a town of Wales, and capital of the county of that name. It is situated on the river Fowey, over which it has a fine stone-bridge. It is of great antiquity, being the Mariandunum of Ptolemy. It is a populous, thriving, and polite place, many of the neighbouring gentry residing there in the winter. It is a corporation and county of itself, with power to make by-laws. Here were held the courts of chancery and exchequer for South Wales, till the whole was united to England in the reign of Henry VIII. Here was born the famous conjurer Merlin; and near the town is a wood called Merlin's grove, where he is said to have often retired for contemplation. Many of his pretended prophecies are still preserved in the country. The town gives the title of marquis to his grace the duke of Leeds. It sends one member to parliament, and the county another.

CAERNARVONSHIRE, a county of Wales, bounded on the north and west by the sea, on the south by Merionethshire, and on the east is divided from Denbighshire by the river Conway. It is about 40 miles in length, and 20 in breadth; and sends one member to parliament for the shire, and another for the borough of Caernarvon. The air is very piercing; owing partly to the snow, that lies seven or eight months of the year upon some of the mountains, which are so high that they are called the British Alps; and partly to the great number of lakes, which are said not to be fewer than 50 or 60. The soil in the valleys on the side next Ireland is pretty fertile, especially in barley; great numbers of black cattle, sheep, and goats, are fed on the mountains; and the sea, lakes, and rivers, abound with variety of fish. The highest mountains in the county are those called Snowdon hills, and Pen-maen-mawr, which last hangs over the sea. There is a road cut out of the rock on the side next the sea, guarded by a wall running along the edge of it on that side; but the traveller is sometimes in danger of being crushed by the fall of pieces of the rock from the precipices above. The river Conway, though its course from the lake out of which it issues to its mouth is only 12 miles, yet is deep, in consequence of the many brooks it receives, that it is navigable by ships of good burden for eight miles. Pearls are found in a large black muffle taken in this river. The principal towns are Bangor, Caernarvon the capital, and Conway. In this county is an ancient road said to have been made by Helena the mother of Constantine the Great; and Matthew of Westminster affirms, that the body of Constantius the father of the same Constantine was found at Caernarvon in the year 1283, and interred in the parish-church there by order of Edward I.

a town of Wales, and capital of the county of that name. It was built by Edward I. near the site of the ancient Segontium, after his conquest of the country in 1282, the situation being well adapted to overawe his new subjects. It had natural requisites for strength; being bounded on one side by the arm of the sea called the Menai; by the estuary of the Sciont Caernarvon on another, exactly where it receives the tide from the former; on a third side, and a part of the fourth, by a creek of the Menai; and the remainder has the appearance of having the insulation completed by art. Edward undertook this great work immediately after his conquest of the country in 1282, and completed the fortifications and cattle before 1284; for his queen, on April 25th in that year, brought forth within its walls Edward, first prince of Wales of the English line. It was built within the space of one year, by the labour of the peasants, and at the cost of the chieftains of the country, on whom the conqueror imposed the hateful task. The external state of the walls and cattle, Mr Pennant informs us, are at present exactly as they were in the time of Edward. The walls are defended by numbers of round towers, and have two principal gates: the east, facing the mountains; the west, upon the Menai. The entrance into the castle is very august, beneath a great tower, on the front of which appears the statue of the founder, with a dagger in his hand, as if menacing his newly acquired unwilling subjects. The gate had four portcullises, and every requisite of strength. The towers are very beautiful. The Eagle tower is remarkably fine, and has the addition of three flender angular turrets issuing from the top. Edward II. was born in a little dark room in this tower, not twelve feet long nor eight in breadth: so little did, in those days, a royal comfort consult either pomp or convenience. The gate through which the affectionate Eleanor entered, to give the Welsh a prince of their own, who could not speak a word of English, is at the farthest end, at a vast height above the outside ground; so could only be approached by a draw-bridge. The quay is a most beautiful walk along the side of the Menai, and commands a most agreeable view.

Caernarvon is destitute of manufactures, but has a brisk trade with London, Bristol, Liverpool, and Ireland, for the several necessaries of life. It is the residence of numbers of genteel families, and contains several very good houses. Edward I. bestowed on this town its first royal charter, and made it a free borough. Among other privileges, none of the burgesses could be convicted of any crime committed between the rivers Conway and Dyfi, unless by a jury of their own townsmen. It is governed by a mayor, who, by patent, is created governor of the castle. It has one alderman, two bailiffs, a town-clerk, and two sergeants at mace. The representative of the place is elected by its burgesses, and those of Conway, Pwllheli, Nefyn, and Crickaeth. The right of voting is in every one, resident or non-resident, admitted to their freedom. The town gives title of earl and marquis to the duke of Chandos, and has a good tide-harbour.