mand in person. He was, however, compelled to surrender to the Parliamentary forces, under General Myddelton, in 1644. On this occasion the walls were greatly damaged by the cannon of the assailants, the place pillaged, and the noble owner himself taken prisoner. The castle and lordship were confiscated to the use of the Parliament; but the proprietor afterwards compounded for and obtained possession of them again.

The magnitude of this elevated pile of building is observed, with the greatest effect, on the road leading towards Montgomery, whence its embattled turrets are seen rising above the magnificent trees by which they are nearly surrounded. I was delighted with my ramble over different parts of the park, which is formed of gently rising hills clothed with trees, and pleasant lawns where the dappled deer added to the charm of the scene. From the upper part, in clear weather, the distant mountains of Plinlimmon, Cader Idris, and Snowdon, are seen. The principal entrance is a gateway between two massy round towers. In front it is approached by two immense terraces, rising one above the other by a flight of steps, adorned with statues, vases, &c.

On the grand staircase is some very fine tapestry by Lanscroon, with the date of 1705; and the work on the ceiling represents the coronation of Queen Anne. The apartments on the ground-floor are rather gloomy, from the great thickness of the walls. The views from the windows of the dining and drawing rooms are very fine, presenting the extensive and richly wooded park, the vistas opening at intervals, the valley of the Severn, and a wide extent of country, including the Breiddin hills, which are surmounted by three peaks, on one of which is built the obelisk commemorating the victory of Admiral Lord Rodney over the French fleet, in the West Indies, in 1782.

Lord Clive's collection of paintings, particularly portraits, is numerous. Those by Sir Peter Lely are very fine, and in excellent preservation. I think the most interesting pictures are the portraits of the Duchess of Powis, King Charles the Second,

that eccentric genius Lord Herbert, of Cherbury, and Henrietta, Queen of Charles the First. There is a full-length portrait of Roger Palmer, Earl of Castlemain, the husband of that intriguing beauty, the Duchess of Cleveland. He is drawn according to the

costume of the time, in a black wig and scarlet mantle, and is in the act of dictating to his secretary, when envoy from James the Second to the Pope. The object he had in view was to obtain a pardon from his holiness for the sin of heresy into which these realms had fallen. The Pope himself could not conceal his ridicule of such a proceeding as the attempt to reconcile the two dissevered churches, and he was invariably seized with a fit of coughing when the Earl touched upon his embassy. At length, wearied with delay, the Earl gave notice to his holiness that he was about to pack up his credentials and quit Rome; and with equal coolness the representative of St. Peter replied, that in that case he would, with the most cordial affection, recommend him 'to set off early in the morning, and to rest at noon, lest by over excitement, and the effect of the heat, he should chance to endanger his health.' In a small, dark room, I observed a portrait of the present Lady Clive, commenced by Sir Thomas Lawrence, but finished in a very different style to that of this eminent man, by an artist whose name I did not learn.

The aspect of the scenery around, like that of the mansion, has more recently partaken of the new and more natural manner of setting-off the advantages of nature combined with art. For the artist who delights in wild forest scenery, or pastoral quiet, Powis park will supply a continued treat. The verdant spreading lawns, the swelling hills, and rich variety of wooded views, together with the distant hills and woods mingling with the sky, at the moment I contemplated them, in the soft glow of an autumnal eve, shed a benign influence over the mind.

It was with singular pleasure that I listened to the commendations-given with earnestness and good-will, when no interest was to be derived-of the kind deportment and benevolent disposition

uniformly displayed by the proprietor of Powis Castle, and of his sense of justice, his liberality to many in time of need, and the manner in which he steps forward to promote the happiness and improvement of his tenantry.

At a short walk from Welshpool is the beautiful vale of Cyfeiliog, and, at the foot of the Breiddin hills, the ruins of the Cistercian Monastery, called Ystradd Marchell, founded in 1170. To the north of Welshpool are seen, rising sternly above the valley, Moel y Golfa, Craig Breiddin, and the triforked summits of a rock more than one thousand feet in height. On the loftiest peak stands the obelisk erected to commemorate the great victory achieved by Rodney. Here I caught the distant views of the solitary Wrekin, the vast chain of contiguous hills, the summits of Snowdon on the north, and Cader Idris to the west.* The vale, through which the Severn pursues its course, is beheld extending far below.

