ページの画像
PDF
ePub

lies. An ancient and ridiculous cuftom is faid to be obferved by noble ladies who are widows of plebeians, in order to recover their birthright, for which purpofe they carry a pack faddle on their fhoulders to their

hufband's grave, then throwing it down and itriking it three times, fay, villein, take thy villeiny, for I will abide by my nobility:" and then they recover their privis leges again."

ACCOUNT of a CONVENTION of the Inhabitants of WALES, held at the Pafs Bwich Oer-ddres, in the Reign of Henry IV.

[From Mr. PENNANT'S JOURNEY to SNOWDON.]

"THIS
HIS pafs is noted for being
one of the three places, in
which were affembled, fix years after
the wars of Glyndwr, all the great
men of certain diftricts, in order to
enforce the obfervation of justice, by
their own weight, without any other
legal fanction. This, perhaps, was
occafioned by the mercilefs laws
enacted against the Welsh by Henry
IV. At each of theic places, they
entered into a compaft to caufe juf-
tice to be done for all wrongs in-
ficted before and after the wars, but
not during that turbulent period.
Every one was to have his goods, or
land, which had been orced from
him, restored without law-fuit; and
any goods detained after this. were
to be deered as ftolen or if his
lord fold them, he was fined ten
pounds, and the goods, or their va-
lue, to the owner. If the refractory
perfon was hanged, or died a natural
death, the demand lay good against
the wife, heirs, or executors: but if
they or the denied the demand, the
plaintiff muft procure his compur-
gators, viz. fix perfons with him, to
fwear to the right of his claim; but
(like the English, in cafes of jury)
the defendant had a right to chal-
lenge one of the fix; and another
was to be provided in his tead.

"After this, follow various regulations for reftoring the govern

ment of the country in general; and feveral laws relative to waifs and eftrays, vagrants, bail, recovery of debts, manflaughter, thefts, duty of officers, &c. The code concludes with valuation of feveral goods and chattels, for which fatisfaction was to be made. For example, a horfe and mare, on the cath of the owner and two diabours, were valued at ten fillings; a foal at twenty pence; an ox at a mark; a cow at ten fillings; the hire of an ox, and the milk of a cow, were alto valued; an ewe was eitomed at fixteen pence, her wol at four pence, her milk at two pence, and her lamb at eight pence.

"As a proof of the high value of arms, and that we had few manufactures of that kind, a twohanded fword was valued at ten fhillings, a one-handed at fix fillings and eight pence, and a steel buckler at two fhillings and eight pence: but, what is very fingular, a bow, which themfelves could make, was valued at fixteen pence, and an arrow at fix pence.

"To all thefe laws, no penalty was annexed for the breach; excepting the forfeiture of the benefit of the compact, which, in thofe unfettled times, was probably fufficient, as it left the party unfupported and friendlefs,"

ANCIENT

ANCIENT HOSPITALITY of the WELCH.

[From the fame Work.]

MUST not lead the reader into a belief, that every habitation of thefe early times was equal in magnificence to that of Ednowain ap Bradwen. Thofe of inferior gentry were formed of wat tles, like indian wigwams, or Highland hovels; without gardens or orchard, and formed for removal from place to place, for the fake of new pafture, or a greater plenty of game. The furniture was correfpondent; there were neither tables, nor cloths, nor napkins; but this is lefs wonderful, fince we find, that even fo late as the time of Edward II. ftraw was used in the royal apartment. Notwithstanding this, the utmost hofpitality was preferved: every houfe was open, even to the poorest perfon. When a stranger entered, his arms were taken from him, and layed by; and, after the fcriptural cuftom, water was brought to wafh his feet. The fare was fimm ple; the meal did not confift of an elegant variety, but of numbers of things put together in a large dif: the bread was thin oat-cakes, fuch as are common in our moun tainous parts at this time. The family waited on the guests, and never

