The itinerary through Wales : and The description of Wales

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TRAVEL AND
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THE ITINERARY AND
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WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY
W. LLEWELYN WILLIAMS

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THE ITINERARY
THROUGH WALES
AND THE ^m
DESCRIPTIONS
OF WALES • BY
GIRALDUS^©
CAMBRENSIS

i

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INTRODUCTION

Gerald the Welshman — Giraldus Cambrensis — was
born, probably in 1147, aT- Manorbier Castle in the
county of Pembroke. His father was a Norman noble,
William de Barri, who took his name from the little
island of Barry off the coast of Glamorgan. His
mother, Angharad, was the daughter of Gerald de
Windsor x by his wife, the famous Princess Nesta, the
" Helen of Wales," and the daughter of Rhys ap
Tewdwr Mawr, the last independent Prince of South
Wales.

Gerald was therefore born to romance and adventure.
He was reared in the traditions of the House of Dinevor.
He heard the brilliant and pitiful stories of Rhys ap
Tewdwr, who, after having lost and won South Wales,
died on the stricken field fighting against the Normans,
an old man of over fourscore years; and of his gallant
son, Prince Rhys, who, after wrenching his patrimony
from the invaders, died of a broken heart a few months
after his wife, the Princess Gwenllian, had fallen in a
skirmish at Kidwelly. No doubt he heard, though he
makes but sparing allusion to them, of the loves and
adventures of his grandmother, the Princess Nesta, the
daughter and sister of a prince, the wife of an adven-
turer, the concubine of a king, and the paramour of
every daring lover — a Welshwoman whose passions
embroiled all Wales, and England too, in war, and the
mother of heroes — Fitz- Geralds, Fitz- Stephens, and
Fitz - Henries, and others — who, regardless of their
mother's eccentricity in the choice of their fathers,

1 It is a somewhat curious coincidence that the island of Barry
is now owned by a descendant of Gerald de Windsor's elder
brother— the Earl of Plymouth.

vii

viii Introduction

united like brothers in the most adventurous under-
taking of that age, the Conquest of Ireland.

Though his mother was half Saxon and his father
probably fully Norman, Gerald, with a true instinct,
described himself as a " Welshman." His frank vanity,
so naive as to be void of offence, his easy accept-
ance of everything which Providence had bestowed
on him, his incorrigible belief that all the world took as
much interest in himself and all that appealed to him
as he did himself, the readiness with which he adapted
himself to all sorts of men and of circumstances, his
credulity in matters of faith and his shrewd common
sense in things of the world, his wit and lively fancy,
his eloquence of tongue and pen, his acute rather than
accurate observation, his scholarship elegant rather
than profound, are all characteristic of a certain lovable
type of South Walian. He was not blind to the defects
of his countrymen any more than to others of his con-
temporaries, but the Welsh he chastised as one who
loved them. His praise followed ever close upon the
heels of his criticism. There was none of the rancour
in his references to Wales which defaces his account
of contemporary Ireland. He was acquainted with
Welsh, though he does not seem to have preached it,
and another archdeacon acted as the interpreter of
Archbishop Baldwin's Crusade sermon in Anglesea.
But he could appreciate the charm of the Cynghanedd,
the alliterative assonance which is still the most dis-
tinctive feature of Welsh poetry. He cannot conceal
his sympathy with the imperishable determination of
ids countrymen to keep alive the language which is
their differentia among the nations of the world. It
is manifest in the story which he relates at the end
"of his " Description of Wales." Henry II. asked an
old Welshman of Pencader in Carmarthenshire if the
Welsh could resist his might. " This nation, O
King," was the reply, " may often be weakened and in
great part destroyed by the power of yourself and of

Introduction ix

others, but many a time, as it deserves, it will rise
triumphant. But never will it be destroyed by the
wrath of man, unless the wrath of God be added. Nor
do I think that any other nation than this of Wales, or
any other tongue, whatever may hereafter come to
pass, shall on the day of the great reckoning before the
Most High Judge, answer for this corner of the earth."
Prone to discuss with his " Britannic frankness " the
faults of his countrymen, he cannot bear that any one
else should do so. In the " Description of Wales " he
breaks off in the middle of a most unflattering passage
concerning the character of the Welsh people to lecture
Gildas for having abused his own countrymen. In
the preface to his " Instruction of Princes," he makes
a bitter reference to the prejudice of the English Court
against everything Welsh — " Can any good thing come
from Wales?" His fierce Welshmanship is perhaps
responsible for the unsympathetic treatment which he
has usually received at the hands of English historians.
Even to one of the writers of Dr. Traill's " Social Eng-
land," Gerald was little more than " a strong and
passionate Welshman."

Sometimes it was his pleasure to pose as a citizen
of the world. He loved Paris, the centre of learning,
where he studied as a youth, and where he lectured in
his early manhood. He paid four long visits to Rome.
He was Court chaplain to Henry II. He accompanied
the king on his expeditions to France, and Prince John
to Ireland. He retired, when old age grew upon him,
to the scholarly seclusion of Lincoln, far from his native
land. He was the friend and companion of princes
and kings, of scholars and prelates everywhere — in Eng-
land, in France, and in Italy. And yet there was no
place in the world so dear to him as Manorbier. Who
can read his vivid description of the old castle by the
sea — its ramparts blown upon by the winds that swept
over the Irish Sea, its fishponds, its garden, and its
lofty nut trees — without feeling that here, after all,

x Introduction

was the home of Gerald de Barri ? "As Demetia," he
said in his " Itinerary," " with its seven cantreds is the
fairest of all the lands of Wales, as Pembroke is the
fairest part of Demetia, and this spot the fairest of Pem-
broke, it follows that Manorbier is the sweetest spot in
Wales." He has left us a charming account of his boy-
hood, playing with his brothers on the sands, they
building castles and he cathedrals, he earning the title
of " boy bishop " by preaching while they engaged in
boyish sport. On his last recorded visit to Wales, a
broken man, hunted like a criminal by the king, and
deserted by the ingrate canons of St. David's, he retired
for a brief respite from strife to the sweet peace of
Manorbier. It is not known where he died, but it is
permissible to hope that he breathed his last in the old
home which he never forgot or ceased to love.

He mentions that the Welsh loved high descent and
carried their pedigree about with them. In this re-
spect also Gerald was Welsh to the core. He is never
more pleased than when he alludes to his relationship
with the Princes of Wales, or the Geraldines, or Cad-
wallon ap Madoc of Powis. He hints, not obscurely,
that the real reason why he was passed over for the
Bishopric of St. David's in 1186 was that Henry II.
feared his natio et cognatio, his nation and his family.
He becomes almost dithyrambic in extolling the deeds
of his kinsmen in Ireland. " Who are they who
penetrated into the fastnesses of the enemy ? The
Geraldines. Who are they who hold the country in
submission? The Geraldines. Who are they whom
the foemen dread ? The Geraldines. Who are they
whom envy would disparage ? The Geraldines. Yet
fight on, my gallant kinsmen,

" Felices facti si quid mea carmina possuit."

Gerald was satisfied, not only with his birthplace and
lineage, but with everything that was his. He makes
complacent references to his good looks, which he had

Introduction xi

inherited from Princess Nesta. " Is it possible so fair
a youth can die?" asked Bishop, afterwards Arch-
bishop, Baldwin, when he saw him in his student days.1
Even in his letters to Pope Innocent he could not re-
frain from repeating a compliment paid to him on his
good looks by Matilda of St. Valery, the wife of his
neighbour at Brecon, William de Braose. He praises
his own unparalleled generosity in entertaining the
poor, the doctors, and the townsfolk of Oxford to ban-
quets on three successive days when he read his " Topo-
graphy of Ireland " before that university. As for his
learning he records that when his tutors at Paris wished
to point out a model scholar they mentioned Giraldus
Cambrensis. He is confident that though his works,
being all written in Latin, have not attained any great
contemporary popularity, they will make his name and
fame secure for ever. The most precious gift he could
give to Pope Innocent III., when he was anxious to win
his favour, was six volumes of his own works; and
when'good old Archbishop Baldwin came to preach the
Crusade in Wales, Gerald could think of no better
present to help beguile the tedium of the journey than
his own " Topography of Ireland." He is equally
pleased with his own eloquence. When the arch-
bishop had preached, with no effect, for an hour, and
exclaimed what a hard-hearted people it was, Gerald
moved them almost instantly to tears. He records also
that John Spang, the Lord Rhys's fool, said to his
master at Cardigan, after Gerald had been preaching
the Crusade, " You owe a great debt, O Rhys, to your
kinsman, the archdeacon, who has taken a hundred or
so of 'your men to serve the Lord; for if he had only
spoken in Welsh, you would not have had a soul left."
His works are full of appreciations of Gerald's reforming
zeal, his administrative energy, his unostentatious and
scholarly life.

. Professor Freeman in his " Norman Conquest " de-
1 " Mirror of the Church," ii. 33.

xii Introduction

scribed Gerald as " the father of comparative philo-
logy," and in the preface to his edition of the last
volume of Gerald's works in the Rolls Series, he calls
him " one of the most learned men of a learned age,"
" the universal scholar." His range of subjects is
indeed marvellous even for an age when to be a " uni-
versal scholar " was not so hopeless of attainment as
it has since become. Professor Brewer, his earliest
editor in the Rolls Series, is struck by the same
characteristic. " Geography, history, ethics, divinity,
canon law, biography, natural history, epistolary cor-
respondence, and poetry employed his pen by turns,
and in all these departments of literature he has left
memorials of his ability." Without being Ciceronian,
his Latin was far better than that of his contem-
poraries. He was steeped in the classics, and he had,
as Professor Freeman remarks, " mastered more lan-
guages than most men of his time, and had looked at
them with an approach to a scientific view which still
fewer men of his time shared with him." He quotes
Welsh, English, Irish, French, German, Hebrew, Latin,
and Greek, and with four or five of these languages at
least he had an intimate, scholarly acquaintance. His
judgment of men and things may not always have been
sound, but he was a shrewd observer of contemporary
events. " The cleverest critic of the life of his time "
is the verdict of Mr. Reginald Poole.1 He changed his
opinions often: he was never ashamed of being incon-
sistent. In early life he was, perhaps naturally, an
admirer of the Angevin dynasty ; he lived to draw the
most terrible picture extant of their lives and char-
acters. During his lifetime he never ceased to inveigh
against Archbishop Hubert Walter; after his death he
repented and recanted. His invective was sometimes
coarse, and his abuse was always virulent. He was
not over-scrupulous in his methods of controversy;
but no one can rise from a reading of his works without
1 " Social England," vol. i. p. 342.

Introduction xiii

a^feeling of liking for the vivacious, cultured, impul-
sive, humorous, irrepressible Welshman. Certainly no
Welshman can regard the man who wrote so lovingly
of his native land, and who championed her cause so
valiantly, except with real gratitude and affection.

But though it is as a writer of books that Gerald has
become famous, he was a man of action, who would
have left, had Fate been kinder, an enduring mark on
the history of his own time, and would certainly have
changed the whole current of Welsh religious life. As
a descendant of the Welsh princes, he took himself
seriously as a Welsh patriot. Destined almost from
his cradle, both by the bent of his mind and the inclina-
tion of his father, to don "the habit of religion," he
could not join Prince Rhys or Prince Llewelyn in their
struggle for the political independence of Wales. His
ambition was to become Bishop of St. David's, and
then to restore the Welsh Church to her old position of
independence of the metropolitan authority of Canter-
bury. He detested the practice of promoting Normans
to Welsh sees, and of excluding Welshmen from high
positions in their own country. " Because I am a
Welshman, am I to be debarred from all preferment in
Wales ? " he indignantly writes to the Pope. Circum-
stances at first seemed to favour his ambition. His
uncle, David Fitz-Gerald, sat in the seat of St. David's.
When the young scholar returned from Paris in 1172,
he found the path of promotion easy. After the manner
of that age — which Gerald lived to denounce — he soon
became a pluralist. He held the livings of Llanwnda,
Tenby, and Angle, and afterwards the prebend of
Mathry, in Pembrokeshire, and the living of Chesterton
in Oxfordshire. He was also prebendary of Hereford,
canon of St. David's, and in 1175, when only twenty-
eight years of age, he became Archdeacon of Brecon.
In the following year Bishop David died, and Gerald,
together with the other archdeacons of the diocese,
was nominated by the chapter for the king's choice.

xiv Introduction

But the chapter had been premature, urged, no doubt,
by the impetuous young Archdeacon of Brecon. They
had not waited for the king's consent to the nomina-
tion. The king saw that his settled policy in Wales
would be overturned if Gerald became Bishop of St.
David's. Gerald's cousin, the Lord Rhys, had been
appointed the king's justiciar in South Wales. The
power of the Lord Marches was to be kept in check
by a quasi-alliance between the Welsh prince and his
over-lord. The election of Gerald to the greatest see
in Wales would upset the balance of power. David
Fitz-Gerald, good easy man (vir sua sorte contentus is
Gerald's description of him), the king could tolerate,
but he could not contemplate without uneasiness the
combination of spiritual and political power in South j
Wales in the hands of two able, ambitious, and ener-
getic kinsmen, such as he knew Gerald and the Lord
Rhys to be. Gerald had made no secret of his admiration
for the martyred St. Thomas a Becket. He fashioned
himself upon him as Becket did on Anselm. The part
which Becket played in England he would like to play
in Wales. But the sovereign who had destroyed
Becket was not to be frightened by the canons of St.
David's and the Archdeacon of Brecon. He sum-
moned the chapter to Westminster, and compelled
them in his presence to elect Peter de Leia, the Prior
of Wenlock, who erected for himself an imperishable
monument in the noble cathedral which looks as if it
had sprung up from the rocks which guard the city of
Dewi Sant from the inrush of the western sea.
• It is needless to recount the many activities in which
Gerald engaged during the next twenty-two years.
They have been recounted with humorous and affec-
tionate appreciation by Dr. Henry Owen in his mono-
graph on " Gerald the Welshman," a little masterpiece
of biography which deserves to be better known.1 In

1 Published in the first instance in the "Transactions of the
Cymmrodaian Society," and subsequently amplified and brought
out in book form.

Introduction xv

1 1 83 Gerald was employed by the astute king to settle
terms between him and the rebellious Lord Rhys.
Nominally as a reward for his successful diplomacy,
but probably in order to keep so dangerous a character
away from the turbulent land of Wales, Gerald was in
the following year made a Court chaplain. In 1 185 he
was commissioned by the king to accompany Prince
John, then a lad of eighteen, who had lately been
created " Lord of Ireland," to the city of Dublin.
There he abode for two years, collecting materials for his
two first books, the " Topography " and the " Conquest
of Ireland." In 1 188 he accompanied Archbishop Bald-
win through Wales to preach the Third Crusade — not
the first or the last inconsistency of which the champion
of the independence of the Welsh Church was guilty.
His " Itinerary through Wales " is the record of the ex-
pedition. King Richard offered him the Bishopric of
Bangor, and John, in his brother's absence, offered him
that of Llandaff . But his heart was set on St. David's.
In 1 198 his great chance came to him. At last, after
twenty-two years of misrule, Peter de Leia was dead,
and Gerald seemed certain of attaining his heart's
desire. Once again the chapter nominated Gerald;
once more the royal authority was exerted, this time
by Archbishop Hubert, the justiciar in the king's
absence, to defeat the ambitious Welshman. The
chapter decided to send a deputation to King Richard
in Normandy. The deputation arrived at Chinon to
find Coeur-de-Lion dead ; but John was anxious to make
friends everywhere, in order to secure himself on his un-
certain throne. He received the deputation graciously,
he spoke in praise of Gerald, and he agreed to accept
the nomination. But after his return to England
John changed his mind. He found that no danger
threatened him in his island kingdom, and he saw the
wisdom of the justiciar's policy. Gerald hurried to see
him, but John point blank refused publicly to ratify his
consent to the nomination which he had already given

xvi Introduction

in private. Then commenced the historic fight for
St. David's which, in view of the still active " Church
question " in Wales, is even now invested with a living
interest and significance. Gerald contended that the
Welsh Church was independent of Canterbury, and
that it was only recently, since the Norman Conquest,
that she had been deprived of her freedom. His oppo-
nents relied on political, rather than historical, consi-
derations to defeat this bold claim. King Henry, when
a deputation from the chapter in 1 1 75 appeared before
the great council in London and had urged the metro-
politan claims of St. David's upon the Cardinal Legate,
exclaimed that he had no intention of giving this head
to rebellion in Wales. Archbishop Hubert, more of a
statesman than an ecclesiastic, based his opposition on
similar grounds. He explained his reasons bluntly to
the Pope. " Unless the barbarity of this fierce and
lawless people can be restrained by ecclesiastical cen-
sures through the see of Canterbury, to which province
they are subject by law, they will be for ever rising in
arms against the king, to the disquiet of the whole
realm of England." Gerald's answer to this was com-
plete, except from the point of view of political expedi-
ency. " What can be more unjust than that this
people of ancient faith, because they answer force by
force in defence of their lives, their lands, and their
liberties, should be forthwith separated from the body
corporate of Christendom, and delivered over to
Satan? "

The story of the long fight between Gerald on the one
hand and the whole forces of secular and ecclesiastical
authority on the other cannot be told here. Three
times did he visit Rome to prosecute his appeal — alone
against the world. He had to journey through dis-
tricts disturbed by wars, infested with the king's men
or the king's enemies, all of whom regarded Gerald
with hostility. He was taken and thrown into prison
as King John's subject in one town, he was detained by

Introduction xvii

importunate creditors in another, and at Rome he was
betrayed by a countryman whom he had befriended.
He himself has told us

Of the most disastrous chances
Of moving accidents by flood and field,

which made a journey from St. David's to Rome a more
perilous adventure in those unquiet days than an ex-
pedition " through darkest Africa " is in ours. At last
the very Chapter of St. David's, for whose ancient
rights he was contending, basely deserted him. " The
laity of Wales stood by me," so he wrote in later days,
" but of the clergy whose battle I was fighting scarce
one." Pope Innocent III. was far too wary a politician
to favour the claims of a small and distracted nation,
already half-subjugated, against the king of a rich and
powerful country. He flattered our poor Gerald, he
delighted in his company, he accepted, and perhaps
even read, his books. But in the end, after five years'
incessant fighting, the decision went against him, and
the English king's nominee has ever since sat on the
throne of St. David's. " Many and great wars," said
Gwenwynwyn, the Prince of Powis, " have we Welsh-
men waged with England, but none so great and fierce
as his who fought the king and the archbishop, and
withstood the might of the whole clergy and people of
England, for the honour of Wales."

Short was the memory and scant the gratitude of his
countrymen. When in 12 14 another vacancy occurred
at a time when King John was at variance with his
barons and his prelates, the Chapter of St. David's
nominated, not Gerald, their old champion, but Ior-
werth, the Abbot of Talley, from whose reforming zeal
they had nothing to fear. This last prick of Fortune's
sword pierced Gerald to the quick. He had for years
been gradually withdrawing from an active life. He
had resigned his archdeaconry and his prebend stall, he
had made a fourth pilgrimage, this time for his soul's

xviii Introduction

sake, to Rome,' he had retired to a quiet pursuit of
letters probably at Lincoln, and henceforward, till his
death about the year 1223, he devoted himself to re-
vising and embellishing his old works, and completing
his literary labours. By his fight for St. David's he had
endeared himself to the laity of his country for all time.
The saying of Llewelyn the Great was prophetic. " So
long as Wales shall stand by the writings of the chroni-
clers and by the songs of the bards shall his noble deed
be praised throughout all time." The prophecy has
not yet been verified. Welsh chroniclers have made
but scanty references to Gerald ; no bard has ever yet
sung an A wdl or a Pryddest in honour of him who fought
for the " honour of Wales." His countrymen have for-
gotten Gerald the Welshman. It has been left to Sir
Richard Colt Hoare, Foster, Professor Brewer, Dim-
mock, and Professor Freeman to edit his works. Only
two of his countrymen have attempted to rescue one of
the greatest of Welshmen from an undeserved oblivion.
In 1585, when the Renaissance of Letters had begun to
rouse the dormant powers of the Cymry, Dr. David
Powel edited in Latin a garbled version of the "Itinerary"
and "Description of Wales, "and gave a short and inaccu-
rate account of Gerald's life. In 1889 Dr. Henry Owen
published, " at his own proper charges," the first ade-
quate account by a Welshman of the life and labours
of Giraldus Cambrensis. When his monument is
erected in the cathedral which was built by his hated
rival, the epitaph which he composed for himself may
well be inscribed upon it —

Cambria Giraldus genuit, sic Cambria mentem
Erudiit, cineres cui lapis iste tegit.

And by that time perhaps some competent scholar will
have translated some at least of Gerald's works into
the language best understood by the people of Wales.
It would be impossible to exaggerate the enormous
services which three great Welshmen of the twelfth

Introduction xix

century rendered to England and to the world — such
services as we may securely hope will be emulated by
Welshmen of the next generation, now that we have
lived to witness what Mr. Theodore Watts-Dunton has
called " the great recrudescence of Cymric energy.1 "
The romantic literature of England owes its origin to
Geoffrey of Monmouth;2 Sir Galahad, the stainless
knight, the mirror of Christian chivalry, as well as the
nobler portions of the Arthurian romance, were the
creation of Walter Map, the friend and " gossip " of
Gerald ; 3 and John Richard Green has truly called
Gerald himself " the father of popular literature." 4
He began to write when he was only twenty; he con-
tinued to write till he was past the allotted span of life.
He is the most " modern " as well as the most volu-
minous of all the mediaeval writers. Of all English
writers, Miss Kate Norgate 5 has perhaps most justly
estimated the real place of Gerald in English letters.
" Gerald's wide range of subjects," she says, " is only
less remarkable than the ease and freedom with which
he treats them. Whatever he touches — history,
archaeology, geography, natural science, politics, the
social life and thought of the day, the physical pecu-
liarities of Ireland and the manners and customs of its
people, the picturesque scenery and traditions of his
own native land, the scandals of the court and the
cloister, the petty struggle for the primacy of Wales,
and the great tragedy of the fall of the Angevin Empire
— is all alike dealt with in the bold, dashing, offhand

1 » Introduction to Borrow's " Wild Wales " in the Everyman
Scries.

2 Geoffrey, who ended his life as Bishop of St. Asaph, was sup-
posed to have found the material for his " History of the British
Kings " in a Welsh book, containing a history of the Britons,
which Walter Colenius, Archdeacon of Oxford, picked up during
a journey in Brittany.

i* Walter Map, another Archdeacon of Oxford, was born in
Glamorganshire, the son of a Norman knight by a Welsh mother.
Inter alia he was the author of a Welsh work on agriculture.

* Green, " Hist. Eng. People," i. 172.

5 " England under the Angevin Kings," vol. ii. 457.

xx Introduction

style of a modern newspaper or magazine article. His
first important work, the 'Topography of Ireland,' is,
with due allowance for the difference between the
tastes of the twelfth century and those of the nine-
teenth, just such a series of sketches as a special corre-
spondent in our own day might send from some newly-
colonised island in the Pacific to satisfy or whet the
curiosity of his readers at home." The description
aptly applies to all that Gerald wrote. If not a his-
torian, he was at least a great journalist. His descrip-
tions of Ireland have been subjected to much hostile
criticism from the day they were written to our own
times. They were assailed at the time, as Gerald him-
self tells us, for their unconventionality, for their de-
parture from established custom, for the freedom and
colloquialism of their style, for the audacity of their
stories, and for the writer's daring in venturing to
treat the manners and customs of a barbarous country
as worthy the attention of the learned and the labours
of the historian. Irish scholars, from the days of Dr.
John Lynch, who published his "Cambrensis E versus"
in 1622, have unanimously denounced the work of the
sensational journalist, born out of due time. His
Irish books are confessedly partisan; the " Conquest of
Ireland " was expressly designed as an eulogy of " the
men of St. David's," the writer's own kinsmen. But in
spite of partisanship and prejudice, they must be re-
garded as a serious and valuable addition to our know-
ledge of the state of Ireland at the latter end of the
twelfth century. Indeed, Professor Brewer does not
hesitate to say that " to his industry we are exclusively
indebted for all that is known of the state of Ireland
during the whole of the Middle Ages," and as to the
"Topography," Gerald " must take rank with the first
who descried the value and in some respects the limits
of descriptive geography."

When he came to deal with the affairs of state on a
larger stage, his methods were still that of the modern

Introduction xxi

journalist. He was always an impressionist, a writer
of personal sketches. His character sketches of the
Plantagenet princes — of King Henry with his large
round head and fat round belly, his fierce eyes, his
tigerish temper, his learning, his licentiousness, his
duplicity, and of Eleanor of Aquitaine, his vixenish
and revengeful wife, the murderess of " Fair Rosa-
mond " (who must have been known to Gerald, being
the daughter of Walter of Clifford-on-the-Wye), and of
the fierce brood that they reared — are of extraordinary
interest. His impressions of the men and events of his
time, his fund of anecdotes and bon mots, his references
to trivial matters, which more dignified writers would
never deign to mention, his sprightly and sometimes
malicious gossip, invest his period with a reality which
the greatest of fiction - writers has failed to rival.
Gerald lived in the days of chivalry, days which have
been crowned with a halo of deathless romance by the
author of " Ivanhoe " and the " Talisman." He knew
and was intimate with all the great actors of the time.
He had lived in the Paris of St. Louis and Philip
Augustus, and was never tired of exalting the House of
Capet over the tyrannical and bloodthirsty House of
Anjou. He had no love of England, for her Planta-
genet kings or her Saxon serfs. During the French
invasion in the time of King John his sympathies were
openly with the Dauphin as against the " brood of
vipers," who were equally alien to English soil. For
the Saxon, indeed, he felt the twofold hatred of Welsh-
man and Norman. One of his opponents is denounced
to the Pope as an " untriwe Sax," and the Saxons are
described as the slaves of the Normans, the mere
hewers of wood and drawers of?water for their con-
querors. He met Innocent III., the greatest of Popes,
in familiar converse, he jested and gossiped with him
in slippered ease, he made him laugh at his endless
stories of the glory of Wales, the iniquities of the An-
gevins, and the bad Latin of Archbishop Walter. He

xxii Introduction

knew Richard Cceur-de-Lion, the flower of chivalry,
and saw him as he was and " not through a glass
darkly." He knew John, the cleverest and basest of
his house. He knew and loved Stephen Langton, the
precursor of a long line of statesmen who have made
English liberty broad — based upon the people's will.
He was a friend of St. Hugh of Lincoln, the sweet-
est and purest spirit in the Anglican Church of the
Middle Ages, the one man who could disarm the
wrath of the fierce king with a smile ; and he was
the friend and patron of Robert Grosstete, after-
wards the great Bishop of Lincoln. He lived much
in company with Ranulph de Glanville, the first Eng-
lish jurist, and he has " Boswellised " some of his
conversations with him. He was intimate with Arch-
bishop Baldwin, the saintly prelate who laid down his
life in the Third Crusade on the burning plains of
Palestine, heart-broken at the unbridled wickedness
of the soldiers of the Cross. He was the near kinsman
and confidant of the Cambro-Normans, who, landing
in Leinster in 1165, effected what may be described as
the first conquest of Ireland. There was scarcely a
man of note in his day whom he had not seen and con-
versed with, or of whom he does not relate some piquant
story. He had travelled much, and had observed
closely. Probably the most valuable of all his works,
from the strictly historical point of view, are the
" Itinerary " and " Description of Wales," which are re-
printed in the present volume. Here he is impartial in
his evidence, and judicial in his decisions. If he errs at
all, it is not through racial prejudice. " I am sprung,"
he once told the Pope in a letter, " from the princes of
Wales and from the barons of the Marches, and when
I see injustice in either race, I hate it."

The text is that of Sir Richard Colt Hoare, who pub-
lished an English translation, chiefly from the texts of
Camden and Wharton, in 1 806. The valuable historical
notes have been curtailed, as being too elaborate for

Introduction xxiii

such a volume as this, and a few notes have been added
by the present editor. These will be found within
brackets. Hoare's translation, and also translations
(edited by Mr. Foster) of the Irish books have been
published in Bohn's Antiquarian Library.

The first of the seven volumes of the Latin text of
Gerald, published in the Rolls Series, appeared in 1861.
The first four volumes were edited by Professor Brewer;
the next two by Mr. Dimmock; and the seventh by
Professor Freeman.

W. LLEWELYN WILLIAMS.

January 1908.

The following is a list of the more important of the
works of Gerald: —

Topographia Hibernica, Expugnatio Hibernica, Itinerarium
Kambriae, Descriptio Kambriaj, Gemma Ecclesiastica, Libellus
Invectionum, De Rebus a se Gestis, Dialogus de jure et statu
Menevensis Ecclesias, De Instructione Principum, De Legendis
Sanctorum, Svmbolum Electorum.

\~s

THE ITINERARY

OF

ARCHBISHOP BALDWIN THROUGH
WALES

FIRST PREFACE

TO STEPHEN LANGTON, ARCHBISHOP OF
CANTERBURY

As the times are affected by the changes ofrcircum-
stances, so are the minds of men influenced by different
manners and customs. The satirist [Persius] exclaims,.

" Mille hominum species et mentis discolor usus;
Velle suum cuique est, nee voto vivitur uno."

" Nature is ever various in her name;
Each has a different will, and few the same."

The comic poet also says, " Quot capita tot sententice, suus-
cuique mos est." " As many men, so many minds, each
has his way." Young soldiers exult in war, and pleaders
delight in the gown; others aspire after riches, and think
them the supreme good. Some approve Galen, some
Justinian. Those who are desirous of honours follow the
court, and from their ambitious pursuits meet with more
mortification than satisfaction. Some, indeed, but very
few, take pleasure in the liberal arts, amongst whom we
cannot but admire logicians, who, when they have made
only a trifling progress, are as much enchanted with the
images of Dialectics, as if they were listening to the songs
of the Syrens.

But among so many species of men, where are to be
found divine poets? Where the noble assertors of
morals ? Where the masters of the Latin tongue ? Who
in the present times displays lettered eloquence, either
in history or poetry? Who, I say, in our own age,
either builds a system of ethics, or consigns illustrious

3

4 Preface

actions to immortality? Literary fame, which used to
be placed in the highest rank, is now, because of the
depravity of the times, tending to ruin and degraded to
the lowest, so that persons attached to study are at
present not only not imitated nor venerated, but even
detested. " Happy indeed would be the arts," observes
Fabius, " if artists alone judged of the arts; " but, as
Sydonius says, " it is a fixed principle in the human mind,
that they who are ignorant of the arts despise the artist."
But to revert to our subject. Which, I ask, have ren-
dered more service to the world, the arms of Marius or
the verses of Virgil? The sword of Marius has rusted,
while the fame of him who wrote the Mneid is immortal;
and although in his time letters were honoured by
lettered persons, yet from his own pen we find,

tantum

Carmina nostra valent tela inter Martia, quantum
Chaonias dicunt, aquila veniente, columbas."

Who would hesitate in deciding which are more profit-
able, the works of St. Jerom, or the riches of Crcesus?
but where now shine the gold and silver of Crcesus?
whilst the world is instructed by the example and en-
lightened by the learning of the poor coenobite. Yet
even he, through envy, suffered stripes and contumely
at Rome, although his character was so illustrious ; and
at length being driven beyond the seas, found a refuge
for his studies in the solitude of Bethlehem. Thus it
appears, that gold and arms may support us in this life,
but avail nothing after death; and that letters through
envy profit nothing in this world, but, like a testament,
acquire an immortal value from the seal of death.
According to the poet,

Pascitur in vivis livor, post fata quiescit;

Cum suus ex merito quemque tuetur honor."

And also

Denique si quis adhuc prsetendit nubila, livor
Occidet, et meriti post me referentur honores."

Preface 5

Those who by artifice endeavour to acquire or preserve
the reputation of abilities or ingenuity, while they
abound in the words of others, have little cause to boast
of their own inventions. For the composers of that
polished language, in which such various cases as occur
in the great body of law are treated with such an appro-
priate elegance of style, must ever stand forward in the
first ranks of praise. I should indeed have said, that
the authors of refined language, not the hearers only, the
inventors, not the reciters, are most worthy of com-
mendation. You will find, however, that the practices
of the court and of the schools are extremely similar; as
well in the subtleties they employ to lead you forward,
as in the steadiness with which they generally maintain
their own positions. Yet it is certain that the knowledge
of logic (the acumen, if I may so express it, of all other
sciences as well as arts) is very useful, when restricted
within proper bounds ; whilst the court (i.e. courtly lan-
guage), excepting to sycophants or ambitious men, is by
no means necessary. For if you are successful at court,
ambition never wholly quits its hold till satiated, and
allures and draws you still closer; but if your labour is
thrown away, you still continue the pursuit, and, to-
gether with your substance, lose your time, the greatest
and most irretrievable of all losses. There is likewise
some resemblance between the court and the game of
dice, as the poet observes: —

" Sic ne perdiderit non cessat perdere lusor,
Dum revocat cupidas alea blanda manus; "

which, by substituting the word curia for alea, may be
applied to the court. This further proof of their resem-
blance may be added; that as the chances of the dice
and court are not productive of any real delight, so they
are equally distributed to the worthy and the unworthy.
Since, therefore, among so many species of men, each
follows his own inclination, and each is actuated by
different desires, a regard for posterity has induced me

6 Preface

to choose the study of composition; and, as this life is
temporary and mutable, it is grateful to live in the
memory of future ages, and to be immortalized by fame ;
for to toil after that which produces envy in life, but
glory after death, is a sure indication of an elevated mind.
Poets and authors indeed aspire after immortality, but
do not reject any present advantages that may offer.

I formerly completed with vain and fruitless labour the
Topography of Ireland for king Henry the Second, and
its companion, the Vaticinal History, for Richard of
Poitou, his son, and, I wish I were not compelled to add,
his successor in vice ; princes little skilled in letters, and
much engaged in business. To you, illustrious Stephen,
archbishop of Canterbury, equally commendable for your
learning and religion, I now dedicate the account of our
meritorious journey through the rugged provinces of
Cambria, written in a scholastic style, and divided into
two parts. For as virtue loves itself, and detests what
is contrary to it, so I hope you will consider whatever I
may have written in commendation of your late vener-
able and eminent predecessor, with no less affection than
if it related to yourself. To you also, when completed,
I destine my treatise on the Instruction of a Prince, it,
amidst your religious and worldly occupations, you can
find leisure for the perusal of it. For I purpose to submit
these and other fruits of my diligence to be tasted by you
at your discretion, each in its proper order; hoping that,
if my larger undertakings do not excite your interest, my
smaller works may at least merit your approbation, con-
ciliate your favour, and call forth my gratitude towards
you; who, unmindful of worldly affections, do not
partially distribute your bounties to your family and
friends, but to letters and merit; you, who, in the midst
of such great and unceasing contests between the crown
and the priesthood, stand forth almost singly the firm
and faithful friend of the British church; you, who,
almost the only one duly elected, fulfil the scriptural de-
signation of the episcopal character. It is not, however,

Preface 7

by bearing a cap, by placing a cushion, by shielding off
the rain, or by wiping the dust, even if there should be
none, in the midst of a herd of flatterers, that I attempt
to conciliate your favour, but by my writings. To you,
therefore, rare, noble, and illustrious man, on whom
nature and art have showered down whatever becomes
your supereminent situation, I dedicate my works; but
if I fail in this mode of conciliating your favour, and if
your prayers and avocations should not allow you suffi-
cient time to read them, I shall consider the honour of
letters as vanished, and in hope of its revival I shall in-
scribe my writings to posterity.

SECOND PREFACE

TO THE SAME PRELATE

Since those things, which are known to have been done
through a laudable devotion, are not unworthily ex-
tolled with due praises; and since the mind, when re-
laxed, loses its energy, and the torpor of sloth enervates
the understanding, as iron acquires rust for want of use,
and stagnant waters become foul; lest my pen should
be injured by the rust of idleness, I have thought good
to commit to writing the devout visitation which Bald-
win, archbishop of Canterbury, made throughout Wales ;
and to hand down, as it were in a mirror, through you,
0 illustrious Stephen, to posterity, the difficult places
through which we passed, the names of springs and tor-
rents, the witty sayings, the toils and incidents of the
journey, the memorable events of ancient and modern
times, and the natural history and description of the
country; lest my study should perish through idleness,
or the praise of these things be lost by silence.

CONTENTS

BOOK I

CHAPTER PAGET

I. Journey through Hereford and Radnor . . n

II. Journey through Hay and Brecheinia . . 18

III. Ewyas and Llanthoni ..... 34

IV. The Journey by Coed Grono and Abergevenni . 44
V. Of the Progress by the Castle of Usk and Caerleon 50

VI. Newport and Caerdyf . . . . .56

VII. The See of Landaf and Monastery of Margan, and

the Remarkable Things in those Parts . 61

VIII. Passage of the Rivers Avon and Neth — and of

Abertawe and Goer ..... 65

IX. Passage over the Rivers Lochor and Wendraeth;

and of Cydweli . . . . . .71

X. TywyRiver — Caermardyn — Monastery of Albelande 73
XI. Haverford and Ros ...... 76

XII. Penbroch 82

XIII. Of the Progress by Camros and Niwegal . . 91

BOOK II

I. Of the Sec of St. David's .... 95

II. Of the Journey by Cemmeis — the Monastery of St.

Dogmael ....... 102

III. Of the River Teivi — Cardigan — Emelyn . .105

IV. Of the Journey by Pont Stephen, the Abbey of

Stratflur. Landewi Brevi, and Lhanpadarn
Vawr ....... 109

9

IO

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

V. Of the River Devi, and the Land of the Sons of Conan 113
VI. Passage of Traeth Mawr and Traeth Bachan, and

of Nevyn, Carnarvon, and Bangor . . 115

VII. The Island of Mona 118

VIII. Passage of the River Conwy in a Boat, and of Dinas

Emrys . . . . . . .125

IX. Of the Mountains of Eryri . . . .127

X. Of the Passage by Deganwy and Ruthlan, and the

See of Lanelwy, and of Coleshulle . .128

XI. Of the Passage of the River Dee, and of Chester 131
XII. Of the Journey by the White Monastery, Oswaldes-

tree, Powys, and Shrewsbury . . 133

XIII. Of the J ourney by Wenloch, Brumfeld, the Castle of

Ludlow, and Leominster, to Hereford . 137

XIV. A Description of Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury 139

Index .......... 207

THE ITINERARY THROUGH

WALES

BOOK I

CHAPTER I

JOURNEY THROUGH HEREFORD AND RADNOR

In the year 1188 from the incarnation of our Lord,
Urban the Third 1 being the head of the apostolic see;
Frederick, emperor of Germany and king of the Romans ;
Isaac, emperor of Constantinople; Philip, the son of
Louis, reigning in France; Henry the Second in Eng-
land; William in Sicily; Bela in Hungary; and Guy in
Palestine : in that very year, when Saladin, prince of the
Egyptians and Damascenes, by a signal victory gained
possession of the kingdom of Jerusalem ; Baldwin, arch-

1 Giraldus has committed an error in placing Urban III. at the
head of the apostolic see; for he died at Ferrara in the month of
October, a.d. 1187, and was succeeded by Gregory VIII., whose
short reign expired in the month of December following. Clement
III. was elected pontiff in the year 1188. Frederick I., surnamed
Barbarossa, succeeded Conrad III. in the empire of Germany, in
March, 1152, and was drowned in a river of Cilicia whilst bathing,
in 1 190. Isaac Angelus succeeded Andronicus I. as emperor of
Constantinople, in 1185, and was dethroned in 1195. Philip II.,
surnamed Augustus, from his having been born in the month of
August, was crowned at Rheims, in 1179, and died at Mantes, in
1223. William II., king of Sicily, surnamed the Good, succeeded
in 1166 to his father, William the Bad, and died in 1189. Bela
III., king of Hungary, succeeded to the throne in 1174, and died
in 1196. Guy de Lusignan was crowned king of Jerusalem in
1 186, and in the following year his city was taken by the victorious
Saladin.

II

i 2 Giraldus Cambrensis

bishop of Canterbury, a venerable man, distinguished
for his learning and sanctity, journeying from England
for the service of the holy cross, entered Wales near the
borders of Herefordshire.

The archbishop proceeded to Radnor,1 on Ash Wednes-
day {Caput Jejunii), accompanied by Ranulph de Glan-
ville, privy counsellor and justiciary of the whole
kingdom, and there met Rhys,2 son of Gruffydd, prince
of South Wales, and many other noble personages of
those parts; where a sermon being preached by the
archbishop, upon the subject of the Crusades, and ex-
plained to the Welsh by an interpreter, the author of
this Itinerary, impelled by the urgent importunity and
promises of the king, and the persuasions of the arch-
bishop and the justiciary, arose the first, and falling
down at the feet of the holy man, devoutly took the sign
of the cross. His example was instantly followed by
Peter, bishop of St. David's,3 a monk of the abbey of
Cluny, and then by Eineon, son of Eineon Clyd,4 prince
of Elvenia, and many other persons. Eineon rising up,
said to Rhys, whose daughter he had married, " My
father and lord! with your permission I hasten to re-
venge the injury offered to the great father of all."
Rhys himself was so fully determined upon the holy

1 New Radnor.

2 Rhys ap Gruffydd was grandson to Rhys ap Tewdwr, prince
of South Wales, who, in 1090, was slain in an engagement with the
Normans. He was a prince of great talent, but great versatility
of character, and made a conspicuous figure in Welsh history. He
died in 1196, and was buried in the cathedral of St. David's;
where his effigy, as well as that of his son Rhys Gryg, still remain
in a good state of preservation.

3 Peter de Leia, prior of the Benedictine monastery of Wenlock,
in Shropshire, was the successful rival of Giraldus for the bishopric
of Saint David's, vacant by the death of David Fitzgerald, the
uncle of our author; but he did not obtain his promotion without
considerable opposition from the canons, who submitted to the
absolute sequestration of their property before they consented
to his election, being desirous that the nephew should have suc-
ceeded his uncle. He was consecrated in n 76, and died in 1199.

4 In the Latin of Giraldus, the name of Eineon is represented by
^Eneas, and Eineon Clyd by ^Eneas Claudius.

Itinerary Through Wales I 3

peregrination, as soon as the archbishop should enter
his territories on his return, that for nearly fifteen days
he was employed with great solicitude in making the
necessary preparations for so distant a journey; till his
wife, and, according to the common vicious licence of
the country, his relation in the fourth degree, Guen-
dolena, (Gwenllian), daughter of Madoc, prince of Powys,
by female artifices diverted him wholly from his noble
purpose; since, as Solomon says, "A man's heart de-
viseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps. " As
Rhys before his departure was conversing with his friends
concerning the things he had heard, a distinguished
young man of his family, by name Gruffydd, and who
afterwards took the cross, is said thus to have answered :
" What man of spirit can refuse to undertake this journey,
since, amongst all imaginable inconveniences, nothing
worse can happen to any one than to return."

On the arrival of Rhys in his own territory, certain
canons of Saint David's, through a zeal for their church,
having previously secured the interest of some of the
prince's courtiers, waited on Rhys, and endeavoured by
every possible suggestion to induce him not to permit
the archbishop to proceed into the interior parts of Wales,
and particularly to the metropolitan see of Saint David's
(a thing hitherto unheard of), at the same time asserting
that if he should continue his intended journey, the
church would in future experience great prejudice, and
with difficulty would recover its ancient dignity and
honour. Although these pleas were most strenuously
urged, the natural kindness and civility of the prince
would not suffer them to prevail, lest by prohibiting the
archbishop's progress, he might appear to wound his
feelings.

Early on the following morning, after the celebration
of mass, and the return of Ranulph de Glanville to Eng-
land, we came to Cruker Castle,1 two miles distant from

1 Cruker Castle. The corresponding distance between Old and
New Radnor evidently places this castle at Old Radnor, which

14 Giraldus Cambrensis

Radnor, where a strong and valiant youth named
Hector, conversing with the archbishop about taking
the cross, said, " If I had the means of getting provisions
for one day, and of keeping fast on the next, I would
comply with your advice; " on the following day, how-
ever, he took the cross. The same evening, Malgo, son
of Cadwallon, prince of Melenia, after a short but effica-
cious exhortation from the archbishop, and not without
the tears and lamentations of his friends, was marked
with the sign of the cross.

But here it is proper to mention what happened during
the reign of king Henry the First to the lord of the castle
of Radnor, in the adjoining territory of Builth,1 who had
entered the church of Saint Avan (which is called in the
British language Llan Avan),2 and, without sufficient
caution or reverence, had passed the night there with his
hounds. Arising early in the morning, according to the
custom of hunters, he found his hounds mad, and him-
self struck blind. After a long, dark, and tedious exist-
ence, he was conveyed to Jerusalem, happily taking care
that his inward sight should not in a similar manner be
extinguished; and there being accoutred, and led to the
field of battle on horseback, he made a spirited attack
upon the enemies of the faith, and, being mortally
wounded, closed his life with honour.

Another circumstance which happened in these our
days, in the province of Warthrenion,3 distant from

was anciently called Pen-y-craig, Pencraig, or Pen-crug, from its
situation on a rocky eminence. Cruker is a corruption, probably,
from Crug-caerau, the mount, or height, of the fortifications.

1 Buelth or Builth, a large market town on the north-west edge
of the county of Brecon, on the southern banks of the Wye, over
which there is a long and handsome bridge of stone. It had
formerly a strong castle, the site and earthworks of which still
remain, but the building is destroyed.

2 Llan- Avan, a small church at the foot of barren mountains
about five or six miles north-west of Buelth. The saint from
whom it takes its name, was one of the sons of Cedig ab Cunedda;
whose ancestor, Cunedda, king of the Britons, was the head of one
of the three holy families of Britain. He is said to have lived in
the beginning of the sixth century.

3 Melenia, Warthrenion, Elevein, Elvenia, Melenyth, and

Itinerary Through Wales i 5

hence only a few furlongs, is not unworthy of notice.
Eineon, lord of that district, and son-in-law to prince
Rhys, who was much addicted to the chase, having on a
certain day forced the wild beasts from their coverts, one
of his attendants killed a hind with an arrow, as she was
springing forth from the wood, which, contrary to the
nature of her sex, was found to bear horns of twelve
years' growth, and was much fatter than a stag, in the
haunches as well as in every other part. On account of
the singularity of this circumstance, the head and horns
of this strange animal were destined as a present to king
Henry the Second. This event is the more remarkable,
as the man who shot the hind suddenly lost the use of
his right eye, and being at the same time seized with a
paralytic complaint, remained in a weak and impotent
state until the time of his death.

In this same province of Warthrenion, and in the
church of Saint Germanus,1 there is a staff of Saint Cyric,2
covered on all sides with gold and silver, and resembling
in its upper part the form of a cross ; its efficacy has been
proved in many cases, but particularly in the removal of
glandular and strumous swellings; insomuch that all per-

Elvein, places mentioned in this first chapter, and varying in
their orthography, were three different districts in Radnorshire:
Melenyth is a hundred in the northern part of the county, extend-
ing into Montgomeryshire, in which is the church of Keri: Elvein
retains in modern days the name of Elvel, and is a hundred in the
southern part of the county, separated from Brecknockshire by
the Wye ; and Warthrenion, in which was the castle built by
prince Rhys at Rhaiadyr-gwy, seems to have been situated be~-
tween the other two. Warthrenion may more properly be called
Gwyrthrynion, it was anciently one of the three comots of Arwystli.
a cantref of Merioneth. In the year 1174, Melyenith was in the
possession of Cadwallon ap Madawc, cousin german to prince
Rhys; Elvel was held by Eineon Clyd, and Gwyrthrynion by
Eineon ap Rhys, both sons-in-law to that illustrious prince.

