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WINDOW FROM BASINWERK ABBEY IN LLANASSA CHURCH, FLINT.

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1825.]

Painted Window from Basingwerk Abbey.

This city is celebrated in the page of history for heroic defences made against rebellious armies and ferocious invaders. The pretender, PERKIN WARBECK, was gallantly repulsed from its walls raised in the time of ATHELSTAN. In reward for such loyalty and bravery, the Seventh Henry granted a charter of immunities; presesented his own sword to the Mayor, and gave a hat or cap of liberty to be worn on all public occasions. The Mayor and Corporation enter the Cathedral, preceded by the Swordbearer wearing this hat on his head, within the Choir, and does not take it off, till he has deposited the sword before the Mayor, close to the throne of the Bishop. In like manner, he wears this hat in the HOUSE OF GOD, in marching in front of the procession leaving the Cathedral*, The Church-rubrick permits no person to wear a hat within the Temple of the Deity; the infirm only being allowed to use a description of nightcap. Henry the Seventh was rather a religious Monarch, who would not sanction an impious custom and if we are to suppose that Roman Catholics in those days, acted thus, surely Protestants are forbid to follow so shocking an example. Probably some of your Correspondents can inform us, whether such an extraordinary custom be prevalent in any other Protestant place of worship? JOHN MACDONALD,

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The Church, dedicated to St. Asaph, is much more spacious than the generality of churches in the Principality, having been considerably enlarged since its first erection. It has two East windows, in the more ancient of which is placed some fine stained glass, represented in Plate II. This * It was remarked to George II. that at Court a privileged Nobleman wore his hat, on which the Monarch neatly observed, that the Peer forgot that Ladies were present. The Mayor and Corporation may apply this à priori, in an infinitely higher sense, to a practice that would certainly be better honoured in the breach than in the observance. GENT. MAG. November, 1825.

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glass is the more curious, from having originally adorned the neighbouring Abbey of Basingwerk. It obtained its present situation by the liberality of Henry ap Harry, of Llanassa, who, having purchased the house and lands of Basingwerk Abbey, on its dissolution in 1540, made this present to his own parish church.

The subject of the centre compartment is the Crucifixion, with St. Mary and St. John standing at the foot of the Cross.

The first compartment to the right of the plate exhibits a female saint, with no very remarkable or apparent symbol. It is probably Saint Anne, who was usually drawn with a book. The glass doubtlessly suffered much in its removal, and several parts are disarranged and misplaced. On each side of this figure we have a fragment of an inscription, on one of which occurs the usual incipient word, Ora, and on the other, Joan...

In the next division we have a Bi. shop bearing very apparently the pall of Canterbury. It may be intended for St. Augustine or St. Thomas à

Becket.

On the other side of the Crucifixion stands St. Lawrence, with his usual accompaniments, a book and gridiron.

In the last compartment is St. James the Less, with his inscription remaining, Danct' Jacob’. He has, as is usual, a book in his hand; behind his head, his pilgrim's hat, bearing an escallop shell, is thrown back; and under his arm remains part of his staff.

In the three rondeaux above the heads of the first, second, and last figures, are depicted the instruments and symbols of the Passion; in the first three immense nails between diminutive pincers and hammer; in the second, the five wounds of Christ; in the last, Judas's bag and Peter's cock.

Of the Rectory of Llanasaph the Bishop of St. Asaph is proprietor, and he is the patron of the Vicarage. Bp. Laurence Child procured in 1385 the impropriation of this Church to supply his Cathedral with lights, and to repair the ruins occasioned by the wars. The present worthy Vicar of Llanasaph is the Rev. Henry Parry.

By the marriage of Anne, only daughter and heiress of Henry ap Harry above mentioned, to William Mostyn, esq. of Talacre, the Priory of

Basing

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ON THE USE OF THE HISTORICAL

TRIADS.

THE Greek and Roman historians reputation as much to

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They may be considered (say the Editors) amongst the most valuable and curious productions preserved in the Welsh language; and they contain a great number of THE Greek and Roman historians memorials of the remarkable events which took place among the ancient Britons. Unfortunately, however, they are deficient with respect to dates; and, considered singly, they are not well adapted to preserve the connection of history. Yet, a collection of Triads, continued together as these are, condeuse more information into a small by any other method; and consequently compass, than is to be accomplished perhaps such a mode of composition is superior to all others for the formation of a system of tradition."

the beauties of their style, as to their accuracy. Their form is pleasing, and from being made the medium of education, they become our companions in the closet. But the discerning reader perceives that Herodotus abounds in fable, that Livy is frequently mistaken, and that such as cannot be charged with credulity, have an obvious bias in favour of their country. In other countries information is derived, not from chronicles, but from poetical and traditionary relicks. The Persians have their Shah Nameh, and the Hindoos their Mahabbarat; and the early events of our ancestors must be principally gleaned from the Historical Triads. Of these records the observations of Mr. Turner and the Editors of the Myvyrian Archaiology will supply the best account:

"The Welch have a very singular collection of historical facts, which they call TRIADS. Three events which have an analogy in some point or other, are arranged together. It is certainly a very whimsical

mode of commemorating events, but the actions of man are full of caprice. The fanciful rudeness of the plan may discredit the taste or judgment of its authors; but the veracity of the statement is not affected by the singularity of the form. If the Welsh have never had a Livy, or a Thucydides; if they have made Triads, instead of histories, we may blame the misdirection of their genius; but we cannot try the authenticity of a record by its taste and elegance, or what will become of our special pleading, our bills in equity, and our acts of parlia

ment*!

