after violent rains and floods, we did not attempt the ford, but
passed the river in a boat, leaving the monastery of Neth {90} on
our right hand, approaching again to the district of St. David's,
and leaving the diocese of Landaf (which we had entered at
Abergevenny) behind us.

It happened in our days that David II., bishop of St. David's,
passing this way, and finding the ford agitated by a recent storm, a
chaplain of those parts, named Rotherch Falcus, being conversant in
the proper method of crossing these rivers, undertook, at the desire
of the bishop, the dangerous task of trying the ford. Having
mounted a large and powerful horse, which had been selected from the
whole train for this purpose, he immediately crossed the ford, and
fled with great rapidity to the neighbouring woods, nor could he be
induced to return until the suspension which he had lately incurred
was removed, and a full promise of security and indemnity obtained;
the horse was then restored to one party, and his service to the
other.

Entering the province called Goer, {91} we spent the night at the
castle of Sweynsei, {92} which in Welsh is called Abertawe, or the
fall of the river Tawe into the sea. The next morning, the people
being assembled after mass, and many having been induced to take the
cross, an aged man of that district, named Cador, thus addressed the
archbishop: "My lord, if I now enjoyed my former strength, and the
vigour of youth, no alms should ransom me, no desire of inactivity
restrain me, from engaging in the laudable undertaking you preach;
but since my weak age and the injuries of time deprive me of this
desirable benefit (for approaching years bring with them many
comforts, which those that are passed take away), if I cannot, owing