itinerary of archibishop-第15章

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lightning　descending　from　on　high；　directs　itself　most　commonly　to　the　highest　object　on　earth；　and　to　those　most　resembling　its　own　nature；　it　never；　therefore；　injures　your　synagogues；　because　no　man　ever　saw　or　heard　of　its　falling　upon　a　privy。〃　　An　event　worthy　of　note；　happened　in　our　time　in　France。　　During　a　contention　between　some　monks　of　the　Cistercian　order；　and　a　certain　knight；　about　the　limits　of　their　fields　and　lands；　a　violent　tempest；　in　one　night；　utterly　destroyed　and　ruined　the　cultivated　grounds　of　the　monks；　while　the　adjoining　territory　of　the　knight　remained　undamaged。　　On　which　occasion　he　insolently　inveighed　against　the　fraternity；　and　publicly　asserted　that　divine　vengeance　had　thus　punished　them　for　unlawfully　keeping　possession　of　his　land；　to　which　the　abbot　wittily　replied；　〃It　is　by　no　means　so；　but　that　the　knight　had　more　friends　in　that　riding　than　the　monastery；〃　and　he　clearly　demonstrated　that；　on　the　other　hand；　the　monks　had　more　enemies　in　it。

In　the　province　of　Penbroch；　another　instance　occurred；　about　the　same　time；　of　a　spirit's　appearing　in　the　house　of　Elidore　de　Stakepole；　｛116｝　not　only　sensibly；　but　visibly；　under　the　form　of　a　red…haired　young　man；　who　called　himself　Simon。　　First　seizing　the　keys　from　the　person　to　whom　they　were　entrusted；　he　impudently　assumed　the　steward's　office；　which　he　managed　so　prudently　and　providently；　that　all　things　seemed　to　abound　under　his　care；　and　there　was　no　deficiency　in　the　house。　　Whatever　the　master　or　mistress　secretly　thought　of　having　for　their　daily　use　or　provision；　he　procured　with　wonderful　agility；　and　without　any　previous　directions；　saying；　〃You　wished　that　to　be　done；　and　it　shall　be　done　for　you。〃　　He　was　also　well　acquainted　with　their　treasures　and　secret　hoards；　and　sometimes　upbraided　them　on　that　account；　for　as　often　as　they　seemed　to　act　sparingly　and　avariciously；　he　used　to　say；　〃Why　are　you　afraid　to　spend　that　heap　of　gold　or　silver；　since　your　lives　are　of　so　short　duration；　and　the　money　you　so　cautiously　hoard　up　will　never　do　you　any　service？〃　He　gave　the　choicest　meat　and　drink　to　the　rustics　and　hired　servants；　saying　that　〃Those　persons　should　be　abundantly　supplied；　by　whose　labours　they　were　acquired。〃　　Whatever　he　determined　should　be　done；　whether　pleasing　or　displeasing　to　his　master　or　mistress　（for；　as　we　have　said　before；　he　knew　all　their　secrets）；　he　completed　in　his　usual　expeditious　manner；　without　their　consent。　He　never　went　to　church；　or　uttered　one　Catholic　word。　　He　did　not　sleep　in　the　house；　but　was　ready　at　his　office　in　the　morning。

He　was　at　length　observed　by　some　of　the　family　to　hold　his　nightly　converse　near　a　mill　and　a　pool　of　water；　upon　which　discovery　he　was　summoned　the　next　morning　before　the　master　of　the　house　and　his　lady；　and；　receiving　his　discharge；　delivered　up　the　keys；　which　he　had　held　for　upwards　of　forty　days。　　Being　earnestly　interrogated；　at　his　departure；　who　he　was？　he　answered；　〃That　he　was　begotten　upon　the　wife　of　a　rustic　in　that　parish；　by　a　demon；　in　the　shape　of　her　husband；〃　naming　the　man；　and　his　father…in…law；　then　dead；　and　his　mother；　still　alive；　the　truth　of　which　the　woman；　upon　examination；　openly　avowed。　　A　similar　circumstance　happened　in　our　time　in　Denmark。　　A　certain　unknown　priest　paid　court　to　the　archbishop；　and；　from　his　obsequious　behaviour　and　discreet　conduct；　his　general　knowledge　of　letters　and　quick　memory；　soon　contracted　a　great　familiarity　with　him。　　Conversing　one　day　with　the　archbishop　about　ancient　histories　and　unknown　events；　on　which　topic　he　most　frequently　heard　him　with　pleasure；　it　happened　that　when　the　subject　of　their　discourse　was　the　incarnation　of　our　Lord；　he　said；　amongst　other　things；　〃Before　Christ　assumed　human　nature；　the　demons　had　great　power　over　mankind；　which；　at　his　coming；　was　much　diminished；　insomuch　that　they　were　dispersed　on　every　side；　and　fled　from　his　presence。　　Some　precipitated　themselves　into　the　sea；　others　into　the　hollow　parts　of　trees；　or　the　clefts　of　rocks；　and　I　myself　leaped　into　a　well；〃　on　which　he　blushed　for　shame；　and　took　his　departure。　　The　archbishop；　and　those　who　were　with　him；　being　greatly　astonished　at　that　speech；　began　to　ask　questions　by　turns；　and　form　conjectures；　and　having　waited　some　time　（for　he　was　expected　to　return　soon）；　the　archbishop　ordered　some　of　his　attendants　to　call　him；　but　he　was　sought　for　in　vain；　and　never　re…　appeared。　　Soon　afterwards；　two　priests；　whom　the　archbishop　had　sent　to　Rome；　returned；　and　when　this　event　was　related　to　them；　they　began　to　inquire　the　day　and　hour　on　which　the　circumstance　had　happened？　　On　being　told　it；　they　declared　that　on　the　very　same　day　and　hour　he　had　met　them　on　the　Alps；　saying；　that　he　had　been　sent　to　the　court　of　Rome；　on　account　of　some　business　of　his　master's　（meaning　the　archbishop）；　which　had　lately　occurred。　　And　thus　it　was　proved；　that　a　demon　had　deluded　them　under　a　human　form。