"The historical Triads have been obviously put together at very different periods. Some appear very ancient. Some allude to circumstances about the first population, and early history of the island, of which every other memorial has perished. The Triads were noticed by Camden with respect. Mr. Vaughan, the antiquary of

*Vindication of the Ancient British Poems, p. 126.

the munificence of Mr. Owen Jones, They were published, in 1801, by and have since been edited by Mr. Probert. Every elucidation which can now be obtained, will be found, Cambro-Briton, a respectable periodiwith a chronological digest, in the cal, conducted by the late Mr. Parry. One disadvantage they certainly possess: to enumerate precisely THREE circumstances, such as "the three accursed deeds of the Isle of Britain," it may often have been necessary to exaggerate, and sometimes to omit; so that the Triads must be regarded as detached notices rather than a complete series of records.

The Triads remount to the political circumstances of the Cymry before their supposed departure from Asia. Hu Gadaru, or The Mighty, whom some sanguine antiquaries have identified with Noah, is said to have formed them into social communities, to have instructed them in agriculture, servation of historical memorials. Unand to have adapted poetry to the preder his auspices, they reached an island, previously denominated Clás Merddin, or The Sea-defended Green Spot, and by the colonists, Vel Inys, or The Honey Isle. A federal monarchy was subsequently established by Prydain (a name signifying beautiful), from whom the island is said to have derived its present (though altered) appellation of Britain.

+ P. 131.

Poetry

1825.]

On the use of the Historical Triads.

Poetry was early reduced to a system by Tydain, surnamed Tad Awen, or The Father of the Muse. This personage has been supposed the same with the Celtic Thoth, or Theutat, and the Egyptian Hermes. The current regulations were first consolidated into a body of laws, by Dynval Moelmud, about four hundred years before the Christian æra. Subsequently, but at an uncertain period, the Jury, the Judicial office, and the Regal power, were declared the three pillars of the commonwealth.

About the same time a spirit of emigration began to actuate the northern nations. The Belgæ, forsaking their native abodes on the Rhine, passed into Britain, and settled in the western and southern parts. A Scandinavian, called Urb Lluyddoe, came hither, and induced considerable numbers to accompany him to Greece, where he and his followers are held to have settled: this event appears to relate to the great movement westward of the Gauls (whom many Britons might accompany), and their final establishment in Asia, under the name of Galatians.

During the century before Christ, the Britons seem to have acquired whatever domestic civilization they possessed: the art of shipbuilding was invented or learned by Corvinor, a bard; wheat and barley were introduced by Coll; and building with stone by Mordhai. About the middle of that period, in the reign of Keraint, Siluria, or Southern Wales, was visited by a terrible famine.

Caswallon, (the Cassivelannus of Cæsar) then reigned in Gwynnedd, or North Wales: having repelled a body of Irish, who had invaded his dominions, with considerable slaughter, the bodies of the slain remaining unburied, were the cause of a pestilence. He signalised himself against Cæsar in Gaul, whither he went to assist the natives, or, according to another Triad, to obtain the beautiful Flur, B. C. 55. Britain was in consequence invaded,

Mr. E. Jones (Musical and Poetical Relics, p. 6), supposes some lines in praise of Beli, to have been made on the father of Caswallon, and considers them as the earliest specimen extant. But the name of their author, Salhaiarn, limits them to the fifth or sixth century. The same may be said of the Ode to Gwalloe ap Lleenog, whom Mr. Jones and Baxter confounded with the Galgacus of Tacitus.

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and the treachery of Avarwy (Mandubratius) contributed to his success. During this æra, the Gwyddelians, or first Irish colonists, settled in Alban, or Scotland; and the people of Galedin (supposed to be Holland) in the Isle of Wight.

Caradoc, the son of Bran, was elected sovereign, A. D. 43, and betrayed, nine years afterwards, to the Romans, by Aregwydd Voeddig (Cartismandua), daughter of Avarwy. Dr. Pughe considers the celebrated Boadicea to have some reference to this name. The alledged genealogy is a suspicious circumstance: indeed, we are inclined to think, that the Britons endeavoured to cast a greater odium on this princess, by representing her as the daughter of a traitor. Bran, the father of Caradoc, with his whole family, were detained as hostages for that warrior at Rome, where they remained for seven years: on their detention, Christianity is said to have been introduced into Britain, A. D. 59, who thence obtained the name of The Blessed.. But this story has not obtained implicit credit even among the Welsh, although Dr. Southey prefers it to the other narratives. The account of Bran's death, in the second tale of the first series of the Mæbinogion (composed perhaps as early as the fifth century), among many fabulous incidents, virtually contradicts it. Matholloch, an Irish prince, married his daughter Bronwen, but in consequence of the ill treatment she received from him, he invaded Ireland. The Britons were victorious, but with the loss of their chief, who, before his death, directed his head to be buried under

the Tower of London, as a preservative against invasions §.

A grandson of Caradoc (Coel ap Cyllin) introduced mill-wheels into Britain, A. D. 100; and, A. D. 167, his son Lleurog is said to have founded the first see in Britain at Llandaff: this story has a partial aspect. A.D. 330 the Emperor Constantine is said to have founded that of York; and London received the same honour from the rebel Maximus, A. D. 380. To support his pretensions, a number of British troops accompanied Cynan Me

According to Geoffry of Monmouth (Galfrai ap Arthur), Vortimer ordered his body to be buried on the sea-shore, with a similar view, A. D. 468. These stories, if false, prove the popularity of such a super

stition.

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