though through themselves) "that Mahel was none of Neumarch's son, but begotten on her in adultery." This, if true, spake her dishonesty; if false, her perjury; true or false, her peerless impudence. Hereby she disinherited her son, and settled a vast territory on Sibyl her sole daughter, married afterwards to Milo earl of Hereford. THE FAREWELL. When Mr. Speed, in pursuance of his description of England, passed this county, no fewer than eight, who had been bailiffs of Brecknock, gave him courteous entertainment. This doth confirm the character I have so often heard of the Welch hospitality. Thus giving them their due praise on just occasion, I hope, that the British reader will the better digest it, if he find some passages altogether as true as this, though nothing so pleasing to him, in our following Farewells. CARDIGANSHIRE. CARDIGANSHIRE is washed on the west with the Irish Sea, and parted from the neighbouring shires by rivers; and the reader will be careful that the similitude of their sounds betray him not to a mistake herein: 1. Dovi, severing it on the north from Merionethshire: 2. Tovy, on the east from Brecknockshire: 3. Tyvy, on the south from Carmarthen and Pembrokeshire. My author saith, "the form thereof is horn-like"* (wider towards the north); and I may say it hath a cornucopia therein of all things for man's sustenance, especially if industry be used. This county, though remotest from England, was soonest reduced to the English dominion, whilst the countries interposed maintained their liberty. The reason whereof was this: the English, being far more potent in shipping than the Welch, found it more facile to sail over the mountains of water (so the surges of the sea are termed by the poett) than march over the mountains of earth; and, by their fleet, invaded and conquered this county in the reign of Rufus; and Henry the First bestowed the same entirely upon Gilbert de Clare. NATURAL COMMODITIES. BEAVERS. Plenty of these formerly did breed in the river Tyvy, which (saith Giraldus Cambrensis) was the only place afforded them in all Britain. A cunning creature, yet reported by some men more crafty than he is; who relate that, being hunted, and in danger to be taken, he biteth off his stones, as useful in physic (for which only his life was then sought), and so escapeth. Hence some will have him called Castor, à castrando seipsum: and others add, that, having formerly bitten off his stones, he standeth upright, and sheweth the hunters that he hath none, that so they may surcease their pursuit of an unprofitable game. Hence it was, that, amongst the Egyptians, the beaver passeth for an hieroglyphic of him who hurteth himself; though by Alciate, the great emblematist, he is turned to another purpose, to teach men rather to part with their purses than their lives, and by their wealth to redeem themselves out of danger. Speed, in the Description of this County. +Quanti montes volvuntur aquarum."—(Ovidius.) The plain truth is, all those reports of the beaver are no better than vulgar errors, and are disproved both by sense and experience; for his stones are so placed in his body, as those of the boar, that it is impossible for himself with his teeth to touch them. And some maintain they cleave so fast to his back, they cannot be taken away without loss of his life. However, grant the story true, the gelding of himself would not serve his turn, or excuse the beaver from hunters now-adays, except he could also flea off his skin, the wool whereof is so commonly used for the making of hats. All that I will add is this, that what plenty soever there was of beavers in this county in the days of Giraldus, the breed of them now is quite destroyed, and neither fore foot of a beaver (which is like a dog's) nor hind foot (which is like a goose) to be seen therein. PROVERBS. Being well at leisure in this little county, we will observe (what indeed is general to all Wales) something proverbial, and conducing to our necessary information. "Talaeth, Talaeth."] In effect the same in English with "Fine, fine ;" when mothers and nurses are disposed to please their little ones in dressing them. Take the original thereof: when Roderick the Great divided Wales betwixt his three sons, into three dominions, North Wales, South Wales, and Powis ; he ordered, that each of them should wear upon his bonnet, or helmet, a coronet of gold, being a broad lace or head-band indented upwards, set and wrought with precious stones called in the British talaeth, and they from thence ytri twysoc talaethioc, that is, "the three crowned princes."