Of the passage by Deganwy and Ruthlan, and the see of Lanelwy, and
of Coleshulle
Having crossed the river Conwy, {173} or rather an arm of the sea,
under Deganwy, leaving the Cistercian monastery of Conwy {174} on
the western bank of the river to our right hand, we arrived at
Ruthlan, a noble castle on the river Cloyd, belonging to David, the
eldest son of Owen {175} where, at the earnest invitation of David
himself, we were handsomely entertained that night.
There is a spring not far from Ruthlan, in the province of Tegengel,
{176} which not only regularly ebbs and flows like the sea, twice in
twenty-four hours, but at other times frequently rises and falls
both by night and day. Trogus Pompeius says, "that there is a town
of the Garamantes, where there is a spring which is hot and cold
alternately by day and night." {177}
Many persons in the morning having been persuaded to dedicate
themselves to the service of Christ, we proceeded from Ruthlan to
the small cathedral church of Lanelwy; {178} from whence (the
archbishop having celebrated mass) we continued our journey through
a country rich in minerals of silver, where money is sought in the
bowels of the earth, to the little cell of Basinwerk, {179} where we
passed the night. The following day we traversed a long quicksand,
and not without some degree of apprehension, leaving the woody
district of Coleshulle, {180} or hill of coal, on our right hand,
where Henry II., who in our time, actuated by youthful and
indiscreet ardour, made a hostile irruption into Wales, and
presuming to pass through that narrow and woody defile, experienced
a signal defeat, and a very heavy loss of men. {181} The aforesaid
king invaded Wales three times with an army; first, North Wales at
the above-mentioned place; secondly, South Wales, by the sea-coast
of Glamorgan and Goer, penetrating as far as Caermarddin and
Pencadair, and returning by Ellennith and Melenith; and thirdly, the
country of Powys, near Oswaldestree; but in all these expeditions
the king was unsuccessful, because he placed no confidence in the
prudent and well-informed chieftains of the country, but was
principally advised by people remote from the marches, and ignorant
of the manners and customs of the natives. In every expedition, as
the artificer is to be trusted in his trade, so the advice of those
people should be consulted, who, by a long residence in the country,
are become conversant with the manners and customs of the natives;
and to whom it is of high importance that the power of the hostile
nation, with whom, by a long and continued warfare, they have
contracted an implacable enmity and hatred, should be weakened or
destroyed, as we have set forth in our Vaticinal History.
In this wood of Coleshulle, a young Welshman was killed while
passing through the king's army; the greyhound who accompanied him
did not desert his master's corpse for eight days, though without
food; but faithfully defended it from the attacks of dogs, wolves,
and birds of prey, with a wonderful attachment. What son to his
father, what Nisus to Euryalus, what Polynices to Tydeus, what
Orestes to Pylades, would have shewn such an affectionate regard?
As a mark of favour to the dog, who was almost starved to death, the
English, although bitter enemies to the Welsh, ordered the body, now
nearly putrid, to be deposited in the ground with the accustomed
offices of humanity.
CHAPTER XI
Of the passage of the River Dee, and of Chester
Having crossed the river Dee below Chester, (which the Welsh call
Doverdwy), on the third day before Easter, or the day of absolution
(holy Thursday), we reached Chester. As the river Wye towards the
south separates Wales from England, so the Dee near Chester forms
the northern boundary. The inhabitants of these parts assert, that
the waters of this river change their fords every month, and, as it
inclines more towards England or Wales, they can, with certainty,
prognosticate which nation will be successful or unfortunate during
the year. This river derives its origin from the lake Penmelesmere,
{182} and, although it abounds with salmon, yet none are found in
the lake. It is also remarkable, that this river is never swollen
by rains, but often rises by the violence of the winds.
Chester boasts of being the burial-place of Henry, {183} a Roman
emperor, who, after having imprisoned his carnal and spiritual
father, pope Paschal, gave himself up to penitence; and, becoming a
voluntary exile in this country, ended his days in solitary
retirement. It is also asserted, that the remains of Harold are
here deposited. He was the last of the Saxon kings in England, and
as a punishment for his perjury, was defeated in the battle of
Hastings, fought against the Normans. Having received many wounds,
and lost his left eye by an arrow in that engagement, he is said to
have escaped to these parts, where, in holy conversation, leading
the life of an anchorite, and being a constant attendant at one of
the churches of this city, he is believed to have terminated his
days happily. {184} The truth of these two circumstances was
declared (and not before known) by the dying confession of each
party. We saw here, what appeared novel to us, cheese made of
deer's milk; for the countess and her mother keeping tame deer,
presented to the archbishop three small cheeses made from their
milk.
In this same country was produced, in our time, a cow partaking of
the nature of a stag, resembling its mother in the fore parts and
the stag in its hips, legs, and feet, and having the skin and colour
of the stag; but, partaking more of the nature of the domestic than
of the wild animal, it remained with the herd of cattle. A bitch
also was pregnant by a monkey, and produced a litter of whelps
resembling a monkey before, and the dog behind; which the rustic
keeper of the military hall seeing with astonishment and abhorrence,
immediately killed with the stick he carried in his hand; thereby
incurring the severe resentment and anger of his lord, when the
latter became acquainted with the circumstance.
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