priest. In the abbey he had served for seven years before he was recognized. Then he resolved on paying a visit to S. Columba at Hy, and he went thither, and Columba sent him to S. Kentigern, who bade him go to Galloway. He was now extremely old, and he retired into the peninsula of Kintyre, where some wicked men, pirates probably, murdered him, as already said, by cutting off his arm and letting him. bleed to death. As Kentigern died about 614, none of these statements need be anachronisms. If we suppose that Constantine was born in He visited S. David's and went on to Rathin . 510 540 589 590 597 598 The story as told in the Aberdeen Breviary is confused, but need not be rejected as utterly unhistorical. S. Constantine's day is March II in the Aberdeen Breviary, and in the Irish Martyrologies of Oengus and O'Gorman, of Tallagh, and the Drummond Calendar. But in the Bodmin Antiphonary on March 9. Nicolas Roscarrock enters him on March 8, 9 and 13. The Constantine Feast at S. Merryn is on March 9. In the Bodmin Calendar he was entered as King and Martyr. In Bishop Grandisson's time, (1331), there was a Legendarium in the church of S. Constantine, which certainly contained his story as received in Cornwall, but this no longer exists.1 There was a chapel of S. Constantine at Illogan, in Cornwall, licensed by Bishop Lacey in 1449, and one at Dunsford, in Devon, licensed March 13, 1421. The church of S. Constantine, in S. Merryn parish, had near it a Holy Well of the Saint, but this is now buried under the sands; the water still flows, and has formed a marsh. That there was an extensive cemetery here in early days, is shown by the numerous bones exposed by the drifting sands after a gale. The ruined church stands in a most lonely and desolate situation, and can never have been in a well populated part. It is suitable as a cell for one who desired to be out of the world. Having now dismissed Constantine, King and Martyr, we will turn our attention to another Constantine, him surnamed Corneu, and to the Welsh authorities. 1 Randolph (H.), Episcopal Registers of the Diocese of Exeter, Grandisson, p. 606. S. CONSTANTINE, or CYSTENNIN GORNEU, King, Confessor WE are disposed to identify this Constantine, styled Corneu, "of Cornwall," with Constantine the Usurper and Cystennin Fendigaid, and to regard him as distinct from the Constantine of Gildas. The early saintly pedigrees know nothing of a Cystennin as Saint, but they give Cystennin Gorneu in the pedigree of S. Cybi. It is somewhat doubtful. It runs, Cybi ab Selyf ab Geraint ab Erbin ab Cystennin Gorneu, but in the Lives of that Saint, Cybi ab Solomon (Selyf) ab Erbin ab Geraint ab Lludd. Mr. Egerton Phillimore is of opinion that by Cystennin Gorneu is meant Gildas' Constantine, King of Domnonia.1 Llangystennin, in Carnarvonshire, must be dedicated to Cystennin Gorneu, for, not far off, within the same deanery, is Llangernyw, literally, the Church of the Cornishman," which is dedicated to S. Digain, with whom sometimes is coupled S. Erbin, both of whom were sons of Cystennin Gorneu. 3 In the Book of Llan Dâv,2 a church called, among other names, Lann Custenhin Garth Benni, situated in Erging, is granted by Peibio, son of Erb, the King of Erging, to S. Dubricius. It is now Welsh Bicknor, the parish of which lies in Monmouthshire and Herefordshire. We there learn that Peibio was son-in-law to King Constantine, after whom, we may suppose, the church was called. Peibio belonged to the fifth century, so that we cannot identify this Constantine with the Constantine of Gildas. Curiously, the next grant to this in the Book of Llan Dâv is another by Peibio, that of Lann Cerniu, otherwise called Cenubia (= Cernubia), also in Erging, and identical, it would appear, with Cum Barruc, in the Valley Dore, Herefordshire. The church of Thorpe-Constantine, in Staffordshire, is also dedicated to this Saint. There has been no little confusion between the Constantine of Gildas and the Constantine who was proclaimed Emperor in Britain in 407, and whose son Constans, who had previously been a monk, was created Cæsar by his father, and were both slain in 411. All three 1 Montgomeryshire Collections, xxv, pp. 334-8 (1891). Constantinus yields in mediaval Welsh the form Custennin, which is preferable to Cystennin. Llangwstenin, and the less frequent Llangwystenin, are both incorrect. The Celtic bronze hand-bell, which belonged to Llangystennin, is now in the Powysland Museum at Welshpool. 2 Pp. 72, 275-6. 3 It is called Ecclesia Sancti Custenin de Biconovria in a Saint-Florent charter of 1144 in the Bibliothèque de l'École des Chartes, xl, p. 182 (1879). 4 P. 192. There is a church called Coed Cernyw, dedicated to All Saints, between Newport and Cardiff. VOL. II. N have been annexed by Geoffrey, and he makes the second Constantine father, not only of Constans, but also of Aurelius Ambrosius (Emrys Wledig) and of Uthyr Bendragon. The Cystennin Fendigaid (the Blessed) of his Brut is simply the Constantine of 407-11. He is also called Cystennin Fendigaid in the Red Book Triads, where his son Constans is called Cystennin Fychan (the Younger). He is also styled Cystennin Llydaw, and in the third or latest series of the Triads he is stated to have been one of " the Three Foreign Sovereigns of Britain.” 