OF THE PASSAGE OF THE RIVER DEE, AND OF CHESTER
HAVING crossed the river Dee below Chester, (which the Welsh call
Doverdwy), on the third day before Easter, or the day of absolution (holy
Thursday), we reached Chester. As the river Wye towards the south
separates Wales from England, so the Dee near Chester forms the northern
boundary. The inhabitants of these parts assert, that the waters of this
river change their fords every month, and, as it inclines more towards
England or Wales, they can, with certainty, prognosticate which nation
will be successful or unfortunate during the year. This river derives
its origin from the lake Penmelesmere, {131a} and, although it abounds
with salmon, yet none are found in the lake. It is also remarkable, that
this river is never swollen by rains, but often rises by the violence of
the winds.
Chester boasts of being the burial-place of Henry, {131b} a Roman
emperor, who, after having imprisoned his carnal and spiritual father,
pope Paschal, gave himself up to penitence; and, becoming a voluntary
exile in this country, ended his days in solitary retirement. It is also
asserted, that the remains of Harold are here deposited. He was the last
of the Saxon kings in England, and as a punishment for his perjury, was
defeated in the battle of Hastings, fought against the Normans. Having
received many wounds, and lost his left eye by an arrow in that
engagement, he is said to have escaped to these parts, where, in holy
conversation, leading the life of an anchorite, and being a constant
attendant at one of the churches of this city, he is believed to have
terminated his days happily. {132} The truth of these two circumstances
was declared (and not before known) by the dying confession of each
party. We saw here, what appeared novel to us, cheese made of deer’s
milk; for the countess and her mother keeping tame deer, presented to the
archbishop three small cheeses made from their milk.
In this same country was produced, in our time, a cow partaking of the
nature of a stag, resembling its mother in the fore parts and the stag in
its hips, legs, and feet, and having the skin and colour of the stag;
but, partaking more of the nature of the domestic than of the wild
animal, it remained with the herd of cattle. A bitch also was pregnant
by a monkey, and produced a litter of whelps resembling a monkey before,
and the dog behind; which the rustic keeper of the military hall seeing
with astonishment and abhorrence, immediately killed with the stick he
carried in his hand; thereby incurring the severe resentment and anger of
his lord, when the latter became acquainted with the circumstance.
In our time, also, a woman was born in Chester without hands, to whom
nature had supplied a remedy for that defect by the flexibility and
delicacy of the joints of her feet, with which she could sew, or perform
any work with thread or scissors, as well as other women.