1 The church of Saint Germanus is now known by the name of
Saint Harmans, and is situated three or four miles from Rhaiadyr,
in Radnorshire, on the right-hand of the road from thence to
Llanidloes; it is a small and simple structure, placed on a little
eminence, in a dreary plain surrounded by mountains.

2 Several churches in Wales have been dedicated to Saint Curig,
who came into Wales in the seventh century.

i 6 Giraldus Cambrensis

sons afflicted with these complaints, on a devout applica-
tion to the staff, with the oblation of one penny, are
restored to health. But it happened in these our days,
that a strumous patient on presenting one halfpenny to
the staff, the humour subsided only in the middle; but
when the oblation was completed by the other halfpenny,
an entire cure was accomplished. Another person also
coming to the staff with the promise of a penny, was
cured; but not fulfilling his engagement on the day ap-
pointed, he relapsed into his former disorder; in order,
however, to obtain pardon for his offence, he tripled the
offering by presenting three-pence, and thus obtained a
complete cure.

At Elevein, in the church of Glascum,1 is a portable
bell, endowed with great virtues, called Bangu,2 and
said to have belonged to Saint David. A certain woman
secretely conveyed this bell to her husband, who was
confined in the castle of Raidergwy,3 near Warthrenion,
(which Rhys, son of Gruffydd, had lately built) for the
purpose of his deliverance. The keepers of the castle
not only refused to liberate him for this consideration,
but seized and detained the bell ; and in the same night,
by divine vengeance, the whole town, except the wall
•on which the bell hung, was consumed by fire.

The church of Luel,4 in the neighbourhood of Bre-

1 Glascum is a small village in a mountainous and retired situa-
tion between Builth and Kington, in Herefordshire.

2 Bangu. — This was a hand bell kept in all the Welsh churches,
which the clerk or sexton took to the house of the deceased on the
day of the funeral: when the procession began, a psalm was sung;
the bellman then sounded his bell in a solemn manner for some
time, till another psalm was concluded; and he again sounded it
at intervals, till the funeral arrived at the church.

3 Rhaiadyr, called also Rhaiader-gwy, is a small village and
market-town in Radnorshire. The site only of the castle, built
by prince Rhys, a.d. 1178, now remains at a short distance from
the village; it was strongly situated on a natural rock above the
river Wye, which, below the bridge, forms a cataract.

4 Llywel, a small village about a mile from Trecastle, on the
great road leading from thence to Llandovery; it was anciently
a township, and by charter of Philip and Mary was attached to
the borough of Brecknock, by the name of Trecastle ward.

Itinerary Through Wales 17

cheinoc {Brechinia), was burned, also in our time, by the
enemy, and everything destroyed, except one small box,
in which the consecrated host was deposited.

It came to pass also in the province of Elvenia, which
is separated from Hay by the river Wye, in the night in
which king Henry I. expired, that two pools x of no small
extent, the one natural, the other artificial, suddenly
burst their bounds ; the latter, by its precipitate course
down the declivities, emptied itself; but the former,
with its fish and contents, obtained a permanent situation
in a valley about two miles distant. In Normandy, a
few days before the death of Henry II., the fish of a cer-
tain pool near Seez, five miles from the castle of Exme,
fought during the night so furiously with each other,
both in the water and out of it, that the neighbouring
people were attracted by the noise to the spot; and so
desperate was the conflict, that scarcely a fish was found
alive in the morning ; thus, by a wonderful and unheard-
of prognostic, foretelling the death of one by that of
many.

But the borders of Wales sufficiently remember and
abhor the great and enormous excesses which, from
ambitious usurpation of territory, have arisen amongst
brothers and relations in the districts of Melenyth,
Elvein, and Warthrenion, situated between the Wye and
the Severn.

1 Leland, in his description of this part of Wales, mentions a
lake in Low Elvel, or Elvenia, which may perhaps be the same as
that alluded to in this passage of Giraldus. " There is a llinne in
Low Elvel within a mile of Payne's castel by the church called
Lanpeder. The llinne is caullid Bougklline, and is of no great
quantite, but is plentiful of pike, and perche, and eles." — Leland,
Itin. torn. v. p. 72.

B

1 8 Giraldus Cambrensis

CHAPTER II

JOURNEY THROUGH HAY AND BRECHEINIA

Having crossed the river Wye, we proceeded towards
Brecheinoc, and on preaching a sermon at Hay/ we
observed some amongst the multitude, who were to be
signed with the cross (leaving their garments in the
hands of their friends or wives, who endeavoured to keep
them back), fly for refuge to the archbishop in the castle.
Early in the morning we began our journey to Aber-
hodni, and the word of the Lord being preached at
Landeu,2 we there spent the night. The castle and chief
town of the province, situated where the river Hodni
joins the river Usk, is called Aberhodni;3 and every
place where one river falls into another is called Aber in
the British tongue. Landeu signifies the church of God.

1 Hay. — A pleasant market-town on the southern banks of the
river Wye, over which there is a bridge. It still retains some
marks of baronial antiquity in the old castle, within the present
town, the gateway of which is tolerably perfect. A high raised
tumulus adjoining the church marks the site of the more ancient
fortress. The more modern and spacious castle owes its founda-
tion probably to one of those Norman lords, who, about the year
1090, conquered this part of Wales. Little notice is taken of this
castle in the Welsh chronicles; but we are informed that it was
destroyed in 123 1, by Henry II., and that it was refortified by
Henry III.

2 Llanddew, a small village, about two miles from Brecknock,
on the left of the road leading from thence to Hay; its manor
belongs to the bishops of Saint David's, who had formerly a castel-
lated mansion there, of which some ruins still remain. The tithes
of this parish are appropriated to the archdeaconry of Brecknock,
and here was the residence of our author Giraldus, which he men-
tions in several of his writings, and alludes to with heartfelt satis-
faction at the end of the third chapter of this Itinerary.

3 Aberhodni, the ancient name of the town and castle of Breck-
nock, derived from its situation at the confluence of the river
Hodni with the Usk. The castle and two religious buildings, of
which the remains are still extant, owed their foundation to
Bernard de Newmarch, a Norman knight, who, in the year 1090,
obtained by conquest the lordship of Brecknock. [The modern
Welsh name is Aberhonddu.]

Itinerary Through Wales 19

The a.chdeacon of that place (Giraldus) presented to the
archbishop his work on the Topography of Ireland,
which he graciously received, and either read or heard a
part of it read attentively every day during his journey;
and on his return to England completed the perusal of it.
I have determined not to omit mentioning those occur-
rences worthy of note which happened in these parts in
our days. It came to pass before that great war, in
which nearly all this province was destroyed by the sons
of Jestin,1 that the large lake, and the river Leveni,2
which flows from it into the Wye, opposite Glasbyry,3
were tinged with a deep green colour. The old people of
the country were consulted, and answered, that a short
time before the great desolation 4 caused by Howel, son
of Meredyth, the water had been coloured in a similar
manner. About the same time, a chaplain, whose name
was Hugo, being engaged to officiate at the chapel of
Saint Nicholas, in the castle of Aberhodni, saw in a
dream a venerable man standing near him, and saying,
" Tell thy lord William de Braose,5 who has the audacity

1 Iestyn ap Gwrgant was lord of the province of Morganwg, or
Glamorgan, and a formidable rival to Rhys ap Tewdwr, prince of
South Wales; but unable to cope with him in power, he prevailed
on Robert Fitzhamon, a Norman knight, to come to his assistance.

2 This little river rises near the ruins of Blanllyfni castle, be-
tween Llangorse pool and the turnpike road leading from Breck-
nock to Abergavenny, and empties itself into the river Usk, near
Glasbury.

3 A pretty little village on the southern banks of the Usk, about
four miles from Hay, en the road leading to Brecknock.

4 The great desolation here alluded to, is attributed by Dr.
Powel to Howel and Meredyth, sons of Edwyn ap Eineon; not to
Howel, son of Meredith. In the year 1021, they conspired against
Llewelyn ap Sitsyllt, and slew him: Meredith was slain in 1033,
and Howel in 1043.

5 William de Breusa, or Braose, was by extraction a Norman,
and had extensive possessions in England, as well as Normandy:
he was succeeded by his son Philip, who, in the reign of William
Rufus, favoured the cause of king Henry against Robert Curthose,
duke of Normandy; and being afterwards rebellious to his sove-
reign, was disinherited of his lands. By his marriage with Berta,
daughter of Milo, earl of Hereford, he gained a rich inheritance in
Brecknock Overwent, and Gower. He left issue two sons: Wil-
liam and Philip: William married Maude de Saint Wallery, and

20 Giraldus Cambrensis

to retain the property granted to the chapel of Saint
Nicholas for charitable uses, these words : ' The public
treasury takes away that which Christ does not receive;
and thou wilt then give to an impious soldier, what thou
wilt not give to a priest.' ' This vision having been
repeated three times, he went to the archdeacon of the
place, at Landeu, and related to him what had happened.
The archdeacon immediately knew them to be the words
of Augustine ; and shewing him that part of his writings
where they were found, explained to him the case to
which they applied. He reproaches persons who held
back tithes and other ecclesiastical dues; and what he
there threatens, certainly in a short time befell this
withholder of them : for in our time we have duly and
undoubtedly seen, that princes who have usurped ecclesi-
astical benefices (and particularly king Henry the Second,
who laboured under this vice more than others), have
profusely squandered the treasures of the church, and
given away to hired soldiers what in justice should have
been given only to priests.

Yet something is to be said in favour of the aforesaid
William de Braose, although he greatly offended in this
particular (since nothing human is perfect, and to have
knowledge of all things, and in no point to err, is an
attribute of God, not of man); for he always placed the
name of the Lord before his sentences, saying, " Let this
be done in the name of the Lord; let that be done by
God's will; if it shall please God, or if God grant leave;
it shall be so by the grace of God." We learn from Saint

succeeded to the great estate of his father and mother, which he
kept in peaceable possession during the reigns of king Henry II.
and king Richard I. In order to avoid the persecutions of king
John, he retired with his family to Ireland; and from thence
returned into Wales; on hearing of the king's arrival in Ireland,
his wife Maude fled with her sons into Scotland, where she was
taken prisoner, and in the year 12 10 committed, with William,
her son and heir, to Corf castle, and there miserablv starved to
death, by order of king John; her husband, William de Braose,
escaped into France disguised, and dving there, was buried in the
abbey church of Saint Victor, at Paris. The family of Saint
Walery, or Valery, derived their name from a sea-port in France.

Itinerary Through Wales 21

Paul, that everything ought thus to be committed and
referred to the will of God. On taking leave of his
brethren, he says, " I will return to you again, if God
permit;" and Saint James uses this expression, "If
the Lord will, and we live," in order to show that all
things ought to be submitted to the divine disposal.
The letters also which William de Braose, as a rich and
powerful man, was accustomed to send to different
parts, were loaded, or rather honoured, with words ex-
pressive of the divine indulgence to a degree not only
tiresome to his scribe, but even to his auditors; for as
a reward to each of his scribes for concluding his letters
with the words, " by divine assistance," he gave annually
a piece of gold, in addition to their stipend. When on a
journey he saw a church or a cross, although in the midst
of conversation either with his inferiors or superiors,
from an excess of devotion, he immediately began to
pray, and when he had finished his prayers, resumed his
conversation. On meeting boys in the way, he invited
them by a previous salutation to salute him, that the
blessings of these innocents, thus extorted, might be
returned to him. His wife, Matilda de Saint Valery,
observed all these things : a prudent and chaste woman ;
a woman placed with propriety at the head of her house,
equally attentive to the economical disposal of her pro-
perty within doors, as to the augmentation of it without ;
both of whom, I hope, by their devotion obtained
temporal happiness and grace, as well as the glory of
eternity.

It happened also that the hand of a boy, who was
endeavouring to take some young pigeons from a nest, in
the church of Saint David of Llanvaes,1 adhered to the
stone on which he leaned, through the miraculous ven-

1 A small church dedicated to Saint David, in the suburbs "of
Brecknock, on the great road leading from thence to Trecastle.
" The paroche of Llanvays. Llan-chirch-Vais extra, ac si diceres.
extra muros. It standeth betwixt the river of Uske and Tvr-
torelle brooke, that is, about the lower ende of the town of Breke-
nok." — Lcland, Itin. torn. v. p. 69.

22 Giraldus Cambrensis

geance, perhaps, of that saint, in favour of the birds who
had taken refuge in his church; and when the boy,
attended by his friends and parents, had for three suc-
cessive days and nights offered up his prayers and suppli-
cations before the holy altar of the church, his hand was,
on the third day, liberated by the same divine power
which had so miraculously fastened it. We saw this
same boy at Newbury, in England, now advanced in
years, presenting himself before David the Second,1
bishop of Saint David's, and certifying to him the truth
of this relation, because it had happened in his diocese.
The stone is preserved in the church to this day among
the relics, and the marks of the five fingers appear im-
pressed on the flint as though it were in wax.

A small miracle happened at St. Edmundsbury to a
poor woman, who often visited the shrine of the saint,
under the mask of devotion; not with the design of
giving, but of taking something away, namely, the silver
and gold offerings, which, by a curious kind of theft, she
licked up by kissing, and carried away in her mouth.
But in one of these attempts her tongue and lips adhered
to the altar, when by divine interposition she was de-
tected, and openly disgorged the secret theft. Many
persons, both Jews and Christians, expressing their
astonishment, flocked to the place, where for the greater
part of the day she remained motionless, that no possible
doubt might be entertained of the miracle.

In the north of England beyond the Humber, in the
church of Hovedene,2 the concubine of the rector in-
cautiously sat down on the tomb of St. Osana, sister of
king Osred,3 which projected like a wooden seat; on
wishing to retire, she could not be removed, until the
people came to her assistance ; her clothes were rent, her

1 David Fitzgerald was promoted to the see of Saint David's in
1147, or, according to others, in 1149. He died a.d. 1176.

2 Now Howden, in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

3 Osred was king of the Northumbrians, and son of Alfred. He
commenced to reign in a.d. 791, but was deprived of his crown
the following year.

Itinerary Through Wales 23

body was laid bare, and severely afflicted with many
strokes of discipline, even till the blood flowed; nor did
she regain her liberty, until by many tears and sincere
repentance she had showed evident signs of compunction.
What miraculous power hath not in our days been dis-
played by the psalter of Quindreda, sister of St. Kenelm,1
by whose instigation he was killed ? On the vigil of the
saint, when, according to custom, great multitudes of
women resorted to the feast at Winchelcumbe,2 the under
butler of that convent committed fornication with one of
them within the precincts of the monastery. This same
man on the following day had the audacity to carry the
psalter in the procession of the relics of the saints ; and
on his return to the choir, after the solemnity, the psalter
stuck to his hands. Astonished and greatly confounded,
and at length calling to his mind his crime on the pre-
ceding day, he made confession, and underwent penance ;
and being assisted by the prayers of the brotherhood, and
having shown signs of sincere contrition, he was at length
liberated from the miraculous bond. That book was
held in great veneration ; because, when the body of St.
Kenelm was carried forth, and the multitude cried out,
"He is the martyr of God ! truly he is the martyr of
God ! " Quindreda, conscious and guilty of the murder
of her brother, answered, " He is as truly the martyr of
God as it is true that my eyes be on that psalter; " for,

1 St. Kenelm was the only son and heir of Kenulfus, king of the
Mercians, who left him under the care of his two sisters, Quendreda
and Bragenilda. The former, blinded by ambition, resolved to
destroy the innocent child, who stood between her and the throne;
and for that purpose prevailed on Ascebert, who attended con-
stantly on the king, to murder him privately, giving him hopes,
in case he complied with her wishes, of making him her partner
in the kingdom. Under the pretence of diverting his young
master, this wicked servant led him into a retired vale at Clent,
in Staffordshire, and having murdered him, dug a pit, and cast
his body into it, which was discovered by a miracle, and carried
in solemn procession to the abbey of Winchelcomb. In the parish
of Clent is a small chapel dedicated to this saint.

2 Winchelcumbe, or Winchcomb, in the lower part of the hundred
of Kiftsgate, in Gloucestershire, a few miles to the north of Chel-
tenham.

24 Giraldus Cambrensis

as she was reading the psalter, both her eyes were
miraculously torn from her head, and fell on the book,
where the marks of the blood yet remain.

Moreover I must not be silent concerning the collar
{torques) which they call St. Canauc's ; x for it is most like
to gold in weight, nature, and colour; it is in four pieces
wrought round, joined together artificially, and clef ted
as it were in the middle, with a dog's head, the teeth
standing outward; it is esteemed by the inhabitants so
powerful a relic, that no man dares swear falsely when it
is laid before him: it bears the marks of some severe
blows, as if made with an iron hammer; for a certain
man, as it is said, endeavouring to break the collar for
the sake of the gold, experienced the divine vengeance,
was deprived of his eyesight, and lingered the remainder
of his days in darkness.

A similar circumstance concerning the horn of St.
Patrick (not golden indeed, but of brass [probably
bronze], which lately was brought into these parts from
Ireland) excites our admiration. The miraculous power
of this relic first appeared with a terrible example in that
country, through the foolish and absurd blowing of
Bernard, a priest, as is set forth in our Topography of
Ireland. Both the laity and clergy in Ireland, Scotland,
and Wales held in such great veneration portable bells,
and staves crooked at the top, and covered with gold,
silver, or brass, and similar relics of the saints, that they
were much more afraid of swearing falsely by them than
by the gospels ; because, from some hidden and miracu-
lous power with which they are gifted, and the vengeance
of the saint to whom they are particularly pleasing, their
despisers and transgressors are severely punished. The

1 St. Kynauc, who flourished about the year 492, was the re-
puted son of Brychan, lord of Brecknock, by Benadulved, daughter
of Benadyl, a prince of Powis, whom he seduced during the time
of his detention as an hostage at the court of her father. He is
said to have been murdered upon the mountain called the Van,
and buried in the church of Merthyr Cynawg, or Cynawg the
Martyr, near Brecknock, which is dedicated to his memory.

Itinerary Through Wales 25

most remarkable circumstance attending this horn is,
that whoever places the wider end of it to his ear will
hear a sweet sound and melody united, such as ariseth
from a harp gently touched.

In our days a strange occurrence happened in the same
district. A wild sow, which by chance had been suckled
by a bitch famous for her nose, became, on growing up,
so wonderfully active in the pursuit of wild animals, that
in the faculty of scent she was greatly superior to dogs,
who are assisted by natural instinct, as well as by human
art; an argument that man (as well as every other
animal) contracts the nature of the female who nurses
him. Another prodigious event came to pass nearly at
the same time. A soldier, whose name was Gilbert
Hagernel, after an illness of nearly three years, and the
severe pains as of a woman in labour, in the presence of
many people, voided a calf. A portent of some new and
unusual event, or rather the punishment attendant on
some atrocious crime. It appears also from the ancient
and authentic records of those parts, that during the
time St. Elwitus l led the life of a hermit at Llanhame-
lach,2 the mare that used to carry his provisions to him
was covered by a stag, and produced an animal of
wonderful speed, resembling a horse before and a stag
behind.

1 In Welsh, Illtyd, which has been latinised into Iltutus, as in
the instance of St. Iltutus, the celebrated disciple of Germanus,
and the master of the learned Gildas, who founded a college for
the instruction of youth at Llantwit, on the coast of Glamorgan-
shire; but I do not conceive this to be the same person. The
name of Ty- Illtyd, or St. Illtyd's house, is still known at Llanam-
llech, but it is applied to one of those monuments of Druidical
antiquity called a cistvaen, erected upon an eminence named
Maenest, at a short distance from the village. A rude, upright
stone stood formerly on one side of it, and was called by the
country people Maen Illtyd, or Illtyd's stone, but was removed
about a century ago. A well, the stream of which divides this
parish from the neighbouring one of Llansaintfraid, is called
Ffynnon Illtyd, or Illtyd's well. This was evidently the site of
the hermitage mentioned by Giraldus.

2 Lhanhamelach, or Llanamllech, is a small village, three miles
from Brecknock, on the road to Abergavenny.

26 Giraldus Cambrensis

Bernard de Newmarch 1 was the first of the Normans
who acquired by conquest from the Welsh this province,
which was divided into three cantreds.2 He married
the daughter of Nest, daughter of Gruffydd, son of
Llewelyn, who, by his tyranny, for a long time had op-
pressed Wales ; his wife took her mother's name of Nest,
which the English transmuted into Anne; by whom he
had children, one of whom, named Mahel, a distin-
guished soldier, was thus unjustly deprived of his paternal
inheritance. His mother, in violation of the marriage
contract, held an adulterous intercourse with a certain
knight; on the discovery of which, the son met the
knight returning in the night from his mother, and
having inflicted on him a severe corporal punishment,
and mutilated him, sent him away with great disgrace.
The mother, alarmed at the confusion which this event
caused, and agitated with grief, breathed nothing but
revenge. She therefore went to king Henry I., and
declared with assertions more vindictive than true, and
corroborated by an oath, that her son Mahel was not the
son of Bernard, but of another person with whom she
had been secretly connected. Henry, on account of
this oath, or rather perjury, and swayed more by his
inclination than by reason, gave away her eldest daughter,

1 The name of Newmarche appears in the chartulary of Battel
abbey, as a witness to one of the charters granted by William the
Conqueror to the monks of Battel in Sussex, upon his foundation
of their house. He obtained the territory of Brecknock by con-
quest, from Bleddyn ap Maenarch, the Welsh regulus thereof,
about the year 1092, soon after his countryman, Robert Fitzhamon,
had reduced the county of Glamorgan. He built the present
town of Brecknock, where he also founded a priory of Benedictine
monks. According to Leland, he was buried in the cloister of
the cathedral church at Gloucester, though the mutilated remains
of an effigy and monument are still ascribed to him in the priory
church at Brecknock.

2 Brecheinoc, now Brecknockshire, had three cantreds or hun-
dreds, and eight comots. — 1. Cantref Selef with the comots of
Selef and Trahayern. — 2. Cantref Canol, or the middle hundred,
with the comots Talgarth, Ystradwy, and Brwynlys, or Eglyws
Yail. — 3. Cantref Mawr, or the great hundred, with the comots
of Tir Raulff Llywel, and Cerrig Howel. — Powel's description of
Wales, p. 20.

Itinerary Through Wales 27

whom she owned as the legitimate child of Bernard; in
marriage to Milo Fitz-Walter,1 constable of Gloucester,
with the honour of Brecheinoc as a portion ; and he was
afterwards created earl of Hereford by the empress
Matilda, daughter of the said king. By this wife he had
five celebrated warriors; Roger, Walter, Henry, Wil-
liam, and Mahel; all of whom, by divine vengeance, or
by fatal misfortunes, came to untimely ends; and yet
each of them, except William, succeeded to the paternal
inheritance, but left no issue. Thus this woman (not
deviating from the nature of her sex), in order to satiate
her anger and revenge, with the heavy loss of modesty,
and with the disgrace of infamy, by the same act de-
prived her son of his patrimony, and herself of honour.
Nor is it wonderful if a woman follows her innate bad
disposition: for it is written in Ecclesiastes, " I have
found one good man out of a thousand, but not one good
woman; " and in Ecclesiasticus, " There is no head above
the head of a serpent; and there is no wrath above the
wrath of a woman; " and again, " Small is the wicked-
ness of man compared to the wickedness of woman."
And in the same manner, as we may gather grapes off
thorns, or figs off thistles, Tully, describing the nature
of women, says, " Men, perhaps, for the sake of some
advantage will commit one crime ; but woman, to gratify
one inclination, will not scruple to perpetrate all sorts
of wickedness." Thus Juvenal, speaking of women,
says,

" Nihil est audacior illis

Deprensis, iram atque animos a crimine sumunt.
Mulier saevissima tunc est

1 Milo was son to Walter, constable of England in the reign of
Henry I., and Emme his wife, one of the daughters of Dru de
Baladun, sister to Hameline de Baladun, a person of great note,
who came into England with William the Conqueror, and, being
the first lord of Overwent in the county of Monmouth, built the
castle of Abergavenny. He was wounded by an arrow while
hunting, on Christmas eve, in 1144, and was buried in the chapter-
house of Lanthoni, near Gloucester.

28 Giraldus Cambrensis

Cum stimulos animo pudor admovet.

collige, quod vindicta

Nemo magis gaudet quam foemina.

But of the five above-mentioned brothers and sons of earl
Milo, the youngest but one, and the last in the inherit-
ance, was the most remarkable for his inhumanity ; he
persecuted David II., bishop of St. David's, to such a
degree, by attacking his possessions, lands, and vassals,
that he was compelled to retire as an exile from the
district of Brecheinoc into England, or to some other
parts of his diocese. Meanwhile, Mahel, being hospitably
entertained by Walter de Clifford,1 in the castle of Brend-
lais,2 the house was by accident burned down, and he
received a mortal blow by a stone falling from the prin-
cipal tower on his head: upon which he instantly dis-
patched messengers to recal the bishop, and exclaimed
with a lamentable voice, " 0, my father and high priest,
your saint has taken most cruel vengeance of me, not
waiting the conversion of a sinner, but hastening his
death and overthrow." Having often repeated similar
expressions, and bitterly lamented his situation, he thus
ended his tyranny and life together; the first year of
his government not having elapsed.

A powerful and noble personage, by name Brachanus,
was in ancient times the ruler of the province of Brechei-
noc, and from him it derived this name. The British
histories testify that he had four-and-twenty daughters,

1 Walter de Clifford. The first of this ancient family was called
Ponce; he had issue three sons, Walter, Drogo or Dru, and
Richard. The Conqueror's survey takes notice of the two
former, but from Richard the genealogical line is preserved, who,
being called Richard de Pwns, obtained, as a gift from king Henry
I., the cantref Bychan. or little hundred, and the castle of Llan-
dovery, in Wales; he left three sons, Simon, Walter, and Richard.
The Walter de Clifford here mentioned was father to the celebrated
Fair Rosamond, the favourite of king Henry II.; and was suc-
ceeded by his eldest son, Walter, who married Margaret, daughter
to Llewelyn, prince of Wales, and widow of John de Braose.

2 Brendlais, or Brynllys, is a small village on the road between
Brecknock and Hay, where a stately round tower marks the site
of the ancient castle of the Cliffords, in which the tyrant Mahel
lost his life.

Itinerary Through Wales 29

all of whom, dedicated from their youth to religious
observances, happily ended their lives in sanctity.
There are many churches in Wales distinguished by their
names, one of which, situated on the summit of a hill,
near Brecheinoc, and not far from the castle of Aberhodni,
is called the church of St. Almedda,1 after the name of the
holy virgin, who, refusing there the hand of an earthly
spouse, married the Eternal King, and triumphed in a
happy martyrdom; to whose honour a solemn feast is
annually held in the beginning of August, and attended
by a large concourse of people from a considerable dis-
tance, when those persons who labour under various
diseases, through the merits of the Blessed Virgin, re-
ceived their wished -for health. The circumstances
which occur at every anniversary appear to me remark-
able. You may see men or girls, now in the church, now
in the churchyard, now in the dance, which is led round
the churchyard with a song, on a sudden falling on the
ground as in a trance, then jumping up as in a frenzy,
and representing with their hands and feet, before the
people, whatever work they have unlawfully done on
feast days; you may see one man put his hand to the
plough, and another, as it were, goad on the oxen, miti-
gating their sense of labour, by the usual rude song:2

1 St. Almedha, though not included in the ordinary lists, is said
to have been a daughter of Brychan, and sister to St. Canoe, and
to have borne the name of Elevetha, Aled, or Elyned, latinised
into Almedha. The Welsh genealogists say, that she suffered
martyrdom on a hill near Brecknock, where a chapel was erected
to her memory; and William of Worcester says she was buried
at Usk. Mr. Hugh Thomas (who wrote an essay towards the
history of Brecknockshire in the year 1698) speaks of the chapel as
standing, though unroofed and useless, in his time; the people
thereabouts call it St. Tayled. It was situated on an eminence,
about a mile to the eastward of Brecknock, and about half a mile
from a farm-house, formerly the mansion and residence of the
Aubreys, lords of the manor of Slwch, which lordship was be-
stowed upon Sir Reginald Awbrey by Bernard Newmarche, in the
reign of William Rufus. Some small vestiges of this building
may still be traced, and an aged yew tree, with a well at its foot,
marks the site near which the chapel formerly stood.

2 This same habit is still (in Sir Richard Colt Hoare's time) used
by the Welsh ploughboys; they have a sort of chaunt, consisting

30 Giraldus Cambrensis

one man imitating the profession of a shoemaker;
another, that of a tanner. Now you may see a girl with
a distaff, drawing out the thread, and winding it again
on the spindle; another walking, and arranging the
threads for the web; another, as it were, throwing the
shuttle, and seeming to weave. On being brought into
the church, and led up to the altar with their oblations,
you will be astonished to see them suddenly awakened,
and coming to themselves. Thus, by the divine mercy,
which rejoices in the conversion, not in the death, of
sinners, many persons from the conviction of their
senses, are on these feast days corrected and mended.

This country sufficiently abounds with grain, and if
there is any deficiency, it is amply supplied from the
neighbouring parts of England; it is well stored with
pastures, woods, and wild and domestic animals. River-
fish are plentiful, supplied by the Usk on one side, and
by the Wye on the other ; each of them produces salmon
and trout; but the Wye abounds most with the former,
the Usk with the latter. The salmon of the Wye are in
season during the winter, those of the Usk in summer;
but the Wye alone produces the fish called umber,1 the
praise of which is celebrated in the works of Ambrosius,
as being found in great numbers in the rivers near Milan ;
" What," says he, " is more beautiful to behold, more
agreeable to smell, or more pleasant to taste? ': The
famous lake of Brecheinoc supplies the country with
pike, perch, excellent trout, tench, and eels. A circum-
stance concerning this lake, which happened a short
time before our days, must not be passed over in silence.
" In the reign of king Henry I., Gruffydd,2 son of Rhys

of half or even quarter notes, which is sung to the oxen at plough:
the countrymen vulgarly supposing that the beasts are consoled
to work more regularly and patiently by such a lullaby.

1 The umber, or grayling, is still a plentiful and favourite fish
in the rivers on the Welsh border.

2 About the year 1113, "there was a talke through Sou.h
Wales, of Gruffyth, the sonne of Rees ap Theodor, who, for feare of
the king, had beene of a child brought up in Ireland, and had
come over two yeares passed, which time he had spent privilie

Itinerary Through Wales 3 1

ap Tewdwr, held under the king one comot, namely, the
fourth part of the cantred of Caoc,1 in the cantref Mawr,
which, in title and dignity, was esteemed by the Welsh
equal to the southern part of Wales, called Deheubarth,
that is, the right-hand side of Wales. When Gruffydd,
on his return from the king's court, passed near this lake,
which at that cold season of the year was covered with
water-fowl of various sorts, being accompanied by Milo,
earl of Hereford, and lord of Brecheinoc, and Payn
Fitz-John, lord of Ewyas, who were at that time secre-
taries and privy counsellors to the king; earl Milo, wish-
ing to draw forth from Gruffydd some discourse concern-
ing his innate nobility, rather jocularly than seriously

with his freends, kinsfolks, and affines; as with Gerald, steward
of Penbrooke, his brother-in-law, and others. But at the last he
was accused to the king, that he intended the kingdome of South
Wales as his father had enjoied it, which was now in the king's
hands; and that all the countrie hoped of libertie through him;
therefore the king sent to take him. But Gryffyth ap Rees hering
this, sent to Gruffyth ap Conan, prince of North Wales, desiring
him of his aid, and that he might remaine safelie within his
countrie; which he granted, and received him joiouslie for his
father's sake." He afterwards proved so troublesome and suc-
cessful an antagonist, that the king endeavoured by every possible
means to get him into his power. To Gruffyth ap Conan he
offered " mountaines of gold to send the said Gruffyth or his head
to him." And at a subsequent period, he sent for Owen ap-
Cadogan, and said to him, " Owen, I have found thee true and
faithful unto me, therefore I desire thee to take or kill that
murtherer, Gruffyth ap Rees, that doth so trouble my loving sub-
jects." But Gruffyth escaped all the snares which the king had
laid for him, and in the year 1137 died a natural and honourable
death; he is styled in the Welsh chronicle, " the light, honor, and
staie of South Wales; " and distinguished as the bravest, the
wisest, the most merciful, liberal, and just, of all the princes of
Wales. By his wife Gwenllian, the daughter of Gruffyth ap
Conan, be left a son, commonly called the lord Rhys, who met
the arch jishop at Radnor, as is related in the first chapter of this
Itinerary.

1 This cantref, which now bears the name of Caeo, is placed,
according to the ancient divisions of Wales, in the cantref Bychan,
or little hundred, and not in the Cantref Mawr, or great hundred.
A village between Lampeter in Cardiganshire and Llandovery in
Caermarthenshire, still bears the name of Cynwil Caeo, and, from
its picturesque situation and the remains of its mines, which were
probably worked by the Romans, deserves the notice of the
curious traveller.

32 Giraldus Cambrensis

thus addressed him: " It is an ancient saying in Wales,
that if the natural prince of the country, coming to this
lake, shall order the birds to sing, they will immediately
obey him." To which Gruffydd, richer in mind than
in gold, (for though his inheritance was diminished, his
ambition and dignity still remained), answered, " Do
you therefore, who now hold the dominion of this land,
first give the command; " but he and Payn having in
vain commanded, and Gruffydd, perceiving that it was
necessary for him to do so in his turn, dismounted from
his horse, and falling on his knees towards the east, as
if he had been about to engage in battle, prostrate on
the ground, with his eyes and hands uplifted to heaven,
poured forth devout prayers to the Lord: at length,
rising up, and signing his face and forehead with the
figure of the cross, he thus openly spake: " Almighty
God, and Lord Jesus Christ, who knowest all things,
declare here this day thy power. If thou hast caused me
to descend lineally from the natural princes of Wales, I
command these birds in thy name to declare it; " and
immediately the birds, beating the water with their
wings, began to cry aloud, and proclaim him. The
spectators were astonished and confounded; and earl
Milo hastily returning with Payn Fitz-John to court,
related this singular occurrence to the king, who is said
to have replied, " By the death of Christ (an oath he
was accustomed to use), it is not a matter of so much
wonder; for although by our great authority we commit
acts of violence and wrong against these people, yet they
are known to be the rightful inheritors of this land."
The lake also 1 (according to the testimony of the in-

1 The lake of Brecheinoc bears the several names of Llyn Savad-
dan, Brecinau-mere, Llangorse, andTalyllyn Pool, the two latter of
which are derived from the names of parishes on its banks. It is
a large, though by no means a beautiful, piece of water, its banks
being low and flat, and covered with rushes and other aquatic
plants to a considerable distance from the shore. Pike, perch,
and eels are the common fish of this water; tench and trout are
rarely, I believe, (if ever), taken in it. The notion of its naving
swallowed up an ancient city is not yet quite exploded by the

Itinerary Through Wales 33

habitants) is celebrated for its miracles ; for, as we have
before observed, it sometimes assumed a greenish hue,
so in our days it has appeared to be tinged with red, not
universally, but as if blood flowed partially through
certain veins and small channels. Moreover it is some-
times seen by the inhabitants covered and adorned with
buildings, pastures, gardens, and orchards. In the
winter, when it is frozen over, and the surface of the
water is converted into a shell of ice, it emits a horrible
sound resembling the moans of many animals collected
together; but this, perhaps, may be occasioned by the
sudden bursting of the shell, and the gradual ebullition
of the air through imperceptible channels. This country
is well sheltered on every side (except the northern) by
high mountains; on the western by those of cantref
Bychan;1 on the southern, by that range, of which the
principal is Cadair Arthur,2 or the chair of Arthur, so

natives ; and some will even attribute the name of Loventium to
it ; which is with much greater certainty fixed at Llanio-isau,
between Lampeter and Tregaron, in Cardiganshire, on the
northern banks of the river Teivi, where there are very consider-
able and undoubted remains of a large Roman city. The legend
of the town at the bottom of the lake is at the same time very old.

1 That chain of mountains which divides Brecknockshire from
Caermarthenshire, over which the turnpike road formerly passed
from Trecastle to Llandovery, and from which the river Usk
derives its source.

2 This mountain is now called, by way of eminence, the Van,
or the height, but more commonly, by country people, Bannau
Brycheinog, or the Brecknock heights, alluding to its two peaks.
Our author, Giraldus, seems to have taken his account of the
spring, on the summit of this mountain, from report, rather than
from ocular testimony. I (Sir R. Colt Hoare) examined the
summits of each peak very attentively, and could discern no
spring whatever. The soil is peaty and very boggy. On the
declivity of the southern side of the mountain, and at no consider-
able distance from the summit, is a spring of very fine water,
which my guide assured me never failed. On the north-west side
of the mountain is a round pool, in which possibly trout may
have been sometimes found, but, from the muddy nature of its
waters, I do not think it very probable; from this pool issues a
small brook, which falls precipitously down the sides of the moun-
tain, and pursuing its course through a narrow and well-wooded
valley, forms a pretty cascade near a rustic bridge which traverses
it. I am rather inclined to think, that Giraldus confounded in
his account the spring and the pool together.

C

34 Giraldus Cambrensis

called from two peaks rising up in the form of a chair,
and which, from its lofty situation, is vulgarly ascribed
to Arthur, the most distinguished king of the Britons.
A spring of water rises on the summit of this mountain,
deep, but of a square shape, like a well, and although
no stream runs from it, trout are said to be sometimes
found in it.

Being thus sheltered on the south by high mountains,
the cooler breezes protect this district from the heat
of the sun, and, by their natural salubrity, render the
climate most temperate. Towards the east are the
mountains of Talgarth and Ewyas.1 The natives of
these parts, actuated by continual enmities and im-
placable hatred, are perpetually engaged in bloody con-
tests. But we leave to others to describe the great and
enormous excesses, which in our time have been here
committed, with regard to marriages, divorces, and
many other circumstances of cruelty and oppression.

CHAPTER III

EWYAS AND LLANTHONI

In the deep vale of Ewyas,2 which is about an arrow-shot
broad, encircled on all sides by lofty mountains, stands

1 The first of these are now styled the Black Mountains, of
which the Gadair Fawr is the principal, and is only secondary to
the Van in height. The Black Mountains are an extensive range
of hills rising to the east of Talgarth, in the several parishes of
Talgarth, Llaneliew, and Llanigorn, in the county of Brecknock,
and connected with the heights of Ewyas. The most elevated
point is called Y Gadair, and, excepting the Brecknock Van (the
Cadair Arthur of Giraldus), is esteemed the highest mountain in
South Wales. The mountains of Ewyas are those now called
the Hatterel Hills, rising above the monastery of Llanthoni, and
joining the Black Mountains of Talgarth at Capel y Ffin, or the
chapel upon the boundary, near which the counties of Hereford,
Brecknock, and Monmouth form a point of union. But English
writers have generally confounded all distinction, calling them
indiscriminately the Black Mountains, or the Hatterel Hills.

2 If we consider the circumstances of this chapter, it will appear

Itinerary Through Wales 35

the church of Saint John the Baptist, covered with lead,
and built of wrought stone ; and, considering the nature
of the place, not unhandsomely constructed, on the
very spot where the humble chapel of David, the arch-
bishop, had formerly stood decorated only with moss
and ivy. A situation truly calculated for religion, and
more adapted to canonical discipline, than all the
monasteries of the British isle. It was founded by two
hermits, in honour of the retired life, far removed from
the bustle of mankind, in a solitary vale watered by the
river Hodeni. From Hodeni it was called Lanhodeni, for
Lan signifies an ecclesiastical place. This derivation
may appear far-fetched, for the name of the place, in
Welsh, is Nanthodeni. Nant signifies a running stream,,
from whence this place is still called by the inhabitants
Landewi Nanthodeni,1 or the church of Saint David
upon the river Hodeni. The English therefore corruptly
call it Lanthoni, whereas it should either be called Nan-
thodeni, that is, the brook of the Hodeni, or Lanhodeni,
the church upon the Hodeni. Owing to its mountainous
situation, the rains are frequent, the winds boisterous,

very evidently, that the vale of Ewyas made no part of the actual
Itinerary.

1 Landewi Nant Hodeni, or the church of St. David on the
Hodni, is now better known by the name of Llanthoni abbey. A
small and rustic chapel, dedicated to St. David, at first occupied
the site of this abbey; in the year 1103, William de Laci, a Nor-
man knight, having renounced the pleasures of the world, retired
to this sequestered spot, where he was joined in his austere pro-
fession by Ernicius, chaplain to queen Maude. In the year 1108,
these hermits erected a mean church in the place of their hermit-
age, which was consecrated by Urban, bishop of Llandaff, and
Rameline, bishop of Hereford, and dedicated to St. John the
Baptist: having afterward received very considerable benefac-
tions from Hugh de Laci, and gained the consent of Anselm, arch-
bishop of Canterbury, these same hermits founded a magnificent
monastery for Black canons, of the order of St. Augustine, which
they immediately filled with forty monks collected from the
monasteries of the Holy Trinity in London, Merton in Surrey,
and Colchester in Essex. They afterwards removed to Gloucester,
where they built a church and spacious monastery, which, aftei
the name of their former residence, they called Llanthoni; it was
consecrated a.d. 1136, by Simon, bishop of Worcester, and Robert.
Betun bishop of Hereford, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.j

36

Giraldus Cambrensis

and the clouds in winter almost continual. The air,
though heavy, is healthy ; and diseases are so rare, that
the brotherhood, when worn out by long toil and afflic-
tion during their residence with the daughter, retiring
to this asylum, and to their mother's l lap, soon regain
their long-wished-for health. For as my Topographical
History of Ireland testifies, in proportion as we proceed
to the eastward, the face of the sky is more pure and
subtile, and the air more piercing and inclement; but
as we draw nearer to the westward, the air becomes more
cloudy, but at the same time is more temperate and
healthy. Here the monks, sitting in their cloisters, en-
joying the fresh air, when they happen to look up towards
the horizon, behold the tops of the mountains, as it were,
touching the heavens, and herds of wild deer feeding on
their summits: the body of the sun does not become
visible above the heights of the mountains, even in a
clear atmosphere, till about the hour of prime, or a little
before. A place truly fitted for contemplation, a happy
and delightful spot, fully competent, from its first estab-
lishment, to supply -all its own wants, had not the ex-
travagance of English luxury, the pride of a sumptuous
table, the increasing growth of intemperance and in-
gratitude, added to the negligence of its patrons and
prelates, reduced it from freedom to servility ; and if the
step-daughter, no less enviously than odiously, had not
supplanted her mother.

It seems worthy of remark, that all the priors who were
hostile to this establishment, died by divine visitation.
William,2 who first despoiled the place of its herds and
storehouses, being deposed by the fraternity, forfeited
bis right of sepulture amongst the priors. Clement

1 The titles of mother and daughter are here applied to the
mother church in Wales, and the daughter near Gloucester.

2 William of Wycumb, the fourth prior of Llanthoni, succeeded
to Robert de Braci, who was obliged to quit the monastery, on
account of the hostile molestation it received from the Welsh.
To him succeeded Clement, the sub-prior, and to Clement, Roger
•de Norwich.

Itinerary Through Wales 37

seemed to like this place of study and prayer, yet, after
the example of Heli the priest, as he neither reproved
nor restrained his brethren from plunder and other
offences, he died by a paralytic stroke. And Roger,
who was more an enemy to this place than either of his
predecessors, and openly carried away every thing which
they had left behind, wholly robbing the church of its
books, ornaments, and privileges, was also struck with
a paralytic affection long before his death, resigned his
honours, and lingered out the remainder of his days in
sickness.

In the reign of king Henry I., when the mother church
was as celebrated for her affluence as for her sanctity
(two qualities which are seldom found thus united), the
daughter not yet being in existence (and I sincerely wish
she never had been produced), the fame of so much
religion attracted hither Roger, bishop of Salisbury, who
was at that time prime minister; for it is virtue to love
virtue, even in another man, and a great proof of innate
goodness to show a detestation of those vices which
hitherto have not been avoided. When he had reflected
with admiration on the nature of the place, the solitary
life of the fraternity, living in canonical obedience, and
serving God without a murmur or complaint, he returned
to the king, and related to him what he thought most
worthy of remark; and after spending the greater part
of the day in the praises of this place, he finished his
panegyric with these words: " Why should I say more?
the whole treasure of the king and his kingdom would
not be sufficient to build such a cloister." Having held
the minds of the king and the court for a long time in
suspense by this assertion, he at length explained the
enigma, by saying that he alluded to the cloister of
mountains, by which this church is on every side sur-
rounded. But William, a knight, who first discovered
this place, and his companion Ervistus, a priest, having
heard, perhaps, as it is written in the Fathers, according
to the opinion of Jerome, " that the church of Christ

38 Giraldus Cambrensis

decreased in virtues as it increased in riches/' were
accustomed often devoutly to solicit the Lord that this
place might never attain great possessions. They were
exceedingly concerned when this religious foundation
hegan to be enriched by its first lord and patron, Hugh
de Lacy,1 and by the lands and ecclesiastical benefices
conferred upon it by the bounty of others of the faithful :
from their predilection to poverty, they rejected many
offers of manors and churches; and being situated in a
wild spot, they would not suffer the thick and wooded
parts of the valley to be cultivated and levelled, lest they
should be tempted to recede from their heremitical mode
of life.

But whilst the establishment of the mother church in-
creased daily in riches and endowments, availing herself
of the hostile state of the country, a rival daughter
sprang up at Gloucester, under the protection of Milo,
earl of Hereford ; as if by divine providence, and through
the merits of the saints and prayers of those holy men
(of whom two lie buried before the high altar), it were
destined that the daughter church should be founded in
superfluities, whilst the mother continued in that laud-
able state of mediocrity which she had always affected
and coveted. Let the active therefore reside there, the
contemplative here; there the pursuit of terrestrial
riches, here the love of celestial delights; there let them
enjoy the concourse of men, here the presence of angels;
there let the powerful of this world be entertained, here
let the poor of Christ be relieved; there, I say, let human
actions and declamations be heard, but here let reading
and prayers be heard only in whispers; there let opu-

1 Walter de Laci came into England with William the Con-
queror, and left three sons, Roger, Hugh, and Walter. Hugh de
Laci was the lord of Ewyas, and became afterwards the founder
of the convent of Llanthoni; his elder brother, Robert, held also
four caracutes of land within the limits of the castle of Ewyas,
which king William had bestowed on Walter, his father; but
joining in rebellion against William Rufus, he was banished the
kingdom, and all his lands were given to his brother Hugh, who
died without issue.

Itinerary Through Wales 39

lence, the parent and nurse of vice, increase with cares,
here let the virtuous and golden mean be all-sufficient.
In both places the canonical discipline instituted by
Augustine, which is now distinguished above all other
orders, is observed; for the Benedictines, when their
wealth was increased by the fervour of charity, and
multiplied by the bounty of the faithful, under the pre-
text of a bad dispensation, corrupted by gluttony and
indulgence an order which in its original state of poverty
was held in high estimation. The Cistercian order,
derived from the former, at first deserved praise and
commendation from its adhering voluntarily to the
original vows of poverty and sanctity: until ambition,
the blind mother of mischief, unable to fix bounds to
prosperity, was introduced; for as Seneca says, " Too
great happiness makes men greedy, nor are their desires
ever so temperate, as to terminate in what is acquired: "
a step is made from great things to greater, and men
having attained what they did not expect, form the most
unbounded hopes; to which the poet Ovid thus alludes:

" Luxuriant animi rebus plerumque secundis,
Nee facile est aequa commoda mente pati ;

And again:

Creverunt opes et opum furiosa cupido,

Et cum possideant plurima, plura petunt."

