a ſtaff with the head of ſome beaſt on the top; in the other is a ſcroll with an inſcription: round his long caſſock is a ſaſh and long cord. This appears by the in⯑ſcription to have been a votive offering. I ſhall give it as copied by my worthy and ingenious friend, the honorable DAINES BARRINGTON^* ‘Hic jacet Santtus Yeſtinus cui Gwen⯑llian, Filia Madoc et Gryffyt ap Gwilym, optulit in oblacōem iſtam imaginem p. ſalute animarum S.’ By the cord it is evi⯑dent, [256] that the pious Gwenllian thought St. Jeſtyn to have been a Franciſcan; a piece of anachroniſm not at all uncommon in early times.

ANOTHER excurſion was to Penmynnydd, PENMYNNYD. about two miles ſouth of Plâs Gwyn, once the reſidence of the anceſtors of Owen Tudor, ſecond huſband to Catherine of France, queen dowager of Henry V; "who beyng," as honeſt Halle informs us, ‘young and luſtye, folowyng more her owne appetyte than frendely conſaill, and regardyng more her private affection then her open honour, toke to huſband privily (in 1428) a goodly gentylman, and a beautiful perſon, garniged with manye godly gyftes both of nature and of grace,OWEN TUDOR. called Owen Teuther, a mā brought furth and come of the noble lignage and auncient lyne of Cadwalader, the laſte kynge of the Britonnes ^*.’ The match, important in its conſequences, re⯑ſtored the Britiſh races of princes to tliis kingdom,

Theſe reigned long, under the title of the houſe of Tudor; the mixed race having ceaſed on the acceſſion of Henry VII. grand⯑ſon to our illuſtrious countryman.

OWEN himſelf was unfortunate. He loſt his royal conſort in 1437, after ſhe had brought him three ſons and one daughter, Edmund, Jaſpar, and Owen; the laſt embraced a monaſtic life^† in the abbey of Weſtminſter, and died ſoon after: the daughter died in her infancy. It appears, that after the death of their [257] mother, Edmund and Jaſpar moſt reſpectfully were placed un⯑der the care of Catherine de la Pole, daughter of Michael de la Pole Earl of Suffolk, and abbeſs of Berking. A petition from her, dated 1440, appears on record for the payment of certain money due to her on their account^* During the life of the queen, the marriage had been winked at, notwithſtanding a law had been made after that event, enacting that no perſon, under ſevere penalties, ſhould marry a queen dowager of Eng⯑land, without the ſpecial licence of the king^† On the death of Catherine all reſpects ceaſed to her ſpouſe: he was ſeized, and committed firſt to Newgate, from which he eſcaped by the aſſiſtance of his confeſſor and ſervant. On being retaken, he was delivered to the cuſtody of the Earl of Suffolk, conſtable of the caſtle of Wallingford ^‡, and after ſome time was again com⯑mitted to Newgate ^‖ He made his eſcape a ſecond time. The length of his ſecond impriſonment does not appear. After a conſiderable period, high honors were conferred on his two eldeſt ſons, half brothers to the king. In the year 1452, they were both created earls; Edmund was made Earl of Richmond, and Jaſpar, Earl of Pembroke. Henry, about this time, was diſturbed by the open clame of the Duke of York to the ſuc⯑ceſſion, and found it prudent to ſtrengthen his intereſt by all poſſible means. The Welſh, flattered by the honors beſtowed on their young countrymen, ever after faithfully adhered to the houſe of Lancaſter.

OWEN had beſides a natural ſon, called Dafydd, knighted by his nephew Henry VII. who alſo beſtowed on him in marriage [258] Mary, the daughter and heireſs of John Bohun of Midherſt, in Suſſex, and with her a great inheritance^* Owen was taken no notice of till the year 1460, when, as the patent expreſſes it, in regard of his good ſervices, he had a grant of the parks, and the agiſtment of the parks in the lordſhip of Denbigh, and the wodewardſhip of the ſame lordſhip^† The year following, he fought valiantly under the banners of his ſon Jaſpar, at the battle of Mortimer's Croſs; would not quit the field, but was taken with ſeveral other Welſh gentlemen^‡, beheaded with them ſoon after at Hereford, and interred in the church of the Grey Friers in that city^‖.

NOTWITHSTANDING the birth of Owen was calumniated, he certainly was of very high deſcent. Henry VII. early in his reign, iſſued a commiſſion to Sir John Leiaf, prieſt, Gutten Owen, and a number of others, to make enquiry into his pater⯑nal deſcent; and they, from our Welſh chronicles, proved in⯑conteſtably, that ‘he was lineally deſcended by iſſue male, ſaving one woman, from Brutus ſon of Aeneas the Trojan, and that he was ſon to Brute in fiveſcore degrees^§.’ I ſhall drop a little ſhort of this long deſcent. Owen Tudor was aſ⯑ſuredly of high blood. He was ſeventh in deſcent from Edny⯑fed Vychan, counſellor, and leader of the armies of Llewelyn the Great, and a ſucceſsful warrior againſt the Engliſh. His ‘Of a noble race was Shenkin, of the line of Owen Tudor.’ [259]origin was from Marchudd, one of the fifteen tribes. Ednyfed's wife was Gwenllian, daughter of Rhys, prince of South Wales: ſo that he might boaſt of two royal deſcents, and deliver down a poſterity not unworthy of the Britiſh empire.

