His
Example Was Instantly Followed By Peter, Bishop Of St. David's, {14}
A Monk Of The Abbey Of Cluny, And Then By Eineon, Son Of Eineon
Clyd, {15} 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 revenge the injury offered to
the great father of all." Rhys himself was so fully determined upon
the holy 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, Guendolena, (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 deviseth 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 England, we came to Cruker
Castle, {16} two miles distant from 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, however, he took the cross. The
same evening, Malgo, son of Cadwallon, prince of Melenia, after a
short but efficacious 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, {17} who had entered the church of
Saint Avan (which is called in the British language Llan Avan), {18}
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 himself struck
blind. After a long, dark, and tedious existence, 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, {19} distant from 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, {20} there is a staff of Saint Cyric, {21} 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 persons afflicted with these complaints, on a
devout application 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 appointed,
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, {22} is a portable bell,
endowed with great virtues, called Bangu, {23} and said to have
belonged to Saint David.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 8 of 53
Words from 7187 to 8191
of 54608
