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or　and　strangers；　and　because　they　do　not　live　as　others　upon　fixed　incomes；　but　depend　only　on　their　labour　and　forethought　for　subsistence；　they　are　anxious　to　obtain　lands；　farms；　and　pastures；　which　may　enable　them　to　perform　these　acts　of　hospitality。　　However；　to　repress　and　remove　from　this　sacred　Order　the　detestable　stigma　of　ambition；　I　wish　they　would　sometimes　call　to　mind　what　is　written　in　Ecclesiasticus；　〃Whoso　bringeth　an　offering　of　the　goods　of　the　poor；　doth　as　one　that　killeth　the　son　before　his　father's　eyes；〃　and　also　the　sentiment　of　Gregory；　〃A　good　use　does　not　justify　things　badly　acquired；〃　and　also　that　of　Ambrose；　〃He　who　wrongfully　receives；　that　he　may　well　dispense；　is　rather　burthened　than　assisted。〃　　Such　men　seem　to　say　with　the　Apostle；　〃Let　us　do　evil　that　good　may　come。〃　　For　it　is　written；　〃Mercy　ought　to　be　of　such　a　nature　as　may　be　received；　not　rejected；　which　may　purge　away　sins；　not　make　a　man　guilty　before　the　Lord；　arising　from　your　own　just　labours；　not　those　of　other　men。〃　　Hear　what　Solomon　says；　〃Honour　the　Lord　from　your　just　labours。〃　　What　shall　they　say　who　have　seized　upon　other　men's　possessions；　and　exercised　charity？　　〃O　Lord！　in　thy　name　we　have　done　charitable　deeds；　we　have　fed　the　poor；　clothed　the　naked；　and　hospitably　received　the　stranger：〃　to　whom　the　Lord　will　answer；　〃Ye　speak　of　what　ye　have　given　away；　but　speak　not　of　the　rapine　ye　have　committed；　ye　relate　concerning　those　ye　have　fed；　and　remember　not　those　ye　have　killed。〃　　I　have　judged　it　proper　to　insert　in　this　place　an　instance　of　an　answer　which　Richard；　king　of　the　English；　made　to　Fulke；　｛63｝　a　good　and　holy　man；　by　whom　God　in　these　our　days　has　wrought　many　signs　in　the　kingdom　of　France。　This　man　had　among　other　things　said　to　the　king；　〃You　have　three　daughters；　namely；　Pride；　Luxury；　and　Avarice；　and　as　long　as　they　shall　remain　with　you；　you　can　never　expect　to　be　in　favour　with　God。〃　　To　which　the　king；　after　a　short　pause；　replied：　　〃I　have　already　given　away　those　daughters　in　marriage：　　Pride　to　the　Templars；　Luxury　to　the　Black　Monks；　and　Avarice　to　the　White。〃　　It　is　a　remarkable　circumstance；　or　rather　a　miracle；　concerning　Lanthoni；　that；　although　it　is　on　every　side　surrounded　by　lofty　mountains；　not　stony　or　rocky；　but　of　a　soft　nature；　and　covered　with　grass；　Parian　stones　are　frequently　found　there；　and　are　called　free…stones；　from　the　facility　with　which　they　admit　of　being　cut　and　polished；　and　with　these　the　church　is　beautifully　built。　　It　is　also　wonderful；　that　when；　after　a　diligent　search；　all　the　stones　have　been　removed　from　the　mountains；　and　no　more　can　be　found；　upon　another　search；　a　few　days　afterwards；　they　reappear　in　greater　quantities　to　those　who　seek　them。　　With　respect　to　the　two　Orders；　the　Cluniac　and　the　Cistercian；　this　may　be　relied　upon；　although　the　latter　are　possessed　of　fine　buildings；　with　ample　revenues　and　estates；　they　will　soon　be　reduced　to　poverty　and　destruction。　　To　the　former；　on　the　contrary；　you　would　allot　a　barren　desert　and　a　solitary　wood；　yet　in　a　few　years　you　will　find　them　in　possession　of　sumptuous　churches　and　houses；　and　encircled　with　an　extensive　property。　　The　difference　of　manners　（as　it　appears　to　me）　causes　this　contrast。　　For　as　without　meaning　offence　to　either　party；　I　shall　speak　the　truth；　the　one　feels　the　benefits　of　sobriety；　parsimony；　and　prudence；　whilst　the　other　suffers　from　the　bad　effects　of　gluttony　and　intemperance：　　the　one；　like　bees；　collect　their　stores　into　a　heap；　and　unanimously　agree　in　the　disposal　of　one　well…regulated　purse；　the　others　pillage　and　divert　to　improper　uses　the　largesses　which　have　been　collected　by　divine　assistance；　and　by　the　bounties　of　the　faithful；　and　whilst　each　individual　consults　solely　his　own　interest；　the　welfare　of　the　community　suffers；　since；　as　Sallust　observes；　〃Small　things　increase　by　concord；　and　the　greatest　are　wasted　by　discord。〃　　Besides；　sooner　than　lessen　the　number　of　one　of　the　thirteen　or　fourteen　dishes　which　they　claim　by　right　of　custom；　or　even　in　a　time　of　scarcity　or　famine　recede　in　the　smallest　degree　from　their　accustomed　good　fare；　they　would　suffer　the　richest　lands　and　the　best　buildings　of　the　monastery　to　become　a　prey　to　usury；　and　the　numerous　poor　to　perish　before　their　gates。

