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1933

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J© HIT J ©I? E 3 , LXD.
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Barrister at Law,

THE
HISTORY OF
WALES, DESCRIPTIVE OF
THE GOVERNMENT; WARS, MANNERS, RELIGION, LAWS,
DRUIDS, BARDS, PEDIGREES, AND LANGUAGE
OF THE
ANCIENT BRITONS and MODERN WELSH;
AND OFTHE
ftemainfng Antiquities
OF THE

BV JOHN JONES, LL.D,
AND BARRISTER AT LAW.

LONDON i
P HINTED AND PUBLISHED BY J. WILLIAMS,
SHIP PLACE, STRAND ;
NEAR TEMPtB BAB.

/ f£ 4-

PREFACE.

THE writer ofthe following pages has been induced to
send to press this Publication, from the frequent obser
vations of men of letters, that the History of tbe Ancient
Britons is a desideratum in literature.
Several authors, both natives and English, have
treated on this subject ; but their labours, collectively,
have not produced a consistent detail of events, and a
faithful description of manners and customs.
The native writers have, from Gilda^ down to Roberts,'
made it their study to trace the Britons from some
Asiatic origin, and to represent tbem as a highly refined
and scientific people. By this false assumption they
have degraded the character of the Welsh people, and im
pressed on the minds of the sons of Cambria the discon
solate tradition, that they are uncultivated descendants
from the greatest conquerors, statesman, and philoso
phers, that ever flourished among mankind.
The English authors, who have written on the His
tory of Cambria, have been incompetent, from their de
ficiency in the language of the country. The last his
torian, Mr. Warrington, laboured under this difficulty.
Mrj Warrington must be acknowledged as a person of
elevated mind, and a fine writer: but he is injudicious;
for in describing the skirmishes of petty chiefs he bears
in his mind enlarged conceptions, better adapted to the
a 2

IV PREFACE.
battles of Alexander, Tamerlane, and Charles : and he
perpetually falls into unpardonable anachronisms ; for
instance, he quotes the laws of Howel the Good two
centuries before they Avere enacted, and he gives the
manners and customs of the Welsh, from Giraldus Cam
brensis, many years before that Author Avas born.
There are, however, several Englishmen who deserve
Cambrian gratitude, for detached contributions towards
the History, of Wales: and the Author feels pleasure,
that the Literature and Antiquities of his country have
exercised the pens of Mr. Cox, Mr. Sharon Turner,
Sir Richard Colt Hoare, bart., and Dr. Meyrick.
The present History has been compiled from the
works of all preceding writers on the subject, with an
avowed freedom of selecting whatever appeared most
consistent with the Avell received testimonies of con
temporary nations. The introducing of monuments, as
historical documents, is a novelty in the History of
Wales ; but it is presumed will meet with the sanction of*
learned men, and. give a permanent value to inscribed
stones, which have, for ages, been considered as unintel
ligible and useless
The application of these documents requires great;
circumspection, because several ancient monuments
having been removed from their original places have
lost their significations by a change of locality. There
is a stone in the wall of. Dinevor Park, with the letters:*
IMP CASSIANO : it was carried to this place by;
some Vandal from Trecastle Hill, where it was found in;

PREFACE. , V
1769, near a house, called the Heath Cock, and Avas a
millarium, Avith the then legible Inscription, Imperatori
Domino nostro Marco Cassiano Latino Postumo Pio
felici Aug. There are many other instances of sucli
removals, and particularly of sepulchral monuments,
from dilapidated abbeys, into neigbouring churches.
The ancient monuments in Wales are 'generally writ
ten in Latin, Saxon, or Norman French. Mr. Grose
says, in his Antiquities, that the characters on the abbey
of LlanegAvest, or Valle-Crucis, are " Maso Gothic and
Franco Theotiscan mixt." The Runic and Dano Saxon
characters are seldom to be met Avith in Inscriptions in
Wales ; and where they do occur, the Author has not ven
tured to decipher from the copies of others. The Dano
Saxon alphabet was much in use in Wales and Northum
berland prior to the Norman invasion. The font at
Bridchirk, in the county of Cumberland, presents a fine
specimen of that character : the Monumenta Danica
of Olans Wormius abound with Dano Saxon Inscrip
tions ; and the same letters are now used in Wales, under
the vulgar idea of their being the alphabet of the Bards.
The construction of Ostrymnides, and of the passage
in Plautus, the early settlements of the Saxons, the
positions given to Camalodunum and the Bullajum Si-
lurum, and the Saxon characters of Vortigern and Vor-
timer, are offered as historical emendations ; for it would
be a waste of time to treat of any subject without making
gome advancement in science and approximation to truth.
*
The History of. Christianity is written with a latitude,

