20. The parish of S. Breward had its church dedicated by Bishop Briwere or Brewere of Exeter (1223-1224). Oliver in his Monasticon 1 states that the church "Ecclesia Sancti Breweredi de Hamathethi " was granted to Tywardreath Priory in the time of Andrew the Prior. Unfortunately this document is undated, but it must have been before 1154, when Osbert was prior, who appears to have succeeded Andrew immediately. A charter of William Peverel of the twelfth century also calls the church that of S. Brewaredus.2

S. BEULAN, Confessor

A CHURCH in Anglesey is called Llanbeulan, and is generally supposed to be a foundation of Peulan, son of Paul Hên.3

On the other hand Mommsen, in his Introduction to Nennius, says that it undoubtedly takes its name from Beulan, a priest, at whose command Nennius compiled his history for the use of his son Samuel. But as Nennius made his compilation about 796, or perhaps 800, we can hardly suppose that this Beulan gave his name to a church, as the age of the saintly founders was over.

We shall therefore refer to Peulan for the church of Llanbeulan.

S. BEUNO, Abbot, Confessor

THE authority for the history of S. Beuno is a short life in Welsh. A copy of it occurs in Llyvyr Agkyr Llandewivrevi, a MS. written in 1346 at Llanddewi Brefi, in Cardiganshire, now in Jesus College Library, Oxford. The MS. was published by Professors Morris Jones and Rhys in 1894, and forms one of the works included in the Anecdota Oxoniensia series, issued by the Clarendon Press; it is found pp. 119127. The Life is also printed in the Cambro-British Saints, pp. 13-21, but less accurately.

1 Oliver, Monasticon Exon., p. 34.

2 Ibid., p. 42.

3 Peulan was a disciple of S. Cybi, and came with him to Anglesey. 4 Mon. Germ. Hist. Chron. Minora, iii, p. 137.

Copies of the Life are to be found in Llanstephan MSS. 4 and 27 (circa 1400), Peniarth MS. 15 (fifteenth century), and a number of MSS. of the sixteenth century and later.

A translation of the Life was printed at the end of the Life and Miracles of S. Wenefrede, edited by Bp. Fleetwood, 2nd edition, 1713. In the MS. in Llyvyr Agkyr Llandewivrevi the Life is described as being "a portion of the Life of Beuno and his miracles." It is strongly national and anti-Saxon in tone. S. Beuno also figures in the Vita S. Winefreda.

There is a Cywydd i Feuno Abad by Rhys Goch Eryri (flor. fourteenth century) which has been printed in Y Brython, 1860, pp. 451-2. Another Cywydd to "S. Beuno of Clynnog," by Sir John Leiaf (flor. fifteenth century), has been printed in Y Geninen, 1900, P. 143. There is yet another Cywydd to him by Sion Ceri (flor. sixteenth century) in Jesus College MS. 17=CI. These poems add but little to what is contained in the Life. In Latin documents Beuno's name is usually given as Beunonus.

Cynfarch Gul=Nyfain da. Brychan.

Lleuddun Luyddog (Leudonus of Leudonia)

Anna da. Uthyr Bendragon.

Owain Denw. Medrod Cywyllog Perfferen-Bugi. Tenoi= Dingad ab Nudd

According to the pedigree of the saint given at the conclusion of the Life he was son of Bugi, son of Gwynllyw, son of Tegid, son of Cadell Deyrnllwg. His father's name also occurs in the genealogies as Bengi and Hywgi.1

The pedigree given in the Vita S. Cadoci does not agree with this.

1 Bengi and Bugi are found in the earliest, Hywgi in the later MSS. Byuci -occurs as a name in the Book of Llan Dáv, p. 279, which would appear later as Bywgi.

VOL. I.

P

Cadoc or Catwg is made son of Gwynllyw, son of Glywys, son of Solor, son of Nor, son of Owain, son of Maximian (Maximus);1 and according to the Life of S. Gwynllyw, this saint was son and successor to Glywys. The older genealogies give Gwynllyw ab Glywys ab Tegid ab Cadell. Anyhow, Beuno was closely related to Catwg, and also to Cyndeyrn.

2

It seems clear that the royal family of Gwent issued from that of Powys, and this will explain the fact stated in the Life of Beuno that Bugi lived in Powysland by the Severn. His wife was named Beren, and she was the daughter of Llawdden. Their place of residence was Banhenig, near the river, the identity of which has not been fully established. 4

3

In their old age they had a son, whom they named Beuno, and sent him to Caerwent to be educated by Tangusius, who had probably succeeded Tathan as master of the college founded by Ynyr Gwent. Here he "obtained a knowledge of all the Holy Scriptures; afterwards he learned the service of the Church and its rules, and took orders, and became a priest."

Ynyr Gwent is represented as resigning his royal position and becoming, in his old age, a disciple of Beuno, to whom he granted lands in Ewyas. This is Llanfeuno, a chapelry now under Clodock, near Longtown.

Whilst here, Beuno heard that his father was ill, and committing the charge of his foundation in Ewyas to three of his disciples, he departed for Powys. "And his father, after receiving the communion, making his confession, and rendering his end perfect, departed this life."

Beuno now made a foundation in the township of his father, and set an acorn by the side of his grave, that grew in time to be a mighty oak, of which one branch curved down to the ground, and then rose again, " and there was a part of this branch in the soil, as at present; and if an Englishman should pass between this branch and the trunk of the

1 Cambro-British Saints, p. 81.

2 Peniarth MS. 16 (early thirteenth century); Peniarth MS. 12 (early fourteenth century); Hafod MS. 16 (circa 1400); cf. Jesus Coll. MS. 20 (early fifteenth century).

