A sermon having been delivered at Haverford {106} by the archbishop,
and the word of God preached to the people by the archdeacon, whose
name appears on the title-page of this work, many soldiers and
plebeians were induced to take the cross. It appeared wonderful and
miraculous, that, although the archdeacon addressed them both in the
Latin and French tongues, those persons who understood neither of
those languages were equally affected, and flocked in great numbers
to the cross.

An old woman of those parts, who for three preceding years had been
blind, having heard of the archbishop's arrival, sent her son to the
place where the sermon was to be preached, that he might bring back
to her some particle, if only of the fringe of his garment. The
young man being prevented by the crowd from approaching the
archbishop, waited till the assembly was dispersed, and then carried
a piece of the earth on which the preacher had stood. The mother
received the gift with great joy, and falling immediately on her
knees, applied the turf to her mouth and eyes; and thus, through the
merits of the holy man, and her own faith and devotion, recovered
the blessing of sight, which she had entirely lost.

The inhabitants of this province derived their origin from Flanders,
and were sent by king Henry I. to inhabit these districts; a people
brave and robust, ever most hostile to the Welsh; a people, I say,
well versed in commerce and woollen manufactories; a people anxious
to seek gain by sea or land, in defiance of fatigue and danger; a
hardy race, equally fitted for the plough or the sword; a people
brave and happy, if Wales (as it ought to have been) had been dear
to its sovereign, and had not so frequently experienced the
vindictive resentment and ill-treatment of its governors.