"Sir Cradock call'd his lady, And bade her to come neare: 'Come win this mantle, lady, And do me credit here.' "The lady gently blushing With modest grace came on, And now to trye the wondrous charm Courageously is gone. "When she had tane the mantle, And put it on her backe, About the hem it seemed To wrinkle and to cracke. "'Lye still,' she cryed, 'O mantle! And shame me not for naught, I'll freely own whate'er amiss Or blameful I have wrought. "'Once I kist Sir Cradocke Beneathe the greenwood tree: Once I kist Sir Cradocke's mouth Before he married me.' "When thus she had her shriven, And her worst fault had told, The mantle soon became her Right comely as it shold. "Most rich and fair of colour Like gold it glittering shone; And much the knights in Arthur's court Admir'd her every one." I do not hold that this story belongs to Carlisle, but to Caerleon or to Callington. This last place was one of the three royal cities of Britain, of which Caerleon was the second, says a Welsh triad, and the third I cannot identify. At one of these three Arthur was wont to celebrate the high festivals of Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide. Caradoc Freichfras, the Sir Cradock of the ballad, was chieftain in Gelliwig, or the region of which Callington was capital, and Bedwin was the bishop there. But this Bedwin is only known through the mediæval romances. It was here that Gwenever held court when insulted by Modred, Arthur's nephew, during the king's absence in Brittany, when he dragged her with contumely from her throne and drove her from the palace. The fatal battle of Camalon was fought to avenge this insult. The region of Gelli, which gives its name to or derives its name from Brown Willy and Brown Gelli, two tors in the upland metalliferous district, was valuable because of the abundance of stream-tin and of gold that was found there. Callington is a corruption of Gellewick-ton. Caradoc Freichfras, that is to say Strong-i'-th'-Arm was son of Llyr Merini, a Cornish prince, and his wife Gwen, who was a granddaughter of Brychan of Brecknock. According to a saying attributed to Arthur himself, he was styled "the pillar of the Cymry." His prowess in the great battle of Cattraeth against the Saxons is commemorated by the contemporary poet Aneurin, who is the same as the sour Gildas, historian of the Britons:--