C 347 ] 



The author, who was' born 'in 1553, feems to have lived chiefly 

 in retirement, during which period no very interefting particulars 

 can be expe&ed h . 



The building a new houfe is an event of fome confequence in 

 fuch a life ; he began Upper Gwedir 1 in 1 604, as appears by an 

 infcription over the entrance. 



. - .It 



h It mould feem, that he had travelled in his younger days, as Arch- 

 bifhop Williams (then tutor to his fons at St. John's College, Cambridge) 

 ipeaks of him as a man '*, 



Multorum mores hominum qui vidit, & urbes *". 

 Which circumftance is perhaps confirmed by his fon having vifited 

 Italy when young, as fathers generally wilh that their ions mould be 

 educated in the fame manner with themfelves. 



1 The houfe, called Lower Gwedir, he mentions in this MS. to have 

 been built by his great grandfather. As for Upper Gwedir, it was co- 

 vered almoft with infcriptions in different languages ; fcarcely any of 

 which remain, as the wainfcot hath been lately ufed in repairing farm- 

 houfes on other parts of the eftate. The Pigeon-houfe appears by the 

 date to have been built in 1597. 



There is an engraving of Lower Gwedir in a map of Denbigh and 

 Flintfhire, which was publimed 40 or 50 years ago, by William Wil- 

 liams : 



A Wellh infcription, which is ftill legible, over the entrance, is here 

 Subjoined. 



Bryn Gwydir gwebir golau adeilad, 



uwch dolydd a chaerau, 

 Bryn gwych adail yn ail ne, 

 Bron wen henllys brenhinlle. 



Hugh bach ap Howel ap Shenkin a ganodd yr Englyn, uchod ddeng- 

 mlynedd cyn amcanu, gwneuthur yr adeilad hon. 



" A confpicuous edifice on Gwydir hill, towering over the adjacent 

 s< land, a well-chofen lituation, a fecond paradife, a fair bank, a palace 

 " of royalty. 



" This Englyn was written by little Hugh Shenkin, ten years before the 

 " building was defigned-f ." 



* MS. Letter penes Paul Panton, Efq. 



f It ftiould feem from this, that little Hugh Shenkin was a prophet, as well as poet. 



Y y 2 " The 



