After dinner, the talk was of preserving the Welsh language. I offered them a scheme. Poor Evan Evans was mentioned, as incorrigibly addicted to strong drink. Worthington was commended. Myddleton is the only man, who, in Wales, has talked to me of literature. I wish he were truly zealous. I recommended the republication of David ap Rhees’s Welsh Grammar.
Two sheets of Hebrides came to me for correction to-day, F.G.
AUGUST 6.
I corrected the two sheets. My sleep last night was disturbed.
Washing at Chester and here, 5s. 1d.
I did not read.
I saw to-day more of the out-houses at Lleweney. It is, in the whole, a very spacious house.
AUGUST 7.
I was at Church at Bodfari. There was a service used for a sick woman, not canonically, but such as I have heard, I think, formerly at Lichfield, taken out of the visitation.
The Church is mean, but has a square tower for the bells, rather too stately for the Church.
OBSERVATIONS.
Dixit injustus, Ps. 36, has no relation to the English.
Preserve us, Lord, has the name of Robert Wisedome, 1618. — Barker’s Bible.
Battologiam ab iteratione, recte distinguit Erasmus. — Mod. Orandi Deum, p. 56-144.
Southwell’s Thoughts of his own death.
Baudius on Erasmus.
AUGUST 8.
The Bishop and much company dined at Lleweney. Talk of Greek — and of the army. The Duke of Marlborough’s officers useless. Read Phocylidis, distinguished the paragraphs. I looked in Leland: an unpleasant book of mere hints.
Lichfield School, ten pounds; and five pounds from the Hospital.
AUGUST 10.
At Lloyd’s, of Maesmynnan; a good house, and a very large walled garden. I read Windus’s Account of his Journey to Mequinez, and of Stewart’s Embassy. I had read in the morning Wasse’s Greek Trochaics to Bentley. They appeared inelegant, and made with difficulty. The Latin Elegy contains only common-place, hastily expressed, so far as I have read, for it is long. They seem to be the verses of a scholar, who has no practice of writing. The Greek I did not always fully understand. I am in doubt about the sixth and last paragraphs, perhaps they are not printed right, for [Greek: eutokon] perhaps [Greek: eustochon.] q?
The following days I read here and there. The Bibliotheca Literaria was so little supplied with papers that could interest curiosity, that it could not hope for long continuance. Wasse, the chief contributor, was an unpolished scholar, who, with much literature, had no art or elegance of diction, at least in English.
AUGUST 14.
At Bodfari I heard the second lesson read, and the sermon preached in Welsh. The text was pronounced both in Welsh and English. The sound of the Welsh, in a continued discourse, is not unpleasant.
[Greek: Brosis oligae].
The letter of Chrysostom, against transubstantiation. Erasmus to the Nuns, full of mystick notions and allegories.
AUGUST 15.
Imbecillitas genuum non sine aliquantulo doloris inter ambulandum quem a prandio magis sensi.
AUGUST 18.
We left Lleweney, and went forwards on our journey.
We came to Abergeley, a mean town, in which little but Welsh is spoken, and divine service is seldom performed in English.
Our way then lay to the sea-side, at the foot of a mountain, called Penmaen Rhôs. Here the way was so steep, that we walked on the lower edge of the hill, to meet the coach, that went upon a road higher on the hill. Our walk was not long, nor unpleasant: the longer I walk, the less I feel its inconvenience. As I grow warm, my breath mends, and I think my limbs grow pliable.
We then came to Conway Ferry, and passed in small boats, with some passengers from the stage coach, among whom were an Irish gentlewoman, with two maids, and three little children, of which, the youngest was only a few months old. The tide did not serve the large ferry-boat, and therefore our coach could not very soon follow us. We were, therefore, to stay at the Inn. It is now the day of the Race at Conway, and the town was so full of company, that no money could purchase lodgings. We were not very readily supplied with cold dinner. We would have staid at Conway if we could have found entertainment, for we were afraid of passing Penmaen Mawr, over which lay our way to Bangor, but by bright daylight, and the delay of our coach made our departure necessarily late. There was, however, no stay on any other terms, than of sitting up all night.