OWEN muſt have been the inſtrument of his own advance⯑ment, and have owed it entirely to his perſonal merit. His grandfather Tudor ap Gronw was a man of great valour, a fa⯑vorite of Edward III. and received from him the honor of knighthood. He died and was buried September 19th 1367, and was interred at the friery at Bangor. His fourth ſon Me⯑redydd was in no higher ſtation than Scutifer to the biſhop of Bangor. Having committed a murder, he fled his country, and lived in exile; during which time his wife was delivered of Owen, the ſubject of theſe pages. By what means he intro⯑duced himſelf to the Engliſh court does not appear; moſt pro⯑bable by military ſervices, the uſual road to honors in thoſe days.

THE remains of the reſidence of the Tudors are,HOUSE OF PEN⯑HYNNYDD. the door of the gateway: part of the houſe, and the great chimney-piece of the hall, are to be ſeen in the preſent farm-houſe. Some coats of arms, and dates of the building, or time of repairs, are to be ſeen, with the initial letters of the names of the owners. The Tudors, for a conſiderable ſpace before the ex⯑tinction of their race, aſſumed the name of Owen. Richard was the laſt male of the family, and was ſheriff of the county in 1657. Margaret, heireſs of the houſe, married Coningſhy Williams, Eſq of Glan y gors, in this iſland, who poſſeſſed it during his life. It was afterwards ſold to Lord Bulkeley, in whoſe deſcendant in ſtill continues.

[260]IN the church of Penmynydd is a moſt magnificent monument of white alabaſter, removed at the diſſolution from the abbey of Llanvaes to this place; probably erected in memory of one of the houſe of Tudor, who had been interred there. On it is the figure of a man in complete armour, a conic helm, and mail⯑gaurd down to his breaſt. His lady is in a thick angular hood. Their feet reſt on lions. Their heads are ſupported by angels.

ABOUT a mile farther, I viſited Tre-garnedd, TRE-GARNEDD. a farm-houſe, in the pariſh of Llangeſni, once the ſite of the great Ednyfed Vy⯑chan, mentioned in a preceding page. His arms were origi⯑nally a Saracen's head erazed, proper, wreathed or; but after defeating the Engliſh army, who were invading our frontiers, and killing three of their chiefeſt captains, whoſe heads he brought to his maſter Llewelyn the Great, the prince directed, as a reward, that in future he ſhould bear gules, between three Engliſhmen's heads couped, a cheveron ermin.EDNYFED VY⯑CHAN. Directly deſcended from him were Henry VII. and VIII. Edward VI. Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, and every crowned head in England ever ſince, beſides heroes not leſs illuſtrious in their degree. Among them was Sir Grayffydd Llwyd, SIR GRYFFYDD LIWYD. ſon of Rhys ap Grayffyd ap Ednyfed Vychan. This gentleman received from Edward I. the honor of knighthood, on bringing him the news of the birth of his ſon Edward of Caernarvon. He did homage, for his lands in Wales, to the young prince at Cheſter; but, indignant at the ſufferings of his countrymen under the Engliſh yoke, meditated a revolt. Between the years 1316 and 1318, his attempted to form an alliance with Edmund Bruce, the ſhort-lived king of [261] Ireland. Letters paſſed between them, but without effect^* At length, from the greatneſs of his ſprit, determined alone to endeavour to free his country from the ſlavery to which he himſelf had probably contributed, he took arms in 1322^†, and for a while over-run the country with reſiſtleſs impetuoſity. At length was ſubdued, taken, and doubtleſsly underwent the common fate of our gallant inſurgents. I find that he had fortified his houſe at Tre-garnedd with a very ſtrong foſs and rampart, and made another ſtrong hold about three quarters of a mile diſtant, in the moraſs of Maltraeth, called Ynys Ce⯑venni; which he inſulated, by bringing round it the waters of the river Cefni ^‡: both are ſtill remaining. The foſs is nearly perfect, and near four yards deep and eitht wide. His daughter Morvydd, one of his coheireſſes^‖, conveyed by marriage this eſtate, being her protion, to Madog Gloddaeth; which followed the ſucceſſion of that houſe till 1750, when it was alienated by the late Sir Thomas Moſtyn to Mr. Owen Williams.

THE name of this place is taken from an immenſe Carnedd, GREAT CARNEDD. or heap of ſtones, ſurrounded with great upright ſtones, in an adjacent field. It ſeems to have beneath it paſſages formed on the ſides and tops with flat ſtones, or flags. Theſe were the repoſitories of the dead^§ Not that bones or urns are alſo diſcovered in them; for the founders, like thoſe of the pyramids of Egypt, appear often to be diſappointed in their hopes of having their reliques lodged in theſe labored Mauſoleums.

[262]A FEW years ago, beneath a carnedd ſimilar to that at Tre⯑garnedd, was diſcovered, on a farm called Bryn-celli-ddu, near the feat of Sir Nicholas Bayley, a paſſage three feet wide, four feet two or three inches high, and about nineteen feet and a half long, which led into a room, about three feet in diameter, and ſeven in height. The form was an irregular hexagon, and the ſides compoſed of ſix rude ſlabs, one of which meaſured in its dia⯑gonal eight feet nine inches. In the middle was an artleſs pillar of ſtone, four feet eight inches in circumference. This ſup⯑ports the roof, which conſiſts of one great ſtone, near ten feet in diameter. Along the ſides of the room was, if I may be allowed the expreſſion, a ſtone bench, on which were found human bones, which fell to duſt almoſt at a touch: it is pro⯑bable that the bodies were originally placed on the bench. There are proofs that it was cuſtomary with the Gauls to place their dead in that form in cells; but they added to the head of each body a ſtone weapon, which ſerved as a pillow^*: but nothing of the king was diſcovered in this ſepulchre. The diameter of the incumbent carnedd is from ninety to a hun⯑dred feet. This ſeems to be that which Mr. Rowland takes notice of in his Mona Antiqua ^†.

