Llanbadarn,* north of the diocese of St. David, supposed to have included a considerable part of Montgomeryshire: it is spoken of in the Welsh Chronicles as having been ravaged by the Saxons in 720. Tradition runs that the last bishop was killed in a sedition, and no successor presenting himself the see was annexed to St. David's. The other extinct bishopric was Margam,† founded by Morgan king of Glamorganshire in the sixth century; a succession is given of nine bishops ending with Cyvelach, slain in battle in 756, when the see was incorporated with that of Llandaff.

The Welsh parish churches, according to the theory of Professor Rees, were at first few, and the districts assigned to them extensive. In process of time, as more church accommodation was required, chapels of ease were built, served by curates appointed by the incumbent of the mother church. To these chapels of ease, districts were afterwards assigned. The minister of the district became a perpetual curate; his stipend was paid either out of the tithes of his district or in money by the incumbent of the parish church. These are said to be parishes of the oldest foundation inWales. The district of Nantmel, Radnorshire, is given as an instance, which includes the several parishes, Nantmel, Llanfihangel, Llanyre, and Rhayader. Nantmel is a vicarage in the patronage of the Bishop of St. David's, Llanfihangel and Rhayader are perpetual curacies in the gift of the vicar of Nantmel, and the chapelry of Llanyre is vested in the vicar himself. There are also numerous small rectories, which are principally found in the southern part of Pembrokeshire, in the vale of Glamorgan, and on the borders of England; these were founded by the Normans and Flemings, who thought a church spire or tower a great ornament to their demesnes, and liked to have a minister of God near them. Besides churches and chapels, there were a great many cells, oratories, and hermitages, very few of which are now left. The prefix "llan" was first applied to churches and chapels generally, "capel" to chapels of ease and oratories, "bettws" to chapels, and benefices of late foundation. Sometimes capel and bettws are put together, as Capel Bettws Lleicu, Cardiganshire.

* Williams's Cymry, p. 206. † Ibid. p. 208. Essay, pp. 11-56.

The saints to whom the greatest number of churches are dedicated are St. Mary the Virgin, St. Michael, and St. David. The churches dedicated to St. Mary are most numerous in the English and Flemish possessions. Churches in honour of St. Mary were erected principally in the twelfth century, by the influence of the Cistercians,* the most prevalent order in Wales, who have an especial devotion to the Blessed Lady. St. Michael was a great favourite in Wales; the churches dedicated to him are stated to have been built during the first half of the ninth century. There are forty churches and thirteen chapels dedicated to St. David, and of them not one in North Wales. In the original diocese of Llandaff he has but two chapels, and only three in what is supposed to have been the original diocese of Llanbadarn: all the rest, including every one of the endowments, are in the district of which, as Archbishop of Caerleon or Menevia, he was himself the diocesan. The cathedral of St. David's is in the territory of his maternal grandfather; the neighbourhood of Henfynyw appears to have been the property of his father; and Llanddewi Brefi is situated on the spot where he silenced the Pelagians.

The Liturgy of the ancient Welsh Church is not in existence. Mr. Williams + endeavours to make out that it was identical with the "Great Oriental Liturgy," and derived from Ephesus. The Liturgy of St. Mark is said to have been brought by Germanus into Britain, and chanted by Padrig in his own collegiate church. From ancient writings in the Welsh language, something may be gleaned of the spirit at least of the Cambrian offices. Here is a prayer composed by Talhaiarn, chaplain to King Emrys :"God, grant thy protection, and in thy protection strength, and in strength discretion, and in discretion justice, and in justice love, and in love to love God, and in loving God to love all things." "It was a usual saying of Beuno, who lived in the sixth century, Chant thy Pater Noster and

* Williams's Cymry, p. 185.

A correspondent obligingly informs me that there is a church in North Wales dedicated to St. David. It is situated near Festiniog, and was built some six or seven years ago by one whose womanly and Christian munificence recalls brighter days-Mrs. Oakley, of Tan y Bwlch.

Williams's Cymry, chap. xvii.

thy Creed.' So an early Bard, I enquired of all the priests, the bishops, and judges, what is most profitable for the soul. Food [for the needy], the Pater Noster and the Blessed Creed; whoever will chant these for his soul, until the judgment will do the very best thing.' We learn from the laws of Howell the Good that it was usual, in the tenth century, to chant the Lord's Prayer for the souls of all Christians at the gate of the churchyard. It was also chanted at the church-door, before the figure of the cross." Upon church-bells there is enough to fill a book, and a very amusing book has been written, I believe, lately on the subject. In the Welsh Church it was the custom to use portable hand-bells. The principal services of the Church were morning and evening. That there were candles on the altar is inferred from a passage in an old Welsh law: "Bees derive their origin from paradise, and because of the sin of man did they come from thence, and God conferred on them his blessing, and therefore mass cannot be chanted without their wax.' * The Holy Eucharist was administered to the sick and dying. According to the Welsh laws, “Any one might take the first horse that offered itself, in order to send for the priest, lest the sick man should die without communion."+ The Holy Scriptures were, in the sixth century, familiar to the educated; the writings of Gildas are full of allusions to them. Proverbial sayings indicated that the people also knew and appreciated the Bible: "The word of God above all. There is no word superior to every word, but the word of God." Among the homiletical remains of the Welsh Church we find this tradition: "The three advices given by Lazarus are, 'Believe in God who made thee, love God who redeemed thee, and fear God who will judge thee.""

