THE FAREWELL.

This county (the inhabitants whereof generally betake themselves to the feeding of sheep) was much beholding to Ludwall their prince, who (king Edgar imposing on him as a yearly tribute the presenting him with three hundred wolves) did in a manner free this county from wolves. It is my desire, that, seeing that ill-natured creature is at this day totally removed out of it, the people wholly lay aside all strife and animosities, and give no longer occasion to the proverb, "Homo homini lupus."

MONTGOMERYSHIRE.

MONTGOMERYSHIRE is bounded on the south side with Cardigan and Radnor-shire, on the east with Shropshire, on the north by Denbighshire, and on the west thereof with Merionethshire. Nature cannot be accused for being a step-mother unto this county; for, although she hath mounted many a high hill (which may probably be presumed not over fruitful), yet hath she also sunk many a delightful valley therein (humility is the common attendant of greatness, accompanied with true worth), which plentifully yield all necessaries for man's comfortable subsistence. The chief town therein bestoweth its name upon the whole county. It never dignified any with the title of Earl thereof, until the reign of king James, who created Philip Herbert, second son to Henry earl of Pembroke, Baron Herbert of Shurland, and Earl of Montgomery.

NATURAL COMMODITIES.

HORSES.

How good and swift are bred in this county, I may well spare my commendation, and remit the reader to the character I find given of them in a good author :*

From the Gomerian fields,

Than which in all our Wales there is no country yields

An excellenter horse, so full of natural fire,

As one of Phoebus' steeds had been that stallion's sire

Which first their race begun, or of th' Asturian kind,
Which some have held to be begotten by the wind."

Now, after proportionable abatement for his poetical hyperbole, the remainder is enough to inform us of the good strain this shire doth afford.

"Y Tair Chiwiorydd."]

PROVERBS.

In English "The three sisters," being a common by-word to express the three rivers of Wye, Severn, Rhiddiall, arising all three in this county, out of the south-west side of Plinlimmon hill, within few paces one of another, but falling into the sea more miles asunder; Severn into the Severn sea, Wye into the Severn, Rhiddiall into the Irish sea.

The tradition is, that these three sisters were to run a race,

* Drayton, in his Polyolbion, p. 95.

Severn and Wye,

which should be first married to the ocean. having a great journey to go, choose their way through soft meadows, and kept on a traveller's pace; whilst Rhiddiall (presuming on her short journey, staid before she went out, and then, to recover her lost time, runs furiously in a distracted manner, with her mad stream, over all opposition.

The proverb is applicable to children of the same parents, issuing out of the same womb, but of different dispositions, and embracing several courses of lives in this world, so that their cradles were not so near, but their coffins are as far asunder.

"Pywys Paradwys Cymry."]

That is, "Powis is the paradise of Wales." This proverb referreth to Teliessen the author thereof, at what time Powis had far larger bounds than at this day, as containing all the land interjacent betwixt Wye and Severn; of the pleasantness whereof we have spoken before.*

"Gwan dy Bawl yn Hafren fydd hifel cynt."]

That is, "Fixt thy pale (with intent to fence out his water) in Severn, Severn will be as before." Appliable to such who undertake projects above their power to perform, or grapple in vain against Nature, which soon returns to its former condition.

WRITERS.

GEORGE HERBERT was born at Montgomery castle, younger brother to Edward lord Herbert (of whom immediately); bred fellow of Trinity College in Cambridge, and orator of the university, where he made a speech no less learned than the occasion was welcome, of the return of prince Charles out of Spain. He was none of the nobles of Tekoa, who, at the building of Jerusalem, "put not their necks to the work of the Lord;"+ but, waving worldly preferment, chose serving at God's altar before state-employment. So pious his life, that, as he was a copy of primitive, he might be a pattern of sanctity to posterity. To testify his independency on all others, he never mentioned the name of Jesus Christ, but with this addition, "My Master." Next God the Word, he loved the Word of God; being heard often to protest, "That he would not part with one leaf thereof for the whole world."

Remarkable his conformity to Church discipline, whereby he drew the greater part of his parishioners to accompany him daily in the public celebration of Divine service. Yet had he (because not desiring) no higher preferment than the benefice of Bemerton nigh Salisbury (where he built a fair house for his successor); and the prebend of Leighton (founded in the cathedral of Lincoln) where he built a fair church, with the assistance of some few friends' free offerings. When a friend on his deathbed went about to comfort him with the remembrance thereof, * In the Proverbs in Herefordshire. -Ed.

