St. Iltutus, Abbot


ILTUT or ELCHUT, was a noble Briton, a native of Glamorganshire, and kinsman to King Arthur, in whose army he served for some part of his youth, and acquired a great reputation for his valour. St. Cadocus, abbot of Llancarvan, three miles from Cowbridge in Glamorganshire, who had formerly been a scholar of St. Germanus, and afterwards of St. Dubricius, and was then Bishop of Llandaff, inspired Iltut with a contempt of the world, and a thirst after true wisdom; insomuch, that renouncing the world, he received the tonsure at the hands of St. Dubricius, and studied many years in the great school of Cadocus, so as to surpass his master in his skill in the sacred sciences. He afterwards founded and governed for many years the most famous monastery and school then in Britain, called from him Llan-Iltut or Llan-twit, situate near the sea coast, not far from Llan-carvan. Amongst his scholars are reckoned St. David, St. Sampson, St. Magloire, St. Gildas, and many other great saints and learned prelates. The saint laboured with his own hands, and exercised himself in much watching, fasting, and prayer. Out of a love of holy retirement, he at length resigned the care of his school to Isham, one of his disciples, and passed three years in a lonesome cave in great austerity, and assiduous prayer. Before his death, he took a journey into Brittany, to visit his disciples and friends there, and died at Dole in the sixth century. He is to this day titular saint of a church in Glamorganshire, near the Severn sea, very famous to this time, says Leland: it was originally founded by him. Bale and Pits mention two doctrinal letters written by him; but almost all the writings of the famous British doctors have been destroyed by the injuries of time, as Leland grievously laments. See Usher’s Antiquities of the British Church. F. Alford’s Annals, Leland de Scriptor. p. 488. ed. Tanner, an. 1748.	1

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