Beneath their “broad brown” branches, we discovered several _cromlechs_,
the monuments of Druidical superstition; several stones of enormous size
support two others placed horizontally over them. {118} For what purpose
these ancient relicks were originally erected, it was not for us puisne
antiquarians to discuss, and with eager impatience we hurried to visit
the noble mansion, which has not yet received the finishing stroke of the
architect; sufficient however is accomplished to form a conjecture of its
intended splendour and magnificence. The whole is built, stables
included, in a Gothic castellated form, of a dark slate-coloured stone;
on entering the vestibule, we, for a short time, imagined ourselves in
the chapel, a mistake, though soon discovered, yet liable to happen to
any visitor; the ceiling having Gothic arches, with a gallery suitable to
it, and several niches cut in the side walls: we were next conduced
through a long suite of apartments, the design of them all equally
convenient and elegant. The landscape from the Gothic windows is both
beautiful and sublime; a noble plantation of trees, the growth of
ages—the winding strait of the Menai, gay with vessels passing and
repassing; and beyond this tranquil scene, the long range of the Snowdon
mountains shooting into the clouds, the various hues of whose features
appear as beautiful, as their magnitude is sublime. The house is
protected from the encroachment of the sea, by a strong parapet embattled
wall; in fine, this magnificent seat of Lord Uxbridge, seems to possess
many conveniencies peculiar to its situation: the warm and cold baths,
constantly filled by the Menai, are sequestered and commodious, and every
apartment of the house is abundantly supplied with water. {119a}
Being unavoidably prevented visiting the celebrated Paris mountain, the
property of Lord Uxbridge and the Rev. Mr. Hughes, we again returned to
the Hotel, at Caernarvon, purporting to stay the following day, (Sunday)
for the purpose of making a strict enquiry into the religious sect,
settled here, and in many parts of Wales, called _Jumpers_. {119b} The
account we had received from our landlord, we imagined was exaggerated,
and this more strongly induced us to visit the chapel, that we might be
enabled, in future, to contradict this ridiculous report.
At six in the evening the congregation assembled, and on our entrance
into the chapel, we observed on the north side, from a sort of stage or
pulpit, erected on the occasion, a man, in appearance, a common
day-labourer, holding forth to an ignorant and deluded multitude. Our
entrance at first, seemed to excite a general dissatisfaction; and our
near neighbours, as if conscious of their eccentricities, muttered bitter
complaints against the admittance of strangers. The chapel, which was
not divided into pews, and even destitute of seats, contained near an
hundred people; half way round was erected a gallery. The preacher
continued raving, and, indeed, foaming at the mouth, in a manner too
shocking to relate:—he allowed himself no time to breathe, but seemingly
intoxicated, uttered the most dismal howls and groans imaginable, which
were answered by the congregation, so loud, as occasionally to drown even
the voice of the preacher. At last, being nearly exhausted by continual
vociferation, and fainting from exertion, he sunk down in the pulpit: the
meeting, however, did not disperse; a psalm was immediately sung by a
man, who, we imagine, officiated as clerk, accompanied by the whole
congregation. The psalm had not continued long, before we observed part
of the assembly, to our great surprise, _jumping_ in small parties of
three, four, and sometimes five in a set, lifting up their hands, beating
their breasts, and making the most horrid gesticulations. Each
individual separately jumped, regularly succeeding one another, while the
rest generally assisted the jumper by the help of their hands. The women
always appeared more vehement than the men, and infinitely surpassed them
in numbers; seeming to endeavour to excel each other in jumping,
screaming, and howling. We observed, indeed, that many of them lost
their shoes, hats, and bonnets, with the utmost indifference, and never
condescended to search after them; in this condition, it is not unusual
to meet them jumping to their homes. Their meetings are twice a week,
Wednesdays and Sundays. Having accidentally met with a gentleman, at the
Hotel, a native of Siberia, we invited him to our party, and, induced by
curiosity, he readily accompanied us to the chapel. On the commencement
of the _jumping_, he intreated us to quit the congregation, exclaiming,
“Good God! I for a moment forgot I was in a Christian country; the dance
of the Siberians, in the worship of the Lama, with their shouts and
gesticulations, is not more horrid!” This observation so forcibly struck
me, that I could not avoid inserting it in my note-book.
With disgust we left the chapel, and were given to understand, by our
landlord, they celebrate a particular day every year, when instances have
been known of women dying by too great an exertion; and fainting is
frequently the consequence of their excessive jumping.
This sect is by no means confined to the town of Caernarvon, but in many
villages, and in several market towns, both in North and South Wales,
{122a} they have established regular chapels. “They have” (says a
correspondent to the Gentleman’s Magazine, {122b}) “periodical meetings
in many of the larger towns, to which they come from thirty to forty
miles round. At one, held in Denbigh, about last April, there were, I
believe, upwards of four thousand people, from different parts. At
another, held in Bala, soon afterwards, nearly double that number were
supposed to be present.” The last number appears rather to be
exaggerated, though the latter, being dated from Denbigh, should be
considered as authoritative.
Another correspondent to the Gentleman’s Magazine, gives the following
information respecting the sect: “That they are not a distinct sect, but
_Methodists_, of the same persuasion as the late Mr. Whitfield; for
though there are several congregations of _Wesleyan Methodists_, in this
country, there is no such custom amongst them. But jumping during
religious worship is no new thing amongst the other party, having (by
what I can learn) been practised by them for many years past. I have
seen some of their pamphlets, in the Welch language, in which this custom
is justified by the example of David, who danced before the ark; and of
the lame man, restored by our blessed Saviour, at the gate of the Temple,
who leaped for joy.” How far this gentleman’s account may be accurate, I
leave for others to decide; it is certainly to be lamented, in a country
where the Christian Religion is preached in a stile of the greatest
purity and simplicity, that those poor ignorant deluded wretches should
be led to a form of worship so dissonant to the Established Church of
England, and, indeed, by a poor ignorant fellow, devoid of education, and
devoid of sense.
The same road we had so much admired the preceding Saturday, soon brought
us to