416 
Castle walls appear in some instances built 
of solid masonry, but their general con- 
struction is of grout work. For this pur- 
pose, two slight walls were built parallel, 
from six to twelve feet asunder: the interval 
was then filied up with loose stones and 
rubbish, and the whole cemented together 
with a great quantity of fluid (according to 
some authors, boiling) mortar: the mass 
soon acquired a sufficient firmness, and in 
the present day it possesses the adhesion of 
solid rock. This method was used by the 
Romans, and adopted by succeeding ages ; 
but the arches were turned, and the angles 
coigned with hewn stones, which, after the 
conquest, were brought from Caen in Nor- 
mandy.” 
These observations are evident proofs 
that Mr. Barber has not been inattentive, 
or indolent, in his researches. At the 
same time we perceive some confusion 
of ideas in his description of castles, 
which would have been avoided had he 
been familiar with the works of Horsley, 
Roy, and King, and compared and cor- 
rected their accounts with remaining 
castrametations and castles. These were 
different places of retreat, security, and 
defence: many of, the former were never 
castellated,and many have most probably 
been successively occupied and altered 
by Britons, Romans, Saxons, Danes, 
and English. ‘This, like the subject of 
ancient architecture, has been more be- 
wildered by theorists, than elucidated 
by men of science and talent. Many 
false and absurd descriptions and plates 
have been copied and re-copied, almost 
ad infinitum, tending to generate error 
and propagate falshood. Mr. Barber 
relates an instance in himself: 
«« Several years ago, (he observes) when 
I first set about castle-hunting, I endea- 
youred in yain to discover a relation between 
what I saw, and the description with a 
figure of an ancient castle, laid down in 
Grose’s Antiquities, and copied by others. I 
have since seen the greater part of the prin- 
cipal ruins in South Britain; and the only 
castles that occur to me as approaching to 
that gentleman’s plan, are those of Dover 
and London. I mention this, because per- 
sons building a theory on the authorities 
above mentioned, might, among ruins, be 
puzzled, to no purpose, for a practical il- 
lustration.” 
The following description of Caer- 
marthen will amuse those who know 
the town, convey some information to 
the stranger, and at the same time.cha- 
racterize the author’s mater of treat- 
ing this province of his work. 
BRITISH TOPOGRAPHY AND ANTIQUITIES. 
«¢ The situasion of CAERMARTHEN, one 
of the most wealthy and polite towns in 
Wales, can scarcely be enough admired ; 
rising above a noble river, and commanding 
afull view of oneof the most beautiful yales 
in the kingdom. Internally there is less to 
commend, as most of the streets are very 
steep, and irregularly built: yet there are 
many good private houses belonging to the 
neighbouring gentry, that resort here in the 
winter months ; and a handsome town-hall, 
and some other buildings, do credit to the 
public spirit of the town, though a solitary 
church may reflect but little on its sanctity. 
Very small remains of the castle, now built 
up into a gaol, appear, or of the walls that 
formerly encompassed the town. The trade 
of the place is much facilitated by its fine 
river, which conveys ships of a good size up 
to the bridge. 
“¢ Caermarthen is the Kaervyrdkin of the 
Britons, the Maridunum of Ptolomy, and 
the Muridunum of Antoninus. The ancient 
Britons reckoned it the capital of all Wales: 
here they held their parliaments, or assem- 
bles of wise men; and here fixed their 
chancery and exchequer. When the Nor- 
mans over-ran Wales, this town severely 
felt the miseries of war, being often be- 
sieged, and twice burnt by the Welsh 
rinces. Gilbert, earl of Clare, however, at 
ength fixed his power at Caermarthen, be- 
yond the reach of theirattempts., This place 
gave birth to the famous Merlin in the year 
480: he appears to have been a man of ex- 
traordinary wisdom and learning, which, no 
doubt, occasioned him to be looked upon as 
a magician in that dark age, and transmitted 
as such to posterity by monkish writers, who 
always looked with an evil eye on know- 
ledge possessed out of their craft. Here 
also was born Lewes Bayley, chaplain to 
James the First, afierwards bishop of Ban- 
gor, and author of the celebrated ‘ Practice 
of Piety.” 
With the following description of the 
New Passage, and the historical anec- 
dote of Charles the First connected with 
it, we must close our account of this 
tour, which has certainly afforded us 
much amusement, and the general exe- 
cution of which is commendable. 
«« Proceeding through an agreeable. undu- 
lating tract towards the sea-shore, we soon 
arrived at the New Passages, the principal 
entrance into Monmouthshire from the 
south-western countics. The breadth of wa- 
ter from this place to the Bristol coast, is 
three miles and a half, while the ferry of 
Aust, or the Old Passage, four or five miles 
higher up the Severn, is only two miles 
across ; but this advantage is considered to 
be over-balanced by the more commodious 
landing at the former. Bath these concerns, 
being monopelics, like all other monopolies, - 
are hostile to the interest of the public ; for 
ey a al a el ce lee 
