1821.] St. Donat's Cathedral Church, Glamorganshire. May 28. HE Castle of St. Donat, in Glamorganshire (see Plate I.) is one of the twelve allotted to the followers of Fitzhamon, who conquered a great part of South Wales in the reign of William Rufus. The building of it commenced about the year 1102. It is situated on the sea-coast. The present remains are very considerable, and in better preservation than any other of the antient castles of this county. The park stood on the West, and the garden lay on the South, between the castle wall and the sea, towards which it descended in terraces. The castle and manor of St. Donat were given by Fitzhamon to Sir William le Esterling (which name was afterwards corrupted to Stradling), who probably built this magnificent structure. The property remained in this family till 1738, when, owing to the failure of male issue, it fell to the Mansels of Margam, into which family the last of the Stradlings had married. Within the park, on the West of the Castle, stands a picturesque quadrangular tower. It is placed on an elevated site, commanding a view of great extent, particularly of the Bristol channel. This building is reported, by the tradition of the neigbourhood, to have been designed for a watch-tower, for observing distressed vessels in stormy weather, in order to secure the cargoes for the lord, in the event of their being driven on shore. The coast near this place consists of bold precipices of calcareous rocks, presenting some deep excavations, and abounding in various productions. Mr. Donovan found here the fossil fragments of the vertebra, pieces of the ribs, maxilla bones, and teeth of a large animal of the lizard genus, which he states could, when living, have bee scarcely less than 12 or 15 feet in length*. The Church of St. Donat bears great marks of antiquity, but the date of the building is not ascertained, In the windows are the Arms of Strad ling and others in painted glass. A small Chapel annexed to it serves as the burial-place of the Stradlings, and appears to have been converted *Descriptive Excursions through South Wales, vol. I. p. 365. GENT. MAG, June, 1821. 489 to that purpose by Sir Edward Stradling, knt. (the fifth of that name), who died in 1609. His monument and picture will be hereafter noticed. Three curious paintings on pannel remain in good preservation. They each represent a man in armour, and a lady kneeling, with a desk between them, accompanied by their children. The inscriptions on the paintings are as follow: 1." Here lyeth Thomas Stradlinge, esq. sonne to Harry Stradlinge, kt, and Elizth his wyfe (the daughter of Wm Thomas of Raglan in the countie of Monmouth, kt, who dyed at Cardyffe in the Monastery of Preachinge Fryers, on the 8 day of Sept. in the yere of our Lord 1480. Whose bones (after the disolution of the sayd Monephewe, caused to be taken up and canastery) Thomas Stradlinge, knight *, his ried to Saint Donatts and buried in the Chauncell of the Church there, by his sonne, the 4 day of June, in the yere of our Lord 1537; and afterwards Edward Stradlinge, knight, his nephew's sonne, the 5th of that, name, translated the said bones out of the chauucell into the Chappell ther, in the yere of our Lord 1573; after whose death his wyfe maried with Sir Rees ap Thomas, Knight of the Garter, and dyed at Picton in the countie of Pembroke, the 5 day of February, in the Carmarthen, in the Church of the Monasyere of our Lord 1533, and was buryed at tery of Preachinge Friers with the said Sir Rees ap Thomas her husband. (He died before he was 26 yrs of age)." In the centre of this painting is the following: "The undernamed Harry Stradlinge, kt, went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and received the order of the Sepulchre there, as his father Edward Stradlinge, kt, the 5th+ of that name, and grandfather Willm Stradlinge, kt, the second of that name, did, and died in the Isle of Cypress in his coming home, the last of August in the 16 yere of K. Edwd 4th, and is buried there in the city of Famagusta. This said Harry Stradlinge, from his house in Somersetshire to his house in Wales, was Colin Dolphin, whose redemption and taken prisoner by a Brytaine Pirate named charges stood him in 2200 markes, for the payment whereof he was driven to sell the castle and manor of Bassalleg and Sutton in Monmouthshire, and two manors in Oxfordshire." He was buried March 30, 1573, by register, which is the earliest date recorded 490 St. Donat's Church, Glamorganshire.