[265b] Miss Ponsonby.
[265c] Willis’s St. Asaph, p. 52. 285.
[266] From a second survey of my note-book, I perceive, when speaking of the house, I omitted mentioning that there are several family pieces, both of the Wynne and Williams, worthy the inspection of the connoisseur. The house has been built at various times.
[277] This estimation is taken from the Ludlow guide; from which I have taken such extracts, as, I flatter myself, will not be unacceptable to the tourist. We dedicated two or three days to the investigation of this interesting town; and, consequently, in those parts where the guide is defective, we have made considerable additions.
[288] “This view,” says Mr. Gilpin, “is one of the grandest on the river, which I should not scruple to call correctly picturesque; which is seldom the character of a purely natural scene.”
[289] “The view at Rure-dean Church,” says Mr. Gilpin, “is a scene of great grandeur. There both sides of the river are steep and both woody; but in one the woods are intermixed with rocks. The deep umbrage of the forest of Dean occupies the front; and the spire of the Church rises among the trees. The reach of the river, which exhibits this scene is long: and, of course, the view, which is a noble piece of natural perspective, continues some time before the eye: but when the spire comes directly in front, the grandeur of the landscape is gone.”
[290] “The river is wider at this part,” says Mr. Gilpin, “and takes a sweep round a towering promontory of rock; which forms the side-screen on the left, and is the grand feature of the view. It is not a broad fractured face of rock; but rather a woody hill, from which large rocky projections, in two or three places, burst out; rudely hung with twisting branches and shaggy furniture, which, like mane round the lion’s head, give a more savage air to these wild exhibitions of nature. Near the top a pointed fragment of solitary rock, rising above the rest, has rather a fantastic appearance; but it is not without its effect in marking the scene. A great master in landscape has adorned an imaginary view with a circumstance exactly similar:
Stabat acuta silex, præcisis undique saxis,
—dorso insurgens, altissima visu,
Dirarum nidis domus opportuna volucrum,
—prona jugo, lævum incumbebat ad amnem.”Æn, viii. 233.
[295] Tanner’s Notitia Monastica.
[298] Warner’s first Walk through Wales.