dignity and honour. Although these pleas were most strenuously
urged, the natural kindness and civility of the prince would not
suffer them to prevail, lest by prohibiting the archbishop's
progress, he might appear to wound his feelings.

Early on the following morning, after the celebration of mass, and
the return of Ranulph de Glanville to England, we came to Cruker
Castle, {16} two miles distant from Radnor, where a strong and
valiant youth named Hector, conversing with the archbishop about
taking the cross, said, "If I had the means of getting provisions
for one day, and of keeping fast on the next, I would comply with
your advice;" on the following day, however, he took the cross. The
same evening, Malgo, son of Cadwallon, prince of Melenia, after a
short but efficacious exhortation from the archbishop, and not
without the tears and lamentations of his friends, was marked with
the sign of the cross.

But here it is proper to mention what happened during the reign of
king Henry the First to the lord of the castle of Radnor, in the
adjoining territory of Builth, {17} who had entered the church of
Saint Avan (which is called in the British language Llan Avan), {18}
and, without sufficient caution or reverence, had passed the night
there with his hounds. Arising early in the morning, according to
the custom of hunters, he found his hounds mad, and himself struck
blind. After a long, dark, and tedious existence, he was conveyed
to Jerusalem, happily taking care that his inward sight should not
in a similar manner be extinguished; and there being accoutred, and
led to the field of battle on horseback, he made a spirited attack
upon the enemies of the faith, and, being mortally wounded, closed
his life with honour.