Under a monument erected against the east wall of the church where a knight in armour and a lady are kneeling before an altar are the following curious lines containing more of loyalty than poesy (fol. 59)—
To the memory of Hugh Owen Esqre of Bodowen who died the twenty first of October sixteen hundred fifty nine.
Religion, learning, friends, poor have lost
A noble patron who maintained them at his cost
His country’s patriot most firme to loyalty
And for being loyal suffer’d infinitely
With foes would not cologue nor his prince betray
But livde his faithful subject every day.This monument was made by Anne his beloved wife the daughter and inheritrix of Richard Williams of Llasdûlas Esqre in memory of her deare husband sixteen hundred sixty.
Mr. Meyricke the owner of Bodowen is first repairing his family chapel on the opposite side. The original edifice as appears by a stone lying in the church was built by Richard Meyricke Esqre anno sixteen hundred forty (fol. 59a) and the vault underneath by his great grandson Owen Meyricke Esqre seventeen hundred thirty. The evening was closing in fast before we had finished our observations at Llancadwaladr.
A dreary walk of two miles over the sands to Aberffraw was rendered still more disagreeable by an incessant and heavy rain and we had no small degree of anxiety the whole of our walk lest we should be still more unfortunate in not gaining admittance at the public house as we understood that a number of Westleans with Mr. Charles at their head were to have a meeting the following day in the village. However on our arrival at the house we found a good welcome and much better quarters than we had reason to expect. After a comfortable supper of boiled rabbit we retired to rest.
(fol. 61) Sunday, Decr. 5
This morning after breakfast the weather being tolerably fair we walked to Henblâs in the parish of Llangristiolus in expectation of seeing a cromlech mentioned in our list. In our way thither we skirted a lake [36a] about two miles in circumference and noticed large flocks of wild ducks and other acquatic birds near the shore but on our approach they swam immediately to the middle of the water. About a mile and a half beyond we passed a large house called Trefyla [36b] belonging to Mr. Evans and at Henblâs another the property of his sister but at present only tenanted by a gardener who accompanied us over the fields to the object we came in search of. We here found three immense stones two of them above fifteen feet high and nearly the same in width standing upright in the ground, another of a (fol. 61a) flatter form leant against them. I cannot imagine there is anything artificial in the arrangements of these ponderous bodies but that their position is the one they were placed in by the hand of nature. Whether they ever were or were not employed by the Druids I do not pretend to determine. And here we may observe the word cromlech is applied by the Welsh indiscriminately to stones either natural or artificial if they are only found inclining in such a direction that there is a hollow underneath. The largest stone in the pass of Llanberis which not many years ago rolled from the heights above obtains the name of cromlech vawr and the same may be observed in many other instances. On returning from this spot the gardener who seemed to be an intelligent man pointed to a rising ground to the southward about two miles off which he said was called (fol. 62) Ester [37] mon eglwr where are still to be traced the foundations of an ancient fortress and tradition says a lofty watch tower once stood on this eminence commanding the circumference of the Island. From hence a causeway ran across the low ground towards a large carnedd wherein were discovered many human bones. Not far from hence he himself picked up a piece of silver coin which he had given to a lady in the neighbourhood. As we had received intelligence of some old characters cut in the wall of Cerigainwyn [38] Church we walked thither and were glad to find something better worthy of notice than the cromlech we had quitted for here are still visible some large Saxon characters cut very deep in the stone of the clochti or belfry. In order to transcribe them more perfectly I procured a ladder and mounted aloft but this (fol. 62a) enterprize was attended with no small difficulty for being obliged to employ both hands while sketching and the ladder lying very slanting I could only depend upon the toes of my boots for support against the wall. Whilst thus situated there came on a violent storm of sleet and hail which so benumbed my hands I hurried the business more than I otherwise should have done but still I think I have the drawing pretty exact. These rude Saxon characters appear to be coeval with the building and probably were designed to perpetuate the name of its founder and the date of the foundation but when the original edifice grew to decay they were taken out of their original order and placed just as they happened to come into use in the building the clochti so that many of the letters are lost or inverted. I think I am authorized to make this conjecture by the (fol. 69) present appearance of the U and the S which are evidently reversed. Other letters are also wanting to make good the inscription. The font within the church is without doubt equally ancient as it retains the Runic lines and ornaments which were used among the northern nations of the sixth and seventh century. Of this I made three drawings. The clerk a surly Jewish looking fellow seemed at first inclined to be very impudent, but I did not neglect to fee him for the same reason the Angel did the Miser in Parnell’s beautiful poem of the Hermit namely to make him more civil and attentive to other travellers should curiosity ever lead them to this spot. The clouds now gathering round us and everything seeming to portend bad weather we made the best of our way to Aberffraw having altogether walked twelve miles.
