itinerary of archibishop-第27章

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ermardin；　or　the　city　of　Merlin；　the　other　Merlin；　born　in　Scotland；　was　named　Celidonius；　from　the　Celidonian　wood　in　which　he　prophesied；　and　Sylvester；　because　when　engaged　in　martial　conflict；　he　discovered　in　the　air　a　terrible　monster；　and　from　that　time　grew　mad；　and　taking　shelter　in　a　wood；　passed　the　remainder　of　his　days　in　a　savage　state。　　This　Merlin　lived　in　the　time　of　king　Arthur；　and　is　said　to　have　prophesied　more　fully　and　explicitly　than　the　other。　　I　shall　pass　over　in　silence　what　was　done　by　the　sons　of　Owen　in　our　days；　after　his　death；　or　while　he　was　dying；　who；　from　the　wicked　desire　of　reigning；　totally　disregarded　the　ties　of　fraternity；　but　I　shall　not　omit　mentioning　another　event　which　occurred　likewise　in　our　days。　　Owen；　｛172｝　son　of　Gruffyth；　prince　of　North　Wales；　had　many　sons；　but　only　one　legitimate；　namely；　Iorwerth　Drwyndwn；　which　in　Welsh　means　flat…nosed；　who　had　a　son　named　Llewelyn。　　This　young　man；　being　only　twelve　years　of　age；　began；　during　the　period　of　our　journey；　to　molest　his　uncles　David　and　Roderic；　the　sons　of　Owen　by　Christiana；　his　cousin…german；　and　although　they　had　divided　amongst　themselves　all　North　Wales；　except　the　land　of　Conan；　and　although　David；　having　married　the　sister　of　king　Henry　II。；　by　whom　he　had　one　son；　was　powerfully　supported　by　the　English；　yet　within　a　few　years　the　legitimate　son；　destitute　of　lands　or　money　（by　the　aid　of　divine　vengeance）；　bravely　expelled　from　North　Wales　those　who　were　born　in　public　incest；　though　supported　by　their　own　wealth　and　by　that　of　others；　leaving　them　nothing　but　what　the　liberality　of　his　own　mind　and　the　counsel　of　good　men　from　pity　suggested：　　a　proof　that　adulterous　and　incestuous　persons　are　displeasing　to　God。



CHAPTER　IX



Of　the　mountains　of　Eryri


I　must　not　pass　over　in　silence　the　mountains　called　by　the　Welsh　Eryri；　but　by　the　English　Snowdon；　or　Mountains　of　Snow；　which　gradually　increasing　from　the　land　of　the　sons　of　Conan；　and　extending　themselves　northwards　near　Deganwy；　seem　to　rear　their　lofty　summits　even　to　the　clouds；　when　viewed　from　the　opposite　coast　of　Anglesey。　　They　are　said　to　be　of　so　great　an　extent；　that　according　to　an　ancient　proverb；　〃As　Mona　could　supply　corn　for　all　the　inhabitants　of　Wales；　so　could　the　Eryri　mountains　afford　sufficient　pasture　for　all　the　herds；　if　collected　together。〃　　Hence　these　lines　of　Virgil　may　be　applied　to　them：…


〃Et　quantum　longis　carpent　armenta　diebus；　Exigua　tautum　gelidus　ros　nocte　reponet。〃

〃And　what　is　cropt　by　day　the　night　renews；　Shedding　refreshful　stores　of　cooling　dews。〃


On　the　highest　parts　of　these　mountains　are　two　lakes　worthy　of　admiration。　　The　one　has　a　floating　island　in　it；　which　is　often　driven　from　one　side　to　the　other　by　the　force　of　the　winds；　and　the　shepherds　behold　with　astonishment　their　cattle；　whilst　feeding；　carried　to　the　distant　parts　of　the　lake。　　A　part　of　the　bank　naturally　bound　together　by　the　roots　of　willows　and　other　shrubs　may　have　been　broken　off；　and　increased　by　the　alluvion　of　the　earth　from　the　shore；　and　being　continually　agitated　by　the　winds；　which　in　so　elevated　a　situation　blow　with　great　violence；　it　cannot　reunite　itself　firmly　with　the　banks。　　The　other　lake　is　noted　for　a　wonderful　and　singular　miracle。　　It　contains　three　sorts　of　fish　…　eels；　trout；　and　perch；　all　of　which　have　only　one　eye；　the　left　being　wanting；　but　if　the　curious　reader　should　demand　of　me　the　explanation　of　so　extraordinary　a　circumstance；　I　cannot　presume　to　satisfy　him。　　It　is　remarkable　also；　that　in　two　places　in　Scotland；　one　near　the　eastern；　the　other　near　the　western　sea；　the　fish　called　mullets　possess　the　same　defect；　having　no　left　eye。　According　to　vulgar　tradition；　these　mountains　are　frequented　by　an　eagle　who；　perching　on　a　fatal　stone　every　fifth　holiday；　in　order　to　satiate　her　hunger　with　the　carcases　of　the　slain；　is　said　to　expect　war　on　that　same　day；　and　to　have　almost　perforated　the　stone　by　cleaning　and　sharpening　her　beak。



