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第32章

itinerary of archibishop-第32章

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hin his countrie; which he granted; and received him joiouslie for his father's sake。〃  He afterwards proved so troublesome and successful an antagonist; that the king endeavoured by every possible means to get him into his power。  To Gruffyth ap Conan he offered 〃mountaines of gold to send the said Gruffyth or his head to him。〃  And at a subsequent period; he sent for Owen ap…Cadogan said to him; 〃Owen; I have found thee true and faithful unto me; therefore I desire thee to take or kill that murtherer; that doth so trouble my loving subjects。〃  But Gruffyth escaped all the snares which the king had laid for him; and in the year 1137 died a natural and honourable death; he is styled in the Welsh chronicle; 〃the light; honor; and staie of South Wales;〃 and distinguished as the bravest; the wisest; the most merciful; liberal; and just; of all the princes of Wales。  By his wife Gwenllian; the daughter of Gruffyth ap Conan; he left a son; commonly called the lord Rhys; who met the archbishop at Radnor; as is related in the first chapter of this Itinerary。

{53}  This cantref; which now bears the name of Caeo; is placed; according to the ancient divisions of Wales; in the cantref Bychan; or little hundred; and not in the Cantref Mawr; or great hundred。  A village between Lampeter in Cardiganshire and Llandovery in Caermarthenshire; still bears the name of Cynwil Caeo; and; from its picturesque situation and the remains of its mines; which were probably worked by the Romans; deserves the notice of the curious traveller。

{54}  The lake of Brecheinoc bears the several names of Llyn Savaddan; Brecinau…mere; Llangorse; and Talyllyn Pool; the two latter of which are derived from the names of parishes on its banks。 It is a large; though by no means a beautiful; piece of water; its banks being low and flat; and covered with rushes and other aquatic plants to a considerable distance from the shore。  Pike; perch; and eels are the common fish of this water; tench and trout are rarely; I believe; (if ever); taken in it。  The notion of its having swallowed up an ancient city is not yet quite exploded by the natives; and some will even attribute the name of Loventium to it; which is with much greater certainty fixed at Llanio…isau; between Lampeter and Tregaron; in Cardiganshire; on the northern banks of the river Teivi; where there are very considerable and undoubted remains of a large Roman city。  The legend of the town at the bottom of the lake is at the same time very old。

{55}  That chain of mountains which divides Brecknockshire from Caermarthenshire; over which the turnpike road formerly passed from Trecastle to Llandovery; and from which the river Usk derives its source。

{56}  This mountain is now called; by way of eminence; the Van; or the height; but more commonly; by country people; Bannau Brycheinog; or the Brecknock heights; alluding to its two peaks。  Our author; Giraldus; seems to have taken his account of the spring; on the summit of this mountain; from report; rather than from ocular testimony。  I (Sir R。 Colt Hoare) examined the summits of each peak very attentively; and could discern no spring whatever。  The soil is peaty and very boggy。  On the declivity of the southern side of the mountain; and at no considerable distance from the summit; is a spring of very fine water; which my guide assured me never failed。 On the north…west side of the mountain is a round pool; in which possibly trout may have been sometimes found; but; from the muddy nature of its waters; I do not think it very probable; from this pool issues a small brook; which falls precipitously down the sides of the mountain; and pursuing its course through a narrow and well… wooded valley; forms a pretty cascade near a rustic bridge which traverses it。  I am rather inclined think; that Giraldus confounded in his account the spring and the pool together。

{57}  The first of these are now styled the Black Mountains; of which the Gadair Fawr is the principal; and is only secondary to the Van in height。  The Black Mountains are an extensive range of hills rising to the east of Talgarth; in the several parishes of Talgarth; Llaneliew; and Llanigorn; in the county of Brecknock; and connected with the heights of Ewyas。  The most elevated point is called Y Gadair; and; excepting the Brecknock Van (the Cadair Arthur of Giraldus); is esteemed the highest mountain in South Wales。  The mountains of Ewyas are those now called the Hatterel Hills; rising above the monastery of Llanthoni; and joining the Black Mountains of Talgarth at Capel y Ffin; or the chapel upon the boundary; near which the counties of Hereford; Brecknock; and Monmouth form a point of union。  But English writers have generally confounded all distinction; calling them indiscriminately the Black Mountains; or the Hatterel Hills。

{58}  If we consider the circumstances of this chapter; it will appear very evidently; that the vale of Ewyas made no part of the actual Itinerary。

{59}  Landewi Nant Hodeni; or the church of St。 David on the Hodni; is now better known by the name of Llanthoni abbey。  A small and rustic chapel; dedicated to St。 David; at first occupied the site of this abbey; in the year 1103; William de Laci; a Norman knight; having renounced the pleasures of the world; retired to this sequestered spot; where he was joined in his austere profession by Ernicius; chaplain to queen Maude。  In the year 1108; these hermits erected a mean church in the place of their hermitage; which was consecrated by Urban; bishop of Llandaff; and Rameline; bishop of Hereford; and dedicated to St。 John the Baptist:  having afterward received very considerable benefactions from Hugh de Laci; and gained the consent of Anselm; archbishop of Canterbury; these same hermits founded a magnificent monastery for Black canons; of the order of St。 Augustine; which they immediately filled with forty monks collected from the monasteries of the Holy Trinity in London; Merton in Surrey; and Colchester in Essex。  They afterwards removed to Gloucester; where they built a church and spacious monastery; which; after the name of their former residence; they called Llanthoni; it was consecrated A。D。 1136; by Simon; bishop of Worcester; and Robert Betun bishop of Hereford; and dedicated to the Virgin Mary。

{60}  The titles of mother and daughter are here applied to the mother church in Wales; and the daughter near Gloucester。

{61}  William of Wycumb; the fourth prior of Llanthoni; succeeded to Robert de Braci; who was obliged to quit the monastery; on account of the hostile molestation it received from the Welsh。  To him succeeded Clement; the sub…prior; and to Clement; Roger de Norwich。

{62}  Walter de Laci came into England with William the Conqueror; and left three sons; Roger; Hugh; and Walter。  Hugh de Laci was the lord of Ewyas; and became afterwards the founder of the convent of Llanthoni; his elder brother; Robert; held also four caracutes of land within the limits of the castle of Ewyas; which king William had bestowed on Walter; his father; but joining in rebellion against William Rufus; he was banished the kingdom; and all his lands were given to his brother Hugh; who died without issue。

{63}  This anecdote is thus related by the historian Hollinshed: 〃Hereof it came on a time; whiles the king sojourned in France about his warres; which he held against king Philip; there came unto him a French priest; whose name was Fulco; who required the king in anywise to put from him three abominable daughters which he had; and to bestow them in marriage; least God punished him for them。  'Thou liest; hypocrite (said the king); to thy verie face; for all the world knoweth I have not one daughter。'  'I lie not (said the priest); for thou hast three daughters:  one of them is called Pride; the second Covetousness; and the third Lecherie。'  With that the king called to him his lords and barons; and said to them; 'This hypocrite heere hath required me to marry awaie my three daughters; which (as he saith) I cherish; nourish; foster; and mainteine; that is to say; Pride; Covetousness; and Lecherie:  and now that I have found out necessarie and fit husbands for them; I will do it with effect; and seeks no more delaies。  I therefo

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