| 
1 
16 
‘The read proceeds thus gently afcend- 
ing, til within about a quarter of a 
zuile of Chirk, where a new. fcene burft 
upon our view. ‘Lhe vale of the. river 
Ceiriog, which forms the boundary-line 
between England and Wales, was im- 
mediately uncer us, finely wooded, and 
bounded by a vange of iwelling ‘hills 
ever which were-fecn the Perwyn 
Mounteins dn-thelefty and Chirk ca ue, 
with its appendant woods, on the right : 
a° noble ‘road, With’ a Ly he 
bridge, over the Ceiriog, bro 
Chick,. which is pi ettily fisuated jut 
.aheve the vale. Here we left the coach, 
and proceeded on foot to the cafile. 
Chirk ca'le is fituated above the vil- 
Asge, cn the brow of a fine hill, tha 
evericcks the vale cf Ceiriug : it 
good {pecimen cf the ancient caftle ; 
for, except that it has been whitened 
Kately, its exterior dees not appear to 
have undergone the dmallett alteration 
fince it was erecied. Its thane is obicng, 
with three tower bafliicns on eéach cf 
the fides, and two atthe ends, befides a 
fquare Be nun ne in one of the cor- 
ners; the whole connected together by 
Batilements. It flruck us, as being 
rather too low for its extent: the gene- 
uynht us to 
ral effect, however, was by no means + 
unpleafing. The park and. plantations 
firetch to a great diftance ee on ie 
higher hills that back the caftle, an 
are evidently diipofed by the hee. of a 
Be 
ete the fcene, is a river or lake,.and 
i deficiency has been attempted to 
be fupplied by a piece of made waicr- 
which, like moft other artificial 
— 
Icoks te like a plath left by a ficed, and 
would be a great dishgu urement, but that, 
fortunately, it is wifi le from few points 
of view. As we paffed aren the 
park, we faw eight or ten gcats: the 
male was a mot noble animal; fl long 
curved horns, his depending bear d, the 
flakynefs of his hair, and its be catifial 
colour (being a ‘light-yellowifh dun) all 
combined to make him the moft pic- 
oe figure that | ever faw. From 
he park, we wandered fome miles over 
a Ferwyn mountains, in f{darch of 
Llangollen, and, at laft, to cur great joy, 
arrived at the fteep fummit e a lofty 
hill, at the foot of which lay the Vale of 
Llangollen. We defcended with no {mal 
difficulty, and arrived, much tired, at 
the town, where we dined. 
The beauties of this vale have been fo 
often celebrated, that 1t would be almoft 
a prophanation to attempt a criticilm of 
) 
Pedeftrion Four in North Wales. 
a ee 
The only thing wanted to com 
[Feb.. 
ies, Than neverthelefs, inclined to think 
that much cf its beauty arifes from its 
being Gtuated fo near the Welch border, 
that itis ufually the firft place that tra- 
vellers arrive at; and the aovelty of the 
fcene, together with its beauties, for 
many beauties it ce rtainly has, operates 
powerfully on the imagination, and leads 
us to rank among its peculiar charms, 
features :that are, in faét, common to all 
the Welch valleys, and exhibited to 
much greater advantage, as well as fi- 
perior in kind, in many other fecnes be- 
fides the Vale of Llangollen. The moun- 
tains that inclofe it are rather fingular, 
and of fantaftic forms, than beautiful ; 
‘the range on one fide -has very much the 
appearance cf long terraces ef fortifica- 
ticn, and the oppofite mountains are dif- 
figured by rocky boffes, or protube- 
rances, which cut from the furface 
like warts. Cajile-dinas-b1 an, from its 
i be a good obje&, 
hare 
take 
elevated fite, would 
Were it in ittelf worth feeing ; but, from 
moft pofitions, it appears merely a fhape~ 
lets mafs of rubbifh, and, therefore,4s 
ee intrufion upon the view thar 
amas byect. The woods, in general, 
depth, they are feattered with too 
a hand; and though the Dee is 
See wherever It is vifible, yet it lies - 
and 1s, befides, farther cbfcared 
ae pes pote 
oO" van 
m © Ck os 
Sas 
Le Te o 
S 
aks 1 ie ing their tortuous 
is a fiream, are very beauti- 
t river as the Dee ought not 
bigs J ia between groves of hop- 
of Lian- Egwett, which 
opens into that of Llangollen, 1s a far 
mere interefting {pot ; though more con- 
fined, delerving the name rather of a 
elenthana vale, it contains a view which 
its neighbour can by no means egual.. 
The rvins_of, the abbey themfelves are 
beautiful; the hanging woed clofe be- 
hind. is 6, too, as allo is the outline and 
furface of the lofiy hill that rifes in the 
fartheft diftance; and, in combination, 
each of thefe three objeéts mutually graces 
the others, fo as to form a moft enchant- 
ing {cene ; while the brook at the feot or 
phe wood, though no objeét in the laend- 
{cape, by the “murmur ,of its courfe, 
completes the harmony of this little Pa- 
radiie. We flept at Llangolien; and, on 
June 30, Set forward at five in "the 
morning, to Co:weu: the road-lay along 
the fides cf the mountains above the 
courfe of the Dee. The fcenery, in ge- 
neral, was much the fame as we had cb- 
ferved in the Vale of Llangollen, only 
ale 
min 
sf 
‘the valleys were narrower, and the hi'ls 
better 
~ 
OE 
