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were two. The elder of that name was disciple of Ciaran of Saighir, whom he succeeded in the abbacy about 490. It is possible enough that Cadoc may have gone to this, the elder Carthagh, at Saighir.

Returning from Ireland, after three years, "with a large company of Irish and British clergy," among whom were Finnian, Macmoil and Gnavan, instead of going back to Llancarfan, as we might have expected, he placed himself under a celebrated rhetorician, Bachan, in Brecknock. Bachan had come from Italy to that country," and Cadoc much desired to be taught Latin by him after the Roman method."

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Llanspyddid was over against the Brito-Roman town, now Y Gaer, and which may have been called by the Romans Bannium. About this we shall have more to say in the sequel. At the entrance to the church of Llanspyddid lay Anlach, the father of Brychan, and grandfather or great-grandfather of Cadoc.

Finnian, who is represented in the Life as a youth (effebus, c. 9), cannot have been young at the time, he was senior to Cadoc; he did, indeed, spend many years studying in Britain, and he did contract a friendship with Cadoc, but he was not his pupil. In the Life we are informed that Cadoc came from Ireland with 'Finian videlicet Macmoil, atque Gnavan.” At a much later period Cadoc erected

a church to Macmoillus his disciple, and protected it with a fence, and therein built an altar, that he might lodge there when he went into Gwent, or should return; and he appointed Macmoillus prior therein " (c. 55). This is Bedwellty, in Monmouthshire. He also crected, near Llancarfan, "a chapel in honour of S. Finian." The biographer, apparently, was uncertain whether Finnian and Macmoil were one and the same, or different personages. We are disposed to identify Macmoil with Cainnech of Aghaboe. (See under S. CAINNECH.)

Whilst Cadoc studied at Llanspyddid, famine raged in the land, and the master and his pupils were put to straits for food. However, Cadoc observed a mouse carrying a grain of wheat. He succeeded in catching it, and borrowing a thread from a widow, tied it to the foot of the little creature and let it run; whereupon it darted into a hole. Cadoc dug on the spot, and discovered an underground chamber stored with grain. Such secret granaries were by no means uncommon, and are found in many ancient Welsh, Irish and Scottish forts.1 Or it may have been that one of the hypocausts that have been discovered at Y Gaer had been used as a storehouse for grain. On this supply the master and his pupils were able to live for some time.

Brychan now gave the land of Llanspyddid to his grandson Cadoc,

1 Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. iii, Antiq., PP. 59, 75.

who appointed his teacher Bachan to be abbot there, and departed. It is possible, we cannot say more, that to this period belongs the foundation of Llangadog Fawr in Carmarthenshire, also in Brychan territory.

Llangadog is pleasantly situated between the rivers Brân and Sawdde, above their junction with the Towy. To the east tower up the beautiful Brecknock Beacons, and to the south is the purple ridge of the Black Mountains, below which, and parallel with the course of the Towy, runs the Trichrug.

An outcrop from this latter is a rock crowned by a stone fort, the Garn Gôch, of red rock, commanding the basin of the Towy. On the side is Llys Brychan, by its name indicating its connexion with the mysterious prince of Brycheiniog, and it is probable that the marvellous stone caer on the summit bore this name originally, but has shed it for the more descriptive appellation of the Red Cairn.

It was possibly whilst Cadoc was at Llangadog that he was annoyed by Sawyl Benuchel (not to be confounded with the brother of Dunawd), who had established himself in the pleasant mountain basin of Cynwyl Gaio, where a bunch of rock, starting out of the level bottom that was once a lake bed, offered a suitable position for a caer, commanding as it did the entire basin. It bears the significant name of Pen-y-Ddinas, showing that at one time a stronghold occupied its crown, but the ruins of prehistoric fortifications have disappeared, as the hill has been converted into a rabbit-warren.

Below it stands Llansawel, leaving us to suspect that this ruffian in his old age turned saint and founder; for this is quite out of the region of the activities of his namesake, Sawyl Benuchel, brother of Dunawd.

