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THE NEW 
 
 ABERYSTWYTH GUIDE. 
 
THE NEW 
 
 ABERYSTWYTH GUIDE 
 
 WATERS, BATHING HOUSES, PUBLIC WALKS, 
 
 AND AMUSEMENTS; 
 
 Including Historical jSTotices and general Information, 
 CONNECTED WITH 
 
 THE TOWN, CASTLE RUINS, RIVERS, HAVOD, 
 THE DEVIL'S BRIDGE, 
 
 And all Places of Note or Interest adjacent. 
 
 EMBELLISHED WITH A MAP AND TWO VIEWS. 
 
 BY Ti J. LLEWELYN P RICHARD^ 
 
 Author of " Welsh Minstrelsy," &:c. 
 
 ' Away, 3'e gay landscapes ! y& gardens of roses ! 
 
 In you let the minions of luxury rove ; 
 Give me the rocks where the snow-flake reposes. 
 
 Though still thej^ are sacred to freedom and love : 
 England ! thy beauties are tame and domestic, 
 
 To one who has roved on the mountains afar; 
 Oh ! for the crags that are wild and majestic, 
 
 The cataracts of Cymru and Alpine heights rate! 
 
 BYRON.— adapted. 
 
 ABERYSTWYTH : 
 
 Printed for and Sold by Lewis Jones, Bookseller, 
 and Sold at Cranston's Library ; 
 
 SOLD ALSO, IN LONDON, BATH, CHELTENHAM, SHREWSBURY, 
 
 BIRMINGHAM, WORCESTER, HEREFORD, BALA, 
 
 AND CARMARTHEN. 
 
 189 i. 
 
3 An 45 
 
 ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL. 
 
 
 Printed by J. Cox, Aberystwyth; 
 
^r^ 
 
 ¥t 
 
 TO 
 
 MRS. COUTTS, 
 
 AS A PUBLIC TRIBUTE OF RESPECT, 
 
 THIS WORK, 
 
 DESCRIPTIVE OF ABERYSTWYTH AND ITS 
 VICINITY, 
 
 IS DEDICATED, 
 
 BY HER OBEDIENT HUMBLE SERVANT, 
 
 T. J. LL. PRICHARD. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The Author^ Editor^ or Compiler^ of a 
 Work like this^ can at best^ claim but 
 the meed of industry to collect, and 
 taste to arrange ; which humble credit 
 is beyond the pretensions of the pre- 
 sent labourer at the task. It would be 
 uncandid to pass over unnoticed the 
 circumstance of a former Aberystwyth 
 Guide having existed ; and the praise of 
 having brought forward the first thing 
 of the kind in the town^ is due to the 
 Author. But the great and favourable 
 changes that have taken place in Aber- 
 ystwyth in the course of seven years^ 
 
Vlll 
 
 rendered such a work of no service to 
 me in the formation of this. I have had 
 my materials to collect elsewhere^ and 
 I trust they will be found ''fashioned to 
 the varying hour ;" for which I have to 
 thank many individuals at Aberystwyth^ 
 for their polite, ready, and useful, com- 
 munications. But enough — -Prefaces 
 are very rarely read at all — so much the 
 better — as they are generally but the 
 flimsy vehicles of egotism and cant — 
 and this perhaps, is no exception to the 
 multitude of those impertinent epistles : 
 therefore the sooner it be brought to a 
 close, the more desirable — so here it 
 ends. 
 
 T. J. LL. P. 
 
 Aherystwyth. June, 1824. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 The Town of Aberystwyth, Inns, &c 1 
 
 Historical Notices of the Town of Aberystwyth 5 
 
 The Market , . 6 
 
 The Marine Terrace, Lodging Houses, &c 8 
 
 The Assembly Rooms 13 
 
 Ball and Promenade Room 14 
 
 Reading Room ib. 
 
 Card Room ib. 
 
 Billiard Room ib. 
 
 Rules and Regulations 15 
 
 The Church, and other Places of Worship li> 
 
 Schools. — The National School 21 
 
 Ladies' Boarding School 22 
 
 Grammar School ib. 
 
 The Castle Ruins ib. 
 
 Historical Notices of Aberystwyth Castle 23 
 
 Prospect from the Castle Ruins 28 
 
 The Sea, Cantrev y Gwaelod, &c 30 
 
 A short History of the Lowland Hundred inundated by the 
 
 Sea (a translation from a Welsh Manuscript) 35 
 
 The Ystwyth 39 
 
 The Rheidol 44 
 
 The grand and tremendous Fall of the Rheidol 47 
 
 The Havod Arms .- i5. 
 
 The Devil's Bridge 49 
 
 The awfully sublime Falls of the Mynach 50 
 
 Pl^nt Mat 51 
 
 Formica Herculanea 52 
 
1 
 
 Plas Crug, or the Palace of the Rheidol 53 
 
 Aberystwyth Harbour 55 
 
 The Trade of Aberystwyth 5(5 
 
 The Chalybeate Waters 58 
 
 The Properties, &c. of the Chalybeate Spring 59 
 
 Sea Bathing. — On the Warm Bath 60 
 
 On the Cold Bath 66 
 
 The Marine Baths described 72 
 
 The Cold Plunging Bath 73 
 
 The Shower Bath ib. 
 
 The Vapour Bath ib. 
 
 The Warm Bathing House 75 
 
 Bathing Machines ib. 
 
 Llanbadarn vawr 76 
 
 Historical Notices of Llanbadarn vawr 81 
 
 Walks. — Craiglais to the Vale of Clarach 88 
 
 Machynlleth Road 89 
 
 Walk by the Rheidol ib. 
 
 The Beach 90 
 
 Pen yr Anchor 91 
 
 Rhyd y Velin 92 
 
 Pendinas Hill 92 
 
 Drives or Rides by Country Seats. — Towards Borth 
 
 Sands. — Penglaise 96 
 
 Cwra Cynvelin 97 
 
 Gogerddan ib. 
 
 Borth Sands 99 
 
 Through Llanbadarn, &c The Vicarage House .. ib. 
 
 Midway House ib, 
 
 Vronvraith 100 
 
 Glanrheidol ib. 
 
 By Castle Hill, &c. — Crugiau 101 
 
 Aberllolwyn ib. 
 
 Morfa ib. 
 
 Abermayde ib. 
 
 Castle Hill 102 
 
 Llidiadau ib. 
 
 Crosswood ib. 
 
 Nanteos 103 
 
 Llaniron 104 
 
XI 
 
 Valuable Pebbles to be found on the Beach 105 
 
 Angling 106 
 
 The Races 109 
 
 The Welsh Potosi, or Cardiganshire Mines - 1 10 
 
 Havod 118 
 
 Cumberland's Description of Havod 120 
 
 Strata Florida, or Ystrad Flur Abbey 125 
 
 The Teivy 129 
 
 Cilgerran Castle 131 
 
 The Salmon Leap 132 
 
 The Beaver 134 
 
 The Otter 139 
 
 Coracles 140 
 
 Further Historical Notices of Aberystwyth Castle 142 
 
 Further Historical Notices of Plas Crug 145 
 
 Taliesin's Grave 155 
 
 Remains of Antiquity discovered at different periods 
 
 near Aberystwyth 165 
 
 Concluding Remarks. —Welsh Trowsers 179 
 
 A Theatre at Aberystwyth 183 
 
 Extortion in Lodging-Houses 185 
 
 On the Names of Streets, &c. at Aberystwyth . 188 
 
 Medical Men 191 
 
 Dispensaries ib. 
 
 Solicitors ... - 2^. 
 
 Magistrates • • ib. 
 
 Post-Office ib. 
 
 Coaches, &c 192 
 
 A correct Table of Distances of different Places of Note 
 
 from Aberystwyth 193 
 
THE NEW 
 
 ABERYSTWYTH GUIDE. 
 
 Considering the wonderful gifts of nature 
 to this favoured spot, it is a matter of astonisli- 
 ment that it has so long remained in compa- 
 rative obscurity. 
 
 It is impossible on entering Aberystwyth, to 
 catch the first glimpse of it, unaccompanied 
 with the most vivid sensations of wonder and 
 delight. It lies embosomed between its foster- 
 ing hills, in a sweet valley, threaded by the 
 Rheidol, close to the margin of the sea. Unlike 
 the tame and monotonous scenery that cha- 
 racterizes many Watering Places, Beauty and 
 
Variety seem the twin Goddesses of tlie place ; 
 or, if a tliird be admitted, the presiding Deity 
 of the bracing breeze, bright-eyed Health, 
 completes the trio. The very rivers have dis- 
 tinct characters of their own — their impetuous 
 rushing rapidity, forms an animated contrast to 
 the drawling dullness of the champaign stream, 
 that seems to slumber in its heavy course. 
 Whenever a bold feature of originality in the 
 adjacent scenery, strikes the eye of the visitor, 
 the presumed harshness of its intrusion, is 
 immediately softened by the milder charm 
 of fertility and verdure, reposing, as it were, 
 on the bosom of comparative barrenness, and 
 arrayed in all the enchanting wildness of the 
 picturesque. Thus, whether viewed from the 
 towering height or flowery slope, we are at 
 once greeted with the commingled or alternate 
 beauties of hill and dale, wood and river, 
 charmingly variegated with sudden or gradual 
 acclivities, and gentle descents ending in the 
 level walk. In other views, we are presented 
 with the pre-eminently grand prospect of the 
 expansive bay of Cardigan, where, far as the 
 stretch of human optics, the horizon is closed 
 by sky and water, and to a great extent by the 
 Alpine wonders of Wales, described at large in 
 
another part of this work. In addition to the 
 gratification derived by the invalid, or the 
 votary of taste and pleasure, Aberystwyth and 
 its vicinity, with their mineral treasures and 
 salubrious springs, give ample scope for the 
 study of the Philosopher and Philanthropist, 
 the Physician, the Chymist, and the Mineralo- 
 gist: while the hoary vestiges of antiquity, 
 associated with its historic records, afford 
 abundant matter for the lucubrations of the 
 Moralist. 
 
 Aberystwyth is 208 miles from London, situ- 
 
 ntc at the cuiifluence uf the • ivcis Ystwyth tind 
 Rheidol, opposite the centre of Cardigan Bay. 
 It derives its name from the Welsh word 
 ^^Aber," which implies " the junction of two 
 rivers," and "Ystwyth," which means "Pliant," 
 a characteristic appellation in allusion to the 
 frequent winding curves of the stream. 
 
 As the town is situate on the banks of the 
 Rheidol, and not of the Ystwyth, its name 
 would more properly be "Aberheidol;" but 
 the reason of its present designation is ex- 
 plained, under the head of "Historical Notices 
 of the Town of Aberystwyth." 
 a2 
 
It is at present, the largest town in Cardi- 
 ganshire. All former visitors admit that it is 
 improving yearly. The roads, which ought 
 to be the first consideration of those who wish 
 to carry on improvements, have, for a few years 
 past, been made equal to the best in England ; 
 and the pleasant drives afforded by those in 
 the immediate vicinity of the town, are not the 
 least of its comforts. The great influx of 
 strangers who visit in the season, continually 
 increasing, has caused a considerable number 
 of houses to be built, and some in a style oi 
 superior elegance. Here are three good Inns. 
 
 ^t>^ T«lliof. anrl fTOo-prrlrlan Arms, iii T^Hrk- 
 
 gate Street, and the Old Black Lion, in Bridge 
 Street. A handsome Assembly Room has been 
 lately built; and a Theatre, long in anticipation, 
 is about to be erected. Here is a Townhall, 
 with a Market-place beneath, but the continual 
 growth of the town has rendered it necessar}^^ 
 to build a new one, which has very happilj 
 been accomplished, on an extensive scale, 
 much to the credit of the projectors, to whose 
 public spirit the town is greatly indebted. H 
 bids fair to rival the first of the English Ma- 
 rine Bathing Towns. A portion of the histori- 
 cal notices of Aberystwyth is intermixed with 
 
those of the Castle, which the reader will find 
 under that head : however, there are some that 
 claim an exclusive place, and stand as follow. 
 
 Igi^tDrical Motict^ of tfte Cotpn of 
 
 Aberystwyth is governed by a Mayor, Re- 
 corder, Common Council, &c. and, in conjunc- 
 tion with Cardigan and Lampeter, sends a 
 representative to Parliament. It was anciently 
 named "Llanbadarn Gaerog," or the "Forti- 
 fied Llanbadarn;" and the small village of 
 Aberystwyth stood to the westward of the 
 Castle, on ground now covered by the sea ; 
 therefore it is not at all improbable, but that 
 the Rheidol emptied itself, at some distance 
 from the ocean, into the Ystwyth, on the banks 
 of which river the ancient village must have 
 stood, as no other circumstance could have 
 existed to justify the name of Aberystwyth. 
 When the present designation was adopted is 
 uncertain, but in the writings respecting it 
 in the time of Queen Elizabeth, it is every 
 where termed Aberystwyth. 
 
 Part of the town walls, until lately, were 
 A 3 
 
6 
 
 standing, and miglit be seen between the house 
 of Lady Caroline Price and the Custom-house, 
 and again near the House of Correction, but 
 of -which, not the slightest vestige now re- 
 mains. There were many gates, forming the 
 outlets of the town, which even now give name 
 to different streets, marking the spots where 
 they once stood : one was in the street leading 
 to Llanbadarn, called "Dark Gate," another in 
 the street opposite to the Baptist chapel, called 
 " Little Dark Gate ;" and another opposite to 
 the Bridge. The walls formerly went from 
 this last to the Lime-kiln, near the Castle, 
 where it joined it on the other side of the 
 gate, by the Mill Stream to Great Dark Gate, 
 thence to Little Dark Gate, and from thence to 
 the site of the Custom-house and Lady Price's, 
 and thence to the Castle. The turnings, and 
 attempts to turn the course of the Rheidol and 
 Ystwyth, have been various, a detail of which 
 would afford no interest. The present chan- 
 nel of the Ystwyth, was formed in order to 
 clear the bar, at the entrance of the Harbour. 
 
 With the growth and increasing demands of 
 the town, the supply of the market has kept 
 
pace, so much so, as to cause the necessity for 
 the new Market-place, which is just finished. 
 Its measurement is 104 feet in length, and 31 
 feet in breadth. Here are two markets in every 
 week : one on Monday, for butter, cheese, 
 fruit, &c. ; and the other on Saturday, for 
 meat. Meat is also, in a smaller degree, sold 
 on the former market day. 
 
 The first Monday after the 12th of Novem- 
 ber, and the same in May, are called " Hiring 
 Mondays," in Welsh "Dyddllun Cyvlogau;" 
 and a vast number of persons meet here to 
 hire servants, by ancient custom. 
 
 The superiority and cheapness of the Welsh 
 mutton, butter, and poultry, are proverbial, and 
 well justified in the market of Aberystwyth. 
 
 " The beef is good, the mutton better, 
 
 " If England can produce such — let her."* 
 
 The fish is less plentiful than it might be, on 
 on account of the little encouragement given 
 to the fishermen. 
 
 It may be necessary to apprize the Visitors 
 in their dealings at the markets, that there is 
 
 * From the doggrel Latin verse of Ralph Higden. 
 
8 
 
 this peculiarity in the weights and measures : 
 fresh butter is sold eighteen ounces in the 
 pound, and every thing else sixteen ounces. 
 The measure is Winchester. By taking a pound 
 or more of butter, they often allow five quar- 
 ters (twenty ounces) to the pound, but no 
 more than eighteen ounces can be demanded. 
 
 LODGING HOUSES, &c. 
 
 The first consideration with the Visitor of 
 a Watering Place, is, generally, to secure 
 agreeable Lodgings near the sea, with an eye 
 to a conveniency for bathing as well as the 
 gratification of a marine prospect; and in 
 no town can these desires be more amply 
 gratified, than in Aberystwyth, by engaging 
 apartments on the Terrace. It is a sweet 
 level space, situate on the margin of the sea, 
 which Nature has formed a perfect crescent, 
 and Art has embellished with light and ele- 
 gant structures — houses which are inviting 
 in appearance, and that for genuine comfort, 
 beauty, and salubrity of situation, may vie 
 with those in English towns of more mature 
 celebrity. Each extreme tip of the crescent, 
 or end of the Terrace, is bounded by con- 
 
trasting heights, tlie northern by Craiglais, 
 or as it has recently been called, Constitution 
 Hill, and the southern more distantly by the 
 Castle Ruins ; both of which, though of difier- 
 ent descriptions, possess very excellent walks, 
 and have, as they well claim, separate notices 
 under their respective heads. But our present 
 object — and the principal Promenade at Aber- 
 ystwyth — is the Marine Terrace ; which also 
 contains the most handsome and commodious 
 houses. From morning till noon, and later, 
 the sea may be viewed from it, to considerable 
 advantage, when covered with boats contain- 
 in a* narfif»B of -nlfip en i-o Tulir* nn^Tf*. ann f»T10*a.0^ft 
 
 with the boatmen for any desired space of time. 
 In the evening, the whole concourse of the 
 walking company are occasionally enlivened 
 and regaled by a small military band, belong- 
 ing to the county regiment ; which, with its 
 many other attractions, renders the Terrace a 
 very gay and pleasing scene, equally the fa- 
 vourite of the votaries of Health, as those of 
 Pleasure and Fashion. 
 
 It would seem, as if the decayed celebrity of 
 other places should undergo a kind of trans- 
 migration, and a portion of their members gain 
 
10 
 
 a new being, and live another life here. Thus, 
 the market is removed from the once celebrated 
 Llanbadarn-vawr, and the Custom-house from 
 the Port of Aberdovey ; and they now form ne- 
 cessary components to the rising consequence 
 of Aberystwyth. 
 
 The Custom-house stands on the south-west 
 part of the Terrace, and makes the corner of 
 Pier Street. It was erected in 1773, when the 
 business was removed from Aberdovey. 
 
 Above the Custom-house are two very com- 
 
 ii'iodious houses called Mount Pleasant -, truo 
 
 taste perhaps, may wish they were called by 
 any other appellation — unless it were Mo ant 
 Zion, Tabernacle Row, or Tribulation Walk; 
 for as these designations occur in almost all 
 towns where fanatics have a footing, so the 
 dull and clay-cold spirit of imitation has her 
 Mounts Pleasant, Prospect Rows, and Consti- 
 tution Hills, in as many multiplied repetitions 
 as the far-famed, ever-canted epitaph of " Af- 
 fliction sore, long time I bore, &c." " But," 
 quotes the less fastidious traveller, 
 
 " What's in a name ? that which we call a rose, 
 " By any other name would smell as sweet." 
 
11 
 
 Yet, in spite of sweet poetry, and Juliet's 
 sweeter lips that speak it, there's much in a 
 name, " aye, marry is there !" and we still 
 maintain, that Mount Pleasant would be much 
 pleasanter under any less hackneyed distinc- 
 tion. But to return — of these two houses 
 one is private, the other a Lodging House, 
 capable of affording accommodation to a large 
 family, or divisible into various apartments. 
 
 Above this house is a gateway, which admits 
 to a walk in front of that unique and, beautiful 
 pile, called the Castle House, which commands 
 a gratifying view of the Ocean and Castle 
 Ruins on one side, and of the Church, Assem- 
 bly Rooms, and part of the town, on the other. 
 It was erected by Mr. Uvedale Price, of Fox- 
 ley Hall, Herefordshire, for his own private 
 residence. It is a singularly handsome edifice, 
 in the Gothic style, and of a castellated form, 
 consisting of three octagonal towers, with a 
 light and very elegant balcony on the side 
 towards the sea. The building was, at one 
 time, enveloped with ivy, and, it is the general 
 opinion, has lost much of its original beauty 
 by being more modernized, as the ivy has been 
 torn away, and the outside walls, (which, in- 
 
12 
 
 termixed with brick, are of the rough moun- 
 tain stone, peculiar to this country,) stuccoed. 
 It is now a Lodging House attached to the 
 Talbot Inn.* On the Terrace are also two 
 Bathing Houses, one, about the centre, distin- 
 guished as the Warm Bath, the other, the 
 Marine Bath, built among the rocks, at the 
 northern extremity ; and on the beach, always 
 ready with the attendant women, watching for 
 occupants, are the Machines for Sea Bathing. 
 It is an agreeable subject of reflection, while 
 viev/ing the Marine Terrace, that a few years 
 ago, the spot which it now occupies, was as 
 void and noteless as any other low flat part of 
 the coast. Tlie houses were built at difierent 
 periods, and the Terrace began to show some- 
 thing of its present form L. 1819 ; since which, 
 the Promenade was constructed by a general 
 subscription of the inhabitants. At the rate 
 they have lately been forwarding new build- 
 ings, it may be safely calculated, that in a few 
 
 * "When I viewed this," observes the Rev. Mr. Evans 
 in his tour, " with the dilapidated fragments of the time-worn 
 buildingby itsside,! could not suppress a smile, and thought, 
 if the heroes of antiquity could return, with what contempt 
 they would survey this mimickry of the antique." But this 
 pile, however trifling when compared with the massive gran- 
 deur of ancient architecture, stands pre-eminent among the 
 structures of the present day. 
 
13 
 
 years the space will be completely filled; wlieii 
 it will doubtless present a beautiful and light 
 range of structures, superior, perhaps, to those 
 of any Bathing Town in the principality of 
 Wales. 
 
 Nothing can more strikingly evince the en- 
 terprising spirit which actuates certain liberal 
 characters at Aberystwyth, than the sudden 
 growth of many excellent and commodious 
 buildings ; and more especially attractive to the 
 votaries of taste and fasliion, that which gave 
 existence to the Public Rooms, which stand 
 on an open and elevated spot, commanding a 
 fine view of the sea, and separated merely by 
 the Church-yard from tliose delightful walks, 
 the Castle Ruins. The building was erected, 
 on a plan from Mr. Repton, an eminent London 
 Architect, by subscription, at equal shares of 
 ten pounds each. The town is indebted for 
 the ground on which it stands, to the liberaiily 
 of W. E. Powell, Esq. M. P. of Naoteos, Lord 
 Lieutenant of the county, whose gift it is. 
 
 Tlie Rooms were opened to the public on 
 
 B 
 
14 
 
 the first day of July, 1820. They consist of 
 a very handsome 
 
 BALL AND PROMENADE ROOM, 
 
 forty-five feet by twenty-five, elegantly deco- 
 rated with every characteristic peculiarity to 
 distinguish a place of tlie most fashionable 
 resort. During the day, and on those evenings 
 when there are no Balls or Promenades, the 
 Ball Room is used as 
 
 A READING ROOM, 
 
 which is supplied with a continual succession 
 of London and Provincial Papers, Magazines, 
 Reviews, and otlier Periodical Works. Next 
 in rotation comes 
 
 A CARD ROOxM, 
 
 twenty-five feet by eighteen, communicating 
 witli tlie Ball Room by folding doors, with 
 a handsome central lamp, and decorations cor- 
 responding with those in the Ball Room. And 
 lastly 
 
 A BILLIARD ROOM, 
 
 the same size as the Card Room. Under the 
 same roof there is a Dwelling House, with a 
 bar, &c. to provide the Subscribers with 
 
 REFRESHMENTS. 
 
15 
 
 All impediments to the completion of the 
 building are now removed, and it will doubt- - 
 less be finished in course of this spring. Any 
 further information respecting the Rooms will 
 be found in the following 
 
 UuU^ anti Megulaitiott0 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ABERYSTWYTH ASSEMBLY ROOMS. 
 
 Robert Rathill, Esq. Master of the Ceremonies. 
 
 FOR THE BALLS. 
 
 The Master of the Ceremonies has a Ball iii 
 the Season ; and a Subscription Book lies in 
 the Reading Room for Visitors to insert their 
 names, and enter their complimentary fee 
 for the civility they expect to receive from 
 him. A Ball will take place every Tuesday 
 evening during the Season, the first dance to 
 be called at nine o'clock precisely. Country 
 Dances and Quadrilles alternately ; and a dance 
 not to be called after one o'clock. 
 
 SUBSCRIPTION FOR THE SEASON, 
 Commencing in July and ending in October, (Ten Balls). 
 
 £ s. d. 
 
 Gentlemen 1 10 
 
 Ladies 1 
 
 b2 
 
16 
 
 FOR ANY FIVE BALLS IN SUCCESSION. 
 
 £ s d. 
 
 Gentlemen 1 G 
 
 L,a<lies 12 6 
 
 NON-SUBSCRIBERS. 
 
 Gentlemen 6 
 
 Ladies 4 
 
 TEA INCLUDED. 
 
 As the utmost decorum is necessary in all 
 Public Assemblies, a strict compliance with the 
 following regulations is particularly requested: 
 
 That no Servants be admitted. 
 
 That no Gentlemen (Military excepted,) be 
 admitted in boots. 
 
 That all Ladies who go down a dance, do 
 continue in their places till the rest have done 
 the same. 
 
 That Ladies will draw Tickets for places, as 
 they come into the Room, which will be en- 
 tered in a book, and by no means allowed to 
 change them. 
 
 That Ladies take their places at the bottom, 
 after a dance is begun. 
 
17 
 
 That the Master of the Ceremonies shall be 
 supported in the execution of his office, by the 
 Subscribers at large ; and any misbehaviour 
 towards him, shall be considered as an offence 
 to the company. 
 
 The Master of the Ceremonies entreats those 
 Ladies and Gentlemen whom he has not the 
 honour of knowing personally, to afford him 
 an opportunity of being introduced to them, 
 that he may not be charged with want of atten- 
 tion, if he should happen to omit visiting per- 
 sons whom he may not be informed of, for want 
 of this step being taken ; as it will not only be 
 the means of preventing improper company 
 entering the Rooms, but enable him to pay that 
 attention and respect which he is ambitious 
 and studious to shew to every individual re- 
 sorting to this place. 
 
 FOR THE PROMENADES AND READING. 
 
 The Promenades commence the first Wednes- 
 day in July, at one o'clock, and continue twice 
 a week during the season. On Wednesdays 
 the Welsh Harper attends, and on Fridays, a 
 small Military Band and the Welsh Harp al- 
 ternately. 
 
 B 3 
 
18 
 
 TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION TO THE ROOMS 
 
 ANNUAL. 
 
 £ s. d. 
 
 Gentlemen 1 6 
 
 Ladies 10 6 
 
 FOR THE SEASON. 
 
 Gentlemen 15 
 
 Ladies 10 6 
 
 QUARTERLY. 
 
 Gentlemen 10 6 
 
 Ladies 7 
 
 FOR A FORTNIGHT, OR ANY LESSER PERIOD. 
 
 Gentlemen 3 6 
 
 Ladies 2 6 
 
 No Papers, Magazines, Reviews, or other 
 Periodical Works, allowed to be taken out x)f 
 the Room. 
 
 FOR THE CARD ROOM. 
 
 That all Persons playing Whist, Quadrille, 
 Commerce, or Loo, do pay Eleven shillings for 
 two packs of Cards. Six Shillings for a single 
 pack. 
 
 No game at Hazard to be allowed. 
 
 No Cards to be played after twelve o'clock 
 
19 
 
 at night, except on Ball nights, when they will 
 be permitted as long as dancing continues. 
 
 No Person to play with Cards left by another 
 Party. 
 
 Ctie atfiuxtf^f antr otft^t IJlat^^ of 
 
 The Church is a plain, unimposing structure, 
 (not Gothic as generally described in Topogra- 
 phical works,) but neat, and capable of accom- 
 modating from seven to eight hundred persons. 
 It measures in length, from east to west, sixty 
 feet, and in breadth, twenty-six. It Avas built 
 by subscription, in the year 1786, within the 
 ancient precincts of the Castle. The Church 
 is separated from the walks of the Castle Ruins 
 by a stone wall, at the expence of tlie inhabi- 
 tants. The Chiircli-yard partakes both of the 
 plainness and neatness of the Church, and one 
 (only one !) grave is decorated in the ancient 
 Welsh fashion — that of having flowers planted 
 over it, still very prevalent in many parts of 
 Wales — an elegant and affectionate character- 
 istic, and France has thought it worthy her 
 adoption, in the beautiful cemeteries of Pere la 
 
20 
 
 Chaise. In a recent publication, by a native 
 of this country, the " Welsh Grave" is thus 
 apostrophised. 
 
 " Oh sweet's the Cambrian Peasant's grave, 
 Bedeck'd with living flowers brave, 
 That warm affection's fingers dress 
 In all the charms of loveliness ! — 
 Thou gem of modes I've paused upon, 
 Till admiration's voice was gone ! 
 And ardent thought's mute eloquence 
 Its power could no more dispense — 
 How can I truly speak of thee, 
 That oft hast spoke so kind to me, 
 Till tears adown my cheeks have ran. 
 Ere years or thought proclaim'd me man ? 
 
 Oh full of beauty soft and kind — 
 
 Oh ever gentle and refined ! 
 
 Oh full of dear warm hearted nature ! 
 
 Amiability's best feature ! — 
 
 Suggested first by pensive love 
 
 And into being framed to move, 
 
 Wert thou — so exquisitely bland I 
 
 Dear custom of my native land. 
 
 Thy sons — wherever born — have cried, 
 
 While the gen'rous scene they eyed, 
 
 ' Oh beautiful ! in simple taste 
 
 The Cambrian Peasant's grave is dress'd.' " 
 
 " Welsh Minstrelsy." 
 
 The Church is served by the Rev. Richard 
 Morgan, Perpetual Curate, (relieved sometimes 
 by Clergymen who are the occasional visitors 
 of the town,) in the morning, in English ; 
 and at three o'clock in Welsh. A sermon is 
 
21 
 
 preached each time. In the evening, during 
 the summer season, at six o'clock, prayers and 
 a sermon, by the voluntary service of the Rev. 
 Richard Evans, B. D. Yicar of Llanbadarn 
 vawr, and sometimes by strangers. 
 
 The other places of worship are, — a Baptist 
 Chapel, in Baker Street ; a Wesleyan Method- 
 ist Chapel, in Queen Street ; a Calvinistic 
 Methodist Chapel, in Mill Street ; and an In- 
 dependent Chapel, in Penmaes Glas. 
 
 These Chapels are served by their respective 
 Preachers. The Methodists, according to the 
 rules of their establishment, are served by 
 itinerant Preachers. The state of relis:ion at 
 Aberystwyth is considered very favourable. 
 
