that of monachism; and St. Lupus, after he had been married seven years, became an inmate of the monastery of Lerins; but celibacy formed no part of the discipline of the secular Welsh clergy as late as the thirteenth century. The natives of Wales may be surprized to find that Leland has given, out of the life of St. Nectan, a list of the children of Brychan, twenty four in number, two only of which, or at most three, can be identified with the names in the Welsh lists. They are as follow: "Nectanus, Joannes, Endelient, Menfre, Dilic, Tedda, Maben, Weneu, Wensent, Merewenna, Wenna, Juliana, Yse, Morwenna, Wymp, Wenheder, Cleder, Keri, Jona, Kananc, Kerhender, Adwen, Helic, Tamalanc. All these sons and daughters were afterwards holy martyrs and confessors in Devon and Cornwall, where they led an eremitical life." It is perhaps sufficient to decide the fate of this list to say that it depends solely upon the authority of one or two monkish writers, and the compiler has forgotten to explain why all these saints should have quitted their country in a body, and settled in Devon and Cornwall. In Wales, with the exception of the two or three who may be recognised in spite of their disguise, they have left not even a memento of their existence. saints, Germanus and Lupus, then on a mission to Britain. Her devotion, during the exhortation of the former, and the enthusiastic zeal which there was in her countenance, principally attracted his notice. He caused her to approach him; and, on enquiring into her sentiments and feelings, found that she was resolved to consecrate her virginity to God, a resolution which he was not backward to strengthen. They entered the church, and joined in certain prayers and hymns suited to the occasion; but Germanus would not give her the veil until she had passed the night in vigils, in self-examination." Europe in the Middle Ages, Vol. II. Chap. II. SECTION IX. The Welsh Saints from the Accession of Vortimer A. D. 464. to the Death of Ambrosius A. D. 500. THE founders of new families which appear for the first time in this generation, are Cadell Deyrnllug, Gynyr of Caer Gawch, Ynyr Gwent, Tewdrig ab Teithfallt, Emyr Llydaw, and Ithel Hael. Cadell's descendants are as follow: [TABLE XI.] CADELL DEYRNLLUG married Gwawrddydd, daughter of Brychan Broch wel Ysgythrog m. Arddun, daughter of Ystyffan Tysilio Cynan Garwyn Llyr Cleddyfgar Maig Ieuaf Mawan Caranog Geraint Cadell Deyrnllug flourished partly in the preceding genera tion, and the legend of his accession to power has been already related. He married Gwawrddydd, one of the daughters of Brychan, and his domains lay in the Vale Royal and the upper part of Powys. Before the close of this generation he appears to have been succeeded by his son, Cyngen, who is distinguished for the patronage which he afforded to the saints, and for the liberal endowments which he gave to the Church. The order of birth would also determine Gynyr of Caer Gawch to belong to the preceding generation, but he is introduced in the present in order that he may be placed with his family. He appears to have been the chieftain of a district in Pembrokeshire, since called Pebidiog or Dewsland, in which the town of St. David's is situated; and he probably rose into power upon the reduction of the Gwyddyl Ffichti by Clydwyn. His first wife was Mechell, daughter of Brychan, by whom he had issue a daughter called Danadlwen; whose husband, Dirdan, is included in the catalogue of saints, but no churches are ascribed to him. The second wife of Gynyr was Anna, daughter of Gwrthefyr Fendigaid, or Vortimer, king of Britain; and the fruit of this union was a son, named Gistlianus, together with two daughters, Non, the mother of St. David, and Gwen, the mother of St Cybi. From confounding Anna, the daughter of Gwrthefyr Fendigaid, with Anna, the daughter of Uther Pendragon, arose probably the legendary story that St. David was related to king Arthur, but this tale is at variance with all the pedigrees. Gynyr of Caer Gawch, is said to have embraced a religious life, having given all his lands to the Church, for which reason he has been enrolled among the saints. It may be learned from Giraldus Cambrensis that his son, Gistlianus, was a bishop at Menevia some time before the