And also the poet Horace:

scilicet improbas

Crescunt divitias, tamen

Curta3 nescio quid semper abest rei.
Crescentem sequitur cura pecuniam

Majorumque fames."

To which purpose the poet Lucan says :

-O vita? tuta facultas

Pauperis, angustique lares, o munera nondum
Intellecta Deum! "

4-0 Giraldus Cambrensis

And Petronius:

Non bibit inter aquas nee poma fugacia carpit
Tantalus infelix, quem sua vota premunt.

Divitis hie magni facies erit, omnia late
Qui tenet, et sicco concoquit ore famem."

The mountains are full of herds and horses, the woods
well stored with swine and goats, the pastures with sheep,
the plains with cattle, the arable fields with ploughs;
and although these things in very deed are in great
abundance, yet each of them, from the insatiable nature
of the mind, seems too narrow and scanty. Therefore
lands are seized, landmarks removed, boundaries in-
vaded, and the markets in consequence abound with
merchandise, the courts of justice with law-suits, and the
senate with complaints. Concerning such things, we
read in Isaiah, " Woe unto them that join house to
house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that
they be placed alone in the midst of the earth."

If therefore, the prophet inveighs so much against
those who proceed to the boundaries, what would he say
to those who go far beyond them? From these and
other causes, the true colour of religion was so converted
into the dye of falsehood, that manners internally black
assumed a fair exterior:

" Qui color albus erat, nunc est contrarius albo."

So that the scripture seems to be fulfilled concerning
these men, " Beware of false prophets, who come to you
in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous
wolves." But I am inclined to think this avidity does
not proceed from any bad intention. For the monks of
this Order (although themselves most abstemious) in-
cessantly exercise, more than any others, the acts of
charity and beneficence towards trie poor and strangers;
and because they do not live as others upon fixed in-
comes, but depend only on their labour and forethought
for subsistence, they are anxious to obtain lands, farms,

Itinerary Through Wales 41

and pastures, which may enable them to perform these
acts of hospitality. However, to repress and remove
from this sacred Order the detestable stigma of ambi-
tion, I wish they would sometimes call to mind what is
written in Ecclesiasticus, " Whoso bringeth an offering of
the goods of the poor, doth as one that killeth the son
before his father's eyes;" and also the sentiment of
Gregory, " A good use does not justify things badly
acquired; " and also that of Ambrose, " He who wrong-
fully receives, that he may well dispense, is rather
burthened than assisted." Such men seem to say with
the Apostle, " Let us do evil that good may come."'
For it is written, " Mercy ought to be of such a nature
as may be received, not rejected, which may purge away
sins, not make a man guilty before the Lord, arising from
your own just labours, not those of other men." Hear
what Solomon says; " Honour the Lord from your just
labours." What shall they say who have seized upon
other men's possessions, and exercised charity? " O
Lord! in thy name we have done charitable deeds, we
have fed the poor, clothed the naked, and hospitably
received the stranger: " to whom the Lord will answer;
" Ye speak of what ye have given away, but speak not
of the rapine ye have committed; ye relate concerning
those ye have fed, and remember not those ye have
killed." I have judged it proper to insert in this place
an instance of an answer which Richard, king of the
English, made to Fulke,1 a good and holy man, by whom

1 This anecdote is thus related by the historian Hollinshed :
" Hereof it came on a time, whiles the king sojourned in France
about his warres, which he held against king Philip, there came
unto him a French priest, whose name was Fulco, who required
the king in anywise to put from him three abominable daughters
which he had, and to bestow them in marriage, least God punished
him for them. ' Thou liest, hypocrite (said the king), to thy
verie face; for all the world knoweth I have not one daughter.'
' I lie not (said the priest), for thou hast three daughters: one of
them is called Pride, the second Covetousness, and the third
Lecherie.' With that the king called to him his lords and barons,
and said to them, ' This hypocrite heere hath required me to
marry awaie my three daughters, which (as he saith) I cherish,

42 Giraldus Cambrensis

'God in these our days has wrought many signs in the
kingdom of France. This man had among other things
said to the king; " You have three daughters, namely,
Pride, Luxury, and Avarice; and as long as they shall
remain with you, you can never expect to be in favour
with God." To which the king, after a short pause,
replied: " I have already given away those daughters in
marriage: Pride to the Templars, Luxury to the Black
Monks, and Avarice to the White." It is a remarkable
circumstance, or rather a miracle, concerning Lanthoni,
that, although it is on every side surrounded by lofty
mountains, not stony or rocky, but of a soft nature, and
covered with grass, Parian stones are frequently found
there, and are called free-stones, from the facility with
which they admit of being cut and polished; and with
these the church is beautifully built. It is also wonder-
ful, that when, after a diligent search, all the stones have
been removed from the mountains, and no more can be
found, upon another search, a few days afterwards, they
reappear in greater quantities to those who seek them.
With respect to the two Orders, the Cluniac and the
Cistercian, this may be relied upon; although the latter
are possessed of fine buildings, with ample revenues and
estates, they will soon be reduced to poverty and destruc-
tion. To the former, on the contrary, you would allot a
barren desert and a solitary wood ; yet in a few years you
will find them in possession of sumptuous churches and
houses, and encircled with an extensive property. The
difference of manners (as it appears to me) causes this
contrast. For as without meaning offence to either
party, I shall speak the truth, the one feels the benefits

nourish, foster, and mainteine; that is to say, Pride, Covetous-
ness, and Lecherie: and now that I have found out necessarie
and fit husbands for them, I will do it with effect, and seeke no
more delaies. I therefore bequeath my pride to the high-minded
Templars and Hospitallers, which are as proud as Lucifer him-
selfe; my covetousness I give unto the White Monks, otherwise
called of the Cisteaux Order, for they covet the divell and all;
my lecherie I commit to the prelats of the church, who have most
pleasure and felicitie therein.' "

Itinerary Through Wales 43

of sobriety, parsimony, and prudence, whilst the other
suffers from the bad effects of gluttony and intemperance :
the one, like bees, collect their stores into a heap, and
unanimously agree in the disposal of one well-regulated
purse; the others pillage and divert to improper uses
the largesses which have been collected by divine
assistance, and by the bounties of the faithful; and
whilst each individual consults solely his own interest,
the welfare of the community suffers; since, as Sallust
observes, " Small things increase by concord, and the
greatest are wasted by discord." Besides, sooner than
lessen the number of one of the thirteen or fourteen
dishes which they claim by right of custom, or even in a
time of scarcity or famine recede in the smallest degree
from their accustomed good fare, they would suffer the
richest lands and the best buildings of the monastery to
become a prey to usury, and the numerous poor to perish
before their gates.

The first of these Orders, at a time when there was a
deficiency in grain, with a laudable charity, not only
gave away their flocks and herds, but resigned to the
poor one of the two dishes with which they were always
contented. But in these our days, in order to remove
this stain, it is ordained by the Cistercians, " That in
future neither farms nor pastures shall be purchased;
and that they shall be satisfied with those alone which
have been freely and unconditionally bestowed upon
them." This Order, therefore, being satisfied more than
any other with humble mediocrity, and, if not wholly,
yet in a great degree checking their ambition; and
though placed in a worldly situation, yet avoiding, as
much as possible, its contagion; neither notorious for
gluttony or drunkenness, for luxury or lust; is fearful
and ashamed of incurring public scandal, as will be more
fully explained in the book we mean (by the grace of
God) to write concerning the ecclesiastical Orders.

In these temperate regions I have obtained (according
to the usual expression) a place of dignity, but no great

44 Giraldus Cambrensis

omen of future pomp or riches; and possessing a small
residence l near the castle of Brecheinoc, well adapted to
literary pursuits, and to the contemplation of eternity,
I envy not the riches of Croesus; happy and contented
with that mediocrity, which I prize far beyond all the
perishable and transitory things of this world. But let
us return to our subject.

CHAPTER IV

THE JOURNEY BY COED GRONO AND ABERGEVENNI

From thence 2 we proceeded through the narrow, woody
tract called the bad pass of Coed Grono, leaving the

1 This small residence of the archdeacon was at Landeu, a place
which has been described before: the author takes this oppor-
tunity of hinting at his love of literature, religion, and mediocrity.

2 The last chapter having been wholly digressive, we must now
recur back to Brecknock, or rather, perhaps, to our author's
residence at Landeu, where we left him, and from thence accom-
pany him to Abergavenny. It appears that from Landeu he
took the road to Talgarth, a small village a little to the south east
of the road leading from Brecknock to Hay; from whence, climb-
ing up a steep ascent, now called Rhiw Cwnstabl, or the Con-
stable's ascent, he crossed the black mountains of Llaneliew to
the source of the Gronwy-fawr river, which rises in that eminence,
and pursues its rapid course into the Vale of Usk. From thence
a rugged and uneven track descends suddenly into a narrow glen,
formed by the torrent of the Gronwy, between steep, impending
mountains; bleak and barren for the first four or five miles, but
afterwards wooded to the very margin of the stream. A high
ledge of grassy hills on the left hand, of which the principal is
called the Bal, or Y Fal, divides this formidable pass (the " Malus
passus " of Giraldus) from the vale of Ewyas, in which stands the
noble monastery of Llanthoni, " montibus suis inclusum," en-
circled by its mountains. The road at length emerging from this
deep recess of Coed Grono, or Cwm Gronwy. the vale of the river
Gronwy, crosses the river at a place called Pont Escob, or the
Bishop's bridge, probably so called from this very circumstance
of its having been now passed by the archbishop and his suite,
and is continued through the forest of Moel, till it joins the Here-
ford road, about two miles from Abergavenny. This formidable
defile is at least nine miles in length.

Itinerary Through Wales 45

noble monastery of Lanthoni, inclosed by its moun-
tains, on our left. The castle of Abergevenni is so called
from its situation at the confluence of the river Gevenni
with the Usk.

It happened a short time after the death of king Henry
I., that Richard de Clare, a nobleman of high birth, and
lord of Cardiganshire, passed this way on his journey
from England into Wales, accompanied by Brian de
Wallingford, lord of this province, and many men-at-
arms. At the passage of Coed Grono,1 and at the
entrance into the wood, he dismissed him and his atten-
dants, though much against their will, and proceeded on
his journey unarmed; from too great a presumption of
security, preceded only by a minstrel and a singer, one
accompanying the other on the fiddle. The Welsh
awaiting his arrival, with Iorwerth, brother of Morgan
of Caerleon, at their head, and others of his family,
rushed upon him unawares from the thickets, and killed
him and many of his followers. Thus it appears how
incautious and neglectful of itself is too great presump-
tion; for fear teaches foresight and caution in pros-
perity, but audacity is precipitate, and inconsiderate
rashness will not await the advice of the leader.

1 In the vale of the Gronwy, about a mile above Pont Escob,
there is a wood called Coed Dial, or the Wood of Revenge. Here
again, by the modern name of the place, we are enabled to fix the
very spot on which Richard de Clare was murdered. The Welsh
Chronicle informs us, that " in 1135, Morgan ap Owen, a man of
considerable quality and estate in Wales, remembering the wrong
and injury he had received at the hands of Richard Fitz-Gilbert,
slew him, together with bis son Gilbert." The first of this great
family, Richard de Clare, was the eldest son of Gislebert, sur-
named Crispin, earl of Brion, in Normandy. This Richard Fitz-
Gilbert came into England with William the Conqueror, and
received from him great advancement in honour and possessions.
On the death of the Conqueror, favouring the cause of Robert
Curthose, he rebelled against William Rufus, but when that king
appeared in arms before his castle at Tunbridge, he submitted;
after which, adhering to Rufus against Robert, in 1091, he was
taken prisoner, and shortly after the death of king Henry I., was
assassinated, on his journey through Wales, in the manner already
related.

46

Giraldus Cambrensis

A sermon having been delivered at Abergevenni,1 and
many persons converted to the cross, a certain noble-
man of those parts, named Arthenus, came to the arch-
bishop, who was proceeding towards the castle of Usk,
and humbly begged pardon for having neglected to meet
him sooner. Being questioned whether he would take
the cross, he replied, " That ought not be done without
the advice of his friends." The archbishop then asked
him, " Are you not going to consult your wife? " To
which he modestly answered, with a downcast look,
" When the work of a man is to be undertaken, the
counsel of a woman ought not to be asked; " and in-
stantly received the cross from the archbishop.

We leave to others the relation of those frequent and
cruel excesses which in our times have arisen amongst
the inhabitants of these parts, against the governors of
castles, and the vindictive retaliations of the governors
against the natives. But king Henry II. was the true
author, and Ranulf Poer, sheriff of Hereford, the instru-
ment, of the enormous cruelties and slaughter perpe-
trated here in our days, which I thought better to omit,

1 Hamelin, son of Dru de Baladun, who came into England with
William the Conqueror, was the first lord of Over- Went, and built
a castle at Abergavenny, on the same spot where, according to
ancient tradition, a giant called Agros had erected a fortress. He
died in the reign of William Rufus, and was buried in the priory
which he had founded at Abergavenny; having no issue, he gave
the aforesaid castle and lands to Brian de Insula, or Brian de
Wallingford, his nephew, by his sister Lucia. The enormous
excesses mentioned by Giraldus, as having been perpetrated in
this part of Wales during his time, seem to allude to a transaction
that took place in the castle of Abergavenny, in the year 1176,
which is thus related by two historians, Matthew Paris and Hol-
linshed. " a.d. 1176, The same yeare, William de Breause having
got a great number of Welshmen into the castle of Abergavennie,
under a colourable pretext of communication, proposed this
ordinance to be received of them with a corporall oth, ' That no
traveller by the waie amongst them should beare any bow, or
other unlawful weapon,' which oth, when they refused to take,
because they would not stand to that ordinance, he condemned
them all to death. This deceit he used towards them, in revenge
of the death of his uncle Henrie of Hereford, whom upon Easter-
even before they had through treason murthered, and were now
acquited was the like againe." — Hollinshed, torn. ii. p. 95.

Itinerary Through Wales 47

lest bad men should be induced to follow the example;
for although temporary advantage may seem to arise
from a base cause, yet, by the balance of a righteous
judge, the punishment of wickedness may be deferred,
though not totally avoided, according to the words of
the poet, —

" Non habet eventus sordida prasda bonos."

For after seven years of peace and tranquillity, the sons,
and grandsons of the deceased, having attained the
age of manhood, took advantage of the absence of the
lord of the castle (Abergevenni), and, burning with re-
venge, concealed themselves, with no inconsiderable force,,
during the night, within the woody foss of the castle.
One of them, name Sisillus (Sitsylt) son of Eudaf, on the
preceding day said rather jocularly to the constable,
" Here will we enter this night," pointing out to him a.
certain angle in the wall where it seemed the lowest; but
since

" Ridendo dicere verum

Quis vetat? "

and

" fas est et ab hoste doceri,"

the constable and his household watched all night under
arms, till at length, worn out by fatigue, they all retired
to rest on the appearance of daylight, upon which the
enemy attacked the walls with scaling-ladders, at the
very place that had been pointed out. The constable
and his wife were taken prisoners, with many others, a
few persons only escaping, who had sheltered themselves
in the principal tower. With the exception of this
stronghold, the enemy violently seized and burned every-
thing; and thus, by the righteous judgment of God, the
crime was punished in the very place where it had been
committed. A short time after the taking of this
fortress, when the aforesaid sheriff was building a castle.-

48

Giraldus Cambrensis

at Landinegat,1 near Monmouth, with the assistance of
the army he had brought from Hereford, he was attacked
at break of day, when

" Tythoni croceum linquens Aurora cubile "

was only beginning to divest herself of the shades of
night, by the young men from Gwent and the adjacent
parts, with the descendants of those who had been slain.
Though aware of this premeditated attack, and prepared
and drawn up in battle array, they were nevertheless
repulsed within their intrenchments, and the sheriff,
together with nine of the chief men of Hereford, and
many others, were pierced to death with lances. It is
remarkable that, although Ranulf, besides many other
mortal wounds, had the veins and arteries of his neck,
and his windpipe separated with a sword, he made signs
for a priest, and from the merit of his past life, and the
honour and veneration he had shewn to those chosen into
the sacred order of Christ, he was confessed, and received
extreme unction before he died. And, indeed, many
events concur to prove that, as those who respect the
priesthood, in their latter days enjoy the satisfaction of
friendly intercourse, so do their revilers and accusers
often die without that consolation. William de Braose,
who was not the author of the crime we have preferred
passing over in silence, but the executioner, or, rather,
not the preventer of its execution, while the murderous
bands were fulfilling the orders they had received, was
precipitated into a deep foss, and being taken by the
enemy, was drawn forth, and only by a sudden effort of
his own troops, and by divine mercy, escaped uninjured.
Hence it is evident that he who offends in a less degree,
and unwillingly permits a thing to be done, is more
mildly punished than he who adds counsel and authority
to his act. Thus, in the sufferings of Christ, Judas was

1 Landinegat, or the church of St. Dingad, is now better known
by the name of Dingatstow, or Dynastow, a village near Mon-
; mouth.

Itinerary Through Wales 49

punished with hanging, the Jews with destruction and
banishment, and Pilate with exile. But the end of the
king, who assented to and ordered this treachery, suffi-
ciently manifested in what manner, on account of this
and many other enormities he had committed (as in the
book " De Instructione Principis," by God's guidance,
we shall set forth), he began with accumulated ignominy,
sorrow, and confusion, to suffer punishment in this world.1
It seems worthy of remark, that the people of what is
called Venta 2 are more accustomed to war, more famous
for valour, and more expert in archery, than those of any
other part of Wales. The following examples prove the
truth of this assertion. In the last capture of the afore-
said castle, which happened in our days, two soldiers
passing over a bridge to take refuge in a tower built on
a mound of earth, the Welsh, taking them in the rear,
penetrated with their arrows the oaken portal of the
tower, which was four fingers thick ; in memory of which
circumstance, the arrows were preserved in the gate.
William de Braose also testifies that one of his soldiers,
in a conflict with the Welsh, was wounded by an arrow,
which passed through his thigh and the armour with
which it was cased on both sides, and, through that part
of the saddle which is called the alva, mortally wounded
the horse. Another soldier had his hip, equally sheathed
in armour, penetrated by an arrow quite to the saddle,
and on turning his horse round, received a similar wound
on the opposite hip, which fixed him on both sides of his
seat. What more could be expected from a balista?
Yet the bows used by this people are not made of horn,

1 [For the end of William de Braose, see note on p. 19.]
■ Leland divides this district into Low, Middle, and High Vente-
land, extending from Chepstow to Newport on one side, and to
Abergavenny on the other; the latter of which, he says, " maketh
the cumpace of Hye Venteland." He adds, " The soyle of al
Venteland is of a darke reddische yerth ful of slaty stones, and
other greater of the same color. The countrey is also sumwhat
montayneus, and welle replenishid with woodes, also very fertyle
of corne, but men there study more to pastures, the which be well
inclosed." — Leland, Itin. torn. v. p. 6. Ancient Gwentland is
now comprised within the county of Monmouth.

D

50 Giraldus Cambrensis

ivory, or yew, but of wild elm; unpolished, rude, and
uncouth, but stout; not calculated to shoot an arrow
to a great distance, but to inflict very severe wounds in
close fight.

But let us again return to our Itinerary.

CHAPTER V

OF THE PROGRESS BY THE CASTLE OF USK AND THE
TOWN OF CAERLEON

At the castle of Usk, a multitude of persons influenced by
the archbishop's sermon, and by the exhortations of the
good and worthy William bishop of Landaf,1 who faith-
fully accompanied us through his diocese, were signed
with the cross ; Alexander archdeacon of Bangor 2 acting
as interpreter to the Welsh. It is remarkable that many
of the most notorious murderers, thieves, and robbers of
the neighbourhood were here converted, to the astonish-
ment of the spectators. Passing from thence through
Caerleon, and leaving far on our left hand the castle of
Monmouth, and the noble forest of Dean, situated on the
other side of the Wye and on this side the Severn, and
which amply supplies Gloucester with iron and venison,
we spent the night at Newport, having crossed the river
Usk three times.3 Caerleon means the city of Legions,
Caer, in the British language, signifying a city or camp,
for there the Roman legions, sent into this island, were
accustomed to winter, and from this circumstance it was
styled the city of legions. This city was of undoubted

1 William de Salso Marisco, who succeeded to the bishopric of
Llandaff, a.d. 1185, and presided over that see during the time
of Baldwin's visitation, in 11 88.

2 Alexander was the fourth archdeacon of the see of Bangor.

3 Once at Usk, then at Caerleon, and afterwards on entering
the town of Newport.

Itinerary Through Wales 5 1

antiquity, and handsomely built of masonry, with
courses of bricks, by the Romans. Many vestiges of its
former splendour may yet be seen; immense palaces,
formerly ornamented with gilded roofs, in imitation of
Roman magnificence, inasmuch as they were first raised
by the Roman princes, and embellished with splendid
buildings; a tower of prodigious size, remarkable hot
baths, relics of temples, and theatres, all inclosed within
fine walls, parts of which remain standing. You will
find on all sides, both within and without the circuit of
the walls, subterraneous buildings, aqueducts, under-
ground passages; and what I think worthy of notice,
stoves contrived with wonderful art, to transmit the heat
insensibly through narrow tubes passing up the side walls.

Julius and Aaron, after suffering martyrdom, were
buried in this city, and had each a church dedicated
to him. After Albanus and Amphibalus, they were
esteemed the chief protomartyrs of Britannia Major.
In ancient times there were three fine churches in this
city : one dedicated to Julius the martyr, graced with a
choir of nuns; another to Aaron, his associate, and en-
nobled with an order of canons; and the third distin-
guished as the metropolitan of Wales. Amphibalus, the
instructor of Albanus in the true faith, was born in this
place. This city is well situated on the river Usk, navi-
gable to the sea, and adorned with woods and meadows.
The Roman ambassadors here received their audience at
the court of the great king Arthur; and here also, the
archbishop Dubricius ceded his honours to David of
Menevia, the metropolitan see being translated from this
place to Menevia, according to the prophecy of Merlin
Ambrosius; " Menevia pallio urbis Legionum induetur."
" Menevia shall be invested with the pall of the city of
Legions."

Not far hence is a rocky eminence, impending over the
Severn, called by the English Gouldcliffe,1 or golden rock,

1 Gouldcliffe, or Goldcliff, is situated a few miles S.E. of New-
port, on the banks of the Severn. In the year 1113, Robert de

52 Giraldus Cambrensis

because from the reflections of the sun's rays it assumes a
bright golden colour:

" Nee mihi de facili fieri persuasio posset,
Quod frustra tantum dederit natura nito rem
Saxis, quodque suo fuerit flos hie sine fructu."

Nor can I be easily persuaded that nature hath given
such splendour to the rocks in vain, and that this flower
should be without fruit, if any one would take the pains
to penetrate deeply into the bowels of the earth; if any
one, I say, would extract honey from the rock, and oil
from the stone. Indeed many riches of nature lie con-
cealed through inattention, which the diligence of pos-
terity will bring to light; for, as necessity first taught the
ancients to discover the conveniences of life, so industry,
and a greater acuteness of intellect, have laid open many
things to the moderns; as the poet says, assigning two
causes for these discoveries,

-labor omnia vincit

Improbus, et duris urgens in rebus egestas."

It is worthy of observation, that there lived in the
neighbourhood of this City of Legions, in our time, a
Welshman named Melerius, who, under the following
circumstances, acquired the knowledge of future and
occult events. Having, on a certain night, namely that
of Palm Sunday, met a damsel whom he had long loved,
in a pleasant and convenient place, while he was indulging
in her embraces, suddenly, instead of a beautiful girl, he
found in his arms a hairy, rough, and hideous creature,
the sight of which deprived him of his senses, and he be-
came mad. After remaining many years in this con-
dition, he was restored to health in the church of St.
David's, through the merits of its saints. But having
always an extraordinary familiarity with unclean spirits,

Candos founded and endowed the church of Goldclive, and, by
the advice of king Henry I., gave it to the abbey of Bee, in Nor-
mandy; its religious establishment consisted of a prior and twelve
monks of the order of St. Benedict.

Itinerary Through Wales 53

by seeing them, knowing them, talking with them, and
calling each by his proper name, he was enabled, through
their assistance, to foretel future events. He was, indeed,
often deceived (as they are) with respect to circumstances
at a great distance of time or place, but was less mistaken
in affairs which were likely to happen nearer, or within
the space of a year. The spirits appeared to him
usually on foot, equipped as hunters, with horns sus-
pended from their necks, and truly as hunters, not of
animals, but of souls. He particularly met them near
monasteries and monastic cells; for where rebellion
exists, there is the greatest need of armies and strength.
He knew when any one spoke falsely in his presence, for
he saw the devil, as it were, leaping and exulting upon
the tongue of the liar. If he looked on a book faultily
or falsely written, or containing a false passage, although
wholly illiterate, he would point out the place with his
finger. Being questioned how he could gain such know-
ledge, he said that he was directed by the demon's finger
to the place. In the same manner, entering into the
dormitory of a monastery, he indicated the bed of any
monk not sincerely devoted to religion. He said, that
the spirit of gluttony and surfeit was in every respect
sordid ; but that the spirit of luxury and lust was more
beautiful than others in appearance, though in fact most
foul. If the evil spirits oppressed him too much, the
Gospel of St. John was placed on his bosom, when, like
birds, they immediately vanished; but when that book
was removed, and the History of the Britons, by Geoffrey
Arthur,1 was substituted in its place, they instantly re»
appeared in greater numbers, and remained a longer time
than usual on his body and on the book.

It is worthy of remark, that Barnabas placed the Gospel
of St. Matthew upon sick persons, and they were healed;
from which, as well as from the foregoing circumstance,
it appears how great a dignity and reverence is due to the
sacred books of the gospel, and with what danger and
1 [Geoffrey of Monmouth.]

54 Giraldus Cambrensis

risk of damnation every one who swears falsely by them,
deviates from the paths of truth. The fall of Enoch,
abbot of Strata Marcella,1 too well known in Wales, was
revealed to many the day after it happened, by Melerius,
who, being asked how he knew this circumstance, said,
that a demon came to him disguised as a hunter, and, ex-
ulting in the prospect of such a victory, foretold the ruin
of the abbot, and explained in what manner he would
make him run away with a nun from the monastery.
The end in view was probably the humiliation and cor-
rection of the abbot, as was proved from his shortly re-
turning home so humbled and amended, that he scarcely
could be said to have erred. Seneca says, " He falls
not badly, who rises stronger from his fall." Peter was
more strenuous after his denial of Christ, and Paul after
being stoned ; since, where sin abounds, there will grace
also superabound. Mary Magdalen was strengthened
after her frailty. He secretly revealed to Canon, the
good and religious abbot of Alba-domus, his opinion of
a certain woman whom he had seen; upon which the
holy man confessed, with tears in his eyes, his pre-
dilection for her, and received from three priests the
discipline of incontinence. For as that long and experi-
enced subtle enemy, by arguing from certain conjectural
signs, may foretell future by past events, so by insidious
treachery and contrivance, added to exterior appear-
ances, he may sometimes be able to discover the interior
workings of the mind.

At the same time there was in Lower Gwent a demon

1 The Cistercian abbey here alluded to was known by the several
names of Ystrat Marchel, Strata Marcella, Alba domus de Strat-
margel, Vallis Crucis, or Pola, and was situated between Guilsfield
and Welshpool, in Montgomeryshire. Authors differ in opinion
about its original founder. Leland attributes it to Owen Cy-
veilioc, prince of Powys, and Dugdale to Madoc, the son of Gruff-
ydh, giving for his authority the original grants and endowments
of this abbey. According to Tanner, about the beginning of the
reign of king Edward III., the Welsh monks were removed from
hence into English abbeys, and English monks were placed here,
and the abbey was made subject to the visitation of the abbot
and convent of Buildwas, in Shropshire.

Itinerary Through Wales 55

incubus, who, from his love for a certain young woman,
and frequenting the place where she lived, often con-
versed with men, and frequently discovered hidden
things and future events. Melerius being interrogated
concerning him, said he knew him well, and mentioned
his name. He affirmed that unclean spirits conversed
with mankind before war, or any great internal disturb-
ance, which was shortly afterwards proved, by the
destruction of the province by Howel, son of Iorwerth
of Caerleon. At the same time, when king Henry II.,
having taken the king of Scotland prisoner, had restored
peace to his kingdom, Howel, fearful of the royal revenge
for the war he had waged, was relieved from his difficul-
ties by these comfortable words of Melerius: "Fear
not," says he, " Howel, the wrath of the king, since he
must go into other parts. An important city which he
possesses beyond sea is now besieged by the king of
France, on which account he will postpone every other
business, and hasten thither with all possible expedi-
tion." Three days afterwards, Howel received advice
that this event had really come to pass, owing to the
siege of the city of Rouen. He forewarned also Howel
of the betraying of his castle at Usk, a long time before it
happened, and informed him that he should be wounded,
but not mortally ; and that he should escape alive from
the town. In this alone he was deceived, for he soon
after died of the same wound. Thus does that arch-
enemy favour his friends for a time, and thus does he at
last reward them.

In all these singular events it appears to me most won-
derful that he saw those spirits so plainly with his carnal
eyes, because spirits cannot be discerned by the eyes of
mortals, unless they assume a corporeal substance; but
if in order to be seen they had assumed such a substance,
how could they remain unperceived by other persons
who were present? Perhaps they were seen by such a
miraculous vision as when king Balthazar saw the hand
of one writing on the wall, " Mane, Techel, Phares,"

56

Giraldus Cambrensis

that is, weighed, numbered, divided; who in the same
night lost both his kingdom and his life. But Cambria
well knows how in these districts, from a blind desire of
dominion, a total dissolution of the endearing ties of
consanguinity, and a bad and depraved example diffused
throughout the country, good faith has been so shame-
fully perverted and abused.

CHAPTER VI

NEWPORT AND CAERDYF

At Newport, where the river Usk, descending from its
original source in Cantref Bachan, falls into the sea,
many persons were induced to take the cross. Having
passed the river Remni, we approached the noble castle
of Caerdyf,1 situated on the banks of the river Taf. In
the neighbourhood of Newport, which is in the district of
Gwentluc,2 there is a small stream called Nant Pen-
earn,3 passable only at certain fords, not so much owing
to the depth of its waters, as from the hollowness of
its channel and muddy bottom. The public road led
formerly to a ford, called Ryd Pencarn, that is, the ford

1 Cardiff, i.e., the fortress on the river Taf.

2 Gwentluc — so called from Gwent, the name of the province,
and Hug, open, to distinguish it from the upper parts of Wentland)
is an extensive tract of fiat, marshy ground, reaching from New-
port to the shores of the river Severn.

3 Nant Pencarn, or the brook of Pencarn. — After a very atten-
tive examination of the country round Newport, by natives of
that place, and from the information I have received on the sub-
ject, I am inclined to think that the river here alluded to was the
Ebwy, which flows about a mile and a half south of Newport.
Before the new turnpike road and bridge were made across Tre-
degar Park, the old road led to a ford lower down the river, and
may still be travelled as far as Cardiff; and was probably the
ford mentioned in the text, as three old farm-houses in its neigh-
bourhood still retain the names of Great Pencarn, Little Pencarn,
and Middle Pencarn.

Itinerary Through Wales $y

under the head of a rock, from Rhyd, which in the
British language signifies a ford, Pen, the head, and
Cam, a rock; of which place Merlin Sylvester had thus
prophesied: " Whenever you shall see a mighty prince
with a freckled face make an hostile irruption into the
southern part of Britain, should he cross the ford of Pen-
earn, then know ye, that the force of Cambria shall be
brought low." Now it came to pass in our times, that
king Henry II. took up arms against Rhys, the son of
Gruffydd, and directed his march through the southern
part of Wales towards Caermardyn. On the day he in-
tended to pass over Nant Pentcarn, the old Britons of
the neighbourhood watched his approach towards the
ford with the utmost solicitude; knowing, since he was
both mighty and freckled, that if the passage of the
destined ford was accomplished, the prophecy concern-
ing him would undoubtedly be fulfilled. When the king
had followed the road leading to a more modern ford of
the river (the old one spoken of in the prophecy having
been for a long time in disuse), and was preparing to pass
over, the pipers and trumpeters, called Cornhiriet, from
Mr, long, and cornu, a horn, began to sound their instru-
ments on the opposite bank, in honour of the king.
The king's horse, startling at the wild, unusual noise,
refused to obey the spur, and enter the water; upon
which, the king, gathering up the reins, hastened, in
violent wrath, to the ancient ford, which he rapidly
passed; and the Britons returned to their homes,
alarmed and dismayed at the destruction which seemed
to await them. An extraordinary circumstance occurred
likewise at the castle of Caerdyf. William earl of Glou-
cester, son of earl Robert,1 who, besides that castle,

1 Robert Fitz-Hamon, earl of Astremeville, in Normandy, came
into England with William the Conqueror; and, by the gift of
William Rufus, obtained the honour of Gloucester. He was
wounded with a spear at the siege of Falaise, in Normandy, died
soon afterwards, and was buried, a.d. 1102, in the abbey of
Tewkesbury, which he had founded. Leaving no male issue, king
Henry gave his eldest daughter, Mabel, or Maude, who, in her
own right, had the whole honour of Gloucester, to his illegitimate

58 Giraldus Cambrensis

possessed by hereditary right all the province of Gwlad-
vorgan,1 that is, the land of Morgan, had a dispute with
one of his dependants, whose name was Ivor the Little,
being a man of short stature, but of great courage.
This man was, after the manner of the Welsh, owner of
a tract of mountainous and woody country, of the whole,
or a part of which, the earl endeavoured to deprive him.
At that time the castle of Caerdyf was surrounded with
high walls, guarded by one hundred and twenty men-
at-arms, a numerous body of archers, and a strong watch.
The city also contained many stipendiary soldiers; yet,
in defiance of all these precautions of security, Ivor, in
the dead of night, secretly scaled the walls, and, seizing
the count and countess, with their only son, carried them
off into the woods, and did not release them until he had
recovered everything that had been unjustly taken from
him, and received a compensation of additional pro-
perty ; for, as the poet observes,

" Spectandum est semper ne magna injuria fiat
Fortibus et miseris; tollas licet omne quod usquam est
Argenti atque auri, spoliatis arma supersunt."

In this same town of Caerdyf, king Henry II., on his
return from Ireland, the first Sunday after Easter, passed
the night. In the morning, having heard mass, he re-
mained at his devotions till every one had quitted the
chapel of St. Piranus.2 As he mounted his horse at the

son Robert, who was advanced to the earldom of Gloucester by
the king, his father. He died a.d. 1147, and left four sons: Wil-
liam, the personage here mentioned by Giraldus, who succeeded
him in his titles and honours; Roger, bishop of Worcester, who
died at Tours in France, a.d. 1179; Hamon, who died at the siege
of Toulouse, a.d. 1159; and Philip.

1 The Coychurch Manuscript quoted by Mr. Williams, in his
History of Monmouthshire, asserts that Morgan, surnamed Mwyn-
fawr, or the Gentle, the son of Athrwy, not having been elected
to the chief command of the British armies, upon his father's
death retired from Caerleon, and took up his residence in Glamor-
ganshire, sometimes at Radyr, near Cardiff, and at other times
at Margam; and from this event the district derived its name,
quasi Gwlad-Morgan, the country of Morgan.

2 St. Piranus, otherwise called St. Kiaran, or Piran, was an Irish
saint, said to have been born in the county of Ossory, or of Cork,

Itinerary Through Wales 59

door, a man of a fair complexion, with a round tonsure
and meagre countenance, tall, and about forty years of
age, habited in a white robe falling down to his naked
feet, thus addressed him in the Teutonic tongue: " God
hold the, cuing," which signifies, " May God protect you,
king;" and proceeded, in the same language, "Christ
and his Holy Mother, John the Baptist, and the Apostle
Peter salute thee, and command thee strictly to pro-
hibit throughout thy whole dominions every kind of
buying or selling on Sundays, and not to suffer any work
to be done on those days, except such as relates to the
preparation of daily food; that due attention may be
paid to the performance of the divine offices. If thou
dost this, all thy undertakings shall be successful, and
thou shalt lead a happy life." The king, in French,
desired Philip de Mercros,1 who held the reins of his
horse, to ask the rustic if he had dreamt this ? and when
the soldier explained to him the king's question in Eng-
lish, he replied in the same language he had before used,
" Whether I have dreamt it or not, observe what day
this is (addressing himself to the king, not to the inter-
preter), and unless thou shalt do so, and quickly amend
thy life, before the expiration of one year, thou shalt
hear such things concerning what thou lovest best in
this world, and shalt thereby be so much troubled, that
thy disquietude shall continue to thy life's end." The
king, spurring his horse, proceeded a little way towards
the gate, when, stopping suddenly, he ordered his at-
tendants to call the good man back. The soldier, and a
young man named William, the only persons who re-

about the middle of the fourth century; and after that by his
labours the Gospel had made good progress, he forsook all worldly
things, and spent the remainder of his life in religious solitude.
The place of his retirement was on the sea-coast of Cornwall,
and not far from Padstow, where, as Camden informs us, there
was a chapel on the sands erected to his memory. Leland has
informed us, that the chapel of St. Perine, at Caerdiff, stood in
Shoemaker Street.

1 So called from a parish of that name in Glamorganshire,
situated between Monk Nash and St. Donat's, upon the Bristol
Channel.

60 Giraldus Cambrensis

mained with the king, accordingly called him, and sought
him in vain in the chapel, and in all the inns of the city.
The king, vexed that he had not spoken more to him,
waited alone a long time, while other persons went in
search of him; and when he could not be found, pur-
sued his journey over the bridge of Remni to Newport.
The fatal prediction came to pass within the year, as the
man had threatened; for the king's three sons, Henry,
the eldest, and his brothers, Richard of Poitou, and
Geoffrey, count of Britany, in the following Lent, de-
serted to Louis king of France, which caused the king
greater uneasiness than he had ever before experienced ;
and which, by the conduct of some one of his sons, was
continued till the time of his decease. This monarch,
through divine mercy (for God is more desirous of the
conversion than the destruction of a sinner), received
many other admonitions and reproofs about this time,
and shortly before his death ; all of which, being utterly
incorrigible, he obstinately and obdurately despised, as
will be more fully set forth (by the favour of God) in my
book, " de Principis Instructione."

Not far from Caerdyf is a small island situated near
the shore of the Severn, called Barri, from St. Baroc,1
who formerly lived there, and whose remains are de-
posited in a chapel overgrown with ivy, having been

1 Barri Island is situated on the coast of Glamorganshire; and,
according to Cressy, took its name from St. Baruc, the hermit,
who resided, and was buried there. The Barrys in Ireland, as
well as the family of Giraldus, who were lords of it, are said to
have derived their names from this island. Leland, in speaking
of this island, says, " The passage into Barrey isle at ful se is a
flite shot over, as much as the Tamise is above the bridge. At
low water, there is a broken causey to go over, or els over the
shalow streamelet of Barrey-brook on the sands. The isle is
about a mile in cumpace, and hath very good corne, grasse, and
sum wood; the ferme of it worth a£io a yere. There ys no dwell-
ing in the isle, but there is in the middle of it a fair little chapel of
St. Barrok, where much pilgrimage was usid." (The " fair little
chapel " has disappeared, and " Barry Island " is now, since the
construction of the great dock, connected with the mainland, it
is covered with houses, and its estimated capital value is now
£250,000].

Itinerary Through Wales 61

transferred to a coffin. From hence a noble family, of the
maritime parts of South Wales, who owned this island
and the adjoining estates, received the name of de Barri.
It is remarkable that, in a rock near the entrance of the
island, there is a small cavity, to which, if the ear is
applied, a noise is heard like that of smiths at work, the
blowing of bellows, strokes of hammers, grinding of tools,
and roaring of furnaces ; and it might easily be imagined
that such noises, which are continued at the ebb and
flow of the tides, were occasioned by the influx of the
sea under the cavities of the rocks.

CHAPTER VII

THE SEE OF LANDAF AND MONASTERY OF MARGAN, AND
THE REMARKABLE THINGS IN THOSE PARTS

On the following morning, the business of the cross being
publicly proclaimed at Landaf, the English standing on
one side, and the Welsh on the other, many persons of
each nation took the cross, and we remained there that
night with William bishop of that place,1 a discreet and
good man. The word Landaf 2 signifies the church
situated upon the river Taf, and is now called the church
of St. Teileau, formerly bishop of that see. The arch-
bishop having celebrated mass early in the morning,
before the high altar of the cathedral, we immediately
pursued our journey by the little cell of Ewenith 3 to the

1 William de Salso Marisco.

2 The see of Llandaff is said to have been founded by the British
king Lucius as early as the year 180.

3 From Llandaff, our crusaders proceeded towards the Cistercian
monastery of Margam, passing on their journey near the little cell
of Benedictines at Ewenith, or Ewenny. This religious house
was founded by Maurice de Londres towards the middle of the
twelfth century. It is situated in a marshy plain near the banks
of the little river Ewennv.

62 Giraldus Cambrensis

noble Cistercian monastery of Margan.1 This monastery,
under the direction of Conan, a learned and prudent
abbot, was at this time more celebrated for its charitable
deeds than any other of that order in Wales. On this
account, it is an undoubted fact, that, as a reward for
that abundant charity which the monastery had always,
in times of need, exercised towards strangers and poor
persons, in a season of approaching famine, their corn
and provisions were perceptibly, by divine assistance,
increased, like the widow's cruise of oil by the means of
the prophet Elijah. About the time of its foundation,
a young man of those parts, by birth a Welshman, hav-
ing claimed and endeavoured to apply to his own use
certain lands which had been given to the monastery, by
the instigation of the devil set on fire the best barn
belonging to the monks, which was filled with corn ; but,
immediately becoming mad, he ran about the country
in a distracted state, nor ceased raving until he was
seized by his parents and bound. Having burst his
bonds, and tired out his keepers, he came the next morn-
ing to the gate of the monastery, incessantly howling
out that he was inwardly burnt by the influence of the
monks, and thus in a few days expired, uttering the most
miserable complaints. It happened also, that a young
man was struck by another in the guests' hall; but on
the following day, by divine vengeance, the aggressor
was, in the presence of the fraternity, killed by an enemy,
and his lifeless body was laid out in the same spot in the
hall where the sacred house had been violated. In our
time too, in a period of scarcity, while great multitudes
of poor were daily crowding before the gates for relief,

1 The Cistercian monastery of Margam, justly celebrated for
the extensive charities which its members exercised, was founded
a.d. 1 147, by Robert earl of Gloucester, who died in the same
year. Of this once-famed sanctuary nothing now remains but
the shell of its chapter-house, which, by neglect, has lost its most
ornamental parts. When Mr. Wyndham made the tour of Wales
in the year 1777, this elegant building was entire, and was accu-
rately drawn and engraved by his orders.

Itinerary Through Wales 63

by the unanimous consent of the brethren, a ship was
sent to Bristol to purchase corn for charitable purposes.
The vessel, delayed by contrary winds, and not return-
ing (but rather affording an opportunity for the miracle),
on the very day when there would have been a total
deficiency of corn, both for the poor and the convent,
a field near the monastery was found suddenly to ripen,
more than a month before the usual time of harvest:
thus, divine Providence supplied the brotherhood and
the numerous poor with sufficient nourishment until
autumn. By these and other signs of virtues, the place
accepted by God began to be generally esteemed and
venerated.

It came to pass also in our days, during the period
when the four sons of Caradoc son of Iestin, and nephews
of prince Rhys by his sister, namely, Morgan, Meredyth,
Owen, and Cadwallon, bore rule for their father in those
parts, that Cadwallon, through inveterate malice, slew
his brother Owen. But divine vengeance soon over-
took him ; for on his making a hostile attack on a certain
castle, he was crushed to pieces by the sudden fall of its
walls : and thus, in the presence of a numerous body of
his own and his brother's forces, suffered the punish-
ment which his barbarous and unnatural conduct had so
justly merited.

Another circumstance which happened here deserves
notice. A greyhound belonging to the aforesaid Owen,
large, beautiful, and curiously spotted with a variety of
colours, received seven wounds from arrows and lances,
in the defence of his master, and on his part did much
injury to the enemy and assassins. When his wounds
were healed, he was sent to king Henry II. by William
earl of Gloucester, in testimony of so great and extra-
ordinary a deed. A dog, of all animals, is most attached
to man, and most easily distinguishes him; sometimes,
when deprived of his master, he refuses to live, and in
his master's defence is bold enough to brave death;
ready, therefore, to die, either with or for his master.

64

Giraldus Cambrensis

I do not think it superfluous to insert here an example
which Suetonius gives in his book on the nature of
animals, and which Ambrosius also relates in his Ex-
ameron. " A man, accompanied by a dog, was killed
in a remote part of the city of Antioch, by a soldier, for
the sake of plunder. The murderer, concealed by the
darkness of the morning, escaped into another part of
the city ; the corpse lay unburied ; a large concourse of
people assembled; and the dog, with bitter howlings,
lamented his master's fate. The murderer, by chance,
passed that way, and, in order to prove his innocence,
mingled with the crowd of spectators, and, as if moved by
compassion, approached the body of the deceased. The
dog, suspending for a while his moans, assumed the arms
of revenge ; rushed upon the man, and seized him, howl-
ing at the same time in so dolorous a manner, that all
present shed tears. It was considered as a proof against
the murderer, that the dog seized him from amongst so
many, and would not let him go; and especially, as
neither the crime of hatred, envy, or injury, could pos-
sibly, in this case, be urged against the dog. On account,
therefore, of such a strong suspicion of murder (which
the soldier constantly denied), it was determined that
the truth of the matter should be tried by combat. The
parties being assembled in a field, with a crowd of people
around, the dog on one side, and the soldier, armed with
a stick of a cubit's length, on the other, the murderer
was at length overcome by the victorious dog, and
suffered an ignominious death on the common gallows.

Pliny and Solinus relate that a certain king, who was
very fond of dogs, and addicted to hunting, was taken
and imprisoned by his enemies, and in a most wonderful
manner liberated, without any assistance from his
friends, by a pack of dogs, who had spontaneously
sequestered themselves in the mountainous and woody
regions, and from thence committed many atrocious
acts of depredation on the neighbouring herds and flocks.
I shall take this opportunity of mentioning what from

Itinerary Through Wales 65

experience and ocular testimony I have observed respect-
ing the nature of dogs. A dog is in general sagacious,
but particularly with respect to his master ; for when he
has for some time lost him in a crowd, he depends more
upon his nose than upon his eyes; and, in endeavouring
to find him, he first looks about, and then applies his nose,
for greater certainty, to his clothes, as if nature had
placed all the powers of infallibility in that feature. The
tongue of a dog possesses a medicinal quality ; the wolf's,
on the contrary, a poisonous: the dog heals his wounds
by licking them, the wolf, by a similar practice, infects
them; and the dog, if he has received a wound in his
neck or head, or any part of his body where he cannot
apply his tongue, ingeniously makes use of his hinder
foot as a conveyance of the healing qualities to the parts
affected.

