disputes　about　property　and　privilege。　　Powerful　enemies　they　may
  well　be　called；　as　they　were　no　less　personages　than　Humphrey　Duke
  of　Buckingham；　Richard　Duke　of　York；　who　began　the　contest　for　the
  crown　with　King　Henry　the　Sixth；　Jasper　Earl　of　Pembroke；　son　of
  Owen　Tudor；　and　half…brother　of　the　king；　and　the　Earl　of　Warwick。
  These　accused　him　at　court　of　being　a　comforter　and　harbourer　of
  thieves；　the　result　being　that　he　was　deprived　not　only　of　the
  commission　of　the　peace；　but　of　the　captaincy　of　Kilgarran；　which
  the　Earl　of　Pembroke；　through　his　influence　with　his　half…brother；
  procured　for　himself。　　They　moreover　induced　William　Borley　and
  Thomas　Corbet；　two　justices　of　the　peace　for　the　county　of
  Hereford；　to　grant　a　warrant　for　his　apprehension　on　the　ground　of
  his　being　in　league　with　the　thieves　of　the　Marches。　　Griffith　in
  the　bosom　of　his　mighty　clan　bade　defiance　to　Saxon　warrants；
  though　once　having　ventured　to　Hereford　he　nearly　fell　into　the
  power　of　the　ministers　of　justice；　only　escaping　by　the
  intervention　of　Sir　John　Scudamore；　with　whom　he　was　connected　by
  marriage。　　Shortly　afterwards；　the　civil　war　breaking　out；　the　Duke
  of　York　apologised　to　Griffith；　and　besought　his　assistance　against
  the　king　which　the　chieftain　readily　enough　promised；　not　out　of
  affection　for　York；　but　from　the　hatred　which　he　felt；　on　account
  of　the　Kilgarran　affair；　for　the　Earl　of　Pembroke；　who　had　sided；
  very　naturally；　with　his　half…brother；　the　king；　and　commanded　his
  forces　in　the　west。　　Griffith　fell　at　the　great　battle　of
  Mortimer's　cross；　which　was　won　for　York　by　a　desperate　charge　made
  right　at　Pembroke's　banner　by　Griffith　and　his　Welshmen；　when　the
  rest　of　the　Yorkists　were　wavering。　　His　last　words　were：
  〃Welcome；　Death！　since　honour　and　victory　make　for　us。〃
  The　power　and　wealth　of　Griffith　ap　Nicholas；　and　also　parts　of　his
  character；　have　been　well　described　by　one　of　his　bards；　Gwilym　ab
  Ieuan　Hen；　in　an　ode　to　the　following　effect：…
  〃Griffith　ap　Nicholas；　who　like　thee
  For　wealth　and　power　and　majesty！
  Which　most　abound；　I　cannot　say；
  On　either　side　of　Towey　gay；
  From　hence　to　where　it　meets　the　brine；
  Trees　or　stately　towers　of　thine？
  The　chair　of　judgment　thou　didst　gain；
  But　not　to　deal　in　judgments　vain　…
  To　thee　upon　thy　judgment　chair
  From　near　and　far　do　crowds　repair；
  But　though　betwixt　the　weak　and　strong
  No　questions　rose　from　right　or　wrong
  The　strong　the　weak　to　thee　would　hie；
  The　strong　to　do　thee　injury；
  And　to　the　weak　thou　wine　wouldst　deal；
  And　wouldst　trip　up　the　mighty　heel。
  A　lion　unto　the　lofty　thou；
  A　lamb　unto　the　weak　and　low。
  Much　thou　resemblest　Nudd　of　yore；
  Surpassing　all　who　went　before；
  Like　him　thou'rt　fam'd　for　bravery；
  For　noble　birth　and　high　degree。
  Hail；　captain　of　Kilgarran's　hold！
  Lieutenant　of　Carmarthen　old！
  Hail；　chieftain；　Cambria's　choicest　boast！
  Hail；　justice；　at　the　Saxon's　cost！
  Seven　castles　high　confess　thy　sway；
  Seven　palaces　thy　hands　obey。
  Against　my　chief；　with　envy　fired；