The church is supposed to be dedicated to S. Sawyl Felyn ab Bledri Hîr, and this may have been the chief who worried Cadoc, and later turned serious and founded the church. But we are left here to conjecture, based on the fact that Llangadog is within easy reach of Pen-y-Ddinas, below which is Llansawel, and that a Sawyl did vex Cadoc. A slender foundation for a theory-to be taken for what it is worth. Pen-y-Ddinas was an eminently suitable situation from which a British chief could, at pleasure, harry the neighbourhood, especially the obnoxious Irish in Brycheiniog.

Passing through the gap in the heather-clad hills at Bwlch Cefn Serth, along the old Sarn Helen, he would descend the Dulais to its junction with the Towy, and, arriving at the monastery of S. Cadoc, could harass the saint. One day, he and his party broke in, and carried off meat and drink, but did no further damage. Cadoc was absent at the moment, but on his return learnt what had been

done, and was further informed that the marauders were at a little distance, eating and drinking what they had ravished from his larder and cellars.

After they had gorged themselves with meat and ale, Sawyl and his rogues lay down to sleep. Cadoc seized the opportunity to inflict on them a stinging insult. He set his monks to shave half the heads of the drunken men, and then with the razors to slash off the ears and lips of their horses.

We are informed that Sawyl and his men had retreated to a hill-top for their carouse, and if our identification of the localities be accepted, this can have been none other than the Garn Gôch. When the barbers had done their work, Cadoc and fifty of his clerics assumed their ecclesiastical vestments, and marched in procession to the hill to meet, and, if possible, to mitigate the resentment of the freebooter.

What happened is veiled in fable. The earth opened and swallowed up Sawyl and his men," and the ditch where they were engulfed is known unto this day to all the passers-by." "1 That nothing of the sort took place we may be pretty sure. What probably occurred was that the settlers in the neighbourhood assembled and assumed a threatening attitude, and the bully was fain to decamp.

Under Garn Gôch is Llys Brychan, as already said, so that it is probable that Brychan had a residence there.

After this, Cadoc sang Te Deum, and blessed the men who had made his adversaries ridiculous, and had so barbarously mutilated the dumb beasts.

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"Blessed are ye in the Lord; and this prerogative be to the twelve barbers, figuring the Twelve Apostles, and to all those who hold your succession in the town, to all your posterity. If judgment and useful counsel be wanting in all the coasts, let it be found among you. twelve appointed wise men be lacking, let the counsel of twelve irregular clergy be had; if twelve clerics should not be present, then commit judgment and counsel to twelve young innocent boys." 2 This benediction has a very early ring about it, far earlier than the eleventh century, when the Life of Cadoc was written; and the mutilation of the men and beasts is truly Celtic in character.3

We cannot be at all certain that this incident took place at the time and place suggested, but it would seem not improbable that the foundation of Cadoc in Llangadog Fawr should occur before leaving the Brychan territory, before his return to Gwent. Possibly owing to

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the annoyance caused by proximity to Sawyl, Cadoc quitted this part of the country and returned to his original settlement at Llancarfan, which he found wholly ruinous, and without inhabitants. "He beheld his principal monastery destroyed, and the rafters of the roofs and the rubbish of the building scattered over the cemetery; and grieving at the ruin, he earnestly desired to rebuild it" (c. 9). He ordered all his monks, clerics and workmen to go to the woods and cut timber for the structure, excepting only the two youths, Finnian and Macmoil, who were to go on with their lessons. As already pointed out, Finnian was considerably older than Cadoc.

The steward, cook and sexton, seeing that these Irish students were not helping in the necessary work, rated them as idlers, and ordered them to fetch timber. Somewhat abashed, they obeyed and yoked two stags to a beam to draw it to the monastery. When Cadoc saw that they were working and not reading, he asked the reason. They told him the circumstances, and he cursed the cook, sexton and steward that they should die the worst of deaths by sword or famine.

