Grey-hounds as was usual when-ever the King got on Horseback which Grey-hound used to leap upon the King's shoulder and fawn very much upon him but at this time he leaped upon the Duke of Lancaster and fawned upon him as on his Master the Duke asked the King what the Dog meant or intended It is an ill and unhappy Omen to me said the King but a fortunate one to you for he acknowledges you to be King and that you shall Reign in my stead This he said with a presaging mind upon a slight occasion which yet in short time came to pass for K. Richard was deposed and after murdered at Pomfret Castle and the D. of Lancaster advanvanced to the Throne by the name of Henry the 4th This County hath not any River of note within it but near Rudland-Castle is a famous Spring called Holy Well or St. Winifreds Well of which Antiquity gives this Account That St. Winifred a virtuoun Christian Virgin having by her exceeding Beauty inflamed the mind of Carodocus a lustful Prince of this Countrey he attempted to allure her to his pleasure both by large promises and rich gifts but finding he could by no means prevail upon her Chastity at length he resolved to obtain his desires by force and having surprized her in a place of advantage he ravished her weak body notwithstanding the utmost resistance she could make and afterward to prevent her complaints and exclamations he kill'd her and then cut off her head And in that very place saith my Author there suddenly arose a pleasant Spring which continueth to this day running with so strong a Current that the like is not to be found in Christendom Over the head of the Spring there is built a Chapel of Free-stone supported with curious wrought Pillars on the Chancel and Glass-window whereof is painted the Picture of this Virgin and the Story of her suffering and death To this Well Romish Pilgrims resort to this day and others Bathe therein supposing that there is much Virtue in the Water In the bottom of it are many Red Stones which the superstitious People believe are spots of this Lady's blood which all the Water in the Spring can never wash away and that the green Moss which grows on the sides of the Well is her Hair which though every Stranger almost carries away a part of yet they say it never wasts and the truth is the Moss smells exceeding sweet which confirms these weak Believers in their fond Opinion St. Beno the Instructor of St. Winifred in the Christian Faith is of special account is this Countrey who it seems was a Surgeon to a Miracle for after Winifred was beheaded by the lustful Carodocus he set her head on again she living 15 years after In the South part of this County divided from the rest is a place formerly called Bovium now Banchor or Bangor first a City and afterward a famous Monastery antiently very renowned for the pious Monks that resided there they being called by some Authors The College of Divine Philosophers and Bangor the Mother or first of all the Monasteries in the World the Foundation thereof being ascribed to King Luctus it was situated in the fruitful Valley now called The English Mailor upon the Bank of the River Dee being incompassed with a great Wall containing a Mile and a half of ground two of whose Gates Port Hogen to the North and Port Clais South are yet discernable the River Dee which hath since changed its course now running through the midst betwixt both Gates which stand 500 paces asunder This Monastery in memory of the 7 Churches of Asia was divided into 7 Classes or Wards every one consisting of about 300 Souls and all maintaining themselves by the labour of their hands They are said to have received their Christianity from the Eastern Church dissenting in their Rites and Doctrines from that in the West neither would they acknowledg that the Bishop of Rome had any authority over them in matters of Religion or the service of God They continued 438 years before Austin the Monk came to pervert them by introducing Roman Ceremonies Superstition and Servitude Many of these Monks assembled at Caer Legion now West-Chester to pray for the good success of their Friends the Britains against the Heathen Saxons and continuing three days in Fasting and Prayer Ethilfrid the Saxon King seeing them so fervent in their Devotions askt what kind of People they were and being told that they prayed against him and his Army Then said he though they carry no weapons yet they fight against us and with their Prayers and Preaching prosecute us and presently fell upon Brockmall a man at arms that was their Guard who to save his own life left their's to the Sword and the Souldiers assaulting the unarmed Monks murthered 2000 of them and likewise defeated the Army of the Britains only 50 escaping But God left not their deaths long unrevenged for this cruel King was soon after kill'd in the Field by the Christian King Edwyn who succeeded him in the Kingdom of Northumberland Many of these Monks were buried in their own Monastery whose bodies saith Leyland the Historian have been found in the memory of man among the rotten Weeds wherein they were slain This famous place hath