Pabo, the Priest: A NovelBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
Pabo, the Priest: A Novel
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Great Britain -- History -- Henry I, 1100-1135 -- Fiction; Priests -- Fiction; Wales -- Fiction
Next day the brother of the bishop was again on the move with his men by
daybreak, and passed into the Cleddau Valley, making for Llawhaden.
In the meantime the men of Caio were on the march. None were left behind
save the very old and the very young and the women.
They marched four abreast, with the staff of Cynwyl borne before them.
Now the vanguard thundered the battle-song of David, "Cyfoded Duw,
gwasgarer ei elynion: afföed ei gaseion o'i flaen ef."
They sang, then ceased, and the rear-guard took up the chant: "When thou
wentest forth before the people; when thou wentest through the
wilderness, the earth shook and the heavens dropped." They sang on and
ceased. Thereupon again the vanguard took up the strain, "Kings with
their armies did flee, and were discomfited; and they of the household
divided the spoil."
Thus chanting alternately, they marched through the passage among the
mountains threaded by the Sarn Helen, and before the people went Pabo,
wearing the bracelet of Maximus, the Roman Emperor, who took to wife
that Helen who had made the road, and who was of the royal British race
of Cunedda.
So they marched on--following the same course as that by which the
Norman cavalcade had preceded them. And this was the Pylgain in Dyfed
in the year 1115.
The host came out between the portals of the hills at Llanwrda, and
turned about and descended the Ystrad Towy, by the right bank of the
river; and the daybreak of Christmas saw them opposite Llangadock. The
gray light spread from behind the mighty ridge of Trichrug, and revealed
the great fortified, lonely camp of Carn Gôch towering up, with its
mighty walls of stone and the huge cairn that occupied the highest point
within the enclosure.
They halted for a while, but for a while only, and then thrust along in
the same order, and with the same resolution, intoning the same chant on
their way to Llandeilo. There they tarried for the night, and every
house was opened to them, and on every hearth there was a girdle-cake
for them.
On the morrow the whole body was again on the march. Meanwhile, the
garrison had fled from Dynevor to Careg Cennen, and the men of Ystrad
Towy were camped against that fortress, from which, on the news of the
revolt, Gerald had escaped to Carmarthen.
By the time the men of Caio were within sight of this latter place, it
was in flames.
And tidings came from Cardigan. The people there had with one acclaim
declared that they would have Griffith as their prince, and were
besieging Strongbow's castle of Blaen-Porth.
But the men of Caio did not tarry at Carmarthen to assist in the taking
of the castle. Only there did Pabo surrender the bracelet of Maxen to
the Prince, with the message from his sister.
They pushed on their way.
Whither were they bound? Slowly, steadily, resolvedly on the track of
those men who had outraced them to their place of retreat and defense,
the bishop's Castle of Llawhaden.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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