ed the founder of Penbre, Carmarthenshire,* Ilston, and Newcastle, Glamorganshire ;† and also of Llantrisaint in the latter. county in conjunction with St. Tyfodwg and St. Gwynno, from which circumstance the church derives its name, implying "the church of the three saints." Ecton records Illtyd as the patron saint of Llanhary, and Llantryddid, Glamorganshire, as well as of Llanhileth, Monmouthshire, and Llantwood or Llantwyd, Pembrokeshire. The following chapels are dedicated to him,-Llanilltyd Faerdre under Llantrisaint, and Lantwit subject to Neath, Glamorganshire, Capel Illtyd subject to Dyfynog, Brecknockshire, and Llanelltyd under Llanfachraith, Merionethshire. Independently of the churches which he founded, the memory of Illtyd is honoured by the Welsh on account of his having introduced among them an improved method of ploughing: before his time they were accustomed to cultivate their grounds with the mattock and over-treading plough (aradr arsang,) implements, which, the compiler of a Triad upon husbandry observes, were still used by the Irish. Mr. Owen says he died about A. D. 480, but it is evident his life extended through a considerable part of the sixth century, which may more properly be said to be the age in which he flourished. According to Cressy his commemoration was held Feb. 7, but the year in which he died

Chapels to Penbre,-Llannon (St. Non) and Llandurry. There appears also to have been a chapel dedicated to St. Non in the parish of Ilston.

+ Chapels to Newcastle,-Bettws (St. David,) Laleston (St. David,) and Tithegston (St. Tudwg ab Tyfodwg.)

Chapels to Llantrisaint,—Llanilltyd or Lantwit Faerdre (St. Illtyd,) Ystrad Dyfodwg (St. Tyfodwg,) Llanwonno (St. Gwynno,) Aberdâr (St. John the Baptist,) and St. John's chapel (St. John the Baptist.) In the dedications of the foregoing chapels, some historical allusions may be traced. Four of them seem to refer to the fact, that St. David, who was the son of Non, was a pupil of St. Iltutus, and three others have reference to the founders of the mother church.

§ Triad 56, Third Series.

was uncertain. Tradition affirms that he was buried near the chapel that bears his name in Brecknockshire, where there is a place called Bedd Gwyl Illtyd, or the grave of St. Illtyd's eve, from its having been a custom to watch there during the night previous to the saint's day. In the church-yard of Lantwit Major a large stone may be seen with three several inscriptions, one of them purporting that it was the cross of Iltutus and Samson, another that Samson raised the cross for his soul, and the third that one Samuel was the carver.t

The last college, the foundation of which may be attributed to Dubricius, was at Caerleon; and, according to some copies of Geoffrey of Monmouth, it contained two hundred philosophers who studied astronomy and other sciences.

The British monastic institutions require further notice. Little is known respecting their internal regulations, but it would appear that choral service formed an important part of their arrangements. The Welsh terms, which have been generally rendered "college or congregation," and by Latin writers invariably "monasterium," are Côr, choir; and Bangor, high choir. According to the Triads, the three societies of the first class, of which Bangor Illtyd was one,§ contained no less than two thousand four hundred members; one hundred being employed every hour, in order that the praise and service of God might be continued day and night without intermission. The number, however, in other establishments varied exceedingly; and the magnificent scale of those alluded

* Jones's Brecknockshire, Vol. II. p. 683.

+ Gibson's Camden, Vol. II.-There is a Life of St. Illtut, abbot, in the Cottonian MSS. Vespasian A. XIV.

‡ Sixteen communities in Wales, which bore these appellations, are enumerated by the intelligent author of the Hora Britannica, Vol. II. Chap. VII.

§ The other two were Cor Emrys yng Nghaer Caradawg, probably at Old Sarum; and Bangor Wydrin at Glastonbury. Triad 80, First Series, and 84 Third Series.

