LUDLOW,

situated on an eminence in the midst of this most luxuriant country.

After the many indifferent Welsh towns which we had passed through since

the commencement of our pedestrian excursion, we felt ourselves not a

little chagrined at our uncouth appearance on entering so gay a place.

The streets are commodious, and the houses and public buildings extremely

neat. The gravel walks round the castle are extensive, and command, at

occasional points, distinct prospects of the gentlemens’ seats in the

neighbourhood, with their grounds and noble plantations. The river Teme

gives additional beauty to this fascinating spot: the new bridge recently

erected a little below the castle, forms likewise, from this spot, by no

means an uninteresting object; add to this, at suitable distances, the

river, by means of dams, is formed into small artificial cascades. At

the extremity of the town is another bridge, separating the counties of

Shropshire and Hereford. These walks were laid out in the year 1772, by

the Countess of Powis, at a great expense. The overshadowing trees not

only afford refreshing shelter from a summer’s sun, but are likewise a

protection from the piercing winter’s wind: indeed,

. . . “I could rove

At morn, at noon, at eve, by lunar ray,

In each returning season, through your shade,

Ye rev’rend woods; could visit ev’ry dell,

Each hill, each breezy lawn, each wand’ring brook,

And bid the world admire; each magic spot again

Could seek, and tell again of all its charms.”

Towards the north, the mazy course of the Teme,—Oakley Park, the elegant

seat of the Dowager Lady Clive,—the Clee Hills,—the celebrated Caer

Caradoc, with the other eminences near Stretton, terminating the view,

present a most pleasing landscape. Towards the west, a combination of

rock, wood, and water, gratifies the warmest wish of fancy.

The Whitecliff, opposite to the castle, and Hackluyt’s Close, near the

Leominster road, are the two other most favourite walks; but that round

the castle is resorted to as the most fashionable promenade. The town of

Ludlow has been calculated to contain seven hundred and two houses, and

nearly three thousand five hundred and sixty-five persons. {277} The

public buildings are the market house, the guildhall, the prison (called

Gaolford’s tower), and the cross. The rooms over the latter are

dedicated for the instruction of thirty poor boys, and fifteen poor

girls; and the former at a proper age are apprenticed out. The town

enjoys no particular manufactory, but its chief trade consists in the

article of gloves.

The castle, the palace of the Prince of Wales in right of his

principality, is now entirely in ruins, except Mortimer’s Tower, which

was repaired by Sir Henry Sidney, during his presidency. It is now

inhabited by an old servant of Lord Powis’s, a very civil and intelligent

man, who related with the utmost concern the sad vicissitudes this castle

had experienced: he insisted on our entering the tower of his habitation,

and ascending the crumbling stairs, for a full display of the various

beauties in the vicinity of Ludlow. He expatiated much on a valuable

diamond ring, which he had discovered himself when attempting to drain a

cellar; the inscription of Hebrew characters round the gold within the

ring was interpreted by the learned, “a good heart;” this, and several

coins of silver and gold, which were found at the same time, are now in

the possession of Lord Powis: near the same spot a number of skeletons

were likewise dug up. He next conducted us to a small room in this

tower, to observe an old stone placed over the fire-place, with a cross,

the letters W. S. and the date 1575, engraven on it.

Over the south-east gateway, leading into the interior of the castle, are

the arms of Elizabeth, Queen of England; and beneath, those of the Sydney

family, with the following inscription:

HOMINIBUS INGRATIS LOQUIMINI

LAPIDES.—ANN, REGNI REGINÆ

ELIZABETHÆ 23.—THE 28 YEAR

COPLET OF THE RESIDENCE

OF SIR HENRY SYDNEY KNIGHT

OF THE MOST NOBLE ORDER OF THE

GARTER, 1581.

This castle, founded by Roger de Montgomery, on a rock, in the north-east

angle of the town, supposed to be in the year 1112, was considerably

enlarged by Sir Henry Sidney. Its ancient British name, Dinan Llys

Tywysog, signifies the Prince’s Palace. The vicissitudes of war have

frequently been exemplified in this castle; it has had its lords and its

princes; it has been plundered, captured, dismantled, and repaired, in

those periods of civil warfare, which this unfortunate country in former

times continually experienced. Phillips, in the History and Antiquities

of Shrewsbury, during those melancholy troubles, gives some account of

this castle. Some historians affirm that King Edward V. and his brother

were born in Ludlow Castle; but others, not crediting this assertion,

attribute their birth-place to Wigmore; certain, however, it is, that

during their minority they here held their court, under the tuition of

Lord Anthony Woodville and Lord Scales, till they were removed to London,

and soon after smothered in the Tower by the command of their cruel and

ambitious uncle, the Duke of Gloucester. Here, likewise, Prince Arthur,

the eldest son of King Henry VII., celebrated his marriage with the

virtuous Catherine of Arragon; and in the year 1502 he here paid the debt

of nature, and was buried in the cathedral church of Worcester.