CHAPTER VIII

PASSAGE OF THE RIVERS AVON AND NETH — AND OF
ABERTAWE AND GOER

Continuing our journey,1 not far from Margan, where
the alternate vicissitudes of a sandy shore and the tide
commence, we forded over the river Avon, having been
considerably delayed by the ebbing of the sea; and under
the guidance of Morgan, eldest son of Caradoc, proceeded
along the sea-shore towards the river Neth, which, on
account of its quicksands, is the most dangerous and in-
accessible river in South Wales. A pack-horse belonging
1 In continuing their journey from Neath to Swansea, our
travellers directed their course by the sea-coast to the river Avon,
which they forded, and, continuing their road along the sands,
were probably ferried over the river Neath, at a place now known
by the name of Breton Ferry, leaving the monastery of Neath at
some distance to the right: from thence traversing another tract
of sands, and crossing the river Tawe, they arrived at the castle
of Swansea, where they passed the night.

E

66 Giraldus Cambrensis

to the author, which had proceeded by the lower way
near the sea, although in the midst of many others, was
the only one which sunk down into the abyss, but he was
at last, with great difficulty, extricated, and not without
some damage done to the baggage and books. Yet, al-
though we had Morgan, the prince of that country, as
our conductor, we did not reach the river without great
peril, and some severe falls ; for the alarm occasioned by
this unusual kind of road, made us hasten our steps over
the quicksands, in opposition to the advice of our guide,
and fear quickened our pace; whereas, through these
difficult passages, as we there learned, the mode of pro-
ceeding should be with moderate speed. But as the
fords of that river experience a change by every monthly
tide, and cannot be found after violent rains and floods,
we did not attempt the ford, but passed the river in a
boat, leaving the monastery of Neth x on our right hand,
| approaching again to the district of St. David's, and
leaving the diocese of Landaf (which we had entered at
Abergevenny) behind us.

It happened in our days that David II., bishop of St.
David's, passing this way, and finding the ford agitated
by a recent storm, a chaplain of those parts, named
Rotherch Falcus, being conversant in the proper method
. of crossing these rivers, undertook, at the desire of the
i bishop, the dangerous task of trying the ford. Having
mounted a large and powerful horse, which had been

1 The monastery of Neath was situated on the banks of a river
bearing the same name, about a mile to the westward of the town
and castle. It was founded in 1112, by Richard de Grainville,
or Greenefeld, and Constance, his wife, for the safety of the souls
of Robert, earl of Gloucester, Maude, his wife, and William, his
son. Richard de Grainville was one of the twelve Norman
knights who accompanied Robert Fitz-Hamon, and assisted him
in the conquest of Glamorganshire. In the time of Leland this
abbey was in a high state of preservation, for he says, " Neth
abbay of white monkes, a mile above Neth town, standing in the
ripe of Neth, semid to me the fairest abbay of al Wales." — Leland,
Itin. torn. v. p. 14. The remains of the abbey and of the adjoin-
ing priory-house are considerable; but this ancient retirement of
the grey and white monks is now occupied by the inhabitants of
the neighbouring copper-works.

Itinerary Through Wales 67

selected from the whole train for this purpose, he imme-
diately crossed the ford, and fled with great rapidity to
the neighbouring woods, nor could he be induced to
return until the suspension which he had lately incurred
was removed, and a full promise of security and in-
demnity obtained; the horse was then restored to one
party, and his service to the other.

Entering the province called Goer,1 we spent the night
at the castle of Sweynsei,2 which in Welsh is called Aber-
tawe, or the fall of the river Tawe into the sea. The next
morning, the people being assembled after mass, and
many having been induced to take the cross, an aged
man of that district, named Cador, thus addressed the
archbishop: "My lord, if I now enjoyed my former
strength, and the vigour of youth, no alms should
ransom me, no desire of inactivity restrain me, from
engaging in the laudable undertaking you preach; but
since my weak age and the injuries of time deprive me
of this desirable benefit (for approaching years bring
with them many comforts, which those that are passed
take away), if I cannot, owing to the infirmity of my
body, attain a full merit, yet suffer me, by giving a tenth
of all I possess, to attain a half." Then falling down at
the feet of the archbishop, he deposited in his hands, for

1 Gower, the western district of Glamorganshire, appears to
have been first conquered by Henry de Newburg, earl of Warwick,
soon after Robert, duke of Gloucester, had made the conquest of
the other part of Glamorganshire.

2 Sweynsei, Swansea, or Abertawe, situated at the confluence
of the river Tawe with the Severn sea, is a town of considerable
commerce, and much frequented during the summer months as a
bathing-place. The old castle, now made use of as a prison, is so
surrounded by houses in the middle of the town, that a stranger
might visit Swansea without knowing that such a building existed.
The Welsh Chronicle informs us, that it was built by Henry de
Beaumont, earl of Warwick, and that in the year 1113 it was
attacked by Gruffydd ap Rhys, but without success. This castle
became afterwards a part of the possessions of the see of St.
David's, and was rebuilt by bishop Gower. [The old castle is no
longer used as a prison, but as the office of the " Cambria Daily
Leader." It is significant that Swansea is still known to Welsh-
men, as in the days of Giraldus, as " Abertawe."]

68 Giraldus Cambrensis

the service of the cross, the tenth of his estate, weeping
bitterly, and intreating from him the remission of one
half of the enjoined penance. After a short time he re-
turned, and thus continued : " My lord, if the will directs
the action, and is itself, for the most part, considered as
the act, and as I have a full and firm inclination to under-
take this journey, I request a remission of the remaining
part of the penance, and in addition to my former gift,
I will equal the sum from the residue of my tenths."
The archbishop, smiling at his devout ingenuity, em-
braced him with admiration.

On the same night, two monks, who waited in the arch-
bishop's chamber, conversing about the occurrences of
their journey, and the dangers of the road, one of them
said (alluding to the wildness of the country), " This is
a hard province;" the other (alluding to the quick-
sands), wittily replied, " Yet yesterday it was found too
soft."

A short time before our days, a circumstance worthy
of note occurred in these parts, which Elidorus, a priest,
most strenuously affirmed had befallen himself. When
a youth of twelve years, and learning his letters, since,
as Solomon says, " The root of learning is bitter, although
the fruit is sweet," in order to avoid the discipline and
frequent stripes inflicted on him by his preceptor, he ran
away, and concealed himself under the hollow bank of a
river. After fasting in that situation for two days, two
little men of pigmy stature appeared to him, saying, " If
you will come with us, we will lead you into a country
full of delights and sports." Assenting and rising up,
he followed his guides through a path, at first subter-
raneous and dark, into a most beautiful country, adorned
with rivers and meadows, woods and plains, but obscure,
and not illuminated with the full light of the sun. All
the days were cloudy, and the nights extremely dark, on
account of the absence of the moon and stars. The boy
was brought before the king, and introduced to him in
the presence of the court; who, having examined him

Itinerary Through Wales 69

for a long time, delivered him to his son, who was then a
boy. These men were of the smallest stature, but very
well proportioned in their make; they were all of a
fair complexion, with luxuriant hair falling over their
shoulders like that of women. They had horses and
greyhounds adapted to their size. They neither ate
flesh nor fish, but lived on milk diet, made up into messes
with saffron. They never took an oath, for they detested
nothing so much as lies. As often as they returned from
our upper hemisphere, they reprobated our ambition,
infidelities, and inconstancies; they had no form of
public worship, being strict lovers and reverers, as it
seemed, of truth.

The boy frequently returned to our hemisphere, some-
times by the way he had first gone, sometimes by
another: at first in company with other persons, and
afterwards alone, and made himself known only to his
mother, declaring to her the manners, nature, and state
of that people. Being desired by her to bring a present
of gold, with which that region abounded, he stole, while
at play with the king's son, the golden ball with which
he used to divert himself, and brought it to his mother
in great haste; and when he reached the door of his
father's house, but not unpursued, and was entering it in
a great hurry, his foot stumbled on the threshold, and
falling down into the room where his mother was sitting,
the two pigmies seized the ball which had dropped from
his hand, and departed, shewing the boy every mark of
contempt and derision. On recovering from his fall, con-
founded with shame, and execrating the evil counsel of
his mother, he returned by the usual track to the sub-
terraneous road, but found no appearance of any passage,
though he searched for it on the banks of the river for
nearly the space of a year. But since those calamities
are often alleviated by time, which reason cannot miti-
gate, and length of time alone blunts the edge of our
afflictions, and puts an end to many evils, the youth
having been brought back by his friends and mother, and

yo Giraldus Cambrensis

restored to his right way of thinking, and to his learn-
ing, in process of time attained the rank of priesthood.
Whenever David II., bishop of St. David's, talked to him
in his advanced state of life concerning this event, he
could never relate the particulars without shedding
tears. He had made himself acquainted with the lan-
guage of that nation, the words of which, in his younger
days, he used to recite, which, as the bishop often had
informed me, were very conformable to the Greek idiom.
When they asked for water, they said Ydor ydorum,
which meant bring water, for Ydor in their language, as
well as in the Greek, signifies water, from whence vessels
for water are called i>S£«xi; and Dur also, in the British
language, signifies water. When they wanted salt they
said, Halgein ydorum, bring salt: salt is called a A in
Greek, and Halen in British, for that language, from the
length of time which the Britons (then called Trojans,
and afterwards Britons, from Brito, their leader) re-
mained in Greece after the destruction of Troy, became,
in many instances, similar to the Greek.

It is remarkable that so many languages should corre-
spond in one word, a\ in Greek, Halen in British, and
Halgein in the Irish tongue, the g being inserted ; Sal in
Latin, because, as Priscian says, " the s is placed in some
words instead of an aspirate," as aA? in Greek is called
Sal in Latin, l/xt — semi — €7rra — septem — Sel in French
— the a being changed into e — Salt in English, by the
addition of t to the Latin; Sout, in the Teutonic lan-
guage : there are therefore seven or eight languages agree-
ing in this one word. If a scrupulous inquirer should
ask my opinion of the relation here inserted, I answer
with Augustine, " that the divine miracles are to be ad-
mired, not discussed." Nor do I, by denial, place
bounds to the divine power, nor, by assent, insolently ex-
tend what cannot be extended. But I always call to
mind the saying of St. Jerome; " You will find," says he,
" many things incredible and improbable, which never-
theless are true ; for nature cannot in any respect prevail

Itinerary Through Wales 71

against the lord of nature." These things, therefore,
and similar contingencies, I should place, according to
the opinion of Augustine, among those particulars which
are neither to be affirmed, nor too positively denied.

CHAPTER IX

PASSAGE OVER THE RIVERS LOCHOR AND WENDRAETH;
AND OF CYDWELI

Thence we proceeded towards the river Lochor,1 through
the plains in which Howel, son of Meredyth of Bre-
cheinoc, after the decease of king Henry I., gained a
signal victory over the English. Having first crossed
the river Lochor, and afterwards the water called Wen-
draeth,2 we arrived at the castle of Cydweli.3 In this
district, after the death of king Henry, whilst Gruffydd

1 Lochor, or Llwchwr, was the Leucarum mentioned in the
Itineraries, and the fifth Roman station on the Via Julia. This
small village is situated on a tide-river bearing the same name,
which divides the counties of Glamorgan and Caermarthen, and
over which there is a ferry. " Lochor river partith Kidwelli
from West Gowerlande." — Leland, Itin. torn. v. p. 23. [The
ferry is no more. The river is crossed by a fine railway bridge.]

2 Wendraeth, or Gwen-draeth, from gwen, white, and traeth,
the sandy beach of the sea. There are two rivers of this name,
Gwendraeth fawr, and Gwendraeth fychan, the great and the little
G wendraeth, of which Leland thus speaks: " Vendraeth Vawr
and Vendraith Vehan risith both in Eskenning commote : the lesse
an eight milys of from Kydwelli; the other about a ten, and hath
but a little nesche of sand betwixt the places wher thei go into the
se, about a mile beneth the towne of Kidwely."

3 Cydweli was probably so called from cyd, a junction, and wyl,
a flow, or gushing out, being situated near the junction of the
rivers Gwendraeth fawr and fychan; but Leland gives its name
a very singular derivation, and worthy of our credulous and super-
stitious author Giraldus. " Kidwely, otherwise Cathweli, i. e.
Catti lectus, quia Cattus olim solebat ibi lectum in quercu facere:
— There is a little towne now but newly made betwene Vendraith
Vawr and Vendraith Vehan. Vendraith Vawr is half a mile of."
— Leland. Itin. torn. v. p. 22.

72 Giraldus Cambrensis

son of Rhys, the prince of South Wales, was engaged in
soliciting assistance from North Wales, his wife Gwen-
liana (like the queen of the Amazons, and a second
Penthesilea) led an army into these parts; but she was
defeated by Maurice de Londres, lord of that country,
and Geoffrey, the bishop's constable.1 Morgan, one of
her sons, whom she had arrogantly brought with her in
that expedition, was slain, and the other, Malgo, taken
prisoner; and she, with many of her followers, was put
to death. During the reign of king Henry I., when
Wales enjoyed a state of tranquillity, the abovementioned
Maurice had a forest in that neighbourhood, well stocked
with wild animals, and especially deer, and was extremely
tenacious of his venison. His wife (for women are often
very expert in deceiving men) made use of this curious
stratagem. Her husband possessed, on the side of the
wood next the sea, some extensive pastures, and large
flocks of sheep. Having made all the shepherds and
chief people in her house accomplices and favourers of
her design, and taking advantage of the simple courtesy
of her husband, she thus addressed him: " It is wonder-
ful that being lord over beasts, you have ceased to exer-
cise dominion over them ; and by not making use of your
deer, do not now rule over them, but are subservient to
them; and behold how great an abuse arises from too
much patience; for they attack our sheep with such an
unheard-of rage, and unusual voracity, that from many
they are become few; from being innumerable, only
numerous." To make her story more probable, she
caused some wool to be inserted between the intestines
of two stags which had been embowelled ; and her hus-
band, thus artfully deceived, sacrificed his deer to the
rapacity of his dogs.

1 The scene of the battle fought between Gwenllian and Maurice
de Londres is to this day called Maes Gwenllian, the plain or field
of Gwenllian; and there is a tower in the castle of Cydweli still
called Tyr Gwenllian. [Maes Gwenllian is now a small farm, one
of whose fields is said to have been the scene of the battle.]

Itinerary Through Wales 73

CHAPTER X

TYWY RIVER — CAERMARDYN — MONASTERY OF
ALBELANDE

Having crossed the river Tywy in a boat, we proceeded
towards Caermardyn, leaving Lanstephan and Talachar l
on the sea-coast to our left. After the death of king
Henry II., Rhys, the son of Gruffydd, took these two
castles by assault; then, having laid waste, by fire and
sword, the provinces of Penbroch and Ros, he besieged
Caermardyn, but failed in his attempt. Caermardyn 2
signifies the city of Merlin, because, according to the
British History, he was there said to have been begotten
of an incubus.

This ancient city is situated on the banks of the noble
river Tywy, surrounded by woods and pastures, and was
strongly inclosed with walls of brick, part of which are
still standing; having Cantref Mawr, the great cantred,
or hundred, on the eastern side, a safe refuge, in times of
danger, to the inhabitants of South Wales, on account of
its thick woods ; where is also the castle of Dinevor,3 built

1 The castle of Talachar is now better known by the name of
Llaugharne.

2 Much has been said and written by ancient authors respecting
the derivation of the name of this city, which is generally allowed
to be the Muridunum, or Maridunum, mentioned in the Roman
itineraries. Some derive it from Caer and Merddyn, that is, the
city of the prophet Merddyn; and others from Miir and Murddyn,
which in the British language signify a wall. There can, however,
be little doubt that it is derived simply from the Roman name
Muridunum. The county gaol occupies the site of the old castle,
a few fragments of which are seen intermixed with the houses of
the town.

3 Dinevor, the great castle, from dinas, a castle, and vawr, great,
was in ancient times a royal residence of the princes of South
Wales. In the year 876, Roderic the Great, having divided the
principalities of North and South Wales, and Powvs land, amongst
his three sons, built for each of them a palace. The sovereignty

74 Giraldus Cambrensis

on a lofty summit above the Tywy, the royal seat of the
princes of South Wales. In ancient times, there were
three regal palaces in Wales: Dinevor in South Wales,
Aberfrau in North Wales, situated in Anglesea, and
Pengwern in Powys, now called Shrewsbury (Slopes-
buria) ; Pengwern signifies the head of a grove of alders.
Recalling to mind those poetical passages :

" Dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirat? "

and

" Et si non recte possis quocunque modo rem,"

my pen shrinks with abhorrence from the relation of the
enormous vengeance exercised by the court against its
vassals, within the comot of Caeo, in the Cantref Mawr.
Near Dinevor, on the other side of the river Tywy, in the
Cantref Bychan, or the little cantred, there is a spring
which, like the tide, ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four
hours.1 Not far to the north of Caermardyn, namely
at Pencadair,2 that is, the head of the chair, when Rhys,
the son of Gruffydd, was more by stratagem than force
compelled to surrender, and was carried away into Eng-
land, king Henry II. despatched a knight, born in
Britany, on whose wisdom and fidelity he could rely,
under the conduct of Guaidanus, dean of Cantref Mawr,
to explore the situation of Dinevor castle, and the
strength of the country. The priest, being desired to
take the knight by the easiest and best road to the castle,
led him purposely aside by the most difficult and in-
accessible paths, and wherever they passed through
woods, the priest, to the general surprise of all present,
fed upon grass, asserting that, in times of need, the

of South Wales, with the castle of Dinevor, fell to the lot of Cadell.
[The ruins of Dinevor Castle still crown the summit of the hill
which overshadows the town of Llandilo, 12 miles from Car-
marthen.]

1 There is a spring very near the north side of Dinevor park
wall, which bears the name of Nant-y-rhibo, or the bewitched
brook, which may, perhaps, be the one here alluded to by Giraldus.

2 Pencadair is a small village situated to the north of Car-
marthen.

Itinerary Through Wales j$

inhabitants of that country were accustomed to live upon
herbs and roots. The knight returning to the king, and
relating what had happened, affirmed that the country
was uninhabitable, vile, and inaccessible, and only afford-
ing food to a beastly nation, living like brutes. At
length the king released Rhys, having first bound him to
fealty by solemn oaths and the delivery of hostages.

On our journey from Caermardyn towards the Cister-
cian monastery called Alba Domus,1 the archbishop was
informed of the murder of a young Welshman, who was
devoutly hastening to meet him ; when turning out of the
road, he ordered the corpse to be covered with the cloak
of his almoner, and with a pious supplication commended
the soul of the murdered youth to heaven. Twelve
archers of the adjacent castle of St. Clare,2 who had
assassinated the young man, were on the following day

1 Alba Domus was called in Welsh Ty Gwyn ar Daf, or the
White House on the river Taf. In the history of the primitive
British church, Ty Gwyn, or white house, is used in a sense equi-
valent to a chapter-house. The White House College, or Bangor
y Ty Gwyn, is pretended to have been founded about 480, by
Paul Hen, or Paulinus, a saint of the congregation of Illtyd.
From this origin, the celebrated Cistercian monastery is said to
have derived its establishment. Powel, in his chronicle, says,
" For the first abbey or frier house that we read of in Wales, sith
the destruction of the noble house of Bangor, which savoured not
of Romish dregges, was the Tuy Gwyn, built the yeare n 46, and
after they swarmed like bees through all the countrie." (Powel,
p. 254.) Authors differ with respect to the founder of this abbey;
some have attributed it to Rhys ap Tewdwr, prince of South
Wales; and others to Bernard, bishop of Saint David's, who died
about the year 1148. The latter account is corroborated by the
following passage in Wharton's Anglia Sacra: " Anno 1143 ducti
sunt monachi ordinis Cisterciensis qui modo sunt apud Albam
Landam, in West Walliam, per Bernardum episcopum." Leland,
in his Collectanea, says, " Whitland, abbat. Cistert., Rhesus
filius Theodori princeps Suth Wallia? primus fundator; " and in
his Itinerary, mentions it as a convent of Bernardynes, " which
yet stondeth."

8 Saint Clears is a long, straggling village, at the junction of the
river Cathgenny with the Taf. Immediately on the banks of the
former, and not far from its junction with the latter, stood the
castle, of which not one stone is left; but the artificial tumulus
on which the citadel was placed, and other broken ground, mark
its ancient site.

y6 Giraldus Cambrensis

signed with the cross at Alba Domus, as a punishment
for their crime. Having traversed three rivers, the Taf,
then the Cleddeu, under Lanwadein,1 and afterwards
another branch of the same river, we at length arrived at
Haverford. This province, from its situation between
two rivers, has acquired the name of Daugleddeu,2 being
enclosed and terminated, as it were, by two swords, for
cleddue, in the British language, signifies a sword.

CHAPTER XI

OF HAVERFORD AND ROS

A sermon having been delivered at Haverford 3 by the
archbishop, and the word of God preached to the people
by the archdeacon, whose name appears on the title-page
of this work, many soldiers and plebeians were induced
to take the cross. It appeared wonderful and miracu-
lous, that, although the archdeacon addressed them both
in the Latin and French tongues, those persons who
understood neither of those languages were equally
affected, and flocked in great numbers to the cross.

An old woman of those parts, who for three preceding
years had been blind, having heard of the archbishop's
arrival, sent her son to the place where the sermon was to
be preached, that he might bring back to her some

1 Lanwadein, now called Lawhaden, is a small village about
four miles from Narberth, on the banks of the river Cleddeu.

2 Daugleddeu, so called from Dau, two, and Cled, or Cleddau, a
sword. The rivers Cledheu have their source in the Prescelly
mountain, unite their streams below Haverfordwest, and run into
Milford Haven, which in Welsh is called Aberdaugleddau, or the
confluence of the two rivers Cledheu.

3 Haverford, now called Haverfordwest, is a considerable town
on the river Cledheu, with an ancient castle, three churches, and
some monastic remains. The old castle (now used as the county-
gaol), from its size and commanding situation, adds greatly to
the picturesque appearance of this town. [The old castle is no
longer used as a gaol.]

Itinerary Through Wales yy

particle, if only of the fringe of his garment. The young
man being prevented by the crowd from approaching
the archbishop, waited till the assembly was dispersed,
and then carried a piece of the earth on which the
preacher had stood. The mother received the gift with
great joy, and falling immediately on her knees, applied
the turf to her mouth and eyes; and thus, through the
merits of the holy man, and her own faith and devotion,
recovered the blessing of sight, which she had entirely
lost.

The inhabitants of this province derived their origin
from Flanders, and were sent by king Henry I. to inhabit
these districts; a people brave and robust, ever most
hostile to the Welsh; a people, I say, well versed in
commerce and woollen manufactories ; a people anxious
to seek gain by sea or land, in defiance of fatigue and
danger; a hardy race, equally fitted for the plough or the
sword ; a people brave and happy, if Wales (as it ought
to have been) had been dear to its sovereign, and had not
so frequently experienced the vindictive resentment and
ill-treatment of its governors.

A circumstance happened in the castle of Haverford
during our time, which ought not to be omitted. A
famous robber was fettered and confined in one of its
towers, and was often visited by three boys, the son of
the earl of Clare, and two others, one of whom was son of
the lord of the castle, and the other his grandson, sent
thither for their education, and who applied to him for
arrows, with which he used to supply them. One day, at
the request of the children, the robber, being brought
from his dungeon, took advantage of the absence of the
gaoler, closed the door, and shut himself up with the
boys. A great clamour instantly arose, as well from the
boys within, as from the people without; nor did he
cease, with an uplifted axe, to threaten the lives of the
children, until indemnity and security were assured to
him in the most ample manner. A similar accident
happened at Chateau-roux in France. The lord of that

78 Giraldus Cambrensis

place maintained in the castle a man whose eyes he had
formerly put out, but who, by long habit, recollected
the ways of the castle, and the steps leading to the
towers. Seizing an opportunity of revenge, and meditat-
ing the destruction of the youth, he fastened the inward
doors of the castle, and took the only son and heir of the
governor of the castle to the summit of a high tower,
from whence he was seen with the utmost concern by the
people beneath. The father of the boy hastened thither,
and, struck with terror, attempted by every possible
means to procure the ransom of his son, but received for
answer, that this could not be effected, but by the same
mutilation of those lower parts, which he had likewise
inflicted on him. The father, having in vain entreated
mercy, at length assented, and caused a violent blow to
be struck on his body ; and the people around him cried
out lamentably, as if he had suffered mutilation. The
blind man asked him where he felt the greatest pain?
when he replied in his reins, he declared it was false and
prepared to precipitate the boy. A second blow was
given, and the lord of the castle asserting that the
greatest pains were at his heart, the blind man expressing
his disbelief, again carried the boy to the summit of the
tower. The third time, however, the father, to save his
son, really mutilated himself; and when he exclaimed
that the greatest pain was in his teeth; " It is true," said
he, "as a man who has had experience should be believed,
and thou hast in part revenged my injuries. I shall meet
death with more satisfaction, and thou shalt neither
beget any other son, nor receive comfort from this."
Then, precipitating himself and the boy from the summit
of the tower, their limbs were broken, and both instantly
expired. The knight ordered a monastery to be built
on the spot for the soul of the boy, which is still extant,
and called De Doloribus.

It appears remarkable to me that the entire inherit-
ance should devolve on Richard, son of Tankard,
governor of the aforesaid castle of Haverford, being the

Itinerary Through Wales 79

youngest son, and having many brothers of distinguished
character who died before him. In like manner the
dominion of South Wales descended to Rhys son of
Gruff yd, owing to the death of several of his brothers.
During the childhood of Richard, a holy man, named
Caradoc, led a pious and recluse life at St. Ismael, in the
province of Ros,1 to whom the boy was often sent by his
parents with provisions, and he so ingratiated himself in
the eyes of the good man, that he very often promised
him, together with his blessing, the portion of all his
brothers, and the paternal inheritance. It happened
that Richard, being overtaken by a violent storm of
rain, turned aside to the hermit's cell; and being unable
to get his hounds near him, either by calling, coaxing,
or by offering them food, the holy man smiled; and
making a gentle motion with his hand, brought them all
to him immediately. In process of time, when Caradoc 2

1 The province of Rhos, in which the town of Haverfordwest is
situated, was peopled by a colony of Flemings during the reign of
king Henry I.

2 St. Caradoc was born of a good family in Brecknockshire, and
after a liberal education at home, attached himself to the court of
Rhys prince of South Wales, whom he served a long time with
diligence and fidelity. He was much esteemed and beloved by
him, till having unfortunately lost two favourite greyhounds,
which had been committed to his care, that prince, in a fury,
threatened his life, upon which Caradoc determined to change
masters, and made a vow on the spot to consecrate the remainder
of his days to God, by a single and religious life. He went to
Llandaff, received from its bishop the clerical tonsure and habit,
and retired to the deserted church of St. Kined, and afterwards
to a still more solitary abode in the Isle of Ary, from whence he
was taken prisoner by some Norwegian pirates, but soon released.
His last place of residence was at St. Ismael, in the province of
Rhos, where he died in it 24, and was buried with great honour in
the cathedral of St. David's. We must not confound this retreat
of Caradoc with the village of St. Ismael on the borders of Milford
Haven. His hermitage was situated in the parish of Harold-
stone, near the town of Haverfordwest, whose church has St.
Ismael for its patron, and probably near a place called Poorfield,
the common on which Haverfordwest races are held, as there is a
well there called Caradoc's Well, round which, till within these
few years, there was a sort of vanity fair, where cakes were sold,
and country games celebrated. [Caradoc was canonised by Pope
Innocent III. at the instance of Giraldus.]

80 Giraldus Cambrensis

had happily completed the course of his existence,
Tankard, father of Richard, violently detained his body,
which by his last will he had bequeathed to the church
of St. David; but being suddenly seized with a severe
illness, he revoked his command. When this had
happened to him a second and a third time, and the
corpse at last was suffered to be conveyed away, and was
proceeding over the sands of Niwegal towards St.
David's, a prodigious fall of rain inundated the whole
country; but the conductors of the sacred burthen, on
coming forth from their shelter, found the silken pall,
with which the bier was covered, dry and uninjured by
the storm; and thus the miraculous body of Caradoc
was brought into the church of St. Andrew and St.
David, and with due solemnity deposited in the left
aisle, near the altar of the holy proto-martyr Stephen.

It is worthy of remark, that these people (the Flem-
ings), from the inspection of the right shoulders of rams,
which have been stripped of their flesh, and not roasted,
but boiled, can discover future events, or those which
have passed and remained long unknown.1 They know,
also, what is transpiring at a distant place, by a wonder-
ful art, and a prophetic kind of spirit. They declare,
also, by means of signs, the undoubted symptoms of
approaching peace and war, murders and fires, domestic
adulteries, the state of the king, his life and death. It
happened in our time, that a man of those parts, whose
name was William Mangunel, a person of high rank, and
excelling all others in the aforesaid art, had a wife big
with child by her own husband's grandson. Well aware
of the fact, he ordered a ram from his own flock to be
sent to his wife, as a present from her neighbour, which
was carried to the cook, and dressed. At dinner, the

1 This curious superstition is still preserved, in a debased form,
among the descendants of the Flemish population of this district,
where the young women practise a sort of divination with the
bladebone of a shoulder of mutton to discover who will be their
sweetheart. It is still more curious that William de Rubruquis,
in the thirteenth century, found the same superstition existing
among the Tartars.

Itinerary Through Wales 8 I

husband purposely gave the shoulder-bone of the ram,
properly cleaned, to his wife, who was also well skilled in
this art, for her examination; when, having for a short
time examined the secret marks, she smiled, and threw
the oracle down on the table. Her husband, dissembling,
earnestly demanded the cause of her smiling, and the
explanation of the matter. Overcome by his entreaties,
she answered : " The man to whose fold this ram belongs,
has an adulterous wife, at this time pregnant by the com-
mission of incest with his own grandson." The husband,
with a sorrowful and dejected countenance, replied:
" You deliver, indeed, an oracle supported by too much
truth, which I have so much more reason to lament, as
the ignominy you have published redounds to my own
injury." The woman, thus detected, and unable to dis-
semble her confusion, betrayed the inward feelings of her
mind by external signs; shame and sorrow urging her
by turns, and manifesting themselves, now by blushes,
now by paleness, and lastly (according to the custom of
women), by tears. The shoulder of a goat was also once
brought to a certain person, instead of a ram's — both
being alike, when cleaned; who, observing for a short
time the lines and marks, exclaimed, " Unhappy cattle,
that never was multiplied ! unhappy, likewise, the owner
of the cattle, who never had more than three or four in
one flock ! " Many persons, a year and a half before
the event, foresaw, by the means of shoulder-bones, the
destruction of their country, after the decease of king
Henry I., and, selling all their possessions, left their
homes, and escaped the impending ruin.

It happened also in Flanders, from whence this people
came, that a certain man sent a similar bone to a neigh-
bour for his inspection; and the person who carried it,
on passing over a ditch, broke wind, and wished it in the
nostrils of the man on whose account he was thus troubled.
The person to whom the bone was taken, on examination,
said, " May you have in your own nose, that which you
wished to be in mine." In our time, a soothsayer, on

F

82 Giraldus Cambrensis

the inspection of a bone, discovered not only a theft, and
the manner of it, but the thief himself, and all the
attendant circumstances ; he heard also the striking of a
bell, and the sound of a trumpet, as if those things which
were past were still performing. It is wonderful, there-
fore, that these bones, like all unlawful conjurations,
should represent, by a counterfeit similitude to the eyes
and ears, things which are passed, as well as those which
are now going on.

CHAPTER XII

OF PENBROCH

The province of Penbroch adjoins the southern part of
the territory of Ros, and is separated from it by an arm
of the sea. Its principal city, and the metropolis of
Demetia, is situated on an oblong rocky eminence, ex-
tending with two branches from Milford Haven, from
whence it derived the name of Penbroch, which signifies
the head of the sestuary. Arnulph de Montgomery,1
in the reign of king Henry I., erected here a slender
fortress with stakes and turf, which, on returning to
England, he consigned to the care of Giraldus de
Windesor,2 his constable and lieutenant-general, a

1 Arnulph, younger son of Roger de Montgomery, did his
homage for Dyved, and is said, by our author, to have first erected
a slender fortress with stakes and turf at Pembroke, in the reign
of king Henry I., which, however, appears to have been so strong
as to have resisted the hostile attack of Cadwgan ap Bleddyn in
1092, and of several lords of North Wales, in 1094.

2 Walter Fitz-Other, at the time of the general survey of Eng-
land by William the Conqueror, was castellan of Windsor, warden
of the forests in Berkshire, and possessed several lordships in the
counties of Middlesex, Hampshire, and Buckinghamshire, which
dominus Otherus is said to have held in the time of Edward the
Confessor. William, the eldest son of Walter, took the surname
of Windsor from his father's office, and was ancestor to the lords

Itinerary Through Wales 83

worthy and discreet man. Immediately on the death
of Rhys son of Tewdwr, who a short time before had
been slain by the treachery of his own troops at Brechei-
noc, leaving his son, Gruffydd, a child, the inhabitants
of South Wales besieged the castle. One night, when
fifteen soldiers had deserted, and endeavoured to escape
from the castle in a small boat, on the following morning
Giraldus invested their armour bearers with the arms
and estates of their masters, and decorated them with
the military order. The garrison being, from the length
of the siege, reduced to the utmost want of provisions,
the constable, with great prudence and nattering hopes
of success, caused four hogs, which yet remained, to be
cut into small pieces and thrown down to the enemy
from the fortifications. The next day, having again
recourse to a more refined stratagem, he contrived that
a letter, sealed with his own signet, should be found
before the house of Wilfred,1 bishop of St. David's, who
was then by chance in that neighbourhood, as if acci-
dentally dropped, stating that there would be no neces-
sity of soliciting the assistance of earl Arnulph for the
next four months to come. The contents of these letters
being made known to the army, the troops abandoned
the siege of the castle, and retired to their own homes.
Giraldus, in order to make himself and his dependents
more secure, married Nest, the sister of Gruffydd, prince
of South Wales, by whom he had an illustrious progeny
of both sexes; and by whose means both the maritime
parts of South Wales were retained by the English, and
the walls of Ireland afterwards stormed, as our Vaticinal
History declares.

Windsor, who have since been created earls of Plymouth: and
from Gerald, brother of William, the Geralds, Fitz-geralds, and
many other families are lineally descended. The Gerald here
mentioned by Giraldus is sometimes surnamed De Windsor, and
also Fitz- Walter, i.e. the son of Walter; having slain Owen, son
of Cadwgan ap Bleddyn, chief lord of Cardiganshire, he was made
president of the county of Pembroke.

1 Wilfred is mentioned by Browne Willis in his list of bishops of
St. David's, as the forty-seventh, under the title of Wilfride, or
Griffin: he died about the vear 1116.

84

Giraldus Cambrensis

In our time, a person residing at the castle of Pen-
broch, found a brood of young weasels concealed within
a fleece in his dwelling house, which he carefully removed
and hid. The mother, irritated at the loss of her young,
which she had searched for in vain, went to a vessel of
milk that had been set aside for the use of the master's
son, and raising herself up, polluted it with her deadly
poison ; thus revenging, as it were, the loss of her young,
by the destruction of the child. The man, observing
what passed, carried the fleece back to its former place ;
when the weasel, agitated by maternal solicitude, be-
tween hope and fear, on finding again her young, began
to testify her joy by her cries and actions, and returning
quickly to the vessel, overthrew it; thus, in gratitude
for the recovery of her own offspring, saving that of her
host from danger.

In another place, an animal of the same species
had brought out her young into a plain for the enjoy-
ment of the sun and air; when an insidious kite carried
off one of them. Concealing herself with the remainder
behind some shrubs, grief suggested to her a stratagem
of exquisite revenge; she extended herself on a heap
of earth, as if dead, within sight of the plunderer,
and (as success always increases avidity) the bird
immediately seized her and flew away, but soon fell
down dead by the bite of the poisonous animal.

The castle called Maenor Pyrr,1 that is, the mansion of

1 Maenor Pyrr, now known by the name of Manorbeer, is a
small village on the sea coast, between Tenby and Pembroke, with
the remaining shell of a large castle. Our author has given a far-
fetched etymology to this castle and the adjoining island, in call-
ing them the mansion and island of Pyrrhus: a much more
natural and congenial conjecture may be made in supposing
Maenor Pyrr to be derived from Maenor, a Manor, and Pyrr the
plural of Por, a lord; i.e. the Manor of the lords, and, conse-
quently, Inys Pyrr, the Island of the lords. As no mention what-
ever is made of this castle in the Welsh Chronicle, I am inclined
to think it was only a castellated mansion, and therefore considered
of no military importance in those days of continued warfare
throughout Wales. It is one of the most interesting spots in our
author's Itinerary, for it was the property of the Barri family,
and the birth-place of Giraldus; in the parish church, the sepul-

Itinerary Through Wales 85

Pyrrus, who also possessed the island of Chaldey, which
the Welsh call Inys Pyrr, or the island of Pyrrus, is
distant about three miles from Penbroch. It is excel-
lently well defended by turrets and bulwarks, and is
situated on the summit of a hill extending on the western
side towards the sea-port, having on the northern and
southern sides a fine fish-pond under its walls, as con-
spicuous for its grand appearance, as for the depth of
its waters, and a beautiful orchard on the same side,
inclosed on one part by a vineyard, and on the other by
a wood, remarkable for the projection of its rocks, and
the height of its hazel trees. On the right hand of the
promontory, between the castle and the church, near
the site of a very large lake and mill, a rivulet of never-
failing water flows through a valley, rendered sandy
by the violence of the winds. Towards the west, the
Severn sea, bending its course to Ireland, enters a hollow
bay at some distance from the castle; and the southern
rocks, if extended a little further towards the north,
would render it a most excellent harbour for shipping.
From this point of sight, you will see almost all the ships
from Great Britain, which the east wind drives upon
the Irish coast, daringly brave the inconstant waves and
raging sea. This country is well supplied with corn,
sea-fish, and imported wines ; and what is preferable to
every other advantage, from its vicinity to Ireland, it is
tempered by a salubrious air. Demetia, therefore, with
its seven cantreds, is the most beautiful, as well as the
most powerful district of Wales; Penbroch, the finest
part of the province of Demetia; and the place I have
just described, the most delightful part of Penbroch.
It is evident, therefore, that Maenor Pirr is the pleasantest
spot in Wales; and the author may be pardoned for
having thus extolled his native soil, his genial territory,
with a profusion of praise and admiration.

chral effigy of a near relation, perhaps a brother, is still extant, in
good preservation. Our author has evidently made a digression
in order to describe this place.

86 Giraldus Cambrensis

In this part of Penbroch, unclean spirits have con-
versed, not visibly, but sensibly, with mankind ; first in
the house of Stephen Wiriet,1 and afterwards in the
house of William Not;2 manifesting their presence by
throwing dirt at them, and more with a view of mockery
than of injury. In the house of William, they cut holes
in the linen and woollen garments, much to the loss of
the owner of the house and his guests; nor could any
precaution, or even bolts, secure them from these incon-
veniences. In the house of Stephen, the spirit in a more
extraordinary manner conversed with men, and, in
reply to their taunts, upbraided them openly with every-
thing they had done from their birth, and which they
were not willing should be known or heard by others.
I do not presume to assign the cause of this event, except
that it is said to be the presage of a sudden change from
poverty to riches, or rather from affluence to poverty
and distress; as it was found to be the case in both
these instances. And it appears to me very extra-
ordinary that these places could not be purified from
such illusions, either by the sprinkling of holy water, or
the assistance of any other religious ceremony; for the
priests themselves, though protected by the crucifix, or
the holy water, on devoutly entering the house, were
equally subject to the same insults. From whence it
appears that things pertaining to the sacraments, as
well as the sacraments themselves, defend us from hurt-
ful, but not from harmless things; from annoyances,
but not from illusions. It is worthy of note, that in our
time, a woman in Poitou was possessed by a demon, who,
through her mouth, artfully and acutely disputed with
the learned. He sometimes upbraided people with

1 The house of Stephen Wiriet was, I presume, Orielton. There
is a monument in the church of St. Nicholas, at Pembroke, to the
memory of John, son and heir of Sir Hugh Owen, of Bodeon in
Anglesea, knight, and Elizabeth, daughter and heir of George
Wiriet, of Orielton, a.d. 1612.

2 The family name of Not, or Nott, still exists in Pembroke-
shire. [The descendants of Sir Hugh continued to live at Orielton,
and the title is still in existence.]

Itinerary Through Wales 87

their secret actions, and those things which they wished
not to hear; but when either the books of the gospel, or
the relics of saints, were placed upon the mouth of the
possessed, he fled to the lower part of her throat; and
when they were removed thither, he descended into her
belly. His appearance was indicated by certain in-
flations and convulsions of the parts which he possessed,
and when the relics were again placed in the lower
parts, he directly returned to the upper. At length,
when they brought the body of Christ, and gave it to
the patient, the demon answered, " Ye fools, you are
doing nothing, for what you give her is not the food of
the body, but of the soul; and my power is confined to
the body, not to the soul." But when those persons
whom he had upbraided with their more serious actions,
had confessed, and returned from penance, he reproached
them no more. " I have known, indeed," says he, " I
have known but now I know not, (he spake this as it
were a reproach to others), and I hold my tongue, for
what I know, I know not." From which it appears,
that after confession and penance, the demons either
do not know the sins of men, or do not know them to
their injury and disgrace; because, as Augustine says,
"If man conceals, God discovers; if man discovers,
God conceals."

Some people are surprised that lightning often strikes
our places of worship, and damages the crosses and
images of him who was crucified, before the eyes of one
who seeth all things, and permits these circumstances
to happen ; to whom I shall only answer with Ovid,

" Summa petit livor, perflant altissima venti,
Summa petunt dextra fulmina missa Jovis."

On the same subject, Peter Abelard, in the presence of
Philip king of France, is said to have answered a Jew,
who urged these and similar things against the faith.
" It is true that the lightning descending from on high,
directs itself most commonly to the highest object on

88 Giraldus Cambrensis

earth, and to those most resembling its own nature; it
never, therefore, injures your synagogues, because no
man ever saw or heard of its falling upon a privy." An
event worthy of note, happened in our time in France.
During a contention between some monks of the Cister-
cian order, and a certain knight, about the limits of their
fields and lands, a violent tempest, in one night, utterly
destroyed and ruined the cultivated grounds of the
monks, while the adjoining territory of the knight
remained undamaged. On which occasion he insolently
inveighed against the fraternity, and publicly asserted
that divine vengeance had thus punished them for un-
lawfully keeping possession of his land; to which the
abbot wittily replied, " It is by no means so; but that
the knight had more friends in that riding than the
monastery; " and he clearly demonstrated that, on the
other hand, the monks had more enemies in it.

In the province of Penbroch, another instance occurred,
about the same time, of a spirit's appearing in the house
of Elidore de Stakepole,1 not only sensibly, but visibly,
under the form of a red-haired young man, who called
himself Simon. First seizing the keys from the person
to whom they were entrusted, he impudently assumed
the steward's office, which he managed so prudently and
providently, that all things seemed to abound under his
care, and there was no deficiency in the house. What-
ever the master or mistress secretly thought of having
for their daily use or provision, he procured with wonder-
ful agility, and without any previous directions, saying,
" You wished that to be done, and it shall be done for
you." He was also well acquainted with their treasures
and secret hoards, and sometimes upbraided them on
that account; for as often as they seemed to act sparingly

1 There are two churches in Pembrokeshire called Stackpoole,
one of which, called Stackpoole Elidor, derived its name probably
from the Elidore de Stakepole mentioned in this chapter by
Giraldus. It contains several ancient monuments, and amongst
them the effigies of a cross-legged knight, which has been for many
years attributed to the aforesaid Elidore.

Itinerary Through Wales 89

and avariciously, he used to say, " Why are you afraid
to spend that heap of gold or silver, since your lives are
of so short duration, and the money you so cautiously
hoard up will never do you any service? " He gave the
choicest meat and drink to the rustics and hired servants,
saying that " Those persons should be abundantlv sup-
plied, by whose labours they were acquired." What-
ever he determined should be done, whether pleasing or
displeasing to his master or mistress (for, as we have said
before, he knew all their secrets), he completed in his
usual expeditious manner, without their consent. He
never went to church, or uttered one Catholic word. He
did not sleep in the house, but was ready at his office in
the morning.

He was at length observed by some of the family to
hold his nightly converse near a mill and a pool of
water; upon which discovery he was summoned the
next morning before the master of the house and his
lady, and, receiving his discharge, delivered up the keys,
which he had held for upwards of forty days. Being
earnestly interrogated, at his departure, who he was?
he answered, " That he was begotten upon the wife of a
rustic in that parish, by a demon, in the shape of her
husband, naming the man, and his father-in-law, then
dead, and his mother, still alive ; the truth of which the
woman, upon examination, openly avowed. A similar
circumstance happened in our time in Denmark. A
certain unknown priest paid court to the archbishop,
and, from his obsequious behaviour and discreet conduct,
his general knowledge of letters and quick memory, soon
contracted a great familiarity with him. Conversing
one day with the archbishop about ancient histories and
unknown events, on which topic he most frequently
heard him with pleasure, it happened that when the
subject of their discourse was the incarnation of our
Lord, he said, amongst other things, " Before Christ
assumed human nature, the demons had great power over
mankind, which, at his coming, was much diminished;

90 Giraldus Cambrensis

insomuch that they were dispersed on every side, and
fled from his presence. Some precipitated themselves
into the sea, others into the hollow parts of trees, or the
clefts of rocks; and I myself leaped into a well; " on
which he blushed for shame, and took his departure.
The archbishop, and those who were with him, being
greatly astonished at that speech, began to ask questions
by turns, and form conjectures ; and having waited some
time (for he was expected to return soon), the arch-
bishop ordered some of his attendants to call him, but he
was sought for in vain, and never re-appeared. Soon
afterwards, two priests, whom the archbishop had sent
to Rome, returned ; and when this event was related to
them, they began to inquire the day and hour on which
the circumstance had happened? On being told it,
they declared that on the very same day and hour he had
met them on the Alps, saying, that he had been sent to
the court of Rome, on account of some business of his
master's (meaning the archbishop), which had lately
occurred. And thus it was proved, that a demon had
deluded them under a human form.

I ought not to omit mentioning the falcons of these
parts, which are large, and of a generous kind, and
exercise a most severe tyranny over the river and land
birds. King Henry II. remained here some time, making
preparations for his voyage to Ireland; and being de-
sirous of taking the diversion of hawking, he accidentally
saw a noble falcon perched upon a rock. Going side-
ways round him, he let loose a fine Norway hawk, which
he carried on his left hand. The falcon, though at first
slower in its flight, soaring up to a great height, burning
with resentment, and in his turn becoming the aggressor,
rushed down upon his adversary with the greatest im-
petuosity, and by a violent blow struck the hawk dead
at the feet of the king. From that time the king sent
every year, about the breeding season, for the falcons 1 of

1 Ramsey Island, near St. David's, was always famous for its
breed of falcons.

Itinerary Through Wales 91

this country, which are produced on the sea cliffs; nor
can better be found in any part of his dominions. But
let us now return to our Itinerary.