2 He is credited with having been, in conjunction with the Emperor Theodosius, the original founder of Bangor Illtyd, that is, Llantwit Major. He is given as the grandfather of King Arthur, whose pedigree is made to run, Arthur ab Uthyr ab Custennin ab Cynfor ab Tudwal ab Morfor ab Eudaf ab Cadwr ab Cynan ab Caradog ab Bran.1 Among the triplets known as "the Stanzas of the Achievements " occurs the following The achievement of Cystennin Gorneu The later genealogies include also among the Welsh Saints Constantine the Great, son of Maxen Wledig by Elen Luyddog, as well as his brothers Owain Finddu, Peblig, and Ednyfed. He is said in late documents to have founded the Archbishopric of York, and, along with his father, to have founded the church of Caerleon on Usk." The mediaval Welsh Calendars give only one festival of a Cystennin, May 21, which is that of Constantine the Great, the first Christian Emperor. Cystennin the Usurper hardly merits a place among the Saints. In 406 a swarm of Vandals, Sueves, and Alans had crossed the Rhine and inundated Gaul, ravaging it, and cutting off communication between Britain and Rome. Italy had been invaded by Alaric in 402, it was again invaded by Radagasius in 405. Under the feeble sway of Honorius the Western Empire was falling to pieces. In 407 the Roman soldiers in Britain raised a private soldier Constantine 1 Mabinogion, ed. Rhys and Evans, pp. 298–9; Myv. Arch., pp. 393, 395. Myv. Arch., p. 405. 3 Iolo MSS., p. 134. Mostyn MS. 117 (thirteenth century). This Cystennin is called Cystennin Gorneu in the Iolo MSS., p. 137, and is said to have been the father of Arthwg, the grandfather of S. Eldad. 5 Iolo MSS., p. 264. • Ibid., pp. 113, 138. At the latter reference another brother, Gwythyr, is given, and Peblig is said to have been the son of Owain. 7 Ibid., p. 221; Myv. Arch., p. 407. to the purple. The name had a charm for them, and they hoped that with the name of the first Christian Emperor he would inherit his greatness. The proclamation was made by the second and sixth Legions, stationed respectively at Richborough (Rutupiæ), and York (Eburacum). For the four succeeding years, the legions in Britain and Gaul were of no service towards the Empire. This revolt made its ruin all the more complete and speedy. From Britain Constantine crossed into Gaul, and the Roman legions there revolted and joined his standard. It is somewhat remarkable that Gildas, who speaks of the previous revolt of Maximus with such horror, and of him as "accursed," should say not one word against the usurper Constantine; and this looks much as though he regarded Constantine with respect and his memory with tenderness. Stilicho sent Sarus the Goth to oppose the progress of the Usurper, and he defeated and killed Justinian, and contrived the assassination of Nervigastes, the two ablest generals of Constantine. The latter was besieged by Sarus in Vienne, but Edobincus and Gerontius, two generals who had replaced those who had been slain, came to his aid, and drove the besiegers back over the Alps. Constantine now fixed his court at Valence on the Rhone, and turned his arms against the inrushing Vandals, Sueves, and other barbaric hordes, and pushed them back, so that the Rhine frontier was safer than it had been since the days of Julian. He proceeded to send his son, Constans, into Spain, and in 408 this prince-he had been created. Cæsar-was pressing hard the troops that remained faithful to Honorius in the peninsula. In the early days of the year 409, Constantine, who was now master of the three great provinces of the West, sent eunuch ambassadors to the court of Honorius, to excuse his usurpation on the plea that he had been compelled to it by the soldiery. Honorius deemed it safest to come to terms with the "tyrant," and he recognized him as a partner in the Empire. Constantine then entered Italy at the head of a strong army, with the secret intention of deposing the feeble Honorius, and making himself master of the whole Western Empire. He had halted under the walls of Verona, when he was suddenly recalled to Gaul by the defection of his general Gerontius, who, having the command of the army in Spain, persuaded the troops to support his revolt. Gerontius moved at once into Gaul and took prisoner and put to death Constans, the son of Constantine, at Vienne. Constantine threw himself into Arles, and was there besieged by Gerontius. But an army sent by Honorius compelled Gerontius to raise the siege and fly to the Pyrenees, where he soon after perished. In Arles, in expectation of receiving little consideration from Honorius, Constantine took refuge in a church, when the troops of Honorius surrounded the city. He accepted ordination as priest, thereby finally abandoning all claims to the imperial throne. After having received a solemn promise of safety, confirmed by oaths, he opened the city gates, and was taken along with a son, Julian, and sent as prisoners to Rome. A conscientious observance of oaths was not a feature in the character of the despicable Honorius, and he ordered both captives to be put to death, when they were still thirty miles distant from Ravenna. Constantine was an able general, and had his revolt succeeded, he might have staved off for a while the downfall of the Western Empire. S. CORBRE, Confessor IN Peniarth MS. 176 (of the middle of the sixteenth century), known as the Book of Griffith Hiraethog, occurs the entry, "Eglwys gorbre sant ymonn," "S. Corbre's Church in Anglesey," by which is intended the church of Hên Eglwys, "the Old Church." 1 The church is also called "Llan y Saint Llwydion," the Church of the Holy Saints." 2 It is usually said to be dedicated to a S. Llwydian, with festival on November 19 or 22, but he has clearly been evolved out of the last name. Mynwent Corbre, "Corbre's Cemetery," is mentioned in the twelfth century Black Book of Carmarthen,3 in one of the "Verses of the Graves," which are memorials of the places of sepulchre of about 200 warriors and persons of distinction connected with the early history of Britain. The triplet may be rendered thus— The grave of Ceri Gleddyfhir (the Long-sworded) is in the confine of Hên Eglwys, On the gravelly cliff; Tarw Torment (the Bull of Conflict) in the cemetery of Corbre. Corbre is the Welsh form of the rather common Irish name Cairbre. There are three Saints of this name commemorated in the Irish Mar 1 Dr. J. Gwenogvryn Evans, Report on Welsh MSS., i, p. 978. 2 Ibid., p. 912. 3 Ed. Dr. J. G. Evans, 1906, p. 63. There is a farm called Corbre in Llanllechid, Carnarvonshire. |