with the tall spire of its pretty church, the green verdure of its encompassing fields, and the fine foliage of its abundant trees, we trace the course of the river winding up to Newry, with the village of Warrens-point midway. And still we had the mountains, look where we would; bleak and barren, and rudely picturesque; with here and there the brown tracks of footways, and patches of cultivation, marking them as objects which industry was labouring to subdue. The interest of the scene was enhanced by the perpetual alternations of light and shade which passed over the fair and glorious landscape. The bay was very tranquil; so calm, it seemed as if the mountains kept even the breezes from it; a single vessel was riding there; its sails were hanging loosely-quite unmoved. A grasshopper was singing amid the long grass; and a hawk more than once soared from his nest in some neighbouring cliff, lazily and idly, for there was nothing near which could afford him prey. The day had become bright and hot as we commenced the descent; the sun was shining somewhat fiercely upon us; when suddenly, and by the merest chance, we heard the trickle of a little well, the only one to be found upon the mountain; the draught of water was, in truth, delicious; it was clear and pure as crystal as it oozed apparently out of the solid rock, rambled for a brief space among the stones that lay scattered at its base, and was again lost, to reappear, probably, within a few yards of the ocean it was on its way to join. The day was drawing to a close when, pleasantly and profitably wearied, we reached the inn; its occupation will endure as one of the happiest of our memories. We long to visit the lovely village of Rosstrevor once again.161 Some fourteen or fifteen miles from Rosstrevor, a short distance from the town of Newcastle, and on the northern side of the Mourne Mountains, is the beautiful seat of the Earl of Roden, Tullamore Park, a place which nature had prepared to receive the improvements of art. It is situated in the midst of most sublime scenery, with the wide expanse of ocean open before it; yet nowhere do the trees grow with greater luxuriance. Through this delicious spot rush the assembled mountain rivulets, creating, in their passage, cascades of every variety of force and form. It is scarcely possible to imagine a scene where natural beauties and advantages have been turned to more valuable account by judgment, skill, and taste, than this, which lies at the foot of Slieve Donard, and almost on the brink of the ocean. 162 Still keeping along the coast, the tourist reaches Dundrum Bay-very beautiful, though less so than the Bay of Carlingford. Here also are the remains of an ancient castle, standing on a high rock, which commands an extensive prospect:-" It was formerly," writes Harris, "while in repair, a good guard to the pass, and an offensive neighbour to the English planted in Lecale, according to the hands that possessed it." In 1652, it was dismantled by order of " 163 Cromwell, and the broken walls were left to moulder to decay. Harris adds, that "there is no inscription on it to discover the founder or the time it was erected;" but, according to Mr. McSkimin," the style of its architecture sufficiently points out the era of its foundation, and corroborates the general traditions which ascribe it to the conqueror of Ulster, as De Courcy is usually called." The ruins consist of a great circular keep or tower, surrounded by fragments of smaller towers and other outer works, of which the barbican is the most striking and picturesque object. To the south of the castle there are ruins of a large mansion or dwelling-house, of the style of domestic architecture usual in the sixteenth century.164 A few miles farther north, and we arrive at the very ancient and venerable town of Downpatrick-venerable not alone because of its antiquity; here were interred the mortal remains of the great patron saint of Ireland-St. Patrick.165 The town is built upon a group of small hills, on the south-east shore of Strangford Lough. Its corporate rank was recognised as far back as 1403; but its date is probably much more remote. It is said to have been the residence of the native kings of Ulidia; its ancient name having been (according to the old Down Survey) "Aras Keltair and Rath Keltair Mac Duach, which signifies the fortification of Keltair the son of Duach." 166 Its leading object of attraction is the Cathedral-a modern structure. "It is situated on an eminence to the west of the town, and is a stately embattled edifice, chiefly of unhewn stone, supported externally by buttresses, and comprising a nave, choir, and aisles, with a lofty square tower at the west end, embattled and pinnacled, and smaller square towers at each corner of the east gable, in one of which is a spiral stone staircase leading to the roof. The aisles are separated from the nave by lofty elegant arches resting on massive piers, from the corbels of which spring ribs supporting the roof, which is richly groined and ornamented at the intersections with clusters of foliage. The lofty windows of the aisles are divided by a single mullion; the nave is lighted by a long range of clerestory windows, and the choir by a handsome east window divided by mullions into twelve compartments, which appears to be the only window remaining of the splendid edifice erected in 1412, and destroyed by Lord de Grey.1 167 Over the east window are three elegant niches with ogee-pointed arches, which formerly contained on pedestals the remains of the mutilated effigies of St. Patrick, St. Bridget, and St. Columbkill." Its site, however, is that of one of the most ancient edifices in Ireland. In the old cathedral church were the tombs of St. Patrick its founder, St. Bridget, and St. Columb; their tombs had, it is said, this distich in old monkish verse "writ over them," "Hi tres in Duno tumulo tumulantur in uno, "One tomb three saints contains, one vault below, There were anciently, according to the old Down Survey, "no fewer than five religious houses in and near the town, reckoning the cathedral as one: viz, convents of Benedictines, Augustines, Cistertian monks, friars, and nuns, founded by John De Courcy, conqueror of Ulidia, Hugh De Lacy, Earl of Ulster, and others." Of these establishments, however, there are now no remains. The ancient bishopric, afterwards united with the see of Connor, is said to have originated with St. Patrick, who appointed St. Carlan its first bishop.108 Strangford Lough, which stretches from Downpatrick almost to the northern border of the county, is in reality an arm of the sea, the entrance to which is, however, remarkably narrow, being somewhat less than a mile, although the breadth of the lake is in most parts above five miles; the length from north to south being about seventeen miles. It contains a vast number of islands, some so small as to be mere dots, others comprising above one hundred acres. The lake is, indeed, popularly said to be studded by three hundred and sixty-five islands," one for each day in the year.' Along the whole of its borders-north, south, east, and west-are the ruins of numerous castles. The character of the scenery, indeed, strongly reminded us of the Barony of Forth," in the county of Wexford; for everywhere we noted indications that a com 66 169 |