Immediately adjoining the north-eastern extremity of the principal street, the noble demesne of Mr. Pennant originates, and spreads over a wooded surface of considerable area. His castle occupies the site of a palace, erected in the year 720, by Roderic Moelwynog, the last British Prince of Wales, who flourished in the eighth century. The ancient palace was destroyed by Meredydd ap Owain in the year 728, and not rebuilt until some time in the reign of Henry the Sixth, when Gwillim ap Gryffydd raised a stately castle here. This last building endured for many years, and was ultimately subjected to renovation by the hand of a Wyatt; but even this judicious restoration was unable to render it suitable to the rapidly accumulating wealth which the hills of Dolawen poured out upon the board of their fortunate possessor. From a noble design of Mr. Hopper, in a bold and pure Saxon style, a castle has been erected on the ancient site. The style is uncommon, rarely introduced in domestic architecture, and applicable only where the scale is great and the means ample. In this instance the materials, a beautiful dark marble, contribute much to increase the dignity and grandeur of the design, upon which probably one hundred thousand pounds have already been expended. A fine specimen of the Hirlâs, or ancient British drinking horn, bearing the initials of Piers Gryfydd, graven upon the silver mounting, is preserved in the castle of Penrhyn. The castle of Bangor is not to be confounded with that of Penrhyn just described. It was founded some time in the reign of William Rufus, by Hugh, Earl of Chester, but, little of its history survives, and even the ground plan now is with difficulty traced.
The process of quarrying, dressing, and preparing slates for public market, and the fanciful titles by which the various sizes are now uniformly designated, are very happily, playfully, and truly described in the following irregular verses. They are the production of the late Mr. Leycester, who was for many years a judge on the North Wales circuit, while the old system of judicature was tolerated.
It has truly been said, as we all must deplore, That Grenville and Pitt made peers by the score; But now ’tis asserted, unless I have blundered, There’s a man who makes peeresses here by the hundred; He regards neither Grenville, nor Portland, nor Pitt, But creates them at once without patent or writ. By the stroke of the hammer, without the king’s aid, A Lady, or Countess, or Duchess is made. Yet high is the station from which they are sent, And all their great titles are got by descent; And when they are seen in a palace or shop, Their rank they preserve, and are still at the top. Yet no merit they claim from their birth or connexion, But derive their chief worth from their native complexion. And all the best judges prefer, it is said, A Countess in blue to a Duchess in red. This Countess or Lady, though crowds may be present, Submits to be dress’d by the hands of a peasant; And you’ll see, when her Grace is but once in his clutches, With how little respect he will handle a Duchess. Close united they seem, and yet all who have tried them, Soon discover how easy it is to divide them. No spirit have they, they are thin as a lath, The Countess wants life and the Duchess is flat. No passion or warmth to the Countess is known, And her Grace is as cold and as hard as a stone; And I fear you will find, if you watch them a little, That the Countess is frail, and the Duchess is brittle; Too high for a trade, without any joke, Though they never are bankrupts, they often are broke. And though not a soul either pilfers or cozens, They are daily shipped off and transported by dozens.