been long since utterly ruinated so that scarce the remains of a City or Monastery are now to be discerned Another Monastery called Llan Elwy formerly stood in the Vale below Varis a little City built by the Romans between this and Denbigh-shire upon the Banks of Elwy and Cluyd The English named it Asaph of the Founder a Person of honourable birth who was educated by Kentigern Bishop of Glasco This Bishop in the year 560. flying from the Persecution in Scotland to this place erected it into a Bishop's See and built a Monastery near it wherein he placed 663 Monks whereof 300 that were more unlearned than the rest were imploy'd in Husbandry and other business about the Convent the rest devoted themselves to Prayer and Divine Meditation Among the rest who attended Divine Service Asaph was conspicuous for Piety and Learning insomuch that Kentigern being recalled to his own Country resigned both his Convent and Cathedral to him Here he demeaned himself with so much sanctity that Llan Elwy was after his death called from him St. Asaph He was an assiduous Preacher having oft this saying That such as are against the Preaching of God's Word envy man's Salvation He is thought to have died about 569. After which his See was vacant above 500 years until Jeffery of Monmouth was placed therein It is still a Bishoprick and contains in it no one whole County but part of Denbigh Flint Montgomery Merioneth and some Towns in Shropshire wherein are 121 Parishes It was not at first very rich but made much poorer in the Reign of King Edward VI. for whereas the Bishop had before five Episcopal Houses he hath now but one the rest with the
Christian King in the World and Brittain the first Kingdom that imbraced the Gospel by publick Authority After this he sent two Persons to Eleutherius Bishop of Rome to desire the form of some Laws to Govern his People by To which the Bishop replied You desire us to send you the Roman and Imperial Laws for the Reformation of the People and Guidance of the King and Kingdom of Brittain The Roman Laws we altogether mislike but the Law of God by no means By the Divine Clemency you have of late received the Law and Faith of Christ into your Kingdom You have with you the Old and New Testament out of them in Gods name by the advice of your Counsellors take you a Law and therewith by Gods permission Govern your Kingdom for you are Gods Vicar therein c. By this we may see the vast difference between the humility and piety of the Roman Church in the Primitive times and the Pride Cruelty and Usurpation of the present Synagogue of Satan This Epistle with two Preachers Fagianus and Daniranus whom the Bishop sent to King Lucius prevailed so much upon him that being Baptized into the Christian Faith he converted the Heathenish Temples of the Arch Flamins and Flamines into so many Bishops Sees whereof London York and St. David's in Wales were made the Metropolitans A Table that remains in St. Peter's Church in Cornhill London Records that King Lucius founded that Church for a Cathedral and likewise St. Peter's Westminster now the Abbey and likewise Dover Castle He reigned 12 years and lies buried at Glocester and dying without Children left the Roman Emperors his Heirs of whom Commodus succeeded in whose Reign the Roman Legions in Brittain fell into divers mutinies because the Emperor instead of Senators and Consuls who used to Command them put inferiour Persons over them but Helvius Pertinax being sent hither quieted all dissentions with the severe punishment of the Offenders and at length by his policy he obtained the Imperial Dignity Severus Reigned after him whom Albinus Lieutenant of Brittain opposed and assisted by the Brittish Youth fought a Battel with him in France where Albinus was defeated and Severus confirmed in the Empire and then coming over into Brittain endeavoured to secure the Countrey to himself by erecting several Walls and Forts in the In-land Parts and repairing those with Stone which were formerly of Turf or Earth and finding the Northern Brittains or Scots very troublesome he built a Wall or Fortification for defending the more Civilized from the Savage and Barbarous Inhabitants this Wall crossed the whole Island from Sea to Sea beginning at the Frith of Solney in Scotland and ending at Timnouth in length 132 Miles it was built with Turfs and Timber with strong Bulwarks at a convenient distance near if not upon the Foundation of the former called Adrians Wall the ruins whereof are yet visible through the Counties of Northumberland and Cumberland for which act he Sirnamed himself Brittannicus and after 18 years Reign died at York in 212. not so much of Sickness say some Authors as of Discontent and Grief Others say of a Mortal wound given him by Fulgence Captain of the Picts Bassianus Garacalla his Son succeeded him and hastning to Rome offered very easie conditions of Peace to the yet resisting Brittains who being tyred with the long Wars accepted thereof and Hostages were given for conserving the same And now the Royal Title of Kings of Brittain being annexed to the Roman Emperors they by their