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in an estate to be courted and sought vnto by those men whom you are fforc't to seeke vnto, and who intend (as is g'nrally coniectured) to deliu' vp yo' Hold and y' estate too for ye makinge of their owne peace w else is the p'per meaning of this quittinge of Comand of severing yo' sonne from yo' affections by thrusting soe obstinately vpon yo' Ldship a poore gent' in nothing of soundnesse & reality comp'able to Dicke Bulkeley if yo" Lship would turne yo' snibbing (wh yet I cannot beleeve to be serious) to an heartning & encouraginge of

him.

I beseech yo' Ldship for yo' Childrens sake, to reflect vpon these things suddenly for the time is very much lapsed & slipt away & not disgracefully but fairely & bountifully to part wth Mr. Lloyd (who is but starv'd there by y Comissio" & kept in of purpose to p'serve their power & interest in y' ffort) And to place in yo sonne who will be obedient to you in all things and whom (in point of right) you cannot hinder from a concurring power in the Towne & Castle & by these meanes & worthy deportm' of yo's you shall pr'vent his Exclaiminge heareafter yt by yo" Ldships owne wilfull act & yo seducemts of ye Enemies of yo' family he is brought to ruine & miserie. This you can easily helpe if you will suddenly & secretly resolve to doe it, And y wthout any noise or puttinge of him in this change to derive any dependance vpon either y° La Byron or y Countrey for he needs neither of their Power as I am fully p'suaded. This is my last motion vnto yo" LP in this p'ticular & if you shall desire some further conference with me in ye prmisses, I doe purpose, for one night onely to waite vpon yo Ldship in ye end of this weeke being in the meane time & euer

Your Lops most faithfull

Conway 8 Aprilis 1646.

Cozen & serv

Jo: EBORAC.

To ye r hole & his very noble L the L Bulkeley at Bewmaris these prsent.

314

ON THE STUDY OF WELSH ANTIQUITIES.

(Continued from p. 193.)

(READ AT BRIDGEND.)

GLAMORGANSHIRE.-NO. III.

MEDIEVAL REMAINS, CHURCHES, ETC.

THE architecture of a country is the product and exponent of the wants, the resources, and the intelligence of its inhabitants; witness the monumental remains of Egypt, Greece, Rome, and medieval Europe, telling in their own peculiar language the histories and the varying fortunes of the countries wherein they are to be found. So it is even with Wales, and with the county in the midst of which we are now assembled. Much of the past history of Glamorgan is to be read in the stones of its churches, its castles, and its manor-houses; and it is one of the duties of this Association to examine and interpret these monumental remains for the benefit of those that have inherited their possession,-happy if such an inheritance be valued and preserved, and even increased as it deserves.

The physical conformation of the county with its well marked divisions of the Hills and the Vale, has had its influence on the history of the county itself, and also on its architecture. Among the Hills it would be vain to look for important churches; for the populations were too scanty, and too much exposed to social changes, to have turned their attention to architectural excellence in early times. They neither needed it, nor had they the material resources wherewith to cultivate it. Up among the Hills we find the old churches to be plain, substantial buildings, not unsuited to the wants of the people, and strong enough to have lasted to our own times, with a fair prospect of duration even for future years. Modern architects may erect buildings more decorated, more ample; but they have not yet put up

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any more solid, or more in harmony with the character of the district and its inhabitants, than those which the piety of the middle ages has handed down to us.

The old church of Aberdare, for instance, is a good monument of its date; and many a small village church stands an index of what the surrounding district once was, and able, by a little care and improvement, to meet the requirements even of the nineteenth century. One of the most remarkable of the old churches is that of the ancient town of Llantrisant, just on the edge of the Hills where they rise from the Vale. The town itself is one of the most curious in the county, both from its position and from the abundant signs of its former importance; with only a fragment, indeed, of its castle remaining; but with its paved roads still climbing up the hill, its massive, sombre houses, and its primitive population, as hospitable, as contented, and as quiet as for any time within the last two or three centuries. In quaintness it is only to be compared to Llantwit Major, though in outward appearance no two places can be more dissimilar; and its church is in strict harmony with the history and actual condition of the town, large, strong, and stern in architecture; but well warmed up within by the affectionate zeal of its clergy, as shown now throughout the memory of the oldest inhabitant. It is a building to be visited even by a fastidious architect; for he may learn something from its stern severity of appearance; and the town itself, when once seen, is not likely to be soon forgotten. The architectural character of the whole is peculiar,—sui generis, in fact; and much the same may be said of the whole district of the Hills, the ancient ecclesiastical buildings of which all deserve study for their peculiarities, and are to be classed by themselves. They are worthy of careful examination and respect.

The moment we descend from the Hills into the Vale, we are struck with a great change in the ecclesiastical architecture. The low country was always, comparatively speaking, a district of peace and prosperity. Natu

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