CORNISH DEDICATIONS. 97 



This refers to some passage of his history now lost, and one 

 that the hagiographer deemed unadvisable to admit into his 

 laudatory composition. David's mother was sister of Wenn, 

 wife of Selyf , Prince of Cornwall ; and Non certainly was in 

 that country and received large grants of land there. The 

 woman who treated him so badly we may suspect was the wife 

 of Cado, Duke or Prince of Cornwall, "the unclean lioness of 

 Dumnonia," mother of Constantino II., against whom Gildas 

 inveighed so savagely. It is apparent that David stirred up 

 civil war, in consequence of his ill-treatment, that ended in 

 bloodshed and burnings. This " unclean lioness " was the wife 

 of the uncle of Grildas, but we know neither her name nor her 

 pedigree. It is possible that the war was fratricidal, between 

 Selyf and Cado. An assertion is made by the Breton historians 

 that this Selyf fell in an insurrection, and he is accounted a 

 Martyr. But this has been contested, as Selyf or Solomon III., 

 King of Brittany, actually was butchered in an insurrection, 

 and it has been supposed that thence has arisen the idea that 

 the earlier Solomon also so fell, 



Geoffrey of Monmouth states that David died in his monastery 

 at Mynyw i.e. S. David's, where he was honourably buried by 

 order of Maelgwn Gwynedd. 



But the date of his death is very difficult to fix. The 

 most probable computation places it in 550. His "Life" 

 contains fabulous tales, the product of lively imaginations. 



He opened many fountains in dry places, healed many 

 brackish streams, raised many dead to life, and had many visions 

 of God and of Angels. In one of these visions he was warned 

 that he should depart, March 1st. Thenceforth he was more 

 zealous in the discharge of his duty : on the Sunday before his 

 death he preached a sermon to the assembled people, and after 

 consecrating and receiving the Lord's Body, he was seized with 

 a sudden pain: then turning to the people he said, " Brethren, 

 persevere in the things which ye have heard of me : on the third 

 day hence I go the way of my fathers." On that day, while 

 the clergy were singing the Matin Office, he had a vision of 

 his Lord; then, exulting in spirit, he exclaimed, "Raise me 

 after Thee." With these words he breathed his last. 



