The Ladies of Llangollen | Page 2

damsels of noble birth; nor to sentimental tales of love in a cottage; but
it is rather devoted to the records of a friendship, whose incidents and
eccentricities have engaged the attention of many eminent _literati_ and
tourists. Most persons who take any interest in the scenery or
topography of North Wales, have either seen or read of that singular
residence, Plas Newydd, at Llangollen, for so many years the home of

Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Ponsonby.
About the year 1778, these ladies, impelled by a desire to lead a
secluded life of celibacy, forsook the gay and fashionable circles in
which they had moved; and in their search for a fitting spot, on which
to pass their days together in devoted friendship to each other, and in
acts of benevolence and charity to their neighbours, they visited
Llangollen. Rambling along this charming locality one balmy evening,
when the tranquil beauty of the lovely valley was lighted up by the
mild splendour of the moon, their eyes rested upon a cottage that stood
on a gentle eminence near the village; and there they resolved to fix
their abode. They accordingly purchased the estate; built a new cottage
on the site of the old one, in a remarkably unique and somewhat
grotesque style of architecture; and laid out gardens, pleasure grounds,
and rural walks with grottoes, temples, conservatories, rustic bridges,
and other accessories for enjoying, in the undisturbed quiet of their own
domain, the natural charms of their picturesque retreat. Their mode of
life being singular, and their costume still more so (for they assumed a
style of head-dress resembling that of men, and always wore long cloth
coats, rather like ladies' riding habits), they soon attracted the attention
of the many travellers who passed through North Wales; and as they
kept up an extensive and active correspondence with several eminent
authors and persons of distinction, the "Ladies of Llangollen," for so
they were always designated, made a much greater sensation in their
seclusion, than many less remarkable persons who are constantly living
in the business and bustle of society. Hence many literary pilgrimages
were made to the recluses of Plas Newydd; and the "even tenor" of
their way was often diversified by the calls of the illustrious, the
learned, and the curious; from whom they were as willing to learn what
was passing in politics, literature, and general gossip, as were their
visitors desirous of having a peep within the charmed circle of this
mountain solitude. Their motive for adopting this romantic seclusion is
thus stated in "Steward's Collections and Recollections:"--
"Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Ponsonby were young ladies of beauty
and rank, who loved each other with so true an affection, that they
could never bear the afflicting idea of a separation, which the marriage

of either might occasion. They therefore resolved on lives of celibacy,
and refusing many handsome offers, and remaining deaf to the
persuasions of their friends, they retired to the beautiful Yale of
Llangollen, to enjoy the happiness of each other's company, that as
their friendship began in infancy, it might be perpetuated through life.
The traveller, in passing by the celebrated abode of these interesting
women, must contemplate with a sigh that excessive friendship which
could tear from the bosom of society two of its brightest ornaments, to
bury them in the depths of seclusion:--
'Full many a gem, of purest ray serene,
The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear;
Full many a flower is born
to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.'
"It is on this subject Miss Seward employs her poetical talents, in her
well-known poem of 'Llangollen Vale.'--The following is an account of
these celebrated ladies, extracted from a periodical work published in
the year 1796. 'Miss Butler and Miss Ponsonby are now retired from
the society of men into the wilds (!) of Llangollen in Wales, where they
have resided seventeen years. Miss Butler is of the Ormond family, and
had five offers of marriage, all of which she rejected. As Miss
Ponsonby, her particular friend and companion, was supposed to have
been the bar to her matrimonial union, it was thought proper to separate
them, and Miss Butler was confined. The two ladies, however, found
means to elope together, but being soon overtaken, were brought back
to their respective relations. Many attempts were again made to draw
Miss Butler into marriage, though in vain; not many weeks after, the
ladies eloped again, each having a small sum with her. The place of
their retreat was confided to a female servant of the house. Here they
lived many years, unknown to any of the neighbouring villagers,
otherwise than by the appellation of the 'Ladies of the Vale.' No
persuasions could ever get them from this retreat. A