V1U PREFACE.
The Bards, which are the pride and glory of the
Welsh peasant, have been amply treated of; and trans-;
lations of some of their productions, by able hands,
have been given, in order to let the Bard speak for him
self, and the reader be the critic. And the Awendi
have been briefly noticed as the precursors pf the mo
dern fanatic order of Jumpers.
The pedigrees of the Welsh are subjects of national
interest, and of family importance : for, as the more
ancient natives of the island, the Welsh are conscious
of the veneration due to them from foreign adventurers
and settlers, who have resorted to Britain on mis
sions of conquest, or in the hopes of security and proT
tection : and, as families descended from royal, noble,
or illustrious ancestors, they are sensible of their ho
norable rank in society, and of the propriety of sup
porting the pristine dignity of their respective houses,
by splendor of appearance, the practice qf honorable acts.,
and the bounties of hospitality.
The names of great men, and the recollection of
their national glory, or private virtues, are inducements
to imitation, and even competition of worth and excel
lence. In descendants of great men the stimulus must
have greater force, as the individual is under a sense of
duty in supporting the honor and glory of his ances
tors. A Grecian General, of the present day, may re
mind his folloAvers of the proAvess and military achieve
ments of the ancient Greeks to a good purpose; but
how much more impressive Avould the language of the
General be, if he Avere a man of an illustrious family,
and could address his followers, — " Soldiers ! you are

PREFACE. «
this day commanded, in my person, by a namesake, by
a descendant of that General who led your forefathers
to victory at Salamis and Marathon."
The Author is fully sensible of the imperfection of
his Chapter on Pedigrees, on account of numerous omis
sions of families; and therefore requests immediate
corrections, in order that the names omitted may appear
in their honorable and proper places, in a future edition.
The language of the Ancient Britons, preserved in
the Gaelic, Cambrian, and Cornish dialects, is interest
ing to the antiquarian and the philologer : and it is very
desirable that some learned writer Avould publish a
Celtic and English Dictionary, incorporating these dia
lects, and tracing every word from its Asiatic, African,
Grecian, Gaelic, Roman, Scandinavian, Saxon, or
Norman origin. The late Rev. Mr. Richards, of Coy-
church, in his Welsh and English Dictionary, has made
a partial attempt ; but, by confining himself to deriva
tions from the Hebrew, he has transformed the Ancient
Britons into a colony of Jews. The Author of the pre
sent work has confined his labours to a glossarial spe
cimen of the dialects.
' The last Chapter, treating of British Antiquities, con
sisting of notices of ancient remains, in every county
throughout the principality, is intended to assist the cu
rious and inquisitive traveller and Antiquarian. His
tories of counties will embrace these subjects with more
minuteness than is convenient to the general History of J
the country. Dr. Meyrick has given the History of j
Cardiganshire ip a very able manner. The late Mr. \

X PREFACE.
Theophilus Jones has written the History ,> of Breck
nockshire in the entertaining and loquacious manner of.
- a highly informed and communicative old Welsh gen
tleman. The Rev. Mr. Davies, of Neath, is about
sending to the press the History of tbe county of Gla
morgan : and the Rev. Mr. Williams is engaged in a
, History of Caernarvonshire : and it is to be hoped that
other men of letters will devote their learning and lei
sure to the History and Topography ofthe other counties,
pf Wales.
The writer of this work has, from his juvenile days,
collected notes respecting his country, and the great men
it has produced. The biographical memoranda are
numerous, many lives have been completed for the
press, and it is his intention to publish the biography
of his most distinguished countrymen, after the manner
of Grainger, under the title of The Worthies of Wales,
or Lives of eminent Welshmen, including Chancellors*
Archbishops, Judges, Bishops, Counsellors, Admirals^
Getierals, Physicians, Clergymen, Dissenting Ministers^
and men of science or celebraty of the Principality of
Wales. It is presumed the work will form three vols.
8vo., making 1200 pages, and contain from 50 to 100
lives, and appear in the course of next summer. The
descendants of eminent Welshmen are requested to
communicate to the Author any memoranda they may
possess respecting their ancestors, in order that the
biography may be executed with fidelity and correctness.
In submitting this History of his country to the
public eye, the Author solicits the early and minute