I MUST not omit mention of the great patriarch of Tregaian, PATRIARCH OF TREGAIAN. a chapelry of this pariſh, who lived in the year 1580, and died at the age of 105; his name was William ap Howel ap Jerwerth. He had by his firſt wife twenty-two children, by his ſecond, ten, by his third, four, and by his two concubines ſeven; in all forty-three. His eldeſt ſon was eithty-four in 1581, and his eldeſt [263] daughter ſeventy-two; and his youngeſt ſon then only two years and a half old: ſo that between his firſt child and laſt there was an interval of eighty-two years. Nor did there leſs than three hundred people deſcend from this ſtock in that in⯑terval, eighty of whom lived in this pariſh. He was ſmall of ſtatute, of a chearful convivial temper; but ſpare in his diet, living moſtly on milk. He paſſed his time in rural employ⯑ments, and at his leiſure in fiſhing and fowling; and preſerved his memory and ſenſes to the laſt.

I RETURNED to Plâs Gwyn, CASTELL-MAWR. and from thence croſſed Red⯑wharf, to the weſtern horn of the bay called Caſtell-mawr, a ſmall cape, flat at top, and joined to the land by a low iſthmus. It is compoſed of lime-ſtone, which is carried to diſtant parts in ſmall veſſels, which lie in a ſmall channel near the rock, and by their numbers frequently enliven the view. Roman coins have been found in this neighborhood; but there are no veſtiges of there having been any ſtation. Beyond Caſtell-Mawr, on the ſhore, I ſaw vaſt blocks of black marble filled with ſhells, corolloids, and fungitae.

Proceed near the ſhore.LLUGWY. On the left are the woods of Llugwy, extenſive for this iſland. This eſtate fomerly be⯑longed to the Llwyds; at preſent to Lord Boſton ^*. Not far from the road, in the lands of Llugwy, is a moſt ſtupendous Cromlech, GREAT CROM⯑LECH. of a rhomboid form. The greateſt diagonal is ſeven⯑teen feet ſix inches, the leſſer fifteen; the thickneſs three feet nine; its height from the ground only two feet: it was ſupported by ſeveral ſtones. The Welſh, who aſcribe every [264] thing ſtupendous to out famous Britiſh king, call it Arthur's Quoit. In the woods are ſome druidical circles, nearly conti⯑guous to each other.

CROSS Llugwy ſands, and ſoon after ride over Dulas bay,DULAS BAY. like⯑wiſe dry at low-water. It runs about a mile and a half deep into the country, and is frequented by ſmall veſſels, which take off the oats and butter of theſe parts. Off the mouth is Ynys Gadarn, a ſmall iſland. Go by Llys Dulas, the ſeat of Mrs. Lewis; and ſoon after within ſight of the church of Llan-Elian, LLAN-ELIAN. ſeated on the rocks not far from the ſea. It is handſomely built, and makes a conſiderable figure among the churches of this part of Wales. It is dedicated to St. Elian, ſurnamed Gannaid, or the Bright. He was formerly a moſt popular ſaint, and had a great concourſe of devotees, who implored his aſſiſt⯑ance to relieve them from variety of diſorders. To gain his favor they made conſiderable offerings, which were depoſited in the church in Cyff Aelian, or St. Aelian's cheſt. Theſe amounted to ſo large a ſum, that the pariſhioners purchaſed with it three tenements, for the uſe of the church, which belong to the living to this day.

NEAR this place, Caſwallon Law-hîr, or Caſwallon Longima⯑nus, kept his Llys, or court. He had made a grant of lands and ſeveral privileges to this church, among which was that of a Nawddfa, or ſanctuary. This was one of the ſeven church-patron ſaints in Angleſey, which were entitled in Capite to ſeveral tenures; one of the conditions of which ſeems to have been the preſervation of theſe places of refuge^*.

[265]FROM hence I viſited Tryſclwyn mountain; on part of which,PARYS MOUN⯑TAIN. called Parys mountain (probably from a Robert Parys, who was chamberlain of North Wales ^* in the reign of Henry IV.) is the moſt conſiderable body of copper ore perhaps ever known. The external aſpect of the hill is extremely rude, and riſes into enormous rocks of coarſe white quartz. The ore is lodged in a baſon, or hollow, and has on one ſide a ſmall lake, on whoſe waters, diſtaſteful as thoſe of Avernus, no bird is known to alight. The whole aſpect of this tract has, by the mi⯑neral operations, aſſumed a moſt ſavage appearance. Suffocating fumes of the burning heaps of copper ariſe in all parts, and extend their baneful influence for miles around. In the adja⯑cent parts vegetation is nearly deſtroyed; even the moſſes and lichens of the rocks have periſhed: and nothing ſeems capable of reſiſting the fumes but the purple Melic graſs^†, which flou⯑riſhes in abundance.

I HAVE little doubt but that the ore had been worked in a very diſtant period. Veſtiges of the antient operations appear in ſeveral parts, carried on by trenching, and by heating the rocks intenſely, then ſuddenly pouring on water, ſo as to cauſe them to crack, or ſcale; thus aukwardly ſupplying the uſe of gunpowder^‡ Pieces of charcoal were alſo found, which prove that wood was made uſe of for that purpoſe. As the Britons im⯑proted all works in braſs, it is certain that the Romans were the undertakers of theſe mines; and it is very probable that they ſent the ore to Caerbén to be ſmelted, the place where the famous [266] cake of copper was diſcovered^*. They might likewiſe have had a ſmelting-hearth in this iſland; for a round cake of copper was diſcovered at Llanvaethlle, a few miles from this place. Its weight was fifty pounds, and it had on it a mark reſembling an L.

