TRIPS BY SEA.

Many persons resort to aquatic excursions for health, recreation, and the gratification of a poetic taste; and we are happy to say that there are few places that afford better opportunities for trips by sea than Holyhead. Should the visitor desire a short voyage, he may be gratified; three or four miles will land him atTrefadog(Madog’s House), orPenrhyn(The Cape), on the opposite shore. Or he may have a nine miles sail to the Skerries, or Island of Seals, and thus give the good man of the rocks a proof that the sons of the soil cast a wishful look towards his solitary abode by day, as well as the sons of the ocean by night. Or he may have a four miles cruise to South Stack, glide by the New Harbour, and gaze upon the sublime grandeur of the bold promontory. (See page45.) Should the tourist, however, wish to achieve such nautical wonders as to lose sight of his own dear land, and to be able to say to his friends on returning—“I havecrossed the seas!” his wish may be fully realized. Walk to the Pier, tread the deck of one of our splendid steamers, and in 4½ hours you will be landed on the shores of Ireland, and inhale the bracing air of the far-famed Emerald Isle.

This handsome mansion (about two miles from Holyhead) is embosomed in the wood, and is the residence of the Hon. Wm. Owen Stanley, M.P. for the city of Chester. The principal entrance faces the sea, of which it commands a very extensive view. About a quarter of a mile east of Penrhos is Penrhyn, a cliff projecting into the sea, which has been the residence of the family of Owen for many centuries, who were descended from one of the five sons of Hwfa ap Cynddelw, Lord of Llifon in 1157, now represented by Lord Edisbury and the Hon. W. O. Stanley, sons of the late Lord Stanley, of Alderley. Hwfa was contemporary with Owen Gwynedd, one of the most celebrated princes of North Wales, who on more than one occasion gave battle and completely routed the English army, under the personal command of Henry II. Hwfa founded one of the fifteen royal tribes of Wales; and his five sons inherited his princely property, extending from Aberffraw to Holyhead, and including a great part of the Island of Anglesey.

During the tremendous gales from the north, in January and February, 1802, theDie Liebe, a Dutch galliot, bound from Rotterdam to Ireland, and theBrothers, of Liverpool, were wrecked near Penrhos, the first at midnight, where the unfortunate sufferers found all the comfort and attention which beneficence, united to influence, can so happily bestow, under the hospitable roof of the late Lady Stanley.

Mr. Richard Llwyd, in his “Lines addressed to the Thrush, in the Garden at Penrhos,” alludes to this melancholy catastrophe,

A happier day, dear chorister, is thine,A grave unhaunted by the tread of fear;A little forest, free from kites and crime,When music only meets thy listening ear,—Save when the Demon of the boisterous NorthRushed through the gloom of night with sullen roar,Led from destruction’s den the Furies forth,To roll his dying victims on the shore.’Twas thine amid the raging of the storm,To see thy Stanley disappoint the grave;Tread the dread beach in Charity’s mild form,And bid her Penrhos ope’ its doors to save.And thine as playful in these flow’ry glades,To hear the prayer ascend to Mercy’s throne,To hear from strangers, shelter’d in these shades,The grateful blessings breath’d in tongues[59]unknown.

A happier day, dear chorister, is thine,A grave unhaunted by the tread of fear;A little forest, free from kites and crime,When music only meets thy listening ear,—

Save when the Demon of the boisterous NorthRushed through the gloom of night with sullen roar,Led from destruction’s den the Furies forth,To roll his dying victims on the shore.

’Twas thine amid the raging of the storm,To see thy Stanley disappoint the grave;Tread the dread beach in Charity’s mild form,And bid her Penrhos ope’ its doors to save.

And thine as playful in these flow’ry glades,To hear the prayer ascend to Mercy’s throne,To hear from strangers, shelter’d in these shades,The grateful blessings breath’d in tongues[59]unknown.

Here friends and foesLie close, unmindful of their former feuds.