touched any thing till they had done, when it took up with what was left. Mufic, and the free converfation of the young women, formed the amufements of the time; for jealoufy was unknown among us. Bands of young men, who knew no profeffion but that of arms, often entered the houses, and were welcome guests; for they were confidered as the voluntary defenders of the liberties of their country. They mixed with the female part of the family, joined their voices to the melody of the harp, and confumed the day with the most animated feftivity. At length, funk into repofe, not under rich tefters, or on downy beds, but along the fides of the room, on a thin covering of dried reeds, placed round the great fire, which was placed in the centre, they lay down promifcuoufly, covered only by a coarse home-made cloth, called Brychan, or plaid, the fame with the more ancient Bracha; and kept one another warm, by lying clofe together; or thould one fide lofe its genial heat, they turn about, and give the chilly fide to the fire."

[blocks in formation]

fpecies of relaxation. Oftentimes, like the modern improvifitoire of Italy, they will fing extempore verfes. A perfon converfant in this art, will produce a penyll appofite to the laft which was fung: the fubjects produce a great deal of mirth; for they are fometimes jocular, at others fatirical, and many amorous. They will continue finging without intermiffion, and never repeat the fame ftanza; for that would occafion the lofs of the honour of being held firft of the fong. Like night ingales, they fupport the conteft

throughout the night: Certant inter fe, palamque animofa contentio-victa morte finit fæpe vitam, fpiritu prius deficiente quam cantu, may alfo be added. The audience ufually call for the tune: fometimes only a few can fing to it; and in many cafes the whole company: but when a party of capital fingers affemble, they rarely call for a tune; for it is indifferent to them what tune the harper plays. Parifles often contend againft parifles; and every hill is vocal with the chorus."

ANCIENT HUNTING among the WELCH. [From the fame Work.]

"T

HE Welch had feveral animals who were the objects of the chace; fuch as, y Carw, or the ftag; Kaid Wenyn, a fwarm of bees; and y Gleifiad, or the falmon; yr Arth, the bear; y Dringhedydd, climbing animals, I fuppofe wild cats, martins, and fquirrels; and Ceiliog Coed, or cock of the wood. And the laft divifion was, y Llwynog, the fox; Yfgyfarnog, the hare; and y Ywrch, the roe. Some of the above come very improperly under our idea of hunting, yet were comprehended in the code of laws relative to the diverfion, formed, as is fuppofed, by Gryffyd ap Cynan.

"I fufpect alfo, that the otter was an object of diverfion; there being a Cylch Dyfrgwm, or an annual payment, by the Welch, for the prince's water dogs.

"The three first were Helfa Gyffredon, or the common hunt. The ftag, because he was the nobleft

animal of chace, and becaufe every body, who came by at his death, before he was fkinned, might claim a fhare in him. The next animals were Helfa Gyfarthfa, or the animals which could be brought to bay, fuch as the bear, &c. which were hunted with hounds till they afcended a tree. The bird mentioned here, is the cock of the wood, whofe nature it is to fit perched on a bough, where they will gaze till they are hot, as they were, in old times, by the bow, or cross-bow.

"The third divifion was Helfa Ddolef, or the fhouting-chace, becaufe attended by the clamor of the fportfmen; and comprehended the fox, the hare, and the roe. The method of hunting was either with hounds, or greyhounds, which they let flip at the animals, holding the dogs in leafhes. No one was to flip his greyhound when the hounds were in chace, unless he had a hound in the pack, on penalty of having

the

the greyhound ham-ftrung: neither was it allowed to kill any animal of chace on its form, or at reft, on pain of forfeiting his bow and arrow to the lord of the manor. When feveral greyhounds, the property of different perfons, were flipt at any animal, the perfon whofe dog was nearest the beast, when laft in fight, claimed the fkin. A bitch was excepted, unless it was proved the was pregnant by a dog which had before won a skin.