Cadoc erected an oratory to Finnian over a spot where he had left his book exposed to a shower, which had not, however, materially injured it. One cannot but suspect that the biographer has wholly mistaken the age of Finnian, and has inserted this hackneyed miracle to account for the existence in his time of a Finnian chapel, erected by Cadoc in honour of his friend, who was so much older than himself, and who became so illustrious as a master of saints in Ireland.

About this time Gwynllyw, the father of Cadoc, fell sick and died. The old king had given a good deal of trouble in his time, but had been converted and brought to lead an eremitical life by the instrumentality of his son. When he felt himself dying, he sent for Cadoc and the bishop Dyfrig. And they came to the sick person, and gave him penance, exhorting and comforting him with salutary doctrine. After this, the bishop pronounced absolution and apostolical benediction.' " 1

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About this time Gildas passed through Penychen, and visited Cadoc. He had with him a bell, to which Cadoc took a fancy, and which he offered to buy; but Gildas refused to part with it, as he purposed presenting it to the altar of S. Peter at Rome.

Some years after, however, Gildas gave the bell to Cadoc, alleging that the Bishop of Rome had declined to receive it when he heard that such an illustrious man had expressed a desire to possess it; and Cadoc believed the flattering story.2

* Vita S. Gundleii, Cambro-British Saints, p. 150.

2 Ibid., pp. 59–60; Vita II Gildae, ed. Williams, p. 404. In the Vita S. Cadoci the Pope is called Alexander. There was no such Pope at the time.

From a comparison of the Lives of Gildas and Cadoc it would appear that the former visited Llancarfan in 528. Cadoc seized on the occasion to ask Gildas to take charge of his monastery for him whilst he himself went into Alba. To this Gildas consented.1

There is a discrepancy between the accounts in the Life of Gildas and that of Cadoc. In the former it is said that Gildas undertook the charge of Llancarfan for one year only. In the Vita S. Cadoci, Cadoc is represented as being absent in Alba for seven years. But as Gildas spent only seven years in all at this period in Britain, and during that time he was much associated with Cadoc in retirement in the Holmes, in the Severn Sea, we must take the shorter time as that during which Cadoc was in Alba.

Before Cadoc left for the north Gildas and David had fallen out. Each wanted to be head of the ecclesiastics in Dyfed. In fact, Gildas was making a strenuous effort to turn David out, and occupy his place. As much heat and angry feeling was provoked, Cadoc was called in to decide between them. This was a delicate matter, and as the Abbot of Llancarfan little relished the prospect of displeasing either of the rivals, he passed on the thankless office to S. Finnian, afterwards of Clonard, his friend and companion, and Finnian gave his judgment in favour of David.2 Cadoc now departed for Alba and built a monastery of stone near the mountain Bannauc."

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Bishop Forbes says:-" Cambuslang is dedicated to S. Cadoc, and through the adjoining parish of Carmunnock runs a range of hills, called the Cathkin Hills, which separates Strathclyde from Ayrshire, and terminates in Renfrewshire (Strathgryf). This must be the mountain Bannauc'; and the name is preserved in Carmunnock." 3 This Caer Bannauc is probably the Caer Banhed of the Life of S. Paul of Léon. A certain Marc Conomanus was king there, and he and Paulus Aurelianus had fallen out over a trifle, and the huffed saint had departed, and crossed into Brittany, as nearly as can be calculated, in 526. Now Paul was a native of Penychen, and almost certainly was acquainted with Cadoc. On quitting the territory of King Marc, he would go home to Penychen, where Cadoc would learn from him that the king of Strathclyde actually desired to have a religious foundation in his realm, and had urged Paul to take on him. the ecclesiastical oversight of his people.4 Paul in a fit of spleen had

1 Vita II Gildae, pp. 404-5.

2 Life of S. Finnian, Book of Lismore, pp. 222-3.

3 Skene, Four Ancient Books of Wales, i, pp. 173-4; Forbes, Kalendars of Scottish Saints, Edinburgh, 1872, p. 293.

4 Vita S. Pauli Aureliani, c. 8.

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