FORD ABBEY. 143 



Fraunceis, who died young, and three daughters, one of whom died 

 young ; another died without issue ; and the third, Margaret, 

 married her cousin, Francis Gwyn, Esq., of Llansannor, co. Glamor- 

 gan. Francis Gwyn thus inherited Ford Abbey. He was Under- 

 secretary of State temp. Charles II., and Secretary of the Treasury 

 temp. James II., and afterwards Secretary at War to Queen Anne 

 to the period of her death, and was by Her Majesty presented with 

 the magnificent tapestry from the cartoons of Raphael, which now 

 adorns the saloon. For this tapestry Mrs. Allen asserts as an 

 undoubted fact that Catherine of Russia offered .30,000 to his 

 son, the second Francis Gwyn, but without success. The tradition 

 is that these tapestries were intended for the King of Spain, from 

 the celebrated looms of Arras, but were taken from a Spanish galleon 

 by one of our ships of war during the reign of Queen Anne. 



The subjects are five in number, and are noted for their richness 

 and perfect colouring, said to be superior in this latter respect to 

 those in the Vatican. 



(i.) The Sacrifice at Lystra. 

 (ii.) Our Saviour's Charge to Peter. 



(iii.) St. Peter and St. John at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. 



(iv.) Ananias and Sapphira (part), 

 (v.) The Miraculous Draught of Fishes. 



Besides the above cartoons there are four panels of Gobelin 

 tapestry in beautiful preservation containing the following 

 subjects : 



(i.) Scipio, Africanus, and Hasdrubal. 



(ii.) A Roman Gladiator and Lion. 



(iii.) Cyrus, king of Persia, with vessels full of silver and gold 

 for rebuilding Temple at Jerusalem. 



(iv.) The Temple in Progress. 



There is also a piece of fine and quaint old tapestry representing 

 a Welsh wedding, which was formerly in Queen Anne's room, but 

 now (at the time of the visit of the Field Club) placed in one of 

 the corridors. 



Mr. Secretary Gwyn died in 1734 and was buried at Ford 



