a town of Wales, and capital of the county of that name. It is situated on the river Towy, over which it has a fine stone bridge. It is of great antiquity, being the Maridunum 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.

CAERNARVON-SHIRE, 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 Brito Alps; and partly to the great number of lakes, which are said not to be fewer than 100 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 so 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 large black mussels 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 asserts, that the body of Constantine 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.