-Stradling Family. [June, 2. "Here lyeth Edward Stradlinge, kt, the 4th of that name (sonne to Thomas Stradlinge, Esquier, and Jenet his wyfe, the daughter of Thomas Mathewe of Rader, in the county of Glamorgan, esquier), who died in the Castell of St. Donatt, the 8 day of May, in the yere of our Lord 1535, and was buried in the chauncel of the Church ther, whose bones were after translated by his nephewe Edward Stradlinge, kt, the 5th of that name, into the Chappell ther, in the yere of our Lord 1573; also here lyeth Elizabeth his wife, daughter to Thomas Arundell of Lanhcyron in the county of Cornwall, kt, who died in child bead at Merthermawre, the 20 day of Febry, in the yere of our Lord 1513, and was buryed ther, whos bones Thomas Stradlinge, knight, her sonne, caused to be taken up and caryed to St. Donats, and buryed in the chauncell of the Church ther with her husband, the 8 day of Maye, in the yere of our Lord 1536; and were afterwards, by Edward Stradlinge, knight, the 5th of that name, her nephewe, translated out of the chauncell into the Chappell ther in the yere of our Lord 1573," 3. (The centre Painting). "Thes Pictures do represent Sir Edward Stradlinge, kt, the 5th of that name (and sonne to Sir Thomas Stradlinge, knight, and Katerin his wife, daughter to Sir Thomas Gamage of Corty, kt), and the Lady Agnes Strad linge his wife, daughter to Sir Edward Gage of Sussex, kt, and Elizth his wife, daughter to John Parker of Willington, in the county of Sussex, esquier, which said Sir Edward, nowe, in his life-time, has set forth thes Monuments of thes his auncestors, deceased; and, by God's grace, meaneth both he and his wife, after their decease, to keepe them bodilly company in this sealfe-same place.-Anno Domini, 1590." The following Inscriptions remain to the memory of this family: Against the North wall is a fine old monument composed of alabaster and coloured marbles, with a man in armour, and a lady kneeling at an altar, with much gilding and ornament, agreeably to the custom of the time. On it are the Arms of Stradling and Gage, with this inscription: "Edward' Stradling', 5 Maioru : Fil: et Hieres 17' Equestris Ordinis 16'. Hic in D'no obdormiscit, qui Juvenis Gallia, Germania et Italia Peragratis, Redux Patriæ principi suis semper charus fidelis amantissim' vixit; octogenarius obiit 15 Maii, 1609. Agnetam D'ni Edw, Gage, mil. fil. habuit in uxore' qua' mœstissima' viduam sobole orbam relinquens, Jo, Stradlingum mil. Francisci natum e multis juniorem Al, adopt. Elisabethæ Gage, uxoris nep'ti, multa sobole mascula fœcundæ junctum integra hæreditate donavit. D'oa agneta con viro et Jo: Strad: mil. fil. adopt: Patri. Pietatis officii et amoris ergo ac posteritati sepeliendæ hoc sacrum po' 15 Maii, 1610." On the South side of the Chapel is a white marble monument to four children of Sir Edward Stradling, bart.: "H. S. E. "Gullielmus Stradling, Hungerfordus, Rachel, et Edmundus, D'ni Edwardi Stradling de Castro Sancti Donat, in agro Glamorganensi, Equitis et Baronetti, et D'oæ Elisabethæ conjugis piissimæ, ex antiqua et nobili Hungerfordorum de Castro Farley Hungerford in agro Somerset. familia oriundæ, liberi nobilissimorum parentum, generosa proles illis vita brevis sed innocens contigit, etenim dum eximium oris pulchritudinem pulcherrimis moribus exornarent. Et non vulgarem præberent expectationem, morte immatura prærepti, magnum sui desiderium reliquerent, brevem hanc tabellam liberis suis charissimis parentes posuere. Anno Dom' M.D.CLXXXIII." In the centre of the Chapel, is a beautiful marble tomb : (South side): "To the sacred memory of Edward Stradling of St. Donat's Castle in Glamorganshire, esq. the eldest son of Sr Edward Stradling, bart. by Elizabeth, daughter of Sr Edward Mansel of Margam in the same county, bart. He was born the 30th of March, 1699, and departed this life in the fear of God the 3d day of Oct. 1726, aged 27, to the unspeakable griefe of his parents and all that knew him, being a most accomplished gentleman in all respects." Arms: Stradling: Barry of 6 Arg. and Az. surmounted of a bend Gul. charged with 3 roses Argent, barbed and seeded proper. Crest: a stag at gaze, Arg. Motto: "Duwn Digon" (God and enough). On the North side: "Here lies Sr Thomas Stradling, the 2a Bart. of England, and the last of the name. He was the second son of St Edw. Stradling, bart. by Elizabeth, daughter of Sr Edward Mansel of Margam, bart. and younger brother to Edw. Stradling, esq. deposited within this tomb. He died at Monpellier, the 27th of September, 1738, N. S. and was buried here the 19th of March following. By his death the title and family, after its continuance here near 700 years, became extinct. Ætatis suæ 28." Arms: Party per pale Stradling and Mansel. Stradling, as above. Man sel, `1821.] St. Donat's Church.