CHAPTER XIII

OF THE PROGRESS BY CAMROS AND NIWEGAL

From Haverford we proceeded on our journey to Mene-
via, distant from thence about twelve miles, and passed
through Camros,1 where, in the reign of king Stephen, the
relations and friends of a distinguished young man,
Giraldus, son of William, revenged his death by a too
severe retaliation on the men of Ros. We then passed
over Niwegal sands, at which place (during the winter
that king Henry II. spent in Ireland), as well as in almost
all the other western ports, a very remarkable circum-
stance occurred. The sandy shores of South Wales, being
laid bare by the extraordinary violence of a storm, the
surface of the earth,which had been covered for many ages,
re-appeared, and discovered the trunks of trees cut off,
standing in the very sea itself, the strokes of the hatchet
appearing as if made only yesterday.2 The soil was very
black, and the wood like ebony. By a wonderful revolu-
tion, the road for ships became impassable, and looked,
not like a shore, but like a grove cut down, perhaps, at

1 Camros, a small village, containing nothing worthy of re-
mark, excepting a large tumulus. It appears, by this route of the
Crusaders, that the ancient road to Menevia, or St. David's, led
through Camros, whereas the present turnpike road lies a mile
and a half to the left of it. It then descends to Niwegal Sands,
and passes near the picturesque little harbour of Solvach, situated
in a deep and narrow cove, surrounded by high rocks.

2 The remains of vast submerged forests are commonly found
on many parts of the coast of Wales, especially in the north.
Giraldus has elsewhere spoken of this event in the Vaticinal
History, book i. chap. 35.

92 Giraldus Cambrensis

the time of the deluge, or not long after, but certainly
in very remote ages, being by degrees consumed and
swallowed up by the violence and encroachments of the
sea. During the same tempest many sea fish were
driven, by the violence of the wind and waves, upon dry
land. We were well lodged at St. David's by Peter,
bishop of the see, a liberal man, who had hitherto accom-
panied us during the whole of our journey.

BOOK II

PREFACE

Since,, therefore, St. David's is the head, and in times
past was the metropolitan, city of Wales, though now,
alas ! retaining more of the name than of the omen,1 yet
I have not forborne to weep over the obsequies of our
ancient and undoubted mother, to follow the mournful
hearse, and to deplore with tearful sighs the ashes of our
half-buried matron. I shall, therefore, endeavour briefly
to declare to you in what manner, from whence, and from
what period the pall was first brought to St. David's,
and how it was taken away; how many prelates were
invested with the pall; and how many were despoiled
thereof; together with their respective names to this
present day.

1 Giraldus, ever glad to pun upon words, here opposes the word
nomen to omen. " Plus nominis habens quam ominii.'1'' He may
have perhaps borrowed this expression from Plautus. Plautus
Delphini, torn. ii. p. 27. — Actus iv., Scena iv.

CHAPTER I

OF THE SEE OF SAINT DAVID'S

We are informed by the British histories, that Dubricius,
archbishop of Caerleon, sensible of the infirmities of age,
or rather being desirous of leading a life of contempla-
tion, resigned his honours to David, who is said to have
been uncle to king Arthur; and by his interest the see
was translated to Menevia, although Caerleon, as we
have observed in the first book, was much better adapted
for the episcopal see. For Menevia is situated in a most
remote corner of land upon the Irish ocean, the soil
stoney and barren, neither clothed with woods, dis-
tinguished by rivers, nor adorned by meadows, ever
exposed to the winds and tempests, and continually
subject to the hostile attacks of the Flemings on one side,
and of the Welsh on the other. For the holy men who
settled here, chose purposely such a retired habitation,
that by avoiding the noise of the world, and preferring
an heremitical to a pastoral life, they might more freely
provide for " that part which shall not be taken away; "
for David was remarkable for his sanctity and religion,
as the history of his life will testify. Amongst the many
miracles recorded of him, three appear to me the most
worthy of admiration: his origin and conception; his
pre-election thirty years before his birth; and what
exceeds all, the sudden rising of the ground, at Brevy,
under his feet while preaching, to the great astonishment
of all the beholders.

Since the time of David, twenty-five archbishops pre-
sided over the see of Menevia, whose names are here
subjoined: David, Cenauc, Eliud, who was also called

95

96 Giraldus Cambrensis

Teilaus, Ceneu, Morwal, Haerunen, Elwaed, Gurnuen,
Lendivord, Gorwysc, Cogan, Cledauc, Anian, Euloed,
Ethelmen, Elauc, Malscoed, Sadermen, Catellus, Sul-
haithnai, Nonis, Etwal, Asser, Arthuael, Sampson. In
the time of Sampson, the pall was translated from
Menevia in the following manner: a disorder called the
yellow plague, and by the physicians the icteric passion,
of which the people died in great numbers, raged
throughout Wales, at the time when Sampson held the
archiepiscopal see. Though a holy man, and fearless of
death, he was prevailed upon, by the earnest intreaties
of his people, to go on board a vessel, which was wafted,
by a south wind, to Britannia Armorica,1 where he and
his attendants were safely landed. The see of Dol being
at that time vacant, he was immediately elected bishop.
Hence it came to pass, that on account of the pall
which Sampson had brought thither with him, the suc-
ceeding bishops, even to our times, always retained it.
But during the presidency of the archbishop of Tours,
this adventitious dignity ceased ; yet our countrymen,
through indolence or poverty, or rather owing to the
arrival of the English into the island, and the frequent
hostilities committed against them by the Saxons, lost
their archiepiscopal honours. But until the entire sub-
jugation of Wales by king Henry I., the Welsh bishops
were always consecrated by the bishop of St. David's;
and he was consecrated by his suffragans, without any
profession or submission being made to any other church.
From the time of Sampson to that of king Henry I.,
nineteen bishops presided over this see: Ruelin, Rod-
herch, Elguin, Lunuerd, Nergu, Sulhidir, Eneuris,
Morgeneu, who was the first bishop of St. David's who
ate flesh, and was there killed by pirates; and he ap-

1 Armorica is derived from the Celtic words Ar and Mor, which
signify on or near the sea, and so called to distinguish it from the
more inland parts of Britany. The maritime cities of Gaul were
called " Armories civitates — Universis civitatibus qua? ocean urn
attingunt, quaeque Gallorum consuetudine Armoricaj appellantur."
— C<z%ar, Comment, lib. vii.

Itinerary Through Wales 97

peared to a certain bishop in Ireland on the night of his
death, shewing his wounds, and saying, " Because I ate
flesh, I am become flesh." Nathan, Ievan (who was
bishop only one night), Argustel, Morgenueth, Ervin,
Tramerin, Joseph, Bleithud, Sulghein, Abraham, Wil-
fred. Since the subjugation of Wales to the present
time, three only have held the see : in the reign of king
Henry I., Bernard; in the reign of king Stephen, David
II.; and in the reign of king Henry II., Peter, a monk
of the order of Cluny; who all, by the king's mandate,
were consecrated at Canterbury; as also Geoffrey, prior
and canon of Lanthoni, who succeeded them in the reign
of king John, and was preferred to this see by the in-
terest of Hubert, archbishop of Canterbury, and after-
wards consecrated by him. We do not hear that either
before or after that subjugation, any archbishop of
Canterbury ever entered the borders of Wales, except
Baldwin, a monk of the Cistercian order, abbot of Ford,
and afterwards bishop of Worcester, who traversed that
rough, inaccessible, and remote country with a laudable
devotion for the service of the cross; and as a token of
investiture, celebrated mass in all the cathedral churches.
So that till lately the see of St. David's owed no sub-
jection to that of Canterbury, as may be seen in the
English History of Bede, who says that " Augustine,
bishop of the Angles, after the conversion of king Ethel-
fred and the English people, called together the bishops
of Wales on the confines of the West Saxons, as legate of
the apostolic see. When the seven bishops x appeared,
Augustine, sitting in his^chair, with Roman pride, did not
rise up at their entrance. Observing his haughtiness
(after the example of a holy anchorite of their nation),
they immediately returned, and treated him and his
statutes with contempt, publicly proclaiming that they
would not acknowledge him for their archbishop ; alleg-
ing, that if he now refused to rise up to us, how much

1 The bishops of Hereford, Worcester, Llandaff, Bangor, St.
Asaph, Llanbadarn, and Margam, or Glamorgan.

98 Giraldus Cambrensis

more will he hold us in contempt, if we submit to be
subject to him? " That there were at that time seven
bishops in Wales, and now only four, may be thus ac-
counted for; because perhaps there were formerly more
cathedral churches in Wales than there are at present,
or the extent of Wales might have been greater. Amongst
so many bishops thus deprived of their dignity, Bernard,
the first French [i. e. Norman] bishop of St. David's,
alone defended the rights of his church in a public
manner; and after many expensive and vexatious
appeals to the court of Rome, would not have reclaimed
them in vain, if false witnesses had not publicly appeared
at the council of Rheims, before pope Eugenius, and
testified that he had made profession and submission to
the see of Canterbury. Supported by three auxiliaries,
the favour and intimacy of king Henry, a time of peace,
and consequent plenty, he boldly hazarded the trial of
so great a cause, and so confident was he of his just right,
that he sometimes caused the cross to be carried before
him during his journey through Wales.

Bernard, however commendable in some particulars,
was remarkable for his insufferable pride and ambition.
For as soon as he became courtier and a creature of the
king's, panting after English riches by means of trans-
lation, (a malady under which all the English sent hither
seem to labour), he alienated many of the lands of his
church without either advantage or profit, and disposed
of others so indiscreetly and improvidently, that when
ten carucates x of land were required for military pur-
poses, he would, with a liberal hand, give twenty or
thirty; and of the canonical rites and ordinances which
he had miserably and unhappily instituted at St. David's,
he would hardly make use of one, at most only of two or
three. With respect to the two sees of Canterbury and
St. David's, I will briefly explain my opinion of their

1 The value of the carucate is rather uncertain, or, probably, it
varied in different districts, according to the character of the land ;
but it is considered to have been usually equivalent to a hide, that
is, to about 240 statute acres.

Itinerary Through Wales 99

present state. On one side, you will see royal favour,
affluence of riches, numerous and opulent suffragan
bishops, great abundance of learned men and well skilled
in the laws; on the other side, a deficiency of all these
things, and a total want of justice; on which account the
recovery of its ancient rights will not easily be effected,
but by means of those great changes and vicissitudes
which kingdoms experience from various and unexpected
events.

The spot where the church of St. David's stands, and
was founded in honour of the apostle St. Andrew, is called
the Vale of Roses ; which ought rather to be named the
vale of marble, since it abounds with one, and by no
means with the other. The river Alun, a muddy and
unproductive rivulet,1 bounding the churchyard on the
northern side, flows under a marble stone, called Lech-
lavar, which has been polished by continual treading of
passengers, and concerning the name, size, and quality
of which we have treated in our Vaticinal History.2
Henry II., on his return from Ireland, is said to have
passed over this stone, before he devoutly entered the
church of St. Andrew and St. David. Having left the
following garrisons in Ireland, namely, Hugh de Lacy
(to whom he had given Meath in fee) in Dublin, with
twenty knights; Fitz-Stephen and Maurice Fitzgerald,
with other twenty; Humphrey de Bohun, Robert Fitz-
Bernard, and Hugh de Grainville at Waterford, with
forty; and William Fitz-Adelm and Philip de Braose at
Wexford, with twenty ; on the second day of Easter, the
king embarked at sunrise on board a vessel in the out-
ward port of Wexford, and, with a south wind, landed
about noon in the harbour of Menevia. Proceeding
towards the shrine of St. David, habited like a pilgrim,
and leaning on a staff, he met at the white gate a pro-
cession of the canons of the church coming forth to

1 This little brook does not, in modern times, deserve the title
here given to it by Giraldus, for it produces trout of a most deli-
cious flavour.

2 See the Vaticinal History, book i. c. 37.

i oo Giraldus Cambrensis

receive him with due honour and reverence. As the
procession solemnly moved along, a Welsh woman threw
herself at the king's feet, and made a complaint against
the bishop of the place, which was explained to the king
by an interpreter. The woman, immediate attention
not being paid to her petition, with violent gesticulation,
and a loud and impertinent voice, exclaimed repeatedly,
" Revenge us this day, Lechlavar! revenge us and the
nation in this man ! " On being chidden and driven
away by those who understood the British language,
she more vehemently and forcibly vociferated in the like
manner, alluding to the vulgar fiction and proverb of
Merlin, " That a king of England, and conqueror of
Ireland, should be wounded in that country by a man
with a red hand, and die upon Lechlavar, on his return
through Menevia." This was the name of that stone
which serves as a bridge over the river Alun, which
divides the cemetery from the northern side of the
church. It was a beautiful piece of marble, polished by
the feet of passengers, ten feet in length, six in breadth,
and one in thickness. Lechlavar signifies in the British
language a talking stone.1 There was an ancient tradi-
tion respecting this stone, that at a time when a corpse
was carried over it for interment, it broke forth into
speech, and by the effort cracked in the middle, which
fissure is still visible; and on account of this barbarous
and ancient superstition, the corpses are no longer
brought over it. The king, who had heard the pro-
phecy, approaching the stone, stopped for a short time
at the foot of it, and, looking earnestly at it, boldly
passed over; then, turning round, and looking towards
the stone, thus indignantly inveighed against the pro-
phet: " Who will hereafter give credit to the lying
Merlin? " A person standing by, and observing what
had passed, in order to vindicate the injury done to the
prophet, replied, with a loud voice, " Thou art not that

1 Lechlavar, so called from the words in Welsh, Llec, a stone,
and Llavar, speech.

Itinerary Through Wales 101

king by whom Ireland is to be conquered, or of whom
Merlin prophesied ! " The king then entering the
church founded in honour of St. Andrew and St. David,
devoutly offered up his prayers, and heard mass per-
formed by a chaplain, whom alone, out of so large a body
of priests, Providence seems to have kept fasting till
that hour, for this very purpose. Having supped at St.
David's, the king departed for the castle of Haverford,
distant about twelve miles. It appears very remarkable
to me, that in our days, when David II. presided over
the see, the river should have flowed with wine, and that
the spring, called Pistyll Dewi, or the Pipe of David,
from its flowing through a pipe into the eastern side of
the churchyard, should have run with milk. The birds
also of that place, called jackdaws, from being so long
unmolested by the clergy of the church, were grown so
tame and domesticated, as not to be afraid of persons
dressed in black. In clear weather the mountains of
Ireland are visible from hence, and the passage over the
Irish sea may be performed in one short day ; on which
account William, the son of William the Bastard, and
the second of the Norman kings in England, who was
called Rufus, and who had penetrated far into Wales,
on seeing Ireland from these rocks, is reported to have
said, " I will summon hither all the ships of my realm,
and with them make a bridge to attack that country."
Which speech being related to Murchard, prince of
Leinster, he paused awhile, and answered, " Did the
king add to this mighty threat, If God please? " and
being informed that he had made no mention of God in
his speech, rejoicing in such a prognostic, he replied,
" Since that man trusts in human, not divine power, I
fear not his coming."

io2 Giraldus Cambrensis

CHAPTER II

OF THE JOURNEY BY CEMMEIS — THE MONASTERY OF
ST. DOGMAEL

The archbishop having celebrated mass early in the
morning before the high altar of the church of St. David,
and enjoined to the archdeacon (Giraldus) the office of
preaching to the people, hastened through Cemmeis 1 to
meet prince Rhys at Aberteivi.2 Two circumstances
occurred in the province of Cemmeis, the one in our own
time, the other a little before, which I think right not to
pass over in silence. In our time, a young man, native
of this country, during a severe illness, suffered as violent
a persecution from toads,3 as if the reptiles of the whole
province had come to him by agreement; and though
destroyed by his nurses and friends, they increased again
on all sides in infinite numbers, like hydras' heads. His
attendants, both friends and strangers, being wearied
out, he was drawn up in a kind of bag, into a high tree,
stripped of its leaves, and shred ; nor was he there secure
from his venomous enemies, for they crept up the tree
in great numbers, and consumed him even to the very
bones. The young man's name was Sisillus Esceir-hir,
that is, Sisillus Long Leg. It is also recorded that by
the hidden but never unjust will of God, another man
suffered a similar persecution from rats. In the same
province, during the reign of king Henry I., a rich man,
who had a residence on the northern side of the Preseleu

1 Cemmeis, Cemmaes, Kemes, and Kemeys. Thus is the name
of this district variously spelt. Cemmaes in Welsh signifies a
circle or amphitheatre for games.

2 [Cardigan.]

3 There is a place in Cemmaes now called Tre-liffan, i.e. Toad's
town; and over a chimney-piece in the house there is a figure of
a toad sculptured in marble, said to have been brought from
Italy, and intended probably to confirm and commemorate this
tradition of Giraldus.

Itinerary Through Wales 103

mountains/ was warned for three successive nights, by
dreams, that if he put his hand under a stone which hung
over the spring of a neighbouring well, called the fountain
of St. Bernacus,2 he would find there a golden torques.
Obeying the admonition on the third day, he received,
from a viper, a deadly wound in his finger; but as it
appears that many treasures have been discovered
through dreams, it seems to me probable that, with re-
spect to rumours, in the same manner as to dreams, some
ought, and some ought not, to be believed.

I shall not pass over in silence the circumstance which
occurred in the principal castle of Cemmeis at Lanhever,3
in our days. Rhys, son of Gruffydd, by the instigation
of his son Gruffydd, a cunning and artful man, took away
by force, from William, son of Martin (de Tours), his
son-in-law, the castle of Lanhever, notwithstanding he
had solemnly sworn, by the most precious relics, that
his indemnity and security should be faithfully main-
tained, and, contrary to his word and oath, gave it to
his son Gruffydd; but since " A sordid prey has not a
good ending," the Lord, who by the mouth of his pro-
phet exclaims " Vengeance is mine, and I will repay ! "
ordained that the castle should be taken away from the
contriver of this wicked plot, Gruffydd, and bestowed
upon the man in the world he most hated, his brother
Malgon. Rhys, also, about two years afterwards, in-
tending to disinherit his own daughter, and two grand-

1 Preseleu, Preselaw, Prescelly, Presselw.

2 St. Bernacus is said, by Cressy, to have been a man of admir-
able sanctity, who, through devotion, made a journey to Rome;
and from thence returning into Britany, filled all places with the
fame of his piety and miracles. He is commemorated on the 7th
of April. Several churches in Wales were dedicated to him; one
of which, called Llanfyrnach, or the church of St. Bernach, is
situated on the eastern side of the Prescelley mountain.

3 The " castrum apud Lanhever " was at Nevern, a small
village between Newport and Cardigan, situated on the banks of
a little river bearing the same name, which discharges itself into
the sea at Newport. On a hill immediately above the western
side of the parish church, is the site of a large castle, undoubtedly
the one alluded to by Giraldus.

104 Giraldus Cambrensis

daughters and grandsons, by a singular instance of divine
vengeance, was taken prisoner by his sons in battle, and
confined in this same castle; thus justly suffering the
greatest disgrace and confusion in the very place where
he had perpetrated an act of the most consummate base-
ness. I think it also worthy to be remembered, that at
the time this misfortune befel him, he had concealed in
his possession, at Dinevor, the collar of St. Canauc of
Brecknock, for which, by divine vengeance, he merited
to be taken prisoner and confined.

We slept that night in the monastery of St. Dogmael,
where, as well as on the next day at Aberteivi, we were
handsomely entertained by prince Rhys. On the Cem-
meis side of the river, not far from the bridge, the people
of the neighbourhood being assembled together, and
Rhys and his two sons, Malgon and Gruffydd, being pre-
sent, the word of the Lord was persuasively preached
both by the archbishop and the archdeacon, and many
were induced to take the cross ; one of whom was an only
son, and the sole comfort of his mother, far advanced in
years, who, steadfastly gazing on him, as if inspired by
the Deity, uttered these words : — " 0, most beloved Lord
Jesus Christ, I return thee hearty thanks for having con-
ferred on me the blessing of bringing forth a son, whom
thou may est think worthy of thy service." Another
woman at Aberteivi, of a very different way of thinking,
held her husband fast by his cloak and girdle, and
publicly and audaciously prevented him from going to
the archbishop to take the cross ; but, three nights after-
wards, she heard a terrible voice, saying, " Thou hast
taken away my servant from me, therefore what thou
most lovest shall be taken away from thee." On her
relating this vision to her husband, they were struck with
mutual terror and amazement; and on falling asleep
again, she unhappily overlaid her little boy, whom, with
more affection than prudence, she had taken to bed with
her. The husband, relating to the bishop of the diocese
both the vision and its fatal prediction, took the cross,

Itinerary Through Wales 105

which his wife spontaneously sewed on her husband's
arm.

Near the head of the bridge where the sermons were
delivered, the people immediately marked out the site
for a chapel,1 on a verdant plain, as a memorial of so
great an event; intending that the altar should be
placed on the spot where the archbishop stood while ad-
dressing the multitude ; and it is well known that many
miracles (the enumeration of which would be too tedious
to relate) were performed on the crowds of sick people
who resorted hither from different parts of the country.

CHAPTER III

OF THE RIVER TEIVI, CARDIGAN, AND EMELYN

The noble river Teivi flows here, and abounds with the
finest salmon, more than any other river of Wales ; it has
a productive fishery near Cilgerran, which is situated on
the summit of a rock, at a place called Canarch Mawr,2
the ancient residence of St. Ludoc, where the river, fall-
ing from a great height, forms a cataract, which the
salmon ascend, by leaping from the bottom to the top of
a rock, which is about the height of the longest spear, and
would appear wonderful, were it not the nature of that
species of fish to leap: hence they have received the
name of salmon, from salio. Their particular manner of
leaping (as I have specified in my Topography of Ireland)
is thus : fish of this kind, naturally swimming against the

1 On the Cemmaes, or Pembrokeshire side of the river Teivi,
and near the end of the bridge, there is a place still called Park y
Cappel, or the Chapel Field, which is undoubtedly commemora-
tive of the circumstance recorded by our author.

2 Now known by the name of Kenarth, which may be derived
from Cefn y garth — the back of the wear, a ridge of land behind
the wear.

106 Giraldus Cambrensis

course of the river (for as birds fly against the wind, so
do fish swim against the stream), on meeting with any
sudden obstacle, bend their tail towards their mouth,
and sometimes, in order to give a greater power to their
leap, they press it with their mouth, and suddenly free-
ing themselves from this circular form, they spring with
great force (like a bow let loose) from the bottom to
the top of the leap, to the great astonishment of the
beholders. The church dedicated to St. Ludoc,1 the mill,
bridge, salmon leap, an orchard with a delightful garden,
all stand together on a small plot of ground. The Teivi
has another singular particularity, being the only river
in Wales, or even in England, which has beavers ; 2 in
Scotland they are said to be found in one river, but are
very scarce. I think it not a useless labour, to insert a
few remarks respecting the nature of these animals;
the manner in which they bring their materials from the
woods to the water, and with what skill they connect
them in the construction of their dwellings in the midst
of rivers; their means of defence on the eastern and

1 The name of St. Ludoc is not found in the lives of the saints.
Leland mentions a St. Clitauc, who had a church dedicated to
him in South Wales, and who was killed by some of his companions
whilst hunting. " Clitaucus Southe-Walliae regulus inter venan-
dum a suis sodalibus occisus est. Ecclesia S. Clitauci in Southe
Wallia." — Leland, Itin., torn. viii. p. 95.

2 The Teivy is still very justly distinguished for the quantity
and quality of its salmon, but the beaver no longer disturbs its
streams. That this animal did exist in the days of Howel Dha
(though even then a rarity), the mention made of it in his laws,
and the high price set upon its skin, most clearly evince; but if
the castor of Giraldus, and the avanc of Humphrey Llwyd and
of the Welsh dictionaries, be really the same animal, it certainly
was not peculiar to the Teivi, but was equally known in North
Wales, as the names of places testify. A small lake in Mont-
gomeryshire is called Llyn yr Afangc; a pool in the river Conwy,
not far from Bettws, bears the same name, and the vale called
Nant Ffrancon, upon the river Ogwen, in Caernarvonshire, is
supposed by the natives to be a corruption from Nant yr Afan
cwm, or the Vale of the Beavers. Mr. Owen, in his dictionary,
says, " That it has been seen in this vale within the memory of
man." Giraldus has previously spoken of the beaver in his Topo-
graphy of Ireland, Distinc. i. c. 21.

Itinerary Through Wales 107

western sides against hunters ; and also concerning their
fish-like tails.

The beavers, in order to construct their castles in the
middle of rivers, make use of the animals of their own
species instead of carts, who, by a wonderful mode of
carriage, convey the timber from the woods to the rivers.
Some of them, obeying the dictates of nature, receive on
their bellies the logs of wood cut off by their associates,
which they hold tight with their feet, and thus with
transverse pieces placed in their mouths, are drawn along
backwards, with their cargo, by other beavers, who
fasten themselves with their teeth to the raft. The
moles use a similar artifice in clearing out the dirt from
the cavities they form by scraping. In some deep and
still corner of the river, the beavers use such skill in the
construction of their habitations, that not a drop of
water can penetrate, or the force of storms shake them;
nor do they fear any violence but that of mankind,
nor even that, unless well armed. They entwine the
branches of willows with other wood, and different kinds
of leaves, to the usual height of the water, and having
made within-side a communication from floor to floor,
they elevate a kind of stage, or scaffold, from which they
may observe and watch the rising of the waters. In
the course of time, their habitations bear the appear-
ance of a grove of willow trees, rude and natural without,
but artfully constructed within. This animal can re-
main in or under water at its pleasure, like the frog or
seal, who shew, by the smoothness or roughness of their
skins, the flux and reflux of the sea. These three
animals, therefore, live indifferently under the water, or
in the air, and have short legs, broad bodies, stubbed
tails, and resemble the mole in their corporal shape. It
is worthy of remark, that the beaver has but four teeth,
two above, and two below, which being broad and sharp,
cut like a carpenter's axe, and as such he uses them.
They make excavations and dry hiding places in the
banks near their dwellings, and when they hear the

io8 Giraldus Cambrensis

stroke of the hunter, who with sharp poles endeavours to
penetrate them, they fly as soon as possible to the de-
fence of their castle, having first blown out the water
from the entrance of the hole, and rendered it foul and
muddy by scraping the earth, in order thus artfully to
elude the stratagems of the well-armed hunter, who is
watching them from the opposite banks of the river.
When the beaver finds he cannot save himself from the
pursuit of the dogs who follow him, that he may ransom
his body by the sacrifice of a part, he throws away that,
which by natural instinct he knows to be the object
sought for, and in the sight of the hunter castrates him-
self, from which circumstance he has gained the name
of Castor; and if by chance the dogs should chase an
animal which had been previously castrated, he has the
sagacity to run to an elevated spot, and there lifting up
his leg, shews the hunter that the object of his pursuit is
gone. Cicero speaking of them says, " They ransom
themselves by that part of the body, for which they are
chiefly sought." And Juvenal says,

Qui se

Eunuehum ipse facit, cupiens evadere damno
Testiculi."

And St. Bernard,

" Prodit enim castor proprio de corpore velox
Reddere quas sequitur hostis avarus opes."

Thus, therefore, in order to preserve his skin, which is
sought after in the west, and the medicinal part of his
body, which is coveted in the east, although he cannot
save himself entirely, yet, by a wonderful instinct and
sagacity, he endeavours to avoid the stratagems of his
pursuers. The beavers have broad, short tails, thick,
like the palm of a hand, which they use as a rudder in
swimming ; and although the rest of their body is hairy,
this part, like that of seals, is without hair, and smooth;
upon which account, in Germany and the arctic regions,
where beavers abound, great and religious persons, in

Itinerary Through Wales i 09

times of fasting, eat the tails of this fish-like animal, as
having both the taste and colour of fish.

We proceeded on our journey from Cilgerran towards
Pont-Stephen,1 leaving Cruc Mawr, i.e. the great hill,
near Aberteivi, on our left hand. On this spot Gruffydd,
son of Rhys ap Tewdwr, soon after the death of king
Henry I., by a furious onset gained a signal victory
against the English army, which, by the murder of the
illustrious Richard de Clare, near Abergevenny (before
related), had lost its leader and chief.2 A tumulus is to
be seen on the summit of the aforesaid hill, and the in-
habitants affirm that it will adapt itself to persons of all
stature ; and that if any armour is left there entire in the
evening, it will be found, according to vulgar tradition,
broken to pieces in the morning.

CHAPTER IV

OF THE JOURNEY BY PONT STEPHEN, THE ABBEY OF
STRATFLUR, LANDEWI BREVI, AND LHANPADARN
VAWR

A sermon having been preached on the following morn-
ing at Pont Stephen,3 by the archbishop and archdeacon,
and also by two abbots of the Cistercian order, John
of Albadomus, and Sisillus of Stratflur,4 who faithfully

1 Our author having made a long digression, in order to intro-
duce the history of the beaver, now continues his Itinerary.
From Cardigan, the archbishop proceeded towards Pont-Stephen,
leaving a hill, called Cruc Mawr, on the left hand, which still
retains its ancient name, and agrees exactly with the position
given to it by Giraldus. On its summit is a tumulus, and some
appearance of an intrenchment.

2 In 1135.

3 Lampeter, or Llanbedr, a small town near the river Teivi,
still retains the name of Pont-Stephen.

4 Leland thus speaks of Ystrad Fflur or Strata Florida: " Strate-
flere is set round about with montanes not far distant, except on

i i o Giraldus Cambrensis

attended us in those parts, and as far as North Wales,
many persons were induced to take the cross. We pro-
ceeded to Stratflur, where we passed the night. On the
following morning, having on our right the lofty moun-
tains of Moruge, which in Welsh are called Ellennith,1
we were met near the side of a wood by Cyneuric son of
Rhys, accompanied by a body of light-armed youths.
This young man was of a fair complexion, with curled
hair, tall and handsome; clothed only, according to the
custom of his country, with a thin cloak and inner gar-
ment, his legs and feet, regardless of thorns and thistles,
were left bare ; a man, not adorned by art, but nature ;
bearing in his presence an innate, not an acquired,
dignity of manners. A sermon having been preached to
these three young men, Gruffydd, Malgon, and Cyneuric,
in the presence of their father, prince Rhys, and the
brothers disputing about taking the cross, at length
Malgon strictly promised that he would accompany the
archbishop to the king's court, and would obey the
king's and archbishop's counsel, unless prevented by
them. From thence we passed through Landewi Brevi,2
that is, the church of David of Brevi, situated on the
summit of that hill which had formerly risen up under
his feet whilst preaching, during the period of that cele-
brated synod, when all the bishops, abbots, and clergy
of Wales, and many other persons, were collected

the west parte, where Diffrin Tyve is. Many hilles therabout
hath bene well woddid, as evidently by old rotes apperith, but
now in them is almost no woode — the causes be these. First, the
wood cut down was never copisid, and this hath beene a great
cause of destruction of wood thorough Wales. Secondly, after
cutting down of woodys, the gottys hath so bytten the young
spring that it never grew but lyke shrubbes. Thirddely, men for
the monys destroied the great woddis that thei should not har-
borow theves." This monastery is situated in the wildest part
of Cardiganshire, surrounded on three sides by a lofty range of
those mountains, called by our author Ellennith; a spot admir-
ably suited to the severe and recluse order of the Cistercians.

1 [Melenydd or Maelienydd.]

2 Leaving Stratflur, the archbishop and his train returned to
Llanddewi Brefi, and from thence proceeded to Llanbadarn
Vawr.

Itinerary Through Wales i i i

thither on account of the Pelagian heresy, which, al-
though formerly exploded from Britain by Germanus,
bishop of Auxerre, had lately been revived in these
parts. At this place David was reluctantly raised to
the archbishopric, by the unanimous consent and elec-
tion of the whole assembly, who by loud acclamations
testified their admiration of so great a miracle. Dubri-
cius had a short time before resigned to him this honour
in due form at Caerleon, from which city the metro-
politan see was transferred to St. David's.

Having rested that night at Lhanpadarn Vawr,1 or the
church of Paternus the Great, we attracted many persons
to the service of Christ on the following morning. It is
remarkable that this church, like many others in Wales
and Ireland, has a lay abbot; for a bad custom has
prevailed amongst the clergy, of appointing the most
powerful people of a parish stewards, or, rather, patrons,
of their churches ; who, in process of time, from a desire
of gain, have usurped the whole right, appropriating to
their own use the possession of all the lands, leaving only
to the clergy the altars, with their tenths and oblations,
and assigning even these to their sons and relations in
the church. Such defenders, or rather destroyers, of the
church, have caused themselves to be called abbots, and
presumed to attribute to themselves a title, as well as
estates, to which they have no just claim. In this state
we found the church of Lhanpadarn, without a head.
A certain old man, waxen old in iniquity (whose name
was Eden Oen, son of Gwaithwoed), being abbot, and his
sons officiating at the altar. But in the reign of king
Henry I., when the authority of the English prevailed in
Wales, the monastery of St. Peter at Gloucester held
quiet possession of this church; but after his death, the
English being driven out, the monks were expelled from
their cloisters, and their places supplied by the same

1 Llanbadarn Favvr, the church of St. Paternus the Great, is
situated in a valley, at a short distance from the sea-port town of
Aberystwyth in Cardiganshire.

i i 2 Giraldus Cambrensis

violent intrusion of clergy and laity, which had formerly
been practised. It happened that in the reign of king
Stephen, who succeeded Henry I., a knight, born in
Armorican Britain, having travelled through many parts
of the world, from a desire of seeing different cities, and
the manners of their inhabitants, came by chance to
Lhanpadarn. On a certain feast-day, whilst both the
clergy and people were waiting for the arrival of the abbot
to celebrate mass, he perceived a body of young men,
armed, according to the custom of their country, ap-
proaching towards the church; and on enquiring which
of them was the abbot, they pointed out to him a man
walking foremost, with a long spear in his hand. Gazing
on him with amazement, he asked, " If the abbot had
not another habit, or a different staff, from that which
he now carried before him? " On their answering,
" No! " he replied, " I have seen indeed and heard this
day a wonderful novelty ! " and from that hour he re-
turned home, and finished his labours and researches.
This wicked people boasts, that a certain bishop * of
their church (for it formerly was a cathedral) was
murdered by their predecessors; and on this account,
chiefly, they ground their claims of right and possession.
No public complaint having been made against their
conduct, we have thought it more prudent to pass over,
for the present, the enormities of this wicked race with
dissimulation, than exasperate them by a further re-
lation.

1 The name of this bishop is said to have been Idnerth, and the
same personage whose death is commemorated in an inscription
at Llanddewi Brefi.

Itinerary Through Wales i i 3

CHAPTER V

OF THE RIVER DEVI, AND THE LAND OF THE SONS

OF CON AN

Approaching to the river Devi,1 which divides North
and South Wales, the bishop of St. David's, and Rhys
the son of Gruffydd, who, with a liberality peculiarly
praiseworthy in so illustrious a prince, had accompanied
us from the castle of Aberteivi, throughout all Cardigan-
shire, to this place, returned home. Having crossed
the river in a boat, and quitted the diocese of St. David's,
we entered the land of the sons of Conan, or Merionyth,
the first province of Venedotia on that side of the
country, and belonging to the bishopric of Bangor.2
We slept that night at Towyn. Early next morning,
Gruffydd son of Conan 3 came to meet us, humbly and
devoutly asking pardon for having so long delayed his
attention to the archbishop. On the same day, we
ferried over the bifurcate river Maw,4 where Malgo, son
of Rhys, who had attached himself to the archbishop, as
a companion to the king's court, discovered a ford near

1 This river is now called Dovey.

2 From Llanbadarn our travellers directed their course towards
the sea-coast, and ferrying over the river Dovey, which separates
North from South Wales, proceeded to Towyn, in Merionethshire,
where they passed the night. [Venedotia is the Latin name for
Gwynedd.]

3 The province of Merionyth was at this period occupied by
David, the son of Owen Gwynedd, who had seized it forcibly
from its rightful inheritor. This Gruffydd — who must not be
confused with his great-grandfather, the famous Gruffydd ap
Conan, prince of Gwynedd — was son to Conan ap Owen Gwynedd;
he died a.d. 1200, and was buried in a monk's cowl, in the abbey
of Conway.

4 The epithet " bifurcus," ascribed by Giraldus to the river
Maw, alludes to its two branches, which unite their streams a little
way below Llaneltid bridge, and form an aestuary, which flows
down to the sea at Barmouth, or Aber Maw. The ford at this
place, discovered by Malgo, no longer exists.

H

114 Giraldus Cambrensis

the sea. That night we lay at Llanvair,1 that is the
church of St. Mary, in the province of Ardudwy.2 This
territory of Conan, and particularly Merionyth, is the
rudest and roughest district of all Wales; the ridges
of its mountains are very high and narrow, terminating in
sharp peaks, and so irregularly jumbled together, that
if the shepherds conversing or disputing with each other,
from their summits, should agree to meet, they could
scarcely effect their purpose in the course of the whole
day. The lances of this country are very long; for as
South Wales excels in the use of the bow, so North Wales
is distinguished for its skill in the lance ; insomuch that
an iron coat of mail will not resist the stroke of a lance
thrown at a small distance. The next morning, the
youngest son of Conan, named Meredyth, met us at the
passage of a bridge, attended by his people, where many
persons were signed with the cross; amongst whom was
a fine young man of his suite, and one of his intimate
friends; and Meredyth, observing that the cloak, on
which the cross was to be sewed, appeared of too thin and
of too common a texture, with a flood of tears, threw him
down his own.

1 Llanfair is a small village, about a mile and a half from Harlech,
with a very simple church, placed in a retired spot, backed by
precipitous mountains. Here the archbishop and Giraldus slept,
on their journey from Towyn to Nevyn.

2 Ardudwy was a comot of the cantref Dunodic, in Merioneth*
shire, and according to Leland, " Streccith from half Trait Mawr
to Abermaw on the shore xii myles." The bridge here alluded
to, was probably over the river Artro, which forms a small aestuary
near the village of Llanbedr.

Itinerary Through Wales i i 5

CHAPTER VI

PASSAGE OF TRAETH MAWR AND TRAETH BACHAN,
AND OF NEVYN, CARNARVON;, AND BANGOR

We continued our journey over the Traeth Mawr,1 and
Traeth Bachan,2 that is, the greater and the smaller arm
of the sea, where two stone castles have newly been
erected; one called Deudraeth, belonging to the sons
of Conan, situated in Evionyth, towards the northern
mountains ; the other named Cam Madryn, the property
of the sons of Owen, built on the other side of the river
towards the sea, on the head-land Lleyn.3 Traeth, in
the Welsh language, signifies a tract of sand flooded by
the tides, and left bare when the sea ebbs. We had
before passed over the noted rivers, the Dissenith,4
between the Maw and Traeth Mawr, and the Arthro,
between the Traeth Mawr and Traeth Bachan, We
slept that night at Nevyn, on the eve of Palm Sunday,
where the archdeacon, after long inquiry and research,
is said to have found Merlin Sylvestris.5

1 The Traeth Mawr, or the large sands, are occasioned by a
variety of springs and rivers which flow from the Snowdon moun-
tains, and, uniting their streams, form an asstuary below Pont
Aberglaslyn.

2 The Traeth Bychan. or the small sands, are chiefly formed by
the river which runs down the beautiful vale of Festiniog to Maent-
wrog and Tan y bwlch, near which place it becomes navigable.
Over each of these sands the road leads from Merionyth into
Caernarvonshire.

3 Lleyn, the Canganorum promontorium of Ptolemy, was an
extensive hundred containing three comots, and comprehending
that long neck of land between Caernarvon and Cardigan bays.
Leland says, " Al Lene is as it were a pointe into the se."

4 In mentioning the rivers which the missionaries had lately
crossed, our author has been guilty of a great topographical error
in placing the river Dissennith between the Maw and Traeth
Mawr, as also in placing the Arthro between the Traeth Mawr and
Traeth Bychan, as a glance at a map will shew.

5 To two personages of this name the gift of prophecy was
anciently attributed: one was called Ambrosius, the other Syl-

i 1 6 Giraldus Cambrensis

Beyond Lleyn, there is a small island inhabited by
very religious monks, called Ca^libes, or Colidei. This
island, either from the wholesomeness of its climate,
owing to its vicinity to Ireland, or rather from some
miracle obtained by the merits of the saints, has this
wonderful peculiarity, that the oldest people die first,
because diseases are uncommon, and scarcely any die
except from extreme old age. Its name is Enlli in the
Welsh, and Berdesey * in the Saxon language ; and very
many bodies of saints are said to be buried there, and
amongst them that of Daniel, bishop of Bangor.

The archbishop having, by his sermon the next day,
induced many persons to take the cross, we proceeded
towards Banchor, passing through Caernarvon,2 that is,
the castle of Arvon; it is called Arvon, the province
opposite to Mon, because it is so situated with respect
to the island of Mona. Our road leading us to a steep
valley,3 with many broken ascents and descents, we dis-

vestris; the latter here mentioned (and whose works Giraldus,
after a long research, found at Nefyn) was, according to the story,
the son of Morvryn, and generally called Merddin Wyllt, or
Merddin the Wild. He is pretended to have flourished about the
middle of the sixth century, and ranked with Merddin Emrys and
Taliesin, under the appellation of the three principal bards of the
Isle of Britain.

1 This island once afforded, according to the old accounts, an
asylum to twenty thousand saints, and after death, graves to as
many of their bodies ; whence it has been called Insula Sanctorum,
the Isle of Saints. This island derived its British name of Enlli
from the fierce current which rages between it and the main land.
The Saxons named it Bardsey, probably from the Bards, who
retired hither, preferring solitude to the company of invading
foreigners.

2 This ancient city has been recorded by a variety of names.
During the time of the Romans it was called Segontium, the site
of which is now called Caer Seiont, the fortress on the river Seiont,
where the Setantiorum portus, and the Seteia .Estuarium of
Ptolemy have also been placed. It is called, by Nennius, Caer
Custent, or the city of Constantius; and Matthew of Westminster
says, that about the year 1283 the body of Constantius, father of
the emperor Constantine, was found there, and honourably de-
posited in the church by order of king Edward I.

3 I searched in vain for a valley which would answer the descrip-
tion here given by Giraldus, and the scene of so much pleasantry
to the travellers; for neither do the old or new road, from Caer-

Itinerary Through Wales i ij

mounted from our horses, and proceeded on foot, rehears-
ing, as it were, by agreement, some experiments of our
intended pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Having traversed the
valley, and reached the opposite side with considerable
fatigue, the archbishop, to rest himself and recover his
breath, sat down on an oak which had been torn up by
the violence of the winds ; and relaxing into a pleasantry
highly laudable in a person of his approved gravity, thus
addressed his attendants: " Who amongst you, in this
company, can now delight our wearied ears by whistling ?"
which is not easily done by people out of breath. He
affirming that he could, if he thought fit, the sweet notes
are heard, in an adjoining wood, of a bird, which some
said was a wood-pecker, and others, more correctly, an
aureolus. The wood-pecker is called in French, spec, and
with its strong bill, perforates oak trees; the other bird
in called aureolus, from the golden tints of its feathers,
and at certain seasons utters a sweet whistling note,
instead of a song. Some persons having remarked,
that the nightingale was never heard in this country,
the archbishop, with a significant smile, replied, " The
nightingale followed wise counsel, and never came into
Wales ; but we, unwise counsel, who have penetrated and
gone through it." We remained that night at Banchor.1

narvon to Bangor, in any way correspond. But I have since
been informed, that there is a valley called Nant y Garth (near the
residence of Ashton Smith, Esq., at Vaenol), which terminates at
about half a mile's distance from the Menai, and therefore not
observable from the road; it is a serpentine ravine of more than
a mile, in a direction towards the mountains, and probably that
which the crusaders crossed on their journey to Bangor.

1 Bangor. — This cathedral church must not be confounded with
the celebrated college of the same name, in Flintshire, founded
by Dunod Vawr, son of Pabo, a chieftain who lived about the
beginning of the sixth century, and from him called Bangor
Dunod. The Bangor, i. e. the college, in Caernarvonshire, is
properly called Bangor Deiniol, Bangor Vawr yn Arllechwedd,
and Bangor Vawr uwch Conwy. It owes its origin to Deiniol,
son of Dunod ap Pabo, a saint who lived in the early part of the
sixth century, and in the year 525 founded this college at Bangor,
in Caernarvonshire, over which he presided as abbot. Guy
Rufus, called by our author Guianus, was at this time bishop of
this see, and died in n 90.

1 1 8 Giraldus Cambrensis

the metropolitan see of North Wales, and were well
entertained by the bishop of the diocese.1 On the next
day, mass being celebrated by the archbishop before the
high altar, the bishop of that see, at the instance of the
archbishop and other persons, more importunate than
persuasive, was compelled to take the cross, to the
general concern of all his people of both sexes, who ex-
pressed their grief on this occasion by loud and lament-
able vociferations.

CHAPTER VII

THE ISLAND OF MONA

From hence, we crossed over a small arm of the sea to
the island of Mona,2 distant from thence about two
miles, where Roderic, the younger son of Owen, attended
by nearly all the inhabitants of the island, and many
others from the adjacent countries, came in a devout
manner to meet us. Confession having been made in
a place near the shore, where the surrounding rocks
seemed to form a natural theatre,3 many persons were

1 Guianus, or Guy Rufus, dean of Waltham, in Essex, and con-
secrated to this see, at Ambresbury, Wilts, in May 1177.

2 Mona, or Anglesey.

3 The spot selected by Baldwin for addressing the multitude,
has in some degree been elucidated by the anonymous author of
the Supplement to Rowland's Mona Antiqua. He says, that
" From tradition and memorials still retained, we have reasons
to suppose that they met in an open place in the parish of Lan-
disilio, called Cerrig y Borth. The inhabitants, by a grateful
remembrance, to perpetuate the honour of that day, called the
place where the archbishop stood, Carreg yr Archjagon, i.e. the
Archbishop's Rock; and where prince Roderic stood, Maen
Roderic, or the Stone of Roderic." This account is in part corro-
borated by the following communication from Mr. Richard Llwyd
of Beaumaris, who made personal inquiries on the spot. " Cerrig
y Borth, being a rough, undulating district, could not, for that
reason, have been chosen for addressing a multitude; but adjoin-

Itinerary Through Wales 1 19

induced to take the cross, by the persuasive discourses
of the archbishop, and Alexander, our interpreter, arch-
deacon of that place, and of Sisillus, abbot of Stratflur.
Many chosen youths of the family of Roderic were seated
on an opposite rock, and not one of them could be pre-
vailed upon to take the cross, although the archbishop
and others most earnestly exhorted them, but in vain,
by an address particularly directed to them. It came to
pass within three days, as if by divine vengeance, that
these young men, with many others, pursued some
robbers of that country. Being discomfited and put to
flight, some were slain, others mortally wounded, and
the survivors voluntarily assumed that cross they had
before despised. Roderic, also, who a short time before
had incestuously married the daughter of Rhys, related to
him by blood in the third degree, in order, by the assist-
ance of that prince, to be better able to defend himself
against the sons of his brothers, whom he had disin-
herited, not paying attention to the wholesome admoni-
tions of the archbishop on this subject, was a little while
afterwards dispossessed of all his lands by their means;
thus deservedly meeting with disappointment from the
very source from which he expected support. The

ing it there are two eminences which command a convenient sur-
face for that purpose; one called Maen Rodi (the Stone or Rock
of Roderic), the property of Owen Williams, Esq.; and the other
Carreg Iago, belonging to Lord Uxbridge. This last, as now pro-
nounced, means the Rock of St. James; but I have no difficulty
in admitting, that Carreg yr Arch I agon may (by the compression
of common, un discriminating language, and the obliteration of
the event from ignorant minds by the lapse of so many centuries)
be contracted into Carreg Iago. Cadair yr archesgob is now also
contracted into Cadair (chair), a seat naturally formed in the
rock, with a rude arch over it, on the road side, which is a rough
terrace over the breast of a rocky and commanding cliff, and the
nearest way from the above eminences to the insulated church of
Landisilio. This word Cadair, though in general language a
chair, yet when applied to exalted situations, means an observa-
tory, as Cadair Idris, etc.; but there can, in my opinion, be^no
doubt that this seat in the rock is that described by the words
Cadair yr Archesgob." [Still more probable, and certainly more
nattering to Giraldus. is that it was called " Cadair yr Arch
Ddiacon " (the Archdeacon's chair).]

