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 inaccessible 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 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 affording 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 Cistercian monastery
called Alba Domus, {102} 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, {103} who had assassinated the young
man, were on the following day signed with the cross at Alba Domus,
as a punishment for their crime. Having traversed three rivers, the
Taf, then the Cleddeu, under Lanwadein, {104} 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, {105} 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 {106} 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
miraculous, 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 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.
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