The Commander Of The Expedition, Magnus, Standing On The
Prow Of The Foremost Ship, Aimed An Arrow At Him; And,
Although the
earl was completely equipped in a coat of mail, and guarded in every
part of his body except
His eyes, the unlucky weapon struck his
right eye, and, entering his brain, he fell a lifeless corpse into
the sea. The victor, seeing him in this state, proudly and
exultingly exclaimed, in the Danish tongue, "Leit loup," let him
leap; and from this time the power of the English ceased in
Anglesey. In our times, also, when Henry II. was leading an army
into North Wales, where he had experienced the ill fortune of war in
a narrow, woody pass near Coleshulle, he sent a fleet into Anglesey,
and began to plunder the aforesaid church, and other sacred places.
But the divine vengeance pursued him, for the inhabitants rushed
upon the invaders, few against many, unarmed against armed; and
having slain great numbers, and taken many prisoners, gained a most
complete and bloody victory. For, as our Topography of Ireland
testifies, that the Welsh and Irish are more prone to anger and
revenge than any other nations, the saints, likewise, of those
countries appear to be of a more vindictive nature.
Two noble persons, and uncles of the author of this book, were sent
thither by the king; namely, Henry, son of king Henry I., and uncle
to king Henry II., by Nest, daughter of Rhys, prince of South Wales;
and Robert Fitz-Stephen, brother to Henry, a man who in our days,
shewing the way to others, first attacked Ireland, and whose fame is
recorded in our Vaticinal History. Henry, actuated by too much
valour, and ill supported, was pierced by a lance, and fell amongst
the foremost, to the great concern of his attendants; and Robert,
despairing of being able to defend himself, was badly wounded, and
escaped with difficulty to the ships.
There is a small island, almost adjoining to Anglesey, which is
inhabited by hermits, living by manual labour, and serving God. It
is remarkable that when, by the influence of human passions, any
discord arises among them, all their provisions are devoured and
infected by a species of small mice, with which the island abounds;
but when the discord ceases, they are no longer molested. Nor is it
to be wondered at, if the servants of God sometimes disagree, since
Jacob and Esau contended in the womb of Rebecca, and Paul and
Barnabas differed; the disciples also of Jesus disputed which of
them should be the greatest, for these are the temptations of human
infirmity; yet virtue is often made perfect by infirmity, and faith
is increased by tribulations. This island is called in Welsh, Ynys
Lenach, {167} or the ecclesiastical island, because many bodies of
saints are deposited there, and no woman is suffered to enter it.
We saw in Anglesey a dog, who accidentally had lost his tail, and
whose whole progeny bore the same defect.
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