IN the year 1762, one Alexander Frazier came into Angleſey in ſearch of mines. He viſited Parys mountain; called on Sir Nicholas Bayley, and gave him ſo flattering an account of the proſpect, as induced him to make a trial, and ſink ſhafts. Ore was diſcovered; but before any quantity could be gotten, the mines were overpowered with water. In about two years after, Meſſrs. Roe and Co. of Macclesfield applied to Sir Nicholas for a leaſe of Penrhyn ddu mine in Caernarvonſhire; with which they were, much againſt their wills, compelled to take a leaſe of part of this mountain, and to carry on a level, and make a fair trial. The trial was accordingly made: ore was diſcovered; but the expences overbalanced the profits. They continued working to great loſs: and at length determined to give the affair up. They gave their agent orders for that purpoſe; but he, as a final attempt, divided his men into ten ſeveral com⯑panies, of three or four in a partnerſhip, and let them ſink ſhafts in various places, about eight hundred yeards eaſtward of a place called the Golden Venture, on a preſumption that a ſpring, which iſſued from near the place, muſt come from a body of mineral. His conjecture was right; for in leſs than two days they met with, at the depth of ſeven feet from the ſurface, the ſolid mineral, which proved to be that vaſt body which has ſince been worked to ſuch advantage. The day that this diſcovery was made was March 2d 1768; which has [267] ever ſince been obſerved as a feſtival by the miners. Soon after this diſcovery, another adventure was begun by the reverend Mr. Edward Hughes, owner of part of the mountain, in right of his wife Mary Lewis of Llys Dulas; ſo that the whole of the treaſure is the property of Sir Nicholas Bayley and himſelf.

THE body of copper ore is of unknown extent.THE ORE. The thick⯑neſs has been aſcertained, in ſome places, by the driving of a level under it, ſeveral years ago, and it was found to be in ſome places twenty-four yards. The ore is moſtly of the kind called by Cronſted, Pyrites cupri flavo virideſcens; and contains vaſt quantities of ſulphur. It varies in degrees of goodneſs; ſome of it is rich, but the greater part poor in quality.

THERE are other ſpecies of copper ore found here. Of late a vein of the Pyrites cupri griſeus of Cronſted, about ſeven yards wide, has been diſcovered near the weſt end of the mountain: ſome is of an iron grey, ſome quite black; the firſt contains ſix⯑teen lb. of copper per clb. the laſt, forty. An ore has been lately found, in form of looſe earth, of dark purpliſh color; and the beſt of it has produced better thatn eight in twenty. Some years ago, above thirty pounds of native copper was found in driving a level through a turbery; ſome was in form of moſs, ſome in very thin leaves.

IT is quarried out of the bed in vaſt maſſes; is broken into ſmall pieces; and the moſt pure part is ſold raw, at the rate of about 3l. to 6l. per ton, or ſent to the ſmelting-houſes of the reſpective companies to be melted into metal. Mr. Hughes has great furnaces of his own at Ravenhead, near Leverpool, and at Swanſey, in South Wales. An idea of the wealth of theſe mines may be formed, by conſidering that the Macclesfield com⯑pany [268] have had at once fourteen thouſand tons of ore upon bank, and Mr. Hughes's, thirty thouſand.

THE more impure ore is alſo broken to the ſize of about hen's eggs; but in order to clear it from the quantity of ſul⯑phur with which it abounds, as well as other advantitious mat⯑ter, it muſt undergo the operation of burning. For that pur⯑poſe it is placed between two parallel walls of vaſt length: ſome kilns are twenty, others forty, and fifty yards in length; ſome ten, others twenty feet wide, and above four feet in height. The ſpace between is not only filled, but the ore is piled many feet higher, in a convex form, from end to end: the whole is then covered with flat ſtones, cloſely luted with clay; and above is placed a general integument of clay, and ſmall rubbiſh of the work, in order to prevent any of the fumes from evaporating. Of late ſome kilns have been conſtructed with brick arches over the ore, which is found to be the beſt method of burning. Within theſe few years, attempts are made to pre⯑ſerve the ſulphur from flying away; and that is done by flues, made of brick, whoſe tops are in form of a Gothic arch, many ſcores of feet in length: one end of theſe opens into the beds of copper which are to be burnt. Thoſe beds are ſet on fire by a very ſmall quantity of coal, for all the reſt is effected by its own phlogiſton. The volatile part is confined, and diredted to the flues; in its courſe the ſulphurous particles ſtrike againſt their roofs, and fall to the bottom in form of the fineſt brimſtone;BRIMSTONE. which is collected, and carried to adjacent houſes, where it is melted into what is called in the ſhops ſtone brimſtone.

THE beds of copper, thus piled for burning, are of vaſt ex⯑tent. Some contain four hundred tons of ore, others two [269] thouſand. The firſt require four months to be completely burnt; the laſt, near ten. Thus burnt, it is carried to proper places to be dreſſed, or waſhed, and made merchantable. By this proceſs the ore is reduced to a fourth part in quantity, but conſiderably improved in quality: and by this means the water is ſtrongly or richly impregnated with copper, which is diſſolved by the acid quality of the ſulphur; and is collected or precipitated again by iron in the above-deſcribed pits. The iron is all diſſolved.

