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for he says, I know and am well assured that I have committed t❤ writing some things that will appear ridiculous and even impossible to the reader; nor do I wish that hasty credit should be given to every thing I have asserted, for I do not believe them myself." P. lii.*.

It would be difficult to conceive an adequate idea of the country travelled over by Archbishop Baldwin, if Sir Richard had not illustrated the course of his progress by a large map, which also includes the site of the Roman Stations, and of the fortresses throughout the entire principality. The Archbishop entered Wales from Hereford, and proceeding to New Radnor, commenced the business of his mission. Giraldus, as already stated, was the first who took upon him the sign of the cross, and this he himself states "he was impelled to do, by the urgent importunity and promises of the King, and the persuasions of the Archbishop and the Justiciary." He afterwards accompanied Baldwin through his whole journey, which was directed southwards from Radnor to Abergavenny, Caerleon, and Cardiff, and thence continued westward along the skirts of the Bristol Channel to Carmarthen, Haverford-west and St.Dayid's, whence turning to the north-east, the crusaders proceeded to Cardigan, and afterwards made a short inland circuit to Pons Stephani, now Llanpeder, Stratflur Abbey, and Llanbadarn Vawr. From the latter place, proceeding directly north, they skirted the seashore to Towyn, Barmouth, Harlech, and Pwllheli, and crossing the peninsula to Nevin, pursued their way to Caernarvon and Bangor. Thence bending to the east, they went on to Conway, Abergeley, Ruthlan, and Basinwerk, where inclining southwards, they proceeded through Chester, Whitchurch, Oswestry, Shrewsbury, Wenlock, Ludlow, and Leominster, to Hereford, the point from which the Archbishop had commenced his route, and where Giraldus concludes his Itinerary.

Though the descriptions of Giraldus include many interesting and very curious historical and local notices, their most prominent features are the traditionary and miraculous tales with which they are every where interspersed. The first chapter only, in Book I, includes seven of these marvellous relations. One of them is of a Lord of the Castle of Radnor, who, in the reign of Henry the First, having entered the church of St. Avan, with his hounds, and passed the night there without sufficient reverence, found when he arose early in the morning,

"Scio tamen et certus sum me nonnulla scripturum quæ lectori vel impossibilia vel etiam ridiculosa videbuntur. Nec ego volo temerè credi cuncta quæ posui, quia nec à me ipso ita creduntur, tanquam . nulla de eis sit in meâ cogitatione dubitatio." Ibid.

Another is

that his hounds were mad and himself blind! of a hind who had antlers, like a stag, and of twelve years growth! A third recounts particulars of a desperate battle among the fish of a certain pool in Normandy, who fought so furiously during the night, "both in the water and out of it," that the neighbouring people were attracted by the noise; and in the morning scarcely one fish was left alive! One of the more humorous of these stories we shall insert at length.

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"In this same province of Warthrenion, and in the church of St. Germanus, there is a staff of St. Cyric, covered on all sides with gold and silver, and resembling in its upper part the form of a cross. Its efficacy has been proved in many cases, but particularly in the removal of glandular and strumous swellings, insomuch that all persons afflicted with these complaints, on a devout application to the staff, with the oblation of one penny, are restored to health. But it happened in these our days, that a strumous patient on presenting one halfpenny to the staff, the tumour subsided only in the middle, but when the oblation was completed by the other halfpenny, an entire cure was accomplished. Another person also coming to the staff with the promise of a penny, was cured; but not fulfilling his engagement on the day appointed, he relapsed into his former disorder: in order, however, to obtain pardon for his offence, he tripled the offering by presenting three-pence, and thus obtained a complete cure." P. 5.

In the annotations upon this chapter Sir Richard has given a summary account of the various crusades made against the Saracens, from the assemblage in 1096 of the first disorderly mob of 500,000 atrocious desperadoes, who under Peter the Hermit, the monk Godescald, and Walter the Pennyless, robbed and massacred alike both friend and foe, to the more Christian confederacies of Kings and Potentates of Europe, who, during the two succeeding centuries, obstinately endeavoured, in defiance of common sense and adverse experience, to overthrow the power of the Infidels. How strange "that six succeeding generations," to employ the words of an eloquent historian, "should have rushed headlong down the precipice that was open before them!"