 Beyond the North Parade, near the Turn- 
 pike, stands 
 
 THE NATIONAL SCHOOL, 
 for boys and girls, established in 1819, on Dr. 
 Bell's plan : it was built by subscription, and 
 is supported by voluntary contribution. 
 
.^^■ 
 
 22 
 
 A LADIES' BOARDING SCHOOL, 
 
 of a very genteel description, under the super- 
 intendance of Miss Owen, is situate in Queen 
 Street. 
 
 A GRAMMAR SCHOOL, 
 
 capable of holding 150 children, is parted by a 
 wall (which surrounds their play ground,) from 
 the Church-yard. 
 
 DAY AND SUNDAY SCHOOLS 
 
 are very numerous at Aberystwyth. 
 
 These are the most pleasant walks at Aber- 
 ystwyth, being formed on a rock jutting into 
 the sea, among the ruins of this once celebrated 
 Castle ; the elevation of the ground, airy si- 
 tuation, romantic appearance, fresh verdure, 
 and tasteful arrangement of the walks, render 
 it the most desirable promenade imaginable. 
 The public are indebted for their occupation 
 of this fanciful spot, decorated as it is, to the 
 liberality, taste, and spirit, of the late Mr. 
 Probart, of Shrewsbury, Steward to Earl Powis, 
 who obtained it on a long lease from the late 
 
23 
 
 Col. Johnes, M. P. of Havod, the then pro- 
 prietor of the Castle. Mr. Probart had the wil- 
 derness of rains converted to this delightful 
 purpose, having made walks in the most judi- 
 cious places, it soon became a choice promenade 
 of the fashionables who retire to Aberystwyth 
 during the summer season. 
 
 A sketch of the historical notices of the for- 
 midable Castle, (long an object of contention, 
 and the scene of frequent warfare,) which once 
 occupied this spot, cannot but be desirable to 
 to those who pause with wonder on the massive 
 fragments of its ruins. 
 
 Jgi0torical Moiitt^ of ^htv^^m^tf^ 
 
 Aberystwyth Castle, situated on a rock pro- 
 jecting out into the sea, doubtless had an 
 imposing, and most romantic appearance. Its 
 situation was well chosen, before the invention 
 of gunpowder made elevated places of more 
 consequence, to protect the town from invasion 
 by sea. Gilbert de Strongbow, son of Richard 
 de Clare, having frequently petitioned of King 
 Henry I. for leave to obtain some lands in Wales 
 
24 
 
 was informed, that lie might endeavour to win 
 and possess the lands and inheritance of Cad- 
 wgan ap Bleddyn. This he accordingly set 
 about, immediately collecting his forces, he 
 landed in Cardiganshire ; and from the sud- 
 denness of this unjustifiable, but in those times 
 common, aggression of the Saxons and Nor- 
 mans against the Welsh, he soon succeeded, 
 and reduced the country to subjection. Thus 
 Richard de Clare became Lord of Cardigan- 
 shire, which his son Gilbert had subdued ; but 
 soon after the death of Henry I. he fell a victim 
 to the just resentment of the Welsh, by whom 
 he was sacrificed in a wood called Coed Grono, 
 in Monmouthshire, where he was accompanied 
 by a minstrel and a singer, who played and 
 sung alternately. After his death, Gilbert de 
 Strongbow built two Castles, one in Pembroke- 
 shire and the other at Aberystwyth, in the 
 year 1109. It was of course the policy of 
 this intruder, to embroil the native proprietors 
 with the King of England, that his own house 
 might be aggrandized by conquests and con- 
 fiscations. The landing of Griffith ap Rhys, 
 from Ireland, where he had been brought up 
 from childhood, althougli with a claim to 
 sovereignty in Wales, was the next cause of 
 
25 
 
 warfare, in the year 1111. After various 
 successes against Henry I. we hear of his 
 advancing to Plas Crug,* a fortified mansion 
 on the banks of the Rheidol, between Aber- 
 ystwyth and Llanbadarn vawr, where he en- 
 camped. Here he ventured to take same cattle, 
 for the use of his army, out of some fields 
 belonging to Llanbadarn church ; and lying 
 within the precincts of that sanctuary, they 
 were regarded as sacred.i This was an im- 
 politic, though it might be a necessary, mea- 
 sure, as it was likely to injure his reputation 
 with his countrymen, by wounding their re- 
 ligious feelings. He then proposed on the 
 following day, to lay seige to the Castle of 
 Aberystwyth. Ralph, the then governor, ac- 
 quainted with his design, sent to Ystradmeirig 
 castle for a reinforcement, which arrived in 
 safety, during the night time. Ignorant of 
 this, Griffith ap Rhys preserved no order 
 among his troops, and, confident of success, 
 he appeared before the place ; but being drawn 
 into an ambuscade, his forces were defeated 
 with much slaughter, and he himself compelled 
 to quit that province. He fought, however, 
 
 ♦ This is pronounced Plaase Cr^eg^. f Vide Welsh 
 
 Chron. p. 179. 
 
26 
 
 with better fortune in the year 1135: for 
 he took and razed the Castle, and slew the 
 Normans and Saxons that were in Cardigan- 
 shire. Some of those who escaped, fled by sea 
 to England. Griffith then restored to the 
 Welsh their lands and habitations, of which 
 they had been deprived. This Castle was then 
 reinstated by Cadwalader, second son to Grif- 
 fith ap Cynan, Prince of Wales, who married 
 Alice, daughter to Richard, Earl of Clare, 
 Lord of Cardiganshire, and lived at the Castle 
 of Aberystwyth. It was again destroyed by 
 Owen Gwyneth, the eldest son and successor 
 of Griffith ap Cynan, on account of his bro- 
 ther's contumacy. It continued to experience 
 all the vicissitudes of predatory warfare, al- 
 ternately fortified and overthrown. It was 
 demolished by Maelgwn* the usurper, as he 
 feared he could not maintain it against Llewe- 
 lyn, in 1208, though he had before fortified it. 
 Notwithstanding this, Llewelyn rebuilt and 
 garrisoned it. But in the 10th year of the 
 reign of Edward I. Rhys, the son of Maelgwn, 
 and Griffith Meredith, took it from Llewelyn, 
 and retained it, till it fell into the hands of the 
 
 * This name is pronounced Maelgoon. The Welsh w is 
 like the English oo in "ffood." 
 
27 
 
 English. King Edward I. rebuilt it in 1277, 
 and returned to England in triumph. But 
 the oppressions exercised by the rulers of the 
 Marches, did not permit the peace, concluded 
 between the Prince of Wales and the King of 
 England, to continue. Among the successes 
 of the Welsh, before their subjection to the 
 English monarch, is to be numbered the splen- 
 did capture of this newly erected fortress. It 
 was afterwards, of course, given up to the 
 Crown of England. In the year 1404, it was 
 taken by Owen Glyndower, during one of his 
 most vigorous campaigns. Three years after, 
 Prince Henry, son of Henry IV. came against 
 it, and took it upon articles ; but it was soon 
 after retaken by Owen, through stratagem. 
 In the following year, however, the English 
 again took this castle. From the year 1408, it 
 remained in the undisturbed possession of the 
 English government. William Herbert, Earl 
 of Pembroke, in the 35th of Henry VIII. had 
 a grant of the office of Captain of the Castle 
 and Town of Aberystwyth. It was beseiged 
 and taken in the year 1647, by the Parliament 
 forces, it having been garrisoned for King 
 Charles I. in whose reign it had been used for 
 c2 
 
28 
 
 the purposes of a Mint,* by Mr. Bashell, servant 
 of Sir Francis Bacon. A battery of cannon 
 erected on the top of Pendinas hill by Crom- 
 well, was the instrument of its last demolish- 
 nient. Since that time it has been only a 
 picturesque heap of ruins, the gateway, and 
 several towers in the walls, alone marking its 
 former extent. In the front of the gateway is 
 a modern ravelin, thrown up during the seige 
 in 1647 ; the rest of the building was the work 
 of Edward I. This Castle was built in the form 
 of an irregular pentagon, and double walled. 
 
 i^ru^p^ct from tfft <^d0tl^ I^utn0« 
 
 In a clear summer's day, the distant bold and 
 striking scenery to be viewed from this ground 
 are wonderful. It has even been asserted, that 
 a slight view of Wexford (which is situate op- 
 posite to Aberystwyth,) has been discovered in 
 
 * By the Indenture for the coinage of money at this castle 
 in 1037, 12th and 13th of Charles I. the value of money co- 
 venanted by Mr. Bushell, to have coined at the Aberystwyth 
 Mint, appears limited to five descriptions of coin, and were 
 to have been of the following value : first 2s. 6d. second Is. 
 third 6d. fourth 2d. and fifth Id. But it has been stated that 
 pieces coined here to the value of 10s, and 20s. were in the 
 possession of the late Col. Johnes, M. P. of Havod Ych-drud, 
 
29 
 
 the sun's disk, previous to its setting. How- 
 ever that may be, there is no situation south 
 of Caernarvonshire, from which the Alps of 
 Wales may be seen so advantageously, as 
 from the Castle Ruins, Pendinas hill, or some 
 of the vicine cliffs. In an unpublished Comic 
 Poem, called " David Gwelym, the Welsh Don 
 Juan," by the Author of " Welsh Minstrelsy," 
 the following allusion is made to this subject. 
 
 " I know the spot — it is a pleasant village, 
 
 Near the pretty town of Aberystwyth, 
 That stands by the country that the sea did pillage, 
 
 Cantrev y Gwaelod,* which it made sad fist with ; 
 Green hills and vales beverge it, of fair tillage. 
 
 And distant views of Cader Idris blest with, 
 The mighty Snowdon, (cali'd the Cambrian Alps,) 
 And Mounts that wear mist turbans on their scalps." 
 
 Canto I. Stanza IV. 
 
 The lofty hills, which confine the estuary 
 of the Dovey, and raise their broad backs far 
 above the Cardigan Rocks, are surmounted by 
 Cader Idris and its subject cliffs ; these are 
 overtopped by the giant mountains of Caer- 
 narvonshire ; among which, in clear weather, 
 the sharp peak of Snowdon itself is discover- 
 able, pre-eminently o'ertowering the surround- 
 ing crags. 
 
 * Vide the portion of this work under the head of " The 
 Sea," for the particulars of the inimdatioii of this country. 
 
 c 3 
 
30 
 
 To the south of Aberystwyth, the coast of 
 Pembroke being less curved, and not so lofty 
 as the northern limit of the bay, the line of 
 boundary appears more uniform, and gives 
 tlie additional charm of variety, in the great 
 contrast it affords, to the more bold and rugged 
 scenery which closes the horizon. 
 
 The coast is grand, and the marine prospect 
 particularly tine. The rocks are lofty, black, 
 and excavated. The layers of slate, in general, 
 dip downwards, forming an angle with the sea 
 of 135°; and the cliiis are, in every respect, 
 of an opposite character to those of limestone, 
 which line the coast of Pembrokeshire and 
 Glamorgansliire. History and tradition yield 
 ample records to interest and amuse, while 
 viewing this beautiful expanse of waters. 
 
 Almost every body, it may be said, is ac- 
 quainted with the circumstance of the Earl 
 of Godwin's estate being overflowed and de- 
 stroyed by the sea; and that the only re- 
 maining vestiges of its existence, except those 
 contained in the page of the Historian, are 
 
 *S5>. 
 
31 
 
 the Godwin Sands. — And yet, a consideration 
 of far greater moment, the inundation of Can- 
 trev y Gwaelod^ or the Lowland Hundred, the 
 most beautiful and populous district of Car- 
 diganshire, is known to comparatively few, 
 beside the Antiquarian and Welsh Scholar. 
 The visitor of Aberystwyth, while parading 
 the Terrace, Castle Ruins, or the vicine hills, 
 as his eye wanders over the sea before him, 
 which forms Cardigan Bay, gives the subject 
 but an ordinary thought, unaccompanied with 
 the associations almost peculiar to the native. 
 But how will his wonder be roused, and his re- 
 flections sublimed, when told that those waves 
 roll over what v/as once a beautiful, thickly 
 peopled, champaign country, containing six- 
 teen fortified towns and cities, surpassing all 
 in Wales, except Caerlleon, which is the Welsh 
 name of Chester. In " The Land beneath the 
 Sea," a Poem on that subject, in Prichard's 
 " Welsh Minstrelsy," the lost country is thus 
 figuratively apostrophized. 
 
 " And thou art lost beneath the Waters ^- 
 Once loveliest of Cymry's* daughters ! 
 
 * This word is pronounced Cumree, the Welsh y when in 
 the first syllable being sounded like an English u,and in the 
 last syllable like ee or the English y terminating. 
 
32 
 
 Thou flosculous aud fruitful fair one I 
 The sun has wept his perish'd rare one. 
 As weeps the heart-rent widow'd lover 
 His chosen maid whose charms are over : — 
 And never in his circuit ample 
 Since has he seen so sweet a sample 
 Of earthly charms — the pride of natnre ! 
 So fine of form, so soft of feature — 
 So comely in thy daily vesture 
 Thou Beauty of the w inning gesture ! 
 None who view'd, but quick approving 
 Grew entranced, and yearn'd with loving I 
 But thou art lost beneath the Waters — 
 Once loveliest of Cymry's daughters. 
 
 Thou wert salubrious and pure, 
 
 The sweet-breath'd mountain was thy wooer. 
 
 Thy Nymph-like form with bloom that sparkled 
 
 His giant arms near semicircled — 
 
 Whilst thou the coarse embrace defeating, 
 
 To hoary Ocean down retreating^ 
 
 A soft and trembling refugee ;; 
 
 The sought Protector turn'd on theft 
 
 Like a ruthless human daemon 
 
 On a helpless, tearful woman ! 
 
 And thou art lost beneath the Waters 
 
 Once loveliest of Cymry's daughters. 
 
 The Mountain mourns his buried loved on«, 
 
 The wondering Earth's most sweet approved one 
 
 And sighs afar the healthy gale 
 
 O'er thy vast grave — long perish'd vale ! 
 
 And thou whose robe with gems was shower'd. 
 
 With every hue of beauty flower'd — 
 
 That once did'st trip in virgin pride 
 
 Full merry as a Peasant's bride, 
 
 Yet gay, magnific, and august, 
 
 E'en as an Empress great and just ; — 
 
 Thou — once of youthful smile so vivid. 
 
 Oh, now art lifeless, pale and iirid — 
 
33 
 
 A grave of water's now thy home, 
 Thy shroud, the niveous ocean foam — 
 Yes — thou art lost beneath the Waters, 
 Once loveliest of Cymry's daug^hters. 
 
 So, to myself in thought I said. 
 
 As o'er Pcndinas hill I stray'd. 
 
 Gazing downward o'er the Bay, 
 
 Pondering strangely to essay 
 
 And trace the country waves had swallow'd 
 
 In ages past — Canlrev y Gwaelod — 
 
 For bright in Cambria's history 
 Shines that beauteous level land. 
 Now changed to water, stone, and sand, 
 
 The Land beneath the Sea — 
 
 The lawns at which the Stranger wonder'd. 
 
 E'en Europe's gem, the Lowland Hundred.'* 
 
 The Author of the " History and Antiqui- 
 ties of the County of Cardigan," (to which 
 excellent work we are much indebted,) after 
 enumerating the towns, districts, &c. of Cardi- 
 ganshire, says " There was formerly another 
 hundred, called ' Cantrev y Gwaelod,' or the 
 'Lowland Hundred,' now entirely covered 
 with water ; the authority we have for this, is 
 partly traditionary, and partly historical. The 
 boundary of this country on the north-west, 
 was, we are told, Sarn Padrig, or St. Patrick's 
 Causeway, which runs out to sea, in a serpen- 
 tine manner, about two and twenty miles from 
 the coast of Merionethshire, about half way 
 between Harlech and Barmouth. The coast 
 
34 
 
 included between this Causeway and Cardigan^ 
 bounded it on the north, east, and south sides; 
 and a supposed line from Cardigan to the 
 extremity of Sarn Padrig, formed its western 
 limit. It seems to have been an extensive 
 rich country, containing several towns, and its 
 principal city is supposed to be Caer Wyddno, 
 or Gwyddno's City. This Gwyddno was the 
 last of its princes, and flourished from about 
 460 to 520, the time of King Arthur. He was 
 surnamed Giranhir, or Longshanks, and was 
 a Poet." We refer the reader to the " Welsh 
 Minstrelsy,"* for three specimens of the power 
 of liis muse, extracted from the "Llyvr du o 
 Gaervyrddyn," or " Black book of Caerauir- 
 then," written as early, at least, as the begin- 
 ning of the ninth century, as well as for the 
 Historical Triad which particularly record this 
 dreadful inundation. In addition to so much 
 authentic information relative to Cantrev y 
 Gwaelod, the Rev.Mr.Griffiths,of Llwyndyris, 
 in this county, has an old Poem, compiled 
 from, tradition, and probably with a little co- 
 louring from the author, whose name is un- 
 known.t The following is a translation of it. 
 
 * Vide Notes to "The Land beneath the Sea." 
 
 + One of the characteristics of Welsh Poetry, is its fidelity 
 
35 
 
 ^ sftort Sji^tor^ of tije llotulantr |§un- 
 trr^ij ittUtttrateU h^ tfie ^ea* 
 
 The unrivalled hundred, the fertile plain, 
 the pleasant populous district, with its gay 
 celebrated city, sunk to the fathomless ca- 
 verns of the deep. Mansua.^ matchless for its 
 strength, its extent, and its antiquity, was the 
 principal city, in this once populous region. 
 The crystal river that meandered through the 
 plain, saw Mansua's magnificent structures sha- 
 dowing its banks, and extending from Harlech 
 on the one hand, to Crickbeth on the other. 
 What floating mirror ever reflected more beau- 
 teous mansions ? Were not the two extensive 
 towns on the confines of Patrick's miraculous 
 causeway, like spacious kingdoms, for the num- 
 ber of their buildings, and the multitude of 
 their inhabitants ? And was the third town, 
 that seemed to rise from the main, at Rugs* 
 
 in narrating historical events. While other nations in their 
 early Poetry, called in the aid of Giants, Fairies, and other 
 extravagant fictions, the authentic record of reality was 
 ever the favourite of the Cambrian Muse ; therefore, greater 
 faith may be given to the Poem here quoted. 
 
 * This word is pronounced Reegs, the Welsh u being 
 sounded like the English ee. 
 
36 
 
 Rocks, at the junction of the four streams, in- 
 ferior to them in rank, or the fascination of its 
 streams ? Mansua^ thy commerce exceeded 
 the traffic of any two of these once celebrated 
 and frequented market towns ! How is the re- 
 mote antiquity of thy history lost in oblivion ? 
 Was it the weight of thy merchandize, and 
 thy riches that sunk thee so precipitately in 
 the deep ? The verdant vale adorned by the 
 elegant structures of Caeriolyn^ enchants the 
 traveller no more ! And gloomy horror has 
 succeeded to the once pleasing gaieties oiPen- 
 Damon \ And next Caeriolyn in situation, 
 and the next it in the dreadfulness of its fall, 
 stood the once beauteous town o^ Almuda^ but 
 its beauty could not calm the rage of Destruc- 
 tion ! Its structures dissolved before the frowns 
 of Desolation, like temporary fabrics of ice at 
 the approach of the scorching verdure-destroy- 
 ing season. But the names of these populous 
 towns, and of the Mayor-governed town of 
 Merlin, are scarce recorded in history. These 
 once celebrated marts are now no more remem- 
 bered ; the gloomy, lasting waters of oblivion 
 have forever covered them ; and the throngs 
 that once crowded their Fairs ! In the well- 
 celebrated plain, once aspired to Heaven the 
 
37 
 
 lofty towers of ten celebrated churches ; while 
 seven more boasted the beauty of their sacred 
 structures, at no remote distance, and rivalled 
 them in their costly ornaments, and their pomp 
 of public worship. Was it the purity of the 
 devout worshippers' piety that preserved eight 
 sacred fabrics from the rage of the waves ? 
 eight sacred Heaven-preserved structures still 
 standing, on the utmost extremity of the land, 
 on the perilous borders of the deep. Must the 
 veracity of the divine songs of antiquity be 
 disputed ? or shall the eye of fancy be still di- 
 rected to the spot, where once stood four times 
 seven busy mills, or her ears be still stunned 
 with the sound of their incessant motion, while 
 the hand of Industry spared no pains to repair 
 them, nor the streams of abundance to supply 
 them ? Nor were the hundred ilax mills of 
 the plain less busy, where the recoUective muse 
 remembers the rural spinster, and the city 
 housewife, with emulous industry, crowding 
 for useful stores to supply the demands of art 
 and ingenuity. For the chaste children of 
 Health, Industry, and Ingenuity, on these 
 peaceful plains slaked their thirst in three clear 
 and exhaustless fountains, and seldom tasted of 
 the bitter waters of repentance. What will not 
 
38 
 
 the hand of Ingenuity be able to effectuate ? 
 From the bosom of the sloping hills, the useful 
 ore of lead, and four different species of excel- 
 lent sulphur, were extracted in abundance. 
 The world had now experienced many ex- 
 traordinary vicissitudes, and its prosperous 
 events had been succeeded by many an adverse 
 fortune, when in that disastrous year the three 
 tliousandth, five hundredth, and ninety-first 
 from the creation, the fertile plains of the 
 Lowland Hundred were covered with barren 
 sands, and its fair causeways deformed by the 
 incursions of the sea, whose swelling billows 
 rose with irresistible strength, and baflled all 
 human opposition. Gwrgan with the hushy 
 heard^ had found his way to the throne, and 
 began his precarious reign over the plains, 
 and the fickle hand of Summer had strown his 
 way with deceitful flowers ; but the scowering 
 Winter that soon succeeded, dissipated them 
 with its tempests, or covered them by its in- 
 undations. From this disastrous period, till 
 the year three thousand seven hundred and 
 eighteen, from the era of the creation, the bil- 
 lows bursting over their bounds, continued to 
 encroach on the golden treasures of the plain ; 
 the Fates soon spun out the thread of the 
 
39 
 
 sinking kingdom's destiny ; and the days of 
 Morgan were succeeded by the sable nights of 
 Desolation. Fifteen ill-omened monarchs la- 
 mented the falling powers of their line, and 
 witnessed the fate-shaken honours of their pro- 
 vince falling like the yellow withered leaf of 
 Autumn, from Gwrgan to Morgan's dismal 
 day, which terminated in the endless night of 
 desolation. In his luckless reign, the bound- 
 less plain was converted to a shoreless sea, the 
 intermediate space between Penrhyn and the 
 rocks of Aberglaslyn, can give but a faint idea 
 of its length ; but some hasty notion may be 
 formed of its spacious breadth, by casting the 
 wandering eye over the main from Clogwyn 
 to Patrick's sunken causeway, and its gloomy, 
 judgment-struck habitation. 
 
 Anonymous. 
 
 The Ystwyth rises in the mountains from a 
 Marsh ground, as Leland-says " owt of a Mares 
 grounde caullid Blaine Ustwith, iii miles from 
 Llangibike on Wy." The first river it receives 
 is the Duliw, which rises in a mountain about 
 a mile from Llyn Iwan ucha, one of the heads 
 D 2 
 
40 
 
 of the Merrin river. It separates part of Mont- 
 gomeryshire from Cardiganshire, and continues 
 to do so for about seven miles, and then turns 
 into Cardiganshire. Here receiving a tribu- 
 tary stream, about a mile and three quarters 
 further on, it falls into the Ystwyth. At the 
 confluence a very elegant stone bridge has 
 been erected, at the expence of the late Mr. 
 Johnes. The Ystwyth continues to flow be- 
 tween tremendous mountains till it reaches 
 Pentre Briwnant, where it receives the Briw 
 brook on one side, and another stream on the 
 other. It now approaches Havod, and is, of 
 course, about to receive all the embellishments 
 art can give to nature. Two streams, forming 
 the eastern boundary of Havod, fail into ity 
 one on the north and the other on the south side. 
 In its passage through this delightful paradise, 
 it meets with two more streams from the south, 
 the westernmost forming the western boundary 
 of Havod on this side of the Ystwyth. Over 
 this part of the Ystwyth, the late Mr. Johnes 
 erected another bridge. This is in the Moorish 
 style. Half a mile below the last-mentioned 
 stream, another, from the north, flows into the 
 Ystwyth, about half a mile, on the other part of 
 the western boundary of Havod. Having now 
 
4] 
 
 quitted the confines of Havod, it continues its 
 course, overhung by well wooded mountains, 
 for half a mile further, where a neat stone bridge 
 has been thrown across it, called Pont rhyd y 
 Groes, about 200 yards to the west of which, 
 another rivulet falls into the Ystwyth. This 
 comes in a curvilinear course from the north, 
 and has its rise near a village called Blaen 
 Pentre. A little more than a quarter of a mile 
 before it meets the Ystwytli, another rivulet 
 falls into it, taking its rise not far distant from 
 the other, and curving in an opposite direc- 
 tion. This has two tributary streams. The 
 Ystwyth now takes a southerly direction, and 
 then turns again at nearly right angles, towards 
 the west. Here it receives a brook called Nant- 
 y-quarrel, or Quarry Brook, which divides its 
 southern bank, and which flows in extent 
 about three miles. The next object of notice 
 on the Ystwyth is the romantic bridge of Llan- 
 avan, which, like the others on this river, con- 
 sists of a single arch, and is built of stone. 
 About a mile and three quarters from tliis, it 
 receives two brooks, whose mouths are exactly 
 opposite to each other. The smallest comes 
 from the north, and the other from the south. 
 This last is called Crognant, and runs down 
 D 3 
 
43 
 
 the mountains between Llanwnws and Lledrod. 
 The Ystwyth having made an angle just at the 
 stream it met with, after flowing under Llan- 
 avan bridge, runs towards the north-west ; and 
 the next stream that falls into it after Crognant, 
 comes from the westward. Just below this, is 
 a ford, called Rhyd-y-ceir, used by people 
 coming or going from Llanilar to Llanavan, 
 Tiie northern bank of the Ystwyth is here 
 adorned by the noble park and luxuriant 
 farms of the Earl of Lisburne, called Cross- 
 wood. A mile beyond the last stream comes 
 another rivulet from the north-east, which ri- 
 sing a little above Rhosrhyd ucha', comes down 
 a valley called Cwm Magwyr, and about a mile 
 from its embouchure receives a brook, about 
 three miles in extent. About two miles further, 
 the Ystwyth receives another rivulet from the 
 north-east, which rises a little to the north of 
 the high road from the Devil's Bridge to Aber- 
 ystwyth, between the eighth and ninth mile- 
 stone. This receives fivs tributary streams, 
 and flows through the village of Llanfihangtel- 
 y-Groyddyn. The next stream the Ystwyth 
 receives, comes from the south, passing by the 
 plantations of Castle Hill, the seat of Major 
 WilliamS; and in a cleft it has made in the 
 
43 
 
 mountain by its impetuosity, falls into the Yst- 
 wyth, just by the village of Llanilar. About 
 two miles beyond, it is reinforced by a trifling 
 stream from the north, and a little further by 
 a larger one called the Mayde, from the south, 
 which has been made by the union of two 
 smaller. Here stands Abermayde ; and here 
 the Ystwyth assumes a most picturesque ap- 
 pearance. Two miles further, it receives an- 
 other brook called Llolwyn, from the south, 
 over which, as well as the Mayde, is a stone 
 bridge of a single arch. About half a mile 
 further on the Ystwyth, where it curves, uni- 
 ting with the well-wooded rocks on its banks, 
 contributing to give it a most romantic ap- 
 pearance, stands Llanychaiarn bridge. Two 
 trifling streams afterwards empty themselves 
 into the Ystwyth, from the south-west, when, 
 winding round the base of Pendinas Mount, 
 it falls into the river Rheidol, just before that 
 river meets the Ocean, and gives name to the 
 town of Aberystwyth. 
 
 Leland says " There is but a great hill be- 
 twyxt Ostwith river and Stratflure. So that 
 there is but distance of 2 miles bytwyxt the 
 streames of Tyve and Ostwyth." 
 
44 
 
 Leland must have been much mistaken, in 
 his calculation of the proximity of the Teivi 
 and Ystwyth, for in their nearest approach, 
 there are between three and four miles. In 
 another place, speaking of the Ystwyth, he 
 says, "It is in Comeustwith, and so rennith 
 good vi miles thorough Comeustwith, and a 
 vi or vii mo miles to Abreustwith. About the 
 middle of this Ustwith Botom that I ridde 
 yn, being as I gesse a iiii miles yn length I 
 saw on the right honde on a hill side Cloth- 
 moyne, wher hath bene greate digging for 
 Leade, the melting wherof hath destroid the 
 Woddes that sum tim^e grew plentifulii there- 
 about. I hard a mervelus tale of a crow fedd 
 by a digger there, that tooke av/ay his Feeder's 
 pursse, and w ille the digger folowid the crow 
 for his purs, the residew of his felows were 
 oppressid in the Pitte with a Ruin." 
 
 The Rheidol rises in a lake called Llyn 
 Rheidol, in the Plinlimmon mountains ;* (cus- 
 
 * These mountains are three in number, though, errone- 
 ously, only one is generally so called. Leland has made 
 this mistake, as well as most modern tourists. Pie says, " I 
 vuyd Penlimnmon the Hed of Wy. It seemed to me a veri 
 
 i 
 
45 
 
 torn has sanctioned this pronunciation, bat the 
 proper name is Pumlumon, which in Welsli is 
 pronounced Pimlimon). About a mile and a 
 half from its source, it receives a rivulet from 
 the east, continuing the boundary of Cardigan- 
 shire from the Pumlumon mountains, being to 
 the north of them, and receiving in its passage 
 a tributary stream running out of them. A 
 mile further the Rheidol is encreased by an- 
 other stream, flowing from the westernmost of 
 the Pumlumon mountains, and about a mile 
 and a half in extent. About a hundred yards 
 further, another rivulet falls into the Rheidol ; 
 this also separates Cardiganshire fiom Mont- 
 gomeryshire. It rises about four miles and a 
 half to the northward, and receives a stream 
 coming from the Escairvraith copper mines. 
 It is called Maesnant. A mile further, the 
 Rheidol receives a small stream from the south ; 
 and not quite a mile beyond, the river Camddwr 
 falls into it from the north, so called from its 
 meandering form. Its course is not quite five 
 miles, during which it receives two other small 
 streams on its eastern side. Just beyond the 
 
 hy montaine." Although only three mountains have been 
 said to form the Pumlumon chain, yet each of these may be 
 more properly considered as a vast bed of mountains, piled 
 one upon another. 
 
