THE FEUDAL STATE
of Shrewsbury carries with it associations of imposing importance;—seated upon a hill rising from a noble ambient river, it was thus doubly fortified by nature; while art, with no unsparing hand, had raised an almost impregnable rampart of stone, flanked by many towers and gates. [18]
The imagination will thus readily picture Caer Pengwern: the woody eminence, with its curiously wrought buildings and domestic mansions ranged in irregular groups, surmounted by lofty spires and embattled turrets, irradiated by the effulgence of the meridian sun, or catching the last smiles of his departing ray,—a commanding castle on the narrow isthmus, with its stately towers and formidable walls, frowning in august pride high above the surrounding plain,—solitary convents, crested with pinnacles and gables, in the verdant meadows on the margin of the rolling stream, over which strongly fortified bridges with massive portcullis and towers, afforded a defence from hostile invaders.
This faint retrospect must kindle in the mind considerations of the progress and fluctuations of science and taste,—the character, condition, and habits of men in these times,—with the works done “in their days and in the old time before them;”—while the contemplation thereof cannot fail of exciting gratitude to the Supreme Giver, for the security we now enjoy, without the precaution of barbican and battlements.
PRESENT STATE.
“A lovely spot
For all that life can ask! Salubrious! mild!
Its hills are green; its woods and prospects fair;
Its meadows fertile!”Cottle’s Alfred.
The hold situation of the town, girdled by the health-bearing breezes of a beauteous river, with an eminence crown’d by aspiring temples,
That upward cast their golden vanes, and shine
A bright tiara,
gives a striking and majestic appearance to Shrewsbury.
When seen from most parts of the adjacent country the town forms a delightful object,—a gem encircled by a paradise;—new beauties and charming views being continually produced by the pre-eminent spires and towers; whilst the effect in the background is much heightened by an extensive range of noble mountains, which diversify the prospect, and add interest to the rich and picturesque landscape.