Chirk Castle

I walked up to Chirk Castle this month, a grand old fortress on the Welsh borders. My starting point was the high ground on the other side of the valley, so I had a steep climb down and a steep climb up. The autumnal afternoon was cool, but the sky was clear and I sweated as I clambered that sharp slope. I pitied any attacking army tasked with a similar ascent.

This fortified residence was purchased in 1595 by one Sir Thomas Myddelton, whom the National Trust’s website describes as ‘grocer, sugar trader and privateer’. Not many grocers can add piracy to their CVs. He was a respectable type of pirate and was elected Lord Mayor of London, acquiring sufficient wealth to purchase this lofty old fort. More importantly, he had a love of scripture and the beautiful Welsh language, using his cash to have the psalms translated into Cymraeg. Thomas' cousin William did the work, rendering the sacred verse into the traditional Welsh poetic style of cynghanedd, using a variety of meters. It was duly published in 1595: Rhann o Psalmae Dauyd, a Phrophwyti eraill gweddi i kynghanedhu. Here is Psalm 1:

Y Psalm. I. Kywydh deuair hirion.

1Gwnnfyd oi febyd gwinfaeth,

Gwirion don ir gwrnid aeth

Ar ol kyngor lwck angall

Y drwg a roe i fryd ar wall:

Ni saif yn ffordh briffordh brys

Bechaduriaid baich dyrys,

Nag ar gadair gyfair gawdh

Gwatorwyr a gydtariawdh.

2Ond kyfraith dhuw ’n faith dhawn fydh

I dhidhanwch dha dhevnydh:

Ai myfyrio mwy fowredh

Ddydh a nos yn dhidhan wedh.

3Bydh ail i bren a blennir

Ynglann afon dirion dir:

A dhwg ffrwyth dhigyffro hawl

Is irwydh yn amserawl;

Ag ar y brig deg ir breun

Ni dhielwa vn dheilen;

Ag oll a wnel gwell-ha ’n wir

At law dhyn a lwydhiannir.

4Annvwiol fraint dhynol fry

O fall‐haint ni bydh felly,

Hwn o fab hoewan a fydh

Fal manus ar fol mynydh:

Oi flaen y gwynt flina gwaith

Chwith amod, ai chwyth ymaith

5Ni welir annvwiolion

Ofer yn hir ir farn honn

A gwnn na saif, gwann o said,

Deirawr y pechaduriaid,

Drwy fawl oll ir dyrfa lawn

O wyr kofus — rai ky fiawn.

6Duw a edwyn ffordh dyn da:

Dinystrir enwir yna.

The owner of Chirk was better than being merely wealthy and powerful: he was godly. However strong Chirk’s walls and however vast his treasure store, he surely knew One who was safer than a castle:

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Psalm 18:2