The second chapter is equally or even more abundant in miraculous relations than the preceding one. Among other things a wild sow is mentioned, "which by chance had been suckled by a bitch, famous for her nose; and on growing up, became so wonderfully active in the pursuit of wild animals, that in the faculty of scent she was greatly superior to dogs, who are assisted by natural instinct, as well as by human art. We have also the tale of a soldier, whose name, for nothing,

produces conviction like exactness in these cases, was Gilbert Hagernell, and who," after an illness of nearly three years, and the severe pains of a woman in labour, in the presence of many people, voided a calf!" In the same chapter, Giraldus repeats various stories, highly derogatory to the fair sex, and makes several quotations in proof of their degeneracy: his opinion, indeed, may be fully gathered from the single line which he has given from Ecclesiastes, "I have found one good man out of a thousand, but not one woman." The annotations upon this chapter are very interesting, as are also those upon the third, which chiefly relates to the Abbey of Lanthoni, in the vale of Ewyas. The following anecdote of Richard the First, which is told somewhat differently by Giraldus, is here repeated from the historian Holinshed.

"Hereof it came on a time, while the King sojourned in France about his warres, which he held against King Phillip, there came unto him a French priest, whose name was Fulco, who required the King in anywise to put away from him the three abominable daughters which he had, and to bestow them in marriage, lest God punished him for them. Thou liest, hypocrite,' said the King, to thy verie face; for all the world knoweth that I have not one daughter.' I lie not,' said the priest; for thou hast three daughters; one of them is called Pride, the second Covetousnesse, and the third Lecherie.' With that the King called to him his Lords and Barons, and said to them,- This hypocrite here hath required me to marrie awaie my three daughters, which, as he saith, I cherish, nourish, foster and mainteine; that is to say Pride, Covetousnesse, and Lecherie and now that I have found out necessary and fit husbands for them, I will do it with effect, and seek no more delaies. I therefore bequeath my pride to the high-minded Templars and Hospitallers, which are as proud as Lucifer himself; my covetousnesse I give unto the White Monks, otherwise called of the Cisteaux Order, for they covet the Divill and all; and my lecherie I commit to the Prelates of the Church, who have most pleasure and feliciti● therein."-P. 86.

As a specimen of the style, and method of description, both of Giraldus and of his annotator, we shall here transcribe the whole account of Caerleon from chap. v. All the notes, it should be remembered, are Sir Richard's.

"Caerleon* is called the city of Legions; Caer, in the British. language, signifying a city or camp, for there the Roman legions

"This city was the station of the Legio Secunda Augusta, and still retains many vestiges of Roman antiquity: the extent of its stone walls may yet be traced; the grounds within its precincts

were accustomed to winter, and from this circumstance it was styled the City of Legions. This city was of undoubted antiquity, and handsomely built of brick by the Romans; many vestiges of its former splendour may yet be seen. Immense palaces, ornamented with gilded roofs, in imitation of Roman magnificence; a tower of prodigious size, remarkable hot baths, relics of tempies, and theatres inclosed within fine walls, parts of which yet remain standing. You will find on all sides, both within and without the circuit of the walls, subterraneous vaults and aqueducts; and what I think worthy of notice, stoves contrived with wonderful art, to transmit the heat insensibly through narrow tubes. Julius and Aaron, after suffering martyrdom, were buried in this city, and had each a church dedicated to him: after Albanus and Amphibalus, they were esteemed the chief protomartyrs of Britannia Major*. In ancient times there were three fine churches in this city; one dedicated to Julius the Martyr, graced with a choir of nuns; another to Aaron his associate,