The　first　of　these　Orders；　at　a　time　when　there　was　a　deficiency　in　grain；　with　a　laudable　charity；　not　only　gave　away　their　flocks　and　herds；　but　resigned　to　the　poor　one　of　the　two　dishes　with　which　they　were　always　contented。　　But　in　these　our　days；　in　order　to　remove　this　stain；　it　is　ordained　by　the　Cistercians；　〃That　in　future　neither　farms　nor　pastures　shall　be　purchased；　and　that　they　shall　be　satisfied　with　those　alone　which　have　been　freely　and　unconditionally　bestowed　upon　them。〃　　This　Order；　therefore；　being　satisfied　more　than　any　other　with　humble　mediocrity；　and；　if　not　wholly；　yet　in　a　great　degree　checking　their　ambition；　and　though　placed　in　a　worldly　situation；　yet　avoiding；　as　much　as　possible；　its　contagion；　neither　notorious　for　gluttony　or　drunkenness；　for　luxury　or　lust；　is　fearful　and　ashamed　of　incurring　public　scandal；　as　will　be　more　fully　explained　in　the　book　we　mean　（by　the　grace　of　God）　to　write　concerning　the　ecclesiastical　Orders。

In　these　temperate　regions　I　have　obtained　（according　to　the　usual　expression）　a　place　of　dignity；　but　no　great　omen　of　future　pomp　or　riches；　and　possessing　a　small　residence　｛64｝　near　the　castle　of　Brecheinoc；　well　adapted　to　literary　pursuits；　and　to　the　contemplation　of　eternity；　I　envy　not　the　riches　of　Croesus；　happy　and　contented　with　that　mediocrity；　which　I　prize　far　beyond　all　the　perishable　and　transitory　things　of　this　world。　　But　let　us　return　to　our　subject。



CHAPTER　IV



The　journey　by　Coed　Grono　and　Abergevenni


From　thence　｛65｝　we　proceeded　through　the　narrow；　woody　tract　called　the　bad　pass　of　Coed　Grono；　leaving　the　noble　monastery　of　Lanthoni；　inclosed　by　its　mountains；　on　our　left。　　The　castle　of　Abergevenni　is　so　called　from　its　situation　at　the　confluence　of　the　river　Gevenni　with　the　Usk。