The poor Irish lady was still more distressed. Her children wanted rest. She would have been content with one bed, but, for a time, none could be had. Mrs. Thrale gave her what help she could. At last two gentlemen were persuaded to yield up their room, with two beds, for which she gave half a guinea. Our coach was at last brought, and we set out with some anxiety, but we came to Penmaen Mawr by daylight; and found a way, lately made, very easy, and very safe. It was cut smooth, and enclosed between parallel walls; the outer of which secures the passenger from the precipice, which is deep and dreadful. This wall is here and there broken, by mischievous wantonness. The inner wall preserves the road from the loose stones, which the shattered steep above it would pour down. That side of the mountain seems to have a surface of loose stones, which every accident may crumble. The old road was higher, and must have been very formidable. The sea beats at the bottom of the way.
At evening the moon shone eminently bright; and our thoughts of danger being now past, the rest of our journey was very pleasant. At an hour somewhat late, we came to Bangor, where we found a very mean inn, and had some difficulty to obtain lodging. I lay in a room, where the other bed had two men.
AUGUST 19.
We obtained boats to convey us to Anglesey, and saw Lord Bulkeley’s House, and Beaumaris Castle.
I was accosted by Mr. Lloyd, the Schoolmaster of Beaumaris, who had seen me at University College; and he, with Mr. Roberts, the Register of Bangor, whose boat we borrowed, accompanied us. Lord Bulkeley’s house is very mean, but his garden garden is spacious, and shady with large trees and smaller interspersed. The walks are straight, and cross each other, with no variety of plan; but they have a pleasing coolness, and solemn gloom, and extend to a great length.
The castle is a mighty pile; the outward wall has fifteen round towers, besides square towers at the angles. There is then a void space between the wall and the Castle, which has an area enclosed with a wall, which again has towers, larger than those of the outer wall. The towers of the inner Castle are, I think, eight. There is likewise a Chapel entire, built upon an arch as I suppose, and beautifully arched with a stone roof, which is yet unbroken. The entrance into the Chapel is about eight or nine feet high, and was, I suppose, higher, when there was no rubbish in the area.
This Castle corresponds with all the representations of romancing narratives. Here is not wanting the private passage, the dark cavity, the deep dungeon, or the lofty tower. We did not discover the Well. This is the most compleat view that I have yet had of an old Castle. It had a moat.
The Towers.
We went to Bangor.
AUGUST 20.
We went by water from Bangor to Caernarvon, where we met Paoli and Sir Thomas Wynne. Meeting by chance with one Troughton, an intelligent and loquacious wanderer, Mr. Thrale invited him to dinner. He attended us to the Castle, an edifice of stupendous magnitude and strength; it has in it all that we observed at Beaumaris, and much greater dimensions: many of the smaller rooms floored with stone are entire; of the larger rooms, the beams and planks are all left: this is the state of all buildings left to time. We mounted the Eagle Tower by one hundred and sixty-nine steps, each of ten inches. We did not find the Well; nor did I trace the Moat; but moats there were, I believe, to all castles on the plain, which not only hindered access, but prevented mines. We saw but a very small part of this mighty ruin, and in all these old buildings, the subterraneous works are concealed by the rubbish.
To survey this place would take much time: I did not think there had been such buildings; it surpassed my ideas.
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AUGUST 21.
We were at Church; the service in the town is always English; at the parish Church at a small distance, always Welsh. The town has by degrees, I suppose, been brought nearer to the sea side.
We received an invitation to Dr. Worthington. We then went to dinner at Sir Thomas Wynne’s, — the dinner mean, Sir Thomas civil, his Lady nothing. Paoli civil.
We supped with Colonel Wynne’s Lady, who lives in one of the towers of the Castle.
I have not been very well.
AUGUST 22.
We went to visit Bodville, the place where Mrs. Thrale was born; and the Churches called Tydweilliog and Llangwinodyl, which she holds by impropriation.
We had an invitation to the house of Mr. Griffiths of Bryn o dol, where we found a small neat new built house, with square rooms: the walls are of unhewn stone, and therefore thick; for the stones not fitting with exactness, are not strong without great thickness. He had planted a great deal of young wood in walks. Fruit trees do not thrive; but having grown a few years, reach some barren stratum and wither.
