CORNISH DEDICATIONS. 489 



studies under a famous Eoman rhetorician, newly arrived in 

 Wales. The doctor had more pupils than money ; and famine 

 reigned in the school. One day poor Oadoc, who fasted 

 continually, was studying in his cell, when suddenly a white 

 mouse, coming out of a hole in the wall, jumped on the table 

 and dropped a grain of corn. Cadoc presently discovered that 

 there was a sort of store-house underground, in which much 

 wheat had been deposited, closed up and forgotten. It was in 

 fact one of those subterranean fogous, found in Cornwall and in 

 Ireland. This was a great discovery, and it served Master and 

 Scholars for many days. 



From the life of S. Finian of Clonard, we learn that 

 Cadoc was for a while with S. David and Gildas, at Killmun, 

 which is the Irish rendering of Menevia, the Welsh Mymyw. 

 Finian arrived at the monastic settlement on the Alun, Oadoc 

 looked hard at him : — " Why," asked David, " do you study this 

 strange lad with such intentness?" "I perceive," answered 

 Cadoc, "that the Grace of God is with him." Then said 8. David, 

 " He talks our language like a native ;" and he accepted Finian 

 as a disciple, but told him to look out for a habitation for 

 himself, and placed him under the conduct of S. Cadoc. Cadoc 

 went with him to a chieftain who resided near a great lake, who 

 agreed to let them have as much land as they could reclaim. 

 According to the legend, Finian lighted a torch and went to the 

 lake which, frightened at the fire, retreated into the sea ; and 

 Cadoc and Finian established their settlement where had been 

 this lake or bog. This is a figurative way of saying they made 

 their settlement on a cranog. 



Perhaps the pond on Dowrog common, near S. David's, is 

 meant. Cadoc and Finian set to work hewing timber where- 

 with to erect their monastery,' — whether on piles, or on firm land, 

 is doubtful. The story goes that Cadoc heard angels helping 

 Finian to cut down the timber. 



Whilst Cadoc and Finian were together, the Saxons made 

 an eruption into the country, and encamped in a valley 

 surrounded by rocky heights. We need not here understand 

 Saxons — the assailants were probably Irish Picts, for no Saxons 

 could well have got so far at this period, but the Scots (Irish), 



