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tablishment as far as they do this, they indirectly form part of his revenue; and in that view I consider the Grandee as somewhat of a mercenary showman, however magnifique.

A ride of nearly a mile extent, among delightful plantations, led us out of Hafod; when, crossing the Ystwith over a good stone bridge, we soon passed through a little romantic village on the road to Tregarron, from whence the country continued wild, without grandeur or interest, a succession of

"Barren heaths, and rushy meers,"

until the approach to Llandilo. In this midland route the hills were much less continuous than round the coast, and the valleys frequently extensive; but, overrun with peatbogs, they neither displayed fertility nor beauty. About half way to Tregarron, a few hundred yards to the right of the road, were two considerable hills, each crowned with a large ancient encampment: we did not stop to examine them, but quickly turned off the road, over moorlands on our left, in search of the remains of STARFLOWER or STRATA FLORIDA ABBEY. We had no track to direct us; nor

did a human creature appear for many miles: after a fruitless wandering, therefore, we gave up the object, with this consolation, that almost the only relic remaining is an or namented circularly-arched gateway.. Yet was this place, now lost in a trackless desert, once of high importance. Strata Florida. Abbey (in British, Munachlog Ystrad flur) was founded anno 1164 for Cistertian Monks* by Rhesus Prince of South-Wales. In it many of the Welch Princes were buried, and their acts kept and recorded: it suffered considerably when Edward the First overran Wales, but was soon after repaired.

A sloppy ride brought us to TREGARRON; a poor straggling ill-built town, situated in an abrupt hollow watered by an arm of the Tivy; yet, plentifully interspersed with trees, it forms a pleasing relief to the surrounding dreariness. Its church is a respectable old building, and it boasts the dignity of a mayor. Our inn here afforded us a capacious dish of eggs and bacon for dinner; but, though it was not more than ordinarily strong and greasy for the wilds of Wales, we grew delicate, and,

* According to Tanner, Leland, and Dugdale. Camden says it was for Cluniacs.

leaving

leaving our meal almost untasted, pursued our journey on the turnpike road to Lampeter. About three miles from Tregarron, immediately on the left of the road, we observed a large mound encircled by a moat; but could not determine whether it was the site of an antient citadel, or monumental of a deceased chieftain. In the same neighbourhood is the church of Landewi-Brevi, where in 522, at a Holy Synod, St. David opposed the opinions of the Pelagians. A prodigious petrified horn which is shewn at the church is said to have remained there from that time; and in the year 1187 Bishop Beck founded a college on the spot. Several Roman inscribed stones appear in and about the church; but at a place some distance; southward of it, called Kaer Kestih (the field of the castles), a great number have at various times been discovered, as also coins and Roman bricks. Dr. Gibson considers this to be the Lovantinum of Ptolemy, in which opinion he is followed by Mr. Horsley: Yet is this spot, the site of a Roman town, and once occupied by its legions, now with difficulty traced among barren fields remote from habitation:

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"No busy steps the grass-grown foot-way tread,
"But all the bloomy flush of life is fled."

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From a fatiguing day's journey we gladly reposed at a better inn than might be expected in so poor a town as LAMPETER; and the following morning sallied forth to visit a large old seat of Sir Robert Lloyd's; which, we learned, exhibited a striking appearance "with its four great towers crowned with "domes in the midst of well-planted inclosures, "but now scarcely inhabited." A thick mist denied us this view; so, crossing the long old bridge of Lampeter, we entered Caermarthenshire on our way to Llandilo. Nothing can be imagined more dreary than the first half of this ride; lying over an extensive range of lumpy hills, as remote from any thing picturesque as profitable. No tree, not a bush could be seen; and as we mournfully looked round, where, except the miserable road on which we travelled, no trace of society appeared, our disgusted sight would have even rested with pleasure on a furze bush. From such a region of sterility we gladly caught a gleam of cultivation, in some distant hills bordering on Brecknockshire; but more gladly still, on a sudden turn, we

looked

looked down on the pleasing little valley LLANSAWEL, watered by a crystaline branch of the Cothy. The sun had now dispersed the mists through which we set out, and shone direct on the vale: from its verdant level high hills, enjoying different degrees of cultivation, rose on every side; and under one of them, at the further end of the valley, the well-whitened village sparkled through the intervening foliage.

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Yet

This valley was immediately succeeded by another called EDWIN'S-FORD, a delightful spot, whose high encircling hills are clothed with extensive plantations to their very summits. In the bottom, is a large old manor house belonging to Colonel Williams, beautified above, below, around," with leaden mercuries, shepherdesses, and sportsmen. is this place, remaining in the genuine style of King William's reign, with all its absurdities, more interesting, as shewing us a specimen of that time, than if it were patched up with modern improvements; or a new villa, of the packing-case mode of building that now prevails. We rode through the long avenues. of trees that extend from the house; and, quitting the valley, descended to another,

pleasingly

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