The name ofbarrowsis given to the artificial hills which were in ancient times very generally constructed to commemorate the mighty dead. Such hills are usually formed of earth, but sometimes of heaped stones. In the latter form, they are almost exclusively confined to Scotland, and are there calledcairns. Barrows are found in almost every country, from America to the steppes of Tartary, and probably exhibit the earliest, and assuredly the grandest species of honorary burial; a humble relic of which we still retain in the mounds of earth over the graves of our churchyards. Assuming that the barrow indicates, in the matter of sepulture, the first step of man from the merely savage state, it does not seem to have been forsaken for monuments of greater art and delicacy until such further advances in civilization had been made as might be indicated to a careful inquirer by the alteration in the form or structure of thetumulusitself, and still more by the contents which might be disinterred; for it was in all, except perhaps the very earliest instances, customary to bury with the dead their weapons, their ornaments, and other articles of value. In the barrows of the earliest period we might expect to find no more than the bones of the uncoffined and unurned barbarian with his arrow heads of flint; while those of a later period would furnish stone and earthen coffins, urns ofmetal and earthenware, spears, swords, shields, bracelets, beads, mirrors, combs, and even coins and cloths,—articles which are actually found in sometumuli, and most of them in those of this country.

The cairns, or carnedd, heaps of stones, are frequently mentioned in Scripture, and in every instance, when not accompanied with a pillar, we find them raised with the same object, namely, to cover the remains of those who died in crime, and whose memories it was intended to dishonour. Such were the heaps of stones raised over the remains of Achan, Absalom, and the King of Ai. Joshua vii. 25, 26—viii. 25. 2 Sam. xviii. 17 In Syria and Palestine it is still usual for one who passes such a heap to throw a stone on it, in order to express his detestation of the infamy commemorated, as well as to contribute to the maintenance or increase the size of the monument. In Scotland, too, in some parts, it was formerly, and perhaps still is common for a person to say to the offender, “Never mind, I shall throw a stone over your cairn yet.”

There are numerous cairns in Wales, many of which still bear distinctive names, such asCarn VadrynandCarn Hendwll. Allusion to these is made in the works of the earliest bards; for instance, Taliesin observes:—

Carawg will purchaseWales abounding withcanerddau.

It is said that in Druidic times the cairn was a species of monument awarded only to persons of distinction. The following passage on the subject occurs in the life of Gruffydd ab Cynan:—“Now the mountain on which the battle was fought, is called by the people of the country thecarnmountain, that is to say, the mountain of thecarnedd; for in that place there is an immensecarneddof stones, under which was buried achampionin primitive ages of antiquity.” The cairn was of gradual growth, inasmuch as it was the custom for every passer by to fling an additional stone upon the common heap, out of reverence to the memory of the person who was interred underneath.

We are told however that when the practice of burying in churchyards became general, the cairn was condemned as fit only for great criminals. Hence the expression, “carn or dy wyneb” (may a cairn be upon thy face), when one wishes ill to another man. In this case travellers cast their stones out of detestation.Owing, therefore, to such a change of popular feeling in regard to the cairn, it would now be impossible, from its mere outward appearance, to conjecture the character of the person whom it covers. Moreover, the size would vary, not only according to the honour or disgrace with which the deceased was in his lifetime regarded, but also according to the situation of the grave itself, whether it was near a public road or not. It may be, however, that the position of the body, or form of thecistvaen(stone chest), or some other interior arrangement, would prove a clue to the solution of this question.

Many of the cairns in this country have been opened, and generally found to contain undoubted evidence of human interment; and where this was not the case, their absence may be very reasonably accounted for by the supposition that the body was burned (as in the case of Achan), and the stones heaped over the ashes.

Upwards of one hundred years ago, Sir Nicholas Bailey opened acarneddat Plas Newydd, Anglesey. Supposing the mound a mere heap of rubbish, he began to level it; but when the workmen had opened the entrance into the large ruin, he ordered them to discontinue their operations, as it seemed to contain nothing but bones.

The mound or tumulus on which the remains ofCapel y Towyn(see page6) stand, is evidently the cemetery of a vast number of persons. Some years ago, a coffin was discovered containing a skull, and the other principal bones of the human frame, quite perfect. Four or five other coffins were also found, all of which contained bones, in a good state of preservation. The coffins were constructed of rough stones, having sides, ends, lids, but no bottoms. The dates of these burials are not correctly determined, but they are of considerable antiquity.