"Every perfon who carries a horn, muft give a scientificial account of the nine objects of chace, or elfe he will be looked on as a pretender, and forfeit his horn. The fame penalty attends the Cynllafan, or leath; he is never again to wear it round his middle, on pain of forfeiture; but then he is fuffered to wear it round his arm.

"The ancient Welch held the flesh of the stag, hare, wild boar, and the bear, to be the greatest delicacies among the beasts of chace.

"The prince had his Pencynwydd, or chief huntfman. He was the tenth officer of the court. He had for his own fupper one dish of meat; and after it, three horns of mead, one from the king, another from the queen, the third from the steward of the houfhold. He was never to fwear, but by his horn and his leafh. He had the third of the fines and heriots of all the other huntfmen; and likewife the fame are of the amobr, on the mar

riage of any of their daughters. At a certain time of the year, he was to hunt for the king only at other feafons, he was permitted to hunt for himself. His horn was that of an ox, of a pound value. He had in winter an ox's hide, to make leafhes; in fummer, a cow's, to cut into fpatterdashes.

"The king had liberty of hunting wherefoever he pleafed; but if a beaft was hunted and killed on any gentleman's eftate, and not followed and claimed by the huntfman that night, the owner of the land might convert it to his own ufe, but was to take good care of the dogs, and preferve the skin.

"The penalty of killing a tame ftag of the king's, was a pound; and a certain fine, if it was a wild one: if it was killed between a certain day in November, and the feast of St. John, the value was fixty pence; but the fine for kill ing it, a hundred and eighty pence. A ftag was alfo reckoned equivalent to an ox; a hind to a wellgrown cow; a roe to a goat; a wild fow to a tame fow; a badger had no value, because in fome years it was meafled; wolves and foxes, and other noxious animals, had no value, becaufe every body was allowed to kill them; and there was none fet upon a hare, for a very fingular reafon, because it was believed every other month to change its fex."

Generofity

Generosity of the ENGLISH BARONS, in the 13th and 14th

CENTURIES.

[From the Fourth Volume of Dr. HENRY'S Hiftory of Great Britain.]

66

A

Noble spirit of liberality and munificence prevailed in this period, especially among the great martial barons; of which it may be proper to give one example: the lord James Audeley, one of the firft knights of the Garter, obtained permiflion from the Prince of Wales, to begin the battle of Poictiers; and, attended by his four faithful efquires, performed prodigies of valour. As foon as the action was over, and the victory complete, the Prince inquired for the lord Audeley; and being in formed, that he lay dangeroufly wounded at a little distance, commanded, if it could be done with fafety, to bring him to his tent. When lord Audeley, carried in a litter, entered, the Prince embraced him in the most affectionate manner; declared, that he had been the best doer in arms in the bufinefs of that day; and made him a grant of 500 marks yearly, (equivalent to about 8,000l. at prefent) as a reward of his valour. Lord Audeley accepted this noble grant with the warmest expreffions

The

of gratitude; but as foon as he was carried to his own tent, he beflowed it on his four brave and faithful efquires, without reserving any fhare of it to himself. Prince applauded this generous action, and rewarded it with another grant of 600 marks a-year. The generofity of thofe times was not always fo wifely directed, but of ten degenerated into vain abfurd extravagance. Alexander III. king of Scotland, being prefent at the coronation of Edward I. rode to Westminster, attended by one hundred knights, mounted on fine horfes, which they let loose, with all their furniture, as foon as they alighted, to be feized by the populace as their property. In this he was imitated by the earls of Lancaster, Cornwall, Gloucefter, Pembroke, and Warrenne, who each paid Edward the fame expenfive unprofitable compliment. The extravagant ruinous liberalities of Henry III. and Edward II. are fo well known, that they need not be mentioned."

Hofpitality of the PRINCES and great BARONS, in the fame Period. [From the fame Work.]

"AN in he courts of

N almost unlimited hofpitality reigned in the palaces of princes, and the caftles of

great barons, in the times we are now delineating.

fome of the kings of England, in

« 前へ次へ »