3 She was otherwise called Peren (Peniarth MS. 12; Hafod MS. 16; Cambro-British Saints, p. 267); and Perferen (Pen. MSS. 16 and 27; Myv. Arch., p. 418). Llawdden is Lleuddun Luyddog of Dinas Eiddyn (Edinburgh), the eponymus of Lothian. Her sister Tenoi is given as wife of Dingad ab Nudd Hael, and a mother of saints. But there is a chronological impossibility involved.

4 Trelystan, near Welshpool, has been suggested. Near Trelystan Chapel are Badnage (formerly Badnich) Wood and Cottage, and within the chapelry a dingle called Cwm yr Henog. It was much more probably Llanymynch, where there is a S. Bennion's Well, and, in the neighbourhood, the township of Tredderwen.

tree, he would immediately die; but should a Welshman go, he would in no way suffer."

Thence Beuno went to visit Mawn, "son of Brochwel "1 Ysgythrog, king of Powys. The relationship is wrong. Mawn or Mawan was brother, and not son of Brochwel. Mawn granted him Aberrhiw, now Berriew, in Montgomeryshire, near Welshpool, where an upright stone remains, called Maen Beuno, marking the spot where Beuno is supposed to have preached to and instructed the people. It stands in the level land between the junction of the Luggy and the Severn, and the Rhiw and the same river, a little off the high road from Welshpool to Newtown.

One day, when Beuno was walking by the Severn, "he heard a voice on the other side of the river, inciting dogs to hunt a hare, and the voice was that of an Englishman, who shouted Kergia! Kergia!' which in that language incited the hounds. And when Beuno heard the voice of the Englishman, he at once returned, and coming to his disciples, said to them, ' My sons, put on your garments and your shoes, and let us leave this place, for the nation of the man with the strange language, whose cry I heard beyond the river urging on his hounds, will invade this place, and it will be theirs, and they will hold it as their possession.'

Then he commended his foundation at Berriew to a disciple named Rhithwlint, and departed to Meifod, where he remained with Tyssilio forty days and as many nights, and where he is said to have founded a church on land granted him by Cynan, son of Brochwel. However, he did not remain there. Two such shining lights as himself and Tyssilio could hardly abide together, and Cynan gave him lands at Gwyddelwern, near Corwen, in Merionethshire. The name shows that at one time the Irish were in occupation here, and, indeed, the strong stone camp of Caer Drewyn, that commands Corwen and the valley in which is Beuno's church, with its ruined cytiau, looks very much as if it were of Irish construction.

But the "Life" gives another explanation of the name. It says that Gwyddelwern was so called because that there Beuno raised an Irishman to life. He was probably Llorcan Wyddel, mentioned as one of six persons said to have been so raised by him.

He did not long remain on this spot, for he quarrelled with the 'nephews" of Cynan, who were hunting in the neighbourhood.

1 Vawn vab Brochwel."

* Probably "Charge! The story brings the English west of Offa's Dyke at the end of the sixth century.

Actually they were grandsons of Cynan, sons of Selyf.1 Coming to Gwyddelwern, they imperiously demanded food for themselves and their party. They induced Beuno to kill a young ox for their refection, but the meat did not cook in the pot to their liking, and the youths swore that this was due to Beuno, who was sulky at their quartering themselves upon him, and had bewitched the food. When Beuno heard this he was very wroth, and cursed the young men. “What your grandfather gave to God free, do you demand of it tribute and service? May your kin never possess the land, and may you be destroyed out of this kingdom and be likewise deprived of your eternal inheritance!"

Verily, it was a risky thing to interfere with these old Celtic saints, who wielded the keys of the kingdom of Heaven in a very arbitrary fashion.

The real facts seem to have been that the young men claimed food and shelter as a right, such as they could demand of any lay householder in the tribe; but this was precisely a claim from which the ecclesiastics considered themselves to be exempt.2

The sons of Selyf were Mael Myngan, and Dona, and the latter became a saint, but whether he was one of those, who, on this occasion incensed Beuno, and was cursed by him, we cannot say. Beuno's temper was so ruffled by this encounter that he left the place and went to the banks of the Dee, "to seek a place where to pray to God, but did not obtain one," no doubt because the young princes had instigated their father or grandfather to refuse to give him more land.

Then he went to Temic,3 the son of Eliud; and this Temic gave to Beuno for ever and firmly a township, and Beuno built a church there, and consecrated it to God. He had in fact shaken the dust of Powys from off his feet. He was now in Flintshire, in the kingdom of Gwynedd. There are but slight traces of him in Flint, but he is there associated with S. Winefred at Holywell.

We will not dwell on the story here, it may have been forced into the Life of Beuno from that of Winefred. He is, however, said to have been her uncle; her mother, whose name is given as Wenlo, being his sister. That such a person as Winefred existed, we have good reason to believe; but that the story of her adventure at Holywell, her head cut off and replaced, and growing on to the shoulders as before, is mere

1 The nyeint, "nephews," of the Welsh text is clearly a mistranslation of the nepotes of a Latin original.

2 Seebohm, Tribal System in Wales, pp. 174-5.

3 In the Latin Lives of S. Winefred the chieftain is named Teuyth, and Theuith. In her Welsh Life, Tybyt.