-Education of the Poor defended. 491 sel, Arg. a chevron between three manches, Sable. The Registers commence in 1570; in which are the following notices: On the first page of the Register: "1652. Thomas Carne married to Jane Stradling, 27 April.- Edw. Turberville, esq. to Elizabeth Stradling, Sept. 1653. Mem. The above ladies were daughters of Sir John Stradling, bart. and his wife Elizabeth Gage. He being nephew of Sir Edward Stradling, bart*. and she a niece of Lady Stradling, whose name was Agnes, daughter of Sir Edward Gage. They, dying without issue, adopted their relations, Sir John and Elizabeth, above mentioned, who were married and had ten children, whose posterity continued to Sir Thomas Stradling, the last of the family of the Stradlings. (Vide Monument.) "N. B. The marriages of this family commence in 1574; baptisms in 1660; burials in 1573; agreeable to Register. In the church-yard is a very fine Cross; on the top of which are the remains of a figure of the Virgin and Child on one side; and of our Saviour on the Cross, with two females kneeling, on the other. There is a tomb in the church-yard which, although of no antiquity, is worthy of notice, as it records a melancholy event which occurred in the vicinity of St. Donat: "Sacred to the memory of Sackville Turner, esq. a Captain in his Majesty's 33d regiment, and of Sarah, his wife, who were cast away and drowned near this place on the night of the 5th of September, 1774. He was born at Therfield in the county of Hertford, 1740. She was born at Warton, in the county of Norfolk, 1752. They lost two children; the eldest not a year and a half old. Loved, esteem ed, and respected, for every good quality Be Mr. URBAN, THE R April 27. HE Education of the Poor is a subject on which a great many opinions subsist. Many are the objections raised against it, and great is the odium thrown on its avowed advocates. Of all the objections urged against it, there are only two, which appear to possess any share of plausibility; and, consequently, only two which merit serious confutation. The first is, that the Education of the Lower Orders increases their natural aversion to subordination; the other, that it lays them open to the influence of that mass of profaneness and disloyalty, which daily issues from the press. I now propose to consider the first objection; viz. that the Education of the Lower Orders increases their natural aversion to subordination. There are two weapons with which we combat opinion-argument and experience. I shall begin with a few words, by way of argument;-Is it not a universally received axiom, in the system of Modern Education, with re gard to the Upper Classes, that the more the mind is opened, the more it becomes sensible of its own defi ciencies, and, consequently, the more favourable to the growth of humility? And why should the same circumstance produce a quite opposite effect on the Lower Classes? If the Poor are instructed, from the perusal of their Bibles, to follow the precepts therein contained, it follows that the strength of the argument greatly depends on what line of conduct the Bible enforces. Now does the Bible teach insubordination? Or, does it enforce submission to lawful authority, and respect to the superiority of rank and station? The latter most undoubtedly-the Bible places the duties of obedience and subordination, in a much higher point of view than they can be in a human code of laws. In our Statute Book, they are only introduced as affecting man's temporal interest; in the Statute Book of the King of kings, they are, co-equally with every other virtue, made the foundation of our hopes of a blessed eternity. I appeal then to the common sense of every reader, whether an intimate knowledge of the Bible is at all calculated to cause discontent and pride in the minds of the Poor. I ask, which is most likely to |