a magnificent pavilion of the Doric order, 327 feet in length, wherein the orange-trees are arranged in unfavourable weather: but on our visit, these trees, to the amount of a hundred and fifty, from six to ten feet high, and all in full bearing, were agreeably disposed in a sequestered part of the garden *. Margam abbey was until within these few years the mansion of the estate; but it is now pulled down: some low ruins, however, remain, and the walls of its elegant but neglected chapter-house. This structure is thus described by Mr. Wyndham, who visited the spot about thirty years since: "It is an elegant Gothic building, of a date "subsequent to that of the church. "vaulted roof is perfect, and supported by a "clustered column rising from the centre of "the room. The plan of this chapter-house " is an exact circle, fifty feet in diameter.

Its

The just proportion of the windows, and "the delicate ribs of the arches, which all "rise from the centre column and the walls, gradually diverging to their respective points above, must please the eye of every spec

* They were wrecked on the Margam estate upwards of a Century since.

"tator;

46

46

"tator; and, what is uncommon in light "Gothic edifices, the external elevation is as simple and uniform as its internal, there being no projecting buttresses to disturb or obstruct its beauty."-" The preservation of this building led me to conclude, that "much attention had been given to the lead "that originally covered it; but, to my asto"nishment, I heard that the lead had long "since been removed, and that the only se

86

curity of the roof against the weather was a *thick oiled paper, which by no means pre"vented the rain from penetrating and fil

tering through the work." Mr. Wyndham concludes by trusting, that, as the present proprietor is a lover of antiquities, the deficiency would be corrected. But, unfortunately, the edifice was left to its fate, and the roof soon fell in: thus one of the finest speciniens of Gothic architecture in this or any other country is lost to the eye of taste and science.

Just perceptible from the turf we traced the foundation of the Abbey Church, and the bases of four clustering pillars that most probably supported the tower; the steps of the altar were also visible, besprinkled with grass;

and,

and, turning over some fragments, we picked up part of the chalice for containing lioly water, and several of those coloured glazed tiles which were used in the early Norman age for paving principal buildings, but com monly called Roman tiles. We were informed by Mr. Snook, the intelligent gar dener of the place, who was present at the dilapidation of the abbey, that the pavement formed with these tiles was the lowermost of three which were then removed; and that on digging deeper they came to an immense heap of human bones. This pavement is still in many places remaining, though nearly concealed by a covering of moss. Many curious sculptured stones of high antiquity are to be met with in the park, and in the village adjoining; the church of which presents, in its elevation, a more pleasing symmetry and composition than any Norman work that I remember to have seen *. A shady walk, carried beneath the leafy mantle of Margam's hill, passes a ruined chapel, and a loggan or rocking-stone, in its way to the

* This is called part of the Abbey church in Grose's Antiquities; but, as the foundation of that edifice is demonstrable near the chapter-house, it appears to be an error.

summit,