† Nehemiah iii. 5.

as an especial good work, he returned, "It is a good work, if sprinkled with the blood of Christ." But his "Church" (that inimitable piece of poetry) may out-last this in structure. His death happened anno Domini 163...

EDWARD HERBERT, son of Richard Herbert, Esquire, and Susan Newport his wife, was born at Montgomery castle in this county; knighted by king James, who sent him over ambassador into France.* Afterwards king Charles the First created him Baron of Castle Island in Ireland, and some years after Baron of Cherbury in this county. He was a most excellent artist and rare linguist, studied both in books and men, and himself the author of two works most remarkable, viz. “A Treatise of Truth," written in French, so highly prized beyond the seas, that (as I am told) it is extant at this day with great honour in the Pope's Vatican.

He married the daughter and sole heir of Sir William Herbert of St. Julian's in Monmouthshire, with whom he had a large inheritance both in England and Ireland. He died in August, anno Domini 1648; and was buried in St. Giles's in the Fields, London, having designed a fair monument, of his own invention, to be set up for him in the church of Montgomery, according to the model following:

"Upon the ground a hath-pace of fourteen foot square, on the midst of which is placed a Dorrick columne, with its rights of pedestal, basis, and capital, fifteen foot in height; on the capital of the columne is mounted an urn with an heart flamboul supported by two angels. The foot of this columne is attended with four angeles placed on pedestals at each corner of the said hath-pace, two having torches reversed, extinguishing the motto of Mortality; the other two holding up palmes, the emblems of Victory."+

This monument hath not hitherto been (by what obstruction I list not to inquire) and I fear will not be finished; which hath invited me the rather to this description, that it might be erected in paper when it was intended in marble.‡

MEMORABLE PERSONS.

HAWIS GADARN.-She was a lady of remark, sole daughter and heir to Owen ap Gruffyth, prince of that part of Powis called Powis Wenwinwin, which taketh up this whole county. She was justly (as will appear) surnamed Gadarn, that is, the Hardy. I confess Hardy sounds better when applied to men

So was I informed by Sir Henry Herbert, his younger brother, late master of the Revels.-F.

+ Courteously communicated unto me by Mr. Stone, the stone-cutter, at his house in Long-Acre.-F.

A Life of Lord Herbert of Cherbury, written by himself, was published by Mr. Walpole, from the Strawberry Hill press, in 1778.-ED.

(as Philip the Hardy, a prince in France), meek and mild being a more proper epithet for a woman. Yet some competent hardiness, to comport with troubles, mis-becometh not the weaker sex; and indeed, if she had not been Hawis the Hardy, she had been Hawis the Beggarly. She had four uncles, her father's brethren, Lhewelyn, John, Griffith Vachan, and David, which uncles became her cousins, detaining all her inheritance from her. "Give," said they, "a girl a little gold, and marry her. God and nature made land for men to manage."

Hereupon Hawis comes to court, complains to king Edward the Second. The mention of her minds me of the daughter of Zelophehad, who pleaded so pathetically for her patrimony before Moses and Joshua. The king, commiserating her case, consigned his servant John Charleton, born at Apple in Shropshire, a vigorous knight, to marry her, creating him in her right Baron of Powis.

Thus was he possessed of his lady, but get her land as he can; it was bootless to implead her uncles in a civil court; action was the only action he could have against them; and he so bestirred himself, with the assistance of the king's forces, that in short time he possessed himself of three of her uncles prisoners, and forced the fourth to a composition. Yea, he not only recovered every foot of his wife's land, but also got all the lands of her uncles, in default of their issue male, to be settled upon her. I wish that all ladies, injured by their potent relations, may have such husbands to marry them, and match their adversaries. These things happened about the year of our Lord

1320.

Know, reader, there were four John Charletons successively lords of Powis ; which I observe rather, because their omonymy may not occasion confusion.

JULINES HERRING was born at Flambere-Mayre in this county, 1582. His father returned hence to Coventry, to which he was highly related; Coventry, whose ancestors (for the space of almost two hundred years) had been in their course chief officers of that city. Perceiving a pregnancy in their son, his parents bred him in Sidney College in Cambridge; he became afterwards a profitable and painful preacher at Calk in Derbyshire, in the town of Shrewsbury, and at Rendbury in Cheshire, being one of a pious life, but in his judgment disaffected to the English church discipline.

I could no less than place him amongst the memorable persons; otherwise coming under no topic of mine (as writing no books to my knowledge), finding his life written at large by Mr. Samuel Clark.

I say Mr. Clark, whose books of our modern divines I have perused, as travellers by the Levitical law were permitted to pass through other men's vineyards. For they might eat their