{155}
Beyond Lleyn, There Is A Small Island Inhabited By Very Religious
Monks, Called Caelibes, Or Colidei.
This island, either from the
wholesomeness of its climate, owing to its vicinity to Ireland, or
rather from some miracle obtained by the merits of the saints, has
this wonderful peculiarity, that the oldest people die first,
because diseases are uncommon, and scarcely any die except from
extreme old age.
Its name is Enlli in the Welsh, and Berdesey {156}
in the Saxon language; and very many bodies of saints are said to be
buried there, and amongst them that of Daniel, bishop of Bangor.
The archbishop having, by his sermon the next day, induced many
persons to take the cross, we proceeded towards Banchor, passing
through Caernarvon, {157} that is, the castle of Arvon; it is called
Arvon, the province opposite to Mon, because it is so situated with
respect to the island of Mona. Our road leading us to a steep
valley, {158} with many broken ascents and descents, we dismounted
from our horses, and proceeded on foot, rehearsing, as it were, by
agreement, some experiments of our intended pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Having traversed the valley, and reached the opposite side with
considerable fatigue, the archbishop, to rest himself and recover
his breath, sat down on an oak which had been torn up by the
violence of the winds; and relaxing into a pleasantry highly
laudable in a person of his approved gravity, thus addressed his
attendants: "Who amongst you, in this company, can now delight our
wearied ears by whistling?" which is not easily done by people out
of breath. He affirming that he could, if he thought fit, the sweet
notes are heard, in an adjoining wood, of a bird, which some said
was a woodpecker, and others, more correctly, an aureolus. The
woodpecker is called in French, spec, and with its strong bill,
perforates oak trees; the other bird in called aureolus, from the
golden tints of its feathers, and at certain seasons utters a sweet
whistling note instead of a song. Some persons having remarked,
that the nightingale was never heard in this country, the
archbishop, with a significant smile, replied, "The nightingale
followed wise counsel, and never came into Wales; but we, unwise
counsel, who have penetrated and gone through it." We remained that
night at Banchor, {159} the metropolitan see of North Wales, and
were well entertained by the bishop of the diocese. {160} On the
next day, mass being celebrated by the archbishop before the high
altar, the bishop of that see, at the instance of the archbishop and
other persons, more importunate than persuasive, was compelled to
take the cross, to the general concern of all his people of both
sexes, who expressed their grief on this occasion by loud and
lamentable vociferations.
CHAPTER VII
The island of Mona
From hence, we crossed over a small arm of the sea to the island of
Mona, {161} distant from thence about two miles, where Roderic, the
younger son of Owen, attended by nearly all the inhabitants of the
island, and many others from the adjacent countries, came in a
devout manner to meet us. Confession having been made in a place
near the shore, where the surrounding rocks seemed to form a natural
theatre, {162} many persons were induced to take the cross, by the
persuasive discourses of the archbishop, and Alexander, our
interpreter, archdeacon of that place, and of Sisillus, abbot of
Stratflur. Many chosen youths of the family of Roderic were seated
on an opposite rock, and not one of them could be prevailed upon to
take the cross, although the archbishop and others most earnestly
exhorted them, but in vain, by an address particularly directed to
them. It came to pass within three days, as if by divine vengeance,
that these young men, with many others, pursued some robbers of that
country. Being discomfited and put to flight, some were slain,
others mortally wounded, and the survivors voluntarily assumed that
cross they had before despised. Roderic, also, who a short time
before had incestuously married the daughter of Rhys, related to him
by blood in the third degree, in order, by the assistance of that
prince, to be better able to defend himself against the sons of his
brothers, whom he had disinherited, not paying attention to the
wholesome admonitions of the archbishop on this subject, was a
little while afterwards dispossessed of all his lands by their
means; thus deservedly meeting with disappointment from the very
source from which he expected support. The island of Mona contains
three hundred and forty-three vills, considered equal to three
cantreds. Cantred, a compound word from the British and Irish
languages, is a portion of land equal to one hundred vills. There
are three islands contiguous to Britain, on its different sides,
which are said to be nearly of an equal size - the Isle of Wight on
the south, Mona on the west, and Mania (Man) on the north-west side.
The two first are separated from Britain by narrow channels; the
third is much further removed, lying almost midway between the
countries of Ulster in Ireland and Galloway in Scotland. The island
of Mona is an arid and stony land, rough and unpleasant in its
appearance, similar in its exterior qualities to the land of
Pebidion, {163} near St. David's, but very different as to its
interior value. For this island is incomparably more fertile in
corn than any other part of Wales, from whence arose the British
proverb, "Mon mam Cymbry, Mona mother of Wales;" and when the crops
have been defective in all other parts of the country, this island,
from the richness of its soil and abundant produce, has been able to
supply all Wales.
As many things within this island are worthy of remark, I shall not
think it superfluous to make mention of some of them. There is a
stone here resembling a human thigh, {164} which possesses this
innate virtue, that whatever distance it may be carried, it returns,
of its own accord, the following night, as has often been
experienced by the inhabitants.
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