  Three　dukes　and　judges　two　conspired；
  But　thou　a　dauntless　front　didst　show；
  And　to　retreat　they　were　not　slow。
  O；　with　what　gratitude　is　heard
  From　mouth　of　thine　the　whispered　word；
  The　deepest　pools　in　rivers　found
  In　summer　are　of　softest　sound；
  The　sage　concealeth　what　he　knows；
  A　deal　of　talk　no　wisdom　shows；
  The　sage　is　silent　as　the　grave；
  Whilst　of　his　lips　the　fool　is　slave；
  Thy　smile　doth　every　joy　impart；
  Of　faith　a　fountain　is　thy　heart；
  Thy　hand　is　strong；　thine　eye　is　keen；
  Thy　head　o'er　every　head　is　seen。〃
  The　church　of　Llandovery　is　a　large　edifice　standing　at　the
  southern　extremity　of　the　town　in　the　vicinity　of　the　Towey。　　The
  outside　exhibits　many　appearances　of　antiquity；　but　the　interior
  has　been　sadly　modernized。　　It　contains　no　remarkable　tombs；　I　was
  pleased；　however；　to　observe　upon　one　or　two　of　the　monuments　the
  name　of　Ryce；　the　appellation　of　the　great　clan　to　which　Griffith
  ap　Nicholas　belonged；　of　old　the　regal　race　of　South　Wales。　　On
  inquiring　of　the　clerk；　an　intelligent　young　man　who　showed　me　over
  the　sacred　edifice；　as　to　the　state　of　the　Church　of　England　at
  Llandovery；　he　gave　me　a　very　cheering　account；　adding；　however；
  that　before　the　arrival　of　the　present　incumbent　it　was　very　low
  indeed。　　〃What　is　the　clergyman's　name？〃　said　I；　〃I　heard　him
  preach　last　night。〃
  〃I　know　you　did；　sir；〃　said　the　clerk；　bowing；　〃for　I　saw　you　at
  the　service　at　Llanfair　…　his　name　is　Hughes。〃
  〃Any　relation　of　the　clergyman　at　Tregaron？〃　said　I。
  〃Own　brother；　sir。〃
  〃He　at　Tregaron　bears　a　very　high　character；〃　said　I。
  〃And　very　deservedly；　sir；〃　said　the　clerk；　〃for　he　is　an　excellent
  man；　he　is；　however；　not　more　worthy　of　his　high　character　than　his
  brother　here　is　of　the　one　which　he　bears；　which　is　equally　high；
  and　which　the　very　dissenters　have　nothing　to　say　against。〃
  〃Have　you　ever　heard；〃　said　I；　〃of　a　man　of　the　name　of　Rees
  Pritchard；　who　preached　within　these　walls　some　two　hundred　years
  ago？〃
  〃Rees　Pritchard；　sir！　　Of　course　I　have　…　who　hasn't　heard　of　the
  old　vicar　…　the　Welshman's　candle？　　Ah；　he　was　a　man　indeed！　　We
  have　some　good　men　in　the　Church；　very　good；　but　the　old　vicar　…
  where　shall　we　find　his　equal？〃
  〃Is　he　buried　in　this　church？〃　said　I。
  〃No；　sir；　he　was　buried　out　abroad　in　the　churchyard；　near　the　wall
  by　the　Towey。〃
  〃Can　you　show　me　his　tomb？〃　said　I。　　〃No；　sir；　nor　can　any　one；　his
  tomb　was　swept　away　more　than　a　hundred　years　ago　by　a　dreadful
  inundation　of　the　river；　which　swept　away　not　only　tombs　but　dead
  bodies　out　of　graves。　　But　there's　his　house　in　the　market…place；
  the　old　vicarage；　which　you　should　go　and　see。　　I　would　go　and　show
  it　you　myself　but　I　have　church　matters　just　now　to　attend　to　…　the
  place　of　church　clerk　at　Llandovery；　long　a　sinecure；　is　anything
  but　that　under　the　present　clergyman；　who；　though　not　a　Rees
  Pritchard；　is　a　very　zealous　Christian；　and　not　unworthy　to　preach
  in　the　pulpit　of　the　old　vicar。〃
  Leaving　the　church　I　went　to　see　the　old　vicarage；　but　before