46 
 
 Camddwr, another small stream falls into the 
 Rheidoi, which receives no other increase for 
 two miles farther, when another brook from 
 the east meets it, into which flows another 
 called Peithnant. A mile further, another 
 brook called Hir-nant, or Long brook, falls_ 
 into the Rheidoi also from the east. A mile 
 and a half beyond, a rivulet from the north- 
 Avest meets the Rheidoi. This is above four 
 miles in extent, and receives five tributary 
 streams, one of which, from the foaming cata- 
 ract it possesses, gives the names of Wenfrwd 
 ucha' and Wenfrwd isa', to two cottages si- 
 tuated on its sides. About two hundred and 
 iifty yards further, Rheidoi receives a trifling 
 supply from the west ; but a mile and a half 
 beyond, the Castell river falls into it from the 
 east ; this also has its bulk encreased by five 
 other streams, and flows nearly five miles in 
 extent. A cross road leads over the Castell, 
 and over the Rheidoi, by means of two bridges ; 
 the bridge over the Rheidoi is called Pont 
 Erwyd, and is one arch of stone, about thirty- 
 six feet in diameter. The Rheidoi now curves 
 in the form of an S, and receives a rivulet from 
 the west, about three miles long, having two 
 streams flowing into it. Half a mile further. 
 
47 
 
 the Rheidol receives a trifling supply from the 
 west, and is again increased by a stream from 
 the east, which runs by the church of 'Spytty 
 C'en vaen. We now approach 
 
 ^!)^ grant? antr trementsoiie dFM of 
 
 The sublime features of this Cataract should 
 be viewed, as they cannot well be described. 
 The basin into which it falls, is agitated like 
 a sea, by the violence of the shock : the rocks 
 that have planted themselves across the channel 
 are enormous ; the hue of the water is dark ; 
 the hills stand upright into the sky ; nothing 
 glitters through the gloom but the foam of the 
 torrent ; nothing invades the deep silence but 
 its own awful sound. The flashing of the rill 
 from above into the broad cascade, adds inex- 
 pressible beauty to its grandeur. Opposite to 
 this stupendous object, on a precipice of fo- 
 rests, at a height of more than a hundred and 
 fifty yards, stands the Inn, called 
 
 ^tie fgaboU ^rm0* 
 
 This Inn, among other accomodations, pro- 
 
48 
 
 vides guides for the visitors. There is an 
 Album kept here, to which all strangers are 
 wished to contribute ; and many very obli- 
 gingly, " In spite of nature and their stars," 
 comply. Another Inn is about to be built 
 near this. 
 
 The Rheidol soon meets with the Mynach, 
 and their junction may be here traced in this 
 bottom. The Cascades on the two rivers are 
 not within sight of each other. The Mynach, 
 or Monks river, rises on the east side of the 
 mountains, to the east of 'Spytty C'en vaen, 
 and about half a mile afterwards is replenished 
 by the river Merrin, which is formed by the 
 junction of two streams, each issuing from a 
 lake, one called Llyn Ivan issa', and the other 
 Llyn Evan ucha' ; that is. Lower Evan's Lake, 
 and Upper Evan's Lake. The next increase 
 of the Mynach is from a river called Rhudd- 
 nant, taking its rise in Llyn Rhuddnant, into 
 which three small streams empty themselves. 
 The Mynach then receives two small streams 
 from the south, and prepares itself for that 
 astonishing cataract, equalled only by the Fall 
 of Narni in Italy. The latter, it is true, boasts 
 a far more copious flood, but for elegance and 
 
49 
 
 romantic beauty, it is infinitely surpassed by 
 the former. Over this Cataract is a bridge, 
 called Pont ar Vynach, or the Mynach Bridge; 
 though the English, probably from its awful 
 situation, have termed it 
 
 This Bridge is a single arch, between twenty 
 and thirty feet in the chord, thrown over an- 
 other arch of less than twenty feet below, 
 which spans the tremendous chasm. The 
 lower arch was thrown over by the Monks of 
 Strata Florida, or Ystrad Flur Abbey, about 
 the year 1087. In the year 1753, the present 
 bridge was built, directly over the original, 
 which was left standing. It is not so much 
 the art of conquering the obstacles of this 
 chasm, that excites our wonder, but the chasm 
 itself, the corresponding sides of which prove 
 
 * "In a Tour through North Wales, written in the year 
 1803, at Birmingham ! a traveller has coined a tradition of 
 an old woman and her cow, and attributed it to the W^elsh 
 Peasantry. Be it said, for the honour of the Welsh Pea- 
 santry, that they are ignorant of such a ridiculous story, 
 and that it can only be traced to an Author, the Mhole of 
 whose composition proves his ignorance of the manners or 
 language of a people he attempts to deride." 
 
 Meyrick. 
 E 
 
49 
 
 romantic beauty, it is infinitely surpassed by 
 the former. Over this Cataract is a bridge, 
 called Pont ar Vynach, or the Mynach Bridge ; 
 though the Englishj probably from its awful 
 situation, have termed it 
 
 This Bridge is a single arch, between twent}^ 
 and thirty feet in the chord, thrown over an- 
 other <arch of less than twenty feet below, 
 which spans the tremendous chasm. The 
 .lower arch was thrown over by the Monks of 
 Strata Florida, or Ystrad Flur Abbey, about 
 the year 1087. In the year 1753, the present 
 bridge was built, directly over the original, 
 which was left standing. It is not so much 
 the art of conquering the obstacles of this 
 chasm, that excites our wonder, but the chasm 
 itself, the corresponding sides of which prove 
 
 * "In a Tour through North Wales, written in the year 
 1803, at Birmingham! a traveller has coined a tradition of 
 an old woman and her cow, and attributed it to the Welsh 
 Peasantry. Be it said, for the honour of the Welsh Pea- 
 santry, that they are ignorant of such a ridiculous story, 
 and that it can only be traced to an Author, the whole of 
 whose composition proves his ignorance of the manners or 
 language of a people he attempts to deride." 
 
 Meyrick. 
 » 
 
 E 
 
50 
 
 how firmly it must have been united. None 
 but observers can conceive the surpassing 
 beauty and grandeur of the awfully sublime 
 
 dFaU0 of tfie l^pnac^. 
 
 This truly Acherontic stream forces itself 
 through masses and fragments of opposing 
 rocks, hollowing out deep cavities, filled with 
 the awful blackness of unfathomed waters, and 
 thickening the misty gloom of a recess, imper- 
 vious to sunshine. The first fall takes place 
 about forty yards soutli-west of the bridge, 
 where the river is confined to narrow limits 
 by the rocks. It is carried about six feet 
 over the ridge, and projected into a basin, 
 at the depth of eighteen feet. Its next leap is 
 sixty feet, where it rages enguiphed beneath 
 protruding crags and pendant foliage. The 
 third fall is diminished to twenty, through 
 which it struggles to the edge of the largest 
 cataract, and pours, in one unbroken torrent, 
 down a precipice of one hundred and ten feet. 
 Here, in one volume of foam, bursting into 
 light, which had been before obscured by the 
 hanging branches of the wide spreading beech 
 tree, it seems to threaten, as it breaks against 
 
51 
 
 the opposing rocks, to tear the mountains from 
 their strong foundations. The river therefore 
 falls two hundred and eight perpendicular 
 feet, without allowing for the declivity of the 
 three pools. To this must be added one hun- 
 dred and fourteen, which makes the perpen- 
 dicular height three hundred and twenty-tw o 
 feet ; but as the river falls in an inclined di- 
 rection in many parts, and as there are many 
 interruptions during its passage, its fall may 
 be computed at near five hundred feet. This 
 grand cataract receives no inconsiderable aug- 
 mentation of terrific appearance from the black 
 stratified rocks, forming the glen down which 
 it thunders. At the jut of the lowest fall in 
 the rock is a cave, called Plant Matt. Tra- 
 dition relates this story of the derivation of its 
 name. About a century and a half ago, in the 
 market town of Tregaron, lived one Matthew 
 Evans, a Publican. He was the father of two 
 sous and a daughter, generally known by the 
 name of Plant Matt, or Matthew's Children. 
 They were celebrated robbers, and this cave 
 became their dwelling, which thence has ever 
 since retained their name. The entrance to it 
 admitting only one at a time, these robbers 
 could alone keep out hundreds. Here they 
 E 2 
 
52 
 
 lived, for several years, and if either had a 
 friend, he gave him his glove, which served 
 as a passport when stopped by the others. At 
 last, at the instigation of the female, they com- 
 mitted murder, and being taken, were executed 
 pursuant to their sentence. In the rocks about 
 this river, are several nests of the Formica 
 Herculanea. These are the largest species 
 of Ants that are natives of Britain. Their nests 
 are composed of small ends of twigs, forming 
 a heap, a yard or more across, and from one to 
 two feet high. The insects themselves exceed 
 in size three of the common black kind, and 
 are possessed of uncommon strength ; their 
 favourite situation is a wood, in a light and 
 rocky soil. Again we return, and pursue 
 
 Cfje Mlfteitrol, from tf^t J^alU 
 
 The Rheidol being now reinforced by the 
 waters of the Mynach, continues its course 
 along the valley for a quarter of a mile, when 
 it receives a small stream falling down from the 
 south-west ; and shortly after, another, in the 
 same direction, though a little larger. It con- 
 tinues its course down the vale of Rheidol, till 
 it receives the impetuous Frwd from the south ; 
 
63 
 
 and about one hundred and fifty yards beyond, 
 another from the opposite side. It afterwards 
 meanders for two miles further, and then re- 
 ceives another stream from the north ; and two 
 miles beyond, another comes into it, which 
 rises near Penbryn, and is about three miles 
 in extent. About a mile further on, it re- 
 ceives another, in the same direction as the 
 last. About two miles further, just where it 
 forms a right angle, a stream runs from one 
 part of it, and falls into it again, forming the 
 the hypothenuse of this right angle. It next 
 runs under Llanbadarn bridge, a neat stone 
 structure that has been built in the place of 
 the former wooden one. By such a disposi- 
 tion of its waters, the Rheidol forms a trian- 
 gular island. It now flows on, sometimes in a 
 right line and sometimes curving, till it ap- 
 proaches what was once a celebrated palace of 
 the Welsh Princes, called 
 
 Or, THE PALACE OF THE RHEIDOL. 
 
 The name of this place is frequently written 
 Plas Grug, but without doubt -erroneously; 
 and the very means taken to shew its etymo- 
 logy proves so. Grug, signifies heath, which 
 E 3 
 
54 
 
 is said to have grown on the spot ; but as the 
 ground has not the least appearance of that 
 being the case, nor is it of a nature to yield 
 heath, we must agree with those, who, without 
 giving any reason, have written it Plas Criig. 
 Crug, means a hillock, or ground rising sud- 
 denly from a flat, which is precisely the de- 
 scription of this place ; and there could not 
 be a more characteristic name for it than Plas 
 Crug, or the Palace of the Mount. The place 
 has been treated of before, under the head of 
 ''•Historical Notices of Aberystwyth Castle," 
 and will be further noticed in different parts of 
 the work. It is mentioned in a Poem, which ce- 
 lebrates Llewelyn the Great, composed by Ein- 
 ion ab Gwgan, about the year 1244. He says. 
 
 "The spear of Llewelyn flashes in a hand accustomed to 
 martial deeds. It kills and puts its enemies to flight by the 
 Palace of the Rheidol." 
 
 Here the river separates, forming an island, 
 not quite two miles in circumference, called 
 Y Morva, or The Marsh, which formerly, after 
 heavy rains, used to be entirely flooded ; but 
 of late years it has been drained and embanked, 
 and is now considered excellent arable and 
 pasture land. It now forms, previous to its 
 running into the sea, 
 
55 
 
 The same apathy, or want of pecuniary re- 
 sources, which prevents the working of the 
 Mines in this rich county, also impedes all 
 suggested improvements so as to form a good 
 Harbour here. The present is a deplorable 
 one, and a great part of the year, is, on that 
 account, lost to trade. A good Harbour would 
 be of the greatest advantage to the commerce of 
 the town, and of general utility and service in 
 this deep bay, particularly to ships that are dri- 
 ven in by stress of weather, and prevent, what 
 but too frequently has happened, their being 
 stranded or lost. Improvements were about 
 three and twenty years ago, made on the north 
 side of the Rheidol, but they have been en- 
 tirely demolished. Mr. Meyrick, in his history 
 of the county, observes, " but it is thought if 
 a pier were carried to sea on the west side, it 
 would probably keep it within its bounds. 
 At the Wug (pronounced Weeg), on the north 
 side of the town, a capital Harbour might be 
 made, by running a pier out on a ridge of 
 rocks, which may be effected at the expence 
 of about twenty thousand pounds : it would 
 
56 
 
 then render this the best situation on the coast 
 of Wales, for the station of Packets between 
 England and Ireland. Something of this kind, 
 indeed, has been attempted, but I fear, on too 
 limited a scale to answer the wished-for pur- 
 pose. A backwater might easily be had, by 
 cutting through the low land at the back of the 
 Wug, and opening a passage for the Rheidol 
 to pour its waters into such a Harbour." The 
 next object in rotation is 
 
 C!je Crstre of ^betpstta^tft* 
 
 The Harbour is not sufficiently large or 
 commodious for the utmost extent of trade, of 
 which the place, from its situation, is capable, 
 the bar at its entrance preventing ships of any 
 considerable burthen from entering, except in 
 spring tides. The number of ships registered 
 at the port of Aberystwyth is 210, the tonnage 
 8120, and the number of seamen employed 762. 
 The largest vessel is 207 tons, and the smallest 
 18. There are about fourteen feet of water 
 on the bar at spring tides. The Duke of 
 Leeds, as Lord of the Manor of Yaenor, had 
 a duty of six shillings per ton on coal carried 
 coastwise, which was first granted by King 
 
ST 
 
 Charles II. It has since been reduced to one 
 shilling. The herring fishery flourished here 
 about thirty years ago ; and that fish, as well 
 as cod, is caught at present. Powel, in his 
 History of Wales tells us, that in the year 
 1206, " There was such an abundance of fish 
 at Aberystwyth, that the like number was 
 never known to have come there in the me- 
 mory of man before." The trade it carries on 
 at present is from the exportation of lead and 
 silver ore, calamine, blacklead, wheat, barley, 
 oats, oak bark, timber, and slates ; butter, 
 poultry, and eggs, and a few manufactured 
 goods to Bristol and Liverpool. The imports 
 are, porter, wines, and spirituous liquors, gro- 
 ceries, salt, coals, hemp, pitch, and tar ; iron- 
 mongery goods, dry hides, kips, and linen 
 cloth. The Aberystwyth vessels have their 
 general run to Dublin, and many of the ports 
 of Ireland ; to Liverpool, Bristol, Newport, 
 Neath, and sometimes to London. 
 
58 
 
 This nectarious stream will bring 
 
 Tincture and lustre to the eye^ the lip, 
 And give an irony strength unto the frame. 
 
 In addition to the convenience and excel- 
 lence of the bathing, the salubrious air, and 
 surpassing beauty of the country, Aberystwyth 
 possesses, like Scarborough and Brighton, an 
 advantage over many places on the coast, that 
 of a fine chalybeate spring in its immediate vi- 
 cinity, the use of which is applicable to, and 
 will much assist in^^ ilie cure of many diseases 
 for wliich the sea is visited. The superiority 
 of iron in diseases has been long acknowledged 
 by our first medical practitioners, not even 
 suffering mercury to supersede it in its medi- 
 cinal effects. All its preparations corrugate 
 the living fibre, and have a tendency to produce 
 costiveness, and are successfully employed to 
 restrain preternatural evacuations. Iron braces 
 the stomach, and improves digestion, so as to 
 increase the elasticity of the muscular fibre, 
 and excite the nervous energy, by augmenting 
 nutrition, and may be said to generate blood 
 in a double ratio. 
 
59 
 
 This spring is situate a few hundred yards 
 east of the town, upon a common, close to the 
 river, almost at the commencement of a plea- 
 sant walk, leading by Plas Crug to Llanbadarn 
 bridge. It was discovered by accident, about 
 the year 1779. There is a small square build- 
 ing over it, from the side of which the water 
 proceeds by a spout. Some years ago, when 
 the water was directed from the river, for the 
 purpose of clearing away the weeds which had 
 collected there, the well became dry, and a 
 small stream, proceeding from tlie north, was 
 observed rising from the bed of the river: 
 upon covering this over, the flow returned to 
 its usual place. The neighbouring country 
 abounds with springs of ferruginous nature : 
 and traces of sulphur have been lately disco- 
 vered at Penglaise. 
 
 THE PROPERTIES, &c. OF THE CHALYBEATE 
 SPRING. 
 
 Although favoured by a medical gentleman 
 of the town, with a scientific analysis of tliis 
 spa, we consider a plain statement of its pro- 
 perties, divested of the abstruse phraseology of 
 science, more serviceable to general readers, 
 and therefore present them with the following 
 brief account. 
 
60 
 
 This water resembles the chalybeate springs 
 both of Tunbridge and Llandrindod Wells, 
 equally pellucid and as strongly impregnated. 
 It is simply chalybeate, neither acidulous or 
 saline to the taste, except when it has been 
 mixed with the sea water, after high tides; 
 nor is there any sulphur in it. The spirits 
 are excited and the appetite improved by a 
 perseverance in its use; and in a variety of 
 disorders where steel may be required, it will 
 prove of great service. It is recommended to 
 be drank at eight o'clock in the morning, and 
 again between breakfast and dinner ; gradually 
 increasing the dose according to age or habit. 
 As the bowels should be attended to in com- 
 mencing a course of the chalybeate spa, a glass 
 of sea water or any aperient physic may be 
 taken previously. 
 
 ON THE WARM BATH. 
 
 As one of the principal objects in visiting a 
 Watering Place is to benefit by Sea Bathing, 
 it becomes a necessary part of this work to 
 dilate on the efiicacy of that mode of renovating 
 the constitution. By the following extracts 
 
61 
 
 from Sir Arthur Clarke, M. D.'s "Essay on 
 Warm, Cold, and Vapour Bathing," a verj 
 popular work, and held in great esteem by 
 the Faculty, the reader will be enabled to draw 
 his own conclusions. In the introduction to 
 his book, Sir Arthur observes, — " Though the 
 external use of water, for the purposes of 
 health and cleanliness, must have been common 
 in all ages and nations, the practice of bathing 
 as a luxury, or as a remedy, appears to have 
 been entirely confined to the polished nations 
 of Europe and Asia. In the early records of 
 Antiquity, mention, indeed, is made of ba- 
 thing, either as a religious ceremony, or the 
 means of fortifying the body against the hard- 
 ships and fatigues of war; but with these 
 views the Cold Baths alone, must in the first 
 instance have been employed. The practice 
 of bathing formed part of the Mosaic laws. 
 On various occasions it is mentioned in the 
 Scriptures as a remedy for diseases. Thus 
 Naaman^ the Syrian^^ when desired by Elisha 
 to bathe in the Jordan, for the cure of his 
 leprosy, exclaimed, ' Are not Abana and Phar- 
 par,_rivers of Damascus, better than all the 
 waters of Israel ? may I not wash in them and 
 
 * 2 Kings, V. 12. 
 F 
 
 \ 
 
62 
 
 be clean ?' In the capital of the Roman Em- 
 pire, according to Fabricius, there were not 
 fewer than eight hundred and fifty-six public 
 baths, some of which were sufficiently large to 
 contain at once eighteen hundred persons : 
 which establishments were regulated by the le- 
 gislature. Among the Turks*^ and Arabians, 
 bathing was an established custom, at a very 
 early period, and is considered as a necessary 
 of life to this day. In Russia there is scarcely a 
 Peasant's hut without its vapour bath ; and at 
 Moscow, public baths are more numerous than 
 the Bagnios at Constantinople." It has been 
 hinted by Lord Bacon, that the tradition of 
 jEson being brought to youth, by means of the 
 medicinal chaldron of Medea, was, in fact, an 
 allegorical representation of the effects of the 
 warm l)ath, in retarding the approach of old 
 age ; and in a note to the "Loves of the Plants," 
 Dr. Darwin has further expanded the idea in 
 the following words : — 
 
 " The story of ^son becoming young, from 
 the medicated baths of Medea, seems to have 
 been intended to teach the efficacy of warm 
 
 * "• Cold Bathing is unknown in Turkey and Tartary." 
 Lady Craven's Journey to Constantinople. 
 
63 
 
 bathing, in retarding the approach of old age. 
 The words relaocation and bracing, which are 
 generally thought expressive of the effects of 
 warm or cold bathing, are mechanical terms, 
 properly applied to drums or strings, but are 
 only metaphors, when applied to the effects of 
 cold or warm bathing on animal bodies. The 
 immediate cause of old age, seems to reside in 
 the irritability of the finer parts, or vessels, of 
 our system ; hence these cease to act, and col- 
 lapse, or become horny or bony : the warm 
 bath is peculiarly adapted to prevent these cir- 
 cumstances, by its encreasing our irritability, 
 and by moistening and softening the skin, 
 and the extremities of the finer vessels which 
 terminate in it. To those who are past the 
 meridian of life, and have dry skins, and begin 
 to be emaciated, the warm bath, for half an 
 hour twice a week, I believe to be eminently 
 serviceable in retarding the advances of old 
 age."* On this principle the Doctor informs 
 us that "When Dr. Franklin, the American 
 philosopher was in England, he recommended 
 to him the use of a warm bath, twice a week, 
 to prevent the too speedy access of old age, of 
 which he then thought he felt the approach ; 
 
 * Darwin's Zoonomia, p. 686. 
 F 2 
 
64 
 
 and to relieve infirmities under which he ac- 
 tually laboured. It gave him considerable 
 ease in a disease with which he was afflicted, 
 (the stone,) and answered the other intentions 
 for which he used it, for he died at an advanced 
 period of life, having for many years been in 
 the constant habit of using the tepid bath." 
 
 In page 54, on the subject of longevity, Sir 
 Arthur observes "As the period of human life 
 is very limited, it is of the utmost importance 
 to consider whether the constitution of man 
 could not be formed so as to exist vigorously 
 for twenty or thirty years longer than at pre- 
 sent; an object of the greater magnitude, as it 
 is conjectured that the modern habits of So- 
 ciety tend to diminish the stature and dura- 
 tion of each successive generation." " The 
 Russians," says Dr. Sanches, "it cannot be 
 doubted, owe their longevity, their robust state 
 of health, their happy and cheerful temper, 
 mostly to their baths." Took in his "Life of 
 Catherine," says "that the baths are in such 
 general use in Russia, as to produce a decided 
 influence on the physical character of the 
 nation." In the Introduction to Sir Arthur 
 Clarke's Essay, he observes, " The chief object 
 
65 
 
 of the following pages, is to obviate an idea 
 equally unfounded and prejudicial, that the 
 use of the JVarm Bath relaxes the frame, and 
 renders it more susceptible of cold ; and to 
 prove, on the contrary, that this remedy, pro- 
 perly applied, z>, in reality^ a Tonic^ and 
 fortifies the Si/stem against cold. For this 
 purpose, the Author has brought into view all 
 the practical knowledge he could collect from 
 Medical Writers of the first eminence." In 
 the course of the Treatise Sir Arthur adduces 
 many arguments and examples, both ingenious 
 and convincing to illustrate this axiom, and 
 generally on the superior efficacy of the Warm 
 Baths ; but as we are desirous to husband our 
 pages for as much variety of information as 
 possible, we will close the article with one 
 short example : In page 60 the Author quotes 
 thus, from " Falkner on Bath Waters," " At 
 Bath^ many of the Guides remain for several 
 hours, every morning, immersed nearly to the 
 neck in the Warm Bath, without being either 
 relaxed or weakened by it ; but on the contrary, 
 they are in general a robust, vigorous, and 
 long-lived race of persons." Those who are de- 
 sirous of interesting information on this head, 
 will do well to consult Sir Arthur Clarke's 
 F 3 
 
66 
 
 work. In conclusion, it is worthy of remark, 
 that many condemn the practice of warm ba- 
 thing from its eiFeminacy ; but we see no cause 
 for calling any act effeminate which has no 
 tendency to diminish either the strength of the 
 body, the dignity of sentiment, or the energy 
 of the mind. 
 
 THE GOOD EFFECTS OF COLD BATHING. 
 
 Fear not ! 
 
 Whether on the death of summer, or birth 
 Of trembling winter, cleanse and purify. 
 
 As Sir Arthur Clarke's Essay, (quoted 
 throughout the last article) principally treats 
 of the efficacy of warm bathing, the following 
 remarks in favour of cold bathing, from tlie 
 " Cheltenham Guide," will be found generally 
 useful and interestino-. "Avoidino- all con- 
 troversy, we purpose, in the following ob- 
 servations, to give such an account of cold 
 bathing, as is most likely to be serviceable in 
 preventing any dangerous mistakes in its ap- 
 plication. There can be no doubt but that 
 the external use of water has a most powerful 
 effect in many disorders. Indeed we shall not 
 be able to find a single remedy, whose powers 
 are so many or highly diversified — often pro- 
 
67 
 
 ducing effects, instantaneous, beneficial, and 
 permanent. In acute fevers it may be safely 
 used at any time of the day, when there is 
 no sense of chilliness present, when the heat 
 of the surface is steadily above what is na- 
 tural, and when there is no general or profuse 
 sensible perspiration. For if either immer- 
 sion in the Cold Bath, or the effusion of 
 cold water, be used during the cold stage of 
 the paroxysms of fever, the consequences are 
 highly dangerous. In Chronic diseases its 
 salutary operation is well known, care being- 
 taken to renew, as often as is necessary, its 
 important application. By this treatment the 
 nervous energy is roused and excited, the con- 
 stitution is invigorated, the moving powers 
 are necessarily strengthened, and peevishness, 
 debility and disease, give place to cheerful- 
 ness health, and activity. Indeed the most 
 general indication for the use of the Cold Bath, 
 is the appearance of all that long train of list- 
 less, fretful, disagreeable symptoms, usually 
 cally " Nervous." It is often employed with 
 success, in convulsive diseases, hydrophobia, 
 &c. Many prefer the morning, to enjoy the 
 luxury of bathing, but it is recommended by 
 many eminent medical gentlemen, to use the 
 Bath two or three hours before dinner, when 
 
68 
 
 the system is in its greatest vigour, and the 
 body rather above than below the natural 
 standard of heat. This remedy seems also 
 remarkably efficacious in removing that slow, 
 irregular fever, which too frequently preys 
 upon the spirits, undermines the health of the 
 sedentary and studious, and accelerates con- 
 sumptions. To this disease, the bane of ge- 
 nius, and the pest of literature, we owe the 
 loss of many a promising young adventurer 
 in the world of science : more dangerous from 
 its apparent insignificancy ; and so often fatal, 
 because so seldom noticed, it proceeds slowly, 
 but surely, in its work, and saps. the foundation 
 of life, before any precautions are used in its 
 resistance. The peculiar cases in which cold 
 bathing should be avoided, are, permanent 
 morbid obstructions, in feminine attacks, at- 
 tended with pain in the head, increased sensi- 
 bility of cold, and general langour ; in cases 
 of indigestion, produced by high and stimulent 
 living : in all those who are liable to a strong 
 determination of blood to the head, and espe- 
 cially to the lungs ; and in children of a deli- 
 cate frame, and a strong tendency to rickets. 
 
 Cold bathing invariably does harm, when 
 the powers of the body are too languid to bring 
 
69 
 
 on reaction, and the chilling eiFects of the bath 
 remain unopposed. When the patient feels 
 the shock of immersion very severely, and 
 from experience of its pain, has acquired an 
 almost insuperable dread of its application ; 
 when he has felt little or no friendly glow to 
 succeed the first shock, but on coming out 
 of the bath, remains cold, shivering, sick at 
 stomach, oppressed with head ache, languid, 
 drowsy, listless, and averse to food and exer- 
 cise during the whole day, we may be sure the 
 shock has been too severe, the bath too cold, 
 and no reaction produced at all, adequate to 
 the contrary impression on the surface of the 
 body. 
 
 The Cold Bath should never be used while 
 the body is under profuse sensible perspiration, 
 or too full ; but when the frame is beginning to 
 grow warm, or even in the commencement of 
 perspiration, it may be adopted with safety, and 
 with evident benefit. For invalids, therefore, 
 labouring under the effects of debility, reco- 
 vering from a tedious illness, or worn down 
 by some hopeless disorder, gentle exercise, 
 immediately before the use of the bath, is in 
 all cases indispensibly necessary. It is a very 
 
70 
 
 common practice of a number of persons, to 
 undress after being heated, and stand shivering 
 upon the edge of the water, in order to suffer 
 themselves to cool before they venture on im- 
 mersion, thereby supposing that they prevent 
 the danger they should otherwise incur, of 
 going in while warm ; but of all notions, this is 
 the most erroneous : it thus tends doubly to 
 increase the danger, and decrease the powers 
 of vital resistance. Under all circumstances, 
 therefore, in which the bath is adviseable, the 
 best and safest method is, to put off the clothes 
 as quickly as possible ; to immerse suddenly 
 and without delay the whole body in the bath ; 
 to stay in no longer than is necessary for that 
 purpose ; upon coming out, to wipe, or have 
 the skin rubbed dry with a cloth, and to take 
 exercise in proportion to the strength, as soon 
 as possible afterwards. All bodies have a 
 power of conducting heat, but in different de- 
 grees ; when of a higher temperature than 
 surrounding objects, they give out their own 
 heat to those objects ; when of a lower, they 
 receive heat from them. Water is a better 
 conductor than air, and air in motion than air 
 at rest. The human body has a power of ge- 
 nerating heat within itself. When, therefore, 
 
71 
 
 the body is plunged into cold water, there is 
 a sudden and powerful abstraction of heat, 
 producing to the feelings a- very strong sense 
 of cold ; this is immediately followed by a ve- 
 hement effort in the whole arterial system, to 
 overcome the impression upon the surface, pro- 
 ducing an equally sudden and violent quantity 
 of heat, and an universal sense of warmth suf- 
 ficient to make even the cold medium by which 
 the body is surrounded, appear of a tolerable 
 temperature. This constitutes what is called 
 reaction^ which is the chief and most impor- 
 tant end of the Cold Bath, and which, under 
 proper limitations, and carried to a proper 
 extent, forms the principal medical intention 
 of cold bathing. But this can only be salutary 
 when the body is speedily removed from the 
 water, for, if the immersion be continued too 
 long, the body becomes chilled, the hands and 
 feet become cold and insensible ; and the vital 
 powers being exhausted, by the constant and 
 rapid absorption of heat from the surface, be- 
 come unable to supply the waste, and the body 
 sinks down at last, under the united pressure 
 of cold and fatigue. 
 