PREFACE, XI
observations of public and private Critics, "in order that
he may introduce, in a future edition, any suggested
improvements, and repel ill-founded animadversions.
But in thus courting the attention of Reviewers and
Editors of Public Journals, and Men of Letters, he
does not engage to notice trivial communications, nor
to make honorable mention of every intruder. Judicious
and learned observations Avill meet with acknowledg
ment ; and the remarks of officious pigmies will be
appended in closely printed notes.
To the warmth and zeal of his countrymen, and to
the- kindness and promptitude of his friends in general, '
jn engaging copies of the Work before it was sent to
press, the Author is fully sensible ofhis obligations. —
Some of his brother Cambrians -have expressed a plea
sure in the idea, that the History of Wales was to be
treated of by the pen of a Welshman ; others, to whom
the Author is personally unknown; have applied for co
pies .from different parts ofthe country; whilst his
most intimate friends have expressed such anxiety for
the appearance and success of the publication, that one
town in Wales has a demand for eighty copies. It
would give the Author great pleasure to print a listof
the numerous encouragers of this publication : but' he
thinks it more prudent to keep his friends in private, as
the omission of any of their names, by making an im
perfect catalogue, Avould subject him, most justly, to the
charges of negligence and ingratitude.
JOHN JONES.
Janus-place, Lower Road, Islington,
Sept. 10, 1824.

ERRATA.

Page
21. For Count, read Earl ofthe Saxon shores.
23. For nome, read home.
40. For Brochmeal, read Brochwel.
91. For Gowar, read Gower.
101. Line 14, omit caKed Po«< Irfon.
10/. After Daugleddau, read too fosses, or ditches, instead of
siuoroj.
116. For prisoner, read prisoners.
118. For insuleris, read insularis.
1 36. For Mabellon, read Mabillon.
148. Fornfaf thejire, read recumb at the fire opposite the king.
276. Omit the comma after Beech, and read Beech-Chester.
304. Eor Edward Hoel, read Edwal Foel.
309. For country historians, read county historians.
318. For Cadwalach, read Cadell.
327. For .Baio, read Paio.
332. For I<W floe/, read Z^e/ i7a<?/.
342. For Lleckwryd, read Llcchriryd..

CONTENTS.

CHAP. I.
"THE History of the Ancient Britons from remote Times,
to the final Retirement of the Romans
CHAP. II.
The History ofthe Ancient Britons, or Welsh, from the
final Retirement of the Romans to the death of Lle
welyn ab Iorwertb. • • • • • • • •
CHAP. III.
TheHistory of the Welsh from the Death of Llewelyn ab
Iorwerth to the present Time • •
CHAP. IV.
History of Christianity among the Ancient Britons, or
Welsh • • • • • • • • « «

IPagS

Of the Laws of the Welsh
Of the Druids • •
Of the Bards » •
Of the Awendi ••
The Pedigree of the Welsh,

CHAP. V.
6 • • •
CHAP. VI.
CHAP. VII.
CHAP. VIII.
CHAP. IX.

CHAP. X.
Ofthe Language of Ancient Britons and Modern Welsh
CHAP. XI.
British Antiquities • • • • • ? ¦ « • •

30
94
123143 185
216 263
266
2SS 304

THE
HISTORY OF WALES.

CHAP, t

The Hlstbri) bf the Ancient Britons ffom remote
Times to the final Retirement ofthe Romans.
XjRITAIN was, iii demote times, attached to Gaul
by the Isthmus bf Dwryfran.
A convulsion of nature, attended with an irruption of
the Atlantic ocean into the lake Llychlyh, separated
Britain from the Continent Of the Celts ; for the homo
genous strata oil the British and Gallic coasts, and the
more distant positions of Norway and' Scotland, 'at pre
sent, than in anterior times, are positive proofs of this
catastrophe; and the terni Afahc, whereby the waters
of the Channel are personified, as a moving inroad, has
been formed from a reference to this awful event of a
continental dissociation.
The national name, which the inhabitants ' of this
Island assumed, in remote ages, was Brydon*, the fair
tribe; and hence their territory was called Brydain and
Prydain; for the names of countries, in ancient times,
* On the more ancient Roman monuments Britain is written
BRITO, and its inhabitants are called BRITONES. The ancient
geographers also give to the modern Bretagne the name of Britannia,
and to ; the present coast of France, about Morlais, the name of
Morgania, which corresponds in signification with the present Welsh
district of Morganwg, or Glamorgan. Paris was anciently called
Lutetia, Llydded or Llydaw, and Picardy is the Armorica, Arforig,
or Maritime Land of Caesar. These circumstances coUeetively sup
port the opinions of writers, who maintain, that our Island received
its population frojnthe Celtas, or Galli, of the continent. '
B