A very interesting paper relative to this place, written by the Hon. W. O. Stanley, M.P. for the city of Chester, was read at the Archæological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, in August, 1846, from which we make the following extract:—

“This ancient chapel is on the old London road, about two and a half miles from Holyhead, situated close to the sea. Here is a great mound, about 30 feet in height, being 750 in circumference at the base. On the summit of this mound are seen the foundation walls of a small chapel, which has given the nameTowyn y Capel(the Bay of the Chapel) to the beautiful inlet upon the shore. This mound is composed of sea sand, and containsa great number of graves, arranged in four or five tiers, one above another, at intervals of about three or four feet. The bodies were laid invariably with the feet converging towards the centre of the mound, the head being towards the outer side. It appears that no similar instance of interment in graves formed indiscriminately, as it regards the point of the compass towards which the feet of the corpse were laid, has yet been noticed.”

Who raised the wondrous pile? I asked and sighed,And paused for a reply; but none replied.Time passed me by, and answered with a frown,Whoever raised it I will pull it down.

There is perhaps no subject on which antiquarians have more employed their learning and industry, on which their theories have been so fruitful, or their discussions so endless, as on the origin and history of those ancient stones generally denominated Druidical. But, who were the founders—when were they founded—and what was the immediate object of their foundation, are questions which at this period we cannot fully answer. At the same time the undoubted antiquity of these remains, the tolerably accurate glimpses of their original condition which the antiquarian writers afford us, and the very mystery in which they are enveloped, altogether make their study peculiarly attractive. But more than all this, there is one fact connected with these antique monuments, which renders them of very high interest indeed, and that is, their dispersion over every part of the world, bearing evidently a common impress of the ideas and habits of their founders, even in places so remote from each other as to make it appear impossible that there should have been any mutual intercourse in those ancient times. Monuments of large and rude stones, disposed in the forms known respectively in our country by the names of circles, cromlechs, kistvaens, and stones erect, are found extensively dispersed through Great Britain, Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Malta, Gaza, Phœnicia, Malabar, Bombay, and other parts of India, Palestine, Persia, Northern Africa, North America, and in the Islands of the Indian Archipelago, and of the South Sea. What conclusions then can we draw from these phenomena, but that those common ideas and habits of which we havespoken must have existed prior to the dispersion of the great family of man, of which the Scriptures tell us? If the identity of the monuments known as Druidical in this country with those existing in Palestine and other parts mentioned in the sacred writings be acknowledged, this important result follows:—that whilst, on the one hand, “the form of existing monuments illustrates the form of those mentioned in Scripture;” on the other, “the uses of those described in Scripture illustrates the uses of those now existing.” The Sacred Scriptures furnish us with many indications as to the use of the altar and circle of stones. (Gen. xx. 24, 25, Josh. v. 5–7, 1 Sam. vii. 16, 17–x. 8.)

The general opinion is that the cromlechs were altars on which the priests offered their dreadful sacrifices. On this subject Cæsar has the following remarks:—“The whole nation of the Gauls, (whom Cæsar describes as imitators of those of Britain, and as deriving from the latter their customs) is much addicted to religious observances, and on that account, those who are attacked by any of the more serious diseases, and who are in danger of warfare, either offer human sacrifice or make a vow that they will offer them, and they employ the Druids to officiate at their sacrifices; for they consider that the favour of the immortal gods cannot be conciliated, unless the life of one man be offered up for that of another; they have sacrifices of the same kind appointed on behalf of the state.” To which we may add, that Tacitus, in his account of the Roman attack on the Isle of Anglesey, the then great stronghold of the British Druids, states—that “they held it right to smear their altars with the blood of their captives.” It is a striking corroboration of the theory that the cromlechs were the altars on which these dreadful sacrifices were performed, to find that in this very Isle of Anglesey are yet existing about thirty, among which are some of the largest and most magnificent our country possesses. It is well known that, at a very early period, this Island was the great school of Druidism—the chosen retreat and asylum of the Druidical Priests. No wonder, therefore, that travellers are particularly struck with the great absence of trees, having naturally enough supposed that the former scene of Druidical superstition, the horrors of which were carried on in the dark recesses of consecrated groves, would not be so bare and destitute of timber. Nor did Anglesey always wear this naked appearance. Classical authors tell us it formerly had its venerable woods and shady groves, and the ancient British appellationYnys Dywyll, or theShady Island, intimates the same fact; and bodies of trees are constantly met with in the pits from which the inhabitants get their peat.