72 
 
 At the northern extremity or the Terrace, ad- 
 joining the commencement of Craiglais, stand 
 the Marine Baths. The building is erected 
 on a rocky foundation, and projects right into 
 the sea ; being defended from the violent as- 
 saults of the ocean by a strong wall, as well as 
 the more impregnable fortifications of strong- 
 black, or deep blue rocks, massive, and sin- 
 gularly romantic in their appearance. It is 
 almost an injury to the Proprietor to proceed 
 on a premature description of what, (consider- 
 ing his great projected improvements, which 
 are even now commencing,) may be called a 
 mere beginning ; hoAvever, favoured as we are 
 by his communications on the subject, we can 
 safely acquaint the reader with the nature of 
 those improvements. 
 
 The Baths are erected on scientific prin- 
 ciples, suggested by an eminent Engineer, 
 undermined by vast iron pipes, branching 
 out many fathoms into the sea, and conveying 
 from a rocky, sandless portion of the ocean, 
 the pure saline stream ; which is pumped, and 
 
73 
 
 by a conductor led, into an immense boiler, 
 containing five hundred gallons. From the 
 boiler are various pipes, leading to the different 
 baths. These baths are each six feet long and 
 two and a half wide, lined with Dutch tile, 
 which being much less porous than marble, is 
 more effectually cleansed from all impurities 
 to which they are liable ; and each occupies 
 one end of a neat little room, with fire, where 
 every desirable accommodation has been stu- 
 diously considered ; and there are two cocks 
 attached to every bath, one conducting hot, 
 the other cold water, which bathers can turn, 
 and temper by an intermixture at their own 
 pleasure. In addition to these, there is 
 
 A COLD PLUNGING BATH. 
 
 In another room, with its corresponding 
 apparatus is 
 
 A SHOWER BATH. 
 
 which is recommended on the score of bathers 
 being less liable to the cramp, than when using 
 the Cold Bath. In an apartment up stair§, 
 with all its attendant necessaries, is 
 
 A VAPOUR BATH. 
 This is a comparative recent invention, and 
 considered a discovery of so much import, as 
 
 G 
 
74 
 
 in all medical establishments to supersede the 
 use of the Hot Bath : for the nature and pro- 
 perties of which, the reader is referred to "Sir 
 Arthur Clarke's Essay on Warm, Cold, and 
 Yapour Bathing," pages 100 and 106. 
 
 This building also contains bed chambers, 
 for the accommodation of those whose health 
 would render it dangerous to remove them; 
 and a handsome sitting room, with a large bow 
 window, looking over, and commanding an 
 expansive view of the sea, as well as of the 
 distant objects, and alpine wonders, before 
 dilated on in the description of the Castle 
 Ruins, w hich are also to be seen from this spot, 
 as well as the whole Terrace, a great portion 
 of the town, and, on the other side, a view over 
 Craiglais, and its wild and rugged coast. In 
 its finished state, this building will doubtless 
 be an ornament to that part of the Terrace on 
 which it stands. It is to have an iron gate 
 with enclosing walls, and many other embel- 
 lishments. The intended new road is to com- 
 mence by the Marine Baths, uniting it with 
 the Terrace, and when the gigantic task is 
 accomplislied, of cutting through Craiglais, it 
 will afford a delightful drive by the sea side, 
 
75 
 
 and up through the vale of Clarach, then wind- 
 ing northernly and on to the Borth sands. 
 About the centre of the Terrace is a small 
 building called 
 
 srtie ©Oarm Batfimg iSott^e* 
 
 The baths here (two in number) are of a 
 humble description, lined with wood, and the 
 water carried to them in buckets. A little 
 northernly, on the Beach, stand 
 
 |[r§e Battling M^tU^t^, 
 
 built on the same principle as the generality 
 of those at Margate and Brighton, and equal to 
 the best of them.. Bathers may be accommo- 
 dated at low water, at five or six yards from 
 the edge of the shore, and at high water three. 
 The beach being of pebbles instead of sand, 
 tlie water is always clear, neither troubled by 
 tempestous weather, nor disturbed by the in- 
 flux of the tide; a felicitous circumstance to 
 those who have been accustomed elsewhere to 
 tlie miseries of a sandy shore, and a tedious 
 descent before they arrive at a desirable depth. 
 There are many small Bathing Houses scat- 
 tered about in difierent parts of the town. 
 G 2 
 
76 
 
 aianfiaftarn vmt. 
 
 From Aberystwyth one mile. 
 
 To the eastward of Aberystwyth is Llaiiba- 
 darnvawr, once a city, and a Bishop's see, but 
 now an inconsiderable village. It is chiefly 
 entitled to notice for its venerable church, 
 formerly appendant to an Abbey; and two 
 antique crosses adorned with rude carvings. 
 There are excellent apples produced in and 
 near this village, almost every cottage possess- 
 ing its little orchard. There is a good horse 
 road, as well as a pleasant foot walk, between 
 Aberystwyth and Llanbadarn vawr ; the latter 
 is through level fields, by the side of a divided 
 portion of the Rheidol, where there are seats, 
 such as are generally used in pleasure grounds, 
 for the accommodation of the public. At the 
 Aberystwyth end of this walk is the Chalybeate 
 Spring,* and near the Llanbadarn end, stands 
 Plas Crug, the remains of an ancient fortifica- 
 tion, a square tower of which still exists, and 
 by its side a mean farm house has been built. 
 Insteadof returning the same way, the walk or 
 
 * The little building attached to this spring was erected 
 by the late Colonel Johnes, of Havod. 
 
Tl 
 
 ride m&y b^ t:6nsiderably extended, by cross* 
 ing the bridge 'over the Rheidol, below Llan- 
 badarn, and taking the road to Aberystwytli 
 tlie other side of the river, and through Tre^- 
 vechan. Anglers have seldom to complain of 
 tlieir sport on the route bety/een Llanbadarii 
 and Aberystwyth. Llanbadatii lias completely 
 outlived its consequence and grandeur ; the 
 very market has been removed to Aberystwyth, 
 On tlie north side of the church, the buildings 
 were, probably, a part of the old monastry, 
 a pointed arch, and other circumstances in 
 them, indicating great antiquity. A part of 
 the land in this parish is still called Tir y 
 mi/nach^ or The Monks' Lidn4,\ which formerly 
 no doubt, belonged to the Monks of this place. 
 t)n it is a farm called Brdn CaStellau, v/hich 
 points out the former existence of ca^tleS near 
 it. Above the church is a small narrow dingle, 
 in a particular part of which, if any one stands, 
 he cannot hear the church bells while rinp-iiiir; 
 yet, if he moves but a little, one way or the 
 tlie other, he will hear them distinctly. This 
 is a vicarage, and what is remarkable, there 
 are no tythes belonging to it ; but the impro* 
 priator pays twenty pounds per annum to tlie 
 hiinister, as a compensation, though the tytlies 
 & 3 
 
78 
 
 liclong to the Chichester family. It is in the 
 gift of the Bishop of St. David's. Meyrick, 
 in his History of Cardiganshire, says. " This 
 wicked people boast, that a certain Bishop of 
 llicir church was murdered by their predeces- 
 sors ; and on this account chiefiy they ground 
 their claims of right and possession." The 
 following whimsical anecdote, illustrative of 
 ^- the credulous and superficial traveller," is 
 is told, of what once took place here. "In 
 the reign of King Stephen, who succeeded 
 Henry I. a soldier, born in Armorican Britain,* 
 liaving travelled through many parts of the 
 w orld, from a desire of seeing different cities, 
 and the manners of their inliabitants, came by 
 chance to Llanbadarn ; on a certain feast day, 
 whilst both the clergy and the people were 
 waiting for the arrival of the Abbot, to cele- 
 ])rate mass, he perceived a body of young men 
 armed, accordino; to the custom of their coun- 
 \\\^ approaching towards the church, and on 
 enquiry which of them was the Abbot, they 
 pointed out to him a man, walking foremost, 
 w ith a long spear in his jiand. Gazing on him 
 with amazement, he asked ' If the Ab])ot had 
 
 * Britanny, in France, where a dialect of tlic Welsh is 
 still spoken. 
 
79 
 
 not another habit, or a different staff, from that 
 Avhich he now carried ?' On their answering 
 him in the negative, he replied, ^ I have seen, 
 indeed, and heard this day a wonderful no- 
 velty ;' and from that hour returned home, 
 and finished his labours and researches." In 
 the life of Yavasor Powell, a celebrated non- 
 conformist Minister, in the Protectorate of 
 Oliver Cromwell, occurs the following notice 
 of this place. " In the summer of tliat year 
 (1656) he was preaching in South Wales, and 
 in the course of his excursions came, I think, 
 to Llanbadarn vawr, in Cardiganshire, where 
 several hundreds of people came together to 
 hear him. At this, a gentleman in that neigh- 
 bourhood, of the name of Prise, if I am not 
 mistaken, then High Sheriff of the county, was 
 greatly alarmed, and wrote a letter on the 
 occasion to the Lord Commissioner, and after- 
 wards Lord Keeper, Bulstrode Whitelock, who 
 was also his father-in-law, giving an account 
 of the said meeting, and wishing to be in- 
 structed how to act in future, on similar oc- 
 casions. This letter was dated Gogerddan, 
 12th June, 1656, and of which the following is 
 an extract. ' I presume, my Lord, to give you 
 some passages that occurred here last Saturday, 
 
§0 
 
 and Lord's day. There met here, within iwd 
 miles of my house, at least four hundred per- 
 sons, out of seven or eight several counties of 
 Wales, commanded ill chief (I may say) by 
 Mr. Vavasor Powell. To understand this un- 
 usual concourse, I sent my Deputy Sheriff 
 (conceiving it my duty) to know upon what 
 score they convened. They returned me tliis 
 answer by him, that they met to break bread, 
 and intended a meeting of part of several con- 
 gregation [al] churches of Wales at our parish 
 church, this last Lord's day. What their in- 
 tentions were, or may be, I cannot conjecture, 
 but sure I am, they were countenanced by 
 magistrates, dissenters of [from] the present 
 government. When I was informed of what 
 they intended, I went no way to disturb them 
 in the duty of the day ; but I do humbly de- 
 sire your Lordship to move his Highness (if 
 you see fit) in what hath passed, and to know 
 iiis pleasure, whither such tumultuous assem- 
 blies be allowed or not.' " The Historical 
 Notices of Llanbadarn vawr are worth the 
 ireader's attention. 
 
81 
 
 38i0torieal Motitt^ of UlatitiaUartt 
 Fatur** 
 
 It derived its name from Paternus, a distin- 
 guished Saint in the British History, of whom 
 Cressy and Archbishop Usher give the follow- 
 ing account. " The sanctity of St. Dubricius 
 and St. David, drew into Britain, from foreign 
 parts, St. Paternus, a devout young man, about 
 the year 516, together with 847 Monks, who 
 accompanied him : these fixed themselves in a 
 place called Mauritania, and there Paternus 
 built a church and monastery, in which he 
 placed the Monks, under an Economist, a Pro- 
 vost, and a Dean. This monastery seems to 
 have sent abroad, many colonies of religioiis 
 men into the province, for we find that this 
 saint built many monasteries and churches, 
 through all the region called Ceretica, now 
 Cardiganshire. The church he erected in 
 Mauritania, was raised to the dignity of an 
 Episcopal see, which he governed for one and 
 twenty years, and was from him called Pa- 
 
 * The etymology of its name is simple. Llanbadarn vawr 
 signifies the great church of Badarn, or Padarn, who erected 
 it. Llan, as well as Eglwys, is the Welsh for church, and 
 vawr for arreat. 
 
82 
 
 ternensis : he was recalled into his own native 
 country of Lesser Britan j, where he was made 
 Bishop of Vannes, having left Kinoc, as suc- 
 cessor to his former Bishopric." Mauritania 
 is supposed to be a latinized British name of 
 Llanbadarn vawr. The writer of the life of 
 St. Paternus, or Patern, says, " he by feeding 
 governed, and by governing fed the church of 
 Ceretica." " Padarn was the son of Pedredin 
 ab Emyr Llydaw, and cousin of Cadvan, with 
 whom he came into Britain, and was the first 
 of all in the college of IHtyd, (in Glamorgan- 
 sliire,) where he was dignified a Bishop. He 
 removed from thence, and founded a congre- 
 gation in Caredigion, at a place thence called 
 Llanbadarn vawr, consisting of 120 members, 
 where he had the title of Archbishop. He was 
 one of the most distinguished saints of Britain, 
 and several churches were dedicated to him. 
 He was ranked with Dewi and Teilo, in the 
 in the Welsh Historical Triads, under the 
 appellation of ' The three blessed visitors of 
 the Isle of Britain,' for they went about, 
 preaching the faith to all degrees of people, 
 not only without reward, but with alleviating 
 the distresses of the poor, as far as their means 
 extended." — Cambrian Biography, page 278. 
 
83 
 
 The Bishop of Llanbadani attended at a Sy- 
 nod, held in Worcestershire, A. D. 603 ; and 
 this place seems to have enjoyed its episcopal 
 honours till the people, according to Roger 
 Hoveden, killed their Bishop, when the Dio- 
 cese Avas united to the See of St. David's. 
 Llwyd supposed the Bishop's name was Id- 
 nerth, or Idnert, and perhaps the same person 
 commemorated in the sepulchral inscription 
 existing in Llandewi Brefi. In the year 1111, 
 Gilbert, son of Richard de Clare, gave to the 
 church of St. Peter, at Gloucester, the lands 
 and church of Llanbadarn vawr. It appears, 
 however, that its ecclesiastical establishment 
 existed in 11S9, for the Welsh Chronicle tells 
 us " That about that time, John, Archdeacon 
 of Llanpadarn, departed this life, who, for his 
 rigid zeal in religion and virtue, was thought 
 worthy to be canonized ;" and adds, " That in 
 the year 1144, died Sulien ap Rythmarch, a 
 man of great knowledge, and one of the college 
 of Llanpadarn." In the year 1188, it was go- 
 verned by a lay Abbot, of which Giraldus 
 Cambrensis gives the following account. "It 
 is remarkable that this church, like many 
 others in Wales and Ireland, has a lay Abbot ; 
 for a bad custom has prevailed amongst the 
 
84 
 
 clergy, of appointing the most powerful peo- 
 ple of a parish stewards, or rather patrons of 
 their churches ; who, in process of time, from 
 a desire of gain, have usurped the whole right, 
 appropriating to their own use the possession 
 of all the lands, leaving only to the clergy the 
 altars, with their tenths and oblations ; and 
 assigning even these to their sons and relations 
 in the church. Such defenders, or rather de- 
 stroyers, of the church, have caused them- 
 selves to be called Abbots ; and presumed to 
 attribute to themselves, a title, as well as 
 estates, to which they have no just claim. In 
 this state we found the church of Llanpadarn, 
 without a head. A certain old man, waxen 
 old in iniquity, (whose name was Eden Oeu, 
 son of Gwaithvoed,) being Abbot, and his sons 
 officiating at the altar." This Gwaithvoed 
 was surnamed Vawr, and was Lord of Care- 
 digion and Gwent, from about A. D. 900 to 
 950. He was distinguished in the Welsh His- 
 torical Triads as one of the Band-weatins: 
 Princes^ which bands were badges of royalty 
 among the primitive Princes of Britain. Gi- 
 raldus goes on to say that " In the reign of 
 King Henry I. when the authority of the En- 
 glish prevailed in Wales, the monastery of St. 
 
85 
 
 Peter, at Gloucester, held quiet possession of 
 this church ; but after his death, the English 
 being driven out, the monks were expelled 
 from their cloisters, and their places supplied 
 by the same violent intrusion of clergy and 
 laity, which had formerly been practised." 
 This church was in later times, appropriated 
 to the abbey of Vale Royal, in Cheshire. It 
 formerly enjoyed, together with its precincts, 
 the previlege of a sanctuary, which, in the 
 year 1116, Griffith ap Rhys violated. The 
 present edifice was, probably, erected soon 
 after the landing of William the Conqueror in 
 England, as the plain pointed arch is visible 
 throughout ; this, indeed, forms the only or- 
 nament on the font, which is an octagonal 
 shaft, standing on three steps, and supporting 
 an octagonal basin. But the entrance on the 
 south side of the nave, is an elegant specimen 
 of the ornamented pointed arch, as in vogue 
 in the beginning of the 12th century, and 
 such as may be seen in Llandaff cathedral, 
 erected by Bishop Urban, in 1120. The chan- 
 cel and north tansept are separated from the 
 rest of the church, by light and elegant carved 
 screens, which, from the elaborate workman- 
 ship they display, were probably erected about 
 
86 
 
 the time of Henry VII. They are coloured 
 red, green, and yellow, and though once very 
 brilliant, are now so neglected as to be scarcely 
 perceptible. Round a pew on the south side 
 of the chancel, is a similar carved screen, in 
 which seem to have been several shields, two 
 only of which now remain. Further descrip- 
 tion may have the bad effect of satisfying the 
 reader, to the prevention of a visit to Llanba- 
 dam church, which, as it affords a short and 
 pleasant walk from Aberystwyth on a Sunday 
 morning, an occular examination of the re- 
 mains of antiquity, after service, may prove 
 highly gratifying. The scenes of warfare, &c. 
 which affected the town, claim a separate notice. 
 In the year 988, Llanbadarn was destroyed by 
 the Danes, whose ravages were so extensive, 
 that Meredith, Prince of Wales, v* as forced to 
 compound with them, and to pay a tribute of 
 one penny for every man within bis dominions, 
 which, in Welsh, was called Glwmaen, i. e. the 
 tribute of the black army. In the year 1038, 
 it was laid in ashes by Griffith ap Llewelyn, 
 wlio wrested it from the hands of Howel ap 
 Edwin, and received himself the oaths of alle- 
 giance. It however escaped in 1106, when 
 Alhel and Madoc, at the instigation of Henry II 
 
87 
 
 King of England, destroyed all Cardiganshire, 
 except this and Llandewi Brevi ; yet they took 
 out of this sanctuary several of Owen's meii, 
 who had fled here, and put them to the sword. 
 Its descent to its present insignificance has 
 been gradual and unnoted. At Bro Gynin, in 
 the parish of Llanbadarn, was born that cele- 
 brated Welsh bard David ap Gwelym, an Ama- 
 tory Lyric Poet of the fourteenth century, 
 emphatically called "the Welsh Ovid," aod 
 some of his adventures might entitle him io 
 be stiled " the Welsh Don Juan." Among the 
 many of high note buried at Llanbadarn, was 
 the late Mr. Lewis Morris, the celebrated An- 
 tiquary and Philanthropist. The reader will 
 be much gratified with the account given of 
 this excellent and talented individual, in Mey- 
 rick's History of the County of Cardigan, 
 page S90. 
 
 Llanbadarn church is served by its vicar, 
 the Rev. Richard Evans, B. D. assisted by the 
 Rev. William Herbert, the curate. This ve- 
 nerable edifice had fallen into sad neglect and 
 decay ; but by the laudable exertions of the 
 present vicar, it has been wonderfully reno- 
 vated and improved ; and is now a handsome 
 n2 
 
 [ 
 
88 
 
 and commodious place of worship, generally 
 very well and respectably attended. Service, 
 partly in English and Welsh, commences every 
 Sunday at eleven o'clock in the morning ; and 
 again at three o'clock in the evening, in Welsh. 
 
 CRAIGLAIS TO THE VALE OF CLARACH. 
 
 After naming the Marine Terrace and the 
 Castle Ruins as the principal promenades, we 
 come to walks less aided by art, but more ex- 
 lensive and desirable to the enterprising pe- 
 destrian. At the northern end of the Terrace, 
 commencing by the Marine Baths, stands the 
 high mount called Craiglais, or Echo Rock, 
 which is ascended by a narrow footpath ; in the 
 steepest part it is cut like rude steps. After 
 gaining the summit of the hill, at a good dis- 
 tance from frightful precipices towards the sea, 
 the path conducts to the village in the vale of 
 Clarach,* so named from its river, which is 
 here seen to empty itself into the sea. This 
 vale is celebrated for its harvest commencing 
 earlier than any other part of Cardiganshire., 
 There is a highly probable conjecture that the 
 
 * Properly written Claiarach, 
 
89 
 
 etymology of its name, is from the Welsh word 
 claiar, i. e. warm, which with its termination 
 makes it claiarach, warmer. It should be ob- 
 served, there is a rock close to Craiglais called 
 Bryn dioddau, or the Criminals mount, because 
 in ancient times all executions took place there. 
 
 To add variety to the excursion, we may 
 return to Aberystwyth by another path over 
 the hill ; and otherwise by threading the vale 
 of Clarach, crossing the bridge, and turning 
 up to 
 
 THE MACHYNLLETH ROAD, 
 
 which leads immediately back to the town ; 
 or, if the individual or party wish to extend 
 the walk, instead of returning to the town, they 
 may enter the fields on the left hand, after 
 passing the turnpike, and take 
 
 THE WALK BY THE RHEIDOL, 
 
 described in another part of this work, under 
 the head of ''Llanbadani vawr," passing the 
 Chalybeate Spring, and straight on by Fhis 
 Crug to Llanbadarn bridge ; crossing the 
 bridge, a short steep lane leads to the turn- 
 pikCo You enter the high road to the town. 
 H 3 
 
90 
 
 ^vhicli is always dry, having been cut through 
 the solid rock; this road runs parallel with 
 the Rheidol and the path just left, on the op- 
 posite side of the valley. Passing the base 
 of Pendinas you enter Tre'vechan, which is se- 
 parated from Aberystwyth only by the bridge 
 over the Rheidol, and Bridge Street leads you 
 to the centre of the tov/n. Another way of 
 returning from the vale of Clarach, is, by 
 
 THE BEACH. 
 
 The pedestrian is warned that the flowing 
 of the tide should be well ascertained, before 
 he commences his return by this route; as 
 there have been instances of persons being in- 
 solated and confined amid the hollows of the 
 shore, and been obliged to climb the high, 
 dangerous, and rugged cliffs, or remain till 
 the ebbing of the tide. This walk is awfully 
 romantic, from the black gigantic cliifs of 
 jagged slate rock, alternately rearing in deep 
 excavations, and projecting their audacious 
 fronts into the sea, with threatening boldness : 
 while the ocean roars or hoarsely murmurs 
 over the neighbouring breakers. A vast hol- 
 low ill the rock, like a monstrous yawning den, 
 is denominated Eglwys Matthew, or Matthew's 
 
91 
 
 Church, from an eccentric beggar of that 
 name, who, in the memory of many of the old 
 inhabitants, used to re lire there and make an 
 appearance of preaching. It is waggishly 
 inferred that this mendicant perceiving the 
 sliglit effect that preaching had on men, in the 
 spirit of satiric whimsicaility, tried his elo- 
 quence with scarce less success on the rocks 
 and waves. Leaving (his cave you soon pass 
 the Marine Baths and reach the Terrace. 
 
 PEN YR ANCHOR, 
 
 or Anchor Head : to commence this walk you 
 go down Bridge Street, cross the bridge, enter 
 Tre'vechan, and turning on the right hy the 
 side of the liarboiir, the walk leads past the 
 store-houses, to die junction of the Rheidol 
 and Ystwyth, before they discharge themselves 
 into the sea. This walk, rounding the base 
 of Pendiuas, and running through level fields 
 by the side of the Ystwytl?, is particularly 
 pleasant and generally admired. Through 
 meadows and cornfields, v»ith the commiugled 
 beauties in your eye, of hill and vale, wood 
 aiid river, you reach the village of 
 
92 
 
 RHYD Y VELIN, 
 
 which signifies, the Ford of the Mill. From 
 this village you may return by the turnpike 
 road. Those who prefer an eminence to the 
 champaign in their recreative walk, on leaving 
 Pen yr Anchor, should cross the green lane on 
 the right, and take the path which runs up on 
 a gradual ascent along the side of 
 
 PENDINAS HILL, 
 
 till the top is attained ; from whence, perhaps, 
 the best prospects about Aberystwyth present 
 themselves. The western side looks over the 
 sea, towards those grand Alpine objects before 
 described ; and the eastern towards many val- 
 lies, whose high backing hills form a bold 
 closing to the horizon. Not least among the 
 beauties of the scenery, is the curious sight 
 of the two noble rivers, Ystwyth and Rheidol, 
 seen at once, threading their respective vallies. 
 and running their distant parallel course, gTa- 
 dually nearing, till they meet, embrace, and 
 march side by side into the open arms of old 
 ocean. The hill called Yr AUtwen, on the 
 other side of the Ystwyth is a noble promon- 
 tory, and a formidable rival to Fendinas both 
 in height and beauty, the portion in ^iew 
 
93 
 
 being covered with verdure ; and a foot bridge 
 across the river would be a most desirable 
 improvement, that would give the pedestrian 
 a wide and pleasant range ; Avhiie at present 
 he has the mortification to see unattainable 
 beauties, and walks barred from his approach 
 by the intervention of the river. Many vi- 
 sitors of Aberystwyth protest against this curb 
 on their pleasures, and from year to year, hope 
 to see a bridge over the Ystwyth. 
 
 The top and sides of Pendinas are formed 
 into corn fields and pasture ground, which 
 also are prolific in Nature's spontaneous em- 
 bellishments of wild flowers, especially wild 
 Heart's-ease and 
 
 " The blue and gold-eyed flow'ret of the brook, 
 Hope's gentle gem, the fair Forget-me-not."* 
 
 This flower is very rarely seen to grow else- 
 where than in or by brooks. Indeed it is a 
 a matter of surprise to many to see the abun- 
 dance of wild flowers on the banks of the 
 
 * One of the names (and meriting to be the only one,) of 
 the Myosotis Scorpioides Palustris ; a llower from six 
 to twelve inches high, with a blue blossom and bright yellow 
 eye. Coleridge says, " It has the same name over the 
 whole empire of Germany, (Fergissmein Nichf,) and we 
 believe in Denmark and Sweden." 
 
94 
 
 rivers, and about Aberystwyth. The garden 
 daisy, a general favourite with florists for 
 bordering their parterres, grows here inter- 
 mixed with the grass, at Anchor Head, the 
 Castle Ruins, and in the fields, as profusely as 
 the dock or nettle in other places. A fortress 
 was erected on the top of Pendinas by Prince 
 Rhys ap GriiBth, in the year 1117, the remains 
 of which still exist. Oliver Cromwell also 
 encamped here, and from his battery destroyed 
 Aberystwyth castle, his object being to extir- 
 pate a banditti, who sheltered there, and con- 
 tinually infested the town and its vicinity. 
 Of late years many vestiges of antiquity have 
 been dug up here. A curious engraving of 
 a celt, or British battle axe, and of a golden 
 angel of Henry VII. discovered here, is to be 
 seen in Meyrick's History of Cardiganshire, 
 page 418. The latter was found by some men 
 who were digging a trench, for the purpose of 
 planting a hedge. It was in good preserva- 
 tion, and the description of it is curious. One 
 side is a ship at sea whose planks seem to fold 
 over each other, and whose quarter deck and 
 forecastle are surrounded with net work, to 
 prevent accidents, &c. This ship is charged 
 with an escutcheon of the royal arms, France 
 
95 
 
 and England quarterly ; above which appear 
 a cross fastened to the mast, the top of which 
 may be seen over it. On the dexter side of 
 this cross is the letter H, for Henry ; on the 
 sinister, the combined rose of the houses of 
 York and Lancaster. Round this is inscribed 
 Per cruce Iva Salva nos xpe Red. 
 " By thy cross, oh Christ our redeemer save 
 us." On the reverse is St. Michael the Arch- 
 angel, thrusting a spear, terminated at one end 
 with a cross crosslet, into a dragon's mouth : 
 he has both his legs on the dragon. The dia- 
 meter of the coin is one inch and an eighth, 
 and value 6s. 8d. originally, but raised under 
 different reigns till Elizabeth fixed it at 10s. at 
 which rate it stood till angels were disconti- 
 nued and guineas introduced in the protector- 
 ate of Oliver Cromwell. This coin was sent 
 to the Antiquarian society, 1st May, 1802. 
 
 I 
 
96 
 
 To be observed or passed, during a ride or drive near 
 Aberystwyth. 
 
 FIRST ROAD,— Towards the Borth Sands. 
 
 PENGLAISE. 
 
 One mile and a half from Aberystwyth. 
 
 This is supposed to be an anglofied mode of 
 writing Penglas, which signifies The Blue 
 Head, doubtless in allusion to some stone or 
 rock on the headland; as the native stone 
 here is of a deep blue, approximating to black. 
 This handsome mansion stands on an emi- 
 nence, commanding a noble view of Aberyst- 
 wyth, and much of its vicinity ; an extensive 
 one of the sea coast, as far as the river Dovey ; 
 and of the windings of the Rheidol through its 
 green valley towards the town. It rests within 
 a sheltering grove, at the upper extremity of a 
 verdant slope, contrasted here and there with 
 a varied description of ground. It is the pro- 
 perty and residence of Roderick Richardes, 
 Esq. It was with an idea of avoiding Penglaise 
 hill, which is so tedious for carriages, that the 
 new road through Craiglais has been projected. 
 
97 
 
 CWM CYNVELIN. 
 
 Tit'o miles from Aberystwyth. 
 
