itinerary of archibishop-第25章

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　a　boat；　and　quitted　the　diocese　of　St。　David's；　we　entered　the　land　of　the　sons　of　Conan；　or　Merionyth；　the　first　province　of　Venedotia　on　that　side　of　the　country；　and　belonging　to　the　bishopric　of　Bangor。　｛146｝　　We　slept　that　night　at　Towyn。　　Early　next　morning；　Gruffydd　son　of　Conan　｛147｝　came　to　meet　us；　humbly　and　devoutly　asking　pardon　for　having　so　long　delayed　his　attention　to　the　archbishop。　　On　the　same　day；　we　ferried　over　the　bifurcate　river　Maw；　｛148｝　where　Malgo；　son　of　Rhys；　who　had　attached　himself　to　the　archbishop；　as　a　companion　to　the　king's　court；　discovered　a　ford　near　the　sea。　　That　night　we　lay　at　Llanvair；　｛149｝　that　is　the　church　of　St。　Mary；　in　the　province　of　Ardudwy。　｛150｝　　This　territory　of　Conan；　and　particularly　Merionyth；　is　the　rudest　and　roughest　district　of　all　Wales；　the　ridges　of　its　mountains　are　very　high　and　narrow；　terminating　in　sharp　peaks；　and　so　irregularly　jumbled　together；　that　if　the　shepherds　conversing　or　disputing　with　each　other　from　their　summits；　should　agree　to　meet；　they　could　scarcely　effect　their　purpose　in　the　course　of　the　whole　day。　　The　lances　of　this　country　are　very　long；　for　as　South　Wales　excels　in　the　use　of　the　bow；　so　North　Wales　is　distinguished　for　its　skill　in　the　lance；　insomuch　that　an　iron　coat　of　mail　will　not　resist　the　stroke　of　a　lance　thrown　at　a　small　distance。　　The　next　morning；　the　youngest　son　of　Conan；　named　Meredyth；　met　us　at　the　passage　of　a　bridge；　attended　by　his　people；　where　many　persons　were　signed　with　the　cross；　amongst　whom　was　a　fine　young　man　of　his　suite；　and　one　of　his　intimate　friends；　and　Meredyth；　observing　that　the　cloak；　on　which　the　cross　was　to　be　sewed；　appeared　of　too　thin　and　of　too　common　a　texture；　with　a　flood　of　tears；　threw　him　down　his　own。



CHAPTER　VI



Passage　of　Traeth　Mawr　and　Traeth　Bachan；　and　of　Nevyn；　Carnarvon；　and　Bangor


We　continued　our　journey　over　the　Traeth　Mawr；　｛151｝　and　Traeth　Bachan；　｛152｝　that　is；　the　greater　and　the　smaller　arm　of　the　sea；　where　two　stone　castles　have　newly　been　erected；　one　called　Deudraeth；　belonging　to　the　sons　of　Conan；　situated　in　Evionyth；　towards　the　northern　mountains；　the　other　named　Carn　Madryn；　the　property　of　the　sons　of　Owen；　built　on　the　other　side　of　the　river　towards　the　sea；　on　the　head…land　Lleyn。　｛153｝　　Traeth；　in　the　Welsh　language；　signifies　a　tract　of　sand　flooded　by　the　tides；　and　left　bare　when　the　sea　ebbs。　　We　had　before　passed　over　the　noted　rivers；　the　Dissenith；　｛154｝　between　the　Maw　and　Traeth　Mawr；　and　the　Arthro；　between　the　Traeth　Mawr　and　Traeth　Bachan。　　We　slept　that　night　at　Nevyn；　on　the　eve　of　Palm　Sunday；　where　the　archdeacon；　after　long　inquiry　and　research；　is　said　to　have　found　Merlin　Sylvestris。　｛155｝

Beyond　Lleyn；　there　is　a　small　island　inhabited　by　very　religious　monks；　called　Caelibes；　or　Colidei。　　This　island；　either　from　the　wholesomeness　of　its　climate；　owing　to　its　vicinity　to　Ireland；　or　rather　from　some　miracle　obtained　by　the　merits　of　the　saints；　has　this　wonderful　peculiarity；　that　the　oldest　people　die　first；　because　diseases　are　uncommon；　and　scarcely　any　die　except　from　extreme　old　age。　　Its　name　is　Enlli　in　the　Welsh；　and　Berdesey　｛156｝　in　the　Saxon　language；　and　very　many　bodies　of　saints　are　said　to　be　buried　there；　and　amongst　them　that　of　Daniel；　bishop　of　Bangor。