were always formed from the names of the people who
inhabited them. These Brydon, called in history Y
Ddraig Brydon, or British Tribe, were blue-eyed, and
of a fair complexion ; and used the language and cus
toms of the Celtae, or Galli, of the continent; for the
Cimbri, Galli, and Celtae, were the same genus of
people, under specific appellations ; Cimbri, or Cynmry,
signifying the first race; Gael, or Galli, the powerful;
and Celtas, the people of the woods, or coverts.
The island of Britain received an increase of popula
tion from the following event:— About 420 years before
Christ, a. Carthaginian commander, of the. name of
Hamilcp, was sent by the senate of Carthage to survey
the western coasts of Europe : in the eoursie of his voy
age, Hamiko visited the British isles^ an4- mentiorJei8
them in his journal, by the name of CEstrymnides.
This appellation, quoted by Avienus, has been taken by
some, writers, tp signify the isles of Gad Flies ; and,
Virgil gives tbe. word ostrrgog that signification — , (
-~ — -.  -. — " «ui nomeu asilo,
•' Rpmanum est, cestron Graii vert£re vocantes." Georg. lib. iii. 143.
But; Pliny states the oestrus to be the apes grandiores ;
and from, this acceptation CEstrymmdes may signify the
Isles of Bees; and this conjecture is weft founded, when
we recollect that Britain was called by the ancient Bri
tons Y Fei Ynys, the Honey Island ; and that Ireland
was called by the Gwyddelod^ or Irish, Innis Fael, or
Iflxe Isle of Honey.
This casual visit of Hamiko opened a commercial
intercourse between Carthage and Britain, which was
beneficial to both countries. The Britons received, a
knowledge ofthe Mediterranean, Phoenician, or Cartha
ginian trade; the mode of Grecian warfare, by fighting
in chariots; t{ie Alexandrian method of keeping public
and private accounts in the following ancient Greek
alphabet, as. preserved in the Thesaurus of Muratori,
vol. iv. 2093.

3
And the Carthaginians were, ifi return, permitted to
settle colonies on the southern and western coasts of the
Island, to collect amber, and to work the tin mines of
Carssiterides, or Oakhampton, in the' modern Devonshire'.
The produce of these works was of such value, that
the Carthaginians considered this Island as their own
territory, and even gave it a Punic name.
A passage in the Pcenulus of Plautus gives us to un
derstand that Carthage, in the Punic language, was
called Anec. " Muthum, Balle becha, e dte Anec."
Muthus, Ballus's son, of the town of Anec.
" Carthaginiensem Muthum Balli filiuni." Peenul. Act. V. Sc. 2.
And hence it appears, tbat Bryd-Anec, or, as usually
written in Greek characters, BPETANNIKH, signifies
the British Carthage.
These two tribes, viz. the Britons, or Cimbri, and
the Carthaginian, Spanish, or Southern Settlers, cor
responded most minutely with the description given by
Tacitus of the Caledonii and the Silures — " Habitus
corporum varii, atque ex eo argumenta ; namque rutilct
Caledoniam habitantium coma, magni artus Germa-
nicam originem asseverant. Silurum colorati vultus,
et torti plerumque crines, et positu contra Hispaniam,
Iberos veteres trqjecisse, easque sedes occupasse fidem
faciunt." — De Vit. Agric.
The Suessiones, or Belgi, the remote ancestors of the
modem English nation, were another tribe of people,
who, by self-deportation, or spirit of adventure, were
induced to build towns, and to form settlements on the
coasts of Britain, some centuries prior to the Roman
invasion. This position is supported by a passage from
Caesar, where it is related that the Suessiones, or Saxons,
had extensive dominions in this Island:—" Apud eos
fuisse regem nostrd etiam memorid Divitiacum, totius
Gallia potentissimum, qui' dim magna par f is harum
regionitm, turn etiam Britannia, imptrium obtinuerit :
nunc esse regem Galbam.n — De Bell: Gall. lib. ii. c. 4.
The towns built by these settlers were respectively'
b 2

4
Called after the names of the places on the continent,
whence the settlers had migrated— Omnes fert Us no-
minibus civitatum apellantur, quibus orti ex civituiibus
edpervencrunt.—Ub.v. c. 10. And hence the names
of Maiden, London, Sandwich, Romney, Rye, Win-
chelsea, &c. &c.
The Ancient Britons, in pronouncing the word Sues'
siones, formed it into Seison, which is the present Welsh
name of the English nation; and they called Maiden
London, &c. Trinobant, or the New Towns; and Sand
wich, &c. on the foreland, or promontory of Kent, they
distinguished by the collective term Caron, or Forts*
Diod. Sic. lib. v. c. 8.
' The mother country ofthe Suessiones, or Belgi, hav
ing been reduced by the Roman arms, under the com
mand of C^sar, and the Britons having given offence,
by assisting the Gaiils with troops in their wars, the
Roman consul sent embassadors to the Saxon colonies,
to insist upon their submission to the Romans; and he
despatched Comius, king of Artois, with other embassa-
dors, to the British chiefs, to demand satisfaction for
their having sent auxiliary forces to join his enemies
during his wars in Gaul. The Saxpn cities sent their
submission to Caesar; but the negotiation of Comius
Was without success.
, Upon this, Caesar sent Volusenus in a ship of war to
explore the coasts of Britain ; but Volusenus, not ven*
turing to land and treat with the inhabitants, threw the
bloody spear on the British shore, and, in the Roman
name, loudly declared war against the Britons.
The Roman consul meantime assembled his forces,
which consisted of the 7th and 10th legions, at Wissan;
and he ordered all his ships of war and transports to
rendezvous at the same port: there were, besides,
eighteen transports detained at Calais, from contrary
wind. . When the weather became favorable, Caesar, having
offered up prayers and sacrifices to the gods, and con
sulted , the auspices, gave orders, about the third, or
cockcrowing, watch, to sound the trumpet for sailing;