 Cwm^ (pronounced Coom,) is the Welsh 
 word for Dingle, and Cynvelin, a proper 
 name, supposed to be that of a resident chief- 
 tain. It overlooks the vale of Clarach, and is 
 the seat of Isaac Lloyd Williams, Esq. of 
 Lincoln's Inn. It is also called Cwmcyvni 
 (pronounced Coomcuvney). Sarn Cynvelin, 
 which runs from the sea coast here, into the 
 sea, is the vestige of the ancient road which 
 led from the highland domains of Cynvelin to 
 the fertile lowlands of Gwyddno Garanhir, 
 called Cantrev y Gwaelod, inundated by the 
 sea in the year 520. — Vide Map. 
 
 GOGERDDAN. 
 
 Three miles from Aberystwyth, 
 
 This is pronounced Gogerthan, the Welsh 
 dd gives the softer sound of the English th. 
 The name is from Gog, (pronounced Goge,) a 
 Cuckoo ; the termination ddan is obsolete, but 
 has allusion to the song of the Cuckoo. There 
 is a tradition, (whether of late coinage or not, 
 is uncertain,) of a youth and a maid in ancient 
 times, who were lovers, wandering through 
 the woods, and hearing the bird of spring, he 
 I 
 
98 
 
 is said to have exclaimed "Gogerdd AnnT' 
 " the Cuckoo sings Ann !" and in remembrance 
 of those words of agreeable associations, on 
 building a house near the path of their " tender 
 walk," they designated it accordingly. Gog- 
 erddan is the seat of Pryse Pryse, Esq. M. P. 
 it stands in a forest of fir, and has a very re- 
 spectable appearance. It is celebrated as the 
 birth place of Rhydderch ab levan Llwyd, a 
 Poet of the first rank, who lived in the next 
 age to David ab Gwelym. He was the owner 
 of this estate, and brought up at Oxford. In 
 the year 1690, we are told, that when some of 
 the Cardiganshire Mines began to shew signs 
 of exhaustion,others, not inferior to the best 
 of the former, were discovered on the estate of 
 Gogerddan, then belonging to Sir Carberry 
 Pryse. The ore was so near the surface of 
 the earthy that the moss and grass did but 
 barely cover it. These mines, in their time, 
 were not exceeded by any in the kingdom for 
 riches, and, as elsewhere observed, obtained 
 the appellation of the Welsh Potosi. 
 
 Returning again and moving in the direction 
 of the coast, we reach 
 
99 
 
 THE BORTH SANDS. 
 
 Six miles from Aberystvoyth. 
 
 These sands commence with the village of 
 Borth, are five miles in length, running in a 
 perfect level, till terminated by the river 
 Dovey, which parts the counties of Cardigan 
 and Merioneth. 
 
 SECOND ROAD— Through Llanbadarn, S^c. 
 
 THE VICARAGE HOUSE. 
 
 Haifa mile from Aberystwyth. 
 
 This new and handsome mansion is the 
 residence of the Rev. Richard Evans, B. D. 
 Vicar of Llanbadarn vawr, and Magistrate of 
 Aberystwyth. The same spirit for improve- 
 ment, that has so successfully beautified the 
 interior of Llanbadarn church, is strikingly 
 conspicuous in the erection of this building, 
 which is highly creditable to the taste of Mr. 
 Evans. Further on, by the road side, stands 
 
 MIDWAY HOUSE, 
 
 Three quarters of a mile from Aberystwyth, 
 
 A good looking and commodious lodging 
 house, generally occupied by visitors in the 
 bathing season. 
 
 I 2 
 
100 
 
 VRONVRAITH. 
 
 Three miles from Ah try stray th. 
 
 The name of this place is generally written 
 Fronfraith, but the Welsh f being pronounced 
 like the English v, a general substitution of 
 tlie latter is likely to take place in time ; for 
 which the modern Welsh literati are advocates, 
 to the great indignation of those of the old 
 school. Vronvraith is the Welsh name of the 
 Thrush ; the word literally means " speckle- 
 breast," or " spotted hill." Its adoption in 
 this instance, may possibly have been from its 
 allusion to the variegated description of the 
 landscape. Vronvraith was the seat of the 
 late Sir Thomas Bonsall, Knight. 
 
 GLANRHEIDOL. 
 
 Six miles from Aberystwyth. 
 
 Glanrheidol derives its name from its situa-^ 
 tion, and it signifies " on the banks of the 
 Rheidol." It is a very respectable looking 
 mansion, and the attached grounds are laid out 
 in good taste. It is the seat of George Bon- 
 sail, Esq. 
 
101 
 
 THIRD ROAD.— By Castle Hill, ^c. 
 
 CRUGIAU. 
 
 One mile and a half from Aherystmyth. 
 
 This neat retired dwelling is the residence 
 of Captain Davies; it is approached from a 
 small lodge on the right hand side of the road 
 to Cardigan, obscured from the eye by a very 
 pretty plantation. It commands a fine view 
 of the sea. Crugiau (generally called Creegie,) 
 implies "the Hillocks." 
 
 ABERLLOLWYN. 
 
 Three miles from Aberystwyth 
 
 The seat of the Rev. J. Hughes. It bears 
 its designation from being situate at the mouth 
 of the Llolwyn, a stream near it so called. 
 
 MORVA. 
 
 Four miles from Aberystwyth, 
 
 The ancient seat of the family of the Hughes. 
 It is situate about a mile to the right of Aber- 
 Uolwyn, close on the borders of the sea. This 
 appellation signifies " the Marsh." 
 
 ABERMAYDE. 
 
 Five miles from Aberystwyth. 
 
 Abermayde is so named from being situate 
 I 3 
 
102 
 
 near a stream called the Mayde, and Aber is 
 indiscrimately applied in Welsh to the mouths 
 of rivers. It stands in a pleasant spot in the 
 vale of Ystwyth. 
 
 CASTLE HILL. 
 
 Six miles from Aberystwyth. 
 
 This ancient and handsome mansion, the 
 property of Major Williams, derives its name 
 from an old redoubt not far from the house. 
 It stands on the banks of the Ystwyth amidst 
 a beautiful plantation. 
 
 LLIDIADAU. 
 
 Seven miles from Aberysiviyth. 
 
 Owing to the guttural sound in the two 
 letters commencing this name, the English ge- 
 nerally call it Lidiadie, the Welsh u being 
 pronounced like an e, which associates curi- 
 ously enough, with the name of the heroine of 
 the Belle's Stratagem, Liddy Hardy. Llid- 
 iadau means "the Gates." It is situate on a 
 pleasant eminence. 
 
 CROSSWOOD. 
 
 Eight miles from Aberystwyth. 
 
 This mansion, the seat of the Earl of Lis- 
 burne, stands on the banks of the Ystwyth, 
 
103 
 
 surrounded by its park and numerous luxu- 
 riant farms. The Welsh name of this place is 
 Trawscoed, by which it is always called by 
 the country people. Cross wood, or wood 
 placed in a traverse direction, is the literal 
 translation of the Welsh name. 
 
 NANTEOS. 
 
 Three miles from Aberystwyth^ 
 
 In many languages etymology is a dry, 
 tedious, and uninteresting study, but in Welsh 
 it is particularly pleasing, from the ingenious 
 and poetic turn of the derivations ; a fair illus- 
 tration of which, among some others already 
 given, may be adduced from the name of this 
 beautiful place. Nanteos is the Welsh for 
 Nightingalebrook ; from Nant, a Brook, and 
 Eos, a Nightingale. Nothing could be better 
 chosen than such a designation in the present 
 instance, as it harmonizes very happily with 
 the corresponding loveliness of the spot. Nant- 
 eos is the seat of W. E. Powell, Esq. M. P. 
 Lord Lieutenant, and Gustos Rotulorum of the 
 county of Cardigan. It is a very handsome 
 
104 
 
 structure, and stands amidst grounds most 
 tastefully arranged, and embosomed in a fine 
 wood. 
 
 LLANIRON. 
 
 Eighteen miles from Aherystvcyth. 
 
 The original name of this place is Llannerch- 
 aeron, (from Llannerch, an open space in a 
 wood, and Aeron, from the river,) which it is 
 still called by all, except those who wish, by 
 anglofying the names of places, to destroy our 
 expressive and national characteristics. This 
 noble house produces an elegant effect, stand- 
 ing as it does, in a handsome park adorned 
 with numerous and majestic trees. The cot- 
 tages of the country people on this estate, are 
 very superior both in comfort and beauty, and 
 equal to the best in England ; a circumstance 
 that deserves great commendation, as it too 
 frequently happens that while the mansion of 
 the landlord is in continual improvement, the 
 cottage of the tenant is in so ruinous and de- 
 graded a state as to be scarcely habitable. It 
 was in this hundred, (liar,) and on a spot not 
 far from this house, that a Cardiganshire Poet, 
 forty years ago, wrote the following Pastoral 
 ode. 
 
105 
 
 Sweet Aeron's vale ! unknown in song. 
 
 Demands the warbling lyre ; 
 Shall silver Aeron glide along. 
 
 And not a bard inspire ? 
 What bard that Aeron sees, can fail 
 To sing the charms of Aeron's vale ? 
 
 There golden treasure swells the plains, 
 And herds and flocks are there ; 
 
 And there the god of Plenty reigns 
 Triumphant all the year : 
 
 The Nymphs are ga.j, the swains are hale ; 
 
 Such blessings dwell in Aeron's vale. 
 
 While every toast through Albion vies, 
 
 In dubious competition ; 
 And female charms contend the prize 
 
 Of beauty's high ambition ; 
 Sure Aeron's beauties must prevail, 
 For angels dwell in Aeron's vale. 
 
 Were I possessed of regal state, 
 
 Presiding o'er a nation, 
 With crowding senates at my feet 
 
 In humble adoration, 
 I'd envy — if envying might avail. 
 The happy swains of Aeron's vale.* 
 
 The stones to be picked up on the beach at 
 Aberystwyth are in great plenty, and various 
 in their kind. There have been recent in- 
 
 * From our limited opinion of their merit, we were much 
 tempted to reject the two latter stanzas of the above, espe- 
 cially the closing one. 
 
106 
 
 stances of industrious individuals making a 
 considerable collection in course of the season; 
 and ladies and gentlemen of rank and fashion 
 have not disdained to wear them. They ge- 
 nerally consist of 
 
 Cornelians 
 
 Agates 
 
 Jaspers 
 
 Moccos 
 
 Moss Agates 
 
 Crystals 
 
 Moss pebbles 
 
 Pudding stones 
 
 Trap stones 
 
 with a variety of other valuable pebbles, spar 
 and crystals from the Mine Works. The 
 Lapidaries who cut, sell, or set these, are, Mr. 
 Wm. Jones, Watchmaker near the Assembly 
 Rooms, and Mr. John Parry, Portland Street. 
 
 Angling* 
 
 To the votaries of the gentlemanly pastime 
 of angling, Aberystwyth, with its many vicine 
 streams and rivers, holds great temptation, 
 both for the pleasure of the sport and contem- 
 plation of sweet and majestic prospects, either 
 of which will be amply gratified ; and few 
 places can yield so enviable a day's excur- 
 sion. The trout in the Ystwyth and Rheidol 
 are small and not very numerous ; but the 
 autumnal fishing for salmon and sewin is ex- 
 cellent. 
 
107 
 
 There is very good lake fishing in the neigh- 
 bourhood, within a day's excursion, that is to 
 say, between ten and twenty miles off. The 
 fish are usually from a quarter to three quarters 
 of a pound in weight. The flies are simple, 
 generally blues and duns. 
 
 Besides theRheidol and Ystwyth, there are 
 the Lery, the Clarach, and many other streams 
 in the immediate neighbourhood ; while the 
 noble and far-famed Teivy is within reach. 
 The pools of the Teivy are said to contain sin- 
 gularly beautiful trout, that bear resemblance 
 to those of no other river in the kingdom ; 
 they are considered scarcely inferior to char. 
 Tradition says, they were originally deposited 
 there by the monks of Strata Florida, obtained 
 in the first instance from some foreign lake. 
 It is rather strange these ancient ecclesiastics, 
 (a race, indeed, whose love of good cheer has 
 always been proverbial,) should verify the 
 gibes of satire, and appear to the eyes of pos- 
 terity principally in the character of accom- 
 plished epicures. It is bat justice to add, the 
 author of this work has conversed with va- 
 rious persons who have, for many years been 
 in the habit of fishing in all parts of the 
 
108 
 
 Teivy, who absolutely deny the existence of 
 any t routs of the above description. Leland 
 gives the credit of the possession of such fish 
 to another river, called the Moy va, which falls 
 into the Teivy about two miles and a quarter 
 from the source of the latter. The Moyva, it 
 seems, is formed by the junction of two streams; 
 the southern one taking its rise at a place called 
 Blaen Moyva; the northern one coming from 
 Llyn Egnant, which is rather more than a mile 
 in circumference. Leland calls it Lignant and 
 Heligna, and says, "It hath no other Fisch but 
 trouttes and elys. One side of the poole, and 
 that is the south side, hath Trouttes as redde 
 as salmon. The west side hath white, likewise 
 as hath Llyn Tyve." In addition to the irre- 
 sistable facinations of the sport, the angler may 
 have the most felicitous treat of enjoying the 
 scenic beauties that remain in utter seclusion 
 from others, especially the falls of the Rheidol, 
 described in another part of this work, which 
 are utterly imperceptible on the road from the 
 Devil's Bridge. 
 
 Till within these few years, the depredation 
 committed, and destruction caused, by people, 
 in dragging tlie rivers with nets of an illegal 
 
log 
 
 mesh, was most ruinous ; but latterly, a Fish- 
 ing Club, for the prosecution of poachers, has 
 been established at Aberystwyth; the mem- 
 bers of which are, the country gentlemen of 
 the vicine estates, strangers residing in the 
 town, and annual visitors. Through their at- 
 tention and vigilance in detecting such dis- 
 graceful and nefarious practices, the rivers are 
 fast returning to their original state of plenty. 
 
 Although there had been races long before, 
 on a confined scale, it was not till 1821 that 
 they assumed the form of a regular establish- 
 ment ; since which time, its rapid growth into 
 importance has quite kept pace with the other 
 marches of improvement connected with the 
 town, and in a great degree they improve 
 yearly. The annual period of the races may 
 be said to be August ; the particular day has 
 hitherto varied, but doubtless it will soon be 
 durably fixed. Aberystwyth is obliged to the 
 courtesy of Pryse Pryse, Esq. M. P. of Gog- 
 erddan, for a race course, which is held in a 
 field, finely situate for prospect, near his seat, 
 and about three miles from the town. The 
 
 K 
 
110 
 
 races last two days. The nobility and gentry 
 who attended last year, were very numerous ; 
 and there was a fair display both of horses for 
 the emulative contention of the day, and of the 
 attendant carriages of the spectators, many of 
 whom were of the first rank and fashion. 
 
 Or, Cardiganshire Mines of Lead, Silver, and Copper, 
 
 In the north-east part of the county are some 
 Lead Mines, the ore of which is so rich in sil- 
 ver, that the district has been called the Welsh 
 Potosi. About three miles to the east is Es- 
 gairvraith Copper Mine, and four miles south 
 is Coginan Lead Mine ; but the mines more 
 immediately in the vicinity of Aberystwyth 
 are Cluernog and Cwmswmlog. A company of 
 Geiman miners, in the reign of Queen Eliza- 
 beth, made a prolific harvest in working the 
 silver mines contiguous to tlie town, which 
 were once considered inexhaustible, and calcu- 
 lated to produce a hundred ounces of silver 
 from a ton of lead, and to have created a profit 
 of £2,000 per month. Severe reflections have 
 been made, both by strangers and natives, on 
 the iack of ingenuity and spirit of enterprize 
 
Ill 
 
 discoverable in the people of this comntj, 
 whose apathy continues them poor, although 
 possessing a rich country : while they have the 
 mortification to see strangers bear away their 
 treasures, as well as the palm of industry 'dnd 
 science. The late Mr. Lewis Morris, the fa- 
 mous Antiquary, who worked many of the 
 Cardiganshire mines of late years, was of opi- 
 nion, that if he could have raised an adequate 
 sum for carrying on the works, he could have 
 drawn from them an annual profit of £12,000. 
 In a letter written to his brother, about the 
 year 1757, he speaks of Cardiganshire as the 
 richest country he ever knew, with the fewest 
 people of ingenuity and talent. Mr. Evans, in 
 his tour, observes, " yet^ though this coontry 
 is so prolific in mineral substance, still, from 
 ^he neglect of centuries, and the indolence, 
 ignorance, and poverty of the present inhabi- 
 tants, it may be said of its subterraneous trea- 
 sures "• Terr oe per dunter opes Z'' and although 
 the modern discoveries in chemistry have 
 furnished much better means of separating 
 the metal from the heterrogenous substances 
 combined with it in the ore, both in the humid 
 and empyreumatic way, diminishing labour, 
 and encreasing the produce, yet metallurgy 
 K 2 
 
 L 
 
112 
 
 seems to have made no advance. It is far 
 from what it ought to be — a science." For 
 an enlarged account of the great variety of 
 mines in this county, and their produce, the 
 reader is referred to " Meyrick's History and 
 Antiquities of the County of Cardigan." 
 
 The Muses also, have done their part in 
 celebrating the Cardiganshire Mines, and the 
 following extracts from a Poem on the subject, 
 by Yaldon, possess considerable merit : 
 
 " Where fair Sabrina flows around the coast. 
 And aged Dovey in the ocean's lost. 
 Her lofty brow unconquer'd Britain rears, 
 And fenced with rocks, impregnable appears ? 
 Which, like the well-fixt bars of nature show. 
 To guard the treasures she conceals below. 
 For Earth, distorted with her pregnant womb. 
 Heaves up to give the forming embryo room : 
 Hence vast excrescences of hills arise, 
 And mountains swell to a portentous size. 
 Low'ring and black the rugged coast appears, 
 The sullen Earth a gloomy surface wears ; 
 Yet, all beneath, deep as the centre, shines 
 With native wealth, and more than Indian mines. 
 Thus erring Nature her defects supplies. 
 Indulgent oft, to what her sons despise : 
 Oft in a rude, unfinish'd form, we find 
 The noblest treasure of a gen'rous mind. 
 * * * * 
 
 The ancient Britons are a hardy race. 
 
 Averse to luxury and slothful ease ; 
 
 Their necks beneath a foreign yoke ne'er bow'd. 
 
 In war unconquer'd, and of freedom proud ; 
 
113 
 
 With minds resolved, they lasting toils endure, 
 Unmix'd their language, and their manners pure. 
 Wisely does Nature such an offspring chuse, 
 Brave to defend her wealth, and slow to use ; 
 Where thirst of empire ne'er inflames their veins. 
 Nor avarice, nor wild ambition reigns; 
 But low, in mines, they constant toils renew. 
 And through the Earth their branching veins pursue. 
 
 The secret cause in tuneful measures sing 
 
 How metals first are framed, and whence they spring. 
 
 Whether the active Sun, with chemic flames. 
 
 Through porous Earth transmits his genial beams ; 
 
 With heat impregnating the womb of night, 
 
 The offspring shines with its paternal light : 
 
 Or whether, urged by subterraneous flames. 
 
 The Earth ferments, and flows in liquid streams ; 
 
 Purged from their dross, the nobler parts refine. 
 
 Receive new forms, and with fresh beauties shine ; 
 
 Thus fluid parts, unknowing how to burn, 
 
 With cold congeal'd, to solid metals turn : 
 
 For metals only, from devouring flame 
 
 Preserve their beauty, and return the same. 
 
 Or whether by creation first they sprung. 
 
 When yet unpoised the world's great fabric hung, 
 
 Metals the basis of the world were made, 
 
 The bars on which its fix'd foundation laid ; 
 
 All second causes they disdain to own. 
 
 And from th' Almighty's fiat sprung alone. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 How are thy realms, triumphant Britain ! blest 
 Enrich'd with more than all the distant west ! 
 To Dovey's flood shall num'rous traders come, 
 Employ'd to fetch the British bullion home, 
 To pay their tributes to its bounteous shore, 
 Returning laden with the Cambrian ore. 
 Her absent fleet Potosi's race shall mourn, 
 
 And wish in vain to see our sails return. 
 
 * « * * 
 
 K 3 
 
114 
 
 HoTv Cambria's mines were to her offspring known, 
 
 Thus sacred verse transmits the story down ; 
 
 Merlin, a bard of the inspired train. 
 
 With mystic nnmbers charm'd the British plain f 
 
 Beloved by Phoebus and the tuneful nine, 
 
 His song was sacred, and his art divine : 
 
 As on Sabrina's fruitful banks he stood. 
 
 His wond'rous verse restrain'd the list'ning flood ; 
 
 The stream's bright Goddess raised her awful head. 
 
 And to her cave the artful shepherd led ; 
 
 Her swift-descending steps the youth pursues, 
 
 And rich in ore the specious mountain views. 
 
 In beds, distinct, tlie well ranged metals lay, 
 
 Dispersing raj^s, and counterfeiting day. 
 
 The silver, shedding beams of orient light, 
 
 Struck with too fierce a glare his aching sight; 
 
 Like rising flames the ruddy copper show'd. 
 
 And spread its blushes o'er the dark abode r 
 
 Profuse of rays, and in unrivai'd beams. 
 
 The liquid silver flow'd in restless streams : 
 
 Not India's sparkling gems are half so bright, 
 
 Nor waves above, that shine with Heavenly light. 
 
 The rest of the Poem is an eulogy on Sir 
 Humphrey Mackworth, and like all compli- 
 mentary poetry, interesting only to those to 
 ^vhom it is addressed. "It was under the 
 sanction of the great Lord Bacon, that Sir 
 Hugh Middleton, and the famous chyraist Mr. 
 Bashell, that the Germ^an miners came into 
 this country in the reign of Qaeen Elizabeth. 
 They discovered mines in abundance, and 
 orected a Mint at Aberystwyth. The new ri- 
 
115 
 
 ver, at Islington, is a lasting monument of the 
 riches found by them in this country." — 
 Paynter's Letter to Bishop Squire. The An- 
 cient Britons wrought the mines in Cardigan- 
 shire, probably from their first settlement in 
 Cymry, and no doubt excelled equally in their 
 manufacture of the silver, as they did of the 
 gold in other parts of the country. With re- 
 gard to their skill in the latter, we may judge 
 of it from the Historical Triad, which ce- 
 lebrates Caswallon, Manawydan, and Llew 
 Llawgyves, as the three chiefs who possessed 
 golden cars. The first of these lived about 
 fifty years before Christ, the second in the 
 beginning of the first century, and the last at 
 the close of the fifth. It is probable that the 
 Britons wished to conceal the rich mines of 
 Cardiganshire, from the avaricious Romans, 
 and this nest of riches might be one reason, 
 why these old Silures fought so manfully for 
 their country, under Caractacus and others. 
 Indeed, the speech of that celebrated chief 
 proves that Ihey had at that time, and wished 
 still to keep the knowledge of the mines from 
 the Romans, as Caractacus asks why they 
 should covet his poor huts, when they had 
 such splendid palaces of their own. Had tlie 
 
 L 
 
116 
 
 Romans been acquainted with the riches of 
 this country, they would have replied that it 
 was not the huts, but the mines they wanted. 
 If, therefore, the Romans did work these 
 mines, which must be mere conjecture, as no 
 Roman coins, or any other vestiges of that 
 people are ever found in them, it must have 
 been not much more than during two hundred 
 years. The Welsh, as has been observed, un- 
 derstood the use of metals, but after the de- 
 parture of the Romans, self-preservation was 
 all they could attend to, and peaceful science 
 gave place to cruel wars. Yet, notwithstand- 
 ing this, it must have been owing to these 
 riches, in a great measure, that they were en- 
 abled to carry on the wars against the English. 
 For some centuries after the conquest in Eng- 
 land, the Crown asserted its prerogative in the 
 ownership of all mines and minerals. No 
 person could search for ore unless empowered 
 by the royal grant, which was sometimes con- 
 fined to particular counties, and sometimes 
 extended to the kingdom at large. By certain 
 legal instruments, in the reign of Elizabeth, as 
 well as by those of former reigns, a power was 
 given to sink shafts any where, except in gar- 
 dens, or under the foundations of castles or 
 
117 
 
 houses. This unlimited invasion of private 
 property, and public rights, asserted immemo- 
 rially, but irreconcileable to reason and jus- 
 tice, was resisted, though unsuccessfully, by 
 the Earl of Northumberland, in a suit with 
 the Crown, or the persons holding under it, 
 respecting the copper mines on his mannor of 
 Keswick. The lawyers decided for the pre- 
 rogative, on the ground that gold or silver 
 found in any mine, constituted that a royal 
 mine ; and as the baser metals, in most cases^, 
 contain some particles of the nobler, the dis- 
 covery of the smallest particle, of however 
 little value, transferred that mineral property 
 from the hands of the subject, to the Crown. 
 In the reign of William and Mary, the Crown 
 abandoned its pretension to copper, tin, iron, 
 and lead mines, only claiming the gold or 
 silver contained in the ore, whatever may be 
 its quantity, at the current price of the base 
 metal, of which the ore professedly consists. 
 
118 
 
 Sixteen mites from Aberystwyth. 
 
 Havod, the splendid seat of the celebrated 
 T. Johnes, Esq. stands on a rich lawn, amidst 
 scenery of the most romantic description. It 
 is a light and airy edifice, in the Gothic style, 
 the interior of which is commodious, and 
 magnificently furnished ; the library contains 
 many scarce and valuable books, and the apart- 
 ments are decorated with paintings by the first 
 Masters. Mr. Johnes was a benefactor to the 
 country in the largest sense of the word. A 
 Philosopher has said, that the man who makes 
 two blades of grass grow where only one grew 
 before, is greater than the greatest hero : if 
 this be true, Mr. Johnes must rank before all 
 the conquerors of the world, as he has made 
 the barren wilderness around him to smile, and 
 converted the worthless heath into weaving 
 
 ♦ On Friday, March 13th, 1807, a fire broke out in this 
 splendid mansion, and raged with such fury, that the whole 
 house was completely destroyed. The rich furniture, nu- 
 merous paintings, the greatest part of the books, many va- 
 luable manuscripts, &c. fell a prey to the flames. The loss 
 was estimated at ^"70,000, and some of the articles no money 
 can replace. The house has been rebuilt in the same style, 
 JJavod Implies " Summer residence." 
 
119 
 
 woods, luxuriant cornfields, and pastures; The 
 adjoining pleasure grounds are extremely 
 beautiful, and contain some fine cascades, 
 which merit a particular detail. The most 
 romantic scenery here displays itself; and in 
 this apparently wild country, two flower gar- 
 dens are astonishingly placed on the summit of 
 two rocks. One of these is ornamented with a 
 Doric temple, from a design in Stuart's Athens. 
 The other garden, called " Miss Jolines's," is 
 ornamented with a a beautiful column, for the 
 the late Duke of Bedford ; a curious moss 
 house and vase, by Banks, on which a few lines 
 to the memory of a Robin Redbreast, from the 
 muse of Rogers, are inscribed. A cold bath, 
 pineries, peacheries, graperies, &c. are here, 
 and the strangely extreme contrast of foaming 
 cataracts. For a minute account of the va- 
 luable paintings and decorations of Havod, the 
 reader is referred to " Meyrick's History and 
 Antiquities of Cardiganshire," whence we ex- 
 tract the following well written remarks, after 
 the dreadful fire which destroyed this princely 
 mansion. " Independently of the £30,000 for 
 which a part was insured, Colonel Jolines's" 
 loss is estimated at £70,000. But the pecu- 
 niary loss to a man of true taste^ whose whole 
 life had been occupied in forming the most 
 
120 
 
 astonishiiijr concentration of literature and the 
 fine arts, must be but trifling, when compared 
 with the dreadful sight of sudden desolation to 
 all his labours. However, happily for him- 
 self and those devoted to literature and taste, 
 his assiduity and perseverance in making this 
 wonder of Wales, have only been equalled by 
 his more than human reconciliation to the cir- 
 cumstance, and his determined resolution to 
 raise another Phoenix " 
 
 Havod has been visited and described by 
 writers of the first eminence, but every at- 
 tempted description has ended with the wri- 
 ter's declaration of inability to do justice to 
 his subject ; such was the case with Cumber- 
 land, whose masterly picture (far the best on 
 record,) he modestly calls ''An attempt to 
 describe Havod /' therefore, as the most em- 
 phatic close to a subject literally inexhaustible 
 to pause and dilate on, we present the reader 
 with 
 
 Havod is a place in itself so pre-eminently 
 beautiful that it highly merits a particular 
 description. It stands surrounded by so many 
 
 I 
 
121 
 
 noble scenes, diversified with elegance as well 
 as with grandeur ; the country on the approach 
 to it, is so very wild and uncommon, and the 
 place itself is now so embellished by art, that 
 it will be difficult, I believe, to point out a 
 spot that can be put in competition with it, 
 considered as the object of the Painter's eye, 
 the Poet's mind, or as a desirable residence for 
 those who, admirers of the beautiful wildness 
 of Nature, love also to inhale the pure air of 
 aspiring mountains, and enjoy that "Santo 
 pace," as the Italians expressively term it, 
 which arises from solitudes made social by a 
 family circle. From the porticos, it com- 
 mands a woody, narrow winding vale; the 
 undulating forms of whose ascending, shaggy 
 sides, are richly clothed with various foliage, 
 broken with silver waterfalls, and crowned 
 with climbing sheepwalks stretching to the 
 clouds. 
 
 Neither are the luxuries of life absent ; for 
 on the margin of the Ystwyth, where it flows 
 broadest through this delicious vale, we see 
 hot-houses and a conservatory; beneath the 
 rocks a bath ; amid the recesses of the wood a 
 flower garden ; and within the building, whose 
 
122 
 
 decorations, though rich, are pure and simple, 
 we find a mass of rare and valuable literature, 
 whijse pages here seem doubly precious, where 
 meditation finds a scope to range unmolested. 
 
 In a word, so many are the delights afforded 
 by the scenery of this place and its vicinity, 
 to a mind imbued with any taste, that the 
 impression on mine was increased after an 
 interval of ten years from the first visit, em- 
 ployed chiefly in travelling among the Alps 
 and Appenines, the Sabine hills and the Ty- 
 rolese, along the shores of the Adriatic, over 
 the Glaciers of Switzerland, and up the Rhine ; 
 where, though in search of beauty, I never, I 
 feel, saw any thing so fine — never so many 
 pictures concentrated in one spot; so that, 
 warned by the renewal of my acquaintance 
 with them, I am irresistibly urged to attempt 
 a description of the hitherto almost virgin 
 liaunts of these obscure mountains. 
 
