e built himself a house or castle on
the edge of the forest, where he lived with his wife and two little
daughters who were his chief delight. It happened that one day when he
was absent the two little girls with their female attendant went into
the wood in search of flowers, and that meeting a wild boar they turned
and fled, screaming for help. The savage beast pursued, and, quickly
overtaking them, attacked the hindermost, the youngest of the two little
girls, anal killed her, the others escaping in the meantime. On the
following day the father returned, and was mad with grief and rage on
hearing of the tragedy, and in his madness resolved to go alone on foot
to the forest and search for the beast and taste no food or drink until
he had slain it. Accordingly to the forest he went, and roamed through
it by day and night, and towards the end of the following day he
actually found and roused the dreadful animal, and although weakened by
his long fast and fatigue, his fury gave him force to fight and conquer
it, or else the powers above came to his aid; for when he stood spear
in hand to wait the charge of the furious beast he vowed that if he
overcame it on that spot he would build a chapel, where God would be
worshipped for ever. And there it was raised and has stood to this day,
its doors open every Sunday to worshippers, with but one break, some
time in the sixteenth century to the third year of Elizabeth, since when
there has been no suspension of the weekly service.

That the tradition is not true no one can say. We know that the memory
of an action or tragedy of a character to stir the feelings and impress
the imagination may live unrecorded in any locality for long centuries.
And more, we know or suppose, from at least one quite familiar instance
from Flintshire, that a tradition may even take us back to prehistoric
times and find corroboration in our own day.

But of this story what corroboration is there, and what do the books
say? I have consulted the county history, and no mention is made of
such a tradition, and can only assume that the author had never heard
it--that he had not the curious Aubrey mind. He only says that it is
a very early church--how early he does not know--and adds that it was
built "for the convenience of the inhabitants of the place." An odd
statement, seeing that the place has every appearance of having always
been what it is, a forest, and that the inhabitants thereof are weasels,
foxe