Having made these remarks we shall now direct the attention of the tourist to the

About a mile and a half from Holyhead, at Trefigneth (a house on the quagmire) farm, may be seen some relics of Druidical superstition, and remarkable monuments of the rude art of the Ancient Britons. They are what antiquarians callcromlechi. Two derivations have been given for the word cromlech: the one, “an inclining stone,” from the British wordcrwm, bowed, andllech, a broad, flat stone; and the other, “a devoted stone or altar,” from the Hebrewcœrœm-luach,—the first part expressing the appearance of the upper or principal stone of the cromlech; the second, the horrible use to which, there is good reason to believe, it was put. The stones referred to are called by the Welsh, at this time,Llechen Trevigneth, i.e., Trevigneth flat stones; and the field they are in,Cae’r Llechen, flat stone field.

The writer visited these cromlechs on the 18th of February, 1853, and, assisted by a friend, measured some of the huge, unshapely stones. The western cromlech consists of 5 stones, four of which were undoubtedly uprights, but have fallen from their proper situation, and the table stone, with its flat face, reposes upon them. This superincumbent stone measures 12 feet long, including the piece broken off at the eastern end—it is 6 feet wide, and in some parts about 2 feet in diameter. One of the four stones is 10 feet long, by 4 wide, and about 10 feet in circumference. At the western end of this cromlech are three stones, but for what purpose they were originally used, I wot not.

The eastern cromlech consists of 8 stones, two of which are standing; one perpendicularly, the other in an oblique position—following the example of its companions, which have long since bowed beneath the weight or pressure of centuries;—these are 6 feet long, one of which is about 10 feet in circumference, the other 8. There is one reposing longitudinally, measuring 10 feet long, and 6 feet in circumference. The other three are of smaller dimensions. There are two table or superincumbent stones, one of which measures 10 feet long, by 6 wide; the other,6 feet long, by 5 wide. When first constructed, this cromlech would have admitted a tall man to stand upright in it.

When I first approached these ruins, I felt that I was treading the sacred ground of ancient Britons; a longing to comprehend their origin came over me—a yearning to make out the dark enigma that for ages had puzzled the learned and the wise. While walking round these ancient relics, I felt somewhat astonished and bewildered. Awe, amazement, and solemnity, were as a load on my spirit, pressing heavily. I wished to know, but I was ignorant; I wished to admire, but I was awestruck.

Ages seem present; shadowy, giant forms,And fantasies that throng the heated brain,Are fluttering to and fro; unhallowed rites,Obscene and cruel, and unearthly shapes,Start into being.

Many remains have I gazed on with solemn feelings; but never do I remember such arresting, mysterious solemnity being excited within me by mouldering castle, abbey, church, or priory, as that which then oppressed me. It is strange, but these stones seem embued with the spirit of by-gone ages. There they are, monuments of antiquity—huge, grand, wonderful, incomprehensible! They over-awe you as they stand, gloomily questioning, as it were, your right to approach so near their sacred enclosure.

With these relics we cannot but associate the Druidical priests, who were the principal actors on all public occasions. The finger of time has long ceased to keep a calendar of their moments, or of their actions, and their dust has for ages mingled with the clods of the valley! Yet, here they once performed their idolatrous worship, and were held in great veneration by the people. Imagination takes the place of memory, and, influenced by the appalling gloom that pervades the spot, conjures up shapes of human victims reeking in sacrifice, while Druidic priests in their long white garments, the tiara, or sacred crown, their temples enwreathed with chaplets of oak-leaves, the magic wand in their hand, and on their heads a serpent’s egg, as an ensign of their order, and thus attired we see them going forth to sacrifice, sullen, cruel, implacable, standing round the crimson-stained altar, shrouded with superstition, mystery, and death.

The durability or antiquity of these extraordinary relics iscalculated to excite emotions of astonishment and awe in the mind:—

These ancient stones, o’ergrown with bearded moss,And by the melancholy skill of timeMoulded to beauty, charms the bosom moreThan the palaces of princes.

They must have weathered out more than 2000 years. It was aboutA.D.60, and during the reign of Nero, the Roman Emperor, whenSuetonius Paulinus, a distinguished Roman general, entered Anglesey, and cut down the groves, sacred to Druidic superstition, and placed a garrison among the conquered. And inA.D.79, Titus Vespasian, the Roman Emperor, sentJulius Agricola, a general not less renowned for his military talents than for his wisdom and humanity; he arrived in Mona, or Anglesey, and permanently secured the various triumphs of the Romans. Thus the bloody rites of superstition, the most powerful that ever enchained the human mind, and after it had long established a boundless tyranny upon the ruins of human reason, was abolished throughout the island.

