North Wales, South Wales and Weft Wales, containing 14 Shires, in which were included Herefordshire and Monmouthshire; but as they have both fince been taken from it, and reckoned among thofe of England, where we have already defcribed them, the only Divifions now are North Wales and South Wales; the former containing the Counties of Flint, Caernarvon, Montgomery, Merioneth, Denbigh and Anglefea; and the latter thofe of Cardigan, Pembroke, Caermarthen, Glamorgan, Brecknock and Radnor. Wales was incorporated and united with England by Statute 27 Henry VIII. by which the English Laws and Liberties were to take place there; and all Welsh Laws, Cuftoms and Tenures, not agreeable to thofe of England, abrogated. By the fame Statute Wales was divided into twelve Counties, each of which has the Privilege of returning a Knight, and every Shire Town a Burgess to Parliament. In our Defcription of this Principality, we shall firft give an Account of South Wales. RADNORSHIRE S bounded on the E. by Shropshire and Herefordhire; by Brecknockshire and Cardiganshire on the S. and W. and by Montgomeryshire in N. Wales on the N. It is 29 M. in Length, and 18 in Breadth; containing four Market Towns, 52 Parishes, 6 Hundreds, 5 Caftles and 3 Forefts, all in the Diocefes of Hereford and St. David's. The Air is fharp and piercing. The E. and S. Parts are pretty fruitful in Corn; but the N. and W. Parts are fo rocky and mountainous, as to be only fit for feeding Cattle and Sheep. The chief Commodities are Cheese and Horfes. It fends one Member to Parliament for the County, and one for the chief Town, viz. New Radnor, 151 M. from London, a very ancient Borough; it is well built for thefe Parts, but chiefly thatched Houfes. 'Twas called Radnor by the English from Rhaiadr Gwy, or the Cataract of the River Wys near the Town of Rhaiadr. It ftands in a fruitful Valley, at the Bottom of a Hill, where abundance of Sheep are fed. Preftin, 3 M. from Radnor, ftands on the R. Lug, in a rich and pleafant Valley, near its Entrance into Herefordhire; and is the Place where the Affizes and County Goal are kept; on which Account it is pretty populous, and well frequented. It is a fair, large, well-built Town, and the Streets are well paved. Here is a very good Market for Grain, especially Barley, of which they make Store of Malt. Knighton, 4 M. from Preftein, ftands in a Valley on the River Teme, over which it has a Bridge. It is well built, has a good Trade and Refort: Its Market is well ferved with Cattle, Corn, and other Commodities. The most remarkable Thing in this Shire is Offa's Dyke or Clawd Offa, fo called from its Contriver Offa King of the Mercians, who had it caft up, as a Boundary between the English Saxons and the antient Britons, who had been driven into Wales. It begins at Bleachey, over against Auft Paffage on the Severn, and extends from its Mouth, to that of the Dee ninety Miles. 'Tis faid that Harold made a Law, that if any Welshman pafled this Dyke, the King's Officers fhould cut off his right Hand. On the Top of a Hill called Gwaftedin, near Rhaiadr Gwy, are three large Heaps of Stone, called Karns, common on the Mountains of Wales, and likewife in the North of England, in Scotland and Ireland, and which were generally intended as Memorials for the Dead, Men of the beft Quality having had fach Funeral Piles before the Establishment of Chriftianity here. The chief Seats in this Shire are, Sir Humphry Howarth's, at Maeffetwich. BRECKNOCKSHIRE S bounded by Radnorfhire on the N. from which it is divided by the River Wye; Herefordshire on the E. Monmouthshire on the S. E. Glamorganshire on the S. Caermarthenshire and Part of Cardiganfhire on the W. I: is 35 M. in Length, and 34 in Breadth, and divile l 06 inc into fix Hundreds, which contain 4 Market Towns. 'Tis very mountainous, except on the N. Side; but intermixed with a good Number of pleafant Vales, producing Plenty of Corn; and its Mountains are well ftocked with Cattle. The Air is very mild, except on the Hills, where 'tis fharp, but wholefome. This County not only produces black Cattle and Goats, but fome Venifon, and Store of wild Fowl; and fends one Member for the County, and another for the Town of Brecknock, 160 Miles from London, which is the Capital, and almost the Centre of the County, a compact, well-built Town, where the Affizes are held. It ftands at the Confluence of the Rivers Hondhy and Usk, over which it has a good Stone Bridge; 'tis pretty well inhabited, has fome Share in the Woolen Manufacture, has ftill the Ruins of its Caftle, built by Bernard.de Newmarch, in the Reign of William Rufus; with fome Towers, 3 Churches, and its Markets are well supplied with Cattle, Corn, and other Provifions. Brecknock Priory, was founded in the Reign of Henry I. by Bernard de Newmarch. It is now a Parish Church, and ftill a moft magnificent Building, fituated on an Eminence, and built in the Form of a Crofs, 200 Feet long, and 60 broad. In the Centre of the Crofs an embattled Tower rifes about go Feet high, and lies open to the Church above the Roof. In the Priory House the Refectory or dining Room is ftill remaining. Bealt, 10 M. from Brecknock, a pleafant Town, in a woody Country, on the River Wye, over which it has a large wooden Bridge leading to Radnorshire. T. has a confiderable Manufacture of Stockings. This Hay, 135 M. from Lond. is a good Town, on the Banks of the Wye, and the Borders of Herefordshire. 