continual divisions for gaining the Imperial Dignity gave a long breathing time of Peace to this harassed Island so that little of action happened here till the reigns of Dioclesian and Maximin in whose time Carausius being by the Romans made Admiral of the Brittish Seas to guard them against the Pyracies of the Saxons and Belgians he by conniving at their Robberies became rich and popular so that having notice the Emperor had ordered him to be secretly kill'd he by the aid of the Picts and Northern Brittains took upon him the Title of Emperor of Rome and valiantly defended his Dignity for seven years At length Maximin Marched to the Brittish Ocean with a powerful Army but hearing of the strength of Carausius and wanting Seamen he Encamped on the French Shoar and concluding a Peace with him returned back to Rome Carausius Governed the Brittains with Justice and Peace for seven years repairing the Roman Wall and defending them from their brutish Enemies but was at length Murdered by his treacherous friend Alectus who took upon him the Imperial Purple The Romans after the Death of Carausius resolved to attempt the recovery of this Island and Constantius with a Potent Army Landed here in a great Fog without observation or hindrance at which Alectus being surprized was slain with most of his Army the rest escaping toward London designed to Plunder and Burn it but the Romans made such speed that they prevented them killing Gallus their Leader and throwing his Body into a Brook that ran through the City which was after called Gallus his Brook now Walbrook After this these two Tyrants Dioclesian and Maximin raised a dismal Persecution in all the parts of the Roman Empire whereby 17000 Christians Men and Women were Crowned with Martyrdom within the space of one Month and in Brittain the Churches were demolished their Bibles and other Writings burnt and for 10 years together the poor People were continually tormented without intermission or any place being free from the Blood of Martyrs who were constant in the profession of the Faith Among others St. Alban was beheaded at the Town bearing his name whom Fortunatus Priscus mentions Albanum egregium faecunda Brittannia profert Brittain fruitful of all good Washt with glorious Alban's Blood His Instructor in the Christian Religion Amphiole or Brittain was afterward taken and being brought to the same place was whipped about a Stake whereto his Intrails were fastned and so wound out of his Body and was lastly stoned to death Several others suffered as Julius and Aaron at Leicester or rather Coverleon in Monmouthshire and so many at Lichfield that the place became a Golgotha or Field of Dead Corps and therefore the Seal of Arms of that City is charged with many Martyrs to this day But these two bloody Emperors enjoyed their honours a very short time for within a year after this bloody Persecution they were both of them by the hand of God saith Eusebius struck with such a mad humour that they renounced the Empire and laying aside the Imperial Robes Dioclesian retired into Dalmatia where he died raging of a terrible disease And Maximinus hanged himself at Marseilles in France Gallerius and Constantius succeeded them the last of whom was a Prince of singular Piety towards God and Clemency towards men being very kind to the Christians and rebuilding their Churches for which God so blessed him saith Eusebius that this virtuous Father left a more virtuous Son
the Title of Baron to Henry Lord Herbert PEMBROKE-SHIRE is bounded by Carnarthen on the East and Cardigan shire on the North-East On all sides else it is surrounded by the Sea In length 26. in breadth 20. and in circumference 93 Miles It was antiently Peopled by the Dimetree as well as Cardigan and Carmarthen-shires part of this County was after inhabited by the Flemmings sent thither by King Henry I. who lost their Country by the breaking in of the Sea whereby a great part of Flanders was drowned and whose Posterity continue there to this day and speak so good English that their Division is called Little England beyond Wales The Commodities of this shire are Corn Cattel Sea-fish and Fowl and in the days of Giraldus Cambrensis they had Wines for sale the Havens being so commodious for Traffick particularly Tenby and Milford the last of which is so large a Port that sixteen Creeks five Bays and thirteen Roads distinguisht by particular names are all contained within it Pembroke is the Shire Town which appears more antient than it is it was formerly Walled and had three Gates with a large Castle and a Causey leading over to the decayed Priory of Monton The Town consists principally of one long street on a long narrow Point of a Rock and hath within the Walls thereof two Churches St. David's is a Barren old City having neither Trees to defend it nor is it pleasant with Fields or Meadows but lyes exposed to Winds and Storms It is now the seat of a Bishop but was once an Archbishoprick in the British Church At the first planting of the Gospel in the reign of King Lucius there were three Archbishops Seats appointed London York and