, the patron of Wales, was the son of Xantus or Santus, prince of
, the patron of Wales, was the son of
Xantus or Santus, prince of Ceretica, now Cardiganshire,
and born about the close of the fifth century. Being
brought up to the church, he was ordained priest; he then
retired to the Isle of Wight, and for some time lived in
the accustomed solitude of those times. From this he at
length emerged, and went into Wales, where he preached
to the Britons. He built a chapel at Glastonbury, and
founded twelve monasteries, the principal of which was in
the vale of Ross, near Menevia. Of this monastery frequent mention is made in the acts of the Irish saints. The
rules he established for his monasteries were, as usual;
rigid, but not so injudicious or absurd as some of the early
monastic statutes. One of his penances was manual labour in agriculture, and, for some time at least, there was
no accumulation of worldly goods, for whoever was admitted as a member, was enjoined to leave every thing of that
kind behind him. When the synod of Brevy in Cardiganshire was held in the year 519, St. David was invited to it, and
was one of its chief champions against Pelagianism. At the
close of this synod, St. Dubricius, archbishop of Caerleon
upon Usk, resigned his see to St. David, who translated
it to Menevia, now called St. David’s. Here he died about
the year 544 in a very advanced age. He is praised by his
biographers for his eloquence and powers in conversion,
and has, according to them, been in all succeeding ages
the glory of the British church. He wrote the “Decrees
of the Synod of Victoria,
” which he called soon after he
became bishop; the “Rules of his Monasteries;
” some
“Homilies,
” and “Letters to king Arthur,
” all of which
have perished.