We found Mr. Griffiths not at home; but the provisions were good. Mr. Griffiths came home the next day. He married a lady who has a house and estate at [Llanver], over against Anglesea, and near Caernarvon, where she is more disposed, as it seems, to reside than at Bryn o dol.
I read Lloyd’s account of Mona, which he proves to be Anglesea.
In our way to Bryn o dol, we saw at Llanerk a Church built crosswise, very spacious and magnificent for this country. We could not see the Parson, and could get no intelligence about it.
AUGUST 24.
We went to see Bodville. Mrs. Thrale remembered the rooms, and wandered over them with recollection of her childhood. This species of pleasure is always melancholy. The walk was cut down, and the pond was dry. Nothing was better.
We surveyed the Churches, which are mean, and neglected to a degree scarcely imaginable. They have no pavement, and the earth is full of holes. The seats are rude benches; the Altars have no rails. One of them has a breach in the roof. On the desk, I think, of each lay a folio Welsh Bible of the black letter, which the curate cannot easily read.
Mr. Thrale purposes to beautify the Churches, and if he prospers, will probably restore the tithes. The two parishes are, Llangwinodyl and Tydweilliog. The Methodists are here very prevalent. A better church will impress the people with more reverence of publick worship.
Mrs. Thrale visited a house where she had been used to drink milk, which was left, with an estate of two hundred pounds a year, by one Lloyd, to a married woman who lived with him.
We went to Pwllheli, a mean old town, at the extremity of the country. Here we bought something, to remember the place.
AUGUST 25.
We returned to Caernarvon, where we ate with Mrs. Wynne.
AUGUST 26.
We visited, with Mrs. Wynne, Llyn Badarn and Llyn Beris, two lakes, joined by a narrow strait. They are formed by the waters which fall from Snowdon and the opposite mountains. On the side of Snowdon are the remains of a large fort, to which we climbed with great labour. I was breathless and harassed. The Lakes have no great breadth, so that the boat is always near one bank or the other.
Note. Queeny’s goats, one hundred and forty-nine, I think.
AUGUST 27.
We returned to Bangor, where Mr. Thrale was lodged at Mr. Roberts’s, the Register.
AUGUST 28.
We went to worship at the Cathedral. The quire is mean, the service was not well read.
AUGUST 29.
We came to Mr. Myddelton’s, of Gwaynynog, to the first place, as my Mistress observed, where we have been welcome.
Note. On the day when we visited Bodville, we turned to the house of Mr. Griffiths, of Kefnamwycllh, a gentleman of large fortune, remarkable for having made great and sudden improvements in his seat and estate. He has enclosed a large garden with a brick wall. He is considered as a man of great accomplishments. He was educated in literature at the University, and served some time in the army, then quitted his commission, and retired to his lands. He is accounted a good man, and endeavours to bring the people to church.
In our way from Bangor to Conway, we passed again the new road upon the edge of Penmaen Mawr, which would be very tremendous, but that the wall shuts out the idea of danger. In the wall are several breaches, made, as Mr. Thrale very reasonably conjectures, by fragments of rocks which roll down the mountain, broken perhaps by frost, or worn through by rain.
We then viewed Conway.
To spare the horses at Penmaen Rhôs, between Conway and St. Asaph, we sent the coach over the road across the mountain with Mrs. Thrale, who had been tired with a walk sometime before; and I, with Mr. Thrale and Miss, walked along the edge, where the path is very narrow, and much encumbered by little loose stones, which had fallen down, as we thought, upon the way since we passed it before.
At Conway we took a short survey of the Castle, which afforded us nothing new. It is larger than that of Beaumaris, and less than that of Caernarvon. It is built upon a rock so high and steep, that it is even now very difficult of access. We found a round pit, which was called the Well; it is now almost filled, and therefore dry. We found the Well in no other castle. There are some remains of leaden pipes at Caernarvon, which, I suppose, only conveyed water from one part of the building to another. Had the garrison had no other supply, the Welsh, who must know where the pipes were laid, could easily have cut them.
