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RADNOR-SHIRE CHAPTER. VIII.
RADNOR-SHIRE lyeth borde∣red upon the North,* 1.1 with the Countie Monmouth; upon the East toucheth Shropshire and He∣reford-shire: the Rivers Clar∣wen and VVye divide it from Breknock in the South; and the West part doth shorten point-wise into Cardigan-shire.
* 1.2(2) The forme thereof is in proportion triangle, every side almost containing a like distance: for from West to North are twenty miles; from North to South,* 1.3 twenty two; and from South to West are twenty foure: the whole in circumference extending to fourescore and ten miles.
* 1.4(3) The Ayre thereof is sharpe and cold, (as most of Wales is) for that the snow lieth and lasteth long unmelted under those shadowing high Hils and over∣hanging Rocks.
* 1.5(4) The Soyle is hungry, though not barren, and that in the East and South the best: the other parts are rough and churlish, and hardly bettered by pain∣full labour; so that the riches of the North and West consisteth chiefly in the brood of Cattle.
* 1.6(5) Anciently this County was possessed by the Silures, a warlike people, and great withstanders of the Romans impositions, who had not onely them to fight against, but withall the unaccessible Mountaines, wherewith this Shire is so over-pressed and burde∣ned, that many times I feared to looke downe from the hanging Rockes, whereunder I passed into those deepe and darke dales, seeming to me an entrance in∣to Limbo.* 1.7 Among these (as say our Historians) that hatefull Prince to God and Man, Vortiger, his Coun∣tries scourge, and last Monarch of the British Bloud, by fire from Heaven was consumed with his incestuous Wife, for whom Ninius nameth the Countrey where in his Castle stood, Guartiger-Maur, of whose rubbish the Castle Guthremion was raised, as some are of opi∣nion. Yet they of North-Wales will have his destru∣ction and Castle to stand in their parts neere unto Beth-Kelleck, whereof wee will further speake in the relation of his life. Fatall was this place also to Lle∣wellin the last Prince of the British race, who being betrayed by the men of Buelth, fled into those vast Mountaines of Radnor,* 1.8 where by Adam Francton he was slaine; and his head (crowned with Ivy) set upon the Tower of London.
(6) Places most worthy of note in this Shire, are as ensueth:* 1.9 The first is Radnor, from whom the Countie receiveth her Name, anciently Magi, where the Commander of the Pascensian Regiment lay,* 1.10 and thought to be the Magnos in Atonine the Empe∣rors Survey. This Towne is pleasantly seated under an Hill,* 1.11 whereon standeth mounted, a large and strong Castle, from whose Bulwarke a Trench is drawn along the West of the Towne, whereon a wall of stone was once raised, as by the remaines in many places appeareth. This Trench doth likewise in∣verge her West side so farre as the River, but after is no more seene: whose Graduation is observed to have the Pole elevated for Latitude 52. degrees, and 45. minutes; and for Longitude, from the first point of the West, set by Mercator 17. degrees and one minute.
Prestayn for beauteous building is the best in this Shire,* 1.12 a Towne of Commerce, wonderfully frequen∣ted, and that very lately. Next is Knighton,* 1.13 a Market Towne likewise, under which is seene the Clawdh-Offa, or Offaes Ditch, whose tract for a space I follow∣ed along the edge of the Mountaine, which was a bound set to separate the Welsh from the English, by the Mercian King Offa: and by Egbert the Monarch a Law made, by the instigation of his Wife, that it should bee present death for the Welsh to passe over the same,* 1.14 as Iohn Bever the Monke of Westminster reporteth: and the like under Harald, as Iohn of Sa∣lisbury writeth; wherein it was ordained, that what Welsh-man soever should bee found with any weapon on this side of that Limit, which was Offaes Ditch, should have his right hand cut off by the Kings Offi∣cers.* 1.15 The fourth place for account is Raihadar Gowy, who besides the great fall of Wye with a continuall noise, hath her Markets there kept upon the Sab∣bath, which I there observed, and here note for an of∣fence.
(7) Many Rivers arise and run thorow this Shire, which were it not that the Hils so cluster together, might make the soyle both fertill and fat. Such are Teme, Lug, Ithon, Clowdok, Dulas, Comarton, Somegill, Guithel, Arro, Machaway, Edway, Hawye, Eland, Clar∣wen and Wye, besides other Loughs that stand betwixt the hills.
This Shire is divided into sixe Hundreds, wherein are seated three Forrests, foure Market-Townes, sixe Castles, and fifty two Parish-Churches, as in the Table in the last Page of this Chapter Alphabetically are set and inserted.