CORNISH DEDICATIONS. 271 



Now we know that Gildas and Cadoc and other British 

 clergy went to Ireland about 544 to restore religion which had 

 fallen into decay after the death of S. Patrick and his band of 

 missionaries from Britain and Gaul. Aedan was the son of 

 Gildas, who had been educated at Menevia by S. David, and it is 

 not at all improbable that Gildas took his son with him, and left 

 him in Ireland to carry on the work. 



We will now take his life in order, putting aside all that 

 obviously refers to the second Aedan of Ferns, the son of Setna. 



Aedh, as already said, had been sent to S. David at Kill- 

 muine or Menevia, where he was trained for the ecclesiastical 

 life. But when the Irish settlers were expelled from the portion 

 of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire that lies between Milford 

 Haven and the mouth of the Towey, S. David seems to have 

 been invited to make religious settlements there, and he took 

 with him his disciple, Aedan, who was still young. According 

 to the story, the steward of .8. David entertained a lively dislike 

 for Aedan, and annoyed him in many ways. On one occasion, 

 when David was building, probably Llandewi Yelfrey, near 

 Narberth, he despatched Aed with a waggon and a pair of oxen 

 to bring back to him material he needed that was beyond the 

 Cleddau. The steward furnished him, out of spite, with a yoke 

 that did not fit the necks of the beasts; nevertheless, Aedan 

 succeeded in his task, and this is recorded as miraculous. He 

 did more, he discovered a ford across the eastern Cleddau, 

 namely that where now stands Llawhaden Bridge. Here Aedan 

 founded the church that, under the above corrupt form, still 

 bears his name. The steward next bribed one of Aedan's fellow 

 students to murder him whilst they were together in the forest 

 felling trees. 



David was privately informed of what was purposed, and 

 starting from his bed, ran with only one foot shod in the direction 

 taken by the woodfellers, and caught them up at the river, where 

 he sharj)ly interrogated the companion of Aedan, and brought 

 him to confess his purpose. A cross was erected on the spot, and 

 it is possible that this may be the cross of an early character now 

 standing in the east wall of Llawhaden church. 



Whilst Aedan was in these parts, and Cadoc was with him, 

 an invasion took place — the biographer says of Saxons — but it 