BUT a far richer produce of copper is diſcovered from the water lodged in the bottom of the bed of ore,PRECIPITATED COPPER.which is highly ſaturated with the precious metal. This is drawn up, either by means of whimſies or windmills, to the ſurface, and then diſtributed into numbers of rectangular pits thirty-ſix feet long, ſome pits more ſome leſs, twelve to fifteen feet broad, and twenty inches deep. To ſpeak in the language of the adept, Venus muſt make an aſſignation with Mars, or this ſolution will have no effect. In plain Engliſh, a quantity of iron muſt be immerſed in the water. The kind of iron is of no moment; old pots, hoops, anchors, or any refuſe will ſuffice; but of late, for the convenience of management, the adventurers procure new plates, four feet long, one and a half broad, and three quarters of an inch thick. Theſe they immerſe into the pits; the particles of copper inſtantly are precipitated by the iron, and the iron is gradually diſſolved into a yellow ocher; great part of it floats off by the water, and ſinks to the bottom. The plates, or the old iron (as it happens) are frequently taken out, and the copper ſcraped off; and this is repeated till the whole of the iron is conſumed. The copper thus procured differs [270] little from native copper, and is prized accordingly, and ſold for prices of 25l. to 45l. a ton.

THIS diſcovery is far from new; it has been practiſed long in the Wicklow mines in Ireland, and above a century in thoſe of Hern-grundt in Hungary, where it is called Ziment Copper ^* The waters of the Hungarian mines are much more ſtrongly impregnated with copper than thoſe of Parys mountain. The firſt effects its operation in twelve or about twenty days; the laſt requires two months. Horſe-ſhoes, iron made in ſhape of hearts, and other forms, are put into the foreign waters, and when per⯑fectly tranſmuted, are given as preſents to curious ſtrangers.

THE ore is not got in the common manner of mining, but is cut out of the bed in the ſame manner as ſtone is out of a quarry. A hollow is now formed in the ſolid ore open to the day, and extends about and hundred yards in length, about forty yards in breadth, and twenty-four yards in depth. The ends are at preſent undermined, but ſupported by vaſt pillars and mignificent arches, all metallic; and theſe caverns meander far under ground. Theſe will ſoon diſappear, and thouſands of tons of ore be gotten from both the columns and roofs. The ſides of this vaſt hollow are moſtly perpendicular, and acceſs to the bottom is only to be had by ſmall ſteps cut in the ore; and the curious viſitor muſt truſt to them and a rope, till he reaches ſome ladders, which will conduct him the reſt of the deſcent. On the edges of the chaſms are wooden platforms, which project far; on them are windlaſſes, by which the work⯑men are lowered to tranſact their buſineſs on the face of the precipice. There ſuſpended, they work in mid air, pick a [271] ſmall ſpace for a footing, cut out the ore in vaſt maſſes, and tumble it to the bottom with great noiſe. In ſuch ſituations they form caverns, and there appear ſafely lodged, till the rope is lowered to convey them up again. Much of the ore is blaſted with gunpowder, eight tons of which, I am informed, is an⯑nually uſed for the purpoſe.

NATURE hath been profuſe in beſtowing her mineral favors on this ſpot; for above the copper ore, and not more than three quarters of a yard beneath the common ſoil, is a bed of yellow⯑iſh greaſy clay, from one to four yards thick, containing lead ore, and yielding from ſix hundred to a thouſand pounds weight of lead from one ton; and one ton of the metal yields not leſs than fifty-ſeven ounces of ſilver. Mixed with the earth, are fre⯑quently certain parts of the color of cinnabar: whether theſe are ſymptomatic of the ſulphurous arſenical ſilver ores, or of quickſilver, I will not pretend to decide. Something inter⯑feres with the ſucceſsful ſmelting of this earth in the great: inſomuch that it has not yet been of that profit to the adven⯑turers, which might reaſonably be expected from the crucible aſſays of it; and they have at this time about eight thouſand tons on bank undiſpoſed of. This place has been worked for lead ore in very diſtant times. In the bottom of the pool was found an antient ſmelting hearth of grit-ſtone, and ſeveral bits of ſmelted lead, of about four inches in length, two breadth, and half an inch thick.

THESE works have added greatly to the population of the iſland; for about fifteen hundred perſons are employed, who, with their families, are ſuppoſed to make near eight thouſand perſons, getting their bread from theſe mines. The little vil⯑lage [272] of Amlwch, the port of the place, is encreaſing faſt, and the market grows conſiderable. At the ſeaſon of the greateſt work, Mr. Hughes's men alone receive, for many weeks, two hundred pounds in one week, and a hundred and fifty in another, merely for ſubſiſtence. The port is no more than a great chaſm between two rocks, running far into land, and dry at low-water; into which ſloops run, and lie ſecure to receive their lading.

FROM Parys mountain I viſited the north-weſt parts of the iſland, and paſſed over a ſandy plain country, fertile in grain. See to the right, the Middle Mouſe; and farther on is the third ſmall iſle of that name, called the Weſt Mouſe. Between theſe, on the coaſt of Angleſey, is Kemlyn bay, where there is ſafe an⯑chorage for ſmall veſſels. Not far from hence I ſaw the noted quarry of marble, common to this place, ſome parts of Italy, and to Corſica, MARBLE QUARRY. and known in the ſhops by the name of Verde di Corſica. Its colors are green, black, white, and dull purple, irregularly diſpoſed. In different blocks one or other of the colors are frequently wanting; but among the green parts are often found narrow veins of a moſt elegant and ſilky white aſbeſtos. It is a compound ſpecies of marble; part is calca⯑reous, and may be acted on by aqua fortis. The green parts partake of the nature of jaſper. It is apt to be interſected by ſmall cracks, or by aſbeſtine veins, therefore incapable of taking a high poliſh. This quarry lies on the lands of Mo⯑nach-ty, in the pariſh of Llan-Fair-Ynghornwy; and it is found again in the iſle of Skerries, off this pariſh.