Their sacred Isle with solemn woods were crown’d,Their woods are gone, dismantled lies the groundOf holy Druids, once the reverend shrine.

It is therefore, obvious, that these cromlechs were erected long before the fatal slaughter by Suetonius; and it is nearly 1800 years since he gave a death-blow to the system.

This must be a deeply interesting spot to visit, at a time when the summer’s sun smiles on every object. As has been observed it waswinterwhen the writer visited the cromlechs; but even then the prospect was grand. Standing here you have a most commanding view in every direction, comprising, sea and land, mountain and plain, lake and river. The towering mountains of Carnarvonshire, like another world, ethereal, brilliant, transparent as crystal, appeared in the distance covered with snow, and presented a resemblance to the Alps; far above the rest, Snowdon lifted its patriarchal head so loftily, as if it meant not only to threaten, but to thrust it into the sky. The sun, hastening towards the western skies, threw his parting rays upon this Alpine range of mountains, gilding them so magnificently, that the writer and his accompanying friend were led to exclaim, “Winter has its beauties as well as summer.”

Stones or pillars were the earliest records of all great or highly interesting events. Covenants, important treaties or victories, the deaths of distinguished persons, or dearly beloved friends, the settled boundaries of estates, were all recorded in this simple, but for the time, no doubt, sufficient manner. The first historical notice bearing directly upon the subject is the scriptural mention of a stone set up by Jacob to commemorate his vision. (Gen. xxviii. 18.) The size of this stone was necessarily small, like perhaps, those ancient stones dispersed about our own country, three or four feet high, and whose history lies too far back even for the reach of tradition. We may also mention the stone set up by Joshua, under the oak of Shechem, a little before his death, when he made the Israelites once more solemnly renew their covenant with God. (Josh. xxiv. 26.) In the First Book of Samuel, chap. vi. 15, 18, a stone of great magnitude is referred to, and which was previously well known as the great stone of Abel. The solemn treaty of peace concluded between Jacob and Laban was marked by the erection of a rude pillar. (Gen. xxxi. 45.)

The custom of setting up large stones to commemorate victories, we find, from the sacred writings, was also in use among the Hebrews. The Ebenezer, or “stone of help,” set up by Samuel, is an instance of this nature. (1 Sam. vii. 12.) In the British Isles the custom appears to have been not only common, but to have continued down to a late period. Thus we find Malcolm, son of Kenneth, King of Scots, commemorating his victory over the Danes in this mode in 1008. Near Newbridge, in the county of Cork, Ireland, are three large stones set edgeways towards each other, which are said, by an incontrovertible tradition, to refer to a battle fought on the spot between Brian Boiruma, King of Munster, and the O’Mahonies of Carbery, assisted by the Danes, most of whom were slain.

With regard to sepulchral stones, we may observe, that when cases occurred with the Hebrews, that it became necessary to inter distinguished persons at a distance from the resting-places of their fathers, the rude pillar was then set up to mark the place. It was under circumstances of this nature that Jacob set up a stone over his beloved Rachel. (Gen. xxxv. 20.)—Among some of the nations of antiquity, the custom wasvery general; the Greeks, for instance, had for ages no other funeral monuments than a rough unhewn stone, set upon the top of a tumulus. In the “Iliad” we find Paris, whilst in the act of using the bow against the enemy, bending behind the pillar placed on the tumulus that contained the ashes of Ilus, the son of Dardanus, the ancient king of Troy. Minutely corresponding with this monument is the one at Castle More, near Tullagh, Ireland. It consists of a tumulus 30 feet in perpendicular height, with a square stone on the top, about 5 feet in height. We have one positive and interesting case on record of the erection of a vast monument of this kind. Harold, the son of Gormon, employed his whole army to draw a stone of enormous size from the shores of Jutland, to be placed over the grave of his mother. We may observe that our own churchyards, to this day, present but a modification of the usages we have described—in the mound and headstone we still see the tumulus and pillar of ancient times. To this origin, doubtless, may be referred many, if not all, of the large stones isolated from Druidical remains, and dispersed in different parts of the county.

