large rock called the Swancar, dry only at low water; to which two of his sons went in a boat to divert themselves: but not taking care to fasten their vessel, on the rising of the tide it was washed away, and they left to the horrors of their fate; which was inevitable, as the family had no other boat, nor was there any other in the neighbourhood. Their distress was seen from the house; and in the confusion their infant brother, being left alone, fell into a vessel of whey, and was drowned almost at the same instant with the other two. This was universally looked upon as a judgement for the iniquities abovementioned; and Mr. Vaughan was so struck with the transaction, that he immediately sold the house to Mr. Wyndham, ancestor of the present proprietor. Two extraordinary caverns, about a mile westward of the house, we neglected to visit: the one called the Cave is described to be a passage worn through a projecting stack of rocks, running parallel with the sea-shore, and forming a kind of rude piazza, with an entrance to the south, of very grand effect. The other, called the Windhole, is a deep cavern, a little to the east of the Cave: its depth from the entrance

measures seventy-seven yards. There are two or three small fissures through the roof of the cavern to the land above, a considerable distance from the edge of the cliff; over which if a hat be laid, it will be blown back into the air with considerable violence; but this only happens when the wind blows fresh from the South-east.

ST. DONATT'S CASTLE, a few miles further on the coast, and about five south-west of Cowbridge, is an extensive structure, of much antique beauty, and is still partially inhabited. Its garden, descending in terraces from the south wall, was formerly much admired, but now

"Sunk are the bowers in shapeless ruin all,

"And the long grass o'ertops the mould'ring wall.

Although loftily situated, the castle is so surrounded with high groves, as only to be seen with advantage from some heights in the adjoining park on one of them is a watchtower, which affords a prospect truly grand and extensive. This castle is of very remote foundation, although the greater part of the building indicates the work of latter ages. We learn from Powell's translation of Caradoc,

that

that the castle and manor of St. Denewit, or St. Donatt, was apportioned to Sir William le Esterlong, alias Stradling, on the conquest of Glamorgan. The Stradlings, outliving the descendants of all the other twelve Knights, held it for 684 years; but they becoming extinct, the estate fell to Busy Mansell, Esq. *

Between St. Donatt's and Cowbridge is Lantwit, a poor village, but once a large borough town. On the north side of its church are some old British relics, consisting of high carved stones; but whether sepulchral or otherwise is not determined. LLANBITHIAN, or ST. QUINTIN'S CASTLE, is situated about half a mile south of Cowbridge. The leading feature of this ruin is a massive gateway, now converted into a barn; which, as well as the other parts, denotes considerable original strength, and is said to have been built prior to the arrival of Fitzhammon. The castle and manor fell to the share of Sir Robert St. Quintin on the division of Glamorgan; but it passed from his descendants in the reign of

* In this neighbourhood several Roman coins have been dug up, among which were some very scarce ones of Æmilianus and Marius.

Henry the Third, and is now the property of Lord Windsor. COWBRIDGE is a neat little town seated on the banks of a small river *.

PENLINE CASTLE, loftily seated on a bold hill, and commanding a prospect of uncommon diversity and extent, is about a mile distant from Cowbridge. From the lines of Edward Williams, a native poet, it may appcar that it serves as a barometer for the neighbourhood:

"When the hoarse waves of Severn are screaming aloud, “And Penline's lofty castle's involv'd in a cloud;

"If true the old proverb, a shower of rain

"Is brooding above and will soon drench the plain."

This structure is of very ancient date: in some parts of the building the stones are laid in the herring-bone fashion; a mode observed in the oldest parts of Guildford, Corfe, and others of the most ancient castles. The mansion near to the ruin was built by Mr. Sergeant Sey, and is now possessed by Miss Gwinit, by a by a bequest of the late Lady Vernon's.

* Llancarvan, about three miles from Cowbridge, is said to be the site of a Monastery built by St. Cadocus in the year 500.-Boverton, a village a short distance from Cowbridge. in the road to Cardiff, is thought to be the Bovium of the Romans.

A re

A retrograde movement, hastily performed in a shower of rain, brought us to BRIDGEND, a straggling little town, built on the opposing banks of the river Ogmore. From this place a road passes to the village of CoITY and its dismantled castle. This ruin stands on a plain ground, and is prettily interspersed with various trees and underwood: its foun+ dation is generally attributed to Paganus de Turbeville, one of Fitzhammon's knights.— The continuance of our ride to Llantrissent boasted little interest; until, making a curvé near the seven-mile stone, when the wide undulating vale of Cowbridge exhibited a most extensive tract of beautiful fertility: among the high hills circumscribing the vale, that sus taining Penline castle rose with superior importance. The whole laid out in rich pas tures and meadows, continually intersected with tufted inclosures, and enlivened with embowered hamlets and detached whitened buildings, formed a coup d'œil of considerable interest.

The old town of LLANTRISSENT appeared within a small distance of us, long before we arrived at it for, perched upon the summit of a high hill of remarkable steepness, it