THE CHRONICLE OF CLEMENDY
that looked over the town walls and peeped into all the bye-ways, dark alleys, walled gardens, pleasaunces and closes of Abergavenny, indeed it is supposed that the clock was the witness of many a little matter known only to two besides. Now the tintinnabulous functions thereof were performed by a very fine piece of mechanique, I would say by the statue of an armed knight standing in a habitacle with a double row of bells hung beside him on which he smote the hours and the quarters with his axe, and also at the Canonical Hours struck out a verse of the hymn appointed to be sung, the which duties he discharged to admiration, and was accounted an honest fellow, notwithstanding all the ugly dragons, basilisks, and serpents that were cut in the stone all about him. To be short he was called by the common people Sir Jenkin Thomas, and was known by report all over Gwent, aye, and had had bequests and charges and rents erected for him by pious people, who thought Sir Jenkin looked after them and kept Abergavenny quiet and in good order. There was a charge of three shillings and four pence per annum on the meadow called Tirgwain-y-groes, of one shilling and ninepence on the seigneur's mil, or sixpence three farthings on the land called Penycoed; while my lady Loys had given him a pair of gold spurs and a certain Sir Reginald de Braose had devised ten golden pounds to the knight: all these benefactions being for the renewing of the gilt on Sir Jenkin's armour, the repainting of his face, and also the repairing and beautifying of the tower whereon he
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