Themaen hir, or long stone, is very common in this Island. There is nothing, however, in its name which would indicate its original use, or the object for which it was raised, unless, indeed, we give the wordhir, the sense of longing or regret, as being the root ofhiraeth; in that case it might imply that the stone was a memorial of the dead. There is no doubt that, in some instances, it was used as a monument to point out the grave of a particular person.

Thus an extract from an old document is inserted by Mr. Price in his “Hanes Cymru,” (History of Wales) to the following effect:—“TheMeini Hirion(long stones) ofMaes Mawr(of the Great Plain.) There is a spot on the mountain between Yale and Ystrad Alun, above Rhyd-y-Gyfartha, called the Great Plain, where occurred the battle between Meilyr ab — and Beli ab Benlli Gawr, and where Beli was slain; and Meirion erected two stones, one at each end of the grave, which remained until the last forty years. It was then that a “tasteless” person, owner of the piece of land, which had been enclosed, where the grave and stones were, came and pulled up the stones, and placed them over the pipe of a lime-kiln. There, in consequence of the intense heat and great weight, they broke. Whereupon he burnt them into lime in the kiln, though they had been there for many hundred years; and a bad end happened unto him who had thusdefaced the grave of the deceased soldier, about which the bard, in the “Stanzas of the Graves,” sang this triplet:—

Whose is the grave in the Great Plain?Proud was his hand on the weapon of war—It is the grave of Beli the son of Benlli Gawr!”

There are several of these monumental stones in the immediate neighbourhood of Holyhead, and though their history is unknown, I have not a doubt on my mind but they were originally erected asmemorial stones, to point out the grave of some distinguished person or persons, or as monuments to commemorate some signal victory.

About a mile from Holyhead, on the way to Trefigneth cromlechi, on the right hand, in a field calledCae’r Garreg(stone field), stands a memorial stone, 8 feet long, and 10 feet in circumference at the base, tapering to about 5 feet. On leaving this stone, and just before you reach Trefigneth, opposite a cow-shed, under the left-hand wall, acist faen, or stone coffin, was found some time ago, containing a human skeleton. About half a mile further, nearTrefarthur(the abode of Arthur), in a field on the right hand, calledCaynyodd, are two stones, one erect, about 5 feet in length, and 13 in circumference, and the other, reposing on the ground, nearly 8 feet long.

About a mile and a half to the west of Holyhead, atPlasfarm, in the occupation of O. Owen, Esq., are two large stones. The western one is 10 feet long, 6½ feet in circumference, tapering to about 4 feet. The northern stone is 10 feet long, 6½ feet in circumference, tapering to about 5 feet.

The use of stones erect, for marking boundaries, must be very ancient; perhaps, indeed, this was one of the earliest purposes to which such rude monuments were applied. An interesting notice of this custom is given in the “Iliad,” where Homer, speaking of the great stone thrown by Minerva at Mars, says, as King renders the passage, that “she retreating, seized in her strong hand a stone lying in the field—black, rough, and vast—which men in former times had placed as a boundary of cultivated land.” How long and how effectually this custom existed, Olaus Magnaus, archbishop of Upsal and metropolitan of Sweden, speaking of his own parts, about the middle of the seventeenthcentury, bears testimony with justifiable pride:—“There are also high stones, by the aspect and signature whereof the ancient possessions of provinces, governments, forts, communities of noble and country men, are suffered to continue to every man in peace, without laws, suits, or arbitration, giving an example to other nations, that among these nations there is more right to be found in these stones that are boundaries than elsewhere in the large volumes of laws, where men think themselves to be more learned and civil.”

Stringent laws were given by Moses to the Jewish nation in reference to these boundary marks. “Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance.” (Deut. xix. 14.) “Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set.” (Prov. xxii. 28.) Job complained that some in his day removed the landmarks (chap, xxiv. ver. 2). Every one will remember the fearful denunciation in the book of Deuteronomy,—“Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour’s landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen,” (chap, xxvii. ver. 17). In Hosea we have the following strong language, which shews in what light Jehovah viewed this sin:—“The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore will I pour out my wrath upon them like water,” (chap. v. ver. 10).

