It Is Worthy Of Remark, That Barnabas Placed The Gospel Of St.
Matthew Upon Sick Persons, And They Were Healed;
From which, as well
as from the foregoing circumstance, it appears how great a dignity
and reverence is due to
The sacred books of the gospel, and with
what danger and risk of damnation every one who swears falsely by
them, deviates from the paths of truth. The fall of Enoch, abbot of
Strata Marcella, {76} too well known in Wales, was revealed to many
the day after it happened, by Melerius, who, being asked how he knew
this circumstance, said, that a demon came to him disguised as a
hunter, and, exulting in the prospect of such a victory, foretold
the ruin of the abbot, and explained in what manner he would make
him run away with a nun from the monastery. The end in view was
probably the humiliation and correction of the abbot, as was proved
from his shortly returning home so humbled and amended, that he
scarcely could be said to have erred. Seneca says, "He falls not
badly, who rises stronger from his fall." Peter was more strenuous
after his denial of Christ, and Paul after being stoned; since,
where sin abounds, there will grace also superabound. Mary Magdalen
was strengthened after her frailty. He secretly revealed to Canon,
the good and religious abbot of Alba-domus, his opinion of a certain
woman whom he had seen; upon which the holy man confessed, with
tears in his eyes, his predilection for her, and received from three
priests the discipline of incontinence. For as that long and
experienced subtle enemy, by arguing from certain conjectural signs,
may foretell future by past events, so by insidious treachery and
contrivance, added to exterior appearances, he may sometimes be able
to discover the interior workings of the mind.
At the same time there was in Lower Gwent a demon incubus, who, from
his love for a certain young woman, and frequenting the place where
she lived, often conversed with men, and frequently discovered
hidden things and future events. Melerius being interrogated
concerning him, said he knew him well, and mentioned his name. He
affirmed that unclean spirits conversed with mankind before war, or
any great internal disturbance, which was shortly afterwards proved,
by the destruction of the province by Howel, son of Iorwerth of
Caerleon. At the same time, when king Henry II., having taken the
king of Scotland prisoner, had restored peace to his kingdom, Howel,
fearful of the royal revenge for the war he had waged, was relieved
from his difficulties by these comfortable words of Melerius: "Fear
not," says he, "Howel, the wrath of the king, since he must go into
other parts. An important city which he possesses beyond sea is now
besieged by the king of France, on which account he will postpone
every other business, and hasten thither with all possible
expedition." Three days afterwards, Howel received advice that this
event had really come to pass, owing to the siege of the city of
Rouen. He forewarned also Howel of the betraying of his castle at
Usk, a long time before it happened, and informed him that he should
be wounded, but not mortally; and that he should escape alive from
the town. In this alone he was deceived, for he soon after died of
the same wound. Thus does that archenemy favour his friends for a
time, and thus does he at last reward them.
In all these singular events it appears to me most wonderful that he
saw those spirits so plainly with his carnal eyes, because spirits
cannot be discerned by the eyes of mortals, unless they assume a
corporeal substance; but if in order to be seen they had assumed
such a substance, how could they remain unperceived by other persons
who were present? Perhaps they were seen by such a miraculous
vision as when king Balthazar saw the hand of one writing on the
wall, "Mane, Techel, Phares," that is, weighed, numbered, divided;
who in the same night lost both his kingdom and his life. But
Cambria well knows how in these districts, from a blind desire of
dominion, a total dissolution of the endearing ties of
consanguinity, and a bad and depraved example diffused throughout
the country, good faith has been so shamefully perverted and abused.
CHAPTER VI
Newport and Caerdyf
At Newport, where the river Usk, descending from its original source
in Cantref Bachan, falls into the sea, many persons were induced to
take the cross. Having passed the river Remni, we approached the
noble castle of Caerdyf, {77} situated on the banks of the river
Taf. In the neighbourhood of Newport, which is in the district of
Gwentluc, {78} there is a small stream called Nant Pencarn, {79}
passable only at certain fords, not so much owing to the depth of
its waters, as from the hollowness of its channel and muddy bottom.
The public road led formerly to a ford, called Ryd Pencarn, that is,
the ford under the head of a rock, from Rhyd, which in the British
language signifies a ford, Pen, the head, and Cam, a rock; of which
place Merlin Sylvester had thus prophesied: "Whenever you shall see
a mighty prince with a freckled face make an hostile irruption into
the southern part of Britain, should he cross the ford of Pencarn,
then know ye, that the force of Cambria shall be brought low." Now
it came to pass in our times, that king Henry II. took up arms
against Rhys, the son of Gruffydd, and directed his march through
the southern part of Wales towards Caermardyn. On the day he
intended to pass over Nant Pentcarn, the old Britons of the
neighbourhood watched his approach towards the ford with the utmost
solicitude; knowing, since he was both mighty and freckled, that if
the passage of the destined ford was accomplished, the prophecy
concerning him would undoubtedly be fulfilled. When the king had
followed the road leading to a more modern ford of the river (the
old one spoken of in the prophecy having been for a long time in
disuse), and was preparing to pass over, the pipers and trumpeters,
called Cornhiriet, from HIR, long, and CORNU, a horn, began to sound
their instruments on the opposite bank, in honour of the king.
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