264: 
An Epitome of Botanical Tours in Wales from the earliest period. 
(Giraldus Cambrensis and Johnson.) 
(Continued from page 219.) 
Having returned to Bangor they slept, and next day revisited 
Glynne-Chivon, and hence travelled by Harlech, where there 
was a fair, which detained our party a day. Their way was along 
the coast to Barmouth, crossing the estuary to Machynlleth ; 
But in the midst of this ferry they were overtaken by a tremen- 
dous storm of wind and rain, and were fain to take shelter in an 
adjoining village (Llangwerel). From this they reached Machyn- 
lleth, wet and weary, next morning. From Machynlleth the tra- 
vellers went through Montgomeryshire, where they found nothing 
worthy of note; but to make up for this, they were hospitably 
received and entertained by the illustrious Edward Herbert, Lord — 
Cherbury, who possessed a large castle and domain in this part 
of Wales. Here our party gathered two of our rarest British 
plants, species that have been branded by our modern purists as 
having no right to a notice in our books except as intruders. 
The original of this part of Johnson’s account is subjoined :— 
“ Montem-gomerium linquentes recte ad Guerndee viculum ten- 
dimus, illicque in alneto semina Persicarie siliquose copiose illic 
crescentis collegimus, Solidaginem etiam Saracenicam inter Dud- 
son et Guarthlow eruimus. Hasce duas rariores plantas hic 
crescentes primum observavit amicus meus singularis Georgius 
Bowles, medicine candidatus.” In Gerarde’s Herbal by Johnson, 
p- 446 (450 sic typ. err.), there is the following account of the 
discovery of this plant as a British species :—“ The codded or im- 
patient Arsmart was first found to grow in this kingdome by the 
industry of my good friend Mr. George Bowles, who found it 
at these places: first im Shropshire, on the banks of the river 
Kemlet, at Marington, in the parish of Cherberry, under a gen- 
tleman’s house called Mr. Lloyd; but especially at Guerndee, in 
the parish of Cherstock, half a mile from the foresaid river, 
amongst great Alder-trees in the highway.” From the same, 
p. 428: “I formerly, in the twenty-fourth chapter of this second 
booke, told you what plant our author took for Saracen’s Con- 
sound” (our author appears to have enjoyed the opportunity of 
having a fling at Gerarde, though but for this author he would 
have had but a slight memorial in subsequent times), “and, as I 
