1821.1 



Excursion through North Wales. 



521 



their ancestors, holding in utter detes- 

 tation the English and their country, 

 and glowing with an eager desire for 

 revenge, they turned their attention to 

 the annoyance of tlie English borderers, 

 plundering and devastating the lord- 

 ships on the confines of England with 

 unceasing activity. In consequence of 

 this contumacy, some very severe laws 

 were enacted* by which the Welsh 

 were reduced to a state of the most 

 absolute bondage, and deprived of the 

 benefits arising from an impartial ad- 

 ministration of justice. Being thus 

 prevented in some measure from vent- 

 ing their vengeance upon their here- 

 ditary enemies the English, their 

 irascible and contentious disposition 

 became engaged in quarrels among 

 themselves, and the whole of "North 

 Wales, more especially the retired 

 <listricts of Caernarvon and Merioneth, 

 displayed a horrible scene of anarchy 

 and bloodshed. They continued thus 

 tumult uously agitated till the union 

 of Wales with England in 1535, and 

 even then many years elapsed before 

 they began to imitate the more mild 

 and polished manners of their neigh- 

 bours. We made the best of our way 

 through the desolate Pass of the Fro- 

 zen Door, and soon gained its extre- 

 mity, when the landscape became alto- 

 f ether changed. To the brown and 

 arren mountains of Bwlch Oerdrws, 

 succeeded the green woods and fertile 

 pastures of Caerynwch, the scat of Chief 

 Baron Richards. But the delightful 

 landscape which spread smilingly be- 

 fore us was partially obscured by the 

 falling shadows of twilight, for soon 

 after we descended the pass, the sun 

 withdrew his rays from the lovely glen 

 through which we journeyed. 

 And now beneath th' horizon, westering 



slow, 

 Had sunk the orb of day : o'er all the vale 

 A purple softness spread, save where the 



tree 

 Its giant shadow stretched, or wandering 



stream 

 Mirror'd the light of heaven, still traced 



distinct 

 When twilight dimly shrouded all beside. 

 A grateful coolness freshen'd the calm air, 

 And the hoarse grasshoppers their evening 



song 

 Sung shrill and careless, as the dews of 



night 

 Descended. 

 At length we came in sight of Dol- 



♦ See particularlv the statutes of 2 and 3 

 of Hen. IV. and 2 Hen. V. 



gelley, charmingly situated in a valley 

 just beneath us, and presenting a most 

 delightful scene to our view; indeed, 

 so tranquil and lovely was the scene, 

 as it appeannl before us in the soft 

 gloom of a calm summer's evening, that 

 we lingered for a long time on the 

 summit of a hill we had ascended, 

 feasting on its gentle and unobtrusive 

 beauties; and it was not till these 

 beauties were gradually, and almost 

 imperceptibly concealed from us by 

 the increasing duskiness of the evening 

 that we resumed our walk, and de- 

 scended from our elevated situation. 

 We shortly afterwards entered the 

 town over a bridge of one arch, and 

 turning to the right down the principal 

 street, reached the Golden Lion, after 

 one of the most delightful rambles it 

 has ever been our lot to accomplish. 

 Here we parted with our intelligent 

 and agreeable fellow traveller. He 

 lives at some distance from Dolgelley, 

 and had ordered his servant to meet 

 him with a horse there, having yet five 

 or six miles to travel. " My cotlfige, 

 gentlemen," said he, as he prepared to 

 proceed on his journey, " has always a 

 spare bed for a friend or two, and if 

 you visit our part of the county, I 



shall be very glad to see you at 



(mentioning the name of his residence) 

 if you will honour me with your com- 

 pany, then I will promise yoti a hearty 

 Welsh welcome. You may fix your 

 own time, and I shall make no stran- 

 gers of you." We expressed ourselves 

 grateful for his kindness, and pro- 

 mised, if we did bend our steps towards 

 the spot where he dwelt, that we woTild 

 'Certainly avail ourselves of his ho.spi- 

 tality. He earnestly urged his invita- 

 tion, mounted his horse, and left us very 

 highly impressed with the good-natiued 

 open-hearted ness of the real Welsh 

 gentlemen — for such undoubtedly is 



Mr. R of B n.* Dolgelley. 



the rude capital of Merionethshire, 

 is one of the most populous and respec- 

 table towns in North Wales, but the 



* During our sojourning in the principa- 

 lity, we had not, unfortunately, an oppor- 

 tunity of visiting Mr. R , but we have 



since heard that he lamented the circum- 

 stance, as much, perhaps, as we ourselves 

 did. If this brief memoir should meet the 

 eye of that gentleman, will it afford him 

 any gratification to learn that the English 

 strangers, since they returned to London, 

 have frequently thought of his politeness 

 and urbanity ? — They hope it will. 



houses 