  saying　anything　respecting　it；　a　few　words　about　the　old　vicar。
  Rees　Pritchard　was　born　at　Llandovery；　about　the　year　1575；　of
  respectable　parents。　　He　received　the　rudiments　of　a　classical
  education　at　the　school　of　the　place；　and　at　the　age　of　eighteen
  was　sent　to　Oxford；　being　intended　for　the　clerical　profession。　　At
  Oxford　he　did　not　distinguish　himself　in　an　advantageous　manner；
  being　more　remarkable　for　dissipation　and　riot　than　application　in
  the　pursuit　of　learning。　　Returning　to　Wales；　he　was　admitted　into
  the　ministry；　and　after　the　lapse　of　a　few　years　was　appointed
  vicar　of　Llandovery。　　His　conduct　for　a　considerable　time　was　not
  only　unbecoming　a　clergyman；　but　a　human　being　in　any　sphere。
  Drunkenness　was　very　prevalent　in　the　age　in　which　he　lived；　but
  Rees　Pritchard　was　so　inordinately　addicted　to　that　vice　that　the
  very　worst　of　his　parishioners　were　scandalized；　and　said：　　〃Bad　as
  we　may　be　we　are　not　half　so　bad　as　the　parson。〃
  He　was　in　the　habit　of　spending　the　greater　part　of　his　time　in　the
  public…house；　from　which　he　was　generally　trundled　home　in　a　wheel…
  barrow　in　a　state　of　utter　insensibility。　　God；　however；　who　is
  aware　of　what　every　man　is　capable　of；　had　reserved　Rees　Pritchard
  for　great　and　noble　things；　and　brought　about　his　conversion　in　a
  very　remarkable　manner。
  The　people　of　the　tavern　which　Rees　Pritchard　frequented　had　a
  large　he…goat；　which　went　in　and　out　and　mingled　with　the　guests。
  One　day　Rees　in　the　midst　of　his　orgies　called　the　goat　to　him　and
  offered　it　some　ale；　the　creature；　far　from　refusing　it；　drank
  greedily；　and　soon　becoming　intoxicated；　fell　down　upon　the　floor；
  where　it　lay　quivering；　to　the　great　delight　of　Rees　Pritchard；　who
  made　its　drunkenness　a　subject　of　jest　to　his　boon　companions；　who；
  however；　said　nothing；　being　struck　with　horror　at　such　conduct　in
  a　person　who　was　placed　among　them　to　be　a　pattern　and　example。
  Before　night；　however；　Pritchard　became　himself　intoxicated；　and
  was　trundled　to　the　vicarage　in　the　usual　manner。　　During　the　whole
  of　the　next　day　he　was　very　ill　and　kept　at　home；　but　on　the
  following　one　he　again　repaired　to　the　public…house；　sat　down　and
  called　for　his　pipe　and　tankard。　　The　goat　was　now　perfectly
  recovered；　and　was　standing　nigh。　　No　sooner　was　the　tankard
  brought　than　Rees　taking　hold　of　it　held　it　to　the　goat's　mouth。
  The　creature；　however；　turned　away　its　head　in　disgust；　and　hurried
  out　of　the　room。　　This　circumstance　produced　an　instantaneous
  effect　upon　Rees　Pritchard。　　〃My　God！〃　said　he　to　himself；　〃is　this
  poor　dumb　creature　wiser　than　I？　　Yes；　surely；　it　has　been　drunk；
  but　having　once　experienced　the　wretched　consequences　of
  drunkenness；　it　refuses　to　be　drunk　again。　　How　different　is　its
  conduct　to　mine！　　I；　after　having　experienced　a　hundred　times　the
  filthiness　and　misery　of　drunkenness；　have　still　persisted　in
  debasing　myself　below　the　condition　of　a　beast。　　Oh；　if　I　persist
  in　this　conduct　what　have　I　to　expect　but　wretchedness　and　contempt