CHAPTER V
CARDIFF

The seaport of Cardiff-The castle―The Edwardian type of castle-Caerphilly -Henry II. at Cardiff—Legislation on the observance of the Sunday— Llandaff-The cathedral-S. Teilo-The Yellow Death-Multiplication of Teilo's body-Teilo's skull-The Book of Llandav-Llancarfan— S. Cadoc-The question of the salvation of Virgil-Llantwit-Caerworgorn-Slaughter by the Irish-S. Illtyd-Desertion of a wife--The Laus perennis-The bell of Gildas-Illtyd goes to Brittany-The town of Llantwit-The crosses-Samphire - gathering-A spy-S. Donat'sEdward II. in Glamorgan-Sir Leoline Jenkins-Mynydd Dinas-Legend -The Gododin of Aneurin.

C

ARDIFF, the Caer or fortress on the Taff, the largest town in the Principality, and one of the first seaports in the kingdom, is clustered dense about the castle that commanded the lowest ford on the river, where the Roman maritime road passed from Caerleon to Moridunum (Carmarthen). The castle occupies the old Roman camp, a quadrangular enclosure containing ten acres, and defended by a high bank and a moat. After the Romans left, it became a residence of the Welsh princes of Morganwg, and they probably threw up the great mound on which now stands the keep, in imitation of the Saxon burhs. The earth-bank is wanting on the south and the west sides, and is replaced by walls. The residential portion is on the west side. The castle was taken about 1090 by Robert Fitzhamon, and made by him the principal fortress whence he could control Morganwg. His daughter married Robert, the illegitimate son of Henry I., and carried it to him, as she was the heiress. It was he, probably, who built the twelve-sided keep on top of

the mound. There were cross-walls erected also at a still later period to divide the interior into three wards, but these have been pulled down, and the plan of the castle is now much what it was when strengthened by Robert. This was the character of the Norman castles of the time up to the Plantagenets a keep and a great base-court.

The tower by the gate is later.

With Edward I. the type was changed. The keep was abandoned, and the castles were formed of concentric rings, with drums or towers defending the curtain that connected them, and with sallyports in the sides, so that the besieged could rush forth and take their assailants in flank.

"The first characteristic of a concentric castle," says Mr. Clark, "is the arrangement of its lines of defence, one within the other, two or even three deep, with towers at the angles and along the walls, so planned that no part is left entirely to its own defences. A wall cannot be advantageously defended unless so arranged that the exterior base of one part can be seen and commanded from the summit of another. A Norman keep could only be defended by the projection of missiles from the battlements, exposing those who discharged almost as much as those who received them. The employment of mural towers not only added to the massive strength of the wall whence they projected, but when placed within a bowshot distance enabled the defenders, themselves protected, to enfilade the intermediate curtain. By this means the curtain wall, that part of the wall least able to withstand the strokes of the ram, became that in the defence of which most projectiles could be brought to bear. The parts of the lines of defence were so arranged that the garrison could sally from one part, and so harass the attack upon another. Moreover, each part, tower, or gatehouse was so contrived that it could be held separately for a short time. Also, from the concentric arrangement of the lines, a breach of the outer wall did not involve the loss of the place." 1

The contrast between the Norman and the Edwardian castles may be seen at a glance if Cardiff be compared

1 Clark (G. T.), Medieval Military Architecture in England, i. pp. 158–9. London, 1884.

THE NEW YORK

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with Caerphilly. This latter castle, the most extensive in South Wales, is reputed to cover, with its outworks, about thirty acres. It stands in the midst of a deep, broad hollow, and it was erected where it is to close a pass down the Rumney by which the Welsh descended from the hill country to ravage Gwent. But as it was completed just when the principal troubles with the Welsh came to an end, it has played no important part in history. It. is worth seeing, as it is "both the earliest and the most complete example in Britain of a concentric castle."

But to return to Cardiff. It was in its castle that Robert Courthose was confined, blind, for twenty-seven years.

Cardiff saw Henry II. pass through it on his way from Ireland. He was there on the Saturday in Easter Week, 1172, and on Low Sunday went to hear Mass early in the chapel of S. Piran. As he came forth, and prepared to mount his horse, he noticed a man standing before him with yellow hair, an emaciated face, a long white tunic girded at the waist, with bare feet, and holding a staff in his hand. This man addressed the King in English : "Got holde thee, Cuning!" and then adjured him in the name of Christ to prohibit all trafficking, markets, and fairs being held throughout the realm on the Lord's day, also to forbid all sorts of manual labour on that day, saving what were necessary works.

The King said, in French, to Philip de Marcross, who was holding the bridle: "Ask the clown if he dreamt this." Philip interpreted the King's words to the man, who replied: "Whether I dreamt this or not, mark well what day this is; for unless thou doest what I have said, thou shalt learn such tidings of those thou lovest best as shall trouble thee to the end of thy life.”

On hearing this the King struck spurs into his horse and went on towards the town gates, but reining in presently, he said: "Go, call back that good man." The man, however, could not be found.