* Ancient Welsh Laws. + Williams's Cymry, p. 284.

Williams's Cymry, p. 333.

CHAPTER VIII.

MONASTIC INSTITUTIONS.

Persecution developed the solitary and ascetic spirit-The Hermit Talhaiarn-Tewdrig, the Hermit King-St. Govan's Hermitage-St. Monacella, or Melangell-St. Caradoc the Solitary-William of Malmesbury-Holy Wells-Believed miraculously gifted with healing powers-Why not?-Miracles in Scripture, to what they tendSafe Opinion on modern Miracles-St. Keyna-St. Winefred -Ffynnon Vair, Denbighshire-Admirable spirit of early Welsh Monastic Institutions-Monasticism a bar to Revolution-Bardsey Abbey-St. Cadvan-Abbot Laudatus-Singular Privilege-Great Pilgrimage to Bardsey-Mr. Pennant's Account of his Visit to Bardsey Island-Monastery of Llancarvan-Cattwg, preceptor of Taliesin-Cattwg's Counsel to Taliesin-Character of Cattwg-Caradoc the Welsh Historian-Monastery of Ystradfflûr-Founded by Rhys ap Tewdwr-His Character and Fortunes-Refounded by Rhys ap Gruffyd-Ystradfflûr's Splendour and Importance-Cadell ap Gruffyd -Death and Character of Rhys ap Gruffyd-His Patronage of the Bards-His Eisteddfod-Llywelyn the Great at Ystradfflûr-Considerate Hospitality of these Cistercian Monks-Vale of Ewyas— William the Hunter-Turns Hermit-Ernisi joins William-They rebuild St. David's Cell-They agree to found a Priory-Hugh de Lacy supports them-Roger, bishop of Salisbury-King Henry and Queen Maude-Robert de Betun-His Journey to Llanthony-Llanthony in trouble-Monks invited to Hereford-Thence located at Gloucester-Llanthony out of sight out of mind-Gloucester Monks despoil the Priory-Clement, prior at Gloucester, tries to make Monks keep residence at Llanthony-His remarkable Words-Sonnet on Llanthony Priory.

In the early ages of the Church, Christians under the pressure of general or local persecution fled to desert and mountain tracts, where nature, more generous than man, gave them a shelter and a home. The Spirit of the Gospel, mighty to save in every condition of life, sustained and cheered them. Was their pilgrimage to the everlasting hills?

"Jesus went up into a mountain, and continued there apart." Did unaccustomed privations try them? it was but taking up their cross to follow Him. Wales, remote and comparatively inaccessible, invited these unhappy fugitives for conscience sake, and numbers flocked thither. There was

scarce a cave in the sea-cliffs fashioned by the tempestuous waves scarce the shadow of a great rock in a weary land scarce an isle, else untrodden by foot of man or beast, that had not for its contented dweller some holy anchorite, whose memory long lingered there, and made each barren spot fruitful in good thoughts and profitable meditations. When systematic persecution ceased, this ascetic spirit survived. On the decline of the Roman empire, and consequent abandonment of Britain, this spirit found, unhappily, too much to feed on, during the calamities of the times, when horde after horde of pagan barbarians swept the face of the earth, and in their impious rage laid the sanctuaries of religion, the beautiful houses of God, low, even to the dust.

In the fifth century, Talhaiarn, of the line of Coel, a celebrated Bard, and saint of the congregation of Cattwg, and who composed the prayer cited in the last chapter, after his king and master (Ambrosius, king of Britain) had been slain in battle, lived many years as a hermit at a place since called Llanfair Talhaiarn, Denbighshire.* In the same century, we have an aged king of Glamorgan, Tewdrig, commemorated in the Triads as one of the three canonised kings, who resigned his crown to his son Meurig, himself a great benefactor to the Welsh Church, and retired to lead a religious life in the solitude of Tintern. A Saxon invasion forced him from his seclusion, to head his people against the armies of the aliens. In the battle, the old king was mortally wounded. His dying prayer bespoke the warrior-saint,—that a church might be erected on the spot where he breathed his last. The church was built, and called Merthyr Tewdrig, now Mathern.+

There is on the southern coast of Pembrokeshire,‡ not far from Stackpool Court, a chapel, in a wild, rocky ravine,

*Rees's Essay, p. 168.

† Ibid. p. 184. Fenton's Pembrokeshire, pp. 414-416.