our feet lie the three rich valleys watered by the Severn, the Vyrnwy, and the Tanat: of the Severn itself we only catch a glimpse when it overflows its steep banks in time of flood, but the curiously winding course of the two last-mentioned rivers can be plainly followed as far as Llanymynech Bridge. About a mile away, to the north-west, bounded on one side by the steep banks of the Vyrnwy, we can plainly make out the camp at the Clawdd Coch, which was most probably the great Roman station of Mediolanum; and we can see with what care and labour the top of the hill has been perfectly levelled, and a long defensive embankment thrown up on its weakest side, to the eastward. A well-marked Roman road, known as the Causeway Lane, leads from Clawdd Coch in the direction of Llanymynech Hill. Mountains, hills, valleys, wooded slopes, rivers, villages and houses nestling among the trees, combine in forming a landscape which for beauty, extent, and variety can scarcely be surpassed, and to which the hand of the most skilful painter would fail to do justice.

The encampment on which we stand occupies the top of the Brynmawr, and the remains of the surrounding trench now form a smooth path, of some 350 yds. length, about the summit of the hill. The ditch has been entirely filled up by the soil from the earthworks at the sides. The rampart is not level, but runs round the hill, following the configuration of the ground; it is considerably higher on the east side, and runs down to its lowest point to the westward. The entrance to the encampment faces the west, and the outer bank on that side is worn down to the level of the hill; that of the inner embankment has also been cut away, leaving a wide opening leading to a roomy hollow space within the camp. At the highest point of the hill, to the east and south, the ground appears to have been levelled, and may have formerly been occupied by some buildings. No traces of any walls or stonework are to be seen; pieces of feldspar are sometimes picked up near the

summit of the hill; this stone must have been brought from a distance, and may have been used to form the hearths or fire-places of the camp. There is no record of any excavations having been made on the spot; nor does it appear that any ancient coins, weapons or tools

of any kind, have ever been discovered here, or in any other part of the parish. The top of the hill was formerly covered by a cluster of stone pines, but it is now planted with larch and other trees. The old road, which passes some two hundred yards to the west of the encampment, and considerably lower down the hill,

led from the neighbourhood of Guilsfield (where it skirted the important station of Gaerfawr), through Penrhos, to the ford across the Vyrnwy, on the way to Llanymynech.

No spot could well be imagined holding a more commanding position, or affording a better outlook over the surrounding valleys than this encampment on the Brynmawr.

There is a small earthwork to the westward, which, although it is just over the boundary, deserves a passing notice, as it was in all probability connected with our parish as an outwork of the more important fortification on the Brynmawr. It is situated in the fields on the Coedmawr farm in Llansantffraid, to the westsouth-west of the larger encampment, and about 1,150 yds., or nearly two-thirds of a mile, distant from it. This mound, called Hen Domen, has been partly or entirely formed by the excavation of a trench around the top of a gently-sloping hill. It is now enclosed by a fence about 100 ft. square, but it may readily be seen that a quantity of soil has been carried away in later years, and the mound considerably curtailed in size. Traces of the outer trench or ditch are still visible, but it is said that the ground was levelled by the occupier of the farm some years ago. The mound, which rises to the height of about 20 ft. above the level of the ground, is covered with a group of oak, beech, and fir trees, the roots of which are undermined in all directions by rabbit-burrows, and, it is said, also by foxearths.

LEGENDS AND GHOST STORIES.

The belief in apparitions is common enough in many country places, and especially so in hilly or thicklywooded districts. This parish is no exception to the rule; and we can frequently find traces of the inveterate habit of country people of conjuring up the idea of ghosts, especially in cases where there have been sudden or violent deaths. There are several ghost stories

connected with the parish, but when we come to inquire into them and attempt to get any connected history, we find them almost as intangible as the ghosts themselves. The tales vary with every narrator, and almost every time they are related.

The late Rev. Elias Owen' quotes from Bye-Gones (vol ii, p. 179) the story of an evil spirit which troubled Llandysilio Church, and of the fierce struggle which took place between the ghost and the professional spirit-layer who had been summoned to expel it from the sacred building. The expert was obliged to come out repeatedly for fresh air and beer (!), and his bared arms and the perspiration running down his face plainly indicated the terrible conflict which was going on inside the church. At last success crowned his exertions, and the spirit, in the shape of a large fly, was secured in a bottle and thrown into a deep pool in the Vyrnwy, where it remains to this day. As a proof of the truth of this story, the beams were shown in the old church, which were cracked at the time the spirit troubled it. I have not been able to find any trace of this ghost story among the present inhabitants of the parish.

In the Montgomeryshire Collections, vol. xxix, p. 73, Mr. Owen refers to another story of a ghost, which lit up the old Hall at Domgay every night. A person still living in the parish says that this ghost followed him about Domgay Hall on more than one occasion some forty or fifty years ago. The fact is that the old Hall had not been inhabited for many years, but that two or three rooms still afforded tolerable shelter; these may have been occupied from time to time at night by tramps or poachers, whose interest it might be to scare away unwelcome visitors.

The Court House Lane would seem to have been a favourite resort of spirits; the ghost of the Kynaston who was said to have been concerned in the murder of young Penrhyn was supposed to haunt this lane; at

1 Welsh Folk-Lore, 1891, pp. 166 and 167.

one point the spectre of a jockey was to be seen; at another spot, near a quarry, the white horse and black gloves of the curate from Trewylan Hall might occasionally be observed when there was snow on the ground. The spectre of a black dog was also sometimes to be seen near the same spot; this part of the tale is probably true, and the dog may still be noticed almost any day or night, even by those who are sceptical as to ghost stories. This particular ghost deserves the attention of the collector of Inland Revenue, as the increase in the number of dogs since the passing of the Ground Game Act in 1880 is quite remarkable.

But the legend which retains the most persistent hold on the imagination of the people is the story of Jack Cap Coch, of which the following seems to be the most generally-received version. There was a family feud between the Penrhyns, who were living at the old hall on Rhysnant Common, and the Kynastons—a branch of the Hardwick family, who possessed a small castle or tower which stood on a field on Rhysnant farm, known as Cae Kynas to this day.

The last male heir of the Penrhyns is said to have been murdered, on his way from school at Deytheur, by or at the instigation of the Kynastons; and the boy's body was concealed under a haystack, where it was discovered by crows. The field where the murder took place is near the Domen, and is still called "Gwerglodd-vrain," that is, "the Meadow of the Crows." The boy's ghost haunted the old family mansion at the Rhysnant, and other places in the neighbourhood, and was frequently seen perched on the weathercock on one of the barns, spinning flax and throwing the refuse at the passers-by. He always wore a red cap, from which he obtained the name of " Jack-y-Cap Coch." The ghost caused so much dismay and annoyance, that it was resolved to take effective measures for his removal, and a conclave of experienced ghost-layers was held. The ghost was secured by a halter, and led up Ddol Wyll by a procession of forty parsons (the number