SIR JOHN OLDCASTLE-called by the Cambrians Sion Hendy o Went Iscoed, was a native of the Welsh part of Herefordshire. Having, A.D. 1413, escaped from the Tower of London, whither he had been committed on the charge of heresy, he lay concealed for a time with some Lollard friends at Broniarth, near the residence of Sir Griffith Vaughan, lord of Burgedin. Here, in 1417, Sir Griffith and his brother, Ieuan ab Griffith, with the assistance of others, apprehended him. They then took him to Pool Castle, and delivered him over to Edward Charlton, lord Powys, who immediately dispatched his son-in-law with him back to London. Lord Powys received in return a letter of thanks from Parliament; and, after a while, he also rewarded Sir Griffith and his brother, Ieuan, for their share in the transaction, as appears from an original deed in the possession of the descendants of Sir Griffith, at Garth, near Welshpool; of which the following is an extract:

"Edward Charlton, Lord Powys, to the honour of God, and in consideration of the diligence and assiduous pains taken by Ieuan ab Grufydd ab Ieuan ab Madoc ab Gwenwys, and Griffith Vichan, his brother, in seizing John Oldcastell an heretic, and perverter of the Catholic Faith, and an enemy to our Sovereign King that now is; at the instance of the said parties-the said Lord Powys indemnifies them of all murders and other misdemeanors by them committed on that occasion; and also to the honour of the most omnipotent God, the said Lord Powys remits unto the said Ieuan and Griffith in perpetuity all suits and services, porthiant hav, and porthiant gauav, &c., for all their lands within his lordship's manor of Soithstrad Marchell *** paying in lieu thereof, of all rents and services whatsoever, which they held or owed suit for, to the said Lord Powys and his heirs, one barbed arrow yearly for ever at the feast of St. John the Baptist." *** “In cujus rei testimonium, &c.

"His testibus Dauid Holbach tunc Senescallo nostro Powysie. Hugone Say tunc Capitaneo castri n'ri de Pola. Matheo ap Ieuan ap Iorw' tunc receptore nr'o ibidem. Thoma Biriton tunc Constabulario castri n'ri de Pola. Thoma Vichan et Dauid Brailler Armigeris nostris. Theodoro ap. Gr. clerico nr'o et multis aliis. Datur apud Manerium nostrum de Mathraval sexto die mensis Julii anno regni regis Henrici quinti post conquestum septimo." (1420.)

GLEANER.

ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS.

[OUT OF AN OLD WELSH MS. IN THE POSSESSION OF ANGHARAD LLWYD.]

Twenty-four noble Knights always dwelt in the Court of Arthur; and every one of them was naturally gifted with certain qualities of excellency not possessed by others.

There were three golden-tongued Knights in the Court of Arthur; Gwalchmai ab Llew ab Cenvarch, Drudwas ab Triffin, and Eliwlad ab Madoc ab Uthyr; and there was neither king nor lord to whom they came but would listen to them; and whatever request they made, they obtained it, and would have it, willingly or unwillingly.

There were three chaste Knights in the Court of Arthur; Burt ab Brwst, king of Gasgwyn, (Gascony,) Peredyr ab Evrog the Earl, and Galath ab Lancelot Lac. Wherever these went, neither a giant, nor a sage, nor an unspiritual person could withstand any one of them.

There were three Knights of battle in the Court of Arthur; Cadwr Earl of Cornwall, Lancelot Lac, and Owain ab Urien Reged; and this was their characteristic, that they would not retreat through fear of spear, or sword, or arrow; and Arthur never had shame in battle the day he saw their faces in the field. Therefore Arthur called these knights, Knights of Battle.

There were three Knights who had the power of illusion in the Court of Arthur; Menw ab Tegwared, Tristan ab Tallwch, and Eiddili Cor, for they appeared on an emergency in any shape they liked, and therefore no one could overcome them.

There were three royal Knights in the Court of Arthur; Nasiens, son of the king of Denmark, Medrod ab Llew ab Cenvarch, and Howel ab Emyr Llydaw. It was their renown, that no king nor emperor in the world could refuse them any favour in time of peace, because of their fairness and discretion:-in war, neither a private soldier nor a champion, however good their weapons, could withstand them; therefore were they called Royal Knights.

There were three just Knights in the Court of Arthur; Blaes, son of the Earl of Llychlyn, (Scandinavia,) Cadawc ab Gwynllyw Varvog, and Petrog Baladr ddellt ab Clement, Prince of Cornwall. This was their characteristic, that they

would put to death whoever committed wrong, however powerful he might be; for they were engaged to maintain justice by every law:-Blaes by the civil law, Cadawe by the canon law, and Petrog by the law of arms.

were they styled Just Knights.

Therefore

There were three Knights of Repugnance in the Court of Arthur; Morvran ab Tegid, Sanddev Bryd Angel, and Glewlyd Gavaelvawr. It was their characteristic, that nobody could refuse them any thing:- Sanddev, because he was so fair; Morvran, because he was so ugly; and Glewlyd, because he was so big, so strong, and so cruel. Therefore were they called the Knights of Repugnance.

