We Saw Here, What Appeared Novel To Us, Cheese Made Of
Deer's Milk; For The Countess And Her Mother Keeping Tame Deer,
Presented 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, partaking 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 circumstance.
In our time, also, a woman was born in Chester without 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.
CHAPTER XII
Of the journey by the White Monastery, Oswaldestree, 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,
{185} 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, {186} 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, {187} a noble and liberal
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 maliciously 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.
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