422
NOTES AND QUERIES. P>"> s. xn. NOV. so, iw.
direction they saw before them a spacious cham
paign teeming with dwelling-houses. They set ou
in this direction, and began to declare and publisl
their message to the inhabitants of the variou,
localities. Soon the people drew to them in grea
numbers, believed their testimony, and joined then
until they had a large congregation. This made
them feel the inconvenience of lacking a meeting
house wherein to administer their religion, ther
ordinances, and their discipline, and to worship th
Divine Being. Then the five saints made known by
proclamation to all their followers that they were
to come together on a set day to implore the In
visible Being to disclose unto them in what region
and on what spot they should build their llan. With
one consent, after praying to the Omniscient God
they agreed to throw the hammer, after the custorr
of those ages. The hammer fell on the top of Moel
fryn Clyn Neuadd (a considerable farm in Llan
pumsaint parish). One wish and one longing now
seized on all, namely, to build the llan. But the
work of building at that spot did not answer to
their zeal : the waggons would break down, the
dumb beasts would fall sick and perish in the very
act of dragging the building materials to the place
the best artisans, the foremost in the work, woulc
sink down and die, overcome by grievous disease
everything was adverse to them. ' What God wills
not succeeds not.' And so they all now understood
that the Ran was not to be there. A second mes-
sage was published that all should gather together
to pray that it might be revealed to them where
the llan was to be. Again, after prayer to the In-
visible One, they with one mind threw the hammer,
which fell near the Druidic temple that was in the
neighbouring valley. There they set about building
the llan. Everything went on now prosperously
until the building was completed. They then dedi-
cated it to the Lord, and named it after their
own number and cognomen (cyfrnv:) the ' Llan of
the Five Saints,' and so is it called unto this day.
There are still traces of their work on the Moel-
fryn to be seen as plainly as the light of a midsum-
mer day. On a neighbouring farm a well is to be
found known as Ffynon Bum Saint. Doubtless it
was from this well that they drew water for the
service of the llan, and perhaps for their own use
too
"The ancient legend as to these things that is handed down from father to son, and from mother to maid, among the inhabitants of Cantref Elfed, is a clear proof that these particulars are genuine just as the sun is sometimes visible through the gentle misty fog and the vivifying drizzle, though not so plainly as when there is no mist or rain. In the last century and the early years of the current one, owing to the sluggishness, laziness, and indifference of Cymru's bards, ovates' and historians, no small number of their rites, their vigils, and their festivals have become but as the dregs of what they once were, or have utterly dropped out of sight over the sheer precipices of cold oblivion. I may give as instances the Feast For Vigil it is difficult to distinguish the two in Welsh usage] of Solemn Renunciation [Diofryd, a word not in Silvan Evans in this application], one' of the daughters of Druidism, held on May Day Eve Rushlight Feast, held twice a year, in March and October ; August Feast, a joyous, frolicsome, and bounteous festival, held in July ; the Feast of the Games [ Campia, the eve of All Hallows not to be found in Silvan Evans under this name] ; the Was-
sail Feast, the eldest child of Vortigern; King of
Britain, and Rhonwen, the daughter of Hengist the
Saxon ; the Gift Feast of the Plan of Troy [Gwylrodd
Lhm Caerdroia], held on the 21st of June ; Pancake
Feast [Pangcws], held on Shrovetide Eve ; the Feast
of the Lenten Pot [Crochan y Graivys], held on the
eve of All Fools [J\os yr holl Ofenvyr]. The two
feasts last mentioned were celebrated while Popery
reigned in Wales, and many others, too numerous
to mention, that soon will be in the valley of for-
getfulness. Wonderful is it to think how cold-
hearted [digariad] the inhabitants of Wales are at
the present day. IOAN DUAD.
" Llwyn y gog."
The editor (Brutus) adds a note :
"loan Duad tells the old legend correctly, as it used to be related by the old folk, but it is im- perfect. Llanpumsaint seems to have received its name from a nobleman, Cynyr Farfdrwch ab Gwron ab Cynedda, who lived at Cynwil Caio. His chil- dren were Celynin, Ceitho, Gwyn, Gwynno, and Gwynnor."
J. P. OWEN.
SHAKESPEARIANA.
' TWELFTH NIGHT,' II. v. In Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night,' II. v., Maria, on seeing Malvolio approach, says : " Here comes the Trowt, that must be caught with tickling," and on this last word the great Philadelphia edition gives the following commentary :
" Steevens : Thus, Cogan, in his ' Haven of Health,' 1595 : ' This fish of nature loveth flatterie ; for being in the water, it will suffer itselfe to be rubbed and clawed, and so be taken. 3 Halliwell : ' Grope or tickle, a kind of fishing, by putting one's hand into the water-holes where fish lye, and tickling them about the gills ; by which means they '11 become so quiet, that a man may take them in his hand, and cast them to land, or if large fish, be may thrust his fingers into their gills and bring them out' ('Diet. Rust.'). Catching trout in this manner is an old and deadly mode of poaching, but it can only be practised in very dry, sultry weather, and when the water is exceedingly low ; then the country urchins, early instructed in this destructive 3ractice, wade into the pools, grope for, and easily
- ake large trout by tickling them. * Whoop : fut*
low he tickles yon trout under the gilles ! You shall see him take him by and by, with groping flattery* Marston's ' Antonio and Mellida,' II. p. 23, ed. rlalliwell). * This is the tamest trout I ever tickled ' Beaumont and Fletcher, 'The Humorous Lieu- tenant,' III. v.). Hence the term trout came to be used as applied to a foolish person easily en- rapped."
Since most of these quotations are rather old, and the words of Halliwell leave it undecided whether he speaks from proper experience, 't may perhaps be of some interest to know hat Cogan's assertion is perfectly trust- worthy, and holds good even nowadays.
Once upon a time a good many years ,go taking a walk on a lovely summer J ay along the side of a little brook, I