NEITHER the quarry not the aſbeſtos are at preſent in uſe. The antients ſet a high value on the laſt, a price equal to that of pearls. They wove napkins of it, and at great feaſts [273] diverted themſelves (in order to clean them) to fling them into the fire, from which they returned unhurt, and with im⯑proved luſtre. They likewiſe made of it ſhrouds for the bodies of great men, before they were placed on the funeral pile, and by that means preſerved their aſhes pure from thoſe of the wood. The antients believed that it was found only in India, in places where ſhowers never fell, and the reſidence of dire ſerpents^*.

FROM hence I veſited Carreg-Lwyd, CARREG-LWYD. then the reſidence of that worthy and convivial gentleman Jobn Griffith, Eſq From thence I made an attempt to ſail to the Skerries, THE SKERRIES. called in Welſh Ynys y Moel Rhoniaid, or the iſle of Seals, diſtant about a league from this place, and about half a league from the neareſt part of Angleſey: a turbulent ſea made us return with ſpeed. The iſland is very rocky, but affords food for a few Sheep, Rabbits, and Puffins. The light-houſe, placed on it about the year 1730, is of great uſe to ſhips ſailing between Ireland and the ports of Cheſter and Leverpool. The produce from the ton⯑nage, about the year 1759, was 1100l. a year; of which Ire⯑land contributed 400l. Britiſh veſſels pay 1d. per ton, aliens 2d. Fiſh ſport about the rocky ſides in moſt amazing multi⯑tudes, and appear even crowding their backs above water; theſe are chiefly the Cole-fiſh and Whiting Pollacks: Cod-fiſh lurk beneath in abundance, and the beautiful Wraſſes, &c. are frequently caught.

THIS iſle formerly belonged to the cathedral of Bangor, which clamed an excluſive right of fiſhing on it. The right of the prelates of that ſee had been, by ſome neglect, invaded; and the Griffiths of Penrhyn had uſurped the privilege, by having [274] in the iſle what was called a Wele, a bed or ſmall poſſeſſion^* About 1498, biſhop Dean exerted himſelf, and in perſon re⯑ſumed the fiſhery, and on the 8th of October took twenty-eight "fiſhis called Grapas;" when Sir William Griffith ſent ‘his ſon and heire apparante, with dyvers men in harnes, wiche ryetowſely in the ſeid countie of Angleſey, within the ſeid biſhope's dioceſe, took the ſeid fiſhis from the ſervants of the ſeid biſhope.’ But the honeſt prelate cauſed him to make reſtitution, and eſtabliſhed his right as lord of the fiſheries of the iſland^† A ſucceſſor of his, Nicholas Robinſon, was not ſo tenacious; but, according to Mr. Willis ^‡, alienated the iſle to one of his ſons. Between forty and fifty years ago, Wil⯑liam Robinſon, Eſq of Monach-ty in this county, and of Gwerfillt in Denbighſhire, the laſt male deſcendant, periſhed in a ſtorm in his return from this dreary ſpot, with about a dozen people who had unfortunately attended him. Monach-ty, MONACH-TY. or the houſe of the Monks, had been part of the poſſeſſions of the abbey of Conway, and alienated by the ſame prelate to his ſon.

FROM Carreg-Lwyd I rode to Holyhead, about eleven or twelve miles diſtant. Paſſed by Llanfachreth and Llanynghenedl to Rhyd-Pont bridge, where a very ſmall river-like channel in⯑ſulates the great promontory. Go over Towyn y Capel, a low ſandy common, bounded on one ſide by rocks, which in high winds the ſea breaks over in a moſt aweful and ſtupendous manner, and are juſtly dreaded by mariners. In the middle of the common is an artificial mount, on which are the ruins of Capel St. Ffraid. I have no kind of doubt but that, prior [275] to the chapel, it had been the ſite of a ſmall fort; for I never ſaw atrificial elevations given to any but works of a military kind. This common abounds with the ſhells called the FASCIATED WREATH,LAND SHELLS. Br. Zool. iv. N^o 119. and the ZONED SNAIL, N^o 133.

NOT far from hence, between Bodior and Rhyd-Pont, in Rhoſcolyn Pariſh, is a foſſil not frequently found. A green ami⯑anthus,AMIANTHUS. or brittle aſbeſtos, is met with in great plenty, in a green marble, ſimilar to that at Monach-ty; but by reaſon of the inflexible quality of its fibres, not applicable to the ſame uſes.

WITHIN two miles of Towyn y Capel is the town of Holyhead, ſeated on a noted and ſafe harbour, guarded at its mouth from the winds by Ynys GYBI—the iſland of St. Gybi—ſurnamed Corineus, ſon of Solomon Duke of Cornwal; who, after ſtudying ſome years in Gaul, returned to Britain, and fixed his ſee at the place called now Caer Gybi, and Holyhead ^* In honor of his inſtructor, St. Hilarius, biſhop of Poitiers, he beſtowed his name on one of the headlands; the ſame which goes alſo under that of St. Aelian's.

