(A.D. 544.)
[Roman, Irish, Scotch, and ancient Anglican Martyrologies. His
festival was celebrated in England with rulers of the choir, and nine
lessons. Pope Callixtus II. ordered him to be venerated throughout the
Christian world. There are no very ancient accounts of S. David, The
oldest is a life existing in MS. at Utrecht, which was not known to
Usher or Colgan. Usher cites Ricimer, Giraldus, and John of Tynemouth,
a Durham priest, who collected the Acts of the English, Scottish,
Welsh, and Irish Saints, and who lived in 1360. Ricimer was Bishop
of S. David's about 1085, and died about 1096. His life of S. David
seems to have been the foundation of all subsequent biographies of
that saint. Several MSS. of this life are extant; and a portion of it
containing matter not found in the life of the same saint by Giraldus
Cambrensis, was printed by Wharton in the Anglia Sacra. Giraldus
Cambrensis wrote his life of S. David about 1177. S. Kentigern (d.
590) mentions S. David, and there are numerous allusions to him in the
lives of contemporary Welsh and Irish saints.]
S. David, or Dewi, as the Welsh call him, was born about 446, at Mynyw,
which was named S. David's after him. His father was Sandde, son of
Ceredig, who was the son of Cunedda, the great conqueror of N. Wales.
His mother's name was Nôn; she was the daughter of Gynyr of Caergawch.
Giraldus says he was baptized at Porth Clais by Alveas, Bishop of
Munster, "who by divine providence had arrived at that time from
Ireland." The same author says he was brought up at "Henmenen," which
is probably the Roman station Menapia.
S. David was educated under Iltyt at Caerworgon. He was afterward
ordained priest, and studied the Scriptures for ten years with Paulinus
at Ty-gwyn-ar Dâf, or Whitland, in Caermarthenshire. He then retired
for prayer and study to the Vale of Ewias, where he raised a chapel,
and a cell on the site now occupied by Llanthony Abbey. The river
Honddu furnished him with drink, the mountain pastures with meadow-leek
for food. His legendary history states that he was advised by an
angel to move from under the shadow of the Black Mountains to the vale
of Rhos, and to found a monastery at Mynyw, his birth place.
[Illustration: S. DAVID.
March 1.]
He built a monastery on the boggy land which forms nearly the
lowest point of that basin-shaped glen: on, or near its site stands
the present Cathedral of S. David. He practised the same rigorous
austerities as before. Water was his only drink, and he rigorously
abstained from animal food. He devoted himself wholly to prayer, study,
and to the training of his disciples. He, like many other abbots at
that time, was promoted to the episcopate. A wild legend makes him
to have started on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and to have received
consecration at the hands of the patriarch John III. This tale was
invented by some British monk to show that the Welsh bishops traced
their succession to the oldest, if not the most powerful, of the
patriarchates. Except when compelled by unavoidable necessity he kept
aloof from all temporal concerns. He was reluctant even to attend the
Synod of Brefi. This was convened by Dubricius about 519 at Llandewi
Brefi, in Cardiganshire, to suppress the Pelagian heresy, which was
once more raising its head. The synod was composed of bishops, abbots,
and religious of different orders, together with princes and laymen.
Giraldus says, "When many discourses had been delivered in public,
and were ineffectual to reclaim the Pelagians from their error, at
length Paulinus, a bishop with whom David had studied in his youth,
very earnestly entreated that the holy, discreet, and eloquent man
might be sent for. Messengers were therefore despatched to desire
his attendance: but their importunity was unavailing with the holy
man, he being so fully and intently given up to contemplation, that
urgent necessity alone could induce him to pay any regard to temporal
or secular concerns. At last two holy men, Daniel and Dubricius,
persuaded him to come. After his arrival, such was the grace and
eloquence with which he spoke, that he silenced the opponents, and they
were utterly vanquished. But Father David, by common consent of all,
whether clergy or laity, (Dubricius having resigned in his favour), was
elected primate of the Cambrian Church." Dubricius retired to the Isle
of Bardsey.
A beautiful yet wild legend tells us:--"While S. David's speech
continued, a snow white dove descending from heaven sat upon his
shoulders; and moreover the earth on which he stood raised itself under
him till it became a hill, from whence his voice was heard like a
trumpet, and was understood by all, both near and far off: on the top
of which hill a church was afterwards built, and remains to this day."
S. David at first strenuously declined the primacy; at last he
accepted it on the condition that he was to be allowed to transfer the
archiepiscopal chair from the busy city of Caerleon upon the Usk--the
former capital of Britannia Secunda--to the quiet retreat of Mynyw.
Arthur, the famous king, and Pendragon, who is said to have been a
nephew of our saint, assented to this. Doubtless the advances westward
which the heathen English were making, filled S. David with dread lest
the seat of the primacy should one day fall into their hands. So he
thought it prudent to remove it to the iron-bound shores of Pembroke,
where the English could not so easily land.