The account of the representation at Ludlow of Milton’s celebrated mask

of Comus, is thus mentioned in the life of that poet, prefixed to

Newton’s edition:—“It was in the year 1634 that this Mask was presented

at Ludlow Castle. There was formerly a president of Wales, and a sort of

a court kept at Ludlow, which has since been abolished; and the president

at that time was the Earl of Bridgewater, before whom Milton’s Mask was

presented on Michaelmas night; and the principal parts, those of the two

brothers, were performed by his lordship’s sons, the Lord Brackly and Mr.

Thomas Egerton; and that of the lady, by his lordship’s daughter, the

Lady Alice Egerton.”

In the first year of William and Mary the presidency was dissolved by act

of parliament, “being a great grievance to the subject, and a means to

introduce an arbitrary power, especially in the late reign, when a new

convert family were at the head of it.”

The church next demanded our attention, the only one belonging to this

town. The time of the foundation of this ancient and elegant structure

cannot now be strictly ascertained: it is situated on an eminence, in the

centre of the town. The square tower is lofty, and of very light

architecture, but the upper part suffered much from the all-destroying

hand of Oliver Cromwell. The highly finished statues round the

battlements are much mutilated, and many entirely destroyed. On entering

the church, six light Gothic fluted arches on each side, with four

similar ones of larger dimensions, supporting the tower, are strikingly

grand. Under the organ-loft we passed into the chancel, now only made

use of for the administration of the sacrament. This is a most elegant

building, with thirteen stalls on each side, similar, in style, to the

generality of cathedrals. The seats of the stalls, all of which turn

back, exhibit specimens of curious workmanship, with strange devices and

ridiculous conceits. Some of the glass painted windows are still in good

preservation: the large one over the altar-piece represents the history

of St. Lawrence, to whom this church is dedicated, in fifty-four

compartments. The other windows of the chancel are much mutilated,

collected from different parts of the church, and several panes broken by

the unmeaning idleness of boys, regardless of these valuable relics of

antiquity.—In the side of the wall, near the altar, are two stone stalls,

with a piscina opposite.

In this chancel is a handsome monument, erected to the memory of Robert

Townsend and his wife, with several figures of their sons and daughters

carved round the bottom; over them are the arms of their family and

connexions; it bears the date of 1581: a modern monument to Theophilus

Solway, Esq. An ancient one to Ambrosia Sydney, who died at Ludlow

Castle. This lady was daughter to Sir Henry Sydney, who attained the

important situation of the presidency of Wales in the year 1564. He died

at Bewdley in 1584, and left this singular injunction to his executors:

“That his heart should be buried at Shrewsberry, his bowels at Bewdley,

and his body at Ludlow, in the tomb of his favourite daughter Ambrosia.”

This order was punctually executed; and the leaden urn, containing his

heart, was six inches deep, and five inches in diameter at the top, with

this inscription carved three times round it:

“Her lith the Harte of Syr Henrye Sydney, L. P. _anno __Domini_, 1586.”

For an engraving of this urn, taken from a drawing of Mr. S. Nicholas,

see the Gentleman’s Magazine for September, 1794. Another monument to

Edward Weston and his wife, kneeling opposite to each other.

In this church is likewise buried Sir John Bridgeman, the last president

but one of Ludlow Castle. He was extremely rigid in his office; and one

Ralph Gittins, who had probably experienced his severity, composed the

following epitaph on him:

“Here lies Sir John Bridgeman, clad in his clay:

God said to the Devil, Sirrah, take him away.”

Should the Tourist find time to make any stay at Ludlow, several

excursions in the neighbourhood will prove highly gratifying. Oakley

Park, the elegant seat of the Dowager Lady Clive, claims the greatest

attention; it is situated about two miles from Ludlow, on the banks of

the Teme River: just beyond this, a seat of — Walpole, Esq. About five

miles distant is Downton Castle, the noble mansion and fine walks of

Richard Payne Knight, Esq. one of the representatives in parliament for

the borough of Ludlow. Being necessitated to leave this charming country

by a particular day, we had no opportunity of visiting these celebrated

and much admired houses.

With regret we left the delightful situation of Ludlow; and, crossing

Lawford’s bridge, we ascended an eminence along a beautiful terrace,

commanding a most charming and pleasant country to our left, with the

fertile county of Hereford, abounding with orchards, which were all

bending with the produce of the year. About two miles from Ludlow, on

the right, we paused to admire the delightful seat of Theophilus Richard

Solway, Esq., situated on an eminence, and skirted by a rich plantation

of wood towards the west: it is called the Lodge. Descending into a

bottom, a rich country, studded with farm-houses, soon brought us to the

town of