THE town is ſmall,TOWN. but greatly reſorted to by paſſengers to and from the kingdom of Ireland; and is the ſtation of the pacquets, five of which are in conſtant employ; are ſtout veſſels, and well manned.

THE church is dedicated to St. Gybi. CHURCH. Is an antient ſtructure, embattled, with the inſide of the porch, and the outſide of part of the tranſept, rudely carved. On the outſide of the laſt is a dragon, a man leading a bear with a rope, and other groſs re⯑preſentations. St. Gybi is ſaid to have founded a ſmall mo⯑naſtery here, about the year 380^† Maelgwyn Gwynedd, who [276] began his reign about the year 580, is ſaid to have founded a college here^* This prince was ſtyled Draco Inſularis; perhaps the dragon, engraven on the church may allude to him. Others aſſert, that the founder of this college was Hwfa ap Cynddelw, lord of Llys Llivon, in this iſland, and one of the fifteen tribes of North Wales, and contemporary with Owen Gwy⯑nedd ^† The head of the college was called Penclas, or Pen⯑colas, and was one of the ſpiritual lords of Angleſey: the arch⯑deacon of the iſle was one; the abbot of Penmon the other. His Latin title was Rector, as appears by the antient ſeal, inſcribed Sigillum rectoris et capituli Eccleſia de CAER GYBI^‡ I am not acquainted with the number of prebendaries; but they were twelve at leſt, that number being found on the penſion liſt in 1553^‖, at 1l. each. Before the diſſolution, I find that the rector, or provoſt, for ſo he is alſo ſtyled, had thirty-nine marks; one chaplain had eleven, and the other two the ſame between them^§ The whole value, in the 26th of Henry VIII. was eſteemed at 24l. The Engliſh monarch had the gift of the provoſtſhip. Edward III. beſtowed what was called the pro⯑voſtſhip of his free chapel of Caer-Cube, on his chaplain Thomas de London; for which the king, in 1351, diſpenſed with him for his ſervices to himſelf^¶ James I. granted this college to Francis Morris and Francis Philips. It became afterwards the property of Rice Gwynne, Eſq who beſtowed on Jeſus college, Oxford, the great tithes, for the maintenance of two fellows and as many ſcholars^**; and ſince that time the pariſh is ſerved by a curate nominated by the college.

[277]NEAR the church ſtood,ECLWYS Y BEDD. in old times, a chapel called Eglwys y Bedd, or the church of the Grave; and Capet Llan y Gwyddel, or the chapel of the Iriſhman. Sirigi, a king of the Iriſh Picts, invaded this country, and was here ſlain by Caſwallon Law Hir, or Caſwallon the long-handed, who reigned about the year 440^* Sirigi was canonized by his countrymen, and had in this chapel a ſhrine, in high repute for many miracles. This place had diſtinct revenues from the collegiate church. At length it fell to ruin, and was diſuſed for ages. In removing the rubbiſh, not many years ago, a ſtone coffin was found with bones of a ſtupendous ſize; but we muſt not ſuppoſe theſe to have been the reliques of Sirigi; which had been carried away by ſome Iriſh rovers, and depoſited in the cathedral of Chriſt Church in Dublin ^†.

THE precinct of the church-yard clames a far higher anti⯑quity than the church.ROMAN FORT. It is a ſquare of two hundred and twenty feet by a hundred and thirty. Three ſides are ſtrong walls, ſeventeen feet high, and ſix feet thick; the fourth ſide is open to the precipitous rocks of the harbour, and never had been walled, being intended for ſhips to retire to, and receive the benefit of protection from this incloſure. At each corner of the wall is an oval tower. The maſonry of the whole is evidently Roman: the mortar very hard, and mixed with much coarſe peb⯑ble. Along the walls are two rows of round holes, about four inches in diameter, which penetrate them. They are in all reſpects like thoſe at Segontium, p. 220, and nicely plaiſtered within.

[278]THE uſe of this harbour to the Romans, in the paſſage from various places to the ports of Lancaſhire and that of Cheſter, is very evident. They could not find a better place to run into, in caſe of hard weather, than this, as it projected fartheſt into the Vergivian ſea; ſo that they could make it with leſs danger of being embayed than in any other place. If (as is very probable) they had commerce with Ireland, no place was better adapted. The Romans, it is true, never made a ſettle⯑ment in that country, but they certainly traded with it, even in the time of Agricola, ‘when its ports and harbours were better known, from the concourſe of merchants for the pur⯑poſes of commerce^*.’

I TOOK a walk from the town to the top of The Head, THE HEAD. in ſearch of other antiquities. In my way, ſaw the ruins of Capel y Gorlles, one of ſeveral which are ſcattered about this holy promontory. On the ſide which I aſcended, my courſe was in⯑terrupted with a huge dry wall, in many places regularly faced, and ten feet high in ſome of the moſt entire parts, and fur⯑niſhed with an entrance. On the Pen y Gaer Gybi, or the ſum⯑mit of the mountain, are foundations of a circular building, ſtrongly cemented with the ſame ſort of mortar as the ſort in the town. It ſeems to have been, a Pharos, A PHAROS. a neceſſary director in theſe ſeas.

FROM the top of this mountain I had a diſtinct view of the iſle of Holyhead: it being at that time high-water, and the channel filled on each ſide of Rhyd-Pont bridge. The iſle is of unequal breadth, and greatly indented.

[279]THE part of the Head fronting the ſea, is either an immenſe precipice,BIRDS. or hollowed into moſt magnificent caves. Birds of various kinds breed in the rocks; among them are, Peregrine Falcons, Shags, Herons, Razor-bills, and Guillemots. Their eggs are ſought after for food; and are gotten by means of a man, who is lowered down by a rope held by one or more per⯑ſons. Within memory, the perſon let down, by his weight overpowered the other, and pulled him down; ſo that both pe⯑riſhed miſerably.