There were three Counselling Knights in the Court of Arthur; Cynon ab Clydno Eiddyn, Aaron ab Cenvarch, and Llywarch Hen ab Elidr Lydanwyn; and these three were the Counsellors of Arthur. Whatever difficulty befel him, they gave him such counsel, that none were able to overcome him. Thus Arthur prevailed against all men, and every exploit, and every nation in the world, through the might of the Powerful Spirit, and the faith and hope he had in these men, and through the consecrated weapons which God had bestowed upon him.

Rhon-gonian was the name of his lance, Caled-vlwch that of his sword, and Carn-wennan that of his dagger.

The following are the names of military swords:-the sword of Arthur, Caled-vlwch; the sword of Julius Cæsar, Emperor of Rome, Ange glas, (pale death;) the sword of Charles, King of France, Gwdion; the sword of Roland, Durundardd; the sword of Oliver, Llawtyclyr.

ANECDOTE.

ORIGIN OF A PROVERB.

"DAVYDD Llwyd was a voluminous writer as a poet; and, above that, as a prophet. He was a Bardd and a Brudiwr ; and his brudiau, or enigmatical productions, are numerous. These amused, but could not enlighten his countrymen. The Earl of Richmond, on his way from Milford towards Shrewsbury, to contest for the Crown which was tottering on Richard III.'s head, thought it worth his while to call at Mathavarn, and consult this pupil of Merddin as to the suc ARCHEOL. CAMB. VOL. I.]

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He

cess of his adventure, and at once proposed the question to his seer. The answer was not ready; he hesitated, and promised a reply by the following morning. Finding his craft failing him, he grew visibly dejected. His wife having observed such a sudden change in her husband's countenance, inquired, after the earl had retired to rest, the reason. told her the dilemma he was in; upon which she exclaimed:'What! you a bard,—a prophet,-a sage! Can you hesitate what answer to return to the question? Tell him confidently that he will succeed to the throne; and if that proves true, your character is established; if not, you need not fear that he will return here to reproach you for being a false prophet.' This satisfied the seer; and no less so the earl, when they held a consultation at the dawn of the following morning. This adventure gave rise to the proverb, (still recollected by the peasantry,) Cynghorgwraig heb ei ovyn; that is, a wife's advice, without being asked for it,' is always auspicious."- Lewis Glyn Cothi. p. 449. Note.

Davydd Llwyd lived at Mathavarn, in the parish of Llanwrin, Čyveiliog, and was possessed of a considerable estate on both sides the Dyvi above Machynllaith.

HOLY WELLS.

MANY a parish in Wales can boast of its sacred well, bearing generally, if not always, the name of the Saint by whom the church was founded, or to whom it was afterwards dedicated. In a credulous age, these wells were supposed to be endued with some supernatural efficacy, and indeed a few of them are still regarded by the ignorant populace with feelings of no ordinary awe. Probably the origin of this superstition may be dated in times anterior to the Christian era, for, as we are aware, rivers and fountains entered deeply into the Druidical economy, in consequence, no doubt, of some traditionary reminiscence of the Deluge, that great event which destroyed and kept alive. So far was veneration for them carried, that in Gaul it degenerated into rank idolatry, for divine honours were actually paid to Onvana or Divona, as the goddess who presided over the waters:—

"Divona, Celtarum lingua fons addite divis."—AUSONIUS.

And though indigenous Druidism never tolerated polytheism, yet we are assured by Gildas, that the worship of rivers and mountains was not unknown even in Britain. His words

are,

"Neque nominatim inclamitans montes ipsos, aut fontes vel colles, aut fluvios olim exitiabiles, nunc vero humanis usibus utiles, quibus divinus honor a cæco tunc populo cumulabatur." -Hist. Gild, § 4.

The practice spoken of here was doubtless introduced by the later tribes which settled in the island. It formed a part likewise of the Irish system. In a history of St. Patrick, it is mentioned, as the motive of this holy man for visiting Slane, that he had heard of a fountain there which the Magi honoured, and made offerings to it, as to a god.-See Sir W. Betham's Irish Antiquarian Researches, Append. 29.

It would appear that this species of idolatry lingered among the people long after the introduction of Christianity. It was interdicted in Gaul at the Council of Tours, A.D. 567:

"Veneratores lapidum, accensores facularum, et excolentes sacra fontium et arborum, admonemus.”—Council Turon, A.D. 567.

The law of Canute supposes its existence in Britain at even a later period:

"Prohibemus etiam serio-quod quis adoret Ignem vel Fluvium Torrens, vel Saxa vel alicujus generis arborum ligna."- Wilkins, Leg. Ang. Sax. p. 134.

The British missionaries, whilst engaged in the work of evangelizing the country, were careful to do as little violence as possible to ancient prejudices. Their aim was to hallow them, by clothing them with Christianity. Hence, as we are informed, they continued to perform Divine service within the old circles, and chose the future ministers exclusively out of the Bardic college. It is not unreasonable to suppose, therefore, that they also appropriated for the Church the Druidical wells, by selecting them as "the lavers of regeneration;" and thus exhibited vividly to the minds of the people the great truth, that the Diluvian types received their fulfilment in Christian baptism.

But whether such an appropriation existed or not, we can well imagine that the primitive saints of Britain would consecrate particular wells or streams for the purposes of baptism, before the erection of parish churches. The people