country out of their boots. Hills thrown out of the bowels of the earth by volcanic power-Giant's Causeways-were due to agents more mighty than fabled giants. Electricity, wind and water, and other elements, have been mighty agents in the formation of the surface of the earth. We must demolish idols of all kinds. Idris and his pebbles, Arthur and his quoits, must be discarded entirely; and rational causes should be sought for, outside fabulous beings, who never existed, for the formation of hills. The Greeks were great offenders in this direction. They had Typhæus and their Chimæra continually vomiting flames and devouring fire. But we should recollect that the Greeks were acquainted with a burning mountain in Lycia, and there dwelt their Typhon. The imagination clothed with dread these powers of nature. The theory of giants must be displaced, and must give place to more reasonable theories. Glaciers did much towards beautifying Wales. Ice and snow carried along with them stones displaced from distant hills; and our forefathers, not being able to account for these things, and, in fact, knowing nothing of glaciers and their astounding doings, complacently introduced giants, that never, in fact, existed outside the imagination of our forefathers. But it is high time to study nature's doings: cover the country with glacial boulders, and do away with Idris and other giants. The tales connected with giants are pretty fables; but truth should be valued above fiction, and I shall not have written in vain if I have diverted the minds of seekers after truth into right channels to obtain it. TRINITY WELL, GOLFA, IN THE PARISH OF BUTTINGTON, NEAR WELSHPOOL. There are several Trinity Wells, in various parts of Montgomeryshire. One of the most important is that near the summit of the Golfa Hill, a branch of the Breiddin, and, unlike most other places of like resort, is still a place of not entire neglect. It was well known that lads and lasses, emerging on manhood and womanhood, met at these sacred places to plight their troth, at a time when the heart is susceptible to feelings of affection. Trinity Sunday was the chief occasion; hence the name, Trinity Well. They were in the habit of congregating to drink together, out of the same cup, water drawn from the well; and into the water a small quantity of sugar was placed, which being dissolved the drinking process began; and -what was of more importance to these young people -the silent thinking and wishing then took place. Until very lately, I had thought that it was only the young unmarried people that drank together the sweetened water; but I was informed by an aged friend, above eighty-five years old, that this was on my part an erroneous surmise, for he well remembered his parents went to the well yearly, to drink and pledge each other their continued love. This frequenting, by the married, Trinity Wells was a pleasing sight and adds to the interest of these gatherings. What is singular is, that the Trinity Well on the side of the Golfa does not seem to have been associated with religious observances; neither is there any sacred edifice in the neighbourhood. It was simply a wishing well, and probably of Pagan origin. The well is approached from the lowlands on the Garreg side, by a steep zigzag pathway through the woods that clothe the whole hill to its summit; but the easiest ascent is along a road that skirts the Golfa on the west side. About a mile from the main turnpike road, on this bye-road, on the left-hand side, is a solitary house, and by the side of this house is a footpath, and right above the house, peeps through the trees the summit of the craggy Moel y Golfa. The pedestrian seeking the well goes up a field, which abuts upon the hill, and a hundred yards or so from the mountain wall, and following a well-trodden path, he will find the Trinity Well. It is by the side of a lovely path. The sides of the well are protected by walls. In the front are a couple of stones, apparently for kneeling on. Passing the well, and skirting that part of the wood, is a lovely lover's walk, several feet broad, which is said to have been formed by the late Lord Powis. The beauty of the scene, looking from the well to the valley beneath, is entrancing. Below stretches a fertile plain. The silvery Severn meanders through the broad plain, and glimpses through the trees are seen of its waters. Twice I have visited the spot. At my first visit, the ground along each side of the river was dotted with cattle making themselves fat for our use. At my second visit, August 20th, 1898, the harvest was being gathered in. The valley beneath was so well wooded, that from the heights above it seemed to be one forest. The western horizon was enveloped with mists, and the hazy atmosphere added grandeur to the view. If we substitute Severn for Ouse, the following lines from Cowper's Task aptly describes the scene: "Here Ouse, slow-winding through a level plain (To be continued.) |