The Wye and Its Associations

e-Geoffrey of Monmouth-Henry of Monmouth-The Kymin-Subsidiary tour-Sir Dav

r its sovereign Utha Pendragon and the renowned king Arthur. To Gwent, moreover, if chronicles say true, we are indebted for our present sovereign lady, who is descended collaterally from its princes. Merrich, the son of Ithel, king or prince of Gwent, died without issue male, leaving one daughter, Morvyth, who espoused Gwno, great grandson to Rees ap Theodore, prince of South Wales, and lineal ancestor of Sir Owen Tudor, grandfather of Henry VII. "So that it appears," say the Secret Memoirs of Monmouthshire, "that the kings of Scotland and England are originally descended from Morvyth, this Gwentonian prince's daug

predecessor, Queen Elizabeth, was fond of tracing her descent from the ancient kings of her c

raine Queene, thy

owned prince

y upheld th

bear'st, to the

ngs and couque

nd thy grandf

eds above the

me for ever

n's booke they we

d to is Geoffrey of Monm

Monmouthshire, as the frontier region between the belligerents, had of course the greatest proportion, amounting, it is said, to at least twenty-five. In these baronial lands, the writs of ordinary justices of the royal courts were not current. The barons marchers, as they were called, had recourse to their feudal lord the king in person; and the same abuses and confusion were the result which we have noticed in Herefordshire, till Henry VIII. abolished this anomalous government, divided Wales into twelve shires,

ceal the fact from our readers, was an historical romancer rather than an historian. The groundwork of his celebrated performance was Brut y Breninodd, or the Chronicle of the Kings of Britain, written by Tyssilio, or St. Telian, bishop of St. Asaph, in the seventh century; but Geoffrey owns himself, that he made various additions to his original, particularly of Merlin's prophecies. After all, however, if we m

s by making Cordelia die before her father; whereas, in the original story, Lear is restored to his kingdom, and Cordelia to life. Milton drew from it his fiction of Sabrina in

cle of Br

to Arthur

ject of king Arthur, but he contented himself with an ope

attle

ene in all th

ve the clouds;

and kind to

orgivi

pavement of a certain place-good intentions; but after all, ou

odern date. He became archdeacon of his native town, and in 1152 was consecrated bishop of St. Asaph. This is all that is known of his history; and his wo

in this county; but in his youth was transferred to Oxford, where he studied under his uncle Cardinal Beaufort, then chancellor of the university, and wher

d his bones small; neverthelesse he was of great marvellous strength, and passing swift in running, insomuch that h

Some of these are very agreeably detailed by Mr. Coxe, who relates also, from Speed, that "every day after dinner, for the space of an hour, his custom was to lean on a cushion set by his cupboard, and there he himselfe received petitions of the oppressed, which with great equitie he did redresse." His su

f his youth pr

sooner left hi

wildness, mor

too: yea, at t

on like an

e offending Ad

s body as

nd contain cel

ch a sudden

reformation

ady current, s

dra-headed

se his seat, a

this

dently of its historical associations, the delightful walks in the neighbourhood abundantly repay it. The views from numerous points are very beautiful;

ich rises from the left bank of the Wye, and is situated partly in Monmouthshire, and partly in Gloucestershire. On the centre of this eminence ov

, reposes at length on the near views, dwells on the country immediately beneath and around, is attracted with the pleasing position of Monmouth, here seen to singular advantage, admire

of these openings, three of which comprehend perspective views of Monmouth, stretching between the Wye and the Monnow, in different positions. At one of these seats, placed on a ledge of impending rocks, I looked down on a hanging wood, clothing the sides of the declivities, and sloping gradually to the Wye, whic

as an opportunity, without great expense of time or labour, of making himself acquainted with many interesting objects which ought to be considered as adjuncts of the tour of the Wye. Between this place and the Hay the river describes

ny road, where a farm will be pointed out to the traveller, called the Park, belonging to the duke of Beaufort, as the site of Old Court, formerly the residence of the valiant Sir David Gam, who, before the battle of Agincourt, reported to Henry V. that there were "enough of the enemy to be killed, enough to run away, a

of the romancers. This fortress, with those of Scenfrith and Grosmont on the banks of the Monnow, belonged to Brien Fitz Count, the Norman conqueror of the tract called Overwent, stretching from the Wye to Abergavenny; and they were afterwards seized by Henry III., and given by him to the celebrat

ether extramural, and capable, therefore, of acting as independent fortresses, even after the inner court had been taken. The principal entrance was protected by a portcullis and drawbridge, and by an immense barbican,

of mind," and yet, during the reign of his immediate predecessor Elizabet

fayre are in

ne, on hill i

next, in valle

for pleasure t

s the third o

e doth bear Whi

te, a loftie

ive the simple s

oubt its duty to guard. It is a small fortress severely simple, and exhibiting all the marks of high antiquity. There are no traces of outworks; but the walls are flanked by five circular towers. About the middle of the area is a

or ever perished. In the absence of human associations, however, it is well provided with those of another kind. The mount, or barrow, under which its fragments are hidden, is the

doubt formed the great baronial hall. In the reign of Henry III. it was invested by Llewellin, and the siege raised by the king; and, on another occasion, Henry retreated to Grosmont, where his troops were surprised by the Welsh as they slept in the trenches, and lost five hundred horses, besides baggage and treasure. The banks of the Monnow, from which the ruins rise, are precipitous, and tufted with oaks, and th

re fatigue than is necessary will take the route by Craig-gate and Crickhowell, and so get into a road which will lead him along the Hond

tranger, that t

ssed his age

man; and

the roots his

tain-stream. Per

eager wonder

rmandine's enc

sleep: and if t

lood of Britain,

h quicker impu

s, when through

rades followed

anger! Hatterel's

vale of Cwias,

thine after th

thus associat

the deeds of

rmous fissures. We continued for some way between the torrent and the Gaer, and again plunged into a hollow road, where we were enclosed, and saw nothing but the overhanging hedgerows. . . . The abbey was built like a cathedral, in the shape of Roman crosses, and though of small dimensions, was well proportioned. The length, from the western door to the eastern extremity, is 210 feet; and the breadth, including two aisles, 50; the length of the transept, from north to south, 100. It was constructed soon after the introduction of the Gothic architecture, and before the disuse of the Norman, and is a regular composition of both styles. The whole roof, excepting a small fragment of the north aisle, is fallen down, and the building is extremely dilapidated. The nave alone exhibits a complete specimen of the original plan, and is separated on each side by the two aisles, by eight pointed arches, resting on piers of the simplest construction, which are divided from the upper tier of Norman arches by a straight band of fascia. From the small fragment in the northern aisle, the roofs seem to

tular saint of Wales; but for the account of its foundation and history, we must refer