The way to Newtown, through the valley, almost parallel with the river, and studded with pleasant villages, surmounted by richly wooded hills, on one of which rises a little temple,—presents many lovely views. On this occasion, instead of turning to the left when about a mile from Welshpool, and taking the direct road to Montgomery, I proceeded on that towards Newtown as far as the village of Berriew. On my left ran the Severn, and to my right, just above the road, rose a succession of lofty hills, richly clothed with wood; and, nearer the Montgomeryshire canal, which frequently intersects the road, is caught at intervals by the eye. From Berriew again, leaving the road to Newtown, I took the path to the left, and, at a short distance, crossed the bridge over the Severn. It was here, on proceeding a little way, that I observed, on the top of an eminence, on the other side of which lies the

The botanist may here find pleasure in meeting with the Veronica Hybrida, the Potentilla rupestres; and on the steeper parts of Craig Breiddin, Pyrus Aria; in other spots Pteris Crispa, Cotyledon lutea, Sedum rupestre, Papaver Cambricum, Chlora Perfoliata, Lichnis Viscaria, &c. &c.

town, the picturesque effect of the ruins of the noble castle to which I was approaching. How strange a contrast to the fastdecaying monument of feudal days, and the associations it conjured up, did the whole scene exhibit, in the neat, well-conducted inn, the modern roads branching in various directions, and the farm house and yard usurping the old feudal tenure of baronial sway! No spot in the Principality is more memorable in Cambrian history, for the singular events, the wild and daring feats of arms, the fierce contests, and succession of masters, which the Castle of Montgomery witnessed from the very foundation of the fortress to the period of the Civil Wars. The first strong-hold of the Marches, erected by Baldwyn, from whom the place was termed Tre Faldwyn, or Baldwyn's Town, a lieutenant of the Conqueror, to overawe the Welsh, its strength was not unfrequently turned against its original masters. It was again wrested from them by Roger Montgomery, Earl of Arundel and Shrewsbury, who, invading Powys land, took the town and castle, and, restoring their fortifications, gave to both the proud name which he bore. Yet, in one short year, with the surrounding country, it fell to the Welsh, who defied the power of William Rufus, and compelled the Normans to an ignominious retreat. Spite of a brave resistance, the Welsh, having levelled the walls, carried the place by storm; and it was not till after four years' incessant struggle that they were again driven to the mountains. The castle was rebuilt by the Earl of Shrewsbury, and a century elapsed ere it again fell before the fiery Britons. Subsequently, as at all previous periods, the fertile lands of Powys were esteemed too great a prize to be relinquished, and they became the battle-field not only of rival lords, but of princes and kings. Here, as in all great actions which threw a lustre on his country, the last of the Llewellyns met the banded hosts of England, and reaped that fame in arms which soon allied him to the royal House of the Norman Conquerors, and gave a transitory gleam of peace and prosperity to his suffering country. Summoned as a vassal to appear before the court of King Henry III., the

Prince replied by laying siege to the town, which he raised only at the approach of the King at the head of an immense army, before which he was compelled to retire after a severe conflict, but harrassed on its return. It was at this time that Henry restored the castle upon a site deemed so impregnable, and with such lines of defence, as would prove an effectual barrier to the future progress of the warlike Prince. Having placed in it a powerful garrison, and given the command to his grand justiciary, Hubert de Burgh, with honours and emoluments from the lordship of the Marches, the King withdrew in the idea that he had chastised the insolence of the lawless Welsh, and fixed a sharp curb on their predatory career. Hardly had the Royal leader reached the borders, watched by his wary foe, before numbers of the Welsh, pouring from their hills in the rear, boldly faced the new-built fortress frowning from its rock-based height, and, burning to achieve some bold action, while their Prince observed the retiring foe, they surrounded and summoned it to surrender. Maddened at such an insult from 'a wild horde of Welshmen,' the blood of De Burgh boiled to revenge it; and sallying forth with the whole of his veteran garrison, by feigning at first to be worsted he drew the Welsh farther into his toils, and turning on his assailants while another party took them in flank, a desperate and unsparing conflict ensued. But it could not be long doubtful; and so surely had the grand justiciary taken his measures, and relied on their success, that even the ladies of the castle, surrounding the young and beautiful Countess De Burgh, had been, as at a tournament, witnesses of the bold sally with as much pleasure as if at a contested election or a lord-mayor's day in our own times; and they were as eager to adorn the battlements with the heads of the wild men as with the ribands of some favourite candidate at present. The knowledge of being marked by the eyes of beauty sharpened the edge of Norman chivalry, and many a heart beat high, and fair bosoms heaved with love and pride, as the colours conferred on some favourite youth flew foremost in the frightful slaughter of the undisciplined moun