mountain barrier, to obtain a sight of the surrounding country;* passing here and there a miserable farm and cottage, destitute of inhabitants. This is literally a land of sheep walks, and of shepherds, though not of Arcadian scenes. The numerous flocks are heard to bleat at close of day, but no swains are heard to tune their "Oaten reeds." The flocks, like those of Estramadura, and other mountainous parts of Spain, are driven from distant places to these exposed pastures to feed the summer herbage. The farms and cottages we had seen in the vale, are only Winter habitations, covered with the ancient British roofing Peithwydden, or Shingles, i. e. oak cut into lengths and split. The hills abound with slate of a coarse brownish kind, proper for this purpose; but to discover this, requires some portion of the art of minéralogy, and to bring it into use, past experience of its utility, or a disposition for new experiment. Continuing our journey, with the Biga Mountains on our right, and those that separate the Vale of the Wye from the Vale of the Severn on our left, we met with little worthy of observation, save the JASSIONE MONTANA, and a few plants, the common inhabitants of boggy soils. Suddenly the Ardua Moles of Plynlimmon rose in sullen grandeur before us; the vale opening to the North and South discovered the mountain, appearing with less abruptness and elevation than we had been taught to expect. Its * The extent between the Severn and the Wye is not two miles here, sides, as well as the adjacent hills, were totally destitute of wood, and naked hills furnish the chearless idea of solitary gloom. Nothing appeared interesting, but the consideration, that this, otherwise, dreary spot gives birth to four considerable rivers; two of which stand unrivalled in point of picturesque beauty, and the third, after Father Thames, in commercial importance: the Llyffnant, Rheidiol, Wye and Severn. The Rheidiol flows from the Llyn Lly-gad Rheidiol, and taking a South-westerly course falls into the sea at Aberystwith. On the Southeastern side issues from two large fountains the Wye, called Wye, or the River, by way of eminence; which taking a South-easterly direction, after watering the counties of Radnor, Brecon, and Monmouth, flows into the Severn below Chepstow this is instantly so impatient of controul, as to rush with great precipitation, and roll its impetuous torrents over a ledge of rocks, so as to form a bold though barren cascade. The springs on the North side unite in a considerable lake, called Glas Llyn, whence flows the mountain river Llyffnant, which joins the Dovey near Machynleth. The ascent was not difficult from the steepness, but troublesome from the frequent bogs, that oblige the traveller to change his course. Near the summit on the North-eastern side, from a small pond, rises the Severn; which running North-east to Shrewsbury, turns suddenly to the South, and watering the counties of Salop, Worcester, anl Gloucester, an extent of two hundred miles, empties itself into the sea below Bristol. You will, perhaps, expect some account of the origin of its name; but consider how hazardous even to conjecture, when the most able antiquaries have racked their brains in vain, and candidly owned themselves at the most perfect loss respecting its derivation. Vid. Camden, Lloyd, and Pennant. Geoffry, of Monmouth, attributes it to Sabrina, the reputed daughter of Locrine, King of Britain, by Estrildis, one of the three captive virgins of matchless charms, which he took from Humber, King of the Huns. Locrine had divorced his former Queen, Geondolen, in favour of Estrildis. On the death of Locrine, the slighted Queen assumed the government, pursued, Estrildis and her daughter with unrelenting cruelty, and caused them to be drowned in this river; which, with a slight alteration, assumed the name of the innocent victim of female revenge: "In flumen proecipitur Abren Nomen Abren fluvio de virgine nomen, eidem Milton alludes to the Story in describing it— And the beautiful use he has made of the Story in his Masque of Comus, is familiar to most readers. Camden ridicules the account of Geoffry, as a legendary tale; and frankly acknowledges, he could never learn whence the name was derived. That it bad this name at a very early period is evident ;' Tacitus mentions it as well known in his time. Describing in his Annals the affairs of declining Rome in Britain, under the Proprætor, P. Ostorius, he observes," Ille gnarus, primis eventibus, metum aut fiduciam gigni, citas cohortes rapit; et cæsis qui restiterunt, disjectos consectatus, ne rursus conglobarentur infensaque et infida pax non duci, non militi, requiem permitteret: detrahere arma suspectis, cinctosque astris Antonam* et Sabrinam fluvios cohibere parat. Lib. xii. c. 31. Its English name is buried in equal obscurity. It is by the inhabitants of the country named Hafren or Havren; and a small hamlet we passed, is called Glyn Hafren, to distinguish it from another Glyn, three miles to the Northward. At Llanidlos it is joined by a small river formed of three mountain streams, and which, we were informed, bears the name of Si or Se, so called from the hissing sound of its waters. Here a double junction is formed of the names, as well as the waters, of these cogenitors of the Severn. The alteration is easy from Sehavren, or as we have it in old maps Seavren, to Severn. * Camdem supposes the upper Wiltshire Avon, that joins the Severn below Bristol to be the Antona of Tacitus; while Pol. Virgil, with more reason, supposes it to be Wye. There is room for conjecture, and I leave the point to the Society of Antiquaries for settlement. + Here I cannot help paying a just tribute due to the merit of Mr. Evans, of, for his great undertaking so justly executed, of furnishing the public with an excellent map of this, before, badly surveyed country. In the course of this journey I have had frequent opportunities of proving its faithfulness, and admiring its accuracy. The height of this mountain is not great, in the scale of comparison with its neighbour Cader Idris, yet the view from its summit is extensively grand; though part of it lies over the trackless sheep-downs of Montgomery, and the barren turbaries of Car digan. On the North the Cader Chain appears enveloped with mists, stretching out towards the sea; on the East the Breidden and the Mountains of Radnor; on the West the romantic vale of the Rheidiol, the Estuary of the Dovey, and the beautiful Bay of Cardigan, diversified by a few sails of vessels at Aberystwith and Aberdovey; with the grand expanse of the ocean, uniting with the horizon in the distant prospect. This mountain is not only famous for being the father of rivers, but also as an important station held by the great Glyndwr in the first year of his insurrection. Unable to oppose the formidable force sent against him, he advantageously placed himself upon Plynlimmon, with a few chosen followers: a place admirably adapted for receiving succours from the North and South. And hence it was he so harassed the country, sacked Montgomery, burnt Poole, and destroyed the Abbey of Cwm Hir, in Radnorshire. The land here is wholly maiden turf. The hand of cultivation has never yet approached the vicinity. The hilly pastures are covered with a mixture of stock; sheep, goats, black cattle, and numerous herds of diminutive horses. Gyraldus informs us, that this country was famous in his day for the shape and stateliness of its horses, |
