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 circumstance 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. {119} The soil was very black,
and the wood like ebony. By a wonderful revolution, the road for
ships became impassable, and looked, not like a shore, but like a
grove cut down, perhaps, at 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
accompanied 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, {120} 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.
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 contemplation, 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 stony and barren, neither
clothed with woods, distinguished 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.
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