Page:The Chronicle of Clemendy.pdf/188

 the sun keep him warm. All this by and with the authority of Ratabus, High Tosspot of the Cwrw Dda. Fare ye well." Then the Clerk ran his boat ashore some way farther down and did reverence to the Portreeve and came amongst us again, and the musick swelled forth gladly and joyously and the bells crashed all together. But now to answer them the bells of St. Madoc's Church, down the river began to chime, and a whole host of coracles were drawn near the water gate, for the Portreeve and all his company have been used from time immemorial to sail down the river to St. Madoc's Church and there to hear a solemn service. And for the magistrate and the Constable of the Castle, and the Bailiffs a very large wicker boat is provided and another for the musique who play their water piece; but all the rest go each in a coracle apart; and they must steer warily, for the river is shallow by Uske, and there is only a narrow passage that a boat can use. But my comrades and I would not go upon the river, but watched the college getting one by one into the boats, and saw them sailing down in a long line, so far as we could make out without any mishap. It is said that once upon a time a Portreeve, magnificently inclined, endeavoured to have his coracle drawn by swans; but the birds would not go by rule and landed the magistrate in the water, if it be lawful to say so. It is, indeed, without swans, a most rare and delicious solemnity, smacking strongly of the days of old, that were so fertile in rituals, observances, processions, ceremonies, pomps, and pagean-