*

to would be thought incredible, if it were not for the authentic testimony of Bede, who flourished about a century after the destruction of the monastery of Bangor Iscoed. That author, whose accuracy is universally admitted, says that the number of its monks was two thousand one hundred, who were divided into classes, of three hundred each, under their respective superintendents; and, that his readers might not be ignorant as to the manner in which so vast a society was supported, he adds that they all lived by the labour of their own hands. Compared with this, the assertion that Dubricius had upwards of a thousand pupils at Henllan,† will will not appear strange; and it is said that Cattwg, who retained a part of his father's territories for the purpose, was wont to maintain a hundred ecclesiastics, as many paupers, and the same number of widows, besides strangers and guests, at his own expense. The traces of extensive ranges of buildings still observable at Bangor Iscoed and Lantwit Major confirm the asseverations of ancient writers; and an old manuscript, extant in the reign of Elizabeth, affirmed that the saints at the latter place had for their habitations seven halls and four hundred houses. § The abbots of these institutions are sometimes styled bishops, and it is not improbable that they exercised chorepiscopal authority in their respective societies; but it is agreed that they were all of them subject to the bishop of the diocese; and there is an instance on record of St. Dubricius interfering to correct certain abuses and jealousies which had broken out at Lantwit Major.|| Some of these

Eccl. Hist. Lib. II. Cap. 2.

+ Johannes Tinmuthensis, apud Usher. + Ibid.

§ Hora Britannicæ, Vol. II. p. 355.

|| "Vir beatæ memoriæ Dubricius visitavit locum Sti. Ilduti tempore quadragesimali, ut quæ emendanda erant corrigeret, et servanda consolidet, ibidem enim conversabantur multi sanctissimi viri, quodam livore decepti."-Liber Landavensis, as quoted in the Hora Britannica.

establishments were not of long continuance, and appear to have declined upon the death of their first abbot; while others, which were endowed with lands, remained for a longer time, but even these dwindled away, or were re-modelled upon the introduction of monasteries of the regular orders in the middle ages. The primitive British institutions followed no uniform rule, and may in some degree have resembled the monasteries of Gaul before the adoption of the rule of St. Benedict; but in borrowing analogies from the continent, to supply the lack of positive information, allowance must be made for the secluded situation of the Britons, and their more partial advance in civilization. The monasteries of Wales appear to have borne a closer resemblance to those of Ireland,* for which reason the writings of Irish historians may be consulted with advantage by the Welsh antiquary.

The abbots of Llancarfan and Lantwit exercised great influence in the diocese of Llandaff; and the records of that see associate with them a third dignitary, the abbot of Docunnus, but the situation of the monastery of that name is at present unknown. It is said to have been founded by Cungarus, who is also called Docwinus ;t and in Achau y Saint it is stated that Cyngar founded a congregation at a place in Glamorgan which, in the time of the compiler, was called Llangenys. But wherever this place may be situated, there is some uncertainty in the accounts which have been received respecting the founder of the community, as in the pedigrees there are two persons of the name of Cyngar; and both of them are distinguished from Dochdwy, who might be thought to be the same person as Docwinus.

Tewdrig ab Teithfallt has been considered a saint, and is classed with Gwrthefyr and Cadwaladr as one of the three

The monastery of Beanchor in Ulster is reported to have contained three thousand monks under the care of St. Comgallus.

+ Capgrave in Vitâ S. Cungari.

canonized kings of Britain. The history of this person and his family is involved in confusion. One account identifies him with an ancestor of Brychan Brycheiniog, while others make him contemporary with St. Oudoceus about the close of the sixth century; but the only position, that can be assigned him consistently with his genealogy, would show that he flourished between A. D. 440 and 470; and this arrangement is the one best supported by collateral testimony. It is said that in his old age he resigned the government of Glamorgan into the hands of his son, Meurig, and retired to lead a religious life in the solitude of Tinteyrn, Monmouthshire. He was afterwards induced to appear once more in defence of his country against the Saxons, and, receiving a wound in battle which he expected to be mortal, he requested that a church should be raised upon the spot where he should expire. His request was performed accordingly. The church was called from the circumstance Merthyr Tewdrig, and is now known by the name of Mathern.*

Meurig ab Tewdrig, by whom the church just mentioned was built, was also the prince under whose protection the bishoprick of Llandaff and the monastery of Llancarfan were founded. If reliance can be placed upon certain records of Llandaff, he endowed that see with lands and churches, from the situations of which it would appear that he held paramount authority over a tract forming the principal part of the present county of Glamorgan, the whole of Monmouthshire, and so much of the county of Hereford as lies to the south-west of the river Wye. Citations from grants securing these endowments, and other privileges and immunities, to

* "His bones lie entoombed, uppon the North side of the sayde Church. And his sonne not contented therewithall, gaue moreouer the lands and territory adiacent unto the same to the Bishoppe, whose Successors in processe of time built a house there, to witte at Mertherne or as now we tearme it Matherne, beeing the only mansion house now left unto him."Godwin, Bp. of Llandaff in 1615.