392 WANDERINGS AND PONDERINGS 



The seven waters or streams of Lemster eventually merge 

 in one, now called Lug. The earliest name we find for this 

 highly important and picturesque river is Llug-Gowy ; we sub- 

 sequently trace it through these various etymologies, — Llugowy, 

 Llugwy, Lugwy, Lugge, and Lug, I will now endeavour to 

 trace the course of this stream: whether this be more correctly 

 done upwards or downwards I know not; but as more becoming 

 so modest a hydrographer as myself, I shall begin at the 

 little end, and so float downward with the current. The Lug 

 rises in Radnorshire, eleven miles N.W. by W. of Presteign, 

 at a place called Pool Hill ; it flows by Lea Hall, crossing the 

 road leading toward England at Llangynllo, then by Upper 

 and Lower Weston, and Dole ; then, after turning Mynauchty 

 Mill, it passes under the road from Pen-y-bont to Knighton ; 

 hence it accompanies the road to the south, or right, for four 

 miles towards Presteign, then crosses the road, and accom- 

 panies it to the north, or left, passing north of the town of 

 Presteign, and crossing the two roads leading thence to 

 Knighton and Lentwardine ; then through Upper, Middle, 

 and Letch Moors, under Rosses Bridge, by Kinsham, under 

 Deerfold Bridge, to Shirley ; then under Lyepool Bridge, by 

 the Vallets, and under a bridge in the village of Aymestree, 

 on the road from Lemster to Lentwardine; hence to Mor- 

 timer's Cross, the supposed field of a York and Lancaster 

 battle. *= The Lug now passes under the road leading from 



<^ I say " supposed field," because there appears no proof whatever of the fact ; 

 some of the enlightened Lemstrians, however, thought otherwise, and from Grafton 

 and Stowe, or perhaps some copier of these authors, they contrive to extract the 

 following particulars, which, by subscription, they caused, a few years since, to be 

 engraved on a pedestal erected near Mortimer's Cross : — " This pedestal is erected 

 to perpetuate the memory of an obstinate, bloody, and decisive battle, fought 

 near this spot, between the ambitious houses of York and Lancaster, on the 

 2d day of February, 1460, between the forces of Edward Mortimer, Earl of 

 Marche, afterwards Edward IV., on the side of York, and those of Henry VI. 

 on the side of Lancaster. The king's forces were commanded by Jasper, Earl of 

 Pembroke. Edward commanded in his own person, and was victorious. The 

 slaughter was great on both sides, four thousand being left dead on the field ; 

 and many Welsh persons of the first distinction were taken prisoners, among 

 whom was Owen Tudor, great grandfather to Henry VIII., and a descen- 

 dant of the illustrious Cadwallader, who was afterwards beheaded at Hereford. 

 This was the decisive battle that fixed Edward IV. on the throne of England : he 

 was proclaimed king on the 5th of March following. Erected by subscription, 

 1799." In this inscription there is scarcely one point wholly correct. The 

 battle was not fought, at least we have no evidence that it was, near this spot; 



