Page:Oliver Mathews – Towne of Sallop (1877).djvu/13

 learned Brutaines Assur, Beda, Gildas sapiens, Geraldus Camberensis, Alfridus de Beverley, Gulielmus de Mawmbry, and the auncient learned bookes of all the auncient learned Brutaines, especiallie of Northwalshe. But from the said cruell and bloudy massacre and murther, there escaped, as before is said, fiftie of the Christian brethren of Bangor, and cam with theire prince Broughwell to Sallop, beinge then the chiefest place or pallace of the Kinge or Prince of old Powys, and then called Pen gwerne Powys, bicause there did then growe a greate nomber of Oller trees, and bicause that the king’s house did stand at the upper end, or head end, of the same Oller trees. And after theire cominge to Sallop, the said fiftie brethren did build them fower Sinagouges or Churches, after the manner as the Christian Jewes did build and make theire Churches. Theis Christian brethren did build and make the said Churches with theire owne handes, without the helpe or assistaunce of anie other, and there dwelt and contynued the space of five hundred and twentie yeres, before theire religious houses were suppressed. And after they had made theire temples, they served the Lord there, and wrought with theire owne hands, and with the sweate of theire browes gote theire livinges, and preached and served the Lord, according as theire predeceassors had taught them, and had learned of Josephe of Arimathea, a disciple of our Saviour Christe, who buried his blessed bodie, and was conversaunte with Christ’s appostles, disciples and Sainctts, where and when they learned the true religion, and did understand the lawes of Christe and his blessed Gospell, as Josephus afirmeth, and came into this land of Brutaine abouts xvien. or xvii. yeres after our Saviour Christ’s Ascention. The worthie Mr. Foxe recordeth the same at large. And nowe to retorne to the fiftie brethren of Sallop, after they had escaped the cruell pagan mortheringe enemies the Saxons and Irishe men, sett on by the Romaines, and had bin in the Towne a tyme, and there had kepte and shrowded themselves from theire mortall enemies, they tourned the name of the Towne from Penne gwerne Powys to Shrowsbury, because they there kepte and shrowded themselves, as aforesaid, from theire enemies, and scithence to this daie the Towne hathe