The “maen terfyn,” i.e., the boundary stone of the Ancient Britons, is considered to be very common in this Island, the removal of which was punishable with death.Maen terfynwas not to be removed, according to the laws of Dyvnwal Moelmud, under pain of death:—“There are three stones, which if any man remove, he shall be indicted as a thief: theboundary stone;maen gwyn(sacred stone), of the convention, and the guide stone; and he that destroys them shall forfeit his life (or be guilty of capital offence).” In reference to this stone another triad remarks:—“It is ordered and established, for the purpose of preventing the uncertainty of a claim, that the Bards shall keep an orderly record of pedigrees, nobility, and inheritances. For the same purpose also is the memorial of the back-fire stones, themaen terfyn(boundary stone), and the horse-block, that he that removes them offers an insult to the Court and the Judges.” These passages will forcibly remind our readers of the penalty in the law of Moses above quoted. Whenever we hear of ancestral domains terminating here and there at some particular stones of notoriety, as is frequently the case, we may fairly presumethat such stones are some of the oldmeini terfyn(boundary stones) of the Welsh laws.

On the right hand of the road, in a corner of the field before you reach Plas farm, is a stone measuring 4 feet high, by 5 wide, and about 12 feet in circumference. I consider this stone a perfect relic of what our ancestors denominatedmaen terfyn, or the boundary stone.

And now, courteous reader, farewell! may you enjoy your visit to this interesting locality: but it is high time that the writer of these pages fixed his boundary mark.—Finis.

ERRATUM.

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COMMERCIAL HOUSEANDREFRESHMENT ROOMS,

(TWO MINUTES WALK FROM THE RAILWAY STATION.)

In returning his thanks for the decided preference and support which this Establishment has received since its opening, the Proprietor takes this opportunity of respectfully announcing to his numerous Patrons and the Public, that he has recently added considerably to the extent of his accommodation, and begs to assure them that he is determined to use the most unremitting attention to make his Hotel as comfortable as possible to all those who may favor him with their patronage.

CLEANLY AND WELL-AIRED BED ROOMS,COMMODIOUS COFFEE ROOMS,

AND

PRIVATE ROOMS FOR FAMILIES,

Fitted up with every attention to comfort and cleanliness.

NB.—CARS AT THE STATION FROM THE BRITISH HOTEL TO WAITTHE ARRIVAL OF EVERY TRAIN.

HOLLOWAY’S PILLS.

A DANGEROUS LIVER COMPLAINT AND SPASMS IN THE STOMACH EFFECTUALLY CURED.

Copy of a Letter from Mr. Bostock,Druggist,of Ashton under Lyne,dated July31, 1852.

To Professor Holloway,

Dear Sir,—I have much pleasure in handing to you a testimonial of the efficiency of your Medicines. A person in this neighbourhood with whom I am well acquainted was afflicted for a long time with violent spasmodic pains in the stomach and liver, arising from frequent colds, smells of paint, and the effects of a stooping position which he was obliged to assume in his business. The spasms were of an alarming character, and frequently left him in a weak and debilitated condition. At length he heard of the salutary effects of your invaluable Pills, and was induced to give them a trial. The first dose gave him considerable relief, and by following them up in accordance with your directions, they have acted so wonderfully in cleansing the liver and stomach, and strengthening the digestive organs that he has been restored to the enjoyment of good health.

I remain, dear Sir, your’s faithfully,(Signed) WILLIAM BOSTOCK.

The celebrated Pills are wonderfully efficacious in the following complaints

Ague

Asthma

Bilious Complaint

Blotches on the Skin

Bowel Complaints

Colics

Constipation of the Bowels

Consumption

Debility

Dropsy

Dysentery

Erysipelas

Female Irregularities

Fevers of all kinds

Fits

Gout

Head-ache

Indigestion

Inflammation

Jaundice

Liver Complaints

Lumbago

Piles

Rheumatism

Retention of Urine

Scrofula, or King’s Evil

Sore Throats

Stone and Gravel

Secondary Symptoms

Tic Doulourex

Tumours

Ulcers

Venereal Affections

Worms of all kinds

Weakness, from whatever cause

&c., &c.

Sold at the Establishment of ProfessorHolloway, 244, Strand, (near Temple Bar,) London, and by all respectable Druggists and Dealers in Medicines throughout the Civilized World, at the following prices:—1s. l½d., 2s. 9d., 4s. 6d., 11s., 22s. and 33s. each Box.

☞ There is a considerable saving by taking the larger sizes.

N.B.—Directions for the guidance of patients in every disorder are affixed to each Box.

