‘All things that be send up from earth’s great altar
Silent praise.’
“There are four fine walks from the house, chiefly through ways artificially made by the proprietor; all dry, kept clean, and composed of materials found on the spot; which is chiefly a coarse stone, of a greyish cast, friable in many places, and like slate, but oftener consisting of immense masses that cost the miner, in making some parts of these walks, excessive labour; for there are places where it was necessary to perforate the rock many yards, in order to pass a promontory that, jutting across the way, denied further access; and to go round which you must have taken a great tour, and made a fatiguing descent. As it is, the walks are so conducted that few are steep; the transitions easy, the returns commodious, and the branches distinct. Neither are there too many; for much is left for future projectors; and if a man be stout enough to range the underwoods, and fastidious enough to reject all trodden paths, he may, almost every where, stroll from the studied line, till he be glad to regain the friendly conduct of the well-known way. Yet one must be nice, not to be content at first to visit the best points of view by the general routine; for all that is here done has been to remove obstructions, reduce the materials, and conceal the art; and we are no where presented with attempts to force the untamed streams, or indeed to invent any thing, where nature, the great mistress, has left all art behind.”
To this lively delineation, we shall only add one sentence of the Rev. Mr. Warner, who, after visiting this spot, remarks:—“The whole together forms a scene so striking, that while wandering through its ever-changing beauties, we felt no inclination to tax Mr. Cumberland with enthusiasm when he declared that in ten years’ travelling through the Alps, the Appennines, the Sabine hills, and the Tyrolese; the shores of the Adriatic; the Glaciers of Switzerland; and the banks of the Rhine; he never saw any thing so fine—never so many pictures concentrated in one spot.”
The splendid library at Havod was adorned with a most valuable collection of books and manuscripts, which Mr. Johnes had, at an immense expense, brought together, many of which were unique and of the highest historical importance, including those of Sir John Sebright’s collection, in the Welsh language, together with some splendidly illuminated manuscripts of Froissart. These, with several thousand volumes, comprising a complete Don Quixote’s library, with other works of equal rarity, which cannot be replaced, were unfortunately consumed by a fire which destroyed the mansion on March 13, 1807. The origin of this calamity has never been satisfactorily ascertained, neither is it possible to estimate, with any approach to accuracy, the extent of the loss: it has been stated at £70,000. However, Mr. Johnes determined to restore his mansion in the best manner he could, and another collection of books was soon made, founded by the Pesaro library, which Mr. Johnes had purchased in Italy, and was on its way to Havod at the time when the fire occurred.
This highly esteemed, accomplished, and public-spirited gentleman survived the destructive visitation about nine years, during which he was engaged in promoting improvements on his estate. He died at Exeter, and his mortal remains were interred in the family vault at the new church built by himself within the precincts of Havod grounds. His widow survived until October, 1833, when she also died at Exeter, and was buried in the same tomb with her respected husband and their only daughter, who died on the 24th July, 1811, in the 27th year of her age. The family becoming extinct upon the death of the widow, the vault, after her interment, was completely arched over.
The whole of the magnificent estate of Havod was put up to auction by Mr. Robins, in the spring of 1831, and became the property of the Duke of Newcastle, together with the timber, the splendid collection of books and furniture, and the large cellar of choice wines, for which that nobleman is said to have paid about £62,000. The noble duke expended a very large sum in enlarging and improving, and became a most munificent benefactor to the neighbourhood. In 1843, however, it was again submitted to the hammer of Mr. Robins, but no sale was effected. The estate has since been bought of His Grace by H. Bold Houghton, Esq. The purchase-money is said to have been £150,000.
AMLWCH.
(Anglesea.)
| Beaumaris | 16 |
| Holyhead | 20 |
| Llanerch-y-medd | 6 |
| Menai Bridge | 18 |
This is a market town on the coast, chiefly supported by the copper mines, with which the surrounding district abounds. About the year 1766, Amlwch had not more than half-a-dozen houses in the whole parish, but now it contains a population exceeding 6000. It has a capacious harbour, cut out of the solid rock or slate, executed at the expense of the mining companies, capable of admitting thirty vessels of 200 tons burthen, where originally there was only a cleft or opening, too small to receive a single vessel. There are large smelting works for copper erected near the harbour, the property of the mining companies.
In conjunction with Beaumaris, Holyhead, and Llangefni, this town returns one member to parliament. The church, consecrated in 1801, is an elegant building, erected by the Parys mine company, at an expense of £4000. The situation of Amlwch is most salubrious.