that had been quite demolished, with other damages, were quickly repaired at the enormous expence of, it is stated, eighty thousand pounds. He died at the advanced age of eighty, in the year 1666, having survived his son, who had been created a baronet at the Restoration. Leland thus notices the place, as it appeared in his time. "There is on a smaul hille a mighty large and strong castel, with dyvers towers, a late welle repayred by syr Wylliam Standeley, the yerle of Darby's brother*." The style of the building partaking both of the castle and mansion, is of a square form, having the angles strengthened with four prodigiously clumsey bastion-like towers, and each surmounted by a small turret. The gateway in front, through a fifth massy tower, gives entrance to a quadrangular court yard, consisting of an area a hundred and sixty feet long, by one hundred broad; round which are ranged the different apartments; and the eastern side is ornamented by a handsome colonaded piazza. The principal of these are a saloon, drawing room, &c. &c. a picture gallery one hundred feet long, and twenty two wide, comprising a large collection of paintings, principally portraits: many of which are well exe cuted; and from being works of celebrated masters, as well as handmaids to Biography, are highly valuable. Among the former, a landscape marino-piece is usually pointed out, to excite risibility: the painter, a foreign artist, having introduced by licentia pictoria, the sea, studded with ships, into a professed representation of an inland waterfall! Among the latter is one of the famous military character, sir Thomas Myddleton, already noticed, who is represented clad 204 in Itinerary Vol. V. p. 34. This was the unfortunate Sir William Stanley, who possessed it in the latter end of the fifteenth century; and after he had by his exertions at the battle of Bosworth-field, aided to place Henry the seventh on the throne, was ungratefully executed, and the property confiscated by his rapacious master. Henry the eighth granted it together with Holt, to his illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, duke of Richmond and So merset. in armour; and characteristic of the costume of the times, with a grey beard and long black hair. Another of the great duke of Ormond, who filled the highest offices under government with unsullied reputation, and was one of the brightest ornaments in the corrupt reign of Charles the second. Sir Orlando Bridgeman, another virtuous character in a vicious age. At the restoration he was made chief baron of the exchequer, and afterwards lord keeper of the Great Seal, the custody of which he lost in the year 1652, by refusing to affix it to the king's insidious declaration, for general liberty of conscience in religious matters. He is drawn in his robes, and represented in lank dishevelled hair*. Beside this is placed that of his second wife, lady Bridgeman. Another represents the ill-famed countess of Warwick, daughter of sir Thomas Myddleton, dowager to Edward Rich, earl of Warwick, and subsequently the wife of the celebrated Joseph Addison. By her inordinate conduct, she is said to have been the cause of some irregularities, that clouded the fair sun shine of his justly merited fame, and to have contributed to shorten a life that was estimable, because highly valuable to society, Though situated on an eminence, and the surrounding part of the knoll devoid of trees, so as to possess all the advantages of elevation and exposure, yet it wears a heavy appearance, and wants additional magnitude, to give it grandeur of effect. It can however boast what few houses in the island can, that it commands a most elegant and varied extent of view, into seventeen counties. During the desperate struggles of Cambria to recover her independence, the vicinity of Chirk in the year 1164 was the theatre of, perhaps, the most sanguinary battle, ever fought between the English and the Welsh. The successes of Rhys, prince of South Wales, against the Flemings and Normans, encouraged the other princes in the north, to make another bold attempt • An engraving from this picture, by W. Bond, accompanies Yorke's Royal Tribes. attempt to shake off the galling yoke of extraneous tyranny; and stimulated them to hope, that similar good fortune would crown their endeavours. "And therefore as soon as the time of year for action was advanced, David son of Owen, Prince of North Wales fell upon Flintshire, which pertained to the king of England; and carry. ing off all the people and cattle with him, brought them to Dyffrin Clwyd, otherwise Ruthyn land. King Henry understanding this, gathered together his forces, and with all speed marched to defend both his subjects and towns from the incur. sions and depredations of the Welch. Being come to Ruthlan, and encamped there three days, he quickly perceived he could do no great matter by reason that his army was not sufficiently numerous; and therefore he thought it more adviseable to return back to England, and to augment his forces, before he should attempt any thing against the Welch. And accordingly he levied the most chosen men throughout all his dominions of England, Normandy, Anjou, Gascoin, and Gwien; besides those succours from Flanders and Britain; and then set forward for North Wales, purposing to destroy without mercy every living thing he could possibly meet with; and being advanced as far as Croes Oswalt, called Oswestry, he encamped there. On the other side, prince Owen, and his brother Cadwaladar, with all the strength of North Wales; prince Rhys; with those of South Wales; Owen Cyfeilioc and Madawc ap Meredith with all the power of Powis; the two sons of Madawc ap Ednerth with the people living betwixt the rivers of Severn and Wye, met together, and pitched their camp at Corwen in Edeyrneon, intending unanimously to defend their country against the king of England. King Henry understanding that they were so near, was very desirous to come to battle; and to that end he removed to the banks of the river Ceireoc*, causing all the woods thereabouts to be cut down, for *This is commonly called the battle of Crogen, a term not, as erroneously stated, used in contempt or derision of the Welsh, for the English evidently meant |