108 WILD WHITE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



his address to the readers, that he discovered this 

 " Chronicle " in the library of an ancient house in 

 the County of Burgundy, belonging to " Monsieur 

 Charles de Poupet, Chevalier et Signeur de la Chause, 

 Crevecoeur, Boiches, Bayune, et Melaree," who was 

 high in office successively at the court of Charles VIII. 

 of Prance, Don Philip of Castile, and of the Emperor 

 Charles Y. It was written " en feuilles de parchemin, 

 et de gros papier entremesles, monstre une lettre assez 

 antique," and without the author's name. Monsieur 

 Sauvage softened down "rude" expressions, and changed 

 ancient phrases and forms of speaking. The passage 

 referred to is given in a note below, * and exactly con- 

 firms the statement of Hollinshed. This work seems to 

 have been considered of considerable authority, and to 

 have been used by Proissart and others. 



Before I close this brief history of the ancient white 

 cattle with red ears of Wales, I will make one or two 

 remarks upon it. The notices of them seem to show 

 that the localities they inhabited were principally the 



* "Chronique de Flandres," chap. xvii.,p. 42. In this chapter, relating 

 principally to King John, the author, after stating that the king had 

 wished to appoint an Archbishop of Canterbury contrary to the liberty of 

 the Church, and that his land (" terre ") was put under an interdict, thus 

 proceeds : — ■ 



" Dedans cest entredit, vindret nouvelles au Roy Jehan, que ceux 

 d'Trlande estoient rebelles : dont incontinent appareilla sa nauire, pour 

 aler en Trlande. Mais aincois ala sur un haut home des marches des 

 Galles, qu'on appeloit Guillaume de Briuse. La femme de celui fert une 

 fois present a la Royne de quatre-cent vaches, et un taureau : qui toutes 

 estoient blanches, fors leurs oreilles : qui estoient rouges." 



This present was unfortunately of little use ; and eventually, the 

 husband being in France, " Mahaut sa femme " fled, with her son William, 

 to the castle of her father, William de Blancy, in Ireland. This the king 

 stormed ; and though she and her son escaped at first to the Isle of Man, 

 they were taken, and brutally starved to death in Windsor Castle, where 

 they were confined. 



