Folk-Lore of West and Mid-WalesDavies, Jonathan Ceredig
History
Folk-Lore of West and Mid-Wales
Davies, Jonathan Ceredig
Folklore -- Wales; Wales -- Social life and customs
was off by the death of Corineus, not content with secret enjoyment,
divorcing Gwendolen, he makes Estrilidis his queen. Gwendolen, all, in
rage, departs into Cornwall; where Pladan, the son she had by Locrine,
was hitherto brought up by Corineus, his grandfather; and gathering
an army of her father's friends, and subjects, gives battle to her
husband by the river Sture, wherein Locrine, shot with an arrow, ends
his life. But not so ends the fury of Gwendolen, for Estrilidis and
her daughter Sabra she throws into a river, and, to have a monument
of revenge proclaims that the stream be thenceforth called after the
damsel's name, which by length of time is changed now to Sabrina or
Severn." The Poet in his "Mask of Comus" makes the nymph Sabrina "that
with moist curb sways the smooth Severn stream" the goddess of the
river, but still retaining her maiden gentleness, and the shepherds,
at their festivals, "Carol her goodness loud in their rustic lays,
and throw sweet garland wreaths into her stream of pansies, pink,
and gaudy daffodils. And, as the old swain said, she can unlock the
clasping charm, and thaw the number spell, if she be right invoked
in warbling song; for maidenhood she loves, and will be swift to aid
a virgin, such as was herself, in hard-besetting need." In the year
1634 when this "Comus" was presented at Ludlow Castle before the Lord
President of Wales, the President's own daughter, Lady Alice Egerton,
when only a little girl, acted in it; and it is an interesting fact
that this same Lady Alice, some years afterwards, became the wife of
the Earl of Carbery, Golden Grove, Carmarthenshire, who entertained
Jeremy Taylor during the time of the Commonwealth.
CAVES.
OGOF MORRIS (MORRIS'S CAVE).
Near Tre'rddol in North Cardiganshire, there is a cave known as Ogof
Morris. According to a tradition I heard in the neighbourhood, this
Morris was a notorious robber who lived in this cave, and went about
to steal hens and sheep; but at last he was caught and hanged at
Cardigan. According to the eminent antiquarian, Mr. Barnwell, there
was a robber of the name also in Pembrokeshire, who had a little dog
trained to fetch the arrows shot at unfortunate wayfarers. At last he
was killed and buried at a spot where there is a stone still called
"Bedd Morris" on the highway from St. David's to Newport.
BLOODY CAVE.
There is a cave at Pendine, in Carmarthenshire, in which according to
tradition a gang of most desperate and murderous robbers once made
their headquarters. At last, these scoundrels were attacked by the
people of the neighbourhood, and put to death for murdering a woman
for her money.
PLANT MAT'S CAVE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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