The Sun.
London, England, 1822-03-04 00:00:00

SAINT DAVID'S DAY.

ST. DAVID was the son of XANTES, Prince of
Cereticu, now Cardiganshire, by MACARIA, a
nun ; and what has tended still more to endear
his memory to the descendants of the ancient
Britons, uncle to King ARTHUR. Educated in
the famous monastery of Bangor, for the service
of the church, St. DAVID early became conspicu-
ous for every qualification requisite for that holy
and important duty. He was learned, elegant,
zealous, and, justly esteemed one of the noblest
and most able ministers who ever preached the
gospel to the Britons- After having been or-
dained priest, he retired to the Isle of Wight,
embraced the ascetic life, and sedulously studied
the Scriptures. From this seclusion he removed
to Menevid, a city of Pembrokeshire„ on the
most western promontory of Wales, at which
place, and in its vicinity, he founded twelve con-
vents
for the promotion of devotional knowledge.
The recluses who were admitted within these
sacred edifices were selected from the mist
amiable of his followers; and, unlike the lazy
usage of such asylums in after times, they were
compelled to maintain themselves by agricultural
labour, and to affortj, from the profit of their ex-
ertions, assistance to all the neighbouring poor.
Such, indeed, were the primitive regulations of
the greater number of monastic institutions ; but
the abominable and luxurious indulgencies into
which they afterwards aberrated, the page of
history amply unfolds. About the year 577, the
Archbishop of CAERLEON resigning his see to St.
DAVID, with liberty to transfer that high office
from its original seat, Menevid became the me-
tropolis of Wales, and St. DAVID its first Arch-
bishop, a dignity which Alenevid, or St. David's,
as it was afterwards called, enjoyed until the
year 1100, when it was again reduced to a
Bishopric, and placed under the jurisdiction of-
the Archbishop of CANTERBURY. In this great
charge our Saint lived with exemplary piety for
65 years, during which period he combated, and
at length overcame, the PELAGEANS (Socinians),
a sect that sprang from PELAGEAS, or MORGAN,
a Briton, who denied original sin, and held-
other heretical opinions. In the year 642, St.
DAVID, after having reached the very advanced
age of 146 years, died and was buried in the
church of St. ANDREW, supposed to have been
founded by St. PATRICK, about the year 470
from which time, not only the church, but the
city of Menevid, and the whole diocese itself,
were, out of compliment and respect, dedicated.
to St. DAVID, and called by his name. The
Welch, who are the pure descendants of the an-
cient Britons, regard St. DAVID as their TUTELAR
SAINT, and annually hold festive meetings on the
Ist of March, which was formerly solemnly de-
dicated to his remembrance, with every mark of
conviviality. In the year 640, the Britons under
King CADWALLER gained a complete victory over
the Saxons ; and St. DAVID is considered not
only to have contributed to this victory by the
prayers he offered to Heaven for their success,
but by the judicious regulation he adopted for
rendering the Britons known to each other by
wearing LEEKS in their caps, drawn from a large
garden near the field of action; while the Saxons,
from a want of some such distinguishing mark, fre-
quently mistook each other, and dealt their fury
among themselves, almost indiscriminately slaying
friends and foes. From this circumstance arose
the custom of the Welsh wearing leeks in their
hats on ST. DAVID'S DAY ; a badge of honour
considered indispensable upon the occasion, and
to have been established from the very period
designed to be commemorated. Several of our
oldest authors allude to the usage ; and SHAK.
SPEARE makes Hamar the sth acknowledge to
the gallant FLUELLEN his pride of joining in the
practice :

" I wear it for a memorable honour ;
" For I am Welsh, you know, good countryman."

Upon the whole it would appear, by indisputable
authority, that ST. DAVID was a most amiable
and virtuous character ; devout and humble to
his Gon ; steady in the pursuit of benevolence,
and diffusive charity ; and an unshaken supporter
of the dignity of the Britons, to whom he owed
his origin, and among whom he had the gratifi-
cation to be held as a much loved countryman.
Tradition and the follies of some Monkish writers
have, however, loaded his history with circum-
stances ill according with the general belief of
the present day ; but it might be regarded as
wanting in respect to some of his zealous ad-
mirers, were it not to be added that a belief
prevailed for centuries, that the birth of this
Saint was predicted 30 years before it took place :
that an angel ministered to his wants, that the
waters of Bath received their warmth and salu-
brious qualities solely from his benediction ; that
he healed complaints of all kinds, and even re-
animated the dead ; that he was honoured with
the descent from Heaven of a snow white dove,
which sat upon his shoulder while he expou,nded
the Scripture ; that the earth on which he stood
was raised from its level, and became a hill, from
whence his voice was better heard to an exten-
sive auditory, together with various other miracles
equally astonishing and curious.

It is confidently said that Mrs. COUTTS intends
Without delay to settle 10,0001. per annum on
the Marchioness of BITE, the Countess of GI-IL-
FORD, and Lady BURDETT, for their lives; and
give 50,0001. to each of their daughters.—(Morn-
ing Herald.)