The　archbishop　having；　by　his　sermon　the　next　day；　induced　many　persons　to　take　the　cross；　we　proceeded　towards　Banchor；　passing　through　Caernarvon；　｛157｝　that　is；　the　castle　of　Arvon；　it　is　called　Arvon；　the　province　opposite　to　Mon；　because　it　is　so　situated　with　respect　to　the　island　of　Mona。　　Our　road　leading　us　to　a　steep　valley；　｛158｝　with　many　broken　ascents　and　descents；　we　dismounted　from　our　horses；　and　proceeded　on　foot；　rehearsing；　as　it　were；　by　agreement；　some　experiments　of　our　intended　pilgrimage　to　Jerusalem。　Having　traversed　the　valley；　and　reached　the　opposite　side　with　considerable　fatigue；　the　archbishop；　to　rest　himself　and　recover　his　breath；　sat　down　on　an　oak　which　had　been　torn　up　by　the　violence　of　the　winds；　and　relaxing　into　a　pleasantry　highly　laudable　in　a　person　of　his　approved　gravity；　thus　addressed　his　attendants：　　〃Who　amongst　you；　in　this　company；　can　now　delight　our　wearied　ears　by　whistling？〃　which　is　not　easily　done　by　people　out　of　breath。　　He　affirming　that　he　could；　if　he　thought　fit；　the　sweet　notes　are　heard；　in　an　adjoining　wood；　of　a　bird；　which　some　said　was　a　woodpecker；　and　others；　more　correctly；　an　aureolus。　　The　woodpecker　is　called　in　French；　spec；　and　with　its　strong　bill；　perforates　oak　trees；　the　other　bird　in　called　aureolus；　from　the　golden　tints　of　its　feathers；　and　at　certain　seasons　utters　a　sweet　whistling　note　instead　of　a　song。　　Some　persons　having　remarked；　that　the　nightingale　was　never　heard　in　this　country；　the　archbishop；　with　a　significant　smile；　replied；　〃The　nightingale　followed　wise　counsel；　and　never　came　into　Wales；　but　we；　unwise　counsel；　who　have　penetrated　and　gone　through　it。〃　　We　remained　that　night　at　Banchor；　｛159｝　the　metropolitan　see　of　North　Wales；　and　were　well　entertained　by　the　bishop　of　the　diocese。　｛160｝　　On　the　next　day；　mass　being　celebrated　by　the　archbishop　before　the　high　altar；　the　bishop　of　that　see；　at　the　instance　of　the　archbishop　and　other　persons；　more　importunate　than　persuasive；　was　compelled　to　take　the　cross；　to　the　general　concern　of　all　his　people　of　both　sexes；　who　expressed　their　grief　on　this　occasion　by　loud　and　lamentable　vociferations。



CHAPTER　VII



The　island　of　Mona


From　hence；　we　crossed　over　a　small　arm　of　the　sea　to　the　island　of　Mona；　｛161｝　distant　from　thence　about　two　miles；　where　Roderic；　the　younger　son　of　Owen；　attended　by　nearly　all　the　inhabitants　of　the　island；　and　many　others　from　the　adjacent　countries；　came　in　a　devout　manner　to　meet　us。　　Confession　having　been　made　in　a　place　near　the　shore；　where　the　surrounding　rocks　seemed　to　form　a　natural　theatre；　｛162｝　many　persons　were　induced　to　take　the　cross；　by　the　persuasive　discourses　of　the　archbishop；　and　Alexander；　our　interpreter；　archdeacon　of　that　place；　and　of　Sisillus；　abbot　of　Stratflur。　　Many　chosen　youths　of　the　family　of　Roderic　were　seated　on　an　opposite　rock；　and　not　one　of　them　could　be　prevailed　upon　to　take　the　cross；　although　the　archbishop　and　others　most　earnestly　exhorted　them；　but　in　vain；　by　an　address　particularly　directed　to　them。　　It　came　to　pass　within　three　days；　as　if　by　divine　vengeance；　that　these　young　men；　with　many　others；　pursued　some　robbers　of　that　country。　　Being　discomfited　and　put　to　flight；　some　were　slain；　others　mortally　wounded；　and　the　survivors　voluntarily　assumed　that　cross　they　had　before　despised。　　Roderic；　also；　who　a　short　time　before　had　incestuously　married　the　daughter　of　Rhys；　related　to　him　by　blood　in　the　third　degree；　in　order；　by　the　assistance　of　that　prince；　to　be　better　able　to　defend　himself　against　the　sons　of　his　brothers；　whom　he　had　disinherited；　not　paying　attention　to　the　wholesome　admonitions　of　the　archbishop　on　this　subject；　was　a　little　while　afterwards　dispossessed　of　all　his　lands　by　their　means；　thus　deservedly　meeting　with　disappointment　from　the　very　source　from　which　he　expected　support。　　The　island　of　Mona　contains　three　hundred　and　forty…three　vills；　considered　equal　to　three　cantreds。　　Cantred；　a　compound　word　from　the　British　and　Irish　languages；　is　a　portion　of　land　equal　to　one　hundred　vills。　　There　are　three　islands　contiguous　to　Britain；　on　its　different　sides；　which　are　said　to　be　nearly　of　an　equal　size　…　the　Isle　of　Wight　on　the　south；　Mona　on　the　west；　and　Mania　（Man）　on　the　north…west　side。　The　two　first　are　separated　from　Britain　by　narrow　channels；　the　third　is　much　further　removed；　lying　almost　midway　between　the　countries　of　Ulster　in　Ireland　and　Galloway　in　Scotland。　　The　island　of　Mona　is　an　arid　and　stony　land；　rough　and　unpleasant　in　its　appearance；　similar　in　its　exterior　qualities　to　the　land　of　Pebidion；　｛163｝　near　St。　David's；　but　very　different　as　to　its　interior　value。　　For　this　island　is　incomparably　more　fertile　in　corn　than　any　other　part　of　Wales；　from　whence　arose　the　British　proverb；　〃Mon　mam　Cymbry；　Mona　mother　of　Wales；〃　and　when　the