It　happened　a　short　time　after　the　death　of　king　Henry　I。；　that　Richard　de　Clare；　a　nobleman　of　high　birth；　and　lord　of　Cardiganshire；　passed　this　way　on　his　journey　from　England　into　Wales；　accompanied　by　Brian　de　Wallingford；　lord　of　this　province；　and　many　men…at…arms。　　At　the　passage　of　Coed　Grono；　｛66｝　and　at　the　entrance　into　the　wood；　he　dismissed　him　and　his　attendants；　though　much　against　their　will；　and　proceeded　on　his　journey　unarmed；　from　too　great　a　presumption　of　security；　preceded　only　by　a　minstrel　and　a　singer；　one　accompanying　the　other　on　the　fiddle。　　The　Welsh　awaiting　his　arrival；　with　Iorwerth；　brother　of　Morgan　of　Caerleon；　at　their　head；　and　others　of　his　family；　rushed　upon　him　unawares　from　the　thickets；　and　killed　him　and　many　of　his　followers。　　Thus　it　appears　how　incautious　and　neglectful　of　itself　is　too　great　presumption；　for　fear　teaches　foresight　and　caution　in　prosperity；　but　audacity　is　precipitate；　and　inconsiderate　rashness　will　not　await　the　advice　of　the　leader。

A　sermon　having　been　delivered　at　Abergevenni；　｛67｝　and　many　persons　converted　to　the　cross；　a　certain　nobleman　of　those　parts；　named　Arthenus；　came　to　the　archbishop；　who　was　proceeding　towards　the　castle　of　Usk；　and　humbly　begged　pardon　for　having　neglected　to　meet　him　sooner。　　Being　questioned　whether　he　would　take　the　cross；　he　replied；　〃That　ought　not　be　done　without　the　advice　of　his　friends。〃　The　archbishop　then　asked　him；　〃Are　you　not　going　to　consult　your　wife？〃　　To　which　he　modestly　answered；　with　a　downcast　look；　〃When　the　work　of　a　man　is　to　be　undertaken；　the　counsel　of　a　woman　ought　not　to　be　asked；〃　and　instantly　received　the　cross　from　the　archbishop。

We　leave　to　others　the　relation　of　those　frequent　and　cruel　excesses　which　in　our　times　have　arisen　amongst　the　inhabitants　of　these　parts；　against　the　governors　of　castles；　and　the　vindictive　retaliations　of　the　governors　against　the　natives。　　But　king　Henry　II。　was　the　true　author；　and　Ranulf　Poer；　sheriff　of　Hereford；　the　instrument；　of　the　enormous　cruelties　and　slaughter　perpetrated　here　in　our　days；　which　I　thought　better　to　omit；　lest　bad　men　should　be　induced　to　follow　the　example；　for　although　temporary　advantage　may　seem　to　arise　from　a　base　cause；　yet；　by　the　balance　of　a　righteous　judge；　the　punishment　of　wickedness　may　be　deferred；　though　not　totally　avoided；　according　to　the　words　of　the　poet；　…


〃Non　habet　eventus　sordida　praeda　bonos。〃


For　after　seven　years　of　peace　and　tranquillity；　the　sons　and　grandsons　of　the　deceased；　having　attained　the　age　of　manhood；　took　advantage　of　the　absence　of　the　lord　of　the　castle　（Abergevenni）；　and；　burning　with　revenge；　concealed　themselves；　with　no　inconsiderable　force　during　the　night；　within　the　woody　foss　of　the　castle。　　One　of　them；　name　Sisillus　（Sitsylt）　son　of　Eudaf；　on　the　preceding　day　said　rather　jocularly　to　the　constable；　〃Here　will　we　enter　this　night；〃　pointing　out　to　him　a　certain　angle　in　the　wall　where　it　seemed　the　lowest；　but　since


〃　…　Ridendo　dicere　verum　Quis　vetat？〃


and


〃　…　fas　est　et　ab　hoste　doceri；〃


the　const