Caerleon The last in the Reign of Arthur King of the Britains was translated from thence to St David's as being farther off from the Saxon's fury Twenty seven of them retained the Title of Archbishops the last whereof was Samson who removed the Archi-episcopal Dignity to Dâ—le in Bretaign a Province in France Yet his Suceessors though they lost the name retained the power of the Archbishop the Welsh Bishops being consecrated by him till the Reign of King Henry I. when Bernard the 47th Bishop of this See was forced to submit himself to the Church of Canterbury The Cathedral here hath been often ruined by the Danes Norwegians and other Pirates as standing near the Sea in an extream Corner of this County that which we now see was built by Bishop Peter and by him dedicated to St. David In the middle of whose Quire Edmund Earl of Richmond Father to King Henry VII lies buried whose Monument secured the Church from being defaced in the Reign of King Henry VIII The roof of this Church is higher than any in England Calphurnius a British Priest who Married Concha Sister to St Martin and had St. Patrick the Apostle of Ireland to their Son was born at St. David's Likewise Justinian a Noble Britain with his own Inheritance built a Monastery in the Island of of Ramsey in this County where many Monks dwelt happily under his Jurisdiction until three of them Murdered him out of envy and emulation for his Plous Life His Body was brought to 〈◊〉 or St. David's and there interred and his Tomb afterward much famed for many supposed Miracles Giraldus Cambrensis whose Sirname was Barry some write Fitz Girald the Welsh Historian was born at Tenby in this County being Son to William Barry an Englishman by his Wife Angareth daughter of Nesta Daughter of Rhese or Rice Prince of South-Wales He was Nephew to David the second Bishop of St David's by whom he was made Arch-Deacon of Brecknock He was wont to complain That the English did not love him because his Mother was a Welshwoman and the Welsh hated him because his Father was an Englishman Though by his excellent Writings he deserved of England well of Wales better and of Ireland best of all making an exact description of all three and acting in the last as Secrety to King John with great industry and expence Having Travelled to Jerusalem he writ a Book of the Wonders of the Holy Land He had no great success at Court and therefore attained to no considerable Dignity till at length he was offered a very mean Bishoprick in Ireland and his highest Preferment was to this of St. David's of which he gives the true reason That he was looked upon with a Jealous Eye because being a Welshman by the Mother the furer side he was thought to have a natural antipathy against the English since it was believed no good Subject could come out of Walee Being now Bishop of St. David's he went to Rome and there was very importunate for an exemption of that Diocess from the Authority of Canterbury whereby he highly offended Hubert the Archbishop thereof Whereupon being rather overborn with bribes than overcome in his Cause he returned without effecting it and dying was buried in his own Cathedral about 1215. When King Henry II. was at St. David's in this County and from thence in a clear day discovered the Coast of Ireland in an huffing bravado he said I with my Ships am able to make a Bridge thither if it be no farther Which Speach of his being related to Murchard King of Lemster in Ireland he asked whether he did not say He would do it with the help of God and being told no he chearfully answered Then I fear him the less since he trusted more to himself than to the help of God The same King Henry coming back from Ireland arrived at St. David's where being told that there is an old Prophecy of Merlin's That the Conqueror of Ireland returning that way should dye upon a stone called Lechlaver near the Church-yard He thereupon before a multitude of People passed over it unhurt and reproving the Welshmen said Now who will hereafter credit that Lyar Merlin The County of Pembroke hath been fortified with sixteen Castles besides two Block-houses or Forts Commanding the Mouth of Milford Haven and hath five Market Towns is divided into seven Hundreds wherein are forty five Parish 〈◊〉 It gives the Title of Earl to Thomas Lord Herbert who is also Earl of Montgomery RADNOR-SHIRE hath Monmouth on the North Hereford and Shropshire on the East Brecknock on the South and Cardiganshire on the West In length twenty four in breadth twenty two and in circuit ninety miles The Air is sharp and cold as generally it is through all Wales whereby the Snow lies long unmelted under those vast Mountains Hills and Rocks that overshadow the Valleys yet the East and South parts are somewhat fruitful indifferently stored with Woods and watered with Rivers and Mears The riches of the North and West consist chiefly in the Cattel which they produce The antient Inhabitants were the Silures who by their own courage and the assistance of their inaccessible Mountains preserved their freedom very long against all the attempts of the Romans These Rocks