 Wales and its borders, both north and south, 
 abound at intervals with fine things — Pierce- 
 field has grounds of great magnificence, and 
 Avonderfully picturesque beauty ; Downton 
 Castle has a delicious woody vale, most taste- 
 
123 
 
 fully managed ; Llangollen is brilliant ; the 
 banks of the Conway savagely grand; Bar- 
 mouth romantically rural; the great Pistill 
 Rhayader is horribly wild ; Rhayader Wennol 
 gay, and gloriously irregular ; — each of which 
 merits a studied description. But at Havod 
 and its neighbourhood^ IJind the effects of all 
 in one circle; united with this peculiarity, 
 that the deep dingles, and mighty woody 
 slopes, which from a different scource, con- 
 duct the Rheidol's never-failing waters from 
 Plymlimon, and the Mynach, are of an unique 
 character, as mountainous forests, accompany- 
 ing gigantic si/e with graceful forms : and 
 taken altogether, I see the sv/eetest interchange 
 of hill and valley, rivers, woods, and plains, 
 and falls with forests crowned, rocks, dens, 
 and caves ; insomuch that it requires little en- 
 thusiasm there, to feel forcibly with Milton, 
 
 " All things that be. 
 Send up from Earth's great altar silent praise." 
 
 There are four fine walks from the house, 
 chiefly through ways artificially made by the 
 propietor ; all dry, kept clean, and composed 
 of materials found on the spot; which is chiefly 
 a coarse stone, of a greyish cast, friable in 
 many places, and like slate, but oftener con« 
 l2 
 
124 
 
 sisting of immense masses, that cost the Miner 
 in making some part of these walks excessive 
 labour; for there are places where it was ne- 
 cessary to perforate the rock many yards, in 
 order to pass a promontory, that jutting across 
 the way, denied further access, and to go round 
 which you must have taken a great tour, and 
 made a fatiguing descent. As it is, the walks 
 are so constructed, that few are steep; the 
 transitions easy, the returns commodious, and 
 the branches distinct. Neither are they too 
 many, for much is left to future projectors ; 
 land if a man be stout enough to range the un- 
 derwoods, and fastidious enough to reject all 
 trodden paths, he may, almost every where, 
 stroll from the studied line, till he be glad to 
 regain the friendly conduct of the well-known 
 way. Yet, one must be nice, not to be content 
 at first, to visit the best points of view by the 
 general routine ; for all that is here done, has 
 been to remove obstructions, reduce the ma- 
 terials, and conceal the art ; and we are no 
 where presented with attempts to force the 
 untamed streams, or indeed, to invent any 
 thing where Nature, the great mistress, has left 
 all art behind. 
 
125 
 Sttata ^loriUa; 
 
 OR, YSTRAD FLUR ABBEY. 
 
 Sixteen miles from Aberystwyth. 
 
 Ystrad Flur (pronounced Ystrad Fleer) sig- 
 nifies "the plain near the Flur ;" and its more 
 general name of Strata Florida, is of the same 
 import, as Flur signifies blooming,* which 
 like all proper names in Wales, was fully cha- 
 racteristic, as the river ran through a country 
 very luxuriant, that formed a beautiful con- 
 trast to the dreary barren hills encompassing 
 it. Ystrad Flur was most noted for its once 
 celebrated Abbey, the rival of Conway for the 
 favour and munificence of the Welsh Princes, 
 the chief depot of the records of the nation, 
 and all that was valuable and civilized. The 
 original structure was founded by Rhys ap 
 
 * The moyA fliir is used in this sense by the Welsh Lyric 
 Poet, David ap Gwelym, who flourished about the year 
 1400. He says, 
 
 " Digon i'r byd o degwch 
 Eigyr brydyZwr, a brad flwch," 
 that is " Enough of beauty for the world, is the blooming 
 countenance of the nymph of ready deceit." And again 
 he says, 
 
 " Arglwys hevijlur y glasbawr." 
 
 which means, " And the purely gay bloom of the green pas- 
 ture." 
 
 L o 
 
126 
 
 Griffith, Prince of South Wales, in 1164, but 
 to what order of monks dedicated, is not pre- 
 cisely agreed upon among our antiquaries. 
 The present structure was built, according to 
 Dugdale, by the Abbot, in the reign of Ed- 
 ward I. in the year 1294, but the original one 
 stood about two miles from this, in a south- 
 west direction, on a plain near the river Flur, 
 where still remains an old building, now used 
 as a barn, called Hen Monachlog, which means 
 "the old Abbey." The present Strata Flo- 
 rida, is retiredly situated upon excellent mea- 
 dow land, and near the beautiful and rapid 
 Teivy. The church is a paltry edifice, erected 
 in the cemetery of the abbey, which stands to 
 the south, proudly overtopping its contempti- 
 ble rival. The old church-yard, as it is called, 
 is a very large plot of ground, surrounded with 
 a stone wall, but the present one is about two 
 acres. The extent of the old cemetery is said 
 to be one hundred and twenty acres, and 
 leaden coffins are frequently dug up within 
 that space ; but what tends most to confirm 
 this is, that so much of the abbey land does 
 not pay tithe. Leland says thirty-nine yews 
 were once standing in it; and tradition re- 
 cords, that David ab Gwelym is buried under 
 
127 
 
 one of them. The historical notices of Strata 
 Florida, are too numerous and extensive to be 
 quoted here at large ; therefore let it suffice to 
 observe, that among the various records and 
 literary treasures preserved here, were several 
 copies of the Chronicles written by Caradoc 
 of Llancarvan : and the succession of the 
 Princes, recorded from the year 1156 till 1270, 
 the moment of Llewelyn ap Griffith's unhappy 
 fall. At that period, the reverend Ecclesias- 
 tics of Strata Florida quitted that sequestered 
 abode, and were the bearers of their Prince's 
 remonstrance to the English Throne ; and in- 
 terceded with the Archbishops of Canterbury 
 and York, for their good offices in relieving 
 him from the insults and oppressions of tliose 
 pests of humanity, the Lords of the Marches. 
 Not the least among its claims to the attention 
 of posterity was its magnificence in the year 
 1237, when Llewelyn ap lorwerth invited all 
 the lords and barons of Wales to Ystrad Flur, 
 and required from them the oaths of allegiance 
 to his son David. Those Avho now visit the 
 spot will scarcely credit, at first sight, that the 
 whole country round could furnish accommo- 
 dation for such a company, or that this could 
 be the theatre of such ceremonies, as now are 
 
128 
 
 solemnized under the awful roof of Westmin- 
 ster. But when they call to mind the influence 
 of superstition, and the immense territorial 
 possessions of the Abbey, they will have no 
 cause to wonder. The Welsh princes, lords, 
 and eminent characters buried here, were very 
 many. During the period from the disso- 
 lution to the present time, this once proud 
 edifice has been rapidly decaying; all that 
 now remains is the western entrance of the 
 church, a very fine specimen of the Saxon 
 arch, and a Gothic window of the south aisle. 
 A lofty pile which once formed the western an- 
 gle of the north transept, seems as if it had not 
 long to survive its long-fallen kindred heaps. 
 Some of the out-houses still remain. The ar- 
 chitecture of the abbey was the circular arch, 
 as appears by the western door, a print of the 
 abbey by Buck, shewing the window of the 
 north transept before it fell, and from several 
 freestone ornaments having circles touching 
 each other carved on them, once formed arches. 
 The walls had glazed tiles affixed to them, in 
 the style of the paintings we meet with in old 
 Missals, marked with quatrefoils ; and these 
 are frequently dug up, as are the tiles of the 
 pavement, which consisted of interesting cir- 
 
1^ 
 
 cles, &c. Painted glass has also been found ; 
 indeed it seems that no expence was spared to 
 render this a most magnificent building. 
 
 " Now Teivi let us tell thy sundry glories here." 
 
 Dravton. 
 
 The Teivy, although not in the immediate 
 vicinity of Aberystwyth, is still within the 
 day's sport of the enterprising angler ; and 
 being by far the noblest river of Wales, is too 
 tempting a subject to pass by unnoticed. The 
 Teivy, rises in Llyn Teivy, or Teivy Lake, 
 which is in the mountain, about two miles to 
 the north-east of Strata Florida. On the top 
 of this mountain are Rye lakes, of which the 
 Teivy is the principal. Its circumference may 
 probably be about a mile and a half. It is said 
 not to have been fathomed, and is encompassed 
 by a high and perpendicular ridge, which at 
 once feeds and confines its everlasting waters. 
 It has been thought by some to have been a 
 crater, but the stones with which the margins 
 of all these lakes abound (and none so much as 
 Llyn Teivy) bear at present no volcanic ap- 
 pearance. The other lakes being higher, ther^ 
 
ISO 
 
 is no prospect here except in the direction of 
 Strata Florida; and that, though extensive, 
 has little beauty. The rocks and stones with 
 which the ground is encumbered, without any 
 relief or vegetation, render the appearance of 
 the mountain itself uncouth and disgusting. 
 The distant hills on this side have no very 
 striking character, and the flat which inter- 
 venes is so low, as to be indistinct. Leland 
 says, "of al the pooles none standith in so 
 rokky snd stony soil as Tyve doth, that hath 
 withyn hym riany slonis. The ground al 
 about TjvQ, and a great mile of toward Strat- 
 fler, is horrible with the sighte of bare stones, 
 as Cregeryri Mountains be. Llin Tyve is in 
 compare a iii quarters of a mile, being ii miles 
 be east from Stratefiere. It is fedde fro hyer 
 Places, with a little Broket, and issueth out 
 again by a smaulle Gut. Ther is in it veri 
 good Trouttes and Elys, and noe other Fisch. 
 Tyve (river) rennith from the hedde stil almost 
 playne west, ontille he touch ith within a vi 
 miles of Cuirmardin, and then turnith toward 
 the north." The river Teivy issues from the 
 lake by so small an outlet, as seems impossible 
 to form so bold a river as it appears near Car- 
 digan, Its course down the mountains is much 
 
131 
 
 retarded by rocks ; it rumbles through the 
 stony tract without any decided channel, and 
 is not invested with the usual appendage of 
 banks, till it reaches Strata Florida. A dry 
 catalogue of all the curvings and feedings of 
 the Teivy, from the various brooks, streams, 
 and rivers, would aiford the reader no amuse- 
 ment, we therefore i)ass all by till it reaches 
 Newcastle Emlyn. Here its course becomes 
 impeded by rocks, through which it furrows a 
 deep tortuous, and noisy course, and rolls with 
 much impetuosity under the venerable bridge. 
 The castle is almost surrounded by it, and it 
 serves the purpose of a moat, which is double 
 where the river first comes in. The verdure 
 of the valley, thus intersected, adds a Iiigh 
 gree of beauty to the singularity of the cir- 
 cumstance. This horseshoe bend is far more 
 curious and striking than that on the Wye. 
 Nothing of particular interest now occurs, till 
 the river approaches the neighbourhood of 
 Cardigan, when a grand object presents itself 
 on the Pembrokeshire side, the vast and mas- 
 sive remains of 
 
 CILGERRAN CASTLE, 
 
 which crowns a tremendous precipice, and 
 
132 
 
 consists principally of two circular towers, 
 with part of a gateway finely mantled w ith ivy. 
 Rather lower down, on the opposite side, is a 
 house standing in a wood, called Coedmawr. 
 Here also was anciently a castle. The river 
 continues a north-western course, between two 
 and three miles further, when Cardigan, the 
 county town, presents itself to the view. This, 
 from its sitation, is in Welsh called Aberteivy. 
 Here a river, four miles in extent, from the 
 north, flows into it. Having now materially 
 enlarged its stream, the Teivy takes a curve 
 round an old fort, and flows with surprising 
 grandeur into St. George's channel. The 
 Teivy salmon are well known in England for 
 their superiority, and no river in Wales can 
 produce their equal. The following account, 
 from Giraldus Cambrensis, of a celebrated 
 
 SALMON LEAP, 
 
 will be found particularly interesting. " The 
 noble river Teivi flows here, and abounds 
 more than any other river of Wales with the 
 finest salmon. It has a productive fishery near 
 Cilgerran, which is situated on the summit of 
 a rock, at a place called Canorch Mawr, the 
 ancient residence of St. Ludoc ; where the ri- 
 
133 
 
 ver falling from a great height forms a cataract, 
 which the salmon ascend by leaping from tlie 
 bottom to the top of a rock, which is about the 
 height df the longest spear ; and would ap- 
 pear wonderful, were it not the nature of that 
 species of fish to leap : hence they have re- 
 ceived the name of salmon from salio. Their 
 particular manner of leaping (as I have speci- 
 fied in my Topography of Ireland) is thus : 
 Fish of this kind, naturally swimming against 
 the course of the river, (for as birds fly against 
 the wind, so do fish swim against the stream,) 
 on meeting with any sudden obstacle, bend 
 their tail towards their mouth, and sometimes, 
 in order to give a greater power to their leap, 
 they press it with their mouths, and suddenly 
 freeing themselves from this circular form, 
 they spring with great force (like a bow let 
 loose) from the bottom to the top of the leap, 
 to the great astonishment of the beholders. 
 The church, dedicated to St. Ludoc, the mill, 
 bridge, salmon leap, and orchard, with a de- 
 lightful garden, all stand together on a small 
 plot of ground." Giraldus next goes on to 
 describe an animal, once exclusively a native 
 of the Teivy, but existing no more in Britain, 
 
 M 
 
134 
 
 THE BEAVER. 
 
 As this has been thought by some, a subject 
 of curiosity, and by others made a bone of 
 controversy, it may not be amiss to give the 
 account of Giraldus and his commentators on 
 that head. Giraldus continues, "The Teivy 
 has another singular particularity, being the 
 only river in Wales, or even in England, which 
 has Beavers. In Scotland they are said to be 
 found in one river, but are very scarce. I 
 think it not a useless labour, to insert a few re- 
 marks respecting the nature of these animals ; 
 the manner in which they bring their materials 
 from the woods to the water, and with what 
 skill they connect them in the construction of 
 their dwellings in the midst of rivers ; their 
 means of defence on the eastern and western 
 sides against hunters, and also . concerning 
 their fish-like tails. The Beavers, in order to 
 construct their castles in the middle of rivers, 
 make use of animals of their own species in- 
 stead of carts, who, by a wonderful mode of 
 carriage, convey the trees from the woods to 
 the rivers. Some of them obeying the dictates 
 of nature, receive on their bellies the logs of 
 -wood cut off by their associates, which they 
 
135 
 
 hold tight with their feet, and thus, with tra- 
 verse pieces placed in their mouths, are drawn 
 along backwards, with their cargo, by other 
 Beavers who fasten themselves with their teeth 
 to the raft. The Moles use a similar artifice in 
 clearing out the dirt from the cavities they form 
 by scraping. In some deep and still corner of 
 the river, the Beavers use such skill in the con- 
 struction of their habitations, that not a drop 
 of water can penetrate, or the force of storms 
 shake them ; nor do they fear any violence, 
 but that of mankind, nor even that, unless well 
 armed : they entwine the branches of willows 
 with other wood, and different kinds of leaves, 
 to the usual height of the water, and having 
 made withinside a communication from floor 
 to floor, they elevate a kind of stage or scaffold, 
 from which they may observe and watch the 
 rising of the waters. In the course of time, 
 their habitations bear the appearance of a 
 grove of willow trees, rude and natural witli- 
 out, but artfully constructed within. This 
 animal can remain in or under water at its 
 pleasure, like the frog or seal, who shew, by 
 the smoothness or roughness of their skins, the 
 flux aud reflux of the sea ; these three animals 
 therefore live indifferently under the water, or 
 M 2 
 
 1 
 
136 
 
 in the air, and have short legs, broad bodies, 
 stubbed tails, and resemble the mole in their 
 corporal shape. It is worthy of remark, that 
 the Beaver has but four teeth, two above and 
 two below, which being broad and sharp, cut 
 like a carpenter's axe, and as such he uses 
 them. They make excavations and dry hiding- 
 places, in the banks near their dwellings, and 
 when they hear the stroke of the hunter, who 
 with sharp poles endeavours to penetrate them, 
 they fly as soon as possible to the defence of 
 their castles, having first blown out the water 
 from the entrance of the hole, and rendered it 
 foul and muddy by scraping the earth, in 
 order thus artfully to elude the stratagems of 
 the well armed hunter, who is watching them 
 from the opposite banks of the river. ¥/hen 
 the Beaver finds he cannot save himself from 
 the pursuit of the dogs who follow him, that 
 he may ransom his body by the sacrifice of a 
 part, he throws away that which by natural 
 instinct he knows to be the object sought for, 
 and in the sight of the hunter castrates him- 
 self; from which circumstance he has gained 
 the name of Castor : and if by chance the dogs 
 should chase an animal which had been pre- 
 viously castrated, he has the sagacity to run 
 
137 
 
 to an elevated spot, and there lifting up his 
 leg, shews the hunter that the object of his 
 pursuit is gone." 
 
 Cicero, speaking of them, says, " They ran- 
 some themselves by that part of the body for 
 which they are chiefly sought after." And 
 Juvenal says, 
 
 " Qui se 
 
 Eunuchum ipse facit evadere damno 
 Testiculi." 
 
 And St. Bernard, 
 
 " Prodit enim castor proprio de corpore velox 
 Reddere, quas sequitur hostis avaras opes." 
 
 Thus therefore in order to preserve his skin, 
 which is sought after in the west, and the 
 medicinal parts of his body, which is coveted 
 in the east, although he cannot save himself 
 entirely, yet, by a wonderful instinct and sa- 
 gacity, he endeavours to avoid the stratagems 
 of his pursuers. The Beavers have broad 
 short tails, thick, like the palm of a hand, 
 which they use as a rudder in swimming ; and 
 although the rest of their body is hairy, this 
 part, like that of seals, is without hair and 
 smooth, upon which account, in Germany and 
 the Arctic Regions, where Beavers abound^ 
 M 3 
 
138 
 
 great and religious persons in times of fast- 
 ing, eat the tails of this fish-like animal, as 
 having both the taste and colour of fish. Sir 
 Ilichard Hoare, the last commentator on Gi- 
 raldus, very erroneously imagines the Beaver 
 and the common Otter to be one and the same 
 creature, as two distinct animals are men- 
 tioned in the Welsh Laws, the Llostydan, or 
 broad-tailed. Beaver, and the Dyvrgi, or Ot- 
 ter. The former being estimated in those laws 
 at the exorbitant price of one hundred and 
 twenty pence, and the latter only at eight 
 pence. 
 
 Naturalists give the following account of 
 the Beaver. It is about three feet in length, 
 and its remarkable tail nearly a foot. The 
 head is thick and pyramidal, ending in a blunt 
 nose. There are two strong cutting teeth in 
 each jaw, and four grinders on each side in 
 both jaws. The ears are short and nearly hid 
 in the fur. The tail, which is flat, thin hori- 
 zontally, and about three inches broad, has a 
 fourth part of its length, nearest the body, 
 bairy ; the rest, which is entirely naked of 
 hair, is covered with actual scales, like those 
 of a fish. The neck is thick and short ; and 
 
139 
 
 the body strongly made, and highly arched in 
 the back. The feet have five toes each, and 
 the fore feet, which are small, have the toes di- 
 vided : while the hind feet are not only large 
 but connected by a web or membrane. The 
 body is covered with two coats of fur : one of 
 which is very soft, downy, and of an ash co- 
 lour ; the other long, coarse, and of a chesnut 
 brown, which is the common colour of the 
 animal. The colour, however, greatly varies 
 in different parts of the world, being darker in 
 general, as we go further north ; so as, some- 
 times, to be found entirely black, which is 
 considered the most valuable fur. Not unfre- 
 quently the colour is uniformly white ; and 
 sometimes it is white spotted with ash colour, 
 or interspersed with reddish hairs. Cart- 
 wright, in his journal on the Coast of Labra- 
 dore, gives us a curious account of the houses 
 of these animals made with sticks, though not 
 so marvellous as that of Giraldus. Mr. Pen- 
 nant gives the following description of another 
 native of this river, 
 
 THE OTTER. 
 
 " It has a black nose ; and the upper jaw is 
 larger and broader than the lower. It has long 
 
140 
 
 white whiskers ; the eyes are hazel ; and the 
 ears are small, erect, and conic. In the upper 
 jaw are six cutting teeth, in the lower four. 
 The grinders are broad, adapted for break- 
 ing and comminuting crustaceous animals and 
 shell fish. The skin is thick ; the hair, which 
 is thick and long, is excessively black and 
 glossy ; and beneath it there is a soft down. 
 The colour sometimes varies to silvery. The 
 legs are thick and short ; the toes are covered 
 with hair, and joined by a web. The hind 
 feet are exactly like those of a seal, and have 
 a membrane skirting the outside of the exte- 
 rior, like that of a goose. The length from 
 nose to tail, is usually about three feet ; but 
 there have been instances of some being a foot 
 longer. The tail, which is thirteen inches and 
 a half long, is flat, fullest of hair in the middle, 
 and sharp pointed." In short, the description 
 of any of the three species of Otter, will by 
 no means apply to the Beaver. Among the 
 curious objects presented by the Teivy, will 
 be found those singular ancient boats called 
 
 CORACLES. 
 
 These curious vessels are constructed of wil- 
 low twigs, in the manner of basket-work, and 
 
141 
 
 are covered with a raw hide, or canvass 
 pitched in such a manner as to prevent leak- 
 ing. They are generally five feet and a half 
 long, and four broad, their bottom is a little 
 rounded, and their shape exactly oval. A 
 seat crosses just above the centre toward the 
 broad end. They are carried up against the 
 stream on the owner's back, sometimes many 
 miles, till arriving at the desired part of the 
 river it is put into the water, wlien the men 
 paddle down the river again with one hand, 
 and fish with the other. On coming to rocky 
 descents or falls in the river, they are lifted 
 out and carried past the spot of danger, when 
 the men resume their occupation, and when 
 their work is finished, bring home their boats 
 with them, on their backs. These simply-con- 
 structed vessels are specimens of the original 
 British navigation, according to Julius Cajsar, 
 who made them turn to a good account in 
 his Spanish expedition against Pompey ; for 
 CaBsar's bridges over the Segre, being hurried 
 away by the torrent, he transported his le- 
 gions across it in vessels of this construction. 
 Pliny, in his account of Britain, speaks of 
 a six days' navigation in the open sea with 
 these coracles. 
 
142 
 
 From Carlisle and Meyrick. 
 
 The History of this castle is interesting : it 
 is said to have been the residence of Cadwala- 
 der, the last King of the Britons: in llOQj 
 when Cadwgan ap Bleddyn's dominions were 
 bestowed on Gilbert Strongbow, Earl of Stri- 
 gil, this fortress fell of course to his possession : 
 in III65 Griffith ap Rhys laid seige to it, but 
 was dreadfully handled by Ralph Steward: 
 in 1135, Owen Gwyneth and Cadwalader, his 
 brother, in revenge for their sister's murder 
 by Maurice de Londres, destroyed this castle, 
 which was very strong, and well garrisoned. 
 It seems, however, to have been soon repaired 
 or rebuilt by Cadwalader, who is styled. Lord 
 of Cardigan, and had his usual residence in 
 this castle, until the unnatural rencontre be- 
 tween him and his son-in-law, Anarod ap 
 Griffith, 
 
 " Animosus Anarawd a Socero cassus." 
 
 Pentarchia. 
 
 when it was burnt down by his brother, Owen 
 Gwyneth : in 1208, Maelgwn ap Rhys being 
 
143 
 
 Apprehensive of a hostile visit from Llewelyn 
 ap lorwerth, and despairing of making any 
 stand against him, demolished this his castle ; 
 it was rebuilt by Llewelyn: in 1211, King 
 John having subdued all Wales, on his depar- 
 ture, charged Foulke, Viscount Cardiff, War- 
 den of the Marches, to oblige Rhys and Owen 
 ap Griffith ap Rhys to surrender this castle, 
 with which they complied ; and it was fortified 
 by the Warden, but soon retaken and demo- 
 lished by Maelgwn and Rhys Vychan : in 
 1222, Rhys ap Griffith, having differed with 
 Llewelyn ap lorwerth respecting a division of 
 property, united his forces to those of the Earl 
 of Pembroke, which so irritated Llewelyn, that 
 he took his castle of Aberystwyth and all its 
 dependences : from this period history is silent, 
 until the year 1277, when Rhys ap Meredith 
 of the Royal House of South Wales, surren- 
 dered the strong fortress of Ystrad Towy to 
 Edward I. who for the better defence of his 
 newly-acquired possession, erected a castle at 
 Aberystwyth, which was taken, in 1282, by 
 Rhys ap Maelgwn and Griffith ap Meredith 
 ap Owen, with other Noblemen of South 
 Wales : it was taken by the Prince of Wales, 
 during the insurrection of Owen Glyndower ; 
 
144 
 
 but soon retaken by Owen, who garrisoned 
 it strongly with his brave countrymen. 
 
 Carlisle. 
 
 It seems that in the year 1114 Griffith ap 
 Rhys having gained many signal victories 
 over the Normans, the inhabitants of Cardi- 
 ganshire, fearing his next expedition might 
 be against them, sent to him an offer of the 
 government of their country. But still, seve- 
 ral Normans remained in the country ; and 
 the first step Griffith ap Rhys took, was to 
 besiege them in Cardigan Iscoed, in a fort 
 built by the Flemings called Blaen Forth 
 Gwythan. Having conquered them here, he 
 pursued and destroyed them as far as Penme- 
 dic; then taking the castle of Stradpeithyll, he 
 encamped at Plas Crug, purposing to besiege 
 Aberystwyth castle next morning ; but want 
 of provision for his army, induced him to take 
 cattle from the sanctuary of Llanbadarn, which 
 much provoked the clergy. The next morn- 
 ing he encamped on the side of Pendinas hill, 
 where he summoned a council to determine 
 what engines could be most advantageously 
 employed in the siege. The Normans ob- 
 serving their disorder, sent out some archers 
 
145 
 
 to skirmish with them, and by degrees to draw 
 them to the bridge over the Rheidol, where 
 some of the best armed horsemen were ready 
 to set upon them. The Welsh, not knowing 
 the number of the garrison, hastily pursued 
 the Normans, who had feigned a retreat to the 
 bridge ; when here, some Norman horse also 
 appearing to be discomfited, the Welsh fol- 
 lowed the Normans to the castle. In the 
 mean time a party of horse that had been sta- 
 tioned in ambuscade, fell upon their rear, and 
 those who afiected to fly, now faced about, 
 and attacked them most furiously in front, so 
 that every man of the Welsh army was cut to 
 pieces. Meyrick. 
 
 i^Ia^ (Itxng* 
 
 Its occupation by Owen Glyndower. — His Treaty with Charles 
 ri. of France, 6fc. 
 
 There are few places that have suffered 
 greater vicissitudes, or that offer to our con- 
 templation greater contrasts than Plas Crug, 
 in its present repreliensible degradation, com- 
 pared with its olden fame and magnificence. 
 The ancient, and favourite seat of Princes- — 
 
 N 
 
146 
 
 the palace of the Rheidol — the well- defended 
 and impregnable castle of Llanbadarn (as it 
 was also called,*) is row the disgrace of the 
 landscape, the eje-sore of the prospect, a blur 
 upon the face of nature, the very vilest of low 
 farms — attached to a square tower, the only 
 remaining portion of this once celebrated for- 
 tress ; which, to complete the acme of its 
 wretchedness, is so flooded in winter, as to be 
 absolutely isolated, and almost covered. At 
 all times it is completely surrounded by a bog. 
 Tradition says that there is a subterraneous 
 communication between this place and Llanba- 
 darn vawr, and even with Aberj- stwyth castle, 
 w hich, though strange, is not impossible ; but 
 no person pretends to shew the commencement 
 or termination of such passages. 
 
 Not the least among the glories of Plas Crug, 
 was the latest blaze of its magnificence — the 
 period of its occupation by that astonishing 
 character Owen Glyndower, in the brightest 
 season of his successes. It was here that the 
 French Plenipotentiaries were entertained by 
 
 * Plas Crug has been known I)y various names, and 
 among other, according to Pennant, it was called Ty Cryf, 
 or the Strong House. 
 
