GLAMORGANSHIRE. GLAMORGANSHIRE hath the Severn sea on the south, Carmarthen on the west, Brecknock on the north, Monmouthshire (severed by the river Remney falling from the mountains, which in the British tongue signifieth to drive) on the east thereof. The north of this county is so full of mountains, that almost nothing is to be had; the south is so fruitful a valley, nothing at all is wanting therein. Indeed it is the garden of Wales; and I am informed, that at Saint Donat's in this shire (an ancient house of the right worshipful family of the Stradlings) groweth as good fruit, and as soon ripe, as in any part of England. Mr. Camden will have it so called (though others affirm one Morgan a prince thereof gave his name thereunto) from mor, the British word for the sea, as agreeing to its situation. THE WONDERS. Giraldus Cambrensis reports that in the Island Barrey (termed so from Baruch, an holy man that was there buried,) three miles from the mouth of Taff, there appeareth a chink in a rock, or cliff, to which if you lay your ear, you may easily discover a noise, not altogether unlike to smiths at work, one while blowing of the bellows, another while striking of the hammer, the grinding of iron tools, the hissing of steel gads, yea the puffing noise of fire in a furnace. I must confess myself at a loss for the reason thereof; for it cannot proceed from the close stealing in of the sea water, as some have supposed; seeing the same noise continueth even at a low ebb, when the sea is departed. There is also at Newton, on the bank of Ogmore westward, a well, the water whereof is so low at the flowing of the sea in summer, you can scarce get up a dish full of the same; whereas at the ebb thereof you may easily recover a pail or bucket full. Mr. Camden, doubting of the truth, made his own eyes witnesses herein, finding it true according to the common relation, adding withal that it is the same though not so discernible by reason of the accession of much rain-water in winter.* CIVILIANS. Sir EDWARD CARNE is here placed with confidence, because In his Britannia, in this county. assured to be a Welchman ;* and I find his family flourishing at Wenny in this county. He was bred (I believe in Oxford) doctor of the civil law; and was knighted by Charles the Fifth, emperor.‡ The first public service he eminently appeared in was, when king Henry the Eighth, having intelligence of the Pope's intention shortly to cite him to appear at Rome either in person or proxy, despatched him thither for his excusator, to remonstrate that his grace was not bound by law so to appear.§ This he effectually performed; pleading, that the emperor was so powerful at Rome, that he could not expect justice: declaring that, unless they desisted, he must appeal thence to the able men in some indifferent universities; and if this were refused, he protested a nullity in all that they did; a behaviour which spake him of no less valour than ability. Queen Mary highly prized him, and no whit the less for his cordial appearing for king Henry in the matter of her mother's divorce; imputing it to the discharge of his credit and calling, in him who otherwise was a thorough-paced Romanist, and whom she employed her ambassador to the Pope. After her death, he still resided at Rome; and, by command from queen Elizabeth, repaired to Pope Paul the Fourth, to give him an account that his mistress was called to the crown of England; to whom the Pope returned, "that England was a fee of the church of Rome; and that she could not succeed, as illegitimate."|| A strange reply to a civil message, and fitting his mouth, with whom it was a usual saying, "that he would have no prince in his companion, but all subject under his foot."¶ Besides, he commanded Sir Edward Carne to lay down the office of an ambassador; and, under the pain of the greater excommunication,** and confiscation of all his goods, not to go out of the city, but to take on him the regiment of the English hospital therein. So that I see not how queen Elizabeth can be taxed by the Papists for a Schismatic, and wilful breach from the church of Rome, being thrust away thence by the Pope himself, so barbarously treating her ambassador (whilst as yet she had made no alteration in religion) against the law of nations; though, I confess, some conceive that the crafty old knight was (such his addiction to Popery) well contented with his restraint, wherein he died, 1561. THE FAREWELL. I heartily congratulate the return of the name (and with it • Camden's Elizabeth, anno 1559. Camden's Elizabeth, anno 1561. † Gwillim's Display. Lord Herbert, in the Life of King Henry the VIII. Ibid. paulò ante eod. of the see) to Llandaff in this county. Sure I am, our civil wars hath deprived it of the better moiety of its appellation Land, leaving bare aff thereunto. I