* But now either the number of princes is well multiplied in Wales; or, which is truer, the honour of Talaeth is much diminished; that being so called wherewith a child's head is bound uppermost upon some other linen clothes. Thus the English have that which they call the crown of a cap. "Bu Arthur ond tra fu."] It is sad to That is, "Arthur was not, but whilst he was." say, "Nos fuimus Trojes." The greatest eminency when not extant is extinct. "The friar never loved what was good." "Ne thorres Arthur Nawd gwraig."] That is, "King Arthur did never violate the refuge of a woman." Arthur is notoriously known for the mirror of manhood. By the woman's refuge, many understand her tongue, and no valiant man will revenge her words with his blows: "Nullum memorabile nomen,-fœminii in pœnâ." "Calen Sais wrah Gymro."] That is, "The heart of an Englishman" (whom they call Saxons) "towards a Welchman." It is either applied to such who * Dr. Powell, in his History of Wales, p. 36. are possessed with prejudice, or only carry an outward compliance without cordial affection. We must remember this proverb origined whilst England and Wales were at deadly feud, there being better love betwixt them since the union of the nations. "Ni Cheitw Cymbro oni Gollo."] That is, "The Welchman keeps nothing until he hath lost it." The historical truth thereof is plain in the British Chronicles, that when the British recovered the lost castles from the English, they doubled their diligence and valour, keeping them more tenaciously than before. "A fo pen, bid bont."] That is, "He that will be a head, let him be a bridge." It is founded on a fictitious tradition thus commonly told: Benigridran, a Briton, is said to have carried an army over into Ireland; his men came to a river over which neither was bridge nor ferry; hereupon he was fain to carry all his men over the river on his own back. To lesson men not to affect the empty title of a general, except they can supply their soldiers with all necessaries: be their wardrobe in want of clothes; kitchen in want of meat, &c. Thus honour hath ever a great burden attending it. We will conclude these general proverbs of Wales with a custom which was ancient in this nation. They had a kind of play, wherein the stronger who prevailed, put the weaker into a sack; and hence we have borrowed our English by-word to express such betwixt whom there is apparent odds of strength, "He is able to put him up in a bag.” THE FAREWELL. It is observable, what a creditable author reporteth,† that there was in this county a city (once an episcopal see) called Llan-Badern-Vaure, that is, Llan-Baderne the Great, which city is now dwindled to nothing. Reader, by the way, I observe that cities surnamed the Great come to Little at last, as if God were offended with so ambitious an epithet: "Sidon the Great," "Nineveh the Great,"§ "Babylon the Great,|| it is fallen," &c. But the cause of the ruin of this city was for their cruel killing of their bishop, which provoked divine justice against them. I hope the Welsh, warned herewith, will for the future demean themselves with due respect to such persons; and am confirmed in my confidence from their commendable proverb, Na difanco y Beriglawr; " Vilify not thy parish priest;" and then much more ought the bishop to be respected. * Dr. Davis, in his Proverbs, litera Ch. Roger Hoveden, and out of him Mr. Camden in this County. Josh. xi. 8. § Jonah iii. 2. Revel. xviii. 2. CARMARTHENSHIRE. Carmarthenshire hath Pembrokeshire on the west, the Severn sea on the south, Cardiganshire on the north, Brecknock and Glamorgan-shires on the east. The mountains therein are neither so many nor high as in the neighbouring counties, affording plenty of grass, grain, wood, fish, and what not? Besides, nature here giveth the inhabitants both meat and stomach; the sharpness of the air breeding an appetite in them. There is a place in this county called Golden-grove, which I confess is no Ophir, or land of Havilah, yielding no gold in specie, but plentifully affording those rich commodities, which quickly may be converted thereunto; and the pleasure is no less than the profit thereof., It is the possession of the right honourable Richard Vaughan, baron of Emelor in England, and earl of Carberry in Ireland. He well deserveth to be owner of Golden-grove, who so often hath used a golden hand, in plentiful relieving many eminent divines during the late sequestration. This county affording no peculiar COMMODITIES, let us proceed to WONDERS. Giraldus Cambrensis reporteth a fountain to be in this county (let he himself find it out, and justify it) which, conformable to the sea, ebbeth and floweth twice in four-and-twenty hours. But seeing this in a maritime shire, possibly there may be a more than ordinary communication betwixt it and the ocean, and then the wonder is not so great. More credibly it is related, that there are in this shire strange subterranean vaults, conceived the castles of routed people in the civil wars. And no wonder, seeing David first set up in a defensive posture for himself in the cave of Adullum; so that, having no place where he could safely set the sole of his foot above ground, all his present help was under the earth, and future hope was above the heavens. MARTYRS. ROBERT FARRAR, an Englishman by birth, but where born unknown, was a prime martyr of this county. A man not unlearned, but somewhat indiscreet, or rather uncomplying, which procured him much trouble; so that he may be said, with Saint |