CHAPTER　X



Of　the　passage　by　Deganwy　and　Ruthlan；　and　the　see　of　Lanelwy；　and　of　Coleshulle


Having　crossed　the　river　Conwy；　｛173｝　or　rather　an　arm　of　the　sea；　under　Deganwy；　leaving　the　Cistercian　monastery　of　Conwy　｛174｝　on　the　western　bank　of　the　river　to　our　right　hand；　we　arrived　at　Ruthlan；　a　noble　castle　on　the　river　Cloyd；　belonging　to　David；　the　eldest　son　of　Owen　｛175｝　where；　at　the　earnest　invitation　of　David　himself；　we　were　handsomely　entertained　that　night。

There　is　a　spring　not　far　from　Ruthlan；　in　the　province　of　Tegengel；　｛176｝　which　not　only　regularly　ebbs　and　flows　like　the　sea；　twice　in　twenty…four　hours；　but　at　other　times　frequently　rises　and　falls　both　by　night　and　day。　　Trogus　Pompeius　says；　〃that　there　is　a　town　of　the　Garamantes；　where　there　is　a　spring　which　is　hot　and　cold　alternately　by　day　and　night。〃　｛177｝

Many　persons　in　the　morning　having　been　persuaded　to　dedicate　themselves　to　the　service　of　Christ；　we　proceeded　from　Ruthlan　to　the　small　cathedral　church　of　Lanelwy；　｛178｝　from　whence　（the　archbishop　having　celebrated　mass）　we　continued　our　journey　through　a　country　rich　in　minerals　of　silver；　where　money　is　sought　in　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　to　the　little　cell　of　Basinwerk；　｛179｝　where　we　passed　the　night。　　The　following　day　we　traversed　a　long　quicksand；　and　not　without　some　degree　of　apprehension；　leaving　the　woody　district　of　Coleshulle；　｛180｝　or　hill　of　coal；　on　our　right　hand；　where　Henry　II。；　who　in　our　time；　actuated　by　youthful　and　indiscreet　ardour；　made　a　hostile　irruption　into　Wales；　and　presuming　to　pass　through　that　narrow　and　woody　defile；　experienced　a　signal　defeat；　and　a　very　heavy　loss　of　men。　｛181｝　　The　aforesaid　king　invaded　Wales　three　times　with　an　army；　first；　North　Wales　at　the　above…mentioned　place；　secondly；　South　Wales；　by　the　sea…coast　of　Glamorgan　and　Goer；　penetrating　as　far　as　Caermarddin　and　Pencadair；　and　returning　by　Ellennith　and　Melenith；　and　thirdly；　the　country　of　Powys；　near　Oswaldestree；　but　in　all　these　expeditions　the　king　was　unsuccessful；　because　he　placed　no　confidence　in　the　prudent　and　well…informed　chieftains　of　the　country；　but　was　principally　advised　by　people　remote　from　the　marches；　and　ignorant　of　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　natives。　　In　every　expedition；　as　the　artificer　is　to　be　trusted　in　his　trade；　so　the　advice　of　those　people　should　be　consulted；　who；　by　a　long　residence　in　the　country；　are　become　conversant　with　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　natives；　and　to　whom　it　is　of　high　importance　that　the　power　of　the　hostile　nation；　with　whom；　by　a　long　and　continued　warfare；　they　have　contracted　an　implacable　enmity　and　hatred；　should　be　weakened　or　destroyed；　as　we　have　set　forth　in　our　Vaticinal　History。

In　this　wood　of　Coleshulle；　a　young　Welshman　was　killed　while　passing　through　the　king's　army；　the　greyhound　who　accompanied　him　did　not　desert　his　master's　corpse　for　eight　days；　though　without　food；　but　faithfully　defended　it　from　the　attacks　of　dogs；　wolves；　and　birds　of　prey；　with　a　wonderful　attachment。　　What　son　to　his　father；　what　Nisus　to　Euryalus；　what　Polynices　to　Tydeus；　what　Orestes　to　Pylades；　would　have　shewn　such　an　affectionate　regard？　As　a　mark　of　favour　to　the　dog；　who　was　almost　starved　to　death；　the　English；　although　bitter　enemies　to　the　Welsh；　ordered　the　body；　now　nearly　putrid；　to　be　deposited　in　the　ground　with　the　accustomed　offices　of　humanity。



CHAPTER　XI



Of　the　passage　of　the　River　Dee；　and　of　Chester


Having　crossed　the　river　Dee　below　Chester；　（which　the　Welsh　call　Doverdwy）；　on　the　third　day　before　Easter；　or　the　day　of　absolution　（holy　Thursday）；　we　reached　Chester。　　As　the　river　Wye　towards　the　south　separates　Wales　from　England；　so　the　Dee　near　Chester　forms　the　northern　boundary。　　The　inhabitants　of　these　parts　assert；　that　the　waters　of　this　river　change　their　fords　every　month；　and；　as　it　inclines　more　towards　England　or　Wales；　they　can；　with　certainty；　prognosticate　which　nation　will　be　successful　or　unfortunate　during　the　year。　　This　river　derives　its　origin　from　the　lake　Penmelesmere；　｛182｝　and；　although　it　abounds　with　salmon；　yet　none　are　found　in　the　lake。　　It　is　also　remarkab