522 



Excursion through North Witles. 



[July 1, 



houses ill the hiteilor of the town are 

 exceedingly mean, and built in open 

 defiance of all regularity ; there are, 

 however, some neat and comfortable 

 residences on the hills in the suburbs. 

 To compensate for this deficiency 

 of beauty in the building, its situation 

 Is delightful " beyond compare." 

 Placed in a wide and well cultivated 

 valley amidst verdant meadows, wa- 

 tered by a fine mountain river, and 

 surrounded by hills, high above which 

 the lofty Cader Idris is seen in the 

 south, caput inter )iubila condens, it 

 presents a charming scene to the eye 

 of the spectator, and induces one to 

 imagine that the boisterous evils of 

 life find no resting-place at Dolgelley ; 

 so well does it seem defended from 

 them by its lofty and everlasting bar- 

 riers.' Nor is the beauty of the sur- 

 rounding scenery its only recommen- 

 dation. It possesses some little inte- 

 rest in an historical point of view ; for 

 that fiery rebel, Owen Glendower, as- 

 sembled a parliament here soon after he 

 was crown(!d Frinee of Wales, to enter 

 into an alliance with Charles of France, 

 and during the Ciomwellian civil wars 

 the town was Ibrliiied for a short time 

 by a party of slisnly loyalists, who were 

 however, (piickly sent to the right 

 about by a troop of rejiublican soldiers.* 

 It is, moreover, of some consequence as 

 a trading (own, as a large portion of the 

 ilannel manufactured in the neighhour- 

 Jiood is brought thither for sale at the 

 fairs; and during the summer months 

 it isgenerallycrowded with tourists and 

 English families, who flock thither for 

 the" purpose of ascending Cader Idris, 

 and to visit some romantic waterfalls 

 not very far from the town. I» addi- 

 tion.to this, there is a very good inn at 



* This part of Wales, it appears, was 

 the scene of much bloodshed during this 

 tumultuous and sanguinary period. For 

 we find in a curious manuscript preserved 

 iu the Wyuustay library, the followiug 

 memoranda : " 1(344, Nov. 29. The Parlia- 

 ment burnt Mathavam, iu Montgomery- 

 shire, and made that part of the country 

 conformable to the rest. lt)45, Aug. 2d. 

 The Montgomeryshire forces invaded Me- 

 rionygddshive, and lay for a time at Dol- 

 gelley. The same day the King's forces 

 burnt YuyB y INIaeugwyn, lest the parlia- 

 ment should lind any harb mr there. Aug. 

 21st. The Montgomeryshire forces invaded 

 again Mcrionygddshire, and lay for a week 

 at Bata, until they were driven out of the 

 country by Sir John Owen, and the North 

 Wales men. 



Dolgelley, yclept tlie Gohkn Lion, 

 and kept by a person named Evans — 

 Richard Evans, if we mistake not : a 

 feaiful man to look at, for the said 

 Richard is tall, sturdy and muscular : 

 a man of wealth withal, but mild as 

 one of his own mountain kids in de- 

 meanor. , The principal manager of the 

 Lion, hov.cver, is his daughter Mary, 

 a very Hebe, though a Welsh one, and as 

 ready to see her guests well attended to 

 as any inn-keeper's bustling daughter 

 need be. What more wouhi man wish 

 for? He must be a surly dog, indeed, 

 who could be uncomfortable at Dol- 

 gelley; fiu' a good inn, a pretty and 

 well behaved serving-maid, and a 

 lovely landscape, are quite enough for 

 tlie genuine and hearty traveller. 



We had not apprized our worthy 

 friend, (who, like ourselves, has not 

 yet summoned sufficient resolution to 

 enter the •' holy pale of matrimony") 

 of onr visit to Dolgelley, and the morn- 

 ing after our arrival we strolled forth, 

 in the direction pointed out by onr host, 

 towards the domicile of our old college 



companion, l\lr. ^\ . He welcomed 



us to Wales with sincere cordiality, 

 insisted upon our dining and spending 

 the day with him, and invited us to 

 accompany him in a walk to a farm of 

 his, four miles among the hills, south- 

 east of the town. We gladly acceptwl 

 the invitation, and away we went ac- 

 <!ordingly. We have heard it asserted 

 that there is no real pleasnre in viewing 

 beautiful scenery; that a great deal 

 more is said about gre<;n and lofty hills, 

 waving woods, romantic cataracts, 

 foaming torrents, cloud-capt moun- 

 tains, and grassy glades, than the mere 

 sight of either or of all can ever in- 

 spire. Nay. a good-hnmoured little 

 friend of ours, ^wliose peregrin at ion -s 

 have been chiefly confined to the sub- 

 urbs of the metropolis, has often told 

 ns, that to his mind, Cheapside, lighted 

 with gas on a dark winter's night, i» 

 far more grand and beautiful than any 

 eountryfied landscape in the world. 

 We can find no fault with the 

 honest citizen's predilection; we only 

 pity the taste of the individual who 

 can possibly and in good earnest enter- 

 tain so gothic and unpoetical a notion. 

 There are, donbtles.s, many other men 

 besides our friend, who look with in- 

 difference, if not with contempt, on the 

 glorious loveliness of niral sceneiy ; 

 who cannot admire the s{)lendid works 

 of "Nature and Nature's Ood," and. 

 whose contracted and frigid souls ex- 

 pand 