I　ought　not　to　omit　mentioning　the　falcons　of　these　parts；　which　are　large；　and　of　a　generous　kind；　and　exercise　a　most　severe　tyranny　over　the　river　and　land　birds。　　King　Henry　II。　remained　here　some　time；　making　preparations　for　his　voyage　to　Ireland；　and　being　desirous　of　taking　the　diversion　of　hawking；　he　accidentally　saw　a　noble　falcon　perched　upon　a　rock。　　Going　sideways　round　him；　he　let　loose　a　fine　Norway　hawk；　which　he　carried　on　his　left　hand。　　The　falcon；　though　at　first　slower　in　its　flight；　soaring　up　to　a　great　height；　burning　with　resentment；　and　in　his　turn　becoming　the　aggressor；　rushed　down　upon　his　adversary　with　the　greatest　impetuosity；　and　by　a　violent　blow　struck　the　hawk　dead　at　the　feet　of　the　king。　　From　that　time　the　king　sent　every　year；　about　the　breeding　season；　for　the　falcons　｛117｝　of　this　country；　which　are　produced　on　the　sea　cliffs；　nor　can　better　be　found　in　any　part　of　his　dominions。　　But　let　us　now　return　to　our　Itinerary。



CHAPTER　XIII



Of　the　progress　by　Camros　and　Niwegal


From　Haverford　we　proceeded　on　our　journey　to　Menevia；　distant　from　thence　about　twelve　miles；　and　passed　through　Camros；　｛118｝　where；　in　the　reign　of　king　Stephen；　the　relations　and　friends　of　a　distinguished　young　man；　Giraldus；　son　of　William；　revenged　his　death　by　a　too　severe　retaliation　on　the　men　of　Ros。　　We　then　passed　over　Niwegal　sands；　at　which　place　（during　the　winter　that　king　Henry　II。　spent　in　Ireland）；　as　well　as　in　almost　all　the　other　western　ports；　a　very　remarkable　circumstance　occurred。　　The　sandy　shores　of　South　Wales；　being　laid　bare　by　the　extraordinary　violence　of　a　storm；　the　surface　of　the　earth；　which　had　been　covered　for　many　ages；　re…appeared；　and　discovered　the　trunks　of　trees　cut　off；　standing　in　the　very　sea　itself；　the　strokes　of　the　hatchet　appearing　as　if　made　only　yesterday。　｛119｝　　The　soil　was　very　black；　and　the　wood　like　ebony。　　By　a　wonderful　revolution；　the　road　for　ships　became　impassable；　and　looked；　not　like　a　shore；　but　like　a　grove　cut　down；　perhaps；　at　the　time　of　the　deluge；　or　not　long　after；　but　certainly　in　very　remote　ages；　being　by　degrees　consumed　and　swallowed　up　by　the　violence　and　encroachments　of　the　sea。　During　the　same　tempest　many　sea　fish　were　driven；　by　the　violence　of　the　wind　and　waves；　upon　dry　land。　　We　were　well　lodged　at　St。　David's　by　Peter；　bishop　of　the　see；　a　liberal　man；　who　had　hitherto　accompanied　us　during　the　whole　of　our　journey。