After his elevation, S. David, in spite of his retiring disposition,
proved a vigorous and hard-working prelate. He occasionally resided
at Caerleon, and in 529 he convened a synod, which exterminated the
Pelagian heresy, and was in consequence named "The Synod of Victory."
It ratified the canons and decrees of Brefi, as well as a code of rules
which he had drawn up for the regulation of the British Church, a copy
of which remained in the Cathedral of S. David's until it was lost in
an incursion of pirates. Giraldus says, "In his times, in Cambria,
the Church of God flourished exceedingly, and ripened with much fruit
every day. Monasteries were built everywhere; many congregations of the
faithful of various orders were collected to celebrate with fervent
devotion the Sacrifice of Christ. But to all of them Father David,
as if placed on a lofty eminence, was a mirror and pattern of life.
He informed them by words, and he instructed them by example; as a
preacher he was most powerful through his eloquence, but more so in his
works. He was a doctrine to his hearers, a guide to the religious, a
light to the poor, a support to the orphans, a protection to widows,
a father to the fatherless, a rule to monks, and a path to seculars,
being made all things to all men that he might bring all to God."
He founded several churches and monasteries. It is also generally
agreed that Wales was first divided into dioceses in his time.
Geoffrey of Monmouth states that he died in his monastery at Mynyw
_i.e._, S. David's, where he was honourably buried by order of Maelgwn
Gwynedd. This event is recorded by him as if it happened soon after
the death of Arthur, who died 542. According to the computations of
Archbishop Usher, S. David died 544, aged 82. The Bollandists agree
with Usher on the date of his death, but they put his birth back as far
as 446, so that according to their calculation he lived to the age of
98.
Numerous legends have gathered round the history of S. David. Thus an
angel is said to have foretold his birth thirty years before to his
father in a dream. "On the morrow, said the angelic voice, thou wilt
slay a stag by a river side, and wild find three gifts there, to wit,
the stag, a fish, and a honeycomb. Thou shalt give part of these to
the son who shall be born thirty years hence. The honeycomb proclaims
his honied wisdom, the fish, his life on bread and water, the stag
his dominion over the old serpent." The mention of the stag doubtless
arose from the old fancy that that animal kills serpents by trampling
on them: thus did David trample the Pelagian heresy under foot. When S.
Patrick settled in the vale of Rhos, a voice bade him depart, for it
was reserved for the abode of a child who should be born thirty years
after.
At his baptism, S. David splashed some water on to the blind eyes
of the bishop who was baptizing him, and restored their power of
sight. His schoolfellows at "Henmenen" saw a dove teaching him, and
singing hymns with him. After studying with Paulinus, he journeyed
to Glastonbury. He was intending to dedicate afresh the church which
had been re-built, when the Lord appeared to him in a dream, and told
him that He had already dedicated it: as a sign that He had spoken
unto him He pierced the saint's hand with His fingers. So our saint
contented himself with building a Lady Chapel at the east end. He is
said to have founded twelve monasteries on this journey. He returned
to Wales, and then established a monastery at Mynyw, which was soon
filled with monks and disciples. They worked hard with their own hands
in the fields; they harnessed themselves to the plough instead of using
oxen for that purpose; they tended bees that they might have some honey
to give to the sick and the poor. The bees became so attached to one
monk, Modemnoc, that they followed him on board ship when he was about
to set sail for Ireland. He returned to the monastery and made several
attempts to embark unobserved by his winged friends; but all his
efforts failed. So at last he asked S. David's leave to take them with
him; the saint blessed the bees, and bade them depart in peace, and be
fruitful and multiply in their new home. Thus Ireland, where bees had
been hitherto unable to live, was enriched by their honey.
He opened many fountains in dry places, healed many brackish streams,
raised many dead to life, and had many visions of God and of Angels. In
one of these visions he was warned that he should depart, March 1st.
Thenceforth he was more zealous in the discharge of his duty: on the
Sunday before his death he preached a sermon to the assembled people,
and after consecrating and receiving the Lord's Body, he was seized
with a sudden pain: then turning to the people he said, "Brethren,
persevere in the things which ye have heard of me: on the third day
hence I go the way of my fathers." On that day, while the clergy were
singing the Matin Office, he had a vision of his Lord; then, exulting
in spirit, he exclaimed, "Raise me after Thee." With these words he
breathed his last.
He was canonized by Pope Callixtus II., A.D. 1120; who is also said to
have granted an indulgence to all those who made a pilgrimage to his
shrine. Three kings of England--William the Conqueror, Henry II., and
Edward I.--are said to have undertaken the journey, which when twice
repeated was deemed equal to one pilgrimage to Rome; whence arose this
saying:--
"Roma semel quantum, dat bis Menevia tantum."
A noble English matron, Elswida, in the reign of Edgar, transferred his
relics, probably in 964, from S. David's to Glastonbury.
S. David's plain but empty shrine stands now in the choir of S. David's
Cathedral to the north of Edward Tudor's altar tomb.