Triumphant Hoftibus fufis fine fanguine; Palmâ fide non viribus obtentâ. M P. In victoriæ Alleluiatica memoriam, N. G. MDCCXXXVI. Matthew of Weftpreceding account is The date of this battle feems to have been mif taken both by Mr. Griffith and Mr. Pennant, who each fix it in the year 420. minster, from whofe work the extracted, fays exprefsly that it took place in 448, and that Germanus and Lupus did not arrive in this kingdom till about two years before this time *. He mentions nothing of the Saxons having any share in the business; nor indeed does it appear very probable that they fhould, fince their army was not introduced by Vortigern till the following year. What has been faid, that the Saxons here engaged might have been fuch as came over on fome predatory excurfion, prior to the invitation of Vortigern, can have little validity when fuch evidence both direct and circumftantial is to be adduced to the contrary. The arrival of the Saxons prior to that period, feems however of much less importance in the proof than the arrival of the bifhops, for they evidently were not in the kingdom till twenty-fix years after the generally fuppofed time of the event. * Matt. Weft. 152-154. In Rymer, i. 443, it is faid to have taken place about the year 447. CHAP. XVII. MOLD TO RUTHIN. Vale of Clwyd.-Llanrhaiadr.-Church.-Epitaph recording a Defcent from one of the Welsh Princes.-The Well at Llanrhaiadr.Ruthin.-Church.-Cafle.-Hiftory of the Town and Cafle. FROM Mold I went again to Denbigh, in order to pursue a regular track through the remainder of North Wales to Shrewsbury, which was the place I had fixed as the termination of my pedestrian ramble, and from whence I intended to take coach immediately to London. I was highly delighted with my walk along the vale of Clwyd, from Denbigh to Ruthin. The views all the way were of the elegant, rich, and here picturesque vale, bounded by the distant Clwyddian hills. The day was peculiarly favourable to this kind of scenery; it was dark and hot, and the rolling clouds that hung heavily in the atmosphere, tinged the mountains with their fombre fhade, which gave an indefcribable richness to the fcenes. LLAN LLANRHAIADR. I arrived at Llanrhaiadr, The Village of the Cataract*, which is fituated on a fmall eminence in the midst of this fertile vale. The church is a handfome ftructure, with a large and fomewhat elegant eaft window, containing a reprefentation of the genealogy of Chrift from Jeffe.. The patriarch is painted as fprawling upon his back, with the genealogical tree growing from his stomach. -I was wandering carelessly about this building, when I caft my eyes on a tombstone containing the following infcription, which affords a memorable inftance of the pride of ancestry which is inherent in the Welsh character: Heare lyeth the body of the KING OF Powis, who departed this life the year of our Lord God 1643, and of his *This is the literal tranflation of the Welsh word: whence the name can have been derived I know not, as there is no cataract near the place. About About a quarter of a mile diftant there is a celebrated fpring called Ffynnon Dyfnog, The Well of Dyfnog. There was on this spot a bath, and formerly a chapel dedicated to this Welsh faint. RUTHIN. I proceeded on my journey, and found the scenery all the way to Ruthin, The Red Fort, extremely beautiful. This place, like St. Afaph and Denbigh, is pleafantly fituated on a confiderable eminence nearly in the middle of the Vale of Clwyd. At a little distance behind the town, the mountains feem to close up the end of the vale. From different fituations in the outskirts of the town I had feveral fine profpects of the adjacent country. The little river Clwyd runs through this place, and is here fcarcely three yards acrofs.-Ruthin is a large and tolerably populous town, having two markets in the week, one on Saturday for meat, and the other on Monday principally for corn. The county-gaol for Denbighshire is here it is a neat and well-conftructed building. The church was originally conventual, belonging to a houfe of Bon-hommes, a fpecies of Augustine. monks. It was made collegiate in 1310 by John, the fon of Reginald de Grey, lord of Dyffryn Clwyd, who endowed it with upwards of two hundred acres of land, granted to it many privileges, and established feven regular priefts, one of whom was to ferve the chapel of the garrifon. In this ftate it probably con continued till the diffolution, but neither Dugdale nor Speed have mentioned its valuation.-The apartments of the priests were joined to the church by a cloister, part of which is built up, and now ferves as the manfion of the warden.-The tower is of a much later date than the reft of the building. It is believed that there was formerly a house of white friars in this place: of this there is nothing left except the name. RUTHIN CASTLE Was fituated on the north fide of the town, and on no great elevation. Its prefent remains are a few foundations of the walls, and the fragments of a tower or two. Some parts of the building appear to have been of vaft ftrength and thickness. The ftone of which it was formed was of a brick red colour, whence the place had the name of Rhudd Ddin (or Dinas), The Red Fort. On the area of the castle there is at present a meadow, and in another part a five's court, and bowling-green. The walls afford a fine profpect of the vale.-The following is a defcription of this fortrefs during the fixteenth century, previously to its demolition: This castle ftands on rocke much like red bricke, 'It refts on mount, and lookes o'er wood and playne, |