and directed his cavalry to embark on board the trans
ports at Calais, and to follow him towards the British
coast. By a quick passage Caesar arrived, with some
of the foremost ships, near Dover, about ] 0 o'clock in
the morning, on the 26'th September (now August), in
the year 55 before Christ, and found tbe cliffs and hills
covered with armed men, ready to give him a hostile
reception. In this situation Caesar floated at anchor
until three o'clock in the afternoon, in vain expectation
ofthe 18 transports from Calais; and, during all this
time, he could not attempt to disembark, for the creek
was narrow, and the cliffs so lofty, that a dart might be
thrown from them to the beach. The Roman consul^
calling a council of war of his tribunes, and Volusenus,
who had surveyed the coast, proceeded next morning,
with the whole of his fleet, about eight miles northward,
and dropped anchor near a wide and level shore, at the
present town of Deal. The Britons, who were vio-JIant
and active, had collected their Essedarfi, cavalry and
infantry, to prevent the disembarkation of the Roman,
forces. Ca;sar was, at the time, exposed to the utmost diffi
culties ; his ships of war were so large, that they could
not be worked but in deep water: the soldiers were
unacquainted with the ground; their hands were en
cumbered with the customary requisites of food, a saw,
a basket, a mattock, an axe, hook, chain, leathern thong,
and three or four stakes : their accoutrements were also
heavy, aud consisted of an oblong shield, head and
breast plates, greaves for the legs, a sword, and two
long javelins. Thus loaded they had to disembark, to
contend with the surf, and to fight with valiant and de
termined-enemies. The Britons, on the contrary, were
on dry ground, knew the shoals, were lightly armed,
frightened the Roman horses by their Essedarii and
darts, and drove the Roman troops into deep sea.
The standard-bearer ofthe 10th legion, in this almost
lost affair, conjured his fellow soldiers to discharge the
duty which they owed to the republic and to their ge-
peral; and, throwing himself iptp the sea, made towards

6
the shore. To prevent the disgrace of losing their
standard, the Romans niade a general effort to gain the
land; ,but in this, desperate and inevitable , attempt,
they were acting individually, without any regular order,
and soon thrown into confusion : in this dilemma, Caesar
ordered the jolly boats ofthe men of war, and the soupdr
ing boats, to be employed in parrying the troops on
shore. By the rapid movements of these boats, the
Romans, at last, made good their landing, and obliged
the Britops to retreat.
The Roman general then caused his ships of war to.
be drawn on land, and formed into a naval camp; anil
continued the transports, or provision ships, at anchor..
On the fourth day after this, invasion, being the 3 1st
of August, the 18 transports, with the cavalry from
Calais, hove in sight ofthe Roman camp; but that night
being full moon and very stormy, and a high, sea, most
of the 18 transports were wrecked op the coasts of
Kent, the provision ships at anchor broke off their
moorings, and the ships of war, which constituted their
naval camp, were filled by the tide, and twelve of them
we.re lost.
These misfortunes of the Romans, partly from the.
weather and tide, but more from the incessant opera tiqps,.
of the Britons, reduced the Romans into a state of mu
tiny; and the skeletons ofthe two legiops were obliged.
to forage by turns, and were continually driven into
their camp. Under this, difficulty Comius, the kiqg
of Artois, an old ally of the, Britons, probably interfered
his good offices for an unmolested embarkation ; and
Julius Caesar, whom the Britons called Iolo Voel, or
Julius the Bald*, quitted Britain with a few ships and
a few soldiers, at midnight, of the 20th of September,
55 years before Christ.
The Roman consul, alive tp the disgrace, which the
Roman arms had received by their retreat, frorp Britain
ty night, and, probably, by the assistance ofthe ship
ping of the Saxon settlers, assembled at Wissap, in the •
• The baldness of C*sar was unpleasant to himself, because it
was a topic of joeularity.— See Suet Fit. J.C.s.4,5.1

