on the western side, through the broken fragments of its walls, of which
one immense mass has recently fallen. This ancient town is now a
village, with a few scattered cottages, but was formerly celebrated,
under the auspices of Agricola, for its temples, theatre, porticoes, and
baths; few vestiges of its former splendour are now extant. A few
fragments of loose stones only remain to point out its former extent. In
an orchard, adjoining a farm-house belonging to Mr. Lewis, is the
beautiful tesselated Roman pavement, discovered in the year 1777. The
tesseræ or dies, about an inch in breadth, and half in depth, are nearly
square, consisting of four colours, red, yellow, blue, and white, {25}
which are still in great preservation; the whole is surrounded with a
border, much resembling a Turkey carpet. The daily depredations on these
curious remains of antiquity are greatly to be lamented.
In the road from Caerwent, amongst other objects for admiration, the
mansion of Sir Robert Salusbury, on the left, commanding an extensive
view, attracted our notice. Passing through the neat village of
Christchurch, animated with white-washed cottages, and graced with its
simple church, which stands on an eminence, we left the turnpike-road at
the thirteenth mile-stone; and following a footpath through some fields,
near the banks of the Usk, soon entered the ancient city of Caerleon.