ordinary purposes of the monastery. If the latter supposition be correct, then the cloister must have been at the southeastern end of the church; for human bones in large quantities have been dug up there of late years, and it is known to be the usual practice in monastic establishments to use the central space within a cloister for sepulchral purposes. Portions of these buildings closely adjoining the church preserve the character of the thirteenth century; in particular a circular-headed doorway, with bold mouldings, leading into what is now used as a stable, but was probably once the entrance to the abbot's hospitable lodging. The rest of the building, towards the south, is of the early decorated character, and may be of the end of the thirteenth, or the beginning of the fourteenth century. Its architecture is very massive in character, exceedingly simple in detail and ornament, almost perfect in preservation. The lower portion, or that on the ground floor, is divided into four series of massive arcades, and formed perhaps one, or at the most two apartments. An ancient fireplace, though probably not so old as the rest of the edifice, remains within it, and the whole made the refectory. A portion of it, which contains a curiously decorated window, with very early tracery, and a seat on either side, is at the northern end of the refectory; tradition calls it, but erroneously, a confessional. Above is the dormitory, lighted by small pointed loops; but all traces of the roof, or of the internal arrangements of this apartment, have disappeared. In a room in the upper portion of the abbot's house is a fireplace, the lintel of which is formed by two stones joined together, the inscriptions on which are noticed below. On the outside of this building towards the court, are a series of plain corbels, which evidently once supported a gallery, probably of wood, an instance of which still exists at Much-Wenlock Abbey, Shropshire, in excellent preservation. On some of the modern farm buildings round this court, portions of tracery and other ornaments have been fixed:- and in a small garden at the eastern end of the church are a few mutilated tumular slabs, the inscriptions on which will be adverted to by and by.

1 It was this portion which was whitewashed by the occupying tenant a few years ago: no traces now remain of this unconscious act of Vandalism, thanks to the possessors of this venerable ruin, who value it as it deserves.

Besides his apartments at the monastery, the abbot seems to have had a summer house or country residence about three miles off, in the direction of Ruthin, at a place which still goes by the name of "Havod yr Abad," or the Abbot's summer residence.

The seal of this abbey was oval, representing the Virgin Mary, crowned, sitting under a canopy, holding the infant Jesus with the right hand, standing, and a sceptre in her left. In the base a shield of arms, checky. Legend, SIGILLV COMVNE. DOMVS. BE. MARIE. DE VALLE CRUCIS. We learn from Dugdale's Monasticon,' that there is an imperfect impression of this seal in the Augmentation Office, on red wax.

The following are all the particulars which have been obtained relative to the history of the abbey. They are inserted, as far as their respective dates could be ascertained, in chronological order.

Reyner, bishop of St. Asaph, who died A.D. 1224, bestowed upon it half of the tithes of Wrexham. This grant was confirmed by his successor, Abraham, who moreover, in 1227, added the remaining half.2

The freemen of Llangollen, probably about the same time, endowed it with a fishery, in a part of the river near the town, and for want of a seal of their own, they affixed to their grant that of the founder. The monks soon afterwards erected new works on the river, for the purpose of taking the fish, which caused a dispute between them and the freemen. The latter agreed to refer the matter for decision to the abbot and five monks of their own choice, who were to determine it on oath. Madog, and his secretary, John Parvus, appointed a day for the purpose-the meeting was held the oath solemnly administered—and the abbot and monks decided in their own favour. They alleged that they had bought the right of erecting what works they pleased, and of repairing them, from the heirs of Llangollen. The prince confirmed the decree, and the donation of the fishery, by an instrument dated A.D. 1234.3

Madog died A.D. 1236, and was buried in the church of his own monastery. There is an elegy upon his death inserted in the Myvyrian Archaiology, which was composed by Einion Wan. It begins thus:

3 Pennant, Edit.

1 Edit. Ellis. vol. v. p. 720. 2 Willis's St. Asaph, Edit. Edwards, vol. i. p. 52; Pennant's Tour, Edit. 1778, vol. i. p. 370. 1810, vol. ii. p. 5.

4 Vol. i. p. 333.

66

Verily, clans must perish because of the death of Madog:
He was the hawk of battles, a proud and mighty chief.
Verily my heart is extremely shattered,

And indeed thoroughly pierced, because of losing him.

"Because of losing Madog, which is a memorable separation, My heart is faint with longings;

He was the hero of the land, a prosperous prince;
Woe now to his country, and his foster brothers!

In one stanza the poet alludes to the place of his interment, thus:

"Shattered is the harness of his chariot from a stormy battle: Cold and unseemly is his bed;

A man who is made like Gwair1 the son of Gwestl.
The hero of men in the ground of Llanegwestl."