A Preventive and Cure for all Disorders Resulting from a DisorderedState of the Stomach and Liver,and Impurity of the Blood.

PATRONIZED BY THEFACULTY, NOBILITY, CLERGY, AND PUBLIC AT LARGE.

PREPARED FROM THE ORIGINAL PRESCRIPTION OF THAT EMINENTPHYSICIAN (THE ABERNETHY OF WALES),

W. LL. ROBERTS,M.D.,OAKLAND.

The practical trial of the above Professor forHalf a Century, with the more general test of THIRTEEN YEARS by the afflicted public, has now established the reputation of these Pills. Containing no Mercury, but composed of the most rare and expensive Vegetable preparations of the British Pharmacopœia, combined with a valuable SNOWDONIAN HERB, forming a mild, laxative, tonic remedy, admitted by those who have tried them to be superior to all other similar preparations.

OPINION THE MEDICAL FACULTY.

Extract of a letter from B. Travers,F.R.S.,Surgeon Extraordinary to the Queen,Surgeon in Ordinary to H.R.H. Prince Albert,&c.,&c.

“Sir,—The Combination of the Ingredients of the PILLS is so familiar to medical men, that I can scarcely think their efficacy a matter of question.

London.

Yours obediently,B. TRAVERS.”

A Copy of Certificate from R. Williams,Esq.,M.R.C.S.,and L.S.A.,Tre’ Madoc.

“I beg to testify that I considerJones’s Aperient and Antibilious Pillsa very good Aperient. I have frequently recommended them, and am happy to bear testimony to their efficacy as avaluable Purgative, and theirsafety of administration.

R. WILLIAMS.”

Testimonial of W. Vaughan Jones,Esq.,M.R.C.S.,and L.S.A.,Surgeon to the Festiniog Hospital.

“Sir,—I consider yourAperient and Antibilious Pillsan excellent medicinal combination for those who suffer from the various disorders arising from inactivity of the Liver, and habitual Constipation.

Yours, &c.

W. V. JONES.”

OUT OF THE THOUSANDS OF TESTIMONIALS READ THE FOLLOWING:—

Extract of a letter from Griffith Roberts,sailor,No.4,Derby-street,Liverpool.

Sir,—I cannot think myself doing my duty towards my brother seamen, without relating to you (and trust that you will inform the public) the following facts:—I was always taken ill when sailing abroad. I used to be attacked with great pain in my stomach and bowels: but last time I went to sea I took a lot of yourCambrianPillswith me, and to the astonishment of all on board I enjoyed perfect health during my voyage to Calcutta and back, while all the other hands were suffering dreadful illness.

Your humble Servant,GRIFFITH ROBERTS.

EXTRAORDINARY CURE OF FITS AND WORMS.

Newry-street, Holyhead, Dec. 11, 1852.

To the Proprietor of the Cambrian Pills.

Sir,—Allow me to address you on a very important subject, that of my former illness and wonderful recovery, the details of which I wish to the whole world may be made known:—For the last fifteen years I have been troubled with great pain in my stomach and intestines, sour belchings, flatulence, pain in the head, lowness of spirits with general emancipation of body, and frequent fits attacked me of late, I used to throw my meals up as soon as eaten. Having consulted many Doctors, and tried all remedies in reach to no purpose, until one day I was recommended to try a Box of the Tremadoc Pills. Having continued to take them for some time, I felt much better; after taking a dose of Pills in going to bed one night, I felt towards morning a rumbling noise and a queer sensation in the intestines, I got up and took another dose, and wonderful to relate, in a few hours,I parted with a Worm measuring nearly12feet!! and ever since I am a healthy man; this occured about three months from this date.

I remain yours obediently,DAVID HUGHES, Provision Dealer.

Witness, Lewis Hughes.

***All these parties may be applied to for the correctness of their Testimonies. And for further confirmation of the extraordinary virtues of this valuable medicine, apply to any of the Agents, who can point out instances, in their own immediate neighbourhoods, of its beneficial effects.

Caution.—The high repute and extensive sale of these Pills throughout the kingdom have induced some unprincipled persons to imitate them, therefore purchasers should observe the following particulars.—That the genuine Pills are in a turned wood Box,wrapped up in Green Paper,sealed with the Proprietor’s Seal,and bearing the Signature of“Robert Isaac Jones,”on the Government Stamp.

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