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第35章

itinerary of archibishop-第35章

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llian; and there is a tower in the castle of Cydweli still called Tyr Gwenllian。  'Maes Gwenllian is now a small farm; one of whose fields is said to have been the scene of the battle。'

{97}  The castle of Talachar is now better known by the name of Llaugharne。

{98}  Much has been said and written by ancient authors respecting the derivation of the name of this city; which is generally allowed to be the Muridunum; or Maridunum; mentioned in the Roman itineraries。  Some derive it from Caer and Merddyn; that is; the city of the prophet Merddyn; and others from Mur and Murddyn; which in the British language signify a wall。  There can; however; be little doubt that it is derived simply from the Roman name Muridunum。  The county gaol occupies the site of the old castle; a few fragments of which are seen intermixed with the houses of the town。

{99}  Dinevor; the great castle; from dinas; a castle; and vawr; great; was in ancient times a royal residence of the princes of South Wales。  In the year 876; Roderic the Great; having divided the principalities of North and South Wales; and Powys land; amongst his three sons; built for each of them a palace。  The sovereignty of South Wales; with the castle of Dinevor; fell to the lot of Cadell。 'The ruins of Dinevor Castle still crown the summit of the hill which overshadows the town of Llandilo; 12 miles from Carmarthen。'

{100}  There is a spring very near the north side of Dinevor park wall; which bears the name of Nant…y…rhibo; or the bewitched brook; which may; perhaps; be the one here alluded to by Giraldus。

{101}  Pencadair is a small village situated to the north of Carmarthen。

{102}  Alba Domus was called in Welsh Ty Gwyn ar Daf; or the White House on the river Taf。  In the history of the primitive British church; Ty Gwyn; or white house; is used in a sense equivalent to a charter…house。  The White House College; or Bangor y Ty Gwyn; is pretended to have been founded about 480; by Paul Hen; or Paulius; a saint of the congregation of Illtyd。  From this origin; the celebrated Cistercian monastery is said to have derived its establishment。  Powel; in his chronicle; says; 〃For the first abbey or frier house that we read of in Wales; sith the destruction of the noble house of Bangor; which savoured not of Romish dregges; was the Tuy Gwyn; built the yeare 1146; and after they swarmed like bees through all the countrie。〃  (Powel; p。 254。) … Authors differ with respect to the founder of this abbey; some have attributed it to Rhys ap Tewdwr; prince of South Wales; and others to Bernard; bishop of Saint David's; who died about the year 1148。  The latter account is corroborated by the following passage in Wharton's Anglia Sacra: 〃Anno 1143 ducti sunt monachi ordinis Cisterciensis qui modo sunt apud Albam Landam; in West Walliam; per Bernardum episcopum。〃 Leland; in his Collectanea; says; 〃Whitland; abbat。  Cistert。; Rhesus filius Theodori princeps Suth Walliae primus fundator;〃 and in his Itinerary; mentions it as a convent of Bernardynes; 〃which yet stondeth。〃

{103}  Saint Clears is a long; straggling village; at the junction of the river Cathgenny with the Taf。  Immediately on the banks of the former; and not far from its junction with the latter; stood the castle; of which not one stone is left; but the artificial tumulus on which the citadel was placed; and other broken ground; mark its ancient site。

{104}  Lanwadein; now called Lawhaden; is a small village about four miles from Narberth; on the banks of the river Cleddeu。

{105}  Daugleddeu; so called from Dau; two; and Cled; or Cleddau; a sword。  The rivers Cledheu have their source in the Prescelly mountain; unite their streams below Haverfordwest; and run into Milford Haven; which in Welsh is called Aberdaugleddau; or the confluence of the two rivers Cledheu。

{106}  Haverford; now called Haverfordwest; is a considerable town on the river Cledheu; with an ancient castle; three churches; and some monastic remains。  The old castle (now used as the county gaol); from its size and commanding situation; adds greatly to the picturesque appearance of this town。  'The old castle is no longer used as a gaol。'

{107}  The province of Rhos; in which the town of Haverfordwest is situated; was peopled by a colony of Flemings during the reign of king Henry I。

{108}  St。 Caradoc was born of a good family in Brecknockshire; and after a liberal education at home; attached himself to the court of Rhys Prince of South Wales; whom he served a long time with diligence and fidelity。  He was much esteemed and beloved by him; till having unfortunately lost two favourite greyhounds; which had been committed to his care; that prince; in a fury; threatened his life; upon which Caradoc determined to change masters; and made a vow on the spot to consecrate the remainder of his days to God; by a single and religious life。  He went to Llandaff; received from its bishop the clerical tonsure and habit; and retired to the deserted church of St。 Kined; and afterwards to a still more solitary abode in the Isle of Ary; from whence he was taken prisoner by some Norwegian pirates; but soon released。  His last place of residence was at St。 Ismael; in the province of Rhos; where he died in 1124; and was buried with great honour in the cathedral of St。 David's。 We must not confound this retreat of Caradoc with the village of St。 Ismael on the borders of Milford Haven。  His hermitage was situated in the parish of Haroldstone; near the town of Haverfordwest; whose church has St。 Ismael for its patron; and probably near a place called Poorfield; the common on which Haverfordwest races are held; as there is a well there called Caradoc's Well; round which; till within these few years; there was a sort of vanity fair; where cakes were sold; and country games celebrated。  'Caradoc was canonised by Pope Innocent III。 at the instance of Giraldus。'

{109}  This curious superstition is still preserved; in a debased form; among the descendants of the Flemish population of this district; where the young women practise a sort of divination with the bladebone of a shoulder of mutton to discover who will be their sweetheart。  It is still more curious that William de Rubruquis; in the thirteenth century; found the same superstition existing among the Tartars。

{110}  Arnulph; younger son of Roger de Montgomery; did his homage for Dyved; and is said; by our author; to have erected a slender fortress with stakes and turf at Pembroke; in the reign of king Henry I。; which; however; appears to have been so strong as to have resisted the hostile attack of Cadwgan ap Bleddyn in 1092; and of several lords of North Wales; in 1094。

{111}  Walter Fitz…Other; at the time of the general survey of England by William the Conqueror; was castellan of Windsor; warden of the forests in Berkshire; and possessed several lordships in the counties of Middlesex; Hampshire; and Buckinghamshire; which dominus Otherus is said to have held in the time of Edward the Confessor。 William; the eldest son of Walter; took the surname of Windsor from his father's office; and was ancestor to the lords Windsor; who have since been created earls of Plymouth:  and from Gerald; brother of William; the Geralds; Fitz…geralds; and many other families are lineally descended。  The Gerald here mentioned by Giraldus is sometimes surnamed De Windsor; and also Fitz…Walter; i。e。 the son of Walter; having slain Owen; son of Cadwgan ap Bleddyn; chief lord of Cardiganshire; he was made president of the county of Pembroke。

{112}  Wilfred is mentioned by Browne Willis in his list of bishops of St。 David's; as the forty…seventh; under the title of Wilfride; or Griffin:  he died about the year 1116。

{113}  Maenor Pyrr; now known by the name of Manorbeer; is a small village on the sea coast; between Tenby and Pembroke; with the remaining shell of a large castle。  Our author has given a farfetched etymology to this castle and the adjoining island; in calling them the mansion and island of Pyrrhus:  a much more natural and congenial conjecture may be made in supposing Maenor Pyrr to be derived from Maenor; a Manor; and Pyrr the plural of Por; a lord; i。e。 the Manor of the lords; and; consequently; Inys Pyrr; the Isla

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