BOOK　II




PREFACE



Since；　therefore；　St。　David's　is　the　head；　and　in　times　past　was　the　metropolitan；　city　of　Wales；　though　now；　alas！　retaining　more　of　the　NAME　than　of　the　OMEN；　｛120｝　yet　I　have　not　forborne　to　weep　over　the　obsequies　of　our　ancient　and　undoubted　mother；　to　follow　the　mournful　hearse；　and　to　deplore　with　tearful　sighs　the　ashes　of　our　half…buried　matron。　　I　shall；　therefore；　endeavour　briefly　to　declare　to　you　in　what　manner；　from　whence；　and　from　what　period　the　pall　was　first　brought　to　St。　David's；　and　how　it　was　taken　away；　how　many　prelates　were　invested　with　the　pall；　and　how　many　were　despoiled　thereof；　together　with　their　respective　names　to　this　present　day。



CHAPTER　I



Of　the　see　of　Saint　David's


We　are　informed　by　the　British　histories；　that　Dubricius；　archbishop　of　Caerleon；　sensible　of　the　infirmities　of　age；　or　rather　being　desirous　of　leading　a　life　of　contemplation；　resigned　his　honours　to　David；　who　is　said　to　have　been　uncle　to　king　Arthur；　and　by　his　interest　the　see　was　translated　to　Menevia；　although　Caerleon；　as　we　have　observed　in　the　first　book；　was　much　better　adapted　for　the　episcopal　see。　　For　Menevia　is　situated　in　a　most　remote　corner　of　land　upon　the　Irish　ocean；　the　soil　stony　and　barren；　neither　clothed　with　woods；　distinguished　by　rivers；　nor　adorned　by　meadows；　ever　exposed　to　the　winds　and　tempests；　and　continually　subject　to　the　hostile　attacks　of　the　Flemings　on　one　side；　and　of　the　Welsh　on　the　other。　　For　the　holy　men　who　settled　here；　chose　purposely　such　a　retired　habitation；　that　by　avoiding　the　noise　of　the　world；　and　preferring　an　heremitical　to　a　pastoral　life；　they　might　more　freely　provide　for　〃that　part　which　shall　not　be　taken　away；〃　for　David　was　remarkable　for　his　sanctity　and　religion；　as　the　history　of　his　life　will　testify。　　Amongst　the　many　miracles　recorded　of　him；　three　appear　to　me　the　most　worthy　of　admiration：　　his　origin　and　conception；　his　pre…election　thirty　years　before　his　birth；　and　what　exceeds　all；　the　sudden　rising　of　the　ground；　at　Brevy；　under　his　feet　while　preaching；　to　the　great　astonishment　of　all　the　beholders。

Since　the　time　of　David；　twenty…five　archbishops　presided　over　the　see　of　Menevia；　whose　names　are　here　subjoined：　　David；　Cenauc；　Eliud；　who　was　also　called　Teilaus；　Ceneu；　Morwal；　Haerunen；　Elwaed；　Gurnuen；　Lendivord；　Gorwysc；　Cogan；　Cledauc；　Anian；　Euloed；　Ethelmen；　Elauc；　Malscoed；　Sadermen；　Catellus；　Sulhaithnai；　Nonis；　Etwal；　Asser；　Arthuael；　Sampson。　　In　the　time　of　Sampson；　the　pall　was　translated　from　Menevia　in　the　following　manner：　　a　disorder　called　the　yellow　plague；　and　by　the　physicians　the　icteric　passion；　of　which　the　people　died　in　great　numbers；　raged　throughout　Wales；　at　the　time　when　Sampson　held　the　archiepiscopal　see。　　Though　a　holy　man；　and　fearless　of　death；　he　was　prevailed　upon；　by　the　earnest　intreaties　of　his　people；　to　go　on　board　a　vessel；　which　was　wafted；　by　a　south　wind；　to　Britannia　Armorica；　｛121｝　where　he　and　his　attendants　were　safely　landed。　　The　see　of　Dol　being　at　that　time　vacant；　he　was　immediately　elected　bishop。　　Hence　it　came　to　pass；　that　on　account　of　the　pall　which　Sampson　had　brought　thither　with　him；　the　succeeding　bishops；　even　to　our　times；　always　retained　it。　But　during　the　presidency　of　the　archbishop　of　Tours；　this　adventitious　dignity　ceased；　yet　our　countrymen；　through　indolence　or　poverty；　or　rather　owing　to　the　arrival　of　the　English　into　the　island；　and　the　frequent　hostilities　committed　against　them　by　the　Saxons；　lost　their　archiepiscopal　honours。　　But　until　the　entire　subjugation　of　Wales　by　king　Henry　I。；　the　Welsh　bishops　were　always　consecrated　by　the　bishop　of　St。　David's；　and　he　was　consecrated　by　his　suffragans；　without　any　profession　or　submission　being　made　to　any　other　church。