AUGUST 29.
We came to the house of Mr. Myddelton, (on Monday,) where we staid to September 6, and were very kindly entertained. How we spent our time, I am not very able to tell.
We saw the wood, which is diversified and romantick.
SEPTEMBER 4, SUNDAY.
We dined with Mr. Myddelton, the clergyman, at Denbigh, where I saw the harvest-men very decently dressed, after the afternoon service, standing to be hired. On other days, they stand at about four in the morning. They are hired from day to day.
SEPTEMBER 6.
We lay at Wrexham; a busy, extensive, and well built town. It has a very large and magnificent Church. It has a famous fair.
SEPTEMBER 7.
We came to Chirk Castle.
SEPTEMBER 8, THURSDAY.
We came to the house of Dr. Worthington, at Llanrhaiadr. Our entertainment was poor, though his house was not bad. The situation is very pleasant, by the side of a small river, of which the bank rises high on the other side, shaded by gradual rows of trees. The gloom, the stream, and the silence, generate thoughtfulness. The town is old, and very mean, but has, I think, a market. In this house, the Welsh translation of the Old Testament was made. The Welsh singing Psalms were written by Archdeacon Price. They are not considered as elegant, but as very literal, and accurate.
We came to Llanrhaiadr, through Oswestry; a town not very little, nor very mean. The church, which I saw only at a distance, seems to be an edifice much too good for the present state of the place.
SEPTEMBER 9.
We visited the waterfall, which is very high, and in rainy weather very copious. There is a reservoir made to supply it. In its fall, it has perforated a rock. There is a room built for entertainment. There was some difficulty in climbing to a near view. Lord Lyttelton came near it, and turned back.
When we came back, we took some cold meat, and notwithstanding the Doctor’s importunities, went that day to Shrewsbury.
SEPTEMBER 10.
I sent for Gwynn, and he shewed us the town. The walls are broken, and narrower than those of Chester. The town is large, and has many gentlemen’s houses, but the streets are narrow. I saw Taylor’s library. We walked in the Quarry; a very pleasant walk by the river. Our inn was not bad.
SEPTEMBER 11.
Sunday. We were at St. Chads, a very large and luminous Church. We were on the Castle Hill.
SEPTEMBER 12.
We called on Dr. Adams, and travelled towards Worcester, through Wenlock; a very mean place, though a borough. At
noon, we came to Bridgenorth, and walked about the town, of which one part stands on a high rock; and part very low, by the river. There is an old tower, which, being crooked, leans so much, that it is frightful to pass by it.
In the afternoon we came through Kinver, a town in Staffordshire; neat and closely built. I believe it has only one street.
The road was so steep and miry, that we were forced to stop at Hartlebury, where we had a very neat inn, though it made a very poor appearance.
SEPTEMBER 13.
We came to Lord Sandys’s, at Ombersley, where we were treated with great civility.
The house is large. The hall is a very noble room.
SEPTEMBER 15.
We went to Worcester, a very splendid city. The Cathedral is very noble, with many remarkable monuments. The library is in the Chapter House. On the table lay the Nuremberg Chronicle, I think, of the first edition. We went to the china warehouse. The Cathedral has a cloister. The long aisle is, in my opinion, neither so wide nor so high as that of Lichfield.
SEPTEMBER 16.
We went to Hagley, where we were disappointed of the respect and kindness that we expected.
SEPTEMBER 17.
We saw the house and park, which equalled my expectation. The house is one square mass. The offices are below. The rooms of elegance on the first floor, with two stories of bedchambers, very well disposed above it. The bedchambers have low windows, which abates the dignity of the house. The park has one artificial ruin, and wants water; there is, however, one temporary cascade. From the farthest hill there is a very wide prospect.
I went to church. The church is, externally, very mean, and is therefore diligently hidden by a plantation. There are in it several modern monuments of the Lytteltons.
There dined with us, Lord Dudley, and Sir Edward Lyttelton, of Staffordshire, and his Lady. They were all persons of agreeable conversation.
I found time to reflect on my birthday, and offered a prayer, which I hope was heard.
Complete Works of Samuel Johnson Page 861