regular and equal distances. I think there "are thirteen of these circles. The pieces. "of which the pavement is composed are

86

nearly square, the breadth of them being "about the size of a common die. These are of various colours, blue, white, yel

66

low, and red; the first and second are of "stone, and the yellow and red are of terra "cotta. By a judicious mixture of these "colours, the whole pattern is as strongly "described as it would have been in oil co"lours. The original level is perfectly pre"served; and the whole composition is so elegant and well executed, that I think it has not been surpassed by any mosaic pavement that has been discovered on this, or even on the other side of the Alps. In my opinion, it is equal to those beautiful pavements which are preserved in the pa"lace of the king of Naples at Portice. I

፡፡

86

am strongly inclined to think that it is of "the same age of Agricola." On this pavement being discovered, a building was erected to shelter it from the weather, by order of the proprietor, Mr. Lewis, of St. Pierre ; but the brewhouse wanted a roof, and this, being found of similar dimensions, was transferred

to

to the brewhouse; the farmer holding his ale in much greater veneration than relics of antiquity. In consequence of neglect, this curiosity is no longer an object of beauty; exposed to the weather, the surface became broken up; every one being allowed to take away as many of the tessera as he pleased; but a small portion remains; and that is so overgrown with grass as to be with difficulty distinguished. In this orchard, and near the southern extremity of the wall, is a mound, which is most probably the site of the explo ratory, or watch-tower.

CHAP

CHA P. XV.

WENTWOOD FOREST-EXCURSION TO THE CASTLES OF DINHAM; LANVAIR; STRIGUIL; PENCOED; AND PENHOW COMPRISING EXTENSIVE VIEWS FROM THE PENCAMAWR, &c. CALDECOT CASTLE A TALE OF OTHER TIMES.

-

NEW PASSAGE

SUDBROOK ENCAMP

MENT AND CHAPEL

ST. PIERRE

MATHERN PALACE-MOINSCOURT.

HAVING satisfied ourselves with the antiquities of Caerwent, we planned an excursion, to comprise the six castles mentioned by the author of "Secret Memoirs of Monmouthshire" as surrounding the forest of WENTWOOD. These were erected soon after the Normans established themselves in Monmouthshire, in order to keep the natives in check, who were wont to sally from their Q 2 impe,

impenetrable fastnesses in the woods, and take a severe revenge on their conquerors and oppressors. Great part of this forest still exists in its original wildness, although it has been considerably curtailed by late enclosures. The castles enumerated are, Dinham, Penhow, Pencoed, Lanvasches, Lanvair, and Castrogy or Striguil. On a bridle-road, extending to Share Newton, we proceeded to the village of DINHAM, a poor place consisting of a few farm-houses and cottages: we had some difficulty in discovering the ruins of its castle, which consist of some low walls obscured by trees; merely pointing out its site on a gentle eminence near the borders of the forest. The ruin is called in the neighbourhood the old chapel. There being nothing here to fix our attention, we made the best of our way to LANVAIR CASTLE, situated on a small rise about two miles from Caerwent, near the road to Usk. In our approach to the ruin, an effect caught through intervening trees was pleasing and picturesque; but the ruin aspires not to grandeur, and is in a great degree concealed by embowering verdure: a nearer inspection of the castle increased our opinion of its former

5

extent

extent and prowess; large foundations are evident; and the walls are nowhere less than seven feet in thickness: a square and two round towers are the most conspicuous features of the ruin, which is in part moulded into a farm-house: the area of the principal court is employed as a kitchen-garden. Beneath the castellated eminence is the villagechurch, a simple rustic building; passing which, and proceeding on the road to Usk, we quickly entered the forest of Wentwood. In this tract a dreary ride among dark woods, and russet heaths, laboriously ascending, brought us to the PENCAMAWR summit; a remarkable eminence in the long ridge of hills crossing the midland parts of Monmouthshire, from the vicinity of Caerleon to the banks of the Wye near Landago.

Here a prospect greatly extensive opened to us. Beyond the wild region prevailing about our eminence, broken into a rapid succession of high hills and deep valleys, the winding Usk, with its emeraldic yalley, accompanied with numerous villas and rich hanging woods, appeared in all its beauty. The bold character of the foreground, soon melting into a gentle undulation, displayed a