Dyke, and by the road side near the turnpike gate, at a little distance from the Abbey: but these are very trifling. It is supposed to have been indebted for its erection to Richard the son of Hugh Lupus earl of Chester. In the year 1119, after his return from Normandy, where he had been educated, he attempted a pilgrimage to Wenefred's well; but either in his journey thither, or on his return, he was attacked by a party of Welsh, and compelled to seek for shelter in Basingwerk Abbey. Thus situated, he implored protection from Wenefred, who, tradition says, raised certain sands betwixt Flintshire and the opposite coast, to permit his constable and men to pass over to his relief, which, from that circumstance, were called Constable's Sands! If any reliance whatever were to be placed in the origin of this tradition, it tends to prove that the foundation of the Abbey was considerably anterior to the date generally assigned to it.

The castle is well known to have been rebuilt in the the year 1157, by Henry II. after his escape in the battle near Euloe; he, however, first cleared all the passes and cut down the woods around it, which at that time were impenetrable forests, affording shelter, as he had keenly experienced, to powerful enemies.

The Welsh ever looked upon this fortress as a disagreeable check upon their proceedings and liberty, and therefore about eight years afterwards, Owen Gwynedd, after many unsuccessful attempts, took it at last by storm, and immediately levelled it with the ground. From this time it does not appear to have been the cause of any further contentions.

WATT'S DYKE.

This barrier begins at Maesbury near Oswestry, passes by that town, through the grounds at Wynnstay, near Wrexham, Hope, and Northop, and terminates in the Dee at this place. Churchyard is almost the only writer that has not confounded this with Offa's Dyke. He assigns as the object of its formation that the space betwixt the two, for they run to a considerable distance nearly parallel with each other, was to be free ground, where the Britons and Danes might meet for all commercial purposes.

There is a famous thing,

Call'd Offa's Dyke that reacheth farre in length,
All kind of ware the Danes might thither bring,
It was free ground and call'd the Briton's strength.
Watt's Dyke, likewise, about the same was set,
Between which two the Danes and Britons met,
And traffic still, but passing bounds by sleight,
The one did take the other pris'ner streight.

CHAP. IV.

HOLYWELL TO ST. ASAPH.

Lead Mines-Calamine,-Roman Pharos-Memoranda of Mr. Pennant.-Vale of Clwyd.-St. Asaph History of the Cathedral.-Miracle performed by St. Asaph.-Vale of Clwyd,

THE road from Holywell to St. Asaph is rugged but pleasant. This country abounds in lead mines, and I passed some very considerable ones about a mile beyond Holywell. The veins of ore, as I was informed, run in directions either north and south, or east and west, but of these the latter are by much the richest. They are found in a matrix either of chert or limestone, and often extend to unknown depths. The common, or lamellated ore, yields above fifteen hundred of lead to twenty of the ore, and, in general, about fourteen ounces of silver to the ton.

Calamine is also found in great quantities in this neighbourhood, and in veins like the lead, sometimes mixed with ore, but frequently alone. Nearly the whole of Flintshire abounds with it, and so entirely ignorant were the inhabitants of its use, as, within the last sixty years, even to have mended their roads with it. These roads have, however, been since turned up in many places, and their materials converted to more valuable purposes.

I had not passed the lead mines far before I came within sight of an ancient circular building, in form not much unlike a windmill, on the summit of a lofty hill, called Carreg, in the parish of Whitford, and about two miles to the right of the road. This, Mr. Pennant, entreating his friends not to consider him an antiquarian Quixote for doing it, conjectures to have been a Roman pharos, constructed to direct the navigators to and from Deva, along the difficult channel of Seteia Portus.

MEMORANDA OF THE LATE MR. PENNANT.

A large mansion called Downing, which stands about half way betwixt the road and the seashore, was, not long ago, the residence of Mr. Pennant.

This indefatigable and useful writer was born. at Bychton, in the parish of Whitford, on the 14th of June 1726. He was a lineal descendant from Tudor Trevor, who married Angharad the daughter of Howel Dda, prince of North Wales*.

He became possessed of the estate at Downing by the death of his father David Pennant: and having discovered a rich mine of lead ore on it, he was enabled, by means of the emoluments arising from this, to make considerable improvements. Here he principally resided.

* The name is truly Welsh, derived from pen the head or end, and nant, a narrow valley; the house of Bychton, the ancient family mansion, being seated at the head of a very considerable dingle.

"The house itself," he informs us, "has little to boast of. I fortunately found it incapable of being improved into a magnitude exceeding the revenue of the family. It has a hall, which I prefer to the rural impropriety of a paltry vestibule; a library; a parlour capable of containing more guests than I ever wish to see in it at a time, septem convivium; novem convicium! and a smoaking-room, most antiquely furnished with ancient carvings, and the horns of all the European beasts of chace. This room is now quite out of use as to its original purpose. Above stairs is a good drawing-room, in times of old called the diningroom, and a tea-room, the sum of all that are really wanted, I have Cowley's wish realized, a small house and a large garden!"

In his history of Whitford and Holywell, Mr. Pennant mentions another house called Downing, on the opposite side of the dingle, about three hundred yards from this mansion, the property of Thomas Thomas, Esq. Fierce feuds, as usual in days of yore, raged according to his relation, between the two families. "These Montagues used to take a cruel revenge on their neighbour Capulet, by the advantage of a stream, which ran through their grounds, in its way to our kitchen, where it was applied to the turning of a spit. How often," says he, "has that important engine being stopped, before it had performed half its evolutions! our poor Capulet swearing, lady crying, cook fuming, and nurse screaming! But

To hear the children mutter,

When they lost their bread and butter,
It would move a heart of stone."