elevation of St. David to that dignity, and his residence or see, which was perhaps the particular establishment endowed by Gynyr, was situated at some distance from the present cathedral. It was afterwards removed by him to the valley of "Rosina," where the cathedral now stands, at the instance of St. David; who, as the legend relates, had received a warning from an angel to * Giustilianus, according to the orthography of Ricemarchus; the Welsh form of the name is not preserved. The succession from Vortimer to St. David is rapid, and allows scarcely more than twenty years to a generation. the effect, that the place first chosen was not accepted by the Deity, for he foresaw that little or no fruit would be produced from it; but there was another place, not far from thence, more suitable for devotion and the purposes of a holy congregation.* This brief narrative, the miraculous part being set aside, is not unlikely to be true; and if, as the same author asserts elsewhere, a monastery had been founded by St. Patrick in the valley of Rosina, thirty years before the birth of St. David, it would have furnished Gistlianus with a more obvious reason for changing his residence; but an appointment less than divine would ill become the hallowed glories of a spot regarded by the Welsh as the most sacred in Britain. It would appear from the "Genealogy of the Saints" that Gynyr had a grandson, Ailfyw, the son of Dirdan by Danadlwen, who might have flourished about the end of this generation or the beginning of the following; and a church near the town of St. David's, called Llanailfyw or St. Elfeis, is considered to be dedicated to him. He derived his name most probably from St. Albeus or Ailbe, bishop of Munster in Ireland; who visited this district, and is recorded to have baptized St. David, the other grandson of Gynyr. Non, the daughter of Gynyr, was married to Sandde the son of Ceredig ab Cunedda; and the following religious edifices "Post longa tam discendi primo, quam postea quoque docendi tempora, ad locum unde discesserat, Meneviam scilicet, demum vir sanctus (David) repatriavit. Erat autem eodem tempore ibidem Episcopus avunculus ejus, vir venerabilis, cui nomen Gistlianus. Huic igitur Angelica, quæ jam susceperat, monita nepos in hunc modum recitavit. Locus, inquit Angelus, in quo Deo servire proponis, non est ei acceptus. Modicum enim vel nullum sibi futurum fructum inde providit. Veruntamen est alius non procul hinc locus, ostendens Vallem Rosinam, ubi sacrum hodie Cimiterium extat, longè religioni et sanctæ congregationi competentior."-Giraldus Cambrensis de Vitâ S. Davidis, apud Wharton, Tom. II. The residence of St. Patrick at Menevia, though noticed by Gwynfardd, is at variance with chronology and the most approved histories of his life. have been dedicated to her memory:-Llan Uwch Aeron, a church in Cardiganshire; Llannon, a chapel under Pembre, Carmarthenshire, St. Nun's chapel in the parish of St. David's, Pembrokeshire; and Llannon, formerly a chapel under Llansanffraid, Cardiganshire; all of which are situated in the immediate neighbourhood of churches ascribed to St. David. The festival of St. Non was kept on the third of March. The next founder of a family, that may be noticed, is Ynyr Gwent, who married Madrun, another daughter of Gwrthefyr or Vortimer. His territories consisted of a part of the present county of Monmouth, and he is considered a saint, probably on account of having founded a college or monastery at Caerwent under the superintendence of St. Tathan. His wife, Madrun, in conjunction with Anhun her handmaid, is said to have been the foundress of the church of Trawsfynydd, Merionethshire.* Tewdrig, the son of Teithfallt ab Nynio, was a prince, or king as he is called, of Glamorgan; the sovereignty of which was retained by his descendants until it was wrested from them by the Normans in the eleventh century. The era of his life belongs to the past generation, but the first particulars, which are known of him, occur in the present. According to the most consistent authorities his pedigree commences with his grandfather, Nynio, whose age immediately precedes the departure of the Romans; while others, who state that his grandfather's name was Mynan, derive his descent from Caractacus. |