are thickly strewed with Roman bricks, and many Latin inscriptions have been dug up. The ancient city was surveyed by Mr. Coxe, and its plan given in his Tour through Monmouthshire.-From Ross of Warwick we learn the following particulars of this ancient city. Bellinus condidit urbem Legionem in Cambria. Hæc urbs Legionum, nunc dicta Caericon, à flumine subtàs currente primò dicta est Caer Usk, sed à Romanis ibi hiemantibus propter legiones suas dicta est Caerleon. Floruit ibi quondam nobilis studentium universitas. Ibi etiam ipse rex statuit unum archiflaminem. Huic successit filius suus Gurgwynt, Latinè Gurguncius, et urbem Legionum, quam suus pater in Cambriâ condiderat, muris nobilibus circumcinxit, decoravit, et fortificare studuit. Erat hæc metropolis Demeciæ, id est, Suth-Walliæ, sicut alia urbs Legionum quæ nunc Cestria dicitur, erat metropolis Venedociæ, id est, North-Walliæ, quæ etiam, sicut et prærecitata, nomen traxit à legionibus Romanorum ibi commorantium.' In another place, this ancient writer adds, Coellus (Bassiani successor) dux Kaercolini, id est, Colcestriæ, ædificavit Carleyn et Caerınerdin, et Herfordwest in West Wallia.' Ross Warwick, p. 25.

* "Giraldus says that there were formerly three fine churches in Caerleon, and mentions two of the Saints to whom they were dedi cated. I am inclined to think that two of them were in the neighbourhood of Caerleon, and not within the walls, whose limits were too confined to admit of so many ecclesiastical establishments. I have been informed, upon enquiry, that one of these churches was probably St. Albans in the parish of Christchurch, and St. Quenoc, in the parish of Langattoc; both of which are now in ruins. Leland says, in his time, that in the towne is now but one paroche chirche, and that is of S. Cadocus. The same church now remains, and the only one within the walls: it is dedicated to St. Cadog, an account of whom may be seen in the Cambrian Biography.".

and ennobled with an order of canons; and the third distinguished as the metropolitan see of Wales. Amphibulus, the instructor of Albanus in the true faith, was born in this place. The city is well situated on the river Usk, navigable to the sea, and adorned with woods and meadows. The Roman ambassadors here received their audience at the court of the great King Arthur; and here also the Archbishop Dubricius ceded his honours to David of Menevia, the metropolitan see being translated from this place to Menevia, according to the prophecy of Merlin Ambrosius:

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"Menevia pallio urbis legionum induetur."

"Menevia shall be invested with the pall of the City of Legions."

Caerleon," says Sir Richard, "is certainly the Isca Silurum of the Romans, so called to distinguish it from another city called Isca Damnoniorum, now Exeter, both being built on rivers of the same name; it was also the principal station of the second legion, distinguished by the name of Augusta; but that from thence it derived its British name, 'quasi castrum legionum,' is strenuously denied by Welsh etymologists. Mr. Owen contends, that it should be written Caer Llion, that is the City of Waters; from Llion, the plural of Lli, a stream; alluding to its situation on the river Usk. On the other hand, another lexicographer, Mr. Walters, supports the present reading, and derives it from Lleon, a very ancient British King, its founder. It is commonly called Caerlleon ar Wysg, to distinguish it from Caerlleon ar Dyfrdwy, or Chester, which is built upon the Dee. The latter place is universally, even at the present day, called Caer-Lleon Gawr, or the fortress of King Lleon, by the natives of the principality, which rather favours the opinion of Mr. Walters. This Lleon Gawr was the son of Brut Darian Las, and was the eighth King of Britain; and if Caerleon upon the river Usk, as well as Chester upon the Dee, received their names from this same Prince, his dominion must have been universal throughout North and South Wales; but as we know from the Roman historians, and the discoveries of inscriptions, coins, &c. that the station of the second legion was at Caerleon, in Monmouthshire, and that of the twentieth at Deva, or Chester, I am rather inclined to doubt of the extensive range of territory ascribed to King Lleon, and to give the preference to the etymology given by the historians Ross of Warwick, and our author Giraldus. The situation of this ancient city, on the banks of the river Usk, is elegantly expressed by an anonymous writer, quoted by Archbishop Usher, whom he calls, PseudoGildas:

"Nobilis urbs, et amœna situ, quam labilis Osca
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"Ponticus Virunnius, copying from the legend of Geoffrey of Monmouth, attributes the building of this city, which he calls Caerwyse, or the city on the Usk, to Belinus, whom the Britons called Beli Mawr, or the Great, upwards of three hundred and fifty years

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