itinerary of archibishop-第4章

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a　modern　newspaper　or　magazine　article。　　His　first　important　work；　the　'Topography　of　Ireland；'　is；　with　due　allowance　for　the　difference　between　the　tastes　of　the　twelfth　century　and　those　of　the　nineteenth；　just　such　a　series　of　sketches　as　a　special　correspondent　in　our　own　day　might　send　from　some　newly…colonised　island　in　the　Pacific　to　satisfy　or　whet　the　curiosity　of　his　readers　at　home。〃　　The　description　aptly　applies　to　all　that　Gerald　wrote。　　If　not　a　historian；　he　was　at　least　a　great　journalist。　　His　descriptions　of　Ireland　have　been　subjected　to　much　hostile　criticism　from　the　day　they　were　written　to　our　own　times。　　They　were　assailed　at　the　time；　as　Gerald　himself　tells　us；　for　their　unconventionality；　for　their　departure　from　established　custom；　for　the　freedom　and　colloquialism　of　their　style；　for　the　audacity　of　their　stories；　and　for　the　writer's　daring　in　venturing　to　treat　the　manners　and　customs　of　a　barbarous　country　as　worthy　the　attention　of　the　learned　and　the　labours　of　the　historian。　　Irish　scholars；　from　the　days　of　Dr。　John　Lynch；　who　published　his　〃Cambrensis　Eversus〃　in　1622；　have　unanimously　denounced　the　work　of　the　sensational　journalist；　born　out　of　due　time。　　His　Irish　books　are　confessedly　partisan；　the　〃Conquest　of　Ireland〃　was　expressly　designed　as　an　eulogy　of　〃the　men　of　St。　David's；〃　the　writer's　own　kinsmen。　　But　in　spite　of　partisanship　and　prejudice；　they　must　be　regarded　as　a　serious　and　valuable　addition　to　our　knowledge　of　the　state　of　Ireland　at　the　latter　end　of　the　twelfth　century。　　Indeed；　Professor　Brewer　does　not　hesitate　to　say　that　〃to　his　industry　we　are　exclusively　indebted　for　all　that　is　known　of　the　state　of　Ireland　during　the　whole　of　the　Middle　Ages；〃　and　as　to　the　〃Topography；〃　Gerald　〃must　take　rank　with　the　first　who　descried　the　value　and　in　some　respects　the　limits　of　descriptive　geography。〃

When　he　came　to　deal　with　the　affairs　of　state　on　a　larger　stage；　his　methods　were　still　that　of　the　modern　journalist。　　He　was　always　an　impressionist；　a　writer　of　personal　sketches。　　His　character　sketches　of　the　Plantagenet　princes　…　of　King　Henry　with　his　large　round　head　and　fat　round　belly；　his　fierce　eyes；　his　tigerish　temper；　his　learning；　his　licentiousness；　his　duplicity；　and　of　Eleanor　of　Aquitaine；　his　vixenish　and　revengeful　wife；　the　murderess　of　〃Fair　Rosamond〃　（who　must　have　been　known　to　Gerald；　being　the　daughter　of　Walter　of　Clifford…on…the…Wye）；　and　of　the　fierce　brood　that　they　reared　…　are　of　extraordinary　interest。　　His　impressions　of　the　men　and　events　of　his　time；　his　fund　of　anecdotes　and　bon　mots；　his　references　to　trivial　matters；　which　more　dignified　writers　would　never　deign　to　mention；　his　sprightly　and　sometimes　malicious　gossip；　invest　his　period　with　a　reality　which　the　greatest　of　fiction…writers　has　failed　to　rival。　　Gerald　lived　in　the　days　of　chivalry；　days　which　have　been　crowned　with　a　halo　of　deathless　romance　by　the　author　of　〃Ivanhoe〃　and　the　〃Talisman。〃　　He　knew　and　was　intimate　with　all　the　great　actors　of　the　time。　　He　had　lived　in　the　Paris　of　St。　Louis　and　Philip　Augustus；　and　was　never　tired　of　exalting　the　House　of　Capet　over　the　tyrannical　and　bloodthirsty　House　of　Anjou。　　He　had　no　love　of　England；　for　her　Plantagenet　kings　or　her　Saxon　serfs。　　During　the　French　invasion　in　the　time　of　King　John　his　sympathies　were　openly　with　the　Dauphin　as　against　the　〃brood　of　vipers；〃　who　were　equally　alien　to　English　soil。　　For　the　Saxon；　indeed；　he　felt　the　twofold　hatred　of　Welshman　and　Norman。　　One　of　his　opponents　is　denounced　to　the　Pope　as　an　〃untriwe　Sax；〃　and　the　Saxons　are　described　as　the　slaves　of　the　Normans；　the　mere　hewers　of　wood　and　drawers　of　water　for　their　conquerors。　　He　met　Innocent　III。；　the　greatest　of　Popes；　in　familiar　converse；　he　jested　and　gossiped　with　him　in　slippered　ease；　he　made　him　laugh　at　his　endless　stories　of　the　glory　of　Wales；　the　iniquities　of　the　Angevins；　and　the　bad　Latin　of　Archbishop　Walter。　　He　knew　Richard　Coeur…de…Lion；　the　flower　of　chivalry；　and　saw　him　as　he　was　and　〃not　through　a　glass　darkly。〃　He　knew　John；　the　cleverest　and　basest　of　his　house。　　He　knew　and　loved　Stephen　Langton；　the　precursor　of　a　long　line　of　statesmen　who　have　made　English　liberty　broad　…　based　upon　the　people's　will。　　He　was　a　friend　of　St。　Hugh　of　Lincoln；　the　sweetest　and　purest　spirit　in　the　Anglican　Church　of　the　Middle　Ages；　the　one　man　who　could　disarm　the　wrath　of　the　fierce　king　with　a　smile；　and　he　was　the　friend　and　patron　of　Robert　Grosstete；　afterwards　the　great　Bishop　of　Lincoln。　　He　lived　much　in　company　with　Ranulph　de　Glanville；　the　first　English　jurist；　and　he　has　〃Boswellised〃　some　of　his　conversations　with　him。　　He　was　intimate　with　Archbishop　Baldwin；　the　saintly　prelate　who　laid　down　his　life　in　the　Third　Crusade　on　the　burning　plains　of　Palestine；　heart…broken　at　the　unbridled　wickedness　of　the　soldiers　of　the　Cross。　　He　was　the　near　kinsman　and　confidant　of　the　Cambro…Normans；　who；　landing　in　Leinster　in　1165；　effected　what　may　be　described　as　the　first　conquest　of　Ireland。　　There　was　scarcely　a　man　of　note　in　his　day　whom　he　had　not　seen　and　conversed　with；　or　of　whom　he　does　not　relate　some　piquant　story。　　He　had　travelled　much；　and　had　observed　closely。　Probably　the　most　valuable　of　all　his　works；　from　the　strictly　historical　point　of　view；　are　the　〃Itinerary〃　and　〃Description　of　Wales；〃　which　are　reprinted　in　the　present　volume。　｛10｝　　Here　he　is　impartial　in　his　evidence；　and　judicial　in　his　decisions。　　If　he　errs　at　all；　it　is　not　through　racial　prejudice。　　〃I　am　sprung；〃　he　once　told　the　Pope　in　a　letter；　〃from　the　princes　of　Wales　and　from　the　barons　of　the　Marches；　and　when　I　see　injustice　in　either　race；　I　hate　it。〃