'Tis fuppofed to have been well known to the Romans, becaufe of their Coins often found there, and fome Ruins of Walls ftill remaining. The most remarkable Antiquity of this County, is that noted Monument called the Maiden Stone, in Britifh, Maen y Mor'ynnion. 'Tis a rude Pillar, in the Middle of the Road near Brecknock, which is 6 Feet high, 2 broad, 2 broad, and 6 Inches thick. On one Side are the Figures of a Man and a Woman in an ancient Habit; but whether it be a British or Roman Work is uncertain. The only Seats of Note in this County are Crickbowel and Tretowry Castles near the River Usk, belonging. to the Duke of Beaufort. Llanthew Castle, fituated on the E. Side of the River Hondhy, belonging to the Bishops of St. Davids. GLAMORGANSHIRE, A Maritime County, having the Severn Sea or Bristol Channel on the S. Monmouthshire on the E. Caermarthenshire on the W. and Brecknockshire on the North. Its Length is computed at 45 M. and Breadth 21. It is divided into ten Hundreds, which contain the like Number of Market Towns, and 18 Parishes, in which are 5 Castles and as many Parks. The Air on the N. Side, where it is mountainous, is very fharp; but on the S. mild and agreeable; confequently the Soil on the N. Side is but indifferent; whereas to the S. 'tis not only more level, but fitter for Cultivation, and bears large Crops of Corn and very sweet Grafs. As to Sheep and other Cattle they abound every where, infomuch, that from its very good Paftures 'tis called the Garden of Wales. Its other Commodities are Lead, Coals, Fish and Butter. It fends to Parliament one Knight of the Shire, and one Burgess for Cardiff, 163 M. from London, the Capital, where the Affizes are alfo held. It has a Bridge over the Taff, to which small Veffels may come up, and lade or unlade there. This is a pretty large, well-built Town, and reckoned the most beautiful in all S. Wales; but, tho two Parifhes, has only one Church. It is a well-frequented Town, has a good Trade with Bristol, and plentiful Markets and Fairs for Corn, Cattle, Sheep, Horfes and Swine. Without the E. Gate is a large Suburb called Grockerton; without the N. Gate ftands the White Fryars; Fryars; and without the W. Gate a small Suburb adjoining to the Black Fryars, wherein ftands the Castle, a ftrong, ftately, fpacious Edifice, built by Robert Fitz Hamon, the Conqueror of Glamorganshire, about the Year 1100. Llandaff, 167 M, from London, though an episcopal See, is of no Confideration, unlefs on Account of its Cathedral, which is a fine fuperb Structure, and, though built upwards 640 Years ago, is ftill in very good Condition, with a neat Choir. The Length of the whole Fabrick from E. to W. including the Walls, is 263 Feet and a Half; the Breadth of the Body and SideAiles is 65 Feet. This City ftands on the Taff, and was made an epifcopal See by St. Dubricius, about the Year 490. Bishop Urban about the Year 1120 built the epifcopal Church with two Towers at the W. End 89 Feet high, of which the fouthern one still remains. At a fmall Distance from Cardiff Point are two finall Iflands pretty clofe together; in one of them, called Barry, is a narrow Chink, to which, fays Giraldus Cambrenfis, if the Ear be applied, one hears a Noise like that in a Smith's Shop; but the Author of the Addenda to Camden fays, this Noife is heard at Wormfhead Point, farther Weftward. Cowbridge, 8 M. from Llandaff, 175 from London, has a Stone Bridge over the River Ewenny, not far from its Entrance into the Severn Sea. It ftands in a low Bottom and fruitful Soil, has a Market well-frequented for Cattle, Sheep, Corn and other Provifions, with a Harbour for Boats. At Newton, a Village in this Neighbourhood, is a Well, which is almost empty at high Tide, but flows at Ebb ready to run over. Neath, 6 Miles from Swanfey, has a Bridge over a R. of the fame Name, noted for Quickfands, to which small. Veffels come up from Burton Ferry in the Severn to load. Coals. It is an antient and pretty large Town, betwixt. which and Cardiff is a large Bay called Cardiff-Bay, formed by the Naes above Cardiff, and the Wormhead S.. of Swanfey. On the W. S.de of the River is a very an |