"Do not wonder, if he whom ye have
mentioned declares that the Scribes and Pharisees and doctors
amongst the
Jews prophesied concerning Christ; for Caiaphas said:
"It is expedient for us that one man die for the people:" but
asserts at the same time, that because he was high priest for that
year, he prophesied. Let no man therefore be lifted up, if he
prophesies, if he merits prescience; for prophecies shall fail,
tongues shall cease, knowledge shall vanish away; and now abideth,
faith, hope, and charity: these three; but the greatest of these
is Charity, which never faileth. But these bad men not only
prophesied, but sometimes performed great miracles, which others
could not accomplish. John the Baptist, who was so great a
personage, performed no miracle, as John the Evangelist testifies:
"And many came to Jesus and said, Because John wrought no signs,"
etc. Nor do we hear that the mother of God performed any miracle;
we read in the Acts of the Apostles, that the sons of Sheva cast
out devils in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preached; and in Matthew
and Luke we may find these words: "Many shall say unto me in that
day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy
name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful
works? and then I will profess unto them, I never knew you." And
in another place, John says: "Master, we saw a certain man casting
out devils in thy name, and forbade him, because he followeth not
with us." But Jesus said: "Forbid him not; no man can do a
miracle in my name, and speak evil of me; for whoever is not
against me, is for me."
Alexander of Macedon, a gentile, traversed the Caspian mountains,
and miraculously confined ten tribes within their promontories,
where they still remain, and will continue until the coming of
Elias and Enoch. We read, indeed, the prophecies of Merlin, but
hear nothing either of his sanctity or his miracles. Some say,
that the prophets, when they prophesied, did not become frantic, as
it is affirmed of Merlin Silvestris, and others possessed, whom we
have before mentioned. Some prophesied by dreams, visions, and
enigmatical sayings, as Ezechiel and Daniel; others by acts and
words, as Noah, in the construction of the ark, alluded to the
church; Abraham, in the slaying of his son, to the passion of
Christ; and Moses by his speech, when he said, "A prophet shall the
Lord God raise up to you of your brethren; hear him;" meaning
Christ. Others have prophesied in a more excellent way by the
internal revelation and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as David
did when persecuted by Saul: "When Saul heard that David had fled
to Naioth (which is a hill in Ramah, and the seat of the prophets),
he sent messengers to take him; and when they saw the company of
the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing at their head, the
Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also
prophesied; and he sent messengers a second and again a third time,
and they also prophesied. And Saul enraged went thither also; and
the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied
until he came to Naioth, and he stripped off his royal vestments,
and prophesied with the rest for all that day and all that night;
whilst David and Samuel secretly observed what passed." Nor is it
wonderful that those persons who suddenly receive the Spirit of
God, and so signal a mark of grace, should for a time seem
alienated from their earthly state of mind.
CHAPTER XVII
Their love of high birth and ancient genealogy
The Welsh esteem noble birth and generous descent above all things,
(25) and are, therefore, more desirous of marrying into noble than
rich families. Even the common people retain their genealogy, and
can not only readily recount the names of their grandfathers and
great-grandfathers, but even refer back to the sixth or seventh
generation, or beyond them, in this manner: Rhys, son of Gruffydd,
son of Rhys, son of Tewdwr, son of Eineon, son of Owen, son of
Howel, son of Cadell, son of Roderic Mawr, and so on.
Being particularly attached to family descent, they revenge with
vehemence the injuries which may tend to the disgrace of their
blood; and being naturally of a vindictive and passionate
disposition, they are ever ready to avenge not only recent but
ancient affronts; they neither inhabit towns, villages, nor
castles, but lead a solitary life in the woods, on the borders of
which they do not erect sumptuous palaces, nor lofty stone
buildings, but content themselves with small huts made of the
boughs of trees twisted together, constructed with little labour
and expense, and sufficient to endure throughout the year. They
have neither orchards nor gardens, but gladly eat the fruit of both
when given to them. The greater part of their land is laid down to
pasturage; little is cultivated, a very small quantity is
ornamented with flowers, and a still smaller is sown. They seldom
yoke less than four oxen to their ploughs; the driver walks before,
but backwards, and when he falls down, is frequently exposed to
danger from the refractory oxen. Instead of small sickles in
mowing, they make use of a moderate-sized piece of iron formed like
a knife, with two pieces of wood fixed loosely and flexibly to the
head, which they think a more expeditious instrument; but since
"Segnius irritant animos demissa per aures,
Quam quae sunt oculis subjecta fidelibus,"
their mode of using it will be better known by inspection than by
any description. The boats (26) which they employ in fishing or in
crossing the rivers are made of twigs, not oblong nor pointed, but
almost round, or rather triangular, covered both within and without
with raw hides. When a salmon thrown into one of these boats
strikes it hard with his tail, he often oversets it, and endangers
both the vessel and its navigator.
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