itinerary of archibishop-第24章

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ssible　to　the　defence　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　himself；　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　Eunuchum　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　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；　｛137｝　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。　｛138｝　　A　tumulus　is　to　be　seen　on　the　summit　of　the　aforesaid　hill；　and　the　inhabitants　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　morning　at　Pont　Stephen；　｛139｝　by　the　archbishop　and　archdeacon；　and　also　by　two　abbots　of　the　Cistercian　order；　John　of　Albadomus；　and　Sisillus　of　Stratflur；　｛140｝　who　faithfully　attended　us　in　those　parts；　and　as　far　as　North　Wales；　many　persons　were　induced　to　take　the　cross。　　We　proceeded　to　Stratflur；　where　we　passed　the　night。　　On　the　following　morning；　having　on　our　right　the　lofty　mountains　of　Moruge；　which　in　Welsh　are　called　Ellennith；　｛141｝　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　garment；　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；　｛142｝　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　celebrated　synod；　when　all　the　bishops；　abbots；　and　clergy　of　Wales；　and　many　other　persons；　were　collected　thither　on　account　of　the　Pelagian　heresy；　which；　although　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　election　of　the　whole　assembly；　who　by　loud　acclamations　testified　their　admiration　of　so　great　a　miracle。　　Dubricius　had　a　short　time　before　resigned　to　him　this　honour　in　due　form　at　Caerleon；　from　which　city　the　metropolitan　see　was　transferred　to　St。　David's。

Having　rested　that　night　at　Lhanpadarn　Vawr；　｛143｝　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　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；　approaching　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　returned　home；　and　finished　his　labours　and　researches。　　This　wicked　people　boasts；　that　a　certain　bishop　｛144｝　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　relation。



CHAPTER　V



Of　the　river　Devi；　and　the　land　of　the　sons　of　Conan


Approaching　to　the　river　Devi；　｛145｝　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　Cardiganshire；　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　Merion