The History of the Worthies of England, County 12
PEMBROKE-SHIRE is surrounded on all sides with the Sea, save on the North-East, where it boundeth on Cardigan, and East where it butteth on Carmarthen-shire. A County abounding with all things necessary for mans livelihood; and the East part thereof is the pleasantest place in all VVales, which I durst not have said for fear of offence, had not *I… agro …otius VValiiae amoe…ssimo, Giral. Cambren.Giraldus their own Country-man affirmed it.
Nor is it less happy in Sea than in Land, affording plenty of Fish, especially about Tenby, therefore commonly called Tenby-y-Piscoid; which I rather observe for the vicinity of the British piscoid, with the Latine piscosus, for fishfull, though never any pretended an affinity between the two Languages.
A part of this Country is peopled by Flemmings, placed there by King Henry the first, who was no less politick than charitable therein. For, such Flemmings being driven out of their own Country, by an irruption of the Ocean, were fixed here to defend the land given them against the Welsh, and their Country is called little England beyond Wales. This mindeth me of a passage betwixt a Welsh and English man, the former boasting Wales in all respects beyond England; to whom the other returned, he had heard of an England beyond Wales, but never of a Wales beyond England.
Natural Commodities.
Faulcons.
Very good are bred in this County of that kind, they call Peregrines, which very name speaks them to be no Indeginae, but Forraigners, at first lighting here by some casualty: King Henry the second passing hence into Ireland, cast off a Norway Goshawk at one of these: but the Gos-hawk taken at the source by the Faulcon, soon fell down at the Kings foot; which performance in this ramage, *Giral. Cambr.made him yearly afterward, send hither for Eyesses. These Hawkes Aeries (not so called from building in the Air, but from the French word Aire an Egge) are many in the Rocks in this Shire.
Buildings.
For a sacred structure, the Cathedral of Saint David is most eminent, began by Bishop Peter in the raign of King John, and finished by his Successors; though, having never seen it, I can say little thereof. But in one respect, the roof thereof is higher than any in England, and as high as any in Europe, if the ancient absolute & independent jurisdiction thereof be considered, thus stated by an Authentick *Giral. Itin. Cambr. lib. 2. cap. 1.Author, Episcopi Walliae à Menevensi Antistite sunt consecrati, & ipse similiter ab aliis tanquam suffraganeis est consecratus, nulla penitus alii Ecclesiae facta professione vel subjectione. The generality of which words must be construed to have reference, as well to Rome as to Canterbury; Saint Davids acknowledging subjection to neither, till the reign of King Henry the first.
Princes.
HENRY TUTHAR, Son to Edmund Earl of Richmond, and Margaret his Lady, was born at *Sir Francis Baco … in the conclusion of his Character in his life.Pembroke in this County, Anno Dom.—In the reign of King Henry the sixth, he was bred a Child at Court, when a young man, he lived an Exile in France, where he so learned to live of a little, that he contracted a habit of frugality, which he did not depose till the day of his death. Having vanquished King Richard the third, in the battel of Bosorsth, and married Elizabeth eldest Daughter to King Edward the fourth, he reigned King of England by the name of Henry the seventh.
He is generally esteemed the wisest of our English Kings, and yet many conceive, that the Lord Bacon writing his life, made him much wiser than he was, picking more prudence out of his actions, than the King himself was privy to therein, and not content to allow him politick, endeavoured to make him policy it self.
Yet many thi…k h…s judgemen… … him, when refusing the … … of Columbus, for the discovery of America, who might therein have made a secret adven…e, without any prejudice to the r…putation of his wisdom. But such his wa…ss, he would not tamper with costly Cont…s, though never …o probable to be gainful; nor would he hazard a hook of Silver to catch a fish of Gold. He was the first King, who secretly sought to aba…e the formidable greatness (the Parent of many former Rebellions) in the English …earage, lessening their Dependencies, countena…cing the Commons, and encouraging the Yeomandry, with provisions against Depopulations. However …ereby he did not free his Successors from fear, but only exchanged their care, making the Commons (who because more numerous, less manageble) more absolute and able in time to con…est with Soveraignty.
He survived his Queen, by whom he had the true Title to the Crown, about five years. Some will say, that all that time he was King only by the Courtesie of England, which I am sure he was loth to acknowledge. Others say he held the Crown by Conquest, which his Subjects were as unwilling to confess. But let none dispute how h… h…ld, seeing he held it, having Pope, Parliament, Power, Purse, Success, and some shadow of Succession on his side.
His greatest fault was, grinding his Subjects with grievous exactions, he was most magnificent in those Structures he hath left to posterity. Amongst w…ich, his …evotion to God is most seen in two Chappels, the one at Cambridge, the other at Westminster; his charity to the poor in the Hospital of the Savoy; his Magnificence to himself in his own Monument of guilded Copper; and his vanity to the World in building a Ship called the Great Harry, of equal cost, saith some, with his Chappel, which asterwards *In the beginning of the Raign of Queen Mary, S…ow. pag. 16.sunk into the Sea, and vanished away in a moment.