120 Giraldus Cambrensis

island of Mona contains three hundred and forty-three
vills, considered equal to three cantreds. Cantred, a
compound word from the British and Irish languages,
is a portion of land equal to one hundred vills. There
are three islands contiguous to Britain, on its different
sides, which are said to be nearly of an equal size — the
Isle of Wight on the south, Mona on the west, and
Mania (Man) on the north-west side. The two first are
separated from Britain by narrow channels ; the third is
much further removed, lying almost midway between the
countries of Ulster in Ireland and Galloway in Scotland.
The island of Mona is an arid and stony land, rough and
unpleasant in its appearance, similar in its exterior
qualities to the land of Pebidion,1 near St. David's, but
very different as to its interior value. For this island is
incomparably more fertile in corn than any other part of
Wales, from whence arose the British proverb, " Mon
mam Cymbry, Mona mother of Wales; " and when the
crops have been defective in all other parts of the
country, this island, from the richness of its soil and
abundant produce, has been able to supply all Wales.

As many things within this island are worthy of
remark, I shall not think it superfluous to make mention
of some of them. There is a stone here resembling a
human thigh,2 which possesses this innate virtue, that
whatever distance it may be carried, it returns, of its
own accord, the following night, as has often been ex-
perienced by the inhabitants. Hugh, earl of Chester,3

1 This hundred contained the comots of Mynyw, or St. David's,
and Pencaer.

* I am indebted to Mr. Richard Llwyd for the following curious
extract from a Manuscript of the late intelligent Mr. Rowlands,
respecting this miraculous stone, called Maen Morddwyd, or the
stone of the thigh, which once existed in Llanidan parish. " Hie
etiam lapis lumbi, vulgo Maen Morddwyd, in hujus casmiterii
vallo locum sibi e longo a retro tempore obtinuit, exindeque his
nuperis annis, quo nescio papicola vel qua inscia manu nulla ut
olim retinente virtute, qua? tunc penitus elanguit aut vetustate eva-
poravit, nullo sane loci dispendio, nee illi qui eripuit emolumento,
ereptus et deportatus fuit."

3 Hugh, earl of Chester. The first earl of Chester after the

Itinerary Through Wales 121

in the reign of king Henry I., having by force occupied
this island and the adjacent country, heard of the
miraculous power of this stone, and, for the purpose of
trial, ordered it to be fastened, with strong iron chains,
to one of a larger size, and to be thrown into the sea.
On the following morning, however, according to custom,
it was found in its original position, on which account
the earl issued a public edict, that no one, from that
time, should presume to move the stone from its place.
A countryman, also, to try the powers of this stone,
fastened it to his thigh, which immediately became
putrid, and the stone returned to its original situation.

There is in the same island a stony hill, not very large
or high, from one side of which, if you cry aloud, you will
not be heard on the other; and it is called (by anti-
phrasis) the rock of hearers. In the northern part of
Great Britain (Northumberland) so named by the Eng-
lish, from its situation beyond the river Humber, there
is a hill of a similar nature, where if a loud horn or
trumpet is sounded on one side, it cannot be heard on the
opposite one. There is also in this island the church of
St. Tefredaucus,1 into which Hugh, earl of Shrewsbury,
(who, together with the earl of Chester, had forcibly
entered Anglesey), on a certain night put some dogs,
which on the following morning were found mad, and he
himself died within a month; for some pirates, from the
Orcades, having entered the port of the island in their
long vessels, the earl, apprised of their approach, boldly
met them, rushing into the sea upon a spirited horse.

Norman conquest, was Gherbod, a Fleming, who, having obtained
leave from king William to go into Flanders for the purpose of
arranging some family concerns, was taken and detained a prisoner
by his enemies; upon which the conqueror bestowed the earldom
of Chester on Hugh de Abrincis or of Avranches, " to hold as
freely by the sword, as the king himself did England by the crown."
1 This church is at Llandyfrydog, a small village in Twrkelin
hundred, not far distant from Llanelian, and about three miles
from the Bay of Dulas. St. Tyvrydog, to whom it was dedicated,
was one of the sons of Arwystyl Glof, a saint who lived in the
latter part of the sixth century.

122 Giraldus Cambrensis

The commander of the expedition, Magnus, standing on
the prow of the foremost ship, aimed an arrow at him;
and, although the earl was completely equipped in a
coat of mail, and guarded in every part of his body
except his eyes, the unlucky weapon struck his right
eye, and, entering his brain, he fell a lifeless corpse into
the sea. The victor, seeing him in this state, proudly
and exultingly exclaimed, in the Danish tongue, " Leit
loup," let him leap; and from this time the power of the
English ceased in Anglesey. In our times, also, when
Henry II. was leading an army into North Wales, where
he had experienced the ill fortune of war in a narrow,
woody pass near Coleshulle, he sent a fleet into Anglesey,
and began to plunder the aforesaid church, and other
sacred places. But the divine vengeance pursued him,
for the inhabitants rushed upon the invaders, few
against many, unarmed against armed; and having
slain great numbers, and taken many prisoners, gained
a most complete and bloody victory. For, as our
Topography of Ireland testifies, that the Welsh and
Irish are more prone to anger and revenge than any
other nations, the saints, likewise, of those countries
appear to be of a more vindictive nature.

Two noble persons, and uncles of the author of this
book, were sent thither by the king; namely, Henry, son
of king Henry I., and uncle to king Henry II., by Nest,
daughter of Rhys, prince of South Wales; and Robert
Fitz-Stephen, brother to Henry, a man who in our
days, shewing the way to others, first attacked Ireland,
and whose fame is recorded in our Vaticinal History.
Henry, actuated by too much valour, and ill supported,
was pierced by a lance, and fell amongst the foremost,
to the great concern of his attendants; and Robert,
despairing of being able to defend himself, was badly
wounded, and escaped with difficulty to the ships.

There is a small island, almost adjoining to Anglesey,
which is inhabited by hermits, living by manual labour,
and serving God. It is remarkable that when, by the

Itinerary Through Wales 123

influence of human passions, any discord arises among
them, all their provisions are devoured and infected by
a species of small mice, with which the island abounds;
but when the discord ceases, they are no longer molested.
Nor is it to be wondered at, if the servants of God some-
times disagree, since Jacob and Esau contended in the
womb of Rebecca, and Paul and Barnabas differed ; the
disciples also of Jesus disputed which of them should
be the greatest, for these are the temptations of human
infirmity ; yet virtue is often made perfect by infirmity,
and faith is increased by tribulations. This island is
called in Welsh, Ynys Lenach,1 or the ecclesiastical
island, because many bodies of saints are deposited
there, and no woman is suffered to enter it.

We saw in Anglesey a dog, who accidentally had lost
his tail, and whose whole progeny bore the same defect.
It is wonderful that nature should, as it were, conform
itself in this particular to the accident of the father.
We saw also a knight, named Earthbald, born in Devon-
shire, whose father, denying the child with which his
mother was pregnant, and from motives of jealousy
accusing her of inconstancy, nature alone decided the
controversy by the birth of the child, who, by a miracle,
exhibited on his upper lip a scar, similar to one his
father bore in consequence of a wound he had received
from a lance in one of his military expeditions. Stephen,
the son of Earthbald, had a similar mark, the accident
being in a manner converted into nature. A like
miracle of nature occurred in earl Alberic, son of Alberic
earl of Veer,2 whose father, during the pregnancy of his

1 Ynys Lenach, now known by the name of Priestholme Island,
bore also the title of Ynys Seiriol, from a saint who resided upon
it in the sixth century. It is also mentioned by Dugdale and
Pennant under the appellation of Insula Glannauch.

2 Alberic de Veer, or Vere, came into England with William the
Conqueror, and as a reward for his military services, received very
extensive possessions and lands, particularly in the county of
Essex. Alberic, his eldest son, was great chamberlain of England
in the reign of king Henry I., and was killed a.d. 1140, in a popular
tumult at London. Heiirv de Essex married one of his daughters

i 24 Giraldus Cambrensis

mother, the daughter of Henry of Essex, having laboured
to procure a divorce, on account of the ignominy of her
father, the child, when born, had the same blemish in its
eye, as the father had got from a casual hurt. These
defects may be entailed on the offspring, perhaps, by the
impression made on the memory by frequent and steady
observation; as it is reported that a queen, accustomed
to see the picture of a negro in her chamber, unexpectedly
brought forth a black child, and is exculpated by Quin-
tilian, on account of the picture. In like manner it
happened to the spotted sheep, given by Laban out of
his flock to his nephew Jacob, and which conceived
by means of variegated rods.1 Nor is the child always
affected by the mother's imagination alone, but some-
times by that of the father; for it is well known that a
man, seeing a passenger near him, who was convulsed
both behind and before, on going home and telling his
wife that he could not get the impression of this sight off
his mind, begat a child who was affected in a similar
manner.

named Adeliza. He enjoyed, by inheritance, the office of stan-
dard-bearer, and behaved himself so unworthily in the military
expedition which king Henry undertook against Owen Gwynedd,
prince of North Wales, in the year n 57, by throwing down his
ensign, and betaking himself to flight, that he was challenged for
this misdemeanor by Robert de Mountford, and by him van-
quished in single combat; whereby, according to the laws of his
country, his life was justly forfeited. But the king interposing
his roval mercy, spared it, but confiscated his estates, ordering
him to be shorn a monk, and placed in the abbey of Reading.
There appears to be some biographical error in the words of Giral-
dus— " Filia scilicet Henrici de Essexia," for by the genealogical
accounts of the Vere and Essex families, we find that Henry de
Essex married the daughter of the second Alberic de Vere ; whereas
our author seems to imply, that the mother of Alberic the second
was daughter to Henry de Essex.

2 " And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel,
and of the chesnut tree, and peeled white strakes in them, and
made the white appear which was in the rods. And he set the
rods, which he had peeled, before the flocks in the gutters in the
watering troughs, when the flocks came to drink, that they should
conceive when they came to drink. And the flocks conceived
before the rods, and brought forth cattle speckled and spotted."
— Gen. xxx.

Itinerary Through Wales 125

CHAPTER VIII

PASSAGE OF THE RIVER CONWY IN A BOAT,
AND OF DINAS EMRYS

On our return to Banchor from Mona, we were shown
the tombs of prince Owen and his younger brother
Cadwalader,1 who were buried in a double vault before
the high altar, although Owen, on account of his public
incest with his cousin-german, had died excommunicated
by the blessed martyr St. Thomas, the bishop of that see
having been enjoined to seize a proper opportunity of
removing his body from the church. We continued our
journey on the sea coast, confined on one side by steep
rocks/and by the sea on the other, towards the river
Conwy, which preserves its waters unadulterated by
the sea. Not far from the source of the river Conwy, at
the head of the Eryri mountain, which on this side
extends itself towards the north, stands Dinas Emrys,
that is, the promontory of Ambrosius, where Merlin2
uttered his prophecies, whilst Vortigern was seated upon
the bank. There were two Merlins; the one called
Ambrosius, who prophesied in the time of king Vortigern,

1 Owen Gwynedd, the son of Gruffydd ap Conan, died in 1169,
and was buried at Bangor. When Baldwin, during his progress,
visited Bangor and saw his tomb, he charged the bishop (Guy
Ruffus) to remove the body out of the cathedral, when he had a
fit opportunity so to do, in regard that archbishop Becket had
excommunicated him heretofore, because he had married his first
cousin, the daughter of Grono ap Edwyn, and that notwithstand-
ing he had continued to live with her till she died. The bishop,
in obedience to the charge, made a passage from the vault through
the south wall of the church underground, and thus secretly
shoved the body into the churchyard. — Hengwrt. MSS. Cad-
walader. brother of Owen Gwynedd, died in 1172.

2 The Merlin here mentioned was called Ambrosius, and accord-
ing to the Cambrian Biography flourished about the middle of the
fifth century. Other authors say, that this reputed prophet and
magician was the son of a Welsh nun, daughter of a king of
Demetia, and born at Caermarthen, and that he was made king
of West Wales by Vortigern, who then reigned in Britain.

126 Giraldus Cambrensis

was begotten by a demon incubus, and found at Caer-
mardin, from which circumstance that city derived its
name of Caermardin, or the city of Merlin; the other
Merlin, born in Scotland, was named Celidonius, from
the Celidonian wood in which he prophesied; and Syl-
vester, because when engaged in martial conflict, he
discovered in the air a terrible monster, and from that
time grew mad, and taking shelter in a wood, passed the
remainder of his days in a savage state. This Merlin
lived in the time of king Arthur, and is said to have pro-
phesied more fully and explicitly than the other. I shall
pass over in silence what was done by the sons of Owen
in our days, after his death, or while he was dying, who,
from the wicked desire of reigning, totally disregarded
the ties of fraternity; but I shall not omit mentioning
another event which occurred likewise in our days.
Owen,1 son of Gruff y th, prince of North Wales, had many
sons, but only one legitimate, namely, Iorwerth Drwyn-
dwn, which in Welsh means flat-nosed, who had a son
named Llewelyn. This young man, being only twelve
years of age, began, during the period of our journey,
to molest his uncles David and Roderic, the sons of Owen
by Christiana, his cousin-german; and although thev
had divided amongst themselves all North Wales, except
the land of Conan, and although David, having married
the sister of king Henry II., by whom he had one son,
wa; powerfully supported by the English, yet within a
f. w years the legitimate son, destitute of lands or money
( >y t te aid of divine vengeance), bravely expelled from
North Wales those who were born in public incest,
though supported by their own wealth and by that of

1 Owen Gwynedd " left behind him manie children gotten by
diverse women, which were not esteemed by their mothers and
birth, but by their prowes and valiantnesse." By his first wife,
Gladus, the daughter of Llywarch ap Trahaern ap Caradoc, he
had Orwerth Drwyndwn, that is, Edward with the broken nose;
for which defect he was deemed unfit to preside over the prin-
cipality of North Wales and was deprived of his rightful inherit-
ance, which was seized by his brother David, who occupied it for
the space of twenty-four years.

Itinerary Through Wales i 27

others, leaving them nothing but what the liberality of
his own mind and the counsel of good men from pity
suggested: a proof that adulterous and incestuous per-
sons are displeasing to God.

CHAPTER IX

OF THE MOUNTAINS OF ERYRI

I must not pass over in silence the mountains called by
the Welsh Eryri, but by the English Snowdon, or Moun-
tains of Snow, which gradually increasing from the land
of the sons of Conan, and extending themselves north-
wards near Deganwy, seem to rear their lofty summits
even to the clouds, when viewed from the opposite coast
of Anglesey. They are said to be of so great an extent,
that according to an ancient proverb, " As Mona could
supply corn for all the inhabitants of Wales, so could
the Eryri mountains afford sufficient pasture for all the
herds, if collected together.*' Hence these lines of Virgil
may be applied to them: —

" Et quantum longis carpent armenta diebus,
Exigua tantum gelidus ros nocte reponet."

" And what is cropt by day the night renews,
Shedding refreshful stores of cooling dews."

On the highest parts of these mountains are two lakes
worthy of admiration. The one has a floating island in
it, which is often driven from one side to the other by
the force of the winds; and the shepherds behold with
astonishment their cattle, whilst feeding, carried to the
distant parts of the lake. A part of the bank naturally
bound together by the roots of willows and other shrubs
may have been broken off, and increased by the alluvion
of the earth from the shore; and being continually

128 Giraldus Cambrensis

agitated by the winds, which in so elevated a situation
blow with great violence, it cannot reunite itself firmly
with the banks. The other lake is noted for a wonder-
ful and singular miracle. It contains three sorts of fish
— eels, trout, and perch, all of which have only one eye,
the left being wanting ; but if the curious reader should
demand of me the explanation of so extraordinary a
circumstance, I cannot presume to satisfy him. It is
remarkable also, that in two places in Scotland, one
near the eastern, the other near the western sea, the fish
called mullets possess the same defect, having no left
eye. According to vulgar tradition, these mountains are
frequented by an eagle who, perching on a fatal stone
every fifth holiday, in order to satiate her hunger with
the carcases of the slain, is said to expect war on that
same day, and to have almost perforated the stone by
cleaning and sharpening her beak.

CHAPTER X

OF THE PASSAGE BY DEGANWV AND RUTHLAN, AND THE
SEE OF LANELWY, AND OF COLESHULLE

Having crossed the river Conwy,1 or rather an arm of
the sea, under Deganwy, leaving the Cistercian monas-
tery of Conwy 2 on the western bank of the river to our
right hand, we arrived at Ruthlan, a noble castle on the

1 The travellers pursuing their journey along the sea coast,
crossed the asstuary of the river Conway under Deganwy, a for-
tress of very remote antiquity.

2 At this period the Cistercian monastery of Conway was in its
infancy, for its foundation has been attributed to Llewelyn ap
Iorwerth, in the year 1185, (only three years previous to Baldwin's
visitation,) who endowed it with very extensive possessions and
singular privileges. Like Stratfiur, this abbey was the repository
of the national records, and the mausoleum of many of its princes.

Itinerary Through Wales 129

river Cloyd, belonging to David, the eldest son of Owen/
where, at the earnest invitation of David himself, we
were handsomely entertained that night.

There is a spring not far from Ruthlan, in the province
of Tegengel,2 which not only regularly ebbs and flows
like the sea, twice in twenty-four hours, but at other
times frequently rises and falls both by night and day.
Trogus Pompeius says, " that there is a town of the
Garamantes, where there is a spring which is hot and
cold alternately by day and night." 3

Many persons in the morning having been persuaded
to dedicate themselves to the service of Christ, we pro-
ceeded from Ruthlan to the small cathedral church of
Lanelwy;4 from whence (the archbishop having cele-
brated mass) we continued our journey through a
country rich in minerals of silver, where money is sought
in the bowels of the earth, to the little cell of Basin-
werk,5 where we passed the night. The following day
we traversed a long quicksand, and not without some
degree of apprehension, leaving the woody district of
Coleshulle,6 or hill of coal, on our right hand, where
Henry II., who in our time, actuated by youthful and
indiscreet ardour, made a hostile irruption into Wales,
and presuming to pass through that narrow and woody
defile, experienced a signal defeat, and a very heavy loss

'- [David was the illegitimate son of Owen Gwynedd, and had
dispossessed his brother, Iorwerth Drwyndwn.l

2 This ebbing spring in the province of Tegeingl, or Flintshire,
has been placed by the old annotator on Giraldus at Kilken, which
Humphrey Llwyd, in his Breviary, also mentions.

3 See before, the Topography of Ireland, Distinc. ii. c. 7.

4 Saint Asaph, in size, though not in revenues, may deserve the
epithet of " paupercula " attached to it by Giraldus. From its
situation near the banks of the river Elwy, it derived the name of
Llanelwy, or the church upon the Elwy.

5 Leaving Llanelwy, or St. Asaph, the archbishop proceeded to
the little cell of Basinwerk, where he and his attendants passed
the night. It is situated at a short distance from Holywell, on a
gentle eminence above a valley, watered by the copious springs
that issue from St. Winefred's well, and on the borders of a marsh,
which extends towards the coast of Cheshire.

6 Coleshill is a township in Holywell parish, Flintshire, which
gives name to a hundred, and was so called from its abundance of
fossil fuel. Pennant, vol. i. p. 42.

I

130 Giraldus Cambrensis

of men.1 The aforesaid king invaded Wales three times
with an army; first, North Wales at the above-men-
tioned place; secondly, South Wales, by the sea-coast
of Glamorgan and Goer, penetrating as far as Caer-
marddin and Pencadair, and returning by Ellennith and
Melenith; and thirdly, the country of Powys, near
Oswaldestree ; but in all these expeditions the king was un-
successful, because he placed no confidence in the prudent
and well-informed chieftains of the country, but was
principally advised by people remote from the marches,
and ignorant of the manners and customs of the natives.
Injevery expedition, as the artificer is to be trusted
in his trade, so the advice of those people should be
consulted, who, by a long residence in the country, are
become conversant with the manners and customs of
the natives ; and to whom it is of high importance that
the power of the hostile nation, with whom, by a long
and continued warfare, they have contracted an im-
placable enmity and hatred, should be weakened or
destroyed, as we have set forth in our Vaticinal History.

In this wood of Coleshulle, a young Welshman was
killed while passing through the king's army ; the grey-
hound who accompanied him did not desert his master's
corpse for eight days, though without food; but faith-
fully defended it from the attacks of dogs, wolves, and
birds of prey, with a wonderful attachment. What son
to his father, what Nisus to Euryalus, what Polynices
to Tydeus, what Orestes to Pylades, would have shewn
such an affectionate regard? As a mark of favour to
the dog, who was almost starved to death, the English,
although bitter enemies to the Welsh, ordered the body,
now nearly putrid, to be deposited in the ground with
the accustomed offices of humanity.

1 The three military expeditions of king Henry into Wales, here
mentioned, were a.d. 1157, the first expedition into North Wales;
a.d. 1162, the second expedition into South Wales; a.d. 1165, the
third expedition into North Wales. In the first, the king was
obliged to retreat with considerable loss, and the king's standard-
bearer, Henry de Essex, was accused of having in a cowardly
manner abandoned the royal standard and led to a serious disaster.

Itinerary Through Wales 131

CHAPTER XI

OF THE PASSAGE OF THE RIVER DEE, AND OF
CHESTER

Having crossed the river Dee below Chester, (which
the Welsh call Doverdwy), on the third day before
Easter, or the day of absolution (holy Thursday), we
reached Chester. As the river Wye towards the south
separates Wales from England, so the Dee near Chester
forms the northern boundary. The inhabitants of these
parts assert, that the waters of this river change their
fords every month, and, as it inclines more towards
England or Wales, they can, with certainty, prognos-
ticate which nation will be successful or unfortunate
during the year. This river derives its origin from the
lake Penmelesmere,1 and, although it abounds with
salmon, yet none are found in the lake. It is also re-
markable, that this river is never swollen by rains, but
often rises by the violence of the winds.

Chester boasts of being the burial-place of Henry,2
a Roman emperor, who, after having imprisoned his
carnal and spiritual father, pope Paschal, gave himself
up to penitence ; and, becoming a voluntary exile in this
country, ended his days in solitary retirement. It is
also asserted, that the remains of Harold are here de-
posited. He was the last of the Saxon kings in England,
and as a punishment for his perjury, was defeated in the
battle of Hastings, fought against the Normans. Hav-
ing received many wounds, and lost his left eye by an

1 The lake of Penmelesmere, or Pymplwy meer, or the meer of
the five parishes adjoining the lake, is, in modern days, better
known by the name of Bala Pool. The assertion made by
Giraldus, of salmon never being found in the lake of Bala, is not
founded on truth.

2 Giraldus seems to have been mistaken respecting the burial-
place of the emperor Henry V., for he died May 23, a.d. 1125, at
Utrecht, and his body was conveyed to Spire for interment.

132 Giraldus Cambrensis

arrow in that engagement, he is said to have escaped to
these parts, where, in holy conversation, leading the life
of an anchorite, and being a constant attendant at one
of the churches of this city, he is believed to have ter-
minated his days happily.1 The truth of these two cir-
cumstances was declared (and not before known) by
the dying confession of each party. We saw here, what
appeared novel to us, cheese made of deer's milk; for
the countess and her mother keeping tame deer, pre-
sented to the archbishop three small cheeses made from
their milk.

In this same country was produced, in our time, a cow
partaking of the nature of a stag, resembling its mother
in the fore parts and the stag in its hips, legs, and feet,
and having the skin and colour of the stag; but, par-
taking more of the nature of the domestic than of the
wild animal, it remained with the herd of cattle. A
bitch also was pregnant by a monkey, and produced a
litter of whelps resembling a monkey before, and the dog
behind; which the rustic keeper of the military hall
seeing with astonishment and abhorrence, immediately
killed with the stick he carried in his hand; thereby
incurring the severe resentment and anger of his lord,
when the latter became acquainted with the circum-
stance.

In our time, also, a woman was born in Chester with-
out hands, to whom nature had supplied a remedy for
that defect by the flexibility and delicacy of the joints
of her feet, with which she could sew, or perform any
work with thread or scissors, as well as other women.

1 This legend, which represents king Harold as having escaped
from the battle of Hastings, and as having lived years after as a
hermit on the borders of Wales, is mentioned by other old writers,
and has been adopted as true by some modern writers.

Itinerary Through Wales 133

CHAPTER XII

OF THE JOURNEY BY THE WHITE MONASTERY, OSWAL-
DESTREE, POWYS, AND SHREWSBURY

The feast of Easter having been observed with due
solemnity, and many persons, by the exhortations of the
archbishop, signed with the cross, we directed our way
from Chester to the White Monastery,1 and from thence
towards Oswaldestree ; where, on the very borders of
Powys, we were met by Gruffydd son of Madoc, and
Elissa, princes of that country, and many others ; some
few of whom having been persuaded to take the cross
(for several of the multitude had been previously signed
by Reiner,2 the bishop of that place), Gruffydd, prince of
the district, publicly adjured, in the presence of the
archbishop, his cousin-german, Angharad, daughter of
prince Owen, whom, according to the vicious custom of
the country, he had long considered as his wife. We
slept at Oswaldestree, or the tree of St. Oswald, and
were most sumptuously entertained after the English
manner, by William Fitz-Alan,3 a noble and liberal

1 Some difficulty occurs in fixing the situation of the Album
Monasterium, mentioned in the text, as three churches in the
county of Shropshire bore that appellation; the first at Whit-
church, the second at Oswestry, the third at Alberbury. The
narrative of our author is so simple, and corresponds so well with
the topography of the country through which they passed, that I
think no doubt ought to be entertained about the course of their
route. From Chester they directed their way to the White Monas-
tery, or Whitchurch, and from thence towards Oswestry, where
they slept, and were entertained by William Fitz-Alan, after the
English mode of hospitality.

2 By the Latin context it would appear that Reiner was bishop
of Oswestree: " Ab episcopo namque loci illius Reinerio multitudo
fuerat ante signata." Reiner succeeded Adam in the bishopric
of St. Asaph in the year 1186, and died in 1220. He had a resi-
dence near Oswestry, at which place, previous to the arrival of
Baldwin, he had signed many of the people with the cross.

3 In the time, of William the Conqueror, Alan, the son of Flathald,
or Flaald, obtained, by the gift of that king, the castle of Os-

I 34 Giraldus Cambrensis

young man. A short time before, whilst Reiner was
preaching, a robust youth being earnestly exhorted to
follow the example of his companions in taking the
cross, answered, " I will not follow your advice until,
with this lance which I bear in my hand, I shall have
avenged the death of my lord," alluding to Owen, son
of Madoc, a distinguished warrior, who had been mali-
ciously and treacherously slain by Owen Cyfeilioc, his
cousin-german ; and while he was thus venting his anger
and revenge, and violently brandishing his lance, it
suddenly snapped asunder, and fell disjointed in several
pieces to the ground, the handle only remaining in his
hand. Alarmed and astonished at this omen, which he
considered as a certain signal for his taking the cross, he
voluntarily offered his services.

In this third district of Wales, called Powys, there are
most excellent studs put apart for breeding, and deriving
their origin from some fine Spanish horses, which Robert
de Belesme,1 earl of Shrewsbury, brought into this
country: on which account the horses sent from hence
are remarkable for their majestic proportion and as-
tonishing fleetness.

Here king Henry II. entered Powys, in our days,
upon an expensive, though fruitless, expedition.2 Hav-
ing dismembered the hostages whom he had previously
received, he was compelled, by a sudden and violent fall

waldestre, with the territory adjoining, which belonged to Mere-
dith ap Blethyn, a Briton. This Alan, having married the
daughter and heir to Warine, sheriff of Shropshire, had in her
right the barony of the same Warine. To him succeeded William,
his son and heir. He married Isabel de Say, daughter and heir to
Helias de Say, niece to Robert earl of Gloucester, lady of Clun,
and left issue by her, William, his son and successor, who, in the
19th Henry II., or before, departed this life, leaving William Fitz-
Alan his son and heir, who is mentioned in the text.

1 Robert de Belesme, earl of Shrewsbury, was son of Roger de
Montgomery, who led the centre division of the army in that
memorable battle which secured to William the conquest of Eng-
land, and for his services was advanced to the earldoms of Arundel
and Shrewsbury.

2 This expedition into Wales took place a.d. 1165, and has been
already spoken of.

Itinerary Through Wales 135

of rain, to retreat with his army. On the preceding day,
the chiefs of the English army had burned some of the
Welsh churches, with the villages and churchyards;
upon which the sons of Owen the Great, with their light-
armed troops, stirred up the resentment of their father
and the other princes of the country, declaring that they
would never in future spare any churches of the English.
When nearly the whole army was on the point of assent-
ing to this determination, Owen, a man of distinguished
wisdom and moderation— the tumult being in some
degree subsided — thus spake: " My opinion, indeed, by
no means agrees with yours, for we ought to rejoice at
this conduct of our adversary ; for, unless supported by
divine assistance, we are far inferior to the English ; and
they, by their behaviour, have made God their enemy,
who is able most powerfully to avenge both himself
and us. We therefore most devoutly promise God that
we will henceforth pay greater reverence than ever to
churches and holy places." After which, the English
army, on the following night, experienced (as has before
been related) the divine vengeance.

From Oswaldestree, we directed our course towards
Shrewsbury (Salopesburia), which is nearly surrounded
by the river Severn, where we remained a few days to
rest and refresh ourselves ; and where many people were
induced to take the cross, through the elegant sermons
of the archbishop and archdeacon. We also excom-
municated Owen de Cevelioc, because he alone, amongst
the Welsh princes, did not come to meet the archbishop
with his people. Owen was a man of more fluent speech
than his contemporary princes, and was conspicuous for
the good management of his territory. Having generally
favoured the royal cause, and opposed the measures of
his own chieftains, he had contracted a great familiarity
with king Henry II. Being with the king at table at
Shrewsbury, Henry, as a mark of peculiar honour and
regard, sent him one of his own loaves ; he immediately
brake it into small pieces, like alms-bread, and having,

136 Giraldus Cambrensis

like an almoner, placed them at a distance from him,
he took them up one by one and ate them. The king
requiring an explanation of this proceeding, Owen, with
a smile, replied, " I thus follow the example of my lord; "
keenly alluding to the avaricious disposition of the king,
who was accustomed to retain for a long time in his own
hands the vacant ecclesiastical benefices.

It is to be remarked that three princes,1 distinguished
for their justice, wisdom, and princely moderation, ruled,

1 The princes mentioned by Giraldus as most distinguished in
North and South Wales, and most celebrated in his time, were, 1.
Owen, son of Gruffydd, in North Wales; 2. Meredyth, son of
Gruffydd, in South Wales; 3. Owen de Cyfeilioc, in Powys; 4.
Cadwalader, son of Gruffydd, in North Wales; 5. Gruffydd of
Maelor, in Powys; 6. Rhys, son of Gruffydd, in South Wales; 7.
David, son of Owen, in North Wales; 8. Howel, son of Iorwerth,
in South Wales.

1. Owen Gwynedd, son of Gruffydd ap Conan, died in n 69,
having governed his country well and worthily for the space of
thirty-two years. He was fortunate and victorious in all his
affairs, and never took any enterprise in hand but he achieved it.
2. Meredyth ap Gruffydd ap Rhys, lord of Caerdigan and Stratywy,
died in 1153, at the early age of twenty-five; a worthy knight,
fortunate in battle, just and liberal to all men. 3. Owen Cyfeilioc
was the son of Gruffydd ap Meredyth ap Blethyn, who was
created lord of Powys by Henry I., and died about the year 1197,
leaving his principality to his son Gwenwynwyn, from whom that
part of Powys was called Powys Gwenwynwyn, to distinguish it
from Powvs Vadoc, the possession of the lords of Bromfield. The
poems ascribed to him possess great spirit, and prove that he was,
as Giraldus terms him, " lingua? dicacis," in its best sense. 4.
Cadwalader, son of Gruffydd ap Conan, prince of North Wales,
died in 1172. 5. Gruffydd of Maelor was son of Madoc ap Mere-
dyth ap Blethyn, prince of Powys, who died at Winchester in
1160. " This man was ever the king of England's friend, and was
one that feared God, and relieved the poor: his body was con-
veyed honourably to Powys, and buried at Myvod " His son
Gruffydd succeeded him in the lordship of Bromfield, and died
about the year 1190. 6. Rhys ap Gruffydd, or the lord Rhys,
was son of Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Tewdwr, who died in 1137. The
ancient writers have been very profuse in their praises of this
celebrated prince. 7. David, son of Owen Gwynedd, who, on
the death of his father, forcibly seized the principality of North
Wales, slaving his brother Howel in battle, and setting aside the
claims of the lawful inheritor of the throne, Iorwerth Trwyndwn,
whose son, Llewelyn ap Iorwerth, in 1194, recovered his inherit-
ance. 8. Howel, son of Iorwerth of Caerleon, appears to have
been distinguished chiefly by his ferocity.

Itinerary Through Wales 137

in our time, over the three provinces of Wales: Owen,
son of Gruffydd, in Venedotia, or North Wales; Mere-
dyth, his grandson, son of Gruffydd, who died early in
life, in South Wales; and Owen de Cevelioc, in Powys.
But two other princes were highly celebrated for their
generosity; Cadwalader, son of Gruffydd, in North
Wales, and Gruffydd of Maelor, son of Madoc, in Powys ;
and Rhys, son of Gruffydd, in South Wales, deserved
commendation for his enterprising and independent
spirit. In North Wales, David, son of Owen, and on
the borders of Morgannoc, in South Wales, Howel, son
of Iorwerth of Caerleon, maintained their good faith and
credit, by observing a strict neutrality between the
Welsh and English.

CHAPTER XIII

OF THE JOURNEY BY WENLOCH, BRUMFELD, THE CASTLE
OF LUDLOW, AND LEOMINSTER, TO HEREFORD

From Shrewsbury, we continued our journey towards
Wenloch, by a narrow and rugged way, called Evil-
street, where, in our time, a Jew, travelling with the
archdeacon of the place, whose name was Sin {Pecca-
tum), and the dean, whose name was Devil, towards
Shrewsbury, hearing the archdeacon say, that his arch-
deaconry began at a place called Evil-street, and ex-
tended as far as Mal-pas, towards Chester, pleasantly
told them, " It would be a miracle, if his fate brought
him safe out of a country, whose archdeacon was Sin,
whose dean the devil; the entrance to the archdeaconry
Evil-street, and its exit Bad-pass." x

From Wenloch, we passed by the little cell of Brum-
1 Malpas in Cheshire.

3«

Giraldus Cambrensis

feld,1 the noble castle of Ludlow, through Leominster to
Hereford, leaving on our right hand the districts of
Melenyth and Elvel ; thus (describing as it were a circle)
we came to the same point from which we had com-
menced this laborious journey through Wales.

During this long and laudable legation, about three
thousand men were signed with the cross; well skilled
in the use of arrows and lances, and versed in military
matters; impatient to attack the enemies of the faith;
profitably and happily engaged for the service of Christ,
if the expedition of the Holy Cross had been forwarded
with an alacrity equal to the diligence and devotion with
which the forces were collected. But by the secret,
though never unjust, judgment of God, the journey of
the Roman emperor was delayed, and dissensions arose
amongst our kings. The premature and fatal hand of
death arrested the king of Sicily, who had been the fore-
most sovereign in supplying the holy land with corn and
provisions during the period of their distress. In con-
sequence of his death, violent contentions arose amongst
our princes respecting their several rights to the king-
dom; and the faithful beyond sea suffered severely by
want and famine, surrounded on all sides by enemies,
and most anxiously waiting for supplies. But as
affliction may strengthen the understanding, as gold is
tried by fire, and virtue may be confirmed in weakness,
these things are suffered to happen; since adversity (as
Gregory testifies) opposed to good prayers is the proba-
tion of virtue, not the judgment of reproof. For who
does not know how fortunate a circumstance it was that

1 It appears that a small college of prebendaries, or secular
canons, resided at Bromfield in the reign of king Henry I. ; Osbert,
the prior, being recorded as a witness to a deed made before the
year 1148. In 1155, they became Benedictines, and surrendered
their church and lands to the abbey of St. Peter's at Gloucester,
whereupon a prior and monks were placed there, and continued
till the dissolution. An ancient gateway and some remains of
the priory still testify the existence of this religious house, the
local situation of which, near the confluence of the rivers Oney
and Teme, has been accurately described by Leland.

Itinerary Through Wales 139

Paul went to Italy, and suffered so dreadful a ship-
wreck? But the ship of his heart remained unbroken
amidst the waves of the sea.

CHAPTER XIV

A DESCRIPTION OF BALDWIN, ARCHBISHOP OF
CANTERBURY X

Let it not be thought superfluous to describe the
exterior and inward qualities of that person, the parti-
culars of whose embassy, and as it were holy peregrina-
tion, we have briefly and succinctly related. He was a
man of a dark complexion, of an open and venerable
countenance, of a moderate stature, a good person, and
rather inclined to be thin than corpulent. He was a
modest and grave man, of so great abstinence and con-
tinence, that ill report scarcely ever presumed to say any
thing against him; a man of few words; slow to anger,
temperate and moderate in all his passions and affec-
tions; swift to hear, slow to speak; he was from an
early age well instructed in literature, and bearing the
yoke of the Lord from his youth, by the purity of his
morals became a distinguished luminary to the people;
wherefore voluntarily resigning the honour of the arch-

1 Baldwin was born at Exeter, in Devonshire, of a low family,
but being endowed by nature with good abilities, applied them
to an early cultivation of sacred and profane literature. His
good conduct procured him the friendship of Bartholomew
bishop of Exeter, who promoted him to the archdeaconry of that
see; resigning this preferment, he assumed the cowl, and in a
few years became abbot of the Cistercian monastery at Ford. In
the year 1180, he was advanced to the bishopric of Worcester,
and in 11 84, translated to the archiepiscopal see of Canterbury.
In the year 1188, he made his progress through Wales, preaching
with fervour the service of the Cross; to which holy cause he fell
a sacrifice in the year 1190, having religiously, honourably, and
charitably ended his days in the Holy Land.

140 Giraldus Cambrensis

levite,1 which he had canonically obtained, and despis-
ing the pomps and vanities of the world, he assumed
with holy devotion the habit of the Cistercian order;
and as he had been formerly more than a monk in his
manners, within the space of a year he was appointed
abbot, and in a few years afterwards preferred first to
a bishopric, and then to an archbishopric; and having
been found faithful in a little, had authority given him
over much. But, as Cicero says, " Nature had made
nothing entirely perfect; " when he came into power,
not laying aside that sweet innate benignity which he
had always shewn when a private man, sustaining his
people with his staff rather than chastising them with
rods, feeding them as it were with the milk of a mother,
and not making use of the scourges of the father, he in-
curred public scandal for his remissness. So great was
his lenity that he put an end to all pastoral rigour;
and was a better monk than abbot, a better bishop
than archbishop. Hence pope Urban addressed him;
" Urban, servant of the servants of God, to the most
fervent monk, to the warm abbot, to the luke-warm
bishop, to the remiss archbishop, health, etc."

This second successor to the martyr Thomas, having
heard of the insults offered to our Saviour and his holy
cross, was amongst the first who signed themselves with
the cross, and manfully assumed the office of preaching
its service both at home and in the most remote parts of
the kingdom. Pursuing his journey to the Holy Land,
he embarked on board a vessel at Marseilles, and landed
safely in a port at Tyre, from whence he proceeded to
Acre, where he found our army both attacking and
attacked, our forces dispirited by the defection of the
princes, and thrown into a state of desolation and
despair; fatigued by long expectation of supplies,
greatly afflicted by hunger and want, and distempered
by the inclemency of the air : finding his end approach-

1 Giraldus here alludes to the dignity of archdeacon, which
Baldwin had obtained in the church of Exeter.

Itinerary Through Wales 141

ing, he embraced his fellow subjects, relieving their
wants by liberal acts of charity and pious exhortations,
and by the tenor of his life and actions strengthened
them in the faith; whose ways, life, and deeds, may he
who is alone the " way, the truth, and the life," the way
without offence, the truth without doubt, and the life
without end, direct in truth, together with the whole
body of the faithful, and for the glory of his name and
the palm of faith which he hath planted, teach their
hands to war, and their fingers to fight.

THE DESCRIPTION OF WALES

FIRST PREFACE

TO STEPHEN LANGTON, ARCHBISHOP OF
CANTERBURY

I, who, at the expense of three years' labour, arranged,
a short time ago, in three parts, the Topography of Ire-
land, with a description of its natural curiosities, and
who afterwards, by two years' study, completed in two
parts the Vaticinal History of its Conquest; and who,
by publishing the Itinerary of the Holy Man (Baldwin)
through Cambria, prevented his laborious mission from
perishing in obscurity, do now propose, in the present
little work, to give some account of this my native coun-
try, and to describe the genius of its inhabitants, so
entirely distinct from that of other nations. And this
production of my industry I have determined to dedicate
to you, illustrious Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury,
as I before ascribed to you my Itinerary; considering
you as a man no less distinguished by your piety, than
conspicuous for your learning; though so humble an
offering may possibly be unworthy the acceptance of a
personage who, from his eminence, deserves to be pre-
sented with works of the greatest merit.

Some, indeed, object to this my undertaking, and,
apparently from motives of affection, compare me to a
painter, who, rich in colours, and like another Zeuxis,
eminent in his art, is endeavouring with all his skill and
industry to give celebrity to a cottage, or to some other
contemptible object, whilst the world is anxiously ex-
pecting from his hand a temple or a palace. Thus they
wonder that I, amidst the many great and striking sub-

145 k

146

First Preface

jects which the world presents, should choose to describe
and to adorn, with all the graces of composition, such
remote corners of the earth as Ireland and Wales.

Others again, reproaching me with greater severity,
say, that the gifts which have been bestowed upon me
from above, ought not to be wasted upon these insigni-
ficant objects, nor lavished in a vain display of learning
on the commendation of princes, who, from their ignor-
ance and want of liberality, have neither taste to appre-
ciate, nor hearts to remunerate literary excellence. And
they further add, that every faculty which emanates
from the Deity, ought rather to be applied to the illus-
tration of celestial objects, and to the exaltation of his
glory, from whose abundance all our talents have been
received ; every faculty (say they) ought to be employed
in praising him from whom, as from a perennial source,
every perfect gift is derived, and from whose bounty
everything which is offered with sincerity obtains an
ample reward. But since excellent histories of other
countries have been composed and published by writers
of eminence, I have been induced, by the love I bear to
my country and to posterity, to believe that I should
perform neither an useless nor an unacceptable service,
were I to unfold the hidden merits of my native land;
to rescue from obscurity those glorious actions which have
been hitherto imperfectly described, and to bring into
repute, by my method of treating it, a subject till now
regarded as contemptible.

What indeed could my feeble and unexercised efforts
add to the histories of the destruction of Troy, Thebes,
or Athens, or to the conquest of the shores of Latium?
Besides, to do what has been already done, is, in fact,
to be doing nothing; I have, therefore, thought it
more eligible to apply my industry to the arrangement
of the history of my native country, hitherto almost
wholly overlooked by strangers; but interesting to my
relations and countrymen; and from these small begin-
nings to aspire by degrees to works of a nobler cast.

First Preface 147

From these inconsiderable attempts, some idea may be
formed with what success, should Fortune afford an
opportunity, I am likely to treat matters of greater im-
portance. For although some things should be made
our principal objects, whilst others ought not to be
wholly neglected, I may surely be allowed to exercise
the powers of my youth, as yet untaught and unex-
perienced, in pursuits of this latter nature, lest by habit
I should feel a pleasure in indolence and in sloth, the
parent of vice.

I have therefore employed these studies as a kind of
introduction to the glorious treasures of that most
excellent of the sciences, which alone deserves the name
of science; which alone can render us wise to rule and
to instruct mankind; which alone the other sciences
follow, as attendants do their queen. Laying therefore
in my youth the foundations of so noble a structure, it
is my intention, if God will assist me and prolong my life,
to reserve my maturer years for composing a treatise
upon so perfect, so sacred a subject: for according to
the poet,

" Ardua quippe fides robustos exigit annos; "
" The important concerns of faith require a mind in its full vigour; "

I may be permitted to indulge myself for a short time in
other pursuits ; but in this I should wish not only to con-
tinue, but to die.

But before I enter on this important subject, I demand
a short interval, to enable me to lay before the public
my Treatise on the Instruction of a Prince, which has
been so frequently promised, as well as the Description
of Wales, which is now before me, and the Topography
of Britain.

Of all the British writers, Gildas alone appears to me
(as often as the course of my subject leads me to consult
him) worthy of imitation; for by committing to paper
the things which he himself saw and knew, and by
declaring rather than describing the desolation of his

i48

First Preface

country, he has compiled a history more remarkable for
its truth than for its elegance.

Giraldus therefore follows Gildas, whom he wishes
he could copy in his life and manners; becoming an
imitator of his wisdom rather than of his eloquence —
of his mind rather than of his writings — of his zeal rather
than of his style — of his life rather than of his language.

SECOND PREFACE

TO THE SAME

When, amidst various literary pursuits, I first applied
my mind to the compilation of history, I determined,
lest I should appear ungrateful to my native land, to
describe, to the best of my abilities, my own country
and its adjoining regions; and afterwards, under God's
guidance, to proceed to a description of more distant
territories. But since some leading men (whom we have
both seen and known) show so great a contempt for
literature, that they immediately shut up within their
book-cases the excellent works with which they are pre-
sented, and thus doom them, as it were, to a perpetual
imprisonment; I entreat you, illustrious Prelate, to
prevent the present little work, which will shortly be
delivered to you, from perishing in obscurity. And be-
cause this, as well as my former productions, though of
no transcendent merit, may hereafter prove to many a
source of entertainment and instruction, I entreat you
generously to order it to be made public, by which it will
acquire reputation. And I shall consider myself suffi-
ciently rewarded for my trouble, if, withdrawing for a
while from your religious and secular occupations, you
would kindly condescend to peruse this book, or, at
least, give it an attentive hearing; for in times like these,
when no one remunerates literary productions, I neither
desire nor expect any other recompense. Not that it
would appear in any way inconsistent, however there
exists among men of rank a kind of conspiracy against
authors, if a prelate so eminently conspicuous for his

149

150 Second Preface

virtues, for his abilities, both natural and acquired, for
irreproachable morals, and for munificence, should dis-
tinguish himself likewise by becoming the generous and
sole patron of literature. To comprise your merits in
a few words, the lines of Martial addressed to Trajan,
whilst serving under Dioclesian, may be deservedly
applied to you:

" Laudari debes quoniam sub principe duro,
Temporibusque malis, ausus es esse bonus."

And those also of Virgil to Mecaenas, which extol the
humanity of that great man :

" Omnia cum possis tanto tam clarus amico,
Te sensit nemo posse nocere tamen."