147 
 
 him, and a treaty offensive and defensive be- 
 tween France and Wales ratified, on the 12th 
 of January, 1405.* The Rev. Thomas Tho- 
 mas, the recent Biographer of Owen Glyn- 
 dower, says, " This grand league and alliance 
 "with the French nation, gave our countryman 
 a name among the nations of Europe." " The 
 Ambassadors chosen by Owen, to transact this 
 important affair, were his chancellor Griffith 
 Younge, Doctor of Laws, and his kinsman 
 John Hanmer. The instrument appointing 
 them Ambassadors, is dated from Dolgelley, in 
 a style worthy of a Prince of Wales : ' Datum 
 apud, Doleguelle, io die raensis Mali, M,CCCC. 
 quarto, et Principatus nostri quarto.' It begins, 
 'Owenus Dei gratia Princeps Walliae, &c.' The 
 Welsh Plenipotentiaries met with a most cor- 
 dial reception from the French King, and the 
 league was signed at Paris on the 14th of June, 
 1404. The persons that acted on the part of 
 Charles, were James Bourbon, the Earl of 
 March, and John, Bishop of Carnot. Owen's 
 Ambassadors signed their parts on the 14th 
 of July, in the house of Ferdinand de Corbey, 
 
 * The records of the said treaty and league are yet extant ; 
 the titles of them are thus : " Traicts de alliance faits enter 
 le Roy C. VI. et de Prince de Guales." " Tenor liberatum 
 procurat dicte divine nostri Francorum Regis," &c. 
 
 n2 
 
148 
 
 Chancellor of France, in the presence of seve- 
 ral prelates and persons of rank who attended 
 as witnesses." This treaty, as before observed, 
 was ratified by Owen at Plas Criig, in January 
 following. It is a singular circumstance, and 
 but little known, that Owen was acknowledged 
 by the French King as a legitimtae sovereign, 
 but although necessitated to enter into a truce 
 of thirty years with Henry, he could never be 
 brought to acknowledge his title to the crown. 
 In his treaties, Charles styles him only " notre 
 cousin d^Angleterre^'' or " Henry of Lancas- 
 ter," or " our adversary of England," or " the 
 successor of the late King." In summing up 
 the character of his hero, Mr. Thomas says, 
 " Glyndower, in person, is said to have been 
 tall, vigorous, dignified, and majestic, and per- 
 fect master of all the accomplishments of the 
 age. In manners, princely and engaging, in 
 address, easy, eloquent, and prepossessing ; a 
 srreat statesman in the cabinet, and a lion in 
 the field. With more moderation, and less 
 vindictiveness, he might have added lustre to a 
 crown ; but infected with an insuperable ran- 
 cour to the English, many acts fall to the pro- 
 vince of the historian to record, inconsistent 
 with justice or humanity." He might have 
 
149 
 
 added, "with truth, that the worst of his vices 
 were equalled by his contemporary and foe 
 Henry IV. as far as his more limited capacity 
 admitted. Mr. Thomas further adds, " Though 
 traduced by monks, and slandered by contem- 
 porary writers, our hero died unsubdued, un- 
 fortunate only in the prospect of a second 
 subjugation of his country, after all his efforts 
 for its emancipation and independency. — The 
 struggle, though unsuccessful, merits the ap- 
 plause of posterity ; it proved that oppression 
 was not to be borne with impunity, nor rapa- 
 ciousness pass unredressed." It is worthy of 
 remark, as a curious historical coincidence, 
 that while Owen Glyndower was possessed of 
 Plas Crug, or Llanbadarn castle, Henry of 
 Monmouth, the Prince of Wales, (afterwards 
 King Henry V.) was master of Aberystwyth 
 castle, till dispossessed of it by the former. 
 The Biographer of Owen Glyndower says, 
 " Two such powerful rivals could not reside 
 so near each other as Llanbadarn and Aberyst- 
 wyth. At this juncture it was the lot of young 
 Henry to make way, and surrender this im- 
 portant castle to one, who styled himself also 
 Prince of Wales; and claimed, as descendant 
 of the princes thereof. Upon its surrender to 
 n3 
 
150 
 
 Gwen, it was garrisoned strongly with ap-* 
 proved Welshmen, and retained for about four 
 years. The acquisition of this fortress, strong 
 by nature and art, eminent once as the Palace 
 of Cadwalader,* the last King of the Britons, 
 was highly valuable." Wales had always been 
 the seat of the muses, a land of harmony ; and 
 in common with his countrymen, Glyndower 
 possessed a vein of bardism : the following 
 extempore effusion is one of the few remains 
 of his poetic efforts. Soon after the commit- 
 ment to prison of the celebrated David Gam, 
 who had attempted his life, Owen visited the 
 marches of Wales, destroying all, with fire and 
 sword. Gam's house was burnt, and during 
 the conflagration, calling to one of David's 
 tenants, Owen with all the sangfroid imagin- 
 able, spoke to him in verse, thus : 
 
 " O Gweli di wr coch Cam,-\- 
 
 Yn ymof^n y Gyrnig^ven, 
 Dywed ei bod hi tan y Ian, 
 
 A nod y glo ar ei phen." 
 
 TRANSLATION. 
 
 '^ See'st thou a red hair'd squinting man 
 His lost sheep anxious seeking, 
 
 * After Cadwalader, the Welsh sovereigns were styled 
 Princes instead of Kings. 
 
 + Cam is rendered one-eyed by some, by others maimed. 
 
151 
 
 Tell him she lies heneath the hill 
 With marks of fire reeking." 
 
 Even the first of bards, Shakspeare, has 
 contributed largely to the establishment of 
 Glyndower's fame, although in compliment to 
 his own countrymen, he has sometimes held 
 his "art magic" up to ridicule, and made him 
 the partial mark of obloquy. King Henry re- 
 plies, to one who vaunted of having combated 
 with Glyndower, 
 
 I'll not believe it! 
 
 alone. 
 
 As Owen of Glyndower for an enemy." 
 
 He makes Owen say of himself, 
 
 " At my birth 
 
 The front of Heaven was full of fiery shapes ; 
 The Goats ran from the mountains, and the herds 
 Were strangely clamorous in the frighted fields : 
 These signs have marked me extraordinary, 
 And all the courses of my life do shew, 
 I am not in the roll of common men." 
 » * * * 
 
 " Where is he, living, dipt in with the sea 
 
 That chides the banks of England, Wales, or Scotland, 
 
 Who calls me pupil, or has read to me? 
 
 And bring him out, that is but woman's son. 
 
 Can trace me in the tedious ways of art. 
 
 Or hold me pace in deep experiments ; 
 
 I can call spirits from the vasty deep." 
 
 Before the battle of Shrewsbury, he is re- 
 
152 
 
 presented, ostentatiously vain of his successes 
 and Henry's defeats, boasting by affirming 
 
 *' Three times hath Henry Bolingbroke made head 
 Against my power ; thrice from the banks of Wye, 
 And sandy-bottom'd Severn, have I sent 
 Him bootless home, and weather-beaten back." 
 
 The news of Owen's victory at Brynglas (a 
 mountain in Radnorshire,) is thus related to 
 the English king. 
 
 When all athwart there came 
 
 A post from Wales, loaden with heavy news, 
 Whose worst was, that the noble Mortimer, 
 Leading the men of Herefordshire to fight 
 Against the irregular and wild Glyndow'r, 
 Was by the rude hands of that Welshman taken." 
 
 The fame of Glyn dower still continues a 
 high source of pride to his countrymen, and 
 a favourite subject of the Welsh muse ; as one 
 of the latest proofs of which, we subjoin the 
 following ballad. 
 
 OWEN GLYNDOWER. 
 
 Owen Glyndow'r is the Cambrian's load-star, 
 
 Owen Glyndow'r is the mighty in war, — 
 
 At his beck, as inspired, in hundreds rush forth 
 
 The Chiefs and their hosts from the south and the north, 
 
 While maidens and matrons their heart's pray'rs pour, 
 
 For bliss on the hero — brave Owen Glyndow'r. 
 
 Northumberland's Percy is rich in a name. 
 While Bolingbroke's suddenly stolen on fame ; 
 
J 53 
 
 And Harry of Monmouth his more gallant son, 
 Shall live in far days for feats yet to be won ; — 
 But Glory owns not in her costliest store, 
 A name like the Dragon's, high Owen Glyndow'r. 
 
 Not Douglas the valiant, that high-hearted Scot, 
 The whirlwind of battle, the ligbt'ning brand hot, — 
 Not Hotspur the lion — the Mortimer wolf — 
 Both brave as the Roman who leap'd ruin's gulph 
 On the steed that the hero to Glory's arms bore, 
 Can shine like the dragon — dread Owen Glyndow'r, 
 
 And Owen hath risen to war for his own ; 
 He fights for a diadem, nation, and throne ; 
 Invested with splendour of majesty bright. 
 He moves in the beams of a people's delight : 
 No vain idle tournament calls forth his pow'r, 
 But mighty's the aim of great Owen Glyndow'r. 
 
 The sons of the Cymry have sorrow'd and wept. 
 And the slumber of ages their Dragon hath slept. 
 While the Norman and Sais have wielded the brand, 
 Usurpingly vaunted them lords of the land; 
 But the Dragon hath risen — terrific his roar. 
 As awful the name of dread Owen Glyndow'r. 
 
 The following ballad is written in a Ijric 
 measure peculiar to Welsh Poetry, the novelty 
 of which is not immediately discernible to the 
 English reader ; but which, to render more 
 conspicuous, is printed in italics : it will be 
 observed, that generally the fourth syllable in 
 every second line rhymes with the end of the 
 first line, throughout the stanza. 
 
154 
 
 THE DEATH OF GLYNDOWER. 
 
 The Sun of great Plantagenet,* 
 
 In storms had set, and ruin, 
 When proud usurping BolingbroJce 
 
 Sad Britain's yoke renewing ; 
 Which Cymry's son the brave Glyndotver, 
 
 With frowns of power viewing ; — 
 
 From the fealty oath unbound. 
 
 And Henry crown'd, all firing, 
 High hearted Owen claim'd aloud 
 
 His soul's avowed desiring, 
 Old Cymry's crown, his right of birth 
 
 And valiant worth aspiring. 
 
 Forth rush'd the chief of sky-crown'd lands, 
 
 Vvlth battling bands of thunder, 
 Wild as the falling cat'ract's roar, 
 
 That mountains tore asunder 5 
 His bearing was so princely bright. 
 
 Men mark'd his might with wonder. 
 
 Let not the sons of Saxons plume, 
 
 Nor dare presume to boast it; 
 That Owen fought for high renown 
 
 And Britain's crown, and lost it ; 
 The first he gain'd, his race the lasti 
 
 Though fortune's blast long cross'd it. 
 
 He greatly dared, he greatly did, 
 
 Till fate chid Owen's daring. 
 E'er great in life, and great in death. 
 
 Not while he'd breath despairing. 
 But like an Eagle shot \x\ flight 
 
 While, main and might uprearing. 
 
 * King Richard the Second. 
 
 + Alluding to the dynasty of the Tudors, of which race 
 was Owen Glyndower. 
 
155 
 
 It is hoped the above digression, which is 
 not entirely irrelevant, will be pardoned on 
 the score of national partiality towards the 
 brave and unfortunate chieftain of the Cymry. 
 To return to Plas Crug — it would be unjust 
 to close this article, without emphatically im- 
 pressing the undeniable fact, that it is beauti- 
 fully situate, for prospect and convenience, 
 on ground, that in the possession of a man of 
 taste might be built on, and rendered the most 
 admirable, the most enviable spot in the vici- 
 nity of Aberystwyth. 
 
 About eight miles from Aberystwyth, (Ma- 
 chynlleth road,) on a mountain called Pen 
 Sarn Ddu, between the rivers Ceulan and Clet- 
 twr, stands the remarkable structure called 
 Gwely Taliesin, or Taliesin's bed, said to be 
 the sepulchre of that celebrated bard. Its ap- 
 pearance is very striking. A large heap of 
 earth has been raised, and surrounded by two 
 circles of stones, the innermost of which is 
 twenty-seven feet in diameter, and the outer 
 one about thirty-one feet. In tlie centre of 
 this is the Gwely, which is composed of six 
 
156 
 
 stones, five placed so as make an oblong chest, 
 and another for its cover. The covering stone 
 has been taken off, and thrown on one side, 
 and measures upwards of six feet in length, and 
 three feet six inches in width. The chest itself 
 is three feet deep, six feet long, and two feet 
 three inches broad. The popular superstition 
 respecting this is, that should any one sleep 
 in the bed for one night, he would the next 
 day become either a poet or an idiot. Mey- 
 rick denies this to be Taliesin's grave, but the 
 arguments he adduces to prove the contrary 
 are far from conclusive. He says, "In this 
 chest, many years ago, was found a human 
 skull ; therefore, whether it was a cromlech, 
 and the skull that of a victim sacrificed, or the 
 sepulchral tumulus of an Arch Druid, and this 
 the remains of his reverend head, is a subject of 
 conjecture. That it was not the grave of Ta- 
 liesin, we may collect from the following con- 
 siderations. He flourished when Christianity 
 had taken deep root in Wales, and his works 
 throughout evince his sincere belief in the 
 christian doctrines. It was the custom after 
 the introduction of Christianity into Britain, 
 to make frequent use of the cross, and this 
 emblem was always carved on the sepulchral 
 
157 
 
 monuments of devout persons of that period, 
 as we have many examples even in this coun- 
 try. As Taliesin, therefore, was celebrated 
 as a pious christian, as well as an excellent 
 poet, such a monument would undoubtedly be 
 erected to him, and probably was, in North 
 Wales, where he spent the latter part of his 
 life." Such are Mr. Meyrick's objections, 
 which amount to this — that it cannot be Ta- 
 liesin's grave on account of the omission of the 
 cross on the monument, and the probability 
 of his burial in North Wales. Now, as the 
 whole of those obstructions are, avowedly, 
 mere conjecture, may we not combat them 
 with the same weapon, and fairly suppose 
 that the impression of a cross, on rough un- 
 hewed stone, under presumed disadvantages 
 of situation, might, in the course of thirteen 
 hundred years, be totally obliterated ? parti- 
 cularly when continually subjected to the in- 
 durating influence of the wind and rain. The 
 very meagre existing account of the bard's 
 life, exposes the latter part of it entirely to 
 conjecture ; and there is nothing to warrant 
 the supposition that he did not, before his 
 death, quit North Wales, die in his own coun- 
 o 
 
158 
 
 try, and inhabit this very sepulchre, so long 
 assigned to him by universal tradition. It 
 may be observed too, that the poems of Ta- 
 liesin are no less remarkable for their christian 
 tendency, than the intermixture of that faith 
 with the ancient British religion ; so much so, 
 as to contain the whole system of druidism.* 
 
 The following, (being one of a series of 
 Bardic Portraits,) inserted from the Cambro- 
 Briton, affords a clear view of this celebrated 
 Poet of the ancient Cymry. " Among the mo- 
 dern nations of Europe few, if any, can boast 
 of poetical remains of equal antiquity with 
 those claimed by the Welsh. And of these the 
 Works of Taliesin may be regarded in every 
 point of view as the most remarkable. Their 
 many references, both to historical events, and 
 to the mystical doctrines of the Druids, place 
 them in a pre-eminent rank as memorials of 
 the early age in which their author flourished, 
 — while the poetical excellence of most, how- 
 ever obscured by the lapse of time, proves 
 the justice of his claim to the honourable ap-i 
 
 * Vide " Hanes Taliesin," in the notes to the Land be- 
 neath the Sea, in Prichard's Welsh Minstrelsy. 
 
159 
 
 pellation, given him in the Triads, of ' Chief 
 of the Bards*.' There are seventy-eight poems 
 preserved under his name in the Archaiology 
 of Wales : and besides those, above noticed, of 
 an historical and mystical character, they com- 
 prise others, which may be described generally 
 as theological, encomiastic, elegiac, and ly- 
 rical. Many of these remains may be proved 
 to be genuine by the reference, which the bard 
 makes in them to himself as the author ;t and 
 others by their allusions to occurrences, which 
 are known from other sources to have hap- 
 pened in his time, as well as from the concur- 
 rent suffrage of later bards as to the fact. 
 
 '^According to these records, and also to 
 the testimony of some ancient MSS. the life of 
 Taliesin occupied about fifty years, during 
 the middle of the sixth century. The first 
 incident, which we learn of it, is similar to that 
 recorded of the infant Moses. For Taliesin is 
 reported to have been found, exposed in a 
 coracle, in a fishing wear, on the coast of 
 
 * The Triad, here alluded to, describes him also as one of 
 the three chief bards of the Isle of Britain with Merddin Em- 
 rys and Merddin, son of Morfryn, who was a pupil to Tali- 
 esin. — Arch, of Wales, vol. ii. p. 75. 
 
 + See Arch, of Wales, vol, i, p. 21 5 25,50, &c. 
 
 o 2 
 
160 
 
 Cardigan, belonging to Elflin, son of Gwyddner 
 Garanhir, king of Gwent. He was received, 
 from that moment, under the protection of El- 
 ifin, who must have continued his patronage 
 for some years, as we find, that he introduced 
 him afterwards to his father's court, upon 
 which occasion the young bard (for he is pre- 
 sumed to have been then a mere boy) presented 
 to Gwyddno his mystical poem, entitled Tali- 
 esin's History (Hanes Taliesin^), and to his 
 patron that called the Consolation of Elffin 
 (Di/huddiant ElJiniJ, both of them still ex- 
 tant. The latter effusion, which is delicately 
 written in the character of an exposed orphan, 
 was designed to console Elffin on the recent 
 failure of his fishery, a circumstance attributed, 
 it seems, both by himself and others, to the 
 extravagance and dissipation of his past life. 
 Taliesin endeavours, with great ingenuity, tg 
 remove liis melancholy on this occasion, and^ 
 from the beautiful moral feeling displayed in 
 the poem, we may conclude that this effort 
 was not made in vain. 
 
 " We find the bard's gratitude towards his 
 patron evinced by another effusion, entitled 
 
 * Arcb. of Wales, vol. i. p. 19. + lb. p. 83. 
 
161 
 
 the Mead-song (Canu y Medd^)^ written du- 
 ring Elffin's imprisonment in the castle of De- 
 ganwy, where he was confined by his uncle 
 Maelgwn, sovereign of North Wales, with 
 whom Taliesin was afterwards in particular 
 favour. And we learn from his poem on the 
 Sons of Llyr (Kerdd am Veib Llj/ri)^ as well 
 as from some old Welsh historians, that he 
 succeeded, by the magic of his song, in re- 
 deeming Elffin from his captivity. 
 
 " How soon his connection with Eiffin 
 ceased does not appear ; — ^but in the raaturer 
 part of his life we find him to have been the 
 bard of Urien Reged, a Cumbrian chieftain, 
 who is also celebrated in the poems of Llyw- 
 arch Hen. Urien, as we are informed by the 
 Genealogy of the Saints (Bonedd y Saint) ^ 
 came to settle in South Wales, where for some 
 time he distinguished himself by his military 
 services, but was, towards the close of his life, 
 numbered amongst the saints of Bangor Catwg, 
 in Glamorgan.^ Taliesin has addressed seve- 
 
 * Arch, of Wales, vol. i. p. 22. 
 
 + lb. p. 67. See also p. 34, where another allusion is 
 made to this event. " Docldwyf Degankwy,'''' &c. 
 
 X See the " Cambrian Biography." 
 
 o 3 
 
163 
 
 ral poems to him, in one of which* he describes 
 himself as residing at that period near the lake 
 Ceirionydd, in Caernarvonshire : 
 
 And I also Taliesin 
 
 Of the banks of the lake Ceirionydd. 
 
 " Of the education of this ' chief of bards,' 
 all, known with any certainty, is that it was 
 completed under the celebrated Catwg, sur- 
 named the Wise, at Llanfeithin, in Glamorgan. 
 He was the first abbot of Llancarvan, and is 
 distinguished by his excellent collection of an- 
 cient Welsh maxims, which are published in 
 the Archaiology.f Taliesin, as a bard was ne- 
 cessarily initiated in the Druidical mysteries, 
 and to which some of his writings, as before 
 noticed, prove him to have been strongly 
 attached. He had a son Afaon, who is repre- 
 sented as having renounced the peaceful pur- 
 suits of bardism for the turbulent occupation of 
 a warrior, in which capacity he fought under 
 Cadwallon, Prince of North Wales. For this 
 reason he is described, in an ancient Triad, 
 with two others, likewise of bardic parentage, 
 as one of the ' three chief-like bulls' of the 
 
 * Anrec XJrien. Arch, of Wales, vol. i. p. 50. 
 + Vol. iii. p. 1 to 99. 
 
163 
 
 Isle of Britain. Taliesin is supposed to have 
 died about the year 570.* 
 
 " The variety of the verse, as well as of the 
 topics, embraced by Taliesin's muse, makes 
 it difficult to ascribe to it any general charac- 
 ter. He not only employed most of the metres 
 then in use, but even enriched his poetry with 
 others borrowed from the Greek and Roman 
 writers, before that time unknown to the lan- 
 guage, — ^but since familiarly used by the bards 
 as far as they could be adapted to the genius 
 of the Welsh tongue, and the peculiar charac- 
 ter of its poetry. 
 
 " That Taliesin had profited by the able in- 
 struction of Catwg is clear from several parts 
 of his writings, where the allusions, he makes, 
 prove the great extent of his learning for the 
 age in which he lived. But what he seems to 
 
 * I am not ignorant, that an attempt has been made, by 
 the very intelligent author of the " Celtic Researches," and 
 of the " Mythology and Rites of the Druids," to throw an air 
 of fable over this account of Taliesin. But, if this note 
 should meet the eye of that gentleman, he will pardon me, I 
 hope, for observing, that there appears, in the instance above 
 noticed at least, too laboured an effort to subject to a favour- 
 ite hypothesis all ancient facts and authorities, — too manifest 
 an anxiety to drag history captive at the triumphal car of 
 mythology. — Editor of the Cambro-Briton. 
 
 I 
 
164 
 
 have studied with superior avidity and success 
 was, as already intimated, the mystical lore of 
 the Druids, with which many of his produc- 
 tions are so deeply impregnated as to become 
 extremely obscure, if not, for the most part, 
 unintelligible. The doctrine of metempsy- 
 chosis, in particular, appears to have been a 
 favourite theme. Two or three of his poems 
 are expressly devoted to it, and afford a sin- 
 gular instance of the effect of that wild notion 
 upon a powerful and creative imagination. As 
 a repository of the maxims of Druidism, how- 
 ever, and also as a record of historical facts, 
 the productions of Taliesin must be admitted 
 to possess an important value. His elegiac 
 and lyrical poems abound in pathetic touches, 
 as well as in sublime fancy and fine moral 
 thought. And we can hardly accuse him of 
 an unjustifiable degree of vanity, when we 
 hear him designate himself as being at once a 
 poet and a man of erudition,* or even when 
 he claims, for the property of his muse, the 
 flowing speech of a prophet.i" 
 
 * " Wyf llogell cerdd, wyf lleenydd." Buarth Beirdd, 
 Arch, of Wales, vol. i. p. 27. Many other similar instances 
 occur in his poems. 
 
 + Mydwyf Taliesin. Areith lif Dewin. — Canu y Byd 
 Mawr. lb. p. 25. 
 
165 
 Utmain^ of ^ntiquitg 
 
 Discovered at different periods near Aberystwyth, 
 From Meyrick''s ^^Antiquities of Cardiganshire,'^ 
 
 About the year 1759, some labourers belong^- 
 ing to the Gogerddan estate, digging turf in 
 Gorsfochno, turned up a tanned leathern quar- 
 ter boot. It was quite perfect, and made to 
 lace up in front. It was pointed at the toe, 
 gradually diminishing; the sole and upper 
 leather so united as to appear all one piece of 
 leather. It was of an enormous length, and 
 after quitting that distance to which the toe 
 would reach, curved upwards towards the mid- 
 dle of the leg, nearly the length of two feet. 
 Mr. Morgan, agent for the Gogerddan estate, 
 presented it to John Pugh Price, Esq. who car- 
 ried it out of the county. This was, undoubt- 
 edly, a great curiosity, and was certainly worn 
 some time between the twelfth and fifteenth 
 centuries ; but towards establishing the exact 
 period, it will be necessary to take a view of 
 the different forms of boots and shoes within 
 those periods. " High shoes, reaching nearly 
 to the middle of the legs, and fastened by 
 lacing in front, and which may also, properly 
 
166 
 
 enough, be considered as a species of half 
 boots, were in use in this country as early as 
 the tenth century ; and the only apparent dif- 
 ference between the high shoes of the an- 
 cients and moderns seems to have been, that 
 the former laced close down to the toes, and 
 the latter to the instep only."* Among the 
 various innovations made in dress by the Nor- 
 mans during the twelfth century, none met 
 with more marked or more deserved disappro- 
 bation, than that of lengthening the toes of 
 the shoes, and bringing them forward to a 
 sharp point. This custom, according to Wil- 
 liam of Malmsbury, first took place in the 
 reign of William Rufns ; and as the Welsh 
 copied tlie Norman dress, it no doubt soon 
 after found its way into the country. Accord- 
 ing to Orderic Vitalis, the practice was intro- 
 duced by a man who had distorted feet, in 
 order to conceal the deformity : but, he adds, 
 the fashion was no sooner made known, than 
 all those who were fond of novelty, thought 
 proper to follow it; and the shoes were made 
 by the shoemakers in the form of a scorpion's 
 tail. These shoes were called Pigacice^ and 
 adopted by persons of every class, both rich 
 
 '* Vide Strutt's Habits of the Anglo Saxons, p. 48. 
 
167 
 
 and poor. Soon after, a courtier, whose name 
 was Robert, improved upon the first idea bj 
 filling the vacant part of the shoe with tow, 
 and twisting it round in the form of a ram's 
 horn ; this silly fashion drew forth much ap- 
 plause. It was followed by the greater part 
 of the nobility ; and the author, for this happy 
 invention, was honoured with the cognomen of 
 Cornadus or horned. The long pointed shoes 
 were vehemently inveighed against by the 
 clergy ; and Anselm, the Archbishop of Can- 
 terbury, was one of the principal opponents 
 to them. The picked pointed boots were 
 called Ocrece rostratcB ; these and the shoes 
 were sometimes terminated with the repre- 
 sentation of a bird's bill, or some such or- 
 nament, which was turned upwards, and was 
 often sustained by gold or silver chains fas- 
 tened to the knee. The ecclesiastics said this 
 was an attempt to belie the scriptures, where it 
 is affirmed, that no man can add a cubit to his 
 stature. So far as we can judge from the illu- 
 minations of the twelfth century, the fashion 
 did not long maintain its ground. It was, 
 however, afterwards revived, and even carried 
 to a more preposterous extent ; but in the reign 
 
168 
 
 of Queen Mary, we are told by Bulver,* the 
 people in general laid aside the long points, 
 and had their shoes made square toed, which 
 they carried to such absurdity, that a procla- 
 mation was issued that no man should wear his 
 shoes above six inches square at the toes. In 
 the Sumptuary laws established in the third 
 year of Edward IV. there is a clause forbid- 
 ding any shoemaker to make the toes of the 
 shoes and boots to exceed the length of two 
 inches. In all the paintings from the twelfth 
 to the fifteenth century, we find that, except in 
 the reign of William Rufus, the length of the 
 shoes was sufiered to trail on the ground. 
 Now the curve, I think, is so great a peculi- 
 arity, that we may safely ascribe the boot in 
 question to the twelfth century, and as the 
 Normans did not wear them in battle, it must 
 have belonged to some Welsh gentleman. Gi- 
 raldus, indeed, who lived in the end of the 
 twelfth century, tells us, that the Welsh used in 
 his time high shoes, made of untanned leather. 
 
 At a farm, in the parish of Llanfihangel 
 Geneu'r-glyn, called Llwyn Glas, belonging 
 
 * See his Pedigree of the English Gallant, p. 548. 
 
 
169 
 
 to Mr. John Hughes, is preserved one of those 
 singular pieces of antiquity called Cyllyll hir- 
 ion, or long knives, used in the year 473, by 
 the Saxons at the celebrated massacre of the 
 British chiefs, which gained the former a per- 
 manent footing in Britain, utterly unattainable 
 before, or by other means than the most per- 
 fidious that ever disgraced the records of hu- 
 manity. This knife is fourteen inches and a 
 half in length, from the tip of the handle to 
 the point of the blade. The handle is horn, 
 ornamented with brass, and of a peculiar con- 
 struction, being excavated at top, as a resting- 
 place and support for the thumb, which is 
 placed over it, when held in the hand like a 
 dagger, for the greater force of the plunge. 
 The blade is ornamented with gold, inlaid. 
 As this knife was used by the Saxons in the 
 time of the British King.Gwrtheyrn, or Vorti- 
 gern, a name the most black and detestable in 
 the annals of his country, it will be necessary 
 to narrate this part of history which details 
 the massacre above alluded to, called the Plot 
 of the long Knives. 
 
 When the Romans, reduced to extremities 
 at home, forsook the sovereignty of Britain, 
 
170 
 
 they at last informed the Britons thej must no 
 longer look to them for succour against the 
 barbarous Picts and Scots, but exhorted them, 
 as they hoped to remain independent, to arm in 
 their own defence. In the reign of the Roman 
 Emperor Theodosius, and in the year of Lord 
 446 or 448, Gratian and Constantine, two Ro- 
 mans, who had a short time before assumed the 
 purple in Britain, took with them to the Con- 
 tinent the flower of the British youth, alas I 
 never to return. Thus were the Britons de- 
 prived of the means of putting in practice the 
 advice of their late masters, and considered 
 their present of liberty as fatal to them. The 
 Picts* and Scots finding that the Romans had 
 finally relinquished Britain, now regarded the 
 whole as their prey, and entering South Britain, 
 committed the greatest devastation. Although 
 the Britons had been positively assured that 
 the Romans could no longer assist them, yet, 
 in this dreadful state of affairs, they applied 
 again for succour. ^(Etius, the Patrician, then 
 sustained tottering Rome by his valour and 
 magnanimity. The British ambassadors car- 
 
 * " The Picts," says Hume, " seem to have been a tribe 
 of the ancient British race, who having been chased into the 
 northern parts by the conquests of Agricola, had there inter- 
 mingled with the ancient inhabitants." 
 
171 
 
 ried to him the letter of their countrymen, 
 which was thus inscribed, " The groans of 
 the Britons;" in which they said, "the Bar- 
 barians, on the one hand, chase us into the sea, 
 the sea, on the other, throws us back on the 
 barbarians, and we have only the hard choice 
 left us, of perishing by the sword or by the 
 waves." But the powerful arms of Attila left 
 the Romans no leisure to attend to the com- 
 plaints of the Britons, who thus rejected, 
 quitted their habitations, and abandoning the 
 culture of the ground, fled for protection to 
 their mountains. The barbarians also began 
 to feel the pressure of famine, and being har- 
 rassed by parties of the dispersed Britons, 
 who hastily returning to their fastnesses, thus 
 evaded their enemies, abandoning South Bri- 
 tain, returned again with their spoils to their 
 own country. The Britons, however, becom- 
 ing reanimated by the valour of succeding 
 princes, recovered their native spirit; and 
 rising again into freedom and importance, 
 asserted for many ages the rights of injured 
 humanity. 
 