3

Howel ad Ednyved, who was consecrated bishop of St. Asaph A.D. 1240, presented the society with the church of Llangollen. In 1265, his successor, Anian or Einion, confirmed this grant, as well as that of Abraham. The monks also obtained the patronage of several other livings; such as Wrexham, Rhiwabon, Chirk, - Llansantffraid, and Llandegla. But their title to these, as well as to Llangollen, was disputed by Bishop Anian the second, commonly known by the name of Y Brawd du o Nannau, or the black friar of Nanney, a Dominican consecrated in 1268. He brought his cause before the pope's delegates, the official of Canterbury, and the abbot of Tallechew, and obtained a decision in favour of himself and his successors; but as there was some doubt about the patronage of the church of Llandegla, they allotted in lieu of it, to the abbey, a third of the tithes of Bryn Eglwys.5

In 1270, Gruffydd ab Madog Maelor, Lord of Dinas Bran, and son of the founder, died, and was buried within the sacred precincts of Valle Crucis."

In the year 1291, according to Pope Nicholas's taxation,8 the abbot was found to have

1A celebrated warrior in the beginning of the sixth century, and distinguished as one of "the three diademed princes." 2 Goodwin, 657. 3 Willis's St. Asaph, Edit. Edwards, vol. i. p. 55. 4 Taley, in Caermarthenshire. 5 Goodwin, p. 658. 6 He proved a traitor to his country 7 Powel, 255. 293. 8 See Willis's St. Asaph, Edit. Edwards, Appendix,

No. xxiii.

£. s. d.

A grange near the monastery, three ploughlands, mills, and other conveniences, valued at...... 3 0 0 The granges of Bodhang,' Tregant Rudryn, and

Baketon, set for

... 5 10 0

The dairy-farm of Nante,3 the granges of Nustwyz, Convenet, and Grenwychamt,5 set for

0

And the grange Wyrcessam, consisting of one ploughland, and some pasture, valued at...... 0 15 The whole of his establishment thus amounted to 14 14 8

Some time in the thirteenth century, Gruffydd ab Llewelyn ab Ynyr, of Yale, and brother of Llewelyn, bishop of St. Asaph, having been engaged in the Holy war, died, and was interred in this abbey. But at the dissolution his monumental effigy was removed to the church of Llanarmon in Yale, where it is still to be seen, with the following inscription on the shield, "HIC JACET GRUFFUDD AP LLEWELYN

Abbot Adam, whose name is commemorated in the inscription on the western front of the church, was probably of the house of Trevor, in which that name occurs more than once, as Adam or Adda Vawr of Trevor; and Adam or Adda ap Iorwerth Ddu of Pengwern."

There are two poems, in MSS., by Gutto 'r Glyn, who wrote between the years 1430 and 1460, addressed to "Abad Davydd," or David the Abbot. The object of them seems to be to thank him for a sword and buckler, of exquisite workmanship, manufactured at a shop in Wrexham, which the bard considered equal to four presents from any other abbot. He gives us no clue, however, towards finding out who this David was, further than that he was of "the blood of Iorwerth." There is an expression at the end of his composition, which might lead us to suppose that the person commemorated above the western window was none other than Adda Vras, a poet who flourished about A. D. 1240. Gutto, having just mentioned the "fair Egwestl," proceeds :

5

3 Nant.

Grennychamt.

1 Bod Eang. P. B. Williams. 2 Tregam. Idem and Pennant. B. Williams. 4 Nustroyz. Idem and Pennant. Pennant. 6 Gwyliedydd, vol. ix. p. 258.

7 Pennant, vol i. p. 372.

"Where Adda Vras is, who belongs to heaven above,
May I lie in the same bed, in Yale,
With my buckler and sharp sword
Carved as arms on my tombstone."

In the second poem, which is an eulogy on the abbot's hospitality, Gutto speaks of the monastery as "an open palace, where he spent his festivals"-"the palace of Peter." He speaks of "the holy altars, where David said the prayers," and compares him to "St. Anthony," and mentions how "he gilt and foliated the images, the choir, the chalices, and books." He then gives a general description of his entertainments:

"There shall we have tables loaded with gifts,
Much drinking, and various victuals,

In the palace of Egwestl― several dishes.
There is old liquor to make us merry;

Pale and dark metheglin :

We shall have bragget and sharp ale from the pipes,

Wine and nuts:

We shall have a thousand apples for desert,

And grace, honour, and dignity:

Honey, grapes, the fruit of orchards

And of the fortress of Yale, and carols;

And fire which will make the old feel younger.

There during dinner will arise the strains of organs,

Vocal and instrumental music."

1

Further on he calls David the "Dean of Christ," and says that "twelve canons" joined him after dinner; and concludes by wishing him a long, merry and prosperous life.

Guttyn Owain, also, a distinguished poet, A.D. 1460-1490, addresses the same abbot in similar strains of adulation. In one poem, which is printed in Rice Jones's "Gorchestion y Beirdd," he speaks of him as the "pope of Yale," and pope of the glen," in his "white frock," surpassing Nudd3 in liberality, and all abbots in reputation-declares that there was neither water, land, nor house, where his fame did not extend, and that his feasts were like the leaves in number, upon which he expended an immense sum of money, -even "the gold of the bank."

1 It is not quite certain that the word canyn, translated here "canons," does not mean a "hundred men," in reference to the abbot's numerous dependants. 2 Page 194. 3 Nudd Hael, one of "the three liberal men of the Isle of Britain."