Many indeed remonstrate against my proceedings, and
those particularly who call themselves my friends insist
that, in consequence of my violent attachment to study,
I pay no attention to the concerns of the world, or to the
interests of my family ; and that, on this account, I shall
experience a delay in my promotion to worldly dignities ;
that the influence of authors, both poets and historians,
has long since ceased ; that the respect paid to literature
vanished with literary princes; and that in these de-
generate days very different paths lead to honours and
opulence. I allow all this, I readily allow it, and ac-
quiesce in the truth. For the unprincipled and covetous
attach themselves to the court, the churchmen to their
books, and the ambitious to the public offices, but as
every man is under the influence of some darling passion,
so the love of letters and the study of eloquence have
from my infancy had for me peculiar charms of attrac-
tion. Impelled by this thirst for knowledge, I have
carried my researches into the mysterious works of
nature farther than the generality of my contemporaries,
and for the benefit of posterity have rescued fronij
oblivion the remarkable events of my own times. But
this object was not to be secured without an indefatig-

Second Preface 1 5 1

able, though at the same time an agreeable, exertion ; for
an accurate investigation of every particular is attended
with much difficulty. It is difficult to produce an
orderly account of the investigation and discovery of
truth; it is difficult to preserve from the beginning to
the end a connected relation unbroken by irrelevant
matter; and it is difficult to render the narration no less
elegant in the diction, than instructive in its matter, for
in prosecuting the series of events, the choice of happy
expressions is equally perplexing, as the search after
them is painful. Whatever is written requires the most
intense thought, and every expression should be care-
fully polished before it be submitted to the public eye;
for, by exposing itself to the examination of the present
and of future ages, it must necessarily undergo the criti-
cism not only of the acute, but also of the dissatisfied,
reader. Words merely uttered are soon forgotten, and
the admiration or disgust which they occasioned is no
more; but writings once published are never lost, and
remain as lasting memorials either of the glory or of
the disgrace of the author. Hence the observation of
Seneca, that the malicious attention of the envious
reader dwells with no less satisfaction on a faulty than
on an elegant expression, and is as anxious to discover
what it may ridicule, as what it may commend; as the
poet also observes:

" Discit enim citius meminitque libentius illud
Quod quis deridet, quam quod probat et veneratur."

Among the pursuits, therefore, most worthy of com-
mendation, this holds by no means the lowest rank; for
history, as the moral philosopher declares, " is the record
of antiquity, the testimony of ages, the light of truth,
the soul of memory, the mistress of conduct, and the
herald of ancient times."

This study is the more delightful, as it is more honour-
able to produce works worthy of being quoted than to
quote the works of others; as it is more desirable to be

152 Second Preface

the author of compositions which deserve to be admired
than to be esteemed a good judge of the writings of other
men; as it is more meritorious to be the just object of
other men's commendations than to be considered an
adept in pointing out the merits of others. On these
pleasing reflections I feed and regale myself; for I would
rather resemble Jerome than Croesus, and I prefer to
riches themselves the man who is capable of despising
them. With these gratifying ideas I rest contented and
delighted, valuing moderation more than intemperance,
and an honourable sufficiency more than superfluity;
for intemperance and superfluity produce their own
destruction, but their opposite virtues never perish; the
former vanish, but the latter, like eternity, remain for
ever; in short, I prefer praise to lucre, and reputation
to riches.

CONTENTS

BOOK I

CHAPTER PAGE

I. Length and Breadth of Wales, the Nature of its Soil,

and the Three Remaining Tribes of Britons . 155

II. Of the Ancient Division of Wales into Three Parts 156

III. Genealogy of the Princes of Wales . . .157

IV. Cantreds — Royal Palaces — Cathedrals . . 158
V. Mountains and Rivers of Wales . . .159

VI. Concerning the Pleasantness and Fertility of Wales 163

VII. Origin of the Names Cambria and Wales . .164

VIII. Concerning the Nature, Manners, and Dress, the

Boldness, Agility, and Courage of this Nation 166

IX. Their Sober Supper and Frugality . . .168

X. Their Hospitality and Liberality . . . 168

XI. Concerning the cutting of their Hair, their Care of

their Teeth, and Shaving of their Beards . 170

XII. Their Quickness and Sharpness of Understanding 171

XIII. Their Symphonies and Songs .... 174

XIV. Their Wit and Pleasantry . . . 175

XV. Their Boldness and Confidence in Speaking . 177

XVI. Concerning the Soothsayers of this Nation, and

Persons as it were possessed . . .179

^XVII. Their Love of High Birth and Ancient Genealogy 183

XVIII. Their Ancient Faith, Love of Christianity, and De- 185
votion .......

153

154 Contents

BOOK II

CHAPTER PAGE

I. Concerning the Inconstancy and Instability of this
Nation, and their Want of Reverence for Good
Faith and Oaths 189

II. Their living by Plunder, and Disregard of the Bonds

of Peace and Friendship .... 190

III. Their Deficiency in Battle, and Base and Dishon-

ourable Flight ...... 192

IV. Their Ambitious Seizure of Lands, and Dissensions

among Brothers ..... 193

V. Their great Exaction, and Want of Moderation . 194

VI. Concerning the Crime of Incest, and the Abuse of

Churches by Succession and Participation . 195

VII. Their Sins, and the consequent Loss of Britain and

of Troy ....... 196

VIII. In what Manner this Nation is to be overcome . 198

IX. In what Manner Wales, when conquered, should be

governed ....... 202

X. In what Manner this Nation may resist and revolt 204
Index .......... 207

DESCRIPTION OF WALES

BOOK I

CHAPTER I

OF THE LENGTH AND BREADTH OF WALES, THE NATURE
OF ITS SOIL, AND THE THREE REMAINING TRIBES
OF BRITONS

Cambria, which, by a corrupt and common term, though
less proper, is in modern times called Wales, is about
two hundred miles long and one hundred broad. The
length from Port Gordber x in Anglesey to Port Eskewin 2
in Monmouthshire is eight days' journey in extent; the
breadth from Porth Mawr,3 or the great Port of St.
David's, to Ryd-helic,4 which in Latin means Vadum
salicis, or the Ford of the Willow, and in English is called
Willow-forde, is four days' journey. It is a country very
strongly defended by high mountains, deep valleys, ex-
tensive woods, rivers, and marshes ; insomuch that from

1 Port Gordber, written Gordwr by Humphrey Lhwyd in his
Breviary of Britain, probably a corruption from Gorddyar, a roar-
ing, applied to the sea, as Gorddyar mor, the roaring of the sea.

2 This harbour, now known by the name of Portscwit (and
recorded in the Triads as one of the three passages or ferries in
the Isle of Britain), is situated on the Welsh side of the Bristol
channel, at a short distance from the lower passage.

3 Port Mawr, or the large port, is thus mentioned by Leland in
his Itinerary, torn. v. pp. 28, 29: — "About a mile of is Port Mawre,
where is a great sande with a shorte estuary into the lande. And
sum say that there hath beene a castel at or aboute Port Mawr,
but the tokens be not very evidente."

4 Rhyd-helyg, or the Ford of the Willow. — I imagine this place
is Walford in Herefordshire, near the banks of the river Wye.

155

1 56

Giraldus Cambrensis

the time the Saxons took possession of the island the
remnants of the Britons, retiring into these regions,
could never be entirely subdued either by the English
or by the Normans. Those who inhabited the southern
angle of the island, which took its name from the chief-
tain Corinaeus,1 made less resistance, as their country
was more defenceless. The third division of the Britons,
who obtained a part of Britany in Gaul, were transported
thither, not after the defeat of theii nation, but long
before, by king Maximus, and, in consequence of the
hard and continued warfare which they underwent with
him, were rewarded by the royal munificence with those
districts in France.

CHAPTER II

OF THE ANCIENT DIVISION OF WALES INTO THREE PARTS

Wales was in ancient times divided into three parts
nearly equal, consideration having been paid, in this
division, more to the value than to the just quantity
or proportion of territory. They were Venedotia, now
called North Wales ; Demetia, or South Wales, which in
British is called Deheubarth, that is, the southern part;
and Powys, the middle or eastern district. Roderic the
Great, or Rhodri Mawr, who was king over all Wales,
was the cause of this division.2 He had three sons,
Mervin, Anarawt, and Cadell, amongst whom he parti-
tioned the whole principality. North Wales fell to the
lot of Mervin; Powys to Anarawt; and Cadell received

1 Brutus, according to the fable, in his way to Britain, met with
a company of Trojans, who had fled from Troy with Antenor and
Corinaeus at their head, who submitted themselves to Brutus, and
joined his company; which Corinaeus, being a very valiant man,
rendered great service to Brutus during his wars in Gaul and
Britain; in return for which, Brutus, having subdued the island,
and divided it amongst his people, gave Cornwall to Corinaeus,
who, as it is said, called it after his own name, Cernyw.

Description of Wales 157

the portion of South Wales, together with the general
good wishes of his brothers and the people ; for although
this district greatly exceeded the others in quantity, it
was the least desirable from the number of noble chiefs,
or Uchelwyr,1 men of a superior rank, who inhabited it,
and were often rebellious to their lords, and impatient
of control. But Cadell, on the death of his brothers,
obtained the entire dominion of Wales,2 as did his
successors till the time of Tewdwr, whose descendants,
Rhys, son of Tewdwr, Gruffydd, son of Rhys, and Rhys,
son of Gruffydd, the ruling prince in our time, enjoyed
only (like the father) the sovereignty over South Wales.

CHAPTER III

GENEALOGY OF THE PRINCES OF WALES

The following is the generation of princes of South
Wales: Rhys, son of Gruff ydd ; Gruffydd, son of Rhys;
Rhys, son of Tewdwr; Tewdwr, son of Eineon; Eineon,
son of Owen; Owen, son of Howel Dda, or Howel the
Good; Howel, son of Cadell, son of Roderic the Great.
Thus the princes of South Wales derived their origin from
Cadell, son of Roderic the Great. The princes of North
Wales descended from Mervin in this manner : Llewelyn,
son of Iorwerth ; Iorwerth, son of Owen ; Owen, son of
Gruffydd ; Gruffydd, son of Conan ; Conan, son of Iago ;
Iago, son of Edoual; Edoual, son of Meyric; Meyric,
son of Anarawt (Anandhrec); Anarawt, son of Mervin,
son of Roderic the Great. Anarawt leaving no issue,
the princes of Powys have their own particular descent.
It is worthy of remark, that the Welsh bards and

1 Uchelwyr, so called from Uchel, high, and gwr, a man.

2 This assertion is unfounded, if we give credit to the Welsh
Chronicle, which dates the death of Cadell in 907, and that of
Anarawdin in 913. [Howell Dda, the son of Cadell, reunited
Wales under one sovereign.]

i58

Giraldus Cambrensis

singers, or reciters, have the genealogies of the aforesaid
princes, written in the Welsh language, in their ancient
and authentic books; and also retain them in their
memory from Roderic the Great to B. M. ; * and from
thence to Sylvius, Ascanius, and .Eneas; and from the
latter produce the genealogical series in a lineal descent,
even to Adam.

But as an account of such long and remote genealogies
may appear to many persons trifling rather than his-
torical, we have purposely omitted them in our com-
pendium.

CHAPTER IV

HOW MANY CANTREDS, ROYAL PALACES, AND CATHEDRALS
THERE ARE IN WALES

South Wales contains twenty-nine cantreds; North
Wales, twelve; Powys, six: many of which are at this
time in the possession of the English and Franks. For
the country now called Shropshire formerly belonged to
Powys, and the place where the castle of Shrewsbury
stands bore the name of Pengwern, or the head of the
Alder Grove. There were three royal seats in South
Wales: Dinevor, in South Wales, removed from Caer-
leon; Aberfraw,2 in North Wales; and Pengwern, in
Powys.

Wales contains in all fifty-four cantreds. The word
Cantref is derived from Cant, a hundred, and Tref, a vil-

1 B.M. — This abbreviation, which in ever)' manuscript I have
seen of Giraldus has been construed into Beatam Mariam, and in
many of them is written Beatam Virginem, may with much greater
propriety be applied to Belinus Magnus, or Beli the Great, a
distinguished British king, to whom most of the British pedigrees
ascended; and because his name occurred so frequently in them
it was often written short, B.M., which some men, by mistake,
interpreted Beaia Maria. — [Sir R. C. H.)

2 Aberfraw, a small town at the conflux of the river Fraw and
the sea, on the S.W. part of the isle of Anglesey, and twelve miles
S.E. of Holyhead.

Description of Wales 159

lage ; and means in the British and Irish languages such
a portion of land as contains a hundred vills.

There are four cathedral churches in Wales: St.
David's, upon the Irish sea, David the archbishop being
its patron: it was in ancient times the metropolitan
church, and the district once contained twenty-four
cantreds, though at this time only twenty-three; for
Ergengl, in English called Urchenfeld,1 is said to have
been formerly within the diocese of St. David's, and
sometimes was placed within that of Landaff. The see
of St. David's had twenty-five successive archbishops;
and from the time of the removal of the pall into France,
to this day, twenty-two bishops; whose names and
series, as well as the cause of the removal of the archi-
episcopal pall, may be seen in our Itinerary.2

In South Wales also is situated the bishopric of Lan-
daff, near the Severn sea, and near the noble castle of
Caerdyf; bishop Teilo being its patron. It contains
five cantreds, and the fourth part of another, namely,
Senghennyd.

In North Wales, between Anglesey and the Eryri moun-
tains, is the see of Bangor, under the patronage of
Daniel, the abbot; it contains about nine cantreds.

In North Wales also is the poor little cathedral of
Llan-Elwy, or St. Asaph, containing about six cantreds,
to which Powys is subject.

CHAPTER V

OF THE TWO MOUNTAINS FROM WHICH THE NOBLE RIVERS
WHICH DIVIDE WALES SPRING

Wales is divided and distinguished by noble rivers,
which derive their source from two ranges of mountains,

1 A great lordship in Herefordshire, including the district be-
tween Hereford and Monmouth, bordering on the river Wye.

2 Book ii. chapter i.

160 Giraldus Cambrensis

the Ellennith, in South Wales, which the English call
Moruge, as being the heads of moors, or bogs ; and Eryri,
in North Wales, which they call Snowdon, or mountains
of snow; the latter of which are said to be of so great an
extent, that if all the herds in Wales were collected to-
gether, they would supply them with pasture for a con-
siderable time. Upon them are two lakes, one of which
has a floating island ; and the other contains fish having
only one eye, as we have related in our Itinerary.

We must also here remark, that at two places in
Scotland, one on the eastern, and the other on the
western ocean, the sea-fish called mulvelli (mullets) have
only the right eye.

The noble river Severn takes its rise from the Ellen-
nith mountains, and flowing by the castles of Shrewsbury
and Bridgenorth, through the city of Worcester, and
that of Gloucester, celebrated for its iron manufactories,
falls into the sea a few miles from the latter place, and
gives its name to the Severn Sea. This river was for
many years the boundary between Cambria and Loegria,
or Wales and England; it was called in British Hafren,
from the daughter of Locrinus, who was drowned in it by
her step-mother; the aspirate being changed, according
to the Latin idiom, into S, as is usual in words derived
from the Greek, it was termed Sarina, as hal becomes
sal ; hemi, semi ; hepta, septem.

The river Wye rises in the same mountains of Ellennith,
and flows by the castles of Hay and Clifford, through the
city of Hereford, by the castles of Wilton and Goodrich,
through the forest of Dean, abounding with iron and
deer, and proceeds to Strigul castle, below which it
empties itself into the sea, and forms in modern times
the boundary between England and Wales. The Usk
does not derive its origin from these mountains, but from
those of Cantref Bachan; it flows by the castle of
Brecheinoc, or Aberhodni, that is, the fall of the river
Hodni into the Usk (for Aber, in the British language,
signifies every place where two rivers unite their

Description of Wales i 6 1

streams); by the castles of Abergevenni and Usk, through
the ancient city of Legions, and discharges itself into the
Severn Sea, not far from Newport.

The river Remni flows towards the sea from the
mountains of Brecheinoc, having passed the castle and
bridge of Remni. From the same range of mountains
springs the Taf, which pursues its course to the episcopal
see of Landaf (to which it gives its name), and falls into
the sea below the castle of Caerdyf. The river Avon
rushes impetuously from the mountains of Glamorgan,
between the celebrated Cistercian monasteries of Margan
and Neth; and the river Neth, descending from the
mountains of Brecheinoc, unites itself with the sea, at no
great distance from the castle of Neth; each of these
rivers forming a long tract of dangerous quicksands.
From the same mountains of Brecheinoc the river Tawe
flows down to Abertawe, called in English Swainsey.
The Lochor joins the sea near the castle of the same
name; and the Wendraeth has its confluence near
Cydweli. The Tywy, another noble river, rises in the
Ellennith mountains, and separating the Cantref Mawr
from the Cantref Bachan, passes by the castle of Llan-
ymddyfri, and the royal palace and castle of Dinevor,
strongly situated in the deep recesses of its woods, by the
noble castle of Caermarddin, where Merlin was found,
and from whom the city received its name, and runs
into the sea near the castle of Lhanstephan. The river
Taf rises in the Presseleu mountains, not far from the
monastery of Whitland, and passing by the castle of St.
Clare, falls into the sea near Abercorran and Talacharn.
From the same mountains flow the rivers Cleddeu, en-
compassing the province of Daugleddeu, and giving it
their name; one passes by the castle of Lahaden, and
the other by Haverford, to the sea; and in the British
language they bear the name of Daugleddeu, or two
swords.

The noble river Teivi springs from the Ellennith
mountains, in the upper part of the Cantref Mawr and

L

1 62 Giraldus Cambrensis

Caerdigan, not far from the pastures and excellent
monastery of Stratflur, forming a boundary between
Demetia and Caerdigan down to the Irish channel; this
is the only river in Wales that produces beavers, an
account of which is given in our Itinerary; and also
exceeds every other river in the abundance and delicacy
of its salmon. But as this book may fall into the hands
of many persons who will not meet with the other, I
have thought it right here to insert many curious and
particular qualities relating to the nature of these
animals, how they convey their materials from the
woods to the river, with what skill they employ these
materials in constructing places of safety in the middle
of the stream, how artfully they defend themselves
against the attack of the hunters on the eastern and how
on the western side; the singularity of their tails, which
partake more of the nature of fish than flesh. For
further particulars see the Itinerary.1

From the same mountains issues the Ystuyth, and
flowing through the upper parts of Penwedic, in Cardi-
ganshire, falls into the sea near the castle of Aberystuyth.
From the snowy mountains of Eryri flows the noble
river Devi,2 dividing for a great distance North and South
Wales; and from the same mountains also the large
river Maw,3 forming by its course the greater and

1 Book ii, c. 4.

2 If by the mountains of Eryri we are to understand the Snow-
donian range of hills, our author has not been quite accurate in
fixing the source of the river Dovy, which rises between Dynas-y-
mowddu and Bala Lake, to the southward of Mount Arran: from
whence it pursues its course to Mallwyd, and Machynlleth, below
which place it becomes an asstuary, and the boundary between
North and South Wales.

3 Our author is again incorrect in stating that the river Maw
forms, by its course, the two tracts of sands called Traeth Mawr
and Traeth Bychan. This river, from which Barmouth derives
the name of Abermaw, and to which Giraldus, in the fifth chapter
of the second book of his Itinerary, has given the epithet of bifurcus,
runs far to the southward of either of the Traeths. The Traeth
Mawr, or large sands, are formed by the impetuous torrents which
descend from Snowdon by Beddgelert, and pass under the Devil's
Bridge at Pont Aberglasllyn, so called from the river Glasllyn;

Description of Wales 163

smaller tract of sands called the Traeth Mawr and the
Traeth Bachan. The Dissennith also, and the Arthro,
flow through Merionethshire and the land of Conan.
The Conwy, springing from the northern side of the
Eryri mountains, unites its waters with the sea under
the noble castle of Deganwy. The Cloyd rises from
another side of the same mountain, and passes by the
castle of Ruthlan to the sea. The Doverdwy, called by
the English Dee, draws its source from the lake of
Penmelesmere, and runs through Chester, leaving the
wood of Coleshulle, Basinwerk, and a rich vein of silver
in its neighbourhood, far to the right, and by the influx
of the sea forming a very dangerous quicksand; thus
the Dee makes the northern, and the river Wye the
southern boundary of Wales.

CHAPTER VI

CONCERNING THE PLEASANTNESS AND FERTILITY
OF WALES

As the southern part of Wales near Cardiganshire, but
particularly Pembrokeshire, is much pleasanter, on
account of its plains and sea-coast, so North Wales is
better defended by nature, is more productive of men
distinguished for bodily strength, and more fertile in the
nature of its soil ; for, as the mountains of Eryri (Snow-
don) could supply pasturage for all the herds of cattle in
Wales, if collected together, so could the Isle of Mona
(Anglesey) provide a requisite quantity of corn for all
the inhabitants: on which account there is an old
British proverb, " Mon mam Cynibry" that is, " Mona
is the mother of Wales." Merionyth, and the land of

and the Traeth Bychan, or little sands, are formed by numerous,
streams which unite themselves in the vale of Festiniog, and
become an aestuary near the village of Maentwrog.

164

Giraldus Cambrensis

Conan, is the rudest and least cultivated region, and the
least accessible. The natives of that part of Wales
excel in the use of long lances, as those of Monmouth-
shire are distinguished for their management of the bow.
It is to be observed, that the British language is more
delicate and richer in North Wales, that country being
less intermixed with foreigners. Many, however, assert
that the language of Cardiganshire, in South Wales,
placed as it were in the middle and heart of Cambria, is
the most refined.

The people of Cornwall and the Armoricans speak a
language similar to that of the Britons; and from its
origin and near resemblance, it is intelligible to the Welsh
in many instances, and almost in all; and although less
delicate and methodical, yet it approaches, as I judge,
more to the ancient British idiom. As in the southern
parts of England, and particularly in Devonshire, the
English language seems less agreeable, yet it bears more
marks of antiquity (the northern parts being much
corrupted by the irruptions of the Danes and Nor-
wegians), and adheres more strictly to the original
language and ancient mode of speaking; a positive
proof of which may be deduced from all the English
works of Bede, Rhabanus, and king Alfred, being
written according to this idiom.

CHAPTER VII

ORIGIN OF THE NAMES CAMBRIA AND WALES

Cambria was so called from Camber, son of Brutus ; for
Brutus, descending from the Trojans, by his grand-
father, Ascanius, and father, Silvius, led the remnant
of the Trojans, who had long been detained in Greece,
into this western isle; and having reigned many years,
and given his name to the country and people, at his

Description of Wales 165

death divided the kingdom of Wales between his three
sons. To his eldest son, Locrinus, he gave that part of
the island which lies between the rivers Humber and
Severn, and which from him was called Loegria. To his
second son, Albanactus, he gave the lands beyond the
Humber, which took from him the name of Albania.
But to his youngest son, Camber, he bequeathed all that
region which lies beyond the Severn, and is called after
him Cambria ; hence the country is properly and truly
called Cambria, and its inhabitants Cambrians^ or
Cambrenses. Some assert that their name was derived
from Cam and Grceco, that is, distorted Greek, on account
of the affinity of their languages, contracted by their
long residence in Greece; but this conjecture, though
plausible, is not well founded on truth.

The name of Wales was not derived from Wallowa
general, or Wandolena, the queen, as the fabulous his-
tory of Geoffrey Arthurius x falsely maintains, because
neither of these personages are to be found amongst the
Welsh; but it arose from a barbarian appellation. The
Saxons, when they seized upon Britain, called this
nation, as they did all foreigners, Wallenses; and thus
the barbarous name remains to the people and their
country.2

Having discoursed upon the quality and quantity of
the land, the genealogies of the princes, the sources of
the rivers, and the derivation of the names of this coun-
try, we shall now consider the nature and character of
the nation.

1 Better known as Geoffrey of Monmouth.

2 The Anglo-Saxons called the Britons Wealhas, from a word in
their own language, which signified literally foreigners ; and hence
we derive the modern name Welsh.

1 66 Giraldus Cambrensis

CHAPTER VIII

CONCERNING THE NATURE, MANNERS, AND DRESS, THE
BOLDNESS, AGILITY, AND COURAGE, OF THIS NATION

This people is light and active, hardy rather than strong,
and entirely bred up to the use of arms ; for not only the
nobles, but all the people are trained to war, and when
the trumpet sounds the alarm, the husbandman rushes
as eagerly from his plough as the courtier from his court;
for here it is not found that, as in other places,

" Agricolis labor actus in orbem,"

returns ; for in the months of March and April only the
soil is once ploughed for oats, and again in the summer
a third time, and in winter for wheat. Almost all the
people live upon the produce of their herds, with oats,
milk, cheese, and butter; eating flesh in larger propor-
tions than bread. They pay no attention to commerce,
shipping, or manufactures, and suffer no interruption
but by martial exercises. They anxiously study the
defence of their country and their liberty ; for these they
fight, for these they undergo hardships, and for these
willingly sacrifice their lives; they esteem it a disgrace
to die in bed, an honour to die in the field of battle;
using the poet's expression, —

" Procul hinc avertite pacem,
Nobilitas cum pace pent."

Nor is it wonderful if it degenerates, for the ancestors
of these men, the ^Eneadse, rushed to arms in the cause
of liberty. It is remarkable that this people, though
unarmed, dares attack an armed foe; the infantry defy
the cavalry, and by their activity and courage gener-
ally prove victors. They resemble in disposition and

Description of Wales 167

situation those conquerors whom the poet Lucan
mentions :

" Populi quos despicit Arctos,

Felices errore suo, quos ille timorum
Maximus haud urget leti metus, inde ruendi
In ferrum, mens prona viris, animaeque capaces,
Mortis et ignavum redituras parcere vitas."

They make use of light arms, which do not impede their
agility, small coats of mail, bundles of arrows, and long
lances, helmets and shields, and more rarely greaves
plated with iron. The higher class go to battle mounted
on swift and generous steeds, which their country pro-
duces ; but the greater part of the people fight on foot,
on account of the marshy nature and unevenness of
the soil. The horsemen, as their situation or occasion
requires, willingly serve as infantry, in attacking or re-
treating; and they either walk bare-footed, or make use
of high shoes, roughly constructed with untanned
leather. In time of peace, the young men, by pene-
trating the deep recesses of the woods, and climbing the
tops of mountains, learn by practice to endure fatigue
through day and night; and as they meditate on war
during peace, they acquire the art of fighting by accus-
toming themselves to the use of the lance, and by inuring
themselves to hard exercise.

In our time, king Henry II., in reply to the inquiries
of Emanuel, emperor of Constantinople, concerning
the situation, nature, and striking peculiarities of the
British island, among other remarkable circumstances
mentioned the following: "That in a certain part of
the island there was a people, called Welsh, so bold and
ferocious, that, when unarmed, they did not fear to en-
counter an armed force ; being ready to shed their blood
in defence of their country, and to sacrifice their lives
for renown; which is the more surprising, as the beasts
of the field over the whole face of the island became
gentle, but these desperate men could not be tamed.
The wild animals, and particularly the stags and hinds,

1 68 Giraldus Cambrensis

are so abundant, owing to the little molestation they
receive, that in our time, in the northern parts of the
island towards the Peak,1 when pursued by the hounds
and hunters, they contributed, by their numbers, to
their own destruction."

CHAPTER IX

OF THEIR SOBER SUPPER AND FRUGALITY

Not addicted to gluttony or drunkenness, this people
who incur no expense in food or dress, and whose minds
are always bent upon the defence of their country, and
on the means of plunder, are wholly employed in the
care of their horses and furniture. Accustomed to fast
from morning till evening, and trusting to the care of
Providence, they dedicate the whole day to business,
and in the evening partake of a moderate meal; and
even if they have none, or only a very scanty one, they
patiently wait till the next evening; and, neither de-
terred by cold nor hunger, they employ the dark and
stormy nights in watching the hostile motions of their
enemies.

CHAPTER X

OF THEIR HOSPITALITY AND LIBERALITY

No one of this nation ever begs, for the houses of all
are common to all; and they consider liberality and
hospitality amongst the first virtues. So much does
hospitality here rejoice in communication, that it is
neither offered nor requested by travellers, who, on
entering any house, only deliver up their arms. When
1 The Peak, ia Derbyshire.

Description of Wales 169

water is offered to them, if they suffer their feet to be
washed, they are received as guests; for the offer of
water to wash the feet is with this nation an hospitable
invitation. But if they refuse the proffered service,
they only wish for morning refreshment, not lodging.
The young men move about in troops and families under
the direction of a chosen leader. Attached only to
arms and ease, and ever ready to stand forth in defence
of their country, they have free admittance into every
house as if it were their own.

Those who arrive in the morning are entertained till
evening with the conversation of young women, and the
music of the harp; for each house has its young women
and harps allotted to this purpose. Two circumstances
here deserve notice: that as no nation labours more
under the vice of jealousy than the Irish, so none is more
free from it than the Welsh : and in each family the art
of playing on the harp is held preferable to any other
learning. In the evening, when no more guests are ex-
pected, the meal is prepared according to the number
and dignity of the persons assembled, and according to
the wealth of the family who entertains. The kitchen
does not supply many dishes, nor high-seasoned incite-
ments to eating. The house is not furnished with tables,
cloths, or napkins. They study nature more than
splendour, for which reason, the guests being seated in
threes, instead of couples as elsewhere,1 they place the
dishes before them all at once upon rushes and fresh
grass, in large platters or trenchers. They also make
use of a thin and broad cake of bread, baked every day,
such as in old writings was called lagana ; 2 and they

1 Sir R. C. Hoare has altogether misunderstood the original
here. It was the custom in the middle ages to place the guests at
table in pairs, and each two persons ate out of one plate. Each
couple was a mess. At a later period, among the great the mess
consisted of four persons; but it appears that in Wales, at this
time, it was formed of three guests.

2 " Bread, called Lagana, was, I suppose, the sort of household
bread, or thin cake baked on an iron plate, called a griddle (gradell),
still common in Caermarthenshire, and called Bara Llech and Bara

170 Giraldus Cambrensis

•sometimes add chopped meat, with broth. Such a re-
past was formerly used by the noble youth, from whom
this nation boasts its descent, and whose manners it
still partly imitates, according to the word of the poet:

" Heu! mensas consumimus, inquit lulus."

While the family is engaged in waiting on the guests,
the host and hostess stand up, paying unremitting atten-
tion to everything, and take no food till all the company
are satisfied; that in case of any deficiency, it may fall
upon them. A bed made of rushes, and covered with a
coarse kind of cloth manufactured in the country, called
brychan,1 is then placed along the side of the room, and
they all in common lie down to sleep ; nor is their dress
at night different from that by day, for at all seasons
they defend themselves from the cold only by a thin
cloak and tunic. The fire continues to burn by night as
well as by day, at their feet, and they receive much com-
fort from the natural heat of the persons lying near them ;
but when the under side begins to be tired with the
hardness of the bed, or the upper one to suffer from cold,
they immediately leap up, and go to the fire, which soon
relieves them from both inconveniences; and then re-
turning to their couch, they expose alternately their
sides to the cold, and to the hardness of the bed.

CHAPTER XI

CONCERNING THEIR CUTTING OF THEIR HAIR, THEIR
CARE OF THEIR TEETH, AND SHAVING OF THEIR
BEARD

The men and women cut their hair close round to the
ears and eyes. The women, after the manner of the

Llechan, or griddle bread, from being so baked." — Owen. " Laga-
num, a fritter or pancake, Baranyiod." — Lluyd, Archaiology, p. 75.
1 Brychan, in Lhuyd's Archaiology and Cornish Grammar, is
spelt Bryccan, and interpreted a blanket.

Description of Wales 171

Parthians, cover their heads with a large white veil,
folded together in the form of a crown.

Both sexes exceed any other nation in attention to
their teeth, which they render like ivory, by constantly
rubbing them with green hazel and wiping with a woollen
cloth. For their better preservation, they abstain from
hot meats, and eat only such as are cold, warm, or
temperate. The men shave all their beard except the
moustaches (gernoboda). This custom is not recent,
but was observed in ancient and remote ages, as we find
in the works of Julius Caesar, who says,1 " The Britons
shave every part of their body except their head and
upper lip; " and to render themselves more active, and
avoid the fate of Absalon in their excursions through the
woods, they are accustomed to cut even the hair from
their heads; so that this nation more than any other
shaves off all pilosity. Julius also adds, that the Britons,
previous to an engagement, anointed their faces with a
nitrous ointment, which gave them so ghastly and shining
an appearance, that the enemy could scarcely bear to look
at them, particularly if the rays of the sun were reflected
on them.

CHAPTER XII

OF THEIR QUICKNESS AND SHARPNESS OF UNDER-
STANDING

These people being of a sharp and acute intellect, and
gifted with a rich and powerful understanding, excel in
whatever studies they pursue, and are more quick and
cunning than the other inhabitants of a western clime.
Their musical instruments charm and delight the ear

1 " Omnes vero se Britanni vitro inficiunt, quod ca;ruleum efficit
colorem, atque hoc horridore sunt in pugna adspectu; capilloque
sunt promisso, atque omni parte corporis rasa, prseter caput et
labrum superius." — Ccesar de Bello Gallico, cap. 13, 14.

172 Giraldus Cambrensis

with their sweetness, are borne along by such celerity and
delicacy of modulation, producing such a consonance
from the rapidity of seemingly discordant touches, that
I shall briefly repeat what is set forth in our Irish Topo-
graphy on the subject of the musical instruments of the
three nations. It is astonishing that in so complex and
rapid a movement of the fingers, the musical proportions
can be preserved, and that throughout the difficult
modulations on their various instruments, the harmony
is completed with such a sweet velocity, so unequal an
equality, so discordant a concord, as if the chords
sounded together fourths or fifths. They always begin
from B flat, and return to the same, that the whole may
be completed under the sweetness of a pleasing sound.
They enter into a movement, and conclude it in so deli-
cate a manner, and play the little notes so sportively
under the blunter sounds of the base strings, enlivening
with wanton levity, or communicating a deeper internal
sensation of pleasure, so that the perfection of their art
appears in the concealment of it :

" Si lateat, prosit;

ferat ars deprensa pudorem."

" Art profits when concealed,
Disgraces when revealed."

From this cause, those very strains which afford deep and
unspeakable mental delight to those who have skilfully
penetrated into the mysteries of the art, fatigue rather
than gratify the ears of others, who seeing, do not per-
ceive, and hearing, do not understand ; and by whom the
finest music is esteemed no better than a confused and
disorderly noise, and will be heard with unwillingness
and disgust.

They make use of three instruments, the harp, the
pipe, and the crwth or crowd (chorus).1

1 This instrument is generally supposed to have been the origin
of the violin, which was not commonly known in England till the
reign of Charles I. Before this time the crwth was not probably
confined to the Principality, from the name of Crowdero in Hudi-

Description of Wales 173

They omit no part of natural rhetoric in the manage-
ment of civil actions, in quickness of invention, dis-
position, refutation, and confirmation. In their rhymed
songs and set speeches they are so subtile and ingenious,
that they produce, in their native tongue, ornaments of
wonderful and exquisite invention both in the words
and sentences. Hence arise those poets whom they call
Bards, of whom you will find many in this nation, en-
dowed with the above faculty, according to the poet's
observation :

" Plurima concreti fuderunt carmina Bardi."

But they make use of alliteration (anominatione) in pre-
ference to all other ornaments of rhetoric, and that parti-
cular kind which joins by consonancy the first letters or
syllables of words. So much do the English and Welsh
nations employ this ornament of words in all exquisite
composition, that no sentence is esteemed to be elegantly
spoken, no oration to be otherwise than uncouth and
unrefined, unless it be fully polished with the file of this
figure. Thus in the British tongue:

" Digawn Duw da i unic."

" Wrth bob crybwyll rhaid pwyll parawd." 1

bras; as also from a fiddler being still called a crowder in some
parts of England, though he now plays on a violin instead of a
crwth.

1 These Welsh lines quoted by Giraldus are selected from two
different stanzas of moral verses, called Eglynion y Clywed, the
composition of some anonymous bard; or probably the work of
several :

" A glyweisti a gant Dywyneg,
Milwr doeth detholedig;
Digawn Duw da i unig?

" Hast thou heard what was sung by Dywynic?
A wise and chosen warrior;
God will effect solace to the orphan.

" A glyweisti a gant Anarawd?
Milwr doniawg did lawd;
Rhaid wrth anmhwyll pwyll parawd.

" Hast thou heard what was sung by Anarawd?
A warrior endowed with many gifts;
With want of sense ready wit is necessary."

174 Giraldus Cambrensis

And in English,

" God is together gammen and wisedom."
The same ornament of speech is also frequent in the
Latin language. Virgil says,

" Tales casus Cassandra canebat."
And again, in his address to Augustus,

" Dum dubitet natura marem, faceretve puellam,
Natus es, o pulcher, pene puella, puer."

This ornament occurs not in any language we know so
frequently as in the two first; it is, indeed, surprising
that the French, in other respects so ornamented, should
be entirely ignorant of this verbal elegance so much
adopted in other languages. Nor can I believe that the
English and Welsh, so different and adverse to each
other, could designedly have agreed in the usage of this
figure; but I should rather suppose that it had grown
habitual to both by long custom, as it pleases the ear by
a transition from similar to similar sounds. Cicero, in
his book " On Elocution," observes of such who know
the practice, not the art, " Other persons when they read
good orations or poems, approve of the orators or poets,
not understanding the reason why, being affected, they
approve; because they cannot know in what place, of
what nature, nor how that effect is caused which so highly
delights them."

CHAPTER XIII

OF THEIR SYMPHONIES AND SONGS

In their musical concerts they do not sing in unison like
the inhabitants of other countries, but in many different

Or, as Giraldus quotes it,

" Wrth bob crybwll rhaid pwyll parawd."
" With every hint ready wit is necessary."

Myvyvrian Archaiology, page 172.

Description of Wales 175

parts; so that in a company of singers, which one very
frequently meets with in Wales, you will hear as many
different parts and voices as there are performers, who
all at length unite, with organic melody, in one conson-
ance and the soft sweetness of B flat. In the northern
district of Britain, beyond the Humber, and on the
borders of Yorkshire, the inhabitants make use of the
same kind of symphonious harmony, but with less
variety; singing only in two parts, one murmuring in
the base, the other warbling in the acute or treble.
Neither of the two nations has acquired this peculiarity
by art, but by long habit, which has rendered it natural
and familiar; and the practice is now so firmly rooted
in them, that it is unusual to hear a simple and single
melody well sung; and, what is still more wonderful,
the children, even from their infancy, sing in the same
manner. As the English in general do not adopt this
mode of singing, but only those of the northern countries,
I believe that it was from the Danes and Norwegians,
by whom these parts of the island were more frequently
invaded, and held longer under their dominion, that
the natives contracted their mode of singing as well as
speaking.

CHAPTER XIV

THEIR WIT AND PLEASANTRY

The heads of different families, in order to excite the
laughter of their guests, and gain credit by their sayings,
make use of great facetiousness in their conversation ; at
one time uttering their jokes in a light, easy manner, at
another time, under the disguise of equivocation, passing
the severest censures. For the sake of explanation I
shall here subjoin a few examples. Tegeingl is the name
of a province in North Wales, over which David, son of

176 Giraldus Cambrensis

Owen, had dominion, and which had once been in the
possession of his brother. The same word also was the
name of a certain woman with whom, it was said, each
brother had an intrigue, from which circumstance arose
this term of reproach, " To have Tegeingl, after Tegeingl
had been in possession of his brother."

At another time, when Rhys, son of Gruffydd, prince
of South Wales, accompanied by a multitude of his
people, devoutly entered the church of St. David's, pre-
vious to an intended journey, the oblations having been
made, and mass solemnised, a young man came to him
in the church, and publicly declared himself to be his
son, threw himself at his feet, and with tears humbly re-
quested that the truth of this assertion might be ascer-
tained by the trial of the burning iron. Intelligence of
this circumstance being conveyed to his family and his
two sons, who had just gone out of the church, a youth
who was present made this remark: " This is not wonder-
ful; some have brought gold, and others silver, as offer-
ings; but this man, who had neither, brought what he
had, namely, iron ; " thus taunting him with his poverty.
On mentioning a certain house that was strongly built
and almost impregnable, one of the company said, " This
house indeed is strong, for if it should contain food it
could never be got at," thus alluding both to the food
and to the house. In like manner, a person, wishing to
hint at the avaricious disposition of the mistress of a
house, said, " I only find fault with our hostess for put-
ting too little butter to her salt," whereas the accessary
should be put to the principal; thus, by a subtile trans-
position of the words, converting the accessary into the
principal, by making it appear to abound in quantity.
Many similar sayings of great men and philosophers are
recorded in the Saturnalia of Macrobius. When Cicero
saw his son-in-law, Lentulus, a man of small stature, with
a long sword by his side: " Who," says he, " has girded
my son-in-law to that sword? " thus changing the ac-
cessary into the principal. The same person, on seeing

Description of Wales 177

the half-length portrait of his brother Quintus Cicero,
drawn with very large features and an immense shield,
exclaimed, " Half of my brother is greater than the
whole! " When the sister of Faustus had an intrigue
with a fuller, " Is it strange," says he, " that my sister
has a spot, when she is connected with a fuller ? ' ' When
Antiochus showed Hannibal his army, and the great
warlike preparations he had made against the Romans,
and asked him, " Thinkest thou, 0 Hannibal, that these
are sufficient for the Romans?" Hannibal, ridiculing
the unmilitary appearance of the soldiers, wittily and
severely replied, " I certainly think them sufficient for
the Romans, however greedy;" Antiochus asking his
opinion about the military preparations, and Hannibal
alluding to them as becoming a prey to the Romans.

CHAPTER XV

THEIR BOLDNESS AND CONFIDENCE IN SPEAKING

Nature hath given not only to the highest, but also to
the inferior, classes of the people of this nation, a bold-
ness and confidence in speaking and answering, even in
the presence of their princes and chieftains. The Romans
and Franks had the same faculty ; but neither the Eng-
lish, nor the Saxons and Germans, from whom they are
descended, had it. It is in vain urged, that this defect
may arise from the state of servitude which the English
endured; for the Saxons and Germans, who enjoy their
liberty, have the same failing, and derive this natural
coldness of disposition from the frozen region they in-
habit; the English also, although placed in a distant
climate, still retain the exterior fairness of complexion
and inward coldness of disposition, as inseparable from
their original and natural character. The Britons, on

M

178

Giraldus Cambrensis

the contrary, transplanted from the hot and parched
regions of Dardania into these more temperate districts,
as

" Coelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt,"

still retain their brown complexion and that natural
warmth of temper from which their confidence is derived.
For three nations, remnants of the Greeks after the
destruction of Troy, fled from Asia into different parts
of Europe, the Romans under ^Eneas, the Franks under
Antenor, and the Britons under Brutus; and from
thence arose that courage, that nobleness of mind, that
ancient dignity, that acuteness of understanding, and
confidence of speech, for which these three nations are
so highly distinguished. But the Britons, from having
been detained longer in Greece than the other two
nations, after the destruction of their country, and
having migrated at a later period into the western parts
of Europe, retained in a greater degree the primitive
words and phrases of their native language. You will
find amongst them the names Oenus, Resus, iEneas,
Hector, Achilles, Heliodorus, Theodorus, Ajax, Evander,
Uliex, Anianus, Elisa, Guendolena, and many others,
bearing marks of their antiquity. It is also to be ob-
served, that almost all words in the British language
correspond either with the Greek or Latin, as t'Swf, water,
is called in British, dwr; dAs, salt, in British, halen;
ovop-a, eno, a name; -Trevre, pump, five; Se/ca, deg, ten.
The Latins also use the words frsenum, tripos, gladius,
lorica; the Britons, froyn (ffrwyn), trepet (tribedd),
cleddyf, and lluric (llurig); unicus is made unic (unig);
canis, can (cwn); and belua, beleu.

Description of Wales 179

CHAPTER XVI

CONCERNING THE SOOTHSAYERS OF THIS NATION, AND
PERSONS AS IT WERE POSSESSED

There are certain persons in Cambria, whom you will
find nowhere else, called Awenddyon,1 or people inspired ;
when consulted upon any doubtful event, they roar out
violently, are rendered beside themselves, and become,
as it were, possessed by a spirit. They do not deliver
the answer to what is required in a connected manner;
but the person who skilfully observes them, will find,
after many preambles, and many nugatory and inco-
herent, though ornamented speeches, the desired ex-
planation conveyed in some turn of a word: they are
then roused from their ecstasy, as from a deep sleep, and,
as it were, by violence compelled to return to their proper
senses. After having answered the questions, they do
not recover till violently shaken by other people; nor
can they remember the replies they have given. If con-
sulted a second or third time upon the same point, they
will make use of expressions totally different; perhaps
they speak by the means of fanatic and ignorant spirits.
These gifts are usually conferred upon them in dreams :
some seem to have sweet milk or honey poured on their
lips; others fancy that a written schedule is applied to
their mouths, and on awaking they publicly declare that
they have received this gift. Such is the saying of
Esdras, " The Lord said unto me, open thy mouth, and
I opened my mouth, and behold a cup full of water,
whose colour was like fire ; and when I had drank it, my
heart brought forth understanding, and wisdom entered

1 Awenydhion, in a literal sense, means persons inspired by the
Muse, and is derived from Awen and Awenydd, a poetical rapture,
or the gift of poetry. It was the appellation of the disciples, or
candidates for the Bardic Order; but the most general acceptation
of the word was. Poets, or Bards.

i8o Giraldus Cambrensis

into my breast." They invoke, during their prophecies,
the true and living God, and the Holy Trinity, and pray
that they may not by their sins be prevented from finding
the truth. These prophets are only found among the
Britons descended from the Trojans. For Calchas and
Cassandra, endowed with the spirit of prophecy, openly
foretold, during the siege of Troy, the destruction of
that fine city ; on which account the high priest, Helenus,
influenced by the prophetic books of Calchas, and of
others who had long before predicted the ruin of their
country, in the first year went over to the Greeks with
the sons of Priam (to whom he was high priest), and was
afterwards rewarded in Greece. Cassandra, daughter of
king Priam, every day foretold the overthrow of the
city; but the pride and presumption of the Trojans
prevented them from believing her word. Even on the
very night that the city was betrayed, she clearly de-
scribed the treachery and the method of it:

" tales casus Cassandra canebat,"

as in the same manner, during the existence of the king-
dom of the Britons, both Merlin Caledonius and Ambro-
sius are said to have foretold the destruction of their
nation, as well as the coming of the Saxons, and after-
wards that of the Normans ; and I think a circumstance
related by Aulus Gellius worth inserting in this place.
On the day that Caius Caesar and Cneius Pompey, during
the civil war, fought a pitched battle in Thessalia, a
memorable event occurred in that part of Italy situated
beyond the river Po. A priest named Cornelius, honour-
able from his rank, venerable for his religion, and holy in
his manners, in an inspired moment proclaimed, " Caesar
has conquered," and named the day, the events, the
mutual attack, and the conflicts of the two armies.
Whether such things are exhibited by the spirit, let the
reader more particularly inquire; I do not assert they
are. the acts of a Py thonic or a diabolic spirit ; for as fore-
knowledge is the property of God alone, so is it in his

Description of Wales 1 8 i

power to confer knowledge of future events. There are
differences of gifts, says the Apostle, but one and the
same spirit; whence Peter, in his second Epistle, writes,
" For the prophecy came not in the old time by the will
of man, but men spake as if they were inspired by the
Holy Ghost: " to the same effect did the Chaldeans
answer king Nebuchadonazar on the interpretation of
his dream, which he wished to extort from them. " There
is not," say they, " a man upon earth who can, O king,
satisfactorily answer your question; let no king there-
fore, however great or potent, make a similar request to
any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean; for it is a rare
thing that the king requireth, and there is none other
that can shew it before the king, except the Gods, whose
dwelling is not with flesh." On this passage Jerome
remarks, " The diviners and all the learned of this world
confess, that the prescience of future events belongs to
God alone; the prophets therefore, who foretold things
to come, spake by the spirit of God. Hence some per-
sons object, that, if they were under the guidance of the
Holy Spirit, they would sometimes premise, " Thus saith
the Lord God," or make use of some expression in the
prophetic style; and as such a mode of prophesying is
not taken notice of by Merlin, and no mention is made
of his sanctity, devotion, or faith, many think that he
spake by a Pythonic spirit. To which I answer, that
the spirit of prophecy was given not only to the holy,
but sometimes to unbelievers and Gentiles, to Baal, to
the sibyls, and even to bad people, as to Caiaphas and
Bela. On which occasion Origen says : " Do not wonder,
if he whom ye have mentioned declares that the Scribes
and Pharisees and doctors amongst the Jews prophesied
concerning Christ; for Caiaphas said: " It is expedient
for us that one man die for the people: " but asserts at
the same time, that because he was high priest for that
year, he prophesied. Let no man therefore be lifted up,
if he prophesies, if he merits prescience ; for prophecies
shall fail, tongues shall cease, knowledge shall vanish

1 82 Giraldus Cambrensis

away ; and now abideth, faith, hope, and charity : these
three; but the greatest of these is Charity, which never
faileth. But these bad men not only prophesied, but
sometimes performed great miracles, which others could
not accomplish. John the Baptist, who was so great a
personage, performed no miracle, as John the Evangelist
testifies: " And many came to Jesus and said, Because
John wrought no signs," etc. Nor do we hear that the
mother of God performed any miracle; we read in the
Acts of the Apostles, that the sons of Sheva cast out
devils in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preached: and
in Matthew and Luke we may find these words: " Many
shall say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name ? and in thy name have cast out
devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
and then I will profess unto them, I never knew you."
And in another place, John says: " Master, we saw a
certain man casting out devils in thy name, and forbade
him, because he followeth not with us." But Jesus said :
" Forbid him not; no man can do a miracle in mv name,
and speak evil of me; for whoever is not against me, is
for me."