He much imployed Bishops in his service, finding them honest and able. And here I request the judicious and learned Reader to help me at a dead li…, being posed with this passage written in his life, by the Lord Verulam.
He did use to raise Bishops by steps, that he might not lose the profits of the First fruits, which by that course of gradation was multiplied.
Now, I humbly conceive, that the First fruits (in the common acception of the word) were in that age paid to the Pope, and would fain be informed, what By-FirstFruits these were, the emolument whereof accrued to the Crown. This politick King at his Palace of Richmond, April 22. 1509. ended his life, and was buried in the Magnificent Chappel aforesaid. On the same token that he ordered by his last *VVevers Fun. Mon. pag. 20.Will and Testament, that none save such of the Blood Royal (who should descend from his Loyns) should be buried in that place, straitly forbidding any other of what Degree or Quality soever, to be interred therein. But only the Will of the King of Heaven doth stand inviolable, whilest those of the most Potent earthly Princes are subject to be infringed.
Saints.
JUSTINIAN was a Noble Briton by birth, who with his own inheritance built a Monastery in the Island of Ramsey in this County, where many Monks lived happily under his discipline, until three of them, by the Devils instigation, *J. Capgrave in Catal. S. S. B…it.slew this Justinian, in ha…red of his sanctity, about the year of Christ, 486. His body was brought with great veneration to Menevia, and there interred by Saint David himself, and since much famed with [supposed] Miracles.
Writers.
GIRALDUS CAMBRENSIS, whose Sir-name, say some, was *Godwin in the Bishops of St. Davids.Fitz-Girald, say others was †J. VVareus de scrip. Hib. pag. 112.Barry, and I believe the latter, because he saith so himself in his Book, *Lib. …. cap. 2. extant in Sir R. Cottons Library.De vita sua, and was born at Tenby in this County.
| His Father. | His Mother. |
| William de Barry an Englishman. | Anga…eth, the daughter of Nesta, daughter of Rhese Prince of South-Wales. |
He was Nephew to David the second Bishop of St. Davids, by whom he was made Arch-Deacon of Brecknock. He was wont to complain, that the English did not love him because his Mother was a Welsh-woman; and the Welsh did hate him because his Father was an English-man; though by his excellent writings he deserved of England well, of Wales better, and of Ireland best of all; making a Topographical description of all three: But acting in the last as a Secretary under King *In the life time of King He…. his Father.John, with great industry and expence. Yea, he was a great Traveller, as far as Jerusalem it self, and wrote De mirabilibus terrae Sanctae, so that he might be styled Geraldus Anglicus, Hibernicus, Hierosolymitanus, though it was his mind and modesty only to be Cambrensis.
One may justly wonder that having all Dimensions requisite to preferment, his birth, broad acquaintance, deep learning, long life, (living above seventy years) he never attained to any considerable Dignity. Hear how betwixt grief and anger he expresseth him self concerning his ill success at Court;
Irreparabili damno duo ferè lustra consumens, nihil ab illis *K. …. 2. and his Sons.preter inanes vexationes & … veris promissa suscepi.
Indeed for a long timè no Preferment was proffered him, above a beggerly Bishoprick in Ireland, and at last the See of S. Davids was the highest place he attained. Whilest some impute this to
His
Planet: the malignant influence whereof hath blasted men of the most merit.
Pride: some men counting it their due for preferment to court them; and that it is enough for them to recive, too much to reach after it.
Profitableness to be employed in meaner places. Some having gotten an useful Servant, love to wear him out in working, and (as Gardiners keep their hedges close cut, that they may spread the broader) maintain them mean, that they may be the more industrious.
Giraldus himself tells us the true reason that he was ever beheld oculo novercali, because being a Welsh-man by the surer side, and then such the Antipathy of the English, they thought no good could come out of Wales. Sad, that so worthy a man should poenas dare Patriae & Matris suae.
Being at last (as we have said) made Bishop of Saint Davids, he went to Rome, and there stickled for an exemption of that his See from *And to make it an absolute Metropolitan.Canterbury, whereby he highly offended Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury. But Giraldus after long debates, being rather over-born with Bribes, than over-come in Cause, returned re infecta, died and was buried in his own Cathedral, about the year 1215.
The Farewell.
I know not what better to wish this County, than that the Marle (a great fertilizer of barren ground) which it affordeth, be daily encreased, (especially since Corn is in all probability likely to grow scarcer and scarcer;) that their land through Gods blessing being put in heart therewith, may plentifully answer the desires of the Husbandman, and hereafter repair the Penury of this, with the Abundance for many succeeding years.