by Asiatic missionaries, perhaps by the famous Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna. All this being grounded in misconception stands for nothing; the premises being erroneous, the conclusion must be false.

The following extracts, from a copy of Caradoc of Llancarvan's History of Wales, tends to throw some light on the events of the eighth century, and in particular the disputes respecting the true time of Easter.

A. D. 674.-The yellow fever, or plague, broke out in Britain; and, in consequence thereof, Cadwalader the king went over to Britany, and many of his nobles and chiefs along with him. Then, after the pestilence had abated, A. D. 683. Ivor, the son of Alan, king of Britany, was deputed to come over with a strong force to oppose the Saxons. Ivor was successful, and defeated them in several engagements, whereby he secured possession of Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall. It was then that Ivor, out of gratitude to God, founded the great monastery in the isle of Avallon; that is, Glastonbury.

A. D. 720.-The heat of that summer was so excessive, that the herbage was burnt up; and the cattle perished on account of the extreme drought. There were also such unusual high tides as to do great damage on the shores of Monmouthshire, Glamorgan, and Somerset.

A. D. 727.-The Pagan Saxons committed great devastations in the bishoprics of Llandaff, Llanbadarn, and Menevia, spoiling the churches, and putting to death Aidan the bishop of Llandaff.

A. D. 728.-In the battle of Carno, the Cymry proved victorious over the Saxons, and drove them into the river Usk, where many were drowned, there being a great flood at that time.

A. D. 733.-In the battle of the Devawden, the Saxons, after a severe engagement, overcame the Cymry.

A. D. 750.-The Cymry routed the Gwydhel Fichti.

3

A. D. 754.—The Cymry proved victorious at the battle of Hereford: but Cyvelach the BISHOP of Morganog (who was, it is evident, a member of the church militant,) fell in the engagement.

A. D. 755.-The time of Easter was altered in Gwynedh, by the advice of Elvod (or Elbodius), bishop of Bangor: but the other bishops did not coincide with the change; and the Saxons, on that account, made an irruption into South Wales. At the battle of Coed Marchan the Cymry obtained a decisive victory.

A. D. 765.—The Cymry made an irruption into Mercia, and laid the country waste: to prevent further aggressions Offa made the great Dyke, called Offa's Dyke, to serve as a boundary between his territories and the Cymry. This may be still traced on the borders of Shropshire.

A. D. 776.—The men of Gwent and Morganog broke down the Dyke, and made it level with the ground.

A. D. 777.-There was a great commotion in South Wales, owing to the alteration of Easter: the prince of that country being anxious to enforce the change conformably to the Catholic usage, the people broke out in open insurrection, and the consequence was the death of the prince.

A. D. 784.-Offa renewed the great Dyke, leaving greater space of country to the Welsh between Severn and Wye.

A. D. 795.-The Danes first invaded the island; after committing great devastations in England they came to Morganog, where they made great havoc; but the people of the country at length compelled them to retire, after slaughtering great numbers of them.

A. D. 809.-Elvod, archbishop of Gwynedh, died; and there was great commotion among the clergy, the bishops of Llandaff and Menevia refusing to submit to the change of Easter made in North Wales.

VIII.

SPLENDOUR OF THE SAXON CHURCHES.

THE grandeur and external splendour of the churches, the priests' vestments, &c. was carried to a high pitch by the Saxon prelates, who taught the princes of that age how great the merit was of conferring any donations for enriching the churches and abbies. Bishop Wilfrid's magnificence, and the splendour of Hexham and Rippon churches, compared with the church built at Lindisfarn by bishop Aidan, and the plainness of the Scots and Britons, form a striking contrast.

We have already noticed the splendour of the church of Rippon: we shall now give some extracts from Mr. Whitaker, to shew the stateliness and opulence of other churches.

"We find the Saxon churches," says the antiquary, "decorated richly with silver, gold, or jewels; and may, therefore, be sure that in general they were temples worthy to be the repositories of such valuable oblations. Thus the church of Ramsay abbey had, "a tablet of wood in the front of the high altar, finely ornamented with broad and solid plates of silver, as well as gems of various kinds and colours." Thus also the church of Ely received from Edgar, as a present, "his own cloak, formed of fine purple, and interwoven throughout with threads of gold, in plates, like a coat of mail."-Leland's Coll. II. 593. Mr. Whitaker then observes, from William of Malmsbury, speaking of the church of Sherborn, that Sighelm, the bishop of it, was "sent over sea by Alfred, to Rome," with some of the king's alms, and even to the Christians of St. Thomas in India; that "with wonderful success, which must excite admiration in the

present age," excite it even in our own; after a complete discovery of those Christians and this country, "he actually penetrated into India; and, on his return, brought back the exotic gems (as well as the aromatic liquors), with which the country abounds;" and that some of those gems were to be seen in the historian's days, in the monuments of Sherborn church.

As another instance of the peculiar splendour of the Saxon churches, we may notice what is said by Ingulphus, respecting Croyland Abbey. The founder, who was himself the first abbot, in the reign of Edgar, assigned for the service of the Eucharist there "one cup of gold, and two phials of gilt silver, modelled in the form of two angels, with enchased work upon them; and two basins of silver, wonderful in their workmanship and size, very finely enchased with soldiers in armour; all which vessels Henry, emperor of Germany, had formerly presented to him, and up to the time of presenting had always retained in his own chapel."

These vessels and ornaments were not merely foreign, and therefore rare; for we find, says Mr. Whitaker, a remarkable instance to the contrary, even in a dignified clergyman of the Saxons. The famous Dunstan was possessed of that genius, “that he readily comprehended very acutely, and retained very firmly, any subject; and, though he had so distinguished a taste in various arts, yet he attached himself with peculiar affection to instrumental music; taking the psaltery, like David; striking the harp, modulating the organ, touching the cymbals. Being, besides, dexterous in every manual operation, he could form pictures or inscriptions; imprint them with a graver upon gold, silver, brass, or iron; and, indeed, execute any thing."

It is said of Ethelwold, abbot of Abingdon, in the reign of Edgar, that he "gave the church one golden

chalice of immense weight, with three crosses of pure silver and gold: he also decorated the church with texts, as well in pure silver as in standard gold, and with very valuable stones, with censers and phials, basins of cast metal, and chandeliers of molten silver" So su"So perbly were the Saxon churches decorated with the fine specimens of art, as well as with ornaments of the most costly materials.

As an instance of the superb and gaudy vestments in which the Saxon dignitaries celebrated Divine services, the following is exceedingly curious: a priest is mentioned by William of Malmsbury, "who officiated in a kind of garment, made of the most delicate threads, saturated with the dyes of the shell fishes, being of a purple ground, while it was variegated with colours like those that appear on the peacock's back."

As a curious specimen of royal ingenuity, as well as munificence, we add the following, taken also from Mr. Whitaker, who extracted it from Wharton's Anglia Sacra :

The Saxon queen of Canute "wrought, with her own hands, a fine piece of purple, surrounded on every side with a border of gold fringe, and ornamented at several parts of it by extraordinary workmanship with gold and precious gems, as in stories; and presented it to the church of Ely, that in NO WHERE ELSE IN ENGLAND

SHOULD BE FOUND A PIECE OF SUCH WORKMANSHIP AND VALUE."

Archbishop Wilfrid was the founder of nine Minsters; but the most magnificent of them was the church or minster of Hexham, which is said to have exceeded all the sacred edifices on this side the Alps. The dimensions of this elegant place are represented to be of great magnitude, both as to the length and height of the walls. It was built of polished stones; and had various chapels