 Cy stennyn, or Constantine, (son of Cynvor,) 
 surnamed the blessed, King of Britain, was in 
 p2 
 
172 
 
 the year 448 murdered by the treachery of a 
 Pict, while he was engaged in the pleasures of 
 the chase. His son Constans, though a monk^ 
 was raised to the throne, through the machina- 
 tions of Gwrtheyrn, or Yortigern, his cousin, in 
 hopes of directing the government of a prince, 
 who having been bred in the recesses of a 
 cloister, was of course uninstructed in the ma- 
 nagement of public affairs, and in the laws of 
 his kingdom. As soon, therefore, as Vortigern 
 had undertaken the reio-ns of government for 
 Constans, fired with ambition, and disdaining 
 to act a secondary part, he resolved on the 
 death of his sovereign. The king's guards 
 placed in the palace, and bribed by Vortigern, 
 entered the chamber of Constans, and cutting 
 off his head, carried it bleeding to the regent. 
 Although elated in the highest degree, the 
 politic Vortigern dissembled his joy, and 
 feigning sorrow, commanded the heads of the 
 assasins to be struck off. This had its effect ; 
 he immediately acquired the royal dignity, 
 and ascended the throne about A. D. 448. But 
 his power was not quite secure ; and Emrys 
 Wledig, or Ambrosius, existed to intimidate 
 and punish him. South Britain was now again 
 threatened by an invasion of the Picts and 
 
 I 
 
173 
 
 Scots ; and as Vortigern lived in the southern 
 part of England, he proposed to his subjects 
 in council, to send for their neighbours the 
 Saxons in Germany, to assist them in repelling 
 these barbarians. Unfortunately for Britain 
 his advice was adopted, and overtures made 
 to that effect. But his object in obtaining the 
 aid of the Saxons, was to secure to himself the 
 government, which conscience told him was 
 an usurpation. A body of Saxons under Hen- 
 gist and Horsa, landed on the Isle of Thanet. 
 This place was given to them ; and a promise 
 to supply them with food and necessaries, 
 provided they repelled the enemies of Britain. 
 To this the Saxons urged the necessity of 
 procuring more of their countrymen, to be 
 competent fully to chastise the Picts and Scots. 
 This was agreed to, and Hengist destroyed 
 the Scots as far as Caer Wair, in the north, 
 and probably in Durham; for which he ob- 
 tained the triumphant acclamations of the 
 Britons. Horsa had a daughter, the beautiful 
 blue-eyed Rowena, whom the Welsh called 
 Alls Rhonwen. Her charms enslaved the Bri- 
 tish monarch, and she became his bride. By 
 her he had a son called Gotta, on whom he 
 settled an unjust possession of the crown, by 
 
174 
 
 which means the Cymry lost the sovereignty 
 in Britain. The Saxon power augmented in 
 England ; and their frequent demands of fresh 
 territory were complied with, through the in- 
 fluence of Yortigern. But these arrogant en- 
 croachments at last roused to a certain degree, 
 the wisdom and public spirit of the Britons, 
 which, for a time, gave a fortunate turn to 
 their affairs. In the year 464, Vortigern was 
 deposed by an assembly of the British States ; 
 and the crown given to Gwrtlievyr, or Vor- 
 timer. His vigorous measures induced the 
 Saxons to apply to the Scots and Picts to join 
 them; but he, wishing to prevent a junction 
 of these armies, attacked and defeated the 
 Saxons, at Ailsford, in Kent. In this battle 
 fell Horsa, the Saxon chief, and Catigern, the 
 younger brother of Vortimer, the British king,, 
 each by the other's sword. The Saxons were 
 forced to retreat to the Isle of Thanet: and 
 giving up all hopes of success on land, deter- 
 mined to try their skill at sea. The Britons 
 had also beaten the Saxons in the north, as 
 well as the Scots and Picts. In the naval en- 
 gagement with Hengist, victory again crowned 
 the British arms, and the Saxons were obliged 
 to quit this island for their native shores. 
 
175 
 
 Vortigern^ the deposed king, had been all this 
 time confined in the city of Chester ; but, with 
 the greatest policy, appearing to give Vorti- 
 mer the best advice towards protecting his 
 kingdom, and paying him every respect, pro- 
 cured the esteem of a part in his favour. 
 Rowena did not allow this opportunity to 
 pass by unnoticed ; and secretly meditated 
 the murder of the protector of Wales. For 
 this purpose she procured, by the promise of 
 large rewards, a young man to execute her 
 horrid plot; who, disguised as a gardener, 
 presented the king with a poisoned nosegay. 
 In his dying moments, Vortimer exhorted the 
 British nobility to a manly defence of their 
 country ; and desired that, after his decease, 
 his sepulchre should be erected on the sea 
 shore, where the Saxons usually landed, ima- 
 gining that tliis would stimulate them to repel 
 those invaders ; but the nobles, negligent of 
 liis commands, interred him in London. Vor- 
 ligern reascended the throne ; and Rowena, his 
 crafty queen, sent notice to Hengist of the late 
 events. Overjoyed at the news, he appeared 
 off' the British coast with 4000 Saxons under 
 his command ; but as the Britons were pre- 
 pared to resist them, it was necessary to resort 
 
176 
 
 to stratagem. He intimated that it was not 
 his intention to offer violence to the people, 
 but merely to assist Vortigern against his son 
 Vortimer, whom he pretended to suppose was 
 still alive, and proposed a conference. It was 
 now in the month of May, and Caer Caradoc, 
 on Salisbury Plain, was fixed on for that pur- 
 pose. It was mutually stipulated, that weapons 
 were not be worn or brought to the theatre of 
 conference; but the perfidious Saxon coun- 
 selled his friends to conceal their long knives 
 in their garments, and at his signal each should 
 kill the Briton next to him. The conference 
 commenced, and the festivity had began, when, 
 at the terrible exclamation of "Nemed eure 
 Saxes !" long knives were drawn from beneath 
 the Saxons' sleeves ; the unarmed Britons fell 
 before the execrable assassins, and SOO of 
 the bravest chiefs of the country are said to 
 have perished. Vortigern was spared, but 
 made a prisoner by Hengist, who granted him 
 liberty on being put in possession of Essex, 
 Sussex, and Middlesex. Covered with con- 
 fusion and reproach, Vortigern withdrew into 
 North Wales, where he was afterwards be- 
 seiged in his castle, on the river Wye in 
 Arwystli, by Emrys Wledig, who setting fire 
 
177 
 
 to it beheld his country's traitor perish in the 
 flames. In the plot of the long knives above 
 described, it is said none of the British Princes 
 escaped, except Eidiol, Earl of Gloucester; 
 who escaped by means of a pole which he 
 found under his feet, and with which he slew 
 seventy Saxons. It was by the command of 
 Emrys Wledig (who succeed to the sove- 
 reignty in the year 481,) that the structure 
 called by the English Stonehenge, was erected 
 by his architect Merddyn Emrys, on the site of 
 a former conventional circle ; and which the 
 Welsh have ever since called Gwaith Emrys, 
 or the Work of Ambrosius. It was designed 
 as a memorial of the Plot of the long Knives. 
 The Saxons, with affected contempt, merely 
 called this wonder of our isle ''Stane hangen," 
 or hanging stones, since corrupted into Stone- 
 henge. 
 
 The atrocious and detestable conduct of 
 Hengist, must have been condemned in the 
 hearts of his successors ; and they would, no 
 doubt, endeavour to plunge this horrid deed 
 into everlasting oblivion. Thus, the Saxon 
 writers give no account of this circumstance, 
 
178 
 
 though it is well attested by several Welsh 
 historians. Of all crimes, those perpetrated 
 in abuse of generous confidence are most to 
 be abhorred ; they break the noblest bonds of 
 society, and tend to deliver up mankind to 
 the government of suspicion, one of the most 
 malignant fiends which human misery can fos- 
 ter. So much in illustration of the history of 
 the "Long Knife" preserved by the late Mr. 
 Hughes, at Llwyn Glas farm. One of these 
 knives, but of a more magnificent kind, and 
 belonging to a Saxon nobleman, was seen, and 
 is described, by the author of " Drych y Priv 
 Oesoedd." He says, "the blade was about 
 seven inches long, and more than half an 
 inch broad. Five of the seven inches were 
 two-edged. The hilt was of ivory curiously 
 wrought, having the image of a naked woman, 
 with a globe in her left hand, and her right 
 hand resting on her hip. There was a young 
 man carved on her right side, with a glory 
 round his head. The sheath was also of ivory, 
 curiously wrought." 
 
 In the same parish are various remains of 
 Druidical structures. Coins, shields, and bat- 
 
179 
 
 tie-axes, of singular workmanship and great 
 antiquity, have also been discovered at differ- 
 ent periods, in the neighbourhood of Aber- 
 ystwyth. 
 
 mtontlntsing Utmatix^* 
 
 WELSH TROWSERS. 
 
 A singular novelty attracted the attention of 
 the fashionables at Aberystwyth last season, in 
 the person of a gentleman of fortune, who ap- 
 peared daily on the Marine Terrace, dressed 
 in a pair of Cossack-cut trowsers of Welsh 
 manufacture, the colour dark blue, with small 
 red stripes ; being the very identical material 
 of which the females of the counties of Meri- 
 oneth, Cardigan, and other parts of Wales, 
 from time immemorial have made their gowns 
 and petticoats. The effect, however, was really 
 pleasing; and the ladies, delighted with the 
 novelty, as well as handsome appearance, voted 
 the Welsh Trowsers a most becoming garment. 
 The consequence of the approval of the fair 
 may be easily anticipated ; in a few days the 
 the tailors were literally oppressed with orders 
 — Kerseymeres and Broad-cloths, as well as 
 Nankeen and Duck, (notwithstanding the 
 
180 
 
 season) were thrown aside, supplanted by the 
 homely stripe of old Cymru; and before a 
 week had rolled away since its original appear- 
 ance, scarce a gentleman was seen promenad- 
 ing the terrace, but who had attired himself 
 in Welsh Trow^sers. The rage of fashion may 
 generally be assimilated to the contagious na- 
 ture of the plague, the wild-fire of vanity, with 
 electric avidity, impetiously rushing through 
 the votaries of the one, as the distemper per- 
 vades the victims of the other. But here the 
 new zest of the fashionable was divested of 
 the usual pernicious attendants of a reigning 
 foible, namely, extravagance of price, outre 
 absurdity, or anti-nationality in adopting the 
 taste and produce of the foreigner. But the 
 Welsh Trowsers, though owing their present 
 adoption to the caprice of fashion, bids fair to 
 become a standing article of clothing, in this 
 principality at least, on the laudable principle 
 of patriotism, as well as the more humble virtue 
 of economy. On the celebration of the last St. 
 David's Day at Aberystwyth, many of the 
 members of the Cymreigyddion Society ap- 
 peared in Welsh Trowsers, and a great desire 
 was manifested to bring them into general 
 wear, with a view of benefiting our own trade; 
 
181 
 
 certainly a most efficient mode, and however 
 the eternal praters and lofty declaimers on vi- 
 sionary theories may despise this humble local 
 sort of patriotism, we dare assert, it may be 
 productive of more solid good to our country, 
 than all their frothy speeches and impracti- 
 cable plans combined, can possible realize. 
 Even were patriotism out of the question, (a 
 separation however, we would warmly protest 
 against,) the man of taste may be told, the 
 dress is handsome and becoming, and can be 
 had in a variety of patterns; and we will tell 
 the economist he m^ay purchase three pairs at 
 the price of one of English cloth, to which it 
 has been discovered to be preferable, to ri- 
 ders especially, for several additional reasons. 
 Although the energy of the Cymry is highly 
 conspicuous in the preservation of their lan- 
 guage as well as a great portion of their national 
 characteristics, in spite of the severe obstruc- 
 tions of time, and circumstances inauspicious 
 to the cause of freedom, yet the ancient cos- 
 tume of the Britons after their removal from 
 barbarism, seems to have been considered of 
 minor importance, and remained unrecorded, 
 while the Highlanders of Scotland, to this hour, 
 retain their ancient garb. During the Roman 
 a 
 
183 
 
 sovereignty in this island, it is supposed the 
 Britons partially conformed to the Roman 
 mode, and as that great people were rather 
 admired than held in the like abhorrence of 
 other invaders, and left this country regretted 
 by those whom they conquered, it is not im- 
 probable that the Roman garb long continued 
 to be worn. Our celebrated amatory poet, 
 David ab Gwelym, who flourished in the early 
 part of the fourteenth century, is described in 
 what was, doubtless, the general costume of 
 Wales at that period, viz. a cloak, a vest, and 
 trowscrs, of the manufacture of this country ; 
 and who knows but the latter article was in 
 texture, colour, and fashion, the counterpart 
 of these of the present day? And that the 
 Welsh Trowsers now introduced into wear by 
 the caprice of tlie fashionable visitants of a 
 watering-place, may be but a resumption of 
 a part of our ancient dress laid aside for the 
 period of four centuries ? Be that as it may, in 
 these times of retrenchment and necessitated 
 economy, independent of the several other 
 lights in which we have viewed the subject, 
 their introduction into general wear would 
 prove highly beneficial to the country : and 
 we may boldly ask, since the Scotch plaid forms 
 
183 
 
 a part of the army clothing, why the Welsh 
 stripe may not be used for a similar purpose ? 
 It is equally warm, durable, and handsome in 
 appearance, and being less glaring, infinitely 
 neater to the eye of taste. Surely none can con- 
 ceive the zeal misplaced, that would warmly 
 recommend to those spirited and patriotic gen- 
 tlemen of our country, who have its welfare 
 most at heart, to introduce the Welsh Trowsers 
 as a part of the clothing of the militia of the 
 principality ; and it is earnestly hoped this 
 suggestion of an obscure, but disinterested 
 individual, may find approvers and friends in 
 the liberal and enlightened members of our 
 various literary Cambrian Societies. 
 
 A THEATRE AT ABERYSTWYTH. 
 
 Although the inhabitants of Aberystwyth 
 well deserve to be congratulated on the va- 
 rious improvements recently perfected, as well 
 as those in contemplation, it still remains a 
 subject of regret that they have yet no Theatre ; 
 nor is it at all creditable to a town of such 
 fashionable resort, that the most rational and 
 highly intellectual of entertainments has been 
 assigned no station there. We have been in- 
 formed that Mrs. Coutts, with that princely 
 Q 2 
 
184 
 
 spirit of liberality, for which she is so emi- 
 nently and deservedly distinguished, has of- 
 fered a handsome sum towards the building 
 of a Theatre ; and although years have since 
 elapsed, no advantage has been taken of so un- 
 precedented a tender. It is to be hoped such 
 neglect will not long continue a subject of 
 complaint, but that the Drama, the child of 
 Intellect and handmaid of Improvement, the 
 the censor of morals and polisher of manners, 
 may soon have her field of action unimpeded, 
 and be rescued from the degrading obstruction 
 of " lowly bepims and rude rafters," beneath 
 which she has hitherto meanly figured, to the 
 great endangerment of her lofty and illustrious 
 brow. 
 
 One of the wisest men, the greatest of mo- 
 ralists, and best of christians, that this country 
 has ever produced — the celebrated Doctor 
 Johnson — in enumerating the purposes of the 
 Drama, describes them with great felicity in 
 the following nervous line : 
 
 " To raise Ihe genius, and amend the heart." 
 
 Perhaps it may be advanced in defence of those 
 who have thus long delayed the production of 
 
185 
 
 a theatre here, for such a purpose^ that they 
 meant to compliment the visitors and them- 
 selves, by inferring their hearts were already 
 so good, as to stand in no need of mending. 
 
 EXTORTION IN LODGING-HOUSES, 
 
 " These exactions, are 
 
 Most pestilent to the hearing." — Shakspeare. 
 
 A bitter and justly severe chapter might be 
 written under this head, but certainly not in 
 reference to Aberystwyth, to any great extent ; 
 althouo;h it is not to be denied that some in- 
 dividuals have injured the growing prosperity 
 and reputation of the town by this most hate- 
 ful and ruinous system. For ruinous it is, in 
 every sense, both to the good name of the 
 public in this part of the world, and will ul- 
 timately prove so to the rapacious and selfish 
 wretches, who disgrace their country and them- 
 selves. Would examples avail as warnings 
 of celebrated marine bathing-towns that have 
 out-lived their day of attraction, and sunk 
 into comparative insignificance, they are to 
 be found, contiguously situate, and empha- 
 tically destitute of the admiring strangers, 
 that once gave consequence and fashion to 
 those favoured spots ; and the greedy beings 
 Q 3 
 
186 
 
 who brouffht on themselves this deserved and 
 unprofitable loneliness, now, vainly mourn 
 and murmur in the shadow of their desolation* 
 What place was so much resorted to as Swan- 
 sea, till lately ? but her attraction has ceased 
 with the growth of extortion, and the bright 
 days of Tenby are no m^ore. The town is com- 
 paratively deserted by the visiting public; and 
 the people there, with singular frankness, con- 
 fess the justice of their doom, and own that 
 their shameful and insatiable spirit of avarice 
 has disgusted and driven them away, perhaps, 
 forever. It will be confessed by them that 
 when their town leaped into unexpected po- 
 pularity, they became bewildered with their 
 sudden fortune, and were ignorant what to ask 
 for their houses, consequently required thrice 
 as much as they ought ; and beyond what the 
 most greedy votaries of exaction would have 
 claimed, either at Brighton, Bath, or Chelten- 
 ham. We have heard of two guineas per week 
 being asked at Tenby, for a very ordinary 
 back parlour and bedroom., obscurely situate ; 
 and on the infamous term.s being acceded to, 
 the wretched proprietor, in the true spirit of 
 unslakeable selfishness has lamented that he 
 did not extort an additional guinea ! 
 
187 
 
 Let Aberystwyth, in the youth of her pros- 
 perity, think of this, and by shunning the 
 faults, avoid the fates of those towns ; and be 
 assured 
 
 " I have spoken 
 Most bitter truths, but without bitterness ; ' 
 Nor deem my zeal nor factious, nor mistimed." 
 
 Roads may be cut, houses built, piers erected, 
 hills levelled, and hollows filled, and every 
 species of improvement perfected, that taste 
 can suggest, or liberality complete — in vain— 
 absolutely in vain ! if the base and grinding 
 spirit of Extortion is once suffered to get root. 
 It will gain ground and undermine the noblest 
 foundations public spirit can lay, and crumble 
 to dust the fairest piles of human ingenuity. 
 
 The vampire-spirit of Extortion is the foul- 
 est fiend of Lucre, and feeds on its victim's 
 blood securely ; unimpeded by the legal bars 
 that bound the progress of other atrocities. 
 Theft has its gallows, murder its gibbet, and 
 suicide its nameless grave amid the cross roads, 
 but Extortion is a chartered villain ; and al- 
 though allied to meanness, cowardice, and 
 robbery, the blood-sucker assum.es the name of 
 Thrift, and is sheltered from their disgrace by 
 
188 
 
 the intervention of dishonest wealth. But the 
 disguised felon shall not escape ; while public 
 indignation has a brand to wield, it shall hiss 
 with fire on his shameless front, and deeply 
 indent the blazing characters of his infamy. 
 
 ON THE NAMES OF STREETS, &c. AT 
 ABERYSTWYTH. 
 
 We have had occasion in the course of this 
 work, to censure the bad taste of borrowing 
 names for streets and places from other towns 
 — a subject here to be resumed. Strangers 
 have justly expressed their disgust of such 
 affected names as Belvue Cottage, Prospect 
 Row, and Mount Pleasant, which occur in 
 all bathing-towns, and create a dull and mo- 
 notonous uniformity, utterly at variance with 
 any pleasant sensation. But it excited a smile 
 at the derisive pleasantry of a " St. James's 
 Square" here, centrally ornamented with a 
 blacksmith's shop, (which in the present spirit 
 of improvement has been removed) ; and a 
 "Gray's Inn Lane," scarcely wide enough to 
 trundle a wheelbarrow, or to afford a free 
 passage to a portly gentleman of any alder- 
 manly rotundity. AberystAvyth is singularly 
 original in appearance and situation, then why 
 
189 
 
 should she be a plagiarist in what is needless, 
 by adopting such hackneyed and charmless 
 appellations ? Should it be asked what names 
 could be found, we would refer the enquirer 
 to the account here inserted of the inunda- 
 tion of Cantrev y Gwaelod, or the history 
 of Aberystwyth castle. In the former, such 
 names occur as Mansua, Crickbeth, Caeriolyn, 
 Pen-damon, Almuda, and others, which are 
 original, national, and harmonious in'sound ; 
 fitted either for the names of streets, squares, 
 or terraces. The names of the rivers Ystwyth, 
 Rheidol, Teivy, or Lery ; or of the estates of 
 Gogerddan, Nanteos, Penglaise, &c. &c. might 
 answer the same purpose. In the account of 
 the castle are names of chieftains who flou- 
 rished on the spot, which if applied to streets, 
 would always refer to, and associate with, the 
 history of the country ; promoting enquiries 
 that would lead to interesting matters of in- 
 formation. Such names, for instance, as Strong- 
 bow, who built the first castle at Aberystwyth; 
 Prince Griffith ap Rhys, Cynan, Cadwalader, 
 Owen Gwyneth, Llewelyn, Owen Glyndower, 
 &c. &c. The above appellations might also 
 be given to race horses, and thereby familiarize 
 our ears with the names of the ancient heroes 
 of the Cymry. To those conversant with the 
 
190 
 
 history of our country it would be amusing to 
 witness ancient rivalry resumed in Prince Rhys 
 against Gilbert Strongbow, Fleming against 
 Briton, Owen Glyndower against David Gam, 
 or Prince Henry, &c. &c. Great Dark-Gate 
 Street and Little Dark-Gate Street, are the only 
 ones here that retain their original designa- 
 tions, being translated from the Welsh of Heol 
 y Porth Tywyll mawr and Heol y Porth Ty- 
 wyll bach. 
 
 Having treated, v/e believe, of every thing 
 worthy the attention of the visitor or native, it 
 is now time to bring the Aberystwyth Guide to 
 a close. Where information was to be gained 
 the author has spared neither books nor men 
 to fulfil his object ; and whatever may be the 
 faults of the work, he trusts it will be found 
 neither a vehicle for promoting the bickerings 
 of party, nor to puff the interests of indivi- 
 duals ; nor that he has withheld the insertion 
 of any matter that had a tendency to the gene- 
 ral good. With the conciousness of such good 
 intentions at least, in his favour, he bids the 
 reader 
 
 Farewell. 
 
 T. J. LL. PRICHARD. 
 
191 
 
 MttHtal Men. 
 
 Dr. Bonsall, North Parade 
 Mr. Rathill, Pier Street 
 Mr. Edwards, Queen Street 
 Mr. Evans, Pier Street 
 
 Dr. Rice Williams, Bridge 
 
 Street 
 Mr. Richard Williams, Great 
 
 Dark-Gate Street 
 
 Among the various acquisitions of Aberystwyth, none 
 have worthier claims to public attention than the Dispensa- 
 ries which have been established in the town. They are two 
 in number, both situate in Great Dark-Gate Street, and sup-^ 
 ported by voluntary contributions^ 
 
 ^olititot0* 
 
 Messrs. James and Horatio 
 
 Hughes 
 Mr. William Jones 
 
 Mr. John Hughes 
 Mr. John Jones 
 
 ifttagi0trate0. 
 
 Rev. Richard Evans, B. D. 
 
 Dr. Bonsall 
 
 John Bonsallj Esq* 
 
 Thomas Williams, Esq* 
 William Tilsley Jones, Esq. 
 
 The progressive growth of Aberystwyth, both in size and 
 importance, may be traced to the singular circumstance, 
 that in the year 1765 there was but one arrival of the Post 
 in the week there, while at present, and many years since, 
 the Post arrives and departs daily. 
 
 Letters from London arrive every day about eight o'clock 
 in the morning. 
 
192 
 
 Letters to London are dispatched every day at five o'clock 
 in the evening. 
 
 Letters by the South Post are dispatched every Sunday, 
 Wednesday, and Friday evenings, at ten o'clock, and ar- 
 rive on the following days at half-past one o'clock in the 
 afternoon. 
 
 Letters by the North Post are dispatched every morning 
 at half-past ten o'clock, and arrive at half-past twelve. 
 
 The Post-Office is situate in Great Dark-Gate Street.— 
 Post-Master, Mr. Williams. 
 
 Monday, — The Duke of Wellington Coach leaves the 
 Gogerddan Arms Inn for Shrewsbury, at four o'clock in the 
 morning, and arrives at nine o'clock the same evening, 
 during the summer season, by w ay of Machynlleth, Mallwyd, 
 Cann-Office, Llanvair, and Welshpool. This Coach runs 
 only on Fridays in winter. 
 
 Tuesday. — The Union Coach leaves the Talbot Inn for 
 Shrewsbury, at five o'clock in the morning, and arrives the 
 same evening at seven, by way of the Devil's Bridge, Llan- 
 idloes, Newtown, and' Welshpool. 
 
 The RoTAL Sovereign Coach leaves the Gogerddan 
 Arms Inn for Shrewsbury, at five o'clock in the morning, 
 and arrives at seven o'clock the same evening, during the 
 summer season, by way of Machynlleth, Llanbrynmair, 
 Newtown, Montgomerjs and Worthing. This Coach runs 
 only on Thursdays in winter. 
 
 Wednesday. — The Leek Coach leaves the Gogerddan Arms 
 Inn for Ludlow % at four o'clock in the morning, and arrives 
 at eight the same evening, during the summer season, by way 
 of Machynlleth, Llanbrynmair, Newtown, Montgomery, and 
 Bishop's Castle. 
 
193 
 
 The Ancient Briton leaves the Talbot Inn for Kington, 
 at six o'clock in the morning, and arrives at half-past five in 
 the evening, during the summer season, by way of the 
 Devil's Bridge, Rhayader, and Penybont. 
 
 Thursday. — The Rotal Sovereign, as on Tuesday. 
 
 Friday. — The Duke of Wellington, as on Monday. 
 
 The Ancient Briton, during the summer season, as on 
 Wednesday. 
 
 Saturday. — The Union, as on Tuesday. 
 
 E. Hughes's Fly Van leaves the Swan Inn for Shrews- 
 bury, every Monday & Thursday mornings, at two o'clock, 
 and arrives from Shrewsbury on Wednesday and Saturday 
 evenings at eight o'clock, by way of Yspytty, Llanidloes, 
 Newtown, and Welshpool. 
 
 Jones and Co.'s Stage Waggon to and from Shrewsbury 
 once a week. 
 
 T. Bowen, Carrier, to and from Carmarthen once a week. 
 
 mi^Untm from ^tjerp0tuj^t$ to tfje 
 foIloUJing i^lace^. 
 
 With the different routes particularized. 
 
 To Shrewsbury, by the DeviVs 
 Bridge, 76 miles. 
 
 Devil's Bridge 12 
 
 Llanidloes 20 
 
 Newtown 13 
 
 Welshpool 13 
 
 Shrewsbury 18 
 
 76 
 
 To Shrewsbury, by Machyn- 
 lleth, 74 miles. 
 
 Machynlleth 18 
 
 Mallwyd 12 
 
 Cann-Office 12 
 
 Llanvair 7 
 
 Welshpool 7 
 
 Shrewsbury , 18 
 
 74 
 
194 
 
 To Shrewsbury hy Llanbryn- 
 mair, (new coach road,) 77 
 miles. 
 
 Machynlleth 18 
 
 Llanhrynmair 11 
 
 Carno 7 
 
 Newtown 11 
 
 Montgomery 9 
 
 Worthing 9 
 
 Shrewsbury 12 
 
 77 
 To Chester fOO miles) and Li- 
 verpool 015J through Bala. 
 
 Machynlleth 18 
 
 Dolgelley 16 
 
 Bala . 18 
 
 Corwen 13 
 
 Llangollen 10 
 
 Wrexham 12 
 
 Chester 12 
 
 99 
 Liverpool 16 
 
 115 
 
 To Hereford 76 77iiles. 
 
 Devil's Bridge 12 
 
 Rhayader 18 
 
 Penybont 10 
 
 New Radnor 9 
 
 Kington 7 
 
 Hereford 20 
 
 76 
 To Llandrindod Wells 44 miles. 
 
 Rhayader SO 
 
 Penybont 10 
 
 Llandrindod 4 
 
 44 
 
 To Carmarthen 51 miles. 
 
 Aberayron 16 
 
 Lampeter 13 
 
 New Inn II 
 
 Carmarthen 11 
 
 51 
 To Tenby 80 miles. 
 
 Carmarthen 51 
 
 St. Clear's 9 
 
 Tavernspite 7 
 
 Cold Blow 4 
 
 Tenby 9 
 
 80 
 To 3Iilford Haven through 
 Carmarthen 93 miles. 
 
 Tavernspite 67 
 
 Narberth 6 
 
 Haverfordwest 10 
 
 Milford 10 
 
 93 
 To Milford Haven through 
 Cardigan lb miles. 
 
 Aberayron 16 
 
 Cardigan 23 
 
 Haverfordwest 26 
 
 Milford la 
 
 75 
 To Holyhead 100 miles, 
 
 Machynlleth 18 
 
 Dolgelley 16 
 
 Tanybwlch IS 
 
 Beddgelert 10 
 
 Carnarvon 14 
 
 Bangor 9 
 
 Ferry to Anglesea & Ho- 
 lyhead 25 
 
 0CT5-IS#^ 
 
195 
 
 To Swansea through Carmar- 
 then 79 miles. 
 
 Carmarthen 51 
 
 Cross Hands Inn 14 
 
 Pontarddulas 5 
 
 Swansea 9 
 
 79 
 To Swansea through Llandilo 
 66 mites. 
 
 Lampeter 29 
 
 Llandilo 14 
 
 Swansea 23 
 
 66 
 To Cardigan 39 miles. 
 
 Aberayron 16 
 
 Cardigan , . 23 
 
 39 
 To Brecon (or Brecknock) hy 
 Rhayader 60 miles. 
 
 Devil's Bridge 12 
 
 Pentre Brunant Inn 3 
 
 Rhayader 15 
 
 Builth (or Buallt^ 14 
 
 Brecon 16 
 
 60 
 
 To Brecon by Llandovery 67 
 miles. 
 
 Aberayron 16 
 
 Lampeter 13 
 
 Llandovery 18 
 
 Trecastle 9 
 
 Brecon 11 
 
 67 
 
 To Barmouth by the Borth 
 Sands (subject to the state of 
 the tide) 26 miles. 
 
 Borth 6 
 
 Moelynys 3 
 
 Aberdovey (ferry) 2 
 
 Tovv'yn 4 
 
 Barmouth 11 
 
 26 
 
 To Barmouth by Machynlleth 
 46 miles. 
 
 Dolgelley 34 
 
 Barmouth 12 
 
 46 
 
^ 
 
 J. Cox, Printer, 
 
 Great Dark-Gate Street, 
 
 Aberystwyth. 
 
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 
 III 
 
 021 389 505 9