ensuing spring of 54 before Christ, a large fleet, and a
powerful army of five legions, or 20,000 infantry; and
in the corresponding number, pari numero, 1500 ca+
valry*. With these forces he landed near Deal, at
noon, in the month of May, unopposed, because the
Britons, were instructed to pursue a more cautious
and destructive mode of warfare.
Caesar having reviewed his army, pitched his caonp at
Rutupae, now Richborough, and leaving his fleet at ap-r
chor, under tbe command of Atrius, who hoisted the red
flag; and stationing ten cohorts, or 4000 infantry^ and
300 cavalry, to protect the fleet and the camp ; then;
marched about twelve miles to engage the Britons^
This first engagement took place on the river Stour,
near Ford-wick, on the east of Canterbury, where the
Romans were manfully attacked ; but, from theiif ac-i
count, they forced the passage of the river, and forming
the infantry into a tortoise, took the sylvan camp of the
Britons ; and then pitched their camp, not venturing to
pursue the natives : but this engagement was merely a
feint, whilst another army of Britons destroyed the fleet
under Atrius, and sacked the encampment at Rutupse ?
for Caesar received messages and letters from Atrius,,
complaining of his sufferings from a storm, which in
duced him to retreat to Rutupae, with the whole of
hjs forces, and to send to Wissan to Labienus for mosro
ships and legions.
The Britons had, at the time, a chieftain of great,
valour and experience, of the name of Gassihelaunus,
in the British Cassfelyn, or the Brazen Helmet, whom
they appointed commander of their forces.
The Roman copsul again marched with his troops,
along the banks of the Thames, as the Saxon maritime
towns copld assist him with shipping, in case of a second!
disaster. In the course of this route, the British general
gave him battle on every opportunity, took whole co-
* Ca?sar's fleet of men of war and ships of burden amounted to>
above 800 j and as the Roman allies always furnished an equal num
ber of infantry, and twice the number of cavalry, fhe effective force?
of Cfpsat <sould n«t be less than 40,000 foot, and 4,500 horse,

horts prisoners, would not'give Caesar, time to encamp;
and by "cutting oft"; the communications between hini
and the maritime cities, he obtained signal advantages
over the Roman foraging troops, although ,they went
out in armies, or parties of three legions. It was after
their quitting the colonial town of Rochester that the
Romans felt the full impression of British valour, and
the entangling manoeuvres of Cassibelaunus. The
British general would not permit the Romans to retreat
to, Rutupae, nor suffer them to proceed to their friend"
Mandubratius, or Mandebrog, the governor of; the
SaxOn settlement of London : and it appears, from the
commentaries, that Caesar was always shut up within
his mass of legions. " -
'* By great circumspection, under great difficulties, and
by almost permissive marches, the Romans ascended
along the Thames, as high as the Two Wares, called
by the Saxon settlers Tweywicken, and by the English
Twickenham. Below these wares, apd at low water,
the Roman army passed the river, but with considerable
loss; for, on the return of the tide, the remainder of
the troops, harassed by the brave Cassibelaunus on the
rear, were obliged to proceed with great risk along the
. stakes which formed the wares. This incident gave
Caesar the invention of a tale, that the Britons, in their
retreat, drove stakes and piles into the Thames to preT
vent his passage ; and this narration might be credible
at Rome, because the Romans had no such contrivance
as a ware, nor had they a correspondent expression in
the Latin language. Caesar, after great labours and
long privations, was supplied with provisions for the
skeletons of his legions by Mandubratius, or Mande
brog, and the Trinobantes, or. Saxon Newtqwnsmen of
London, and other colopies : but, notwithstanding this
well-timed relief, the Roman consul found himself so
weak, and the Ronian forces were so little disposed for
further services, that the only achievement Caesar per
formed, during a residence of two or three months, in
London, was the taking of Verulam, qr Gwerulan, or,
mpre probably, Wallingford, or Carleua, which was an

intrenchment, consisting of a bank and foss drawn
round a clump of trees or circumambient grove, and
called hy the Britons Llan, and by the Romans Oppir
dum. Whilst Caesar was thus engaged in taking this
Llan or Town, the virtuous Cassibelaunus, warmed
with the love of pure glory, was in continual aGtion, inr
vesting the station at Rutupae, destroying the naval
camp, and capturing the Roman ships of burden then
at anchor at Deal.
, These glorious labours of Cassibelaunus, which an
intermediate oblivion prevents the historian from gracing
his pages with the detail of, were decisive of the future
conduct of the Roman arms; and Caesar, under the
pretence of disturbances in Gaul, suddenly retired from
Rutupae. , Such : was the termination of the second ad-
yenture of Julius Caesar; for as Pompey is made to say
in Lucan— Territa quxsitis ostendit terga Britannis.
These invasions of Caesar, notwithstanding the grand
motive ofthe invader, was military glory, which, in all
cases, signifies a felonious disposition to commit a suc
cessive aggregate of wilful murders,' were confessedly
productive of a geographical discovery; for the earl}'
Greeks and Romans did not know there was such a
place as Britain; and succeeding ages, when Brit, Brito,
or Britain, was known, were doubtful, in their conclu
sions, respecting the plape being an island or a conti
nent. Caesar set this question at rest : from his time Britain
took a place among the extended materials of geography
and history.
The age" of Caesar is also the most remote period lo
which the Britons can recede in their national researches;
and it is from his commentaries, and frorp the sub
sequent authors Strabo, Diodorus Siculus, Mela, Xiphir
lin, Herodian, Pliny, and Solinus, we are enabled to
present a passing summary respecting the manners and
language of the Ancient Britons. The interior inhabi
tants of Britain shaved the whole of their bodies; except
the head and upper lip, wore cloaks, or mantles of