The　text　is　that　of　Sir　Richard　Colt　Hoare；　who　published　an　English　translation；　chiefly　from　the　texts　of　Camden　and　Wharton；　in　1806。　The　valuable　historical　notes　have　been　curtailed；　as　being　too　elaborate　for　such　a　volume　as　this；　and　a　few　notes　have　been　added　by　the　present　editor。　　These　will　be　found　within　brackets。　Hoare's　translation；　and　also　translations　（edited　by　Mr。　Foster）　of　the　Irish　books　have　been　published　in　Bohn's　Antiquarian　Library。

The　first　of　the　seven　volumes　of　the　Latin　text　of　Gerald；　published　in　the　Rolls　Series；　appeared　in　1861。　　The　first　four　volumes　were　edited　by　Professor　Brewer；　the　next　two　by　Mr。　Dimmock；　and　the　seventh　by　Professor　Freeman。

W。　LLEWELYN　WILLIAMS。　　January　1908。


The　following　is　a　list　of　the　more　important　of　the　works　of　Gerald：…

Topographia　Hibernica；　Expugnatio　Hibernica；　Itinerarium　Kambriae；　Descriptio　Kambriae；　Gemma　Ecclesiastica；　Libellus　Invectionum；　De　Rebus　a　se　Gestis；　Dialogus　de　jure　et　statu　Menevensis　Ecclesiae；　De　Instructione　Principum；　De　Legendis　Sanctorum；　Symbolum　Electorum。



FIRST　PREFACE　…　TO　STEPHEN　LANGTON；　ARCHBISHOP　OF　CANTERBURY



As　the　times　are　affected　by　the　changes　of　circumstances；　so　are　the　minds　of　men　influenced　by　different　manners　and　customs。　　The　satirist　＇Persius＇　exclaims；


〃Mille　hominum　species　et　mentis　discolor　usus；　Velle　suum　cuique　est；　nec　voto　vivitur　uno。〃

〃Nature　is　ever　various　in　her　name；　Each　has　a　different　will；　and　few　the　same。〃


The　comic　poet　also　says；　〃Quot　capita　tot　sententiae；　suus　cuique　mos　est。〃　　〃As　many　men；　so　many　minds；　each　has　his　way。〃　　Young　soldiers　exult　in　war；　and　pleaders　delight　in　the　gown；　others　aspire　after　riches；　and　think　them　the　supreme　good。　　Some　approve　Galen；　some　Justinian。　　Those　who　are　desirous　of　honours　follow　the　court；　and　from　their　ambitious　pursuits　meet　with　more　mortification　than　satisfaction。　　Some；　indeed；　but　very　few；　take　pleasure　in　the　liberal　arts；　amongst　whom　we　cannot　but　admire　logicians；　who；　when　they　have　made　only　a　trifling　progress；　are　as　much　enchanted　with　the　images　of　Dialectics；　as　if　they　were　listening　to　the　songs　of　the　Syrens。

But　among　so　many　species　of　men；　where　are　to　be　found　divine　poets？　　Where　the　noble　assertors　of　morals？　　Where　the　masters　of　the　Latin　tongue？　　Who　in　the　present　times　displays　lettered　eloquence；　either　in　history　or　poetry？　　Who；　I　say；　in　our　own　age；　either　builds　a　system　of　ethics；　or