that the space marked by these columns contained several bodies, or might have been a family fepulchre. I must here observe that fince the publication of the former editions of this book I have had opportunity of re-examining these stones, and comparing them with Doctor Todd's figures engraven in my XIIIth plate; and am convinced that they are entirely fictitious; and fuch is the opinion of fome gentlemen of the place whom I confulted on the occafion.

Not far from these pillars is another called the Giant's thumb, five feet eight inches high, with an expanded head perforated on both fides; from the middle the ftone rifes again into a leffer head rounded at top, but no part has a tendency to the figure of a cross, being in no part mutilated; fo that it is difficult to judge of the use or design of this pillar *.

The church is very neat: the galleries fupported by twenty ftones, each ten feet four inches high, and four feet two in circumference. On one of the walls is this melancholy record of a peftilence that wasted the country in the latter end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth:

A. D. M.DXCVIII ex gravi pefte quæ regionibus hifce incubuit, obierunt apud Penrith 2260. Kendal 2500.

2200. Carlisle 1196.+

Richmond

CHURCH.

Pofteri

avortite vos et vivite.

* Vide tab. iii. of the 1ft and 2d editions.

† It broke out in Carlisle O&. 3d. That city in all probability was much more populous than Penrith, but being on the borders of Scotland, no notice of any deaths was taken, except thofe in the city and places quite adjacent.

CASTLE.

On confulting a very old register kept in this parish it appears that the plague raged here for fifteen months; from the 22 Sept 1597 to 5th Jan. 1598. and that only 680 perfons were buried in the parish during that time. It feems therefore probable that Penrith must have been the centre of fome particular district, and that the numbers recorded on the wall must comprehend all that died within that space. Penrith now contains about 2000 fouls. At a medium, 63 have died annually the last ten years, or 630 in the whole. In the ten years preceding the peftilence there were only 686 funerals; fo that there was no great difference between the number of inhabitants at that and the prefent time. Some centuries previous to this Penrith had another visitation of the fame nature. When the Scots under the Earl of Douglas in 1380 made an inroad into Cumberland, they furprized this place at the time of the fair *, and returned with immenfe booty; but fuffered feverely in confequence, for they introduced into their country the plague contracted in this town, which swept away one third of the inhabitants of Scotland +.

The caftle is at the fkirts of the town, and now very ruinous. It appears not to have been of a high antiquity; for in a compromife of certain differences between Henry III. and Alexander King of Scotland, it was ftipulated that Henry fhould grant to Alexander 200 librates of land in Northumberland or Cumberland, if fo much of Henry's land could be found in any of the places where no castle was fituated; and Penrith was part of this grant. Richard Duke of Gloucester, afterwards Richard III. refided frequently at this + Guthrie's Hift. Scotl. III. 123.

• Hollinfhed. 428.

castle,

*

and either was the founder, or repaired it greatly, for there is no mention of it before his time. The feignory of Penrith was part of the great eftate he had with his Dutchefs: by his refidence here and his magnificent mode of living he gained great popularity in the North, and he feemed to depend greatly on the troops from that part, for he caufed five thousand to march from thence to London to fupport his coronation.

The caftle was difinantled by Cromwel, but it does not appear any history to have fuftained a fiege.

in

In this town lives Mifs Calvin of exquifite skill and accuracy in painting of plants and flowers: a heaven-born genius obfcure and

unknown!

Full many a gem of pureft ray ferene,

The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear :
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,

And wafte its sweetness in the defert air.

Cross over the Eimot at Eamont bridge, and enter

SEPT. 21.

WESTMORELAND. At a small distance beyond the bridge, near

TABLE.

the road fide is the circle called Arthur's round table, confifting of ARTHUR'S ROUND a high dike of earth, and a deep fofs within, furrounding an area twenty-nine yards in diameter. There are two entrances exactly oppofite to each other; which interrupt the ditch, in those parts filled to a level with the middle. Some fuppofe this to have been defigned for tilting matches, and that the champions entered at each opening. Perhaps that might have been the purpose of it; for the fize forbids one to fuppofe it to be an encampment.

MAYBOROUGH.

CLIFTON MOOR.

A little to the North of this, on the fummit of a small hill, is Mayborough, a vaft circular dike of loofe ftones: the height and the diameter at the bottom is ftupendous: it flopes on both fides, and is entirely formed of pebbles, fuch as are collected out of rivers. There is an entrance on the Eaft fide leading into an area eightyeight yards in diameter. Near the middle is an upright stone nine feet eight inches high, and feventeen in circumference in the thickeft part. There had been three more placed fo as to form (with the other) a fquare. Four again ftood on the fides of the entrance, viz. one on each exterior corner; and one on each intèrior; but, excepting that at prefent remaining, all the others have long fince been blafted to clear the ground.

The use of this accumulation feems to have been the fame with that called Bryn-gwyn at Trer Dryw in Anglefea*, a fupreme confiftory of druidical adminiftration, as the British names import. That in Anglefea is conftructed in the fame manner with this: but at present there are no remains of columns in the interior part. Tradition is entirely filent about the origin of this place: nothing can be collected from the name, which is Saxon, and given long after its construction.

Almost opposite to Mayborough on the Cumberland fide of the Eimot is a vast cairn or tumulus, compofed of round ftones, and surrounded with large grit ftones of different fizes, fome a yard fquare; which all-together form a circle fixty feet in diameter.

Crofs the Lowther or Loder, and in about three or four miles distance pass Clifton Moor, where the Rebels in 1745 facrificed a few men to fave the reft of their army. Reach

• Mona Antiqua, zd ed. 90..

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