Alexander of Macedon, a gentile, traversed the Caspian
mountains, and miraculously confined ten tribes within
their promontories, where they still remain, and will con-
tinue until the coming of Elias and Enoch. We read,
indeed, the prophecies of Merlin, but hear nothing either
of his sanctity or his miracles. Some say, that the pro-
phets, when they prophesied, did not become frantic, as
it is affirmed of Merlin Silvestris, and others possessed,
whom we have before mentioned. Some prophesied by
dreams, visions, and enigmatical sayings, as Ezechiel
and Daniel; others by acts and words, as Noah, in the
construction of the ark, alluded to the church ; Abraham,
in the slaying of his son, to the passion of Christ; and
Moses by his speech, when he said, " A prophet shall the
Lord God raise up to you of your brethren; hear him; "
meaning Christ. Others have prophesied in a more ex-

Description of Wales 183

cellent way by the internal revelation and inspiration of
the Holy Spirit, as David did when persecuted by Saul :
" When Saul heard that David had fled to Naioth (which
is a hill in Raman, and the seat of the prophets), he sent
messengers to take him; and when they saw the com-
pany of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing
at their head, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers
of Saul, and they also prophesied; and he sent mes-
sengers a second and again a third time, and they also
prophesied. And Saul enraged went thither also; and
the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and
prophesied until he came to Naioth, and he stripped off
his royal vestments, and prophesied with the rest for all
that day and all that night, whilst David and Samuel
secretly observed what passed." Nor is it wonderful
that those persons who suddenly receive the Spirit of
God, and so signal a mark of grace, should for a time
seem alienated from their earthly state of mind.

CHAPTER XVII

THEIR LOVE OF HIGH BIRTH AND ANCIENT GENEALOGY

The Welsh esteem noble birth and generous descent
above all things,1 and are, therefore, more desirous of
marrying into noble than rich families. Even the

1 Genealogies were preserved as a principle of necessity under
the ancient British constitution. A man's pedigree was in reality
his title deed, by which he claimed his birthright in the country.
Every one was obliged to show his descent through nine genera-
tions, in order to be acknowledged a free native, and by this right
he claimed his portion of land in the community. He was affected
with respect to legal process in his collateral affinities through
nine degrees. For instance, every murder committed had a fine
levied on the relations of the murderer, divided into nine degrees;
his brother paying the greatest, and the ninth in affinity the least.
This fine was distributed in the same way among the relatives of
the victim. A person past the ninth descent formed a new family.
Every family was represented by its elder; and these elders from
every family were delegates to the national council. — Owen.

1 84

Giraldus Cambrensis

common people retain their genealogy, and can not only
readily recount the names of their grandfathers and
great-grandfathers, but even refer back to the sixth or
seventh generation, or beyond them, in this manner:
Rhys, son of Gruffydd, son of Rhys, son of Tewdwr, son
of Eineon, son of Owen, son of Howel, son of Cadell, son
of Roderic Mawr, and so on.

Being particularly attached to family descent, they re-
venge with vehemence the injuries which may tend to
the disgrace of their blood; and being naturally of a
vindictive and passionate disposition, they are ever
ready to avenge not only recent but ancient affronts;
they neither inhabit towns, villages, nor castles, but
lead a solitary life in the woods, on the borders of which
they do not erect sumptuous palaces, nor lofty stone
buildings, but content themselves with small huts made
of the boughs of trees twisted together, constructed with
little labour and expense, and sufficient to endure
throughout the year. They have neither orchards nor
gardens, but gladly eat the fruit of both when given to
them. The greater part of their land is laid down to
pasturage; little is cultivated, a very small quantity is
ornamented with flowers, and a still smaller is sown.
They seldom yoke less than four oxen to their ploughs ;
the driver walks before, but backwards, and when he
falls down, is frequently exposed to danger from the re-
fractory oxen. Instead of small sickles in mowing, they
make use of a moderate-sized piece of iron formed like
a knife, with two pieces of wood fixed loosely and flexibly
to the head, which they think a more expeditious instru-
ment; but since

" Segnius irritant animos demissa per aures,
Quam quae sunt oculis subjecta fidelibus,"

their mode of using it will be better known by inspection
than by any description. The boats x which they em-

1 The navicultz mentioned by Giraldus bear the modern name
of coracles, and are much used on the Welsh rivers for the taking
of salmon. Their name is derived probably from the Celtic word
corawg, which signifies a ship. They are mentioned by the ancient
writers.

Description of Wales 185

ploy in fishing or in crossing the rivers are made of twigs,
not oblong nor pointed, but almost round, or rather
triangular, covered both within and without with raw
hides. When a salmon thrown into one of these boats
strikes it hard with his tail, he often oversets it, and
endangers both the vessel and its navigator. The fisher-
men, according to the custom of the country, in going
to and from the rivers, carry these boats on their
shoulders; on which occasion that famous dealer in
fables, Bleddercus, who lived a little before our time,
thus mvsteriously said: " There is amongst us a people
who, when they go out in search of prey, carry their
horses on their backs to the place of plunder; in order
to catch their prey, they leap upon their horses, and when
it is taken, carry their horses home again upon their
shoulders."

CHAPTER XVIII

OF THE ANTIQUITY OF THEIR FAITH, THEIR LOVE
OF CHRISTIANITY AND DEVOTION

In ancient times, and about two hundred years before
the overthrow of Britain, the Welsh were instructed and
confirmed in the faith by Faganus and Damianus, sent
into the island at the request of king Lucius by pope
Eleutherius, and from that period when Germanus of
Auxerre, and Lupus of Troyes, came over on account of
the corruption which had crept into the island by the
invasion of the Saxons, but particularly with a view of
expelling the Pelagian heresy, nothing heretical or con-
trary to the true faith was to be found amongst the
natives. But it is said that some parts of the ancient
doctrines are still retained. They give the first piece
broken off from every loaf of bread to the poor; they sit
down to dinner by three to a dish, in honour of the
Trinity. With extended arms and bowing head, they
ask a blessing of every monk or priest, or of every person

1 86 Giraldus Cambrensis

wearing a religious habit. But they desire, above all
other nations, the episcopal ordination and unction, by
which the grace of the spirit is given. They give a
tenth of all their property, animals, cattle, and sheep,
either when they marry, or go on a pilgrimage, or, by the
counsel of the church, are persuaded to amend their
lives. This partition of their effects they call the great
tithe, two parts of which they give to the church where
they were baptised, and the third to the bishop of the
diocese. But of all pilgrimages they prefer that to
Rome, where they pay the most fervent adoration to the
apostolic see. We observe that they show a greater
respect than other nations to churches and ecclesiastical
persons, to the relics of saints, bells, holy books, and the
cross, which they devoutly revere; and hence their
churches enjoy more than common tranquillity. For
peace is not only preserved towards all animals feeding
in churchyards, but at a great distance beyond them,
where certain boundaries and ditches have been ap-
pointed by the bishops, in order to maintain the security
of the sanctuary. But the principal churches to which
antiquity has annexed the greater reverence extend their
protection to the herds as far as they can go to feed in
the morning and return at night. If, therefore, any
person has incurred the enmity of his prince, on applying
to the church for protection, he and his family will con-
tinue to live unmolested; but many persons abuse this
indemnity, far exceeding the indulgence of the canon,
which in such cases grants only personal safety; and
from the places of refuge even make hostile irruptions,
and more severely harass the country than the prince
himself. Hermits and anchorites more strictly abstinent
and more spiritual can nowhere be found ; for this nation
is earnest in all its pursuits, and neither worse men than
the bad, nor better than the good, can be met with.

Happy and fortunate indeed would this nation be,
nay, completely blessed, if it had good prelates and
pastors, and but one prince, and that prince a good one.

BOOK II

PREFACE

Having in the former book clearly set forth the char-
acter, manners, and customs of the British nation, and
having collected and explained everything which could
redound to its credit or glory ; an attention to order now
requires that, in this second part, we should employ our
pen in pointing out those particulars in which it seems
to transgress the line of virtue and commendation;
having first obtained leave to speak the truth, without
which history not only loses its authority, but becomes
undeserving of its very name. For the painter who
professes to imitate nature, loses his reputation, if, by
indulging his fancy, he represents only those parts of
the subject which best suit him.

Since, therefore, no man is born without faults, and he
is esteemed the best whose errors are the least, let the
wise man consider everything human as connected with
himself; for in worldly affairs there is no perfect happi-
ness under heaven. Evil borders upon good, and vices
are confounded with virtues; as the report of good
qualities is delightful to a well-disposed mind, so the
relation of the contrary should not be offensive. The
natural disposition of this nation might have been
corrupted and perverted by long exile and poverty;
for as poverty extinguished many faults, so it often
generates failings that are contrary to virtue.

188

CHAPTER I

OF THE INCONSTANCY AND INSTABILITY OF THIS NATION,
AND THEIR WANT OF REVERENCE FOR GOOD FAITH
AND OATHS

These people are no less light in mind than in body, and
are by no means to be relied upon. They are easily urged
to undertake any action, and are as easily checked from
prosecuting it — a people quick in action, but more stub-
born in a bad than in a good cause, and constant only
in acts of inconstancy. They pay no respect to oaths,
faith, or truth; and so lightly do they esteem the
covenant of faith, held so inviolable by other nations,
that it is usual to sacrifice their faith for nothing, by
holding forth the right hand, not only in serious and
important concerns, but even on every trifling occasion,
and for the confirmation of almost every common asser-
tion. They never scruple at taking a false oath for the
sake of any temporary emolument or advantage ; so that
in civil and ecclesiastical causes, each party, being ready
to swear whatever seems expedient to its purpose,
endeavours both to prove and defend, although the
venerable laws, by which oaths are deemed sacred, and
truth is honoured and respected, by favouring the
accused and throwing an odium upon the accuser, im-
pose the burden of bringing proofs upon the latter. But
to a people so cunning and crafty, this yoke is pleasant,
and this burden is light.

189

190 Giraldus Cambrensis

CHAPTER II

THEIR LIVING BY PLUNDER, AND DISREGARD OF
THE BONDS OF PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP

This nation conceives it right to commit acts of plunder,
theft, and robbery, not only against foreigners and
hostile nations, but even against their own countrymen.
When an opportunity of attacking the enemy with ad-
vantage occurs, they respect not the leagues of peace and
friendship, preferring base lucre to the solemn obliga-
tions of oaths and good faith; to which circumstance
Gildas alludes in his book concerning the overthrow of
the Britons, actuated by the love of truth, and accord-
ing to the rules of history, not suppressing the vices of
his countrymen. " They are neither brave in war, nor
faithful in peace." But when Julius Csesar, great as the
world itself,

" Territa quassitis ostendit terga Britannis,"

were they not brave under their leader Cassivellaunus ?
And when Belinus and Brennus added the Roman
empire to their conquests ? What were they in the time
of Constantine, son of our Helen? What, in the reign
of Aurelius Ambrosius, whom even Eutropius com-
mends? What were they in the time of our famous
prince Arthur? I will not say fabulous. On the con-
trary, they, who were almost subdued by the Scots and
Picts, often harassed with success the auxiliary Roman
legions, and exclaimed, as we learn from Gildas, " The
barbarians drove us to the sea, the sea drove us again
back to the barbarians; on one side we were subdued,
on the other drowned, and here we were put to death.
Were they not," says he, " at that time brave and praise-
worthy?" When attacked and conquered by the
Saxons, who originally had been called in as stipendiaries

Description of Wales 1 9 1

to their assistance, were they not brave? But the
strongest argument made use of by those who accuse this
nation of cowardice, is, that Gildas, a holy man, and a
Briton by birth, has handed down to posterity nothing
remarkable concerning them, in any of his historical
works. We promise, however, a solution of the con-
trary in our British Topography, if God grants us a con-
tinuance of life.

As a further proof, it may be necessary to add, that
from the time when that illustrious prince of the Britons,
mentioned at the beginning of this book, totally ex-
hausted the strength of the country, by transporting the
whole armed force beyond the seas; that island, which
had before been so highly illustrious for its incomparable
valour, remained for many subsequent years destitute of
men and arms, and exposed to the predatory attacks of
pirates and robbers. So distinguished, indeed, were the
natives of this island for their bravery, that, by their
prowess, that king subdued almost all Cisalpine Gaul,
and dared even to make an attack on the Roman empire.

In process of time, the Britons, recovering their long-
lost population and knowledge of the use of arms, re-
acquired their high and ancient character. Let the
different seras be therefore marked, and the historical
accounts will accord. With regard to Gildas, who in-
veighs so bitterly against his own nation, the Britons
affirm that, highly irritated at the death of his brother,
the prince of Albania, whom king Arthur had slain, he
wrote these invectives, and upon the same occasion
threw into the sea many excellent books, in which he
had described the actions of Arthur, and the celebrated
deeds of his countrymen; from which cause it arises,
that no authentic account of so great a prince is any
where to be found.

192 Giraldus Cambrensis

CHAPTER III

OF THEIR DEFICIENCY IN BATTLE, AND BASE AND
DISHONOURABLE FLIGHT

In war this nation is very severe in the first attack,
terrible by their clamour and looks, filling the air with
horrid shouts and the deep-toned clangour of very long
trumpets; swift and rapid in their advances and fre-
quent throwing of darts. Bold in the first onset, they
cannot bear a repulse, being easily thrown into confusion
as soon as they turn their backs; and they trust to
flight for safety, without attempting to rally, which the
poet thought reprehensible in martial conflicts:

" Ignavum scelus est tantum fuga; "

and elsewhere —

" In vitium culpa? ducit fuga, si caret arte."

The character given to the Teutones in the Roman
History, may be applied to this people. " In their first
attack they are more than men, in the second, less than
women." Their courage manifests itself chiefly in the
retreat, when they frequently return, and, like the
Parthians, shoot their arrows behind them; and, as
after success and victory in battle, even cowards boast
of their courage, so, after a reverse of fortune, even the
bravest men are not allowed their due claims of merit.
Their mode of fighting consists in chasing the enemy or
in retreating. This light-armed people, relying more on
their activity than on their strength, cannot struggle for
the field of battle, enter into close engagement, or endure
long and severe actions, such as the poet describes :

" Jam clypeo clypeus, umbone repellitur umbo,
Ense minax ensis, pede pes, et cuspide cuspis."

Though defeated and put to flight on one day, they are

Description of Wales 193

ready to resume the combat on the next, neither dejected
by their loss, nor by their dishonour; and although, per-
haps, they do not display great fortitude in open engage-
ments and regular conflicts, yet they harass the enemy
by ambuscades and nightly sallies. Hence, neither
oppressed by hunger or cold, nor fatigued by martial
labours, nor despondent in adversity, but ready, after a
defeat, to return immediately to action, and again
endure the dangers of war; they are as easy to overcome
in a single battle, as difficult to subdue in a protracted
war. The poet Claudian thus speaks of a people similar
in disposition:—

" Dum pereunt, meminere mali: si corda parumper
Respirare sinas, nullo tot funera censu
Praitereunt, tantique levis jactura cruoris."

CHAPTER IV

THEIR AMBITIOUS SEIZURE OF LANDS, AND DISSEN-
SIONS AMONG BROTHERS

This nation is, above all others, addicted to the digging
up of boundary ditches, removing the limits, transgress-
ing landmarks, and extending their territory by every
possible means. So gieat is their disposition towards
this common violence, that they scruple not to claim as
their hereditary right, those lands which are held under
lease, or at will, on condition of planting, or by any
other title, even although indemnity had been publicly
secured on oath to the tenant by the lord proprietor of
the soil. Hence arise suits and contentions, murders
and conflagrations, and frequent fratricides, increased,
perhaps, by the ancient national custom of brothers
dividing their property amongst each other. Another
heavy grievance also prevails; the princes entrust the
education of their children to the care of the principal

194 Giraldus Cambrensis

men of their country, each of whom, after the death of
his father, endeavours, by every possible means, to
exalt his own charge above his neighbours. From which
cause great disturbances have frequently arisen amongst
brothers, and terminated in the most cruel and unjust
murders ; and on which account friendships are found to
be more sincere between foster-brothers, than between
those who are connected by the natural ties of brother-
hood. It is also remarkable, that brothers shew more
affection to one another when dead, than when living;
for they persecute the living even unto death, but revenge
the deceased with all their power.

CHAPTER V

THEIR GREAT EXACTION, AND WANT OF MODERATION

Where they find plenty, and can exercise their power,
they levy the most unjust exactions. Immoderate in
their love of food and intoxicating drink, they say with
the Apostle, " We are instructed both to abound, and to
suffer need; " but do not add with him, " becoming all
things to all men, that I might by all .means save some."
As in times of scarcity their abstinence and parsimony
are too severe, so, when seated at another man's table,
after a long fasting, (like wolves and eagles, who, like
them, live by plunder, and are rarely satisfied,) their
appetite is immoderate. They are therefore penurious
in times of scarcity, and extravagant in times of plenty ;
but no man, as in England, mortgages his property for
the gluttonous gratification of his own appetite. They
wish, however, that all people would join with them in
their bad habits and expenses; as the commission of
crimes reduces to a level all those who are concerned in
the perpetration of them.

Description of Wales 195

CHAPTER VI

CONCERNING THE CRIME OF INCEST, AND THE ABUSE OF
CHURCHES BY SUCCESSION AND PARTICIPATION

The crime of incest hath so much prevailed, not only
among the higher, but among the lower orders of this
people, that, not having the fear of God before their
eyes, they are not ashamed of intermarrying with their
relations, even in the third degree of consanguinity.
They generally abuse these dispensations with a view
of appeasing those enmities which so often subsist be-
tween them, because " their feet are swift to shed blood; "
and from their love of high descent, which they so
ardently affect and covet, they unite themselves to their
own people, refusing to intermarry with strangers, and
arrogantly presuming on their own superiority of blood
and family. They do not engage in marriage, until they
have tried, by previous cohabitation, the disposition,
and particularly the fecundity, of the person with whom
they are engaged. An ancient custom also prevails of
hiring girls from their parents at a certain price, and a
stipulated penalty, in case of relinquishing their con-
nection.

Their churches have almost as many parsons and
sharers as there are principal men in the parish. The
sons, after the decease of their fathers, succeed to the
ecclesiastical benefices, not by election, but by here-
ditary right possessing and polluting the sanctuary of
God. And if a prelate should by chance presume to
appoint or institute any other person, the people would
certainly revenge the injury upon the institutor and
the instituted. With respect to these two excesses
of incest and succession, which took root formerly in
Armorica, and are not yet eradicated, Ildebert, bishop
of Le Mans, in one of his epistles, says, " that he '''was

N2 J

196

Giraldus Cambrensis

present with a British priest at a council summoned with
a view of putting an end to the enormities of this nation:"
hence it appears that these vices have for a long time
prevailed both in Britany and Britain. The words of
the Psalmist may not inaptly be applied to them ; " They
are corrupt and become abominable in their doings,
there is none that doeth good, no, not one: they are all
gone out of the way, they are altogether become abomin-
able," etc.

CHAPTER VII

OF THEIR SINS, AND THE CONSEQUENT LOSS OF
BRITAIN AND OF TROY

Moreover, through their sins, and particularly that
detestable and wicked vice of Sodom, as well as by divine
vengeance, they lost Britain, as they formerly lost Troy.
For we read in the Roman history, that the emperor
Constantine having resigned the city and the Western
empire to the blessed Sylvester and his successors, with
an intention of rebuilding Troy, and there establishing
the chief seat of the Eastern Empire, heard a voice,
saying, " Dost thou go to rebuild Sodom? " upon which,
he altered his intention, turned his ships and standards
towards Byzantium, and there fixing his seat of empire,
gave his own propitious name to the city. The British
history informs us, that Mailgon, king of the Britons, and
many others, were addicted to this vice ; that enormity,
however, had entirely ceased for so long a time, that the
recollection of it was nearly worn out. But since that, as
if the time of repentance was almost expired, and be-
cause the nation, by its warlike successes and acquisition
of territory, has in our times unusually increased in
population and strength, they boast in their turn, and
most confidently and unanimously affirm, that in a

Description of Wales 197

short time their countrymen shall return to the island,
and, according to the prophecies of Merlin, the nation,
and even the name, of foreigners, shall be extinguished
in the island, and the Britons shall exult again in their
ancient name and privileges. But to me it appears far
otherwise; for since

" Luxuriant animi rebus plerumque secundis.
Nee facile est aequa commoda mente pati ; "

And because

" Non habet unde suum paupertas pascat amorem, . . .
Divitiis alitur luxuriosus amor."

So that their abstinence from that vice, which in their
prosperity they could not resist, may be attributed
more justly to their poverty and state of exile than to
their sense of virtue. For they cannot be said to have
repented, when we see them involved in such an abyss
of vices, perjury, theft, robbery, rapine, murders, fratri-
cides, adultery, and incest, and become every day more
entangled and ensnared in evil-doing; so that the words
of the prophet Hosea may be truly applied to them,
" There is no truth, nor mercy," etc.

Other matters of which they boast are more properly
to be attributed to the diligence and activity of the
Norman kings than to their own merits or power. For
previous to the coming of the Normans, when the Eng-
lish kings contented themselves with the sovereignty of
Britain alone, and employed their whole military force
in the subjugation of this people, they almost wholly
extirpated them; as did king Offa, who by a long and
extensive dyke separated the British from the English;
Ethelfrid also, who demolished the noble city of Legions,1
and put to death the monks of the celebrated monastery
at Banchor, who had been called in to promote the suc-
cess of the Britons by their prayers ; and lastly Harold,
who himself on foot, with an army of light-armed in-
fantry, and conforming to the customary diet of the

1 By the city of Legions Chester is here meant, not Caerleon.

i98

Giraldus Cambrensis

country, so bravely penetrated through every part of
Wales, that he scarcely left a man alive in it; and as a
memorial of his signal victories, many stones may be
found in Wales bearing this inscription:—" hic victor

FUIT HAROLDUS " — " HERE HAROLD CONQUERED." X

To these bloody and recent victories of the English
may be attributed the peaceable state of Wales during
the reigns of the three first Norman kings; when the
nation increased in population, and being taught the use
of arms and the management of horses by the English
and Normans (with whom they had much intercourse,
by following the court, or by being sent as hostages),
took advantage of the necessary attention which the
three succeeding kings were obliged to pay to their
foreign possessions, and once more lifting up their crests,
recovered their lands, and spurned the yoke that had
formerly been imposed upon them.

CHAPTER VIII

IN WHAT MANNER THIS NATION IS TO BE OVERCOME

The prince who would wish to subdue this nation, and
govern it peaceably, must use this method. He must be
determined to apply a diligent and constant attention
to this purpose for one year at least; for a people who
with a collected force will not openly attack the enemy
in the field, nor wait to be besieged in castles, is not to be
overcome at the first onset, but to be worn out by pru-
dent delay and patience. Let him divide their strength,
and by bribes and promises endeavour to stir up one
against the other, knowing the spirit of hatred and envy

1 Of the stones inscribed "hic victor fuit haroldus" —
" here harold conquered," no original, I believe, remains
extant: but at the village of Trelech. in Monmouthshire, there
is a modern pedestal bearing the above inscription. — See the
description and engraving in Coxe's Monmouthshire, p. 234.

Description of Wales 199

which generally prevails amongst them; and in the
autumn let not only the marches, but also the interior
part of the country be strongly fortified with castles,
provisions, and confidential families. In the meantime
the purchase of corn, cloth, and salt, with which they are
usually supplied from England, should be strictly inter-
dicted; and well-manned ships placed as a guard on
the coast, to prevent their importation of these articles
from Ireland or the Severn sea, and to facilitate the
supply of his own army. Afterwards, when the severity
of winter approaches, when the trees are void of leaves,
and the mountains no longer afford pasturage — when
they are deprived of any hopes of plunder, and harassed
on every side by the repeated attacks of the enemy —
let a body of light-armed infantry penetrate into their
woody and mountainous retreats, and let these troops
be supported and relieved by others; and thus by fre-
quent changes, and replacing the men who are either
fatigued or slain in battle, this nation may be ultimately
subdued; nor can it be overcome without the above
precautions, nor without great danger and loss of men.
Though many of the English hired troops may perish in
a day of battle, money will procure as many or more on
the morrow for the same service; but to the Welsh, who
have neither foreign nor stipendiary troops, the loss is for
the time irreparable. In these matters, therefore, as an
artificer is to be trusted in his trade, so attention is to be
paid to the counsel of those who, having been long con-,
versant in similar concerns, are become acquainted with
the manners and customs of their country, and whom it
greatly interests, that an enemy, for whom during long
and frequent conflicts they have contracted an implacable
hatred, should by their assistance be either weakened or
destroyed. Happy should I have termed the borders
of Wales inhabited by the English, if their kings, in the
government of these parts, and in their military opera-
tions against the enemy, had rather employed the
marchers and barons of the country, than adopted the

200 Giraldus Cambrensis

counsels and policy of the people of Anjou and the
Normans. In this, as well as in every other military
expedition, either in Ireland or in Wales, the natives
of the marches, from the constant state of warfare in
which they are engaged, and whose manners are formed
from the habits of war, are bold and active, skilful on
horseback, quick on foot, not nice as to their diet, and
ever prepared when necessity requires to abstain both
from corn and wine. By such men were the first hostile
attacks made upon Wales as well as Ireland, and by such
men alone can their final conquest be accomplished.
For the Flemings, Normans, Coterells, and Bragmans,
are good and well-disciplined soldiers in their own
country; but the Gallic soldiery is known to differ much
from the Welsh and Irish. In their country the battle
is on level, here on rough ground; there in an open field,
here in forests; there they consider their armour as an
honour, here as a burden; there soldiers are taken
prisoners, here they are beheaded; there they are ran-
somed, here they are put to death. Where, therefore,
the armies engage in a flat country, a heavy and complex
armour, made of cloth and iron, both protects and deco-
rates the soldier ; but when the engagement is in narrow
defiles, in woods or marshes, where the infantry have the
advantage over the cavalry, a light armour is preferable.
For light arms afford sufficient protection against un-
armed men, by whom victory is either lost or won at the
first onset; where it is necessary that an active and
retreating enemy should be overcome by a certain pro-
portional quantity of moderate armour; whereas with
a more complex sort, and with high and curved saddles,
it is difficult to dismount, more so to mount, and with
the greatest difficulty can such troops march, if required,
with the infantry. In order, therefore, that

" Singula quaeque locum teneant r.ortita decenter,"

we maintain it is necessary to employ heavy-armed and
strong troops against men heavily armed, depending

Description of Wales 201

entirely upon their natural strength, and accustomed
to fight in an open plain; but against light-armed and
active troops, who prefer rough ground, men accus-
tomed to such conflicts, and armed in a similar manner,
must be employed. But let the cities and fortresses on
the Severn, and the whole territory on its western banks
towards Wales, occupied by the English, as well as the
provinces of Shropshire and Cheshire, which are pro-
tected by powerful armies, or by any other special
privileges and honourable independence, rejoice in the
provident bounty of their prince. There should be a
yearly examination of the warlike stores, of the arms,
and horses, by good and discreet men deputed for that
purpose, and who, not intent upon its plunder and ruin,
interest themselves in the defence and protection of
their country. By these salutary measures, the soldiers,
citizens, and the whole mass of the people, being in-
structed and accustomed to the use of arms, liberty may
be opposed by liberty, and pride be checked by pride.
For the Welsh, who are neither worn out by laborious
burdens, nor molested by the exactions of their lords,
are ever prompt to avenge an injury. Hence arise their
distinguished bravery in the defence of their country;
hence their readiness to take up arms and to rebel.
Nothing so much excites, encourages, and invites the
hearts of men to probity as the cheerfulness of liberty;
nothing so much dejects and dispirits them as the op-
pression of servitude. This portion of the kingdom,
protected by arms and courage, might be of great use
to the prince, not only in these or the adjacent parts,
but, if necessity required, in more remote regions; and
although the public treasury might receive a smaller
annual revenue from these provinces, yet the deficiency
would be abundantly compensated by the peace of the
kingdom and the honour of its sovereign; especially as
the heavy and dangerous expenses of one military ex-
pedition into Wales usually amount to the whole income
arising from the revenues of the province.

202 Giraldus Cambrensis

CHAPTER IX

IN WHAT MANNER WALES, WHEN CONQUERED,
SHOULD BE GOVERNED

As therefore this nation is to be subdued by resolution in
the manner proposed, so when subdued, its government
must be directed by moderation, according to the follow-
ing plan. Let the care of it be committed to a man of
a firm and determined mind; who during the time of
peace, by paying due obedience to the laws, and respect
to the government, may render it firm and stable. For,
like other nations in a barbarous state, this people, al-
though they are strangers to the principles of honour,
yet above all things desire to be honoured ; and approve
and respect in others that truth which they themselves
do not profess. Whenever the natural inconstancy of
their indisposition shall induce them to revolt, let
punishment instantly follow the offence ; but when they
shall have submitted themselves again to order, and
made proper amends for their faults (as it is the custom
of bad men to remember wrath after quarrels), let their
former transgression be overlooked, and let them enjoy
security and respect, as long as they continue faithful.
Thus, by mild treatment, they will be invited to obedi-
ence and the love of peace, and the thought of certain
punishment will deter them from rash attempts. We
have often observed persons who, confounding these
matters, by complaining of faults, depressing for ser-
vices, flattering in war, plundering in peace, despoiling
the weak, paying respect to revolters, by thus rendering
all things confused, have at length been confounded
themselves. Besides, as circumstances which are fore-
seen do less mischief, and as that state is happy which
thinks of war in the time of peace, let the wise man be
upon his guard, and prepared against the approaching

Description of Wales 203

inconveniences of war, by the construction of forts, the
widening of passes through woods, and the providing of
a trusty household. For those who are cherished and
sustained during the time of peace, are more ready to
come forward in times of danger, and are more confi-
dently to be depended upon; and as a nation unsubdued
ever meditates plots under the disguise of friendship,
let not the prince or his governor entrust the protection
of his camp or capital to their fidelity. By the examples
of many remarkable men, some of whom have been
cruelly put to death, and others deprived of their castles
and dignities, through their own neglect and want of
care, we may see, that the artifices of a crafty and sub-
dued nation are much more to be dreaded than their
open warfare; their good-will than their anger, their
honey than their gall, their malice than their attack,
their treachery than their aggression, and their pre-
tended friendship more than their open enmity. A
prudent and provident man therefore should contem-
plate in the misfortune of others what he ought himself
to avoid; correction taught by example is harmless, as
Ennodius x says: "The ruin of predecessors instructs
those who succeed ; and a former miscarriage becomes a
future caution." If a well-disposed prince should wish
these great designs to be accomplished without the effu-
sion of blood, the marches, as we before mentioned, must
be put into a state of defence on all sides, and all inter-
course by sea and land interdicted; some of the Welsh
may be stirred up to deadly feuds, by means of stipends,
and by transferring the property of one person to
another; and thus worn out with hunger, and a want of
the necessaries of life, and harassed by frequent murders
and implacable enmities, they will at last be compelled
to surrender.

There are three things which ruin this nation, and
prevent its enjoying the satisfaction of a fruitful pro-

1 In one MS. of Giraldus in the British Museum, this name is
written Ovidius.

204 Giraldus Cambrensis

geny. First, because both the natural and legitimate
sons endeavour to divide the paternal inheritance
amongst themselves; from which cause, as we have
before observed, continual fratricides take place.
Secondly, because the education of their sons is com-
mitted to the care of the high-born people of the country,
who, on the death of their fathers, endeavour by all
possible means to exalt their pupil; from whence arise
murders, conflagrations, and almost a total destruction
of the country. And, thirdly, because from the pride
and obstinacy of their disposition, they will not (like
other nations) subject themselves to the dominion of
one lord and king.

CHAPTER X

IN WHAT MANNER THIS NATION MAY RESIST AND

REVOLT

Having hitherto so partially and elaborately spoken in
favour of the English, and being equally connected by
birth with each nation, justice demands that we should
argue on both sides ; let us therefore, at the close of our
work, turn our attention towards the Welsh, and briefly,
but effectually, instruct them in the art of resistance.
If the Welsh were more commonly accustomed to the
Gallic mode of arming, and depended more on steady
fighting than on their agility; if their princes were un-
animous and inseparable in their defence; or rather, if
they had only one prince, and that a good one; this
nation, situated in so powerful, strong, and inaccessible
a country, could hardly ever be completely overcome.
If, therefore, they would be inseparable, they would
become insuperable, being assisted by these three cir-
cumstances; a country well defended by nature, a
people both contented and accustomed to live upon

Description of Wales 205

little, a community whose nobles as well as privates are
instructed in the use of arms; and especially as the
English fight for power, the Welsh for liberty; the one
to procure gain, the other to avoid loss; the English
hirelings for money, the Welsh patriots for their country.
The English, I say, fight in order to expel the natural
inhabitants from the island, and secure to themselves
the possession of the whole ; but the Welsh maintain the
conflict, that they, who have so long enjoyed the sove-
reignty of the whole kingdom, may at least find a hiding
place in the worst corner of it, amongst woods and
marshes; and, banished, as it were, for their offences,
may there in a state of poverty, for a limited time, per-
form penance for the excesses they committed in the
days of their prosperity. For the perpetual remem-
brance of their former greatness, the recollection of their
Trojan descent, and the high and continued majesty of
the kingdom of Britain, may draw forth many a latent
spark of animosity, and encourage the daring spirit of
rebellion. Hence during the military expedition which
king Henry II. made in our days against South Wales,
an old Welshman at Pencadair, who had faithfully ad-
hered to him, being desired to give his opinion about the
royal armv, and whether he thought that of the rebels
would make resistance, and what would be the final
event of this war, replied, " This nation, 0 king, may
now, as in former times, be harassed, and in a great
measure weakened and destroyed by your and other
powers, and it will often prevail by its laudable exertions ;
but it can never be totally subdued through the wrath
of man, unless the wrath of God shall concur. Nor do
I think, that any other nation than this of Wales, or any
other language, whatever may hereafter come to pass,
shall, in the day of severe examination before the
Supreme Judge, answer for this corner of the earth."

INDEX

Abergevenxi (Abergavenny),
46.

Aberteivi (Cardigan), 109.

Alba Domus, 75.

Alliteration, its use by the
Welsh, 173.

Almedha, St., anniversary of, 29.

Arthur, king, Roman ambas-
sadors received by him at
Caerlon, 51.

Awenydhion, inspired people,
179-

B. M., explanation of, 158.

Bala, lake of, 131.

Baldwin, Archbishop of Canter-
bury, 11; his character and
death, 139.

Baldwin, Abbot of Ford, his
visit to Wales, 97.

Bangor, the metropolitan see
of N. Wales, 117.

Bangor (or Banchor), the col-
lege of priests, 197.

Bangu, a bell, possibly St.

Basinwerk, cell of, 129.
David's, 16.

Beaver, as it existed in Wales,
106; its habits, 107.

Benedictine Order, its corrup-
tion, 39, 42.

Berdsey Island, 116.

Bernard, Bishop of St. David's,
98.

Black Mountains, the, 34.

Brachanus (Brychan), an early
British prince, 28 ; his twenty-
four daughters, 28.

Braose, William de, story of,
19; his affected devotion,
20; his cruelty, 46; nar-
rowly escapes death, 48.

Brecheinoc, legend of the lake
of, 30.

Britons, the three remaining

tribes of, 156.
Bromfield, college of secular

canons at, 138.
Brutus, fable of, 156.
Builth (Buelth), history of lord

of, 14.

Cadair Arthur, a mountain,

33-

Cador, his devout ingenuity, 67.

Cadwallon, murders his brother,
63; his own death, 63.

Caerleon, history of, 50.

Caermarthen (Caermadyn), re-
puted birthplace of Merlin,

73-
Caernarvon, ancient names of,

116.
Cambria, origin of the name,

164.
Canauc's, St., collar, 24.
Caradoc, St., story of, 79.
Cardiff, king Henry at, 58;

exploit of Ivor the Little at,

58.
Chester, 131; legend of king

Harold at, 131.
Chester, Hugh, earl of, ravages

Mona, 120.
Cistercian Order, its corrup-
tion, 39, 42; reformation, 43.
Clare, Richard de, murder of,

45-
Clare, Richard de, his son, 45.
Clifford, Walter de, father of

fair Rosamund, 28.
Cluniac Order, its corruption,

42.
Coed Grono, murder of Richard

de Clare at, 45.
Coleshill, Henry II. defeated at,

129.
Conan, family of, 113.

207

208

Index

Constantius, body of, found at
Caernarvon, 116.

Conwy, the river, popular error
concerning, 125.

Coracles described, 184.

Corinaeus, fable of, 156.

Cyneuric, son of Rhys, descrip-
tion of, no.

Cyric, St., staff of, 15.

Damianus, 185.

Daugleddeu, meaning of, 76.

David's, St., visit of Baldwin
to, 92; history of the see, 95;
its archbishops and bishops,
95 ; the cathedral, 99.

Dean, forest of, 50.

De Doloribus, monastery of,
78.

Dee, superstition connected
with, 131.

Demetia, or South Wales, 85,
156.

Deudraeth, castle of, 115.

Devi, the river, boundary be-
tween N. and S. Wales, 113.

Dinas Emrys, 125.

Dinevor, castle of, 73! strata-
gem of a priest at, 74.

Dingatstow (Landinegat), 48.

Dog, instances of the fidelity of
the, 63.

Dogmael, St., monastery of,
104.

Eagle, tradition of one, 128.
Ebbing spring, near Ruthlan,

129.
Eleutherius, pope, sends priests

to Britain, 185.
Elidorus and the fairies, 68.
Enoch, abbot of Strata Mar-

cella, 54.
Eryri (Snowdon) mountains,

127; and floating island, 127.
Ethelfrid slays the monks of

Bangor, 197.
Ewyas, vale of, 34.

Faganus, 185.

Fairies, the, and Elidorus, 68.
Fish, one-eyed, found in lake on
Snowdon, 128.

Fishes, combat of, 17.

Fitz-Hamon, Robert, 57.

Fitz-Other, Giraldus de, 83;
marries Nest, 83.

Fitz-Walter, Mahel, his perse-
cution, 28; his penitence
and death, 28.

Fitz-Walter, Milo, challenges
Gruff ydd ap Rhys, 31.

Flemings, the, in Wales, 77, 79;
their superstitions, 80.

Fostering, custom of, 194.

Fulke, a priest, his speech to
Richard I., 41.

Genealogies among the Welsh,
184.

Genealogy of Princes of Wales,
157.

Geoffrey of Monmouth, his
fabulous story, 165.

Germanus of Auxerre, 185.

Gildas, his work praised, 147.

Giraldus Cambrensis (the author)
takes Gildas as his model,
148; accompanies Baldwin
into Wales, 12.

Glanville, Ranulph de, accom-
panies Baldwin, 12.

Gloucester, Robert, earl of,
notice of, 57.

Gloucester, William, earl of,
his wife and child carried off
by Ivor the Little, 58.

Gower, the district of, 67.

Gruffydd ap Rhys, his history,
30; legend concerning him,

31-

Guaidanus, a priest, stratagem
of, 74-

Harold, king, legend of, 131.

Harp, esteemed among the
Welsh, 169.

Haverford, miracle at, 76;
story of a robber at, 77.

Hay, castle of, 18; Crusade
preached at, 18.

Henry II., his expeditions
against Wales, 130; his ac-
count of Welsh courage, 167.

Hospitality among the Welsh,
168.

Index

209

Iestyn ap Gwrgant invites

Normans to Wales, 19.
Incestuous marriages among

the Welsh, 13, 126, 195.
Intermarriages of near relatives

among the Welsh, 126.
Iorwerth Drwyndvvn, effigy of,

126.
Ivor the Little, his exploit, 58.

Jealousy little known among

the Welsh, 169.
Jew, witticism of a, 137.
Julius and Aaron, story of, 51.

Laci, Walter de, his descen-
dants, 38.

Language, of the Fairies, 70;
of Wales, 174.

Langton, Stephen, dedication
ito, 3.

Leominster, monastery of, 138.

Lightning, superstition regard-
ing, 87.

Llanbadarn Fawr, the abbot of,
in.

Llanddaff, the see of, 61.

Llanddewi Brefi, miracle at, no.

Llanstephan, castle of, 73.

Llanthoni, abbey of, its founda-
tion, 38; its isolation and
voluntary poverty, 36, 38.

Llanvaes, miracle at, 21.

Loch or, the river, 71.

Londres, Maurice de, 72.

Lucius, king, his request to
pope Eleutherius, 185.

Ludlow, castle of, 138.

Lupus of Troyes, 185.

Mailgon, king of the Britons,

196.
Mangunel, William, story of his

wife, 80.
Manorbeer, castle of, 84, 85.
Margam, monastery of, miracles

in, favour of, 62.
Melerius the soothsayer, 52.
Meredyth, son of Conan, his

liberality, 114.
Merioneth, the country and

people, 114.
Merlin, prophecy of, cited, 180.

Mona, isle of, visit of Baldwin
to, 118; its desolate appear-
ance, 118.

Monastic orders, state of the,
41.

Music, the Welsh skilled in, 172;
the various instruments, 172.

Neath, monastery of, 66; the
river, its quicksands, 66.

Newgill Sands, remarkable oc-
currence at, 91.

Newmarch, Bernard de, his
conquests in Wales, 26.

Newmarch, Mahel de, story of.
26.

Nightingale, the, not to be
found in Wales, 117.

Offa's dyke, 197.
Oswaldestree, 133; omen at,

134-

Owen Cyfeilioc, excommuni-
cated, 135; his joke at
Henry II. '5 avarice, 135.

Owen Gwynedd, 125, 136.

Pall, the archiepiscopal, 96.

Paternus, St., account of, in.

Pembroke Castle, siege of, 83;
frustrated by a stratagem, 83.

Pencarn, ford of, prophecy
concerning, 56.

Pilgrimage to Rome, professed
by Welsh, 186.

Pistyll Dewi, a spring of mira-
culous origin, 101.

Poer, Ranulf, death of, 48.

Pont Stephen, castle of, 109.

Powys, fine breed of horses in,

134-

Preseleu mountains, 102.

Priestholme Island, 123.

Prophecy of Merlin, 180; re-
marks on, 179.

Quendreda, story of, 23.

Rats, a man devoured by, 102.
Rhys ap Gruffydd, prince of S.

Wales, takes the cross. 12;

diverted by his wife; 13;

imprisoned by his sons. 104.

2IO

Index

Richard I., his reply to Fulco,
a priest, 41.

Roderic the Great, 156.

Rcderic, son of Owen, 118.

Roger, Bishop of Salisbury, 37.

Rotherch Falcus, a chaplain,
his conduct, 66.

Royal Welsh Palaces, enu-
merated, 74.

Ruthlan, castle of, 128.

Salmon-leap, the, 105.
Sanctuarv, its uses and abuses,

186.
Segontium, 116.
Severn, the river, its course,

160.
Shrewsbury, Hugh, earl of,

ravages Mona, 121; his

death, 122.
Shrewsbury, Robert, earl of, in-
troduces Spanish horses, 134.
Simon, an evil spirit so called,

88.
Snowdon, the mountain and its

lakes, 127.
Soothsayers among the Welsh,

179.
Stakepole, Elidore de, and his

demon steward, 88.
Steward, demon who acted as a,

88.
Stone, a miraculous one, in

Mona, 120.
Stratflur, castle of, 109.
Sunday labour, attempt to

restrain, 59.
Swansea, castle of, 67.

Teeth, care of the, 171.
Tegeingl, play on the word,

175- •
Teivi, the river, abundant in

salmon, 105.
Thief, miraculous detection of

a, 21.
Toads, a man devoured by, 102 ;

sculpture to commemorate

the tale, 102.

Unclean spirits, stories of, 86.
Usk, the river, its course, 160.
Usk, the town, visit of Baldwin
to, 50.

Vallis Crucis abbey, 54.
Venedotia, or North Wales, 156.
Vere. Alberic de, 123.
Vision of king Henry II. at
Cardiff, 58.

Wales, its length and breadth,
155; its soil, 155; ancient
divisions, 156; genealogy of
the princes, 157; cantreds,
etc., 158; mountains, 159;
rivers, 159; pleasantness and
fertility, 163; origin of the
name, 164; language, 174;
how to conquer, 198; how to
govern, 202.

Weasels, stories of, 84.

Welsh, their manners and cour-
age, 166; sobriety and
frugality, 168; domestic life,
170; quickness and sharp-
ness of understanding, 171;
their musical instruments,
172; language, 174; sym-
phonies and songs, 174; wit
and pleasantry, 175; bold-
ness and confidence in speak-
ing, 177; soothsayers, 179;
love of high birth and ancient
genealogies, 183; faith and
devotion, 185; instability
and want of reverence for
oaths, 189; live by plunder
and disregard bonds of peace,
190; conduct in battle, 192;
ambition and dissensions,
193; exactions, and want of
moderation, 194; incestuous
marriages, 13, 126, 195;
plunder of churches, 195;
their other sins, 196; their
boasts, 196; how to conquer,
and govern, 198, 202; how
they may resist and revolt,
204.

Wenlock, foundation of monas-
tery of, 137.

White Monastery, the, now
Whitchurch, 133.

William Rums, his threat
against Ireland, 101.

Women, severe reflections on, 27.

Wye, the river, its course, 160.

LETCHWORTH

THE TEMPLE PRESS

PRINTERS

526022

DA 725 .G513 1908 SMC

GlRALDUS

The itinerary through
Wales

AKN-3262