10
Bkins, tied about their necks, rings on their middle fin
gers, and iron torques r6und their necks and bellies;
in other respects the men, women, and children were in
complete nudity; and their bodies were smeared, in
certain ceremonious or religious rites, with the juice of
a plant like plantain, and called by the Gauls glastum;
This smearing with the glastum was an effort in orna*
mental painting; for as the figures described were birds
and beasts, it may be presumed, that the druid, in
delineating the cooing doves on the breasts of the. fe
male, had some impressions of beauty and love ; and
in drawing uncouth representations of the wolf, the
bulldog, and the goat, on the belly of the male, had
strong ideas of terror, determination, and amorous pro*
pensities. The more civilized and polite people of
Kent, Cornwall, and Devon, vested themselves in long
black garments, reaching down to their ancle% : these
garments were, in some districts, made of thick hairy
materials, and, in others, of wild grass, or bent, called
by the Britons Cawn, and hence the dress was called by
the Romans Gaunacum, and gave an origin to the Welsh
word Gwn, and to the English term Gown.
The demeanour ofthe Britons towards the fair sex
was manly and liberal : they neither wasted their time
and money in dishonorable intrigues, nor received the
rewards of uxorious prostitution by damages for crinv
con.: they were the children of nature, strangers to,
recent institutions ; considered happiness to consist in a
liberal and friendly interchange of females ; and by this
freedom of will, and reciprocity of gratification, shewed,
a spirit of non-selfish philosophy that would disgrace
Socrates, Seneca, and the polished manners of more
modern, jealous, and female traffickipg times.
And this generous policy of the Ancient Britons,
when placed in contrast with the practice of the present
day, creates a question in jurisprudence, viz. Whether
an ancient husband, in the present age, suffers a loss of
comfort by having an oblique heir given to his extensive
estates, or derives a friendly lift and family continuance
upon the principles of the Britops, who cpnsidered the

1 1

progeny of their wives, whether discreet or adventitious,
to form the strength of their houses, and the numerical
glory of their family? The architecture of the Britons
was simple, and, in their opinion, sufficient: an upright
stone, with a rude representation of the sun, the great
and most prominent organ of the Deity, was the temple;
the loggan stone, stonehenge, shaking, or hanging stone,
was the altar for the victim, and a sanctuary to the re
fugee; caverns and holes underground served them for
places of abode; the cot, formed of hurdles, and plais-
tered with dirt, answered the purposes of a palace and
court of justice; and the circulated camp, defended by
trees cut down, surrounded by a moat, and subdivided
into huts and stalls, constituted a rural and temporary
town or city for themselves, their families, and their
herds and flocks. The ignorance and prejudices of the
Ancient Britons were of serious inconvenience. In
some parts, where the land was of the best quality, the
inhabitants were unacquainted with gardening and agri
culture; and, in other districts, where the herds and
flocks yielded plenty of milk, the owners were unac
quainted with the contrivance of making cheese : the
sea coasts abounded with fish ; and yet the fish were
never taken and used as a provision for human suste
nance : the hare and the goose were never eaten by the
Britons, but reared by them as domestic companions.
This singularity makes, pne suppose they were auspicious;
animals ; for even in the present age ap Ancient Briton
draws an ideal picture of his future fortune, or inevita
ble ruin, from the time of the day a hare appears to
him, from the direction in which a crow takes its flight,
and from the chattering or loud cackling of a goose.
The Britons, in their military operations, were firm
when attacked, and active in pursuit of the enemy:
their infantry were armed with a dagger, and a short
spear, having on the lower part a ball of brass, which
they are said to have shaken to terrify their enemies,
though more probably to beat them down, in case of
gaining advantage: their cavalry were charioteers, in
imitation of the Greeks: the arms of these charioteers