I RETURNED over Rhyd-Pont bridge, and along the great road (which is excellent) towards Bangor. A little on the left is Preſaddfed, PRESADDFED. the ſeat of Mrs. Roberts, formerly of the Owens. On the ſite ſtood the manſion of Hwfa ap Kynddelw, before men⯑tioned. He held his eſtate in ſee by the attendance at the prince's coronation, and bearing up the right ſide of the canopy over the prince's head at that ſolemnity. The biſhop, who was firſt chaplain, alſo held ſome land by the office of crowning him.

NEAR the comfortable inn called the Gwindy, in the mid⯑dle of the iſland,BODYCHAN. on the great road, is Bodychan, an antient building, once the ſeat of Rhys ap Llewelyn ap Hwlkyn, firſt ſheriff of this county, and a potent man in the time of Henry VIII. The family afterwards took the name of the place, and flouriſhed for many generations. The founder, Rhys ap Kemlyn ap Hwlkin, went to Boſworth field to aſſiſt Henry VII. with a company of foot. In return, was ſworn ſheriff of Angleſey for life. He made his houſe (now converted into a barn) the county jail, the dungeon whereof is ſtill to be ſeen. In the laſt century it paſſed to the Sparrows of Red Hill, by the mar⯑riage of the heireſs of this place.

[280]BEFORE I leave the iſland,POPULATION OF ANGLESEY. I beg leave to communicate a brief account of its population, in the manner I received it from Paul Penton, Eſq whoſe remarks on the ſame ſubject have before appeared in a far more reſpectable place^*.

BY an account given on the 13th of Auguſt 1563, there were 2010 houſholds, or families, in Angleſey ^†: allowing five to a family, the whole number of inhabitants in that period was 10,050. In 1776, the number of houſes in Angleſey was about 3,956: allowing five perſons to a family, the whole number of inhabitants was at that time 19,780; which wants only 340 of doubling the number of inhabitants in the intervening ſpace.

CONTINUE my journey from Porth-aithwy Ferry up a ſteep road,BANGOR. and ſoon deſcend another to BANOOR, a ſmall town ſeated between two low hills, in a valley opening to the bay of Beauma⯑ris. This is the epiſcopal ſeat. The prelate is very indifferently lodged, in a palace near the cathedral; which, from an inſcrip⯑tion, appears to have been rebuilt by Biſhop Skeffington, who died in 1533, at the abbey of Beaulieu, of which he had been abbot. He directed that his body ſhould be interred there; his heart at Bangor, before the image of the patron ſaint, St. Daniel.

ST. DANIEL, ſon of Dynawd, abbot of Bangor ys Coed in Flint⯑ſhire, firſt eſttabliſhed here a college for the inſtruction of youth, and ſupport of the clergy of thoſe parts^‡ Creſſy calls it a monaſtery, and ſays it was filled with monks^‖ probably fugitives from the other Bangor, from which it might derive its [281] name. About the year 550, Maelgwyn Gwynedd, one of thoſe gentry who, growing virtuous in their old-age, make a ſacrifice to God of the Devil's leavings^*, converted the college into a biſhoprick, and appointed Daniel to be firſt biſhop. We know not the extent of his dioceſe. That of the preſent, com⯑prehends all Angleſey; Caernarvonſhire, except Llyſvaen, Eglwys Rhôs, and Llangyſtenin, which belong to St. Aſaph, and Llan⯑beblic to Cheſter. In Denbighſhire it has fourteen pariſhes; in Montgomeryſhire ſeven.

The cathedral was deſtroyed by the inſurgent Saxons in the year 1071.CATHEDRAL. It was afterwards rebuilt; for we find that in 1212^† King John invaded the country, forced the biſhop, Ro⯑bert of Shrewſhury, from before the altar, and obliged him to pay two hundred hawks for his ranſom. In the year 1402 it was reduced again to ruin by the rage of Glyndwr, and lay un⯑reſtored uring ninety years; when the choir was reſtored by Biſhop Dean, or Deny: the body and tower were built by that liberal prelate Thomas Skeffington, in 1532. The tower was to have been raiſed to double its preſent height; but the death of the biſhop prevented the execution of the deſign^‡ The win⯑dows were made, or glazed, according to the cuſtom of the times, by the piety of different perſons, among whom may be reckoned Dean Kyffin, and ſome of the Gryffydds of Pen⯑rhyn ^‖.

THERE is nothing remarkable within,TONES. except a few tombs. That wiſe and valiant prince Owen Gwynedd lies beneath an [282] arch, with a flowery croſs cut on a flat ſtone. He died, re⯑gretted by his countrymen, and feared by his foes, in 1169. On the floor is a mutilated figure in braſs, deſigned for Richard Kyffyn, the active dean of this church in the reigns of Richard III. and Henry VII. He died the 13th of Auguſt 1502. The place of his interment ſtill bears the name of Bedd y Deon du, or the grave of the Black Dean, I ſuppoſe from his complexion. Se⯑veral of the biſhops are buried here; but, excepted the headleſs buſts of the prelates Rowlands and Vaughan, mutilated in the fanatical times, no remarkable memorials of any of them at preſent exiſt. Of the ſhrine on the left ſide of the great altar, beneath which, in 1137, was interred the brave and wiſe prince Gryffydd ap Cynan ^*, not a veſtige is to be ſeen.