I found was called Siamber Wen, the White Hall. This was the mansion of Sir Robert Pounderling, a valiant knight, who was many years constable of the castle. This illustrious hero, we are told, was so celebrated for his prowess, that, amongst other challenges, he received one at a tournament in this country from a Welshman, who in the combat beat out one of his eyes. Being afterwards at the English court, he was requested to challenge him in return, but he wisely shewed that he had prudence as well as valour, by declining a second combat, alleging as his excuse, that he had no desire to have the Welshman knock out his other eye.

From this place I retraced my road through Rhyddlan to St. Asaph, from whence the next morning I made an excursion to Denbigh.-I must remark, for the benefit of those who may follow me, that in the latter part of this day's ramble from Rhyddlan to Diserth, I received little amusement, except in my botanical pursuits. Neither the village nor the castle of Diserth afford any thing very deserving of attention.

CHAP. VI.

EXCURSION FROM ST. ASAPH TO DENBIGH.

Road and Views.-Town of Denbigh.-Denbigh Castle.-Fine View.-Old Town.-Privileges.-White Friary.-Whitchurch.-Memoranda of Humphrey Llwyd. View of Denbigh from the East.

ODENBIGH now appeare, thy turne is next,

I need no gloss, nor shade to set thee out:
For if my pen doe follow playnest text,
And passe right way, and goe nothing about,
Thou shalt be knowne, as worthie well thou art,
The noblest soyle that is in any part:

And for thy seate, and castle do compare,
With any one of Wales, what'ere they are,

So says honest Churchyard in a poetical account of "the Worthines of Wales," written about the middle of the sixteenth century, when Denbigh was accounted a place of considerable importance, and when its walls and castle were

entire.

I was much disappointed in the walk from St. Asaph to Denbigh. From remarking in the maps that it lay entirely along the vale of Clwyd, I had expected many elegant and varied prospects. The road, however, lies so low, and the vale is so wide, and so much intersected with lofty hedge-rows, that it was only in two or three places that I had any interesting prospect whatever. A woody dell, watered by the river Elwy, and ornamented with a gentleman's

seat or two, pleasingly situated amongst the trees on its rising bank, afforded a picturesque scene on the right of the road, about three miles from St. Asaph.

DENBIGH.

The town of Denbigh was concealed from the sight by low intervening mountains, until I had arrived within about a mile of it. It is situated on a rock, whose summit is crowned by the fine ruins of its castle, nearly in the middle of the vale of Clwyd. All the streets, except one, are very irregular, and the houses are in general ill built. I wandered alone to the castle, but, from the great number of turnings in the narrow streets, experienced somè difficulty in reaching it, although I had it in view nearly the whole time.-A late tourist (Mr. Skrine) has remarked, that Denbigh, from its situation has been thought to resemble Edinburgh. But though some slight traces of similiarity may be found, he is of opinion that the boldness of the position of Edinburgh, and the grandeur of its surrounding objects, far surpass every thing here.

DENBIGH CASTLE.*

The entrance into the castle is through a large Gothic arch, which was formerly flanked by two octagonal towers, both now in ruins. In an ornamental niche over the arch, there is a figure of its founder Henry de Lacy, and over another gate, that formerly stood on the left of this, there was also a statue of his wife, Margaret, the

daughter of William Longspee, earl of Salisbury. This castle has once been a most extensive building; and from the strength and thickness of its walls, it appears to have been impregnable, except by artillery or famine.-The breaches in the walls (observes Mr. Grose) plainly shew in what manner they were constructed. Two walls, occupying the extremities, of the intended thickness, were first built in the ordinary manner, with a vacuity betwixt them, into which was poured a mixture of hot mortar and rough stones of all sizes, which, on cooling, consolidated into a mass as hard as stone. This kind of building was called grouting.

The parish church of Denbigh is Whitchurch, about a mile distant; but there is a chapel of ease within the walls of the castle, a building which was formerly used as the chapel to the garrison. At a little distance from this there is also part of the body of a church begun by Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester, in 1579. Elizabeth granted to this nobleman the castle and lordship of Denbigh. But having incurred the hatred of the inhabitants by his tyrannical and oppressive conduct, he chose to leave it in its present unfinished state.

The

From the walls of the castle I had a fine view of all the country for many miles round. From hence the vale, in all its pastoral beauty, is displayed before the eye. banks of the little river are pleasingly decorated; and the bounding mountains finely contrast their naked barren sides with the delightful scene of fertility between them*.

History of Denbigh Castle.-After the death of Llewelyn, the last prince of Wales, Edward I. granted the lordship

With respect to the town of Denbigh, Leland informs us that there had been many streets within the walls, but that in his time (before the middle of the sixteenth century) these were nearly all demolished, the householders

of Denbigh to Henry de Lacy, earl of Lincoln, who began the castle, and fortified the town with a strong wall. But before the castle was completed, his son was thrown by accident into the well, and killed. This misfortune had such an effect on the earl, that he had not resolution to finish what he had begun; and Leland states that the interior never was finishedt.

After the death of the earl, the castle and lordship de volved by marriage with his daughter, upon Thomas, earl of Lancaster. On his attainder they were given by Edward II. to Hugh D'Espencer, on whose execution, they again escheated to the crown, and were granted by Edward III. to Roger Mortimer, earl of March, in exchange for lands to the value of a thousand pounds per annum. But his attainder and execution enabled the king, not long afterwards, to grant them to Sir William de Montacute, whom he created earl of Salisbury. This earl seems to have been the first owner of Denbigh, since the founder of its castle, who had not been arraigned for high treason; he was, however, a most zealous and active adherent to the state. He died in 1333; and on the subsequent reversal of the attainder of the earl of March, the lordship and castle of Denbigh were restored to that family. By the marriage of Ann, the sister to the last earl of March, with Richard Plantagenet, earl of Cambridge, they came into the house of York, and thence to the crown.

King Edward IV., while duke of York, was besieged in Denbigh castle by the army of Henry V1.; and the king declared it his intention, if Edward was taken, to give him his life, but, on condition only that he should forever banish himself from the realms. He however escaped.

In 1563 queen Elizabeth bestowed this castle and lord

Leland's Itiner. v. 56-58.

*Leland's Itin. v. 58. The words are King Edward IV. was be sieged in Denbigh castelle, and ther it was pactid betwene king Henry's men and hym (self) that he should with life departe the reaulme never to returne. If they had taken king Edward there, debellatum fuisset."

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