am not ignorant that Llandaff, in British, is the church by Taff, though that church I fear will not stand long that hath lost its ground. Happy therefore is it, that now Llandaff may be truly termed Llandaff, having through God's goodness (and long may it possess them) regained its ancient lands and revenues. MERIONETHSHIRE. MERIONETHSHIRE (in Latin Mervinia) hath the sea on the west side; on the south (for certain miles together) Cardiganshire, severed by the river Douy; and on the north bounded upon Carnarvon and Denbigh-shire. It is extremely mountainous; yea (if true what Giraldus Cambrensis reporteth thereof) so high the hills therein, that men may discourse one with the other on the tops thereof, and yet hardly meet (beneath in the valley) in a day's time. Yet are not the mountains altogether useless, feeding great numbers of sheep thereon. Mr. Camden takes especial notice of the beauty and comeliness of the inhabitants of this shire. Nor must it be forgot that there is a place at this day called Le Herbert,-upon this account: when the unhappy difference raged betwixt the houses of York and Lancaster, David ap Jenkin ap Enion, a stout and resolute gentleman (who took part with the house of Lancaster) valiantly defended the castle Arleck against king Edward the Fourth, until Sir William Herbert (afterwards earl of Pembroke) with great difficulty made his passage unto it, and so furiously stormed it, that immediately it was surrendered. WONDERS. There is a lake in this county, called in British Lhin-tegid, in English Pimble-mear, which may be termed our Leman-lake, having the same work of wonder therein, though set forth by nature in a less letter: for as Rhodanus, running through the French lake, preserveth his stream by itself (discernible by the discoloration thereof) with the fishes peculiar thereunto; the same is here observed betwixt the river Dee, and the water of the lake ;* so that here is (what some cavil at in the grammar) a conjunction disjunctive. Let philosophers dispute what invisible partition encloseth the one severally from the other. I have heard some, by way of similitude, apply it to such who, being casually cast into bad company, lie at such a cautious posture of defence, that they keep their own innocency entire, not maculated with the mixture of their bad manners, as rather being in than of their society. We must not forget another strange quality of Pimble-mear; viz. it swelleth not with all the waters, and those very many, VOL. III. Camden's Britannia, in Merionethshire. 2 N which fall therein by the bordering mountains, whereas a blast of wind will quickly make it mount above the bounds and banks thereof;* like some strange dispositions, not so much incensed with blows, as provoked by words (accounted, but wind) into passion. I know not whether it be worth the relating, what is known for a truth of a market-town called Dogelthy in this shire, that, 1. The walls thereof are three 1. The mountains which surround it. miles high. 2. Men come into it over the water, but 3. Go out of it under the water. 4. The steeple thereof doth grow therein. 5. There are more alehouses than houses. 2. On a fair bridge. 3. Falling from a rock, and conveyed in a wooden trough (under which travellers must make shift to pass) to drive an overshot mill. 4. The bells (if plural) hang in an yew tree. 5. Tenements are divided into two or more tippling houses and chimneyless barns used to that purpose. This last I had mediately from the mouth of a judge, in his charge condemning the same. SAINTS. [AMP.] Saint THELIAN was of British extraction, and placed here until with certainty he can be removed to another county. He was bred under Dubritius bishop of Llandaff, by whose holy care he attained to a competent learning and exemplary sanctity. Great his acquaintance and intimacy with Saint David, bishop of Menevia. In his days the Picts harassed his country. He was much envied for his holiness by one of their chief commanders, who sent two lewd strumpets, supposing by their tempting tricks to entrap this holy man.† These women counterfeiting madness (whereby they might assume the more liberty to themselves of filthy discourse) returned distracted indeed,‡ not having understanding enough to relate the cause of their sad misfortune; which wrought so much upon the first designer of their practices, that he received the faith, and was baptized, and ever after had a great veneration and esteem for this our Saint. He accompanied Saint David to Jerusalem; and, returning into his own country, by his fervent prayers freed the same from the plague, wherewith it was then much infested. His death happened February the ninth, about the year of our Lord 563. • Camden's Britannia, in Merionethshire. In the Flowers of English Saints, p. 150. Idem, ibidem. |