H
were darts Or javelins, and the driver governed his horses
by reins .fixed or hooked to their nostrils; for a bridle in
the Ancient British is called FfrWyn, the plural of Ffroen,
a nostril: thus Oen, a lamb, makes, in the plural, Wyn ;
Croen, a skin, Crwyn ; and Ffroen, in the plural, Ffrwyn,
and seems to be the Celtic, or continental radix of the
Latin word Framtm. The language of Britain was like
that of Gaul, and what is understood by the generic
term Celtic: it was spoken by the interior nations of
Europe, from the Baltic tQ Marseilles, and was the
radix of the aucient Latin.
The letters used by the Britons have been already
given on page 2, and were precisely the same as
those transcribed by Montfaucon, in his palaeograpbia
from a monument which commemorated an event that
had taken place 450 years before Christ.
The observation tbat Caesar makes on the Druids of
Gaul, in the sentence Greeds Uteris utuntur, applies,
by analogy, to the Druids of Britain, as using the Greek
alphabet for figures in their public and private accounts;
and Caesar was no stranger to Greek: it was the lan
guage of the imperial court of Rome, and it was the lan
guage ofhis common conversation; for when addressed
by Tillius, the Cimbrian, wounded by Cassius and
others, and seeing Brutus rush on him, his words to
Brutus, according to Suetonius, were xat <rv sxetvatv xat
vimov;, and you of their number and a son !
There is, however, a passage in Caesar, lib. v., and that
has puzzled the critics, wherein be mentions his writing
a letter to Cicero, in Greek, lest his letters should be
intercepted by the Gapls : his words are " hane (epis-?
tolam) Gracis conscriptam litteris rnittit ; ne inter-
cepta epistold, nostra ab hostibus consilia cagnoscantur:,i
and the passage admits of two acceptations, either that
the Helvetii used Greek characters, but were unac
quainted with the Greek language; or, what is iqos^
probable, that Caesar, by Gracis litteris, meant figures,
or diplomatic characters, as it was his custom to send;
military despatches in the fourth letter ip succession to
the one signified. Suet. Casqr 5,Q. Bio, xl. 11.; aw)

13
upon this method he would have written Landybie with
the lettefs Perhtfmi, being the fourth in alphabetical
order. The characters of manual writing introduced by
Caesar into Britain^ if any were introduced by his two
invasions, may be seen from the following fac-Simile of
the title of Caesar's will, as preserved by Mabillon De
Re Dipibmatica, page 34?.

And is, to be read — C. julii Castiris Testamentunt
L. Pisone socero recitatum in domo idibtts Septembris*
Such and thus limited are the outlines given by the
writers of Greece and Rome, of the manners and lan
guage of the Ancient Britons.
After the death of Caesar, his immediate successors,
Augustus} and Tiberius, did not make any attempts
against Britain: Augustus was too much engaged in
quelling the insurrections ofthe Pannoniiand Cantabri;
and Tiberius was contented with receiving from some
of the Britons a nominal tribute.
In the reigns of these emperors, the Saxon or Belgic
settlers were under the government of Teneman, a bro
ther of Mandubratius or Mandebrog, who had accom
panied Julius Caesar to Rome; and the native Britona
were presided by Cypfelin or Cunobelinus, who married
the Cartismandua of Tacitus, and affected some of the
Roman manners: the most ancient British coins are

14
attributed to him, and bear on the reverse the word
tasciO, to be read tasciog, a prince. .
A. D. 40. The British chief, at one time, disconti
nued the payment of the nominal tribute to Rome,
which gave offence to the imperial power, and art
occasion to Caligula to touch at Rutupafe with a large
armament ; but Cunobeline sending his son Adminius,
or Addfwyn, with his submission, and the arrears of
tribute, prevented an invasion, and Caligula retired from
the Britisih coast. This act of justice has exposed J»he
memory of this emperor to the derision of Dio Cassius,
Suetonius, and others; for the Roman historians con
templated every military preparation to be for bloodshed
and oppression; and cOnclnded glory in arms to- be
numerical, and dependent on the amount of captives
and slain, and without reflecting, that the splendour of
military fame is derivable from humanity- andE modera
tion. On the death of Cunobeline, the Britons, on
account of their petty warfares, and chiefless govern
ment, again neglected to discharge the Romaiii tnbu<te.
43. And on the accession of Claudius to the em
pire, a Briton, of the name of Bericus, or Meyric, who
had been banished from his native country for sedition,
and had taken refuge in Rome, instigated the emperor
to send his armies to enforce payment of the tribute,
and to complete the subjugation of Britain.
Conceding to the advice of the traitorous Meyric,"
the emperor sent his armies to invade Britain On three
different points at the same time, under the command
of Aulus Plautius, Vespasian, and Geta. These ge
nerals defeated Cataratacus in Kent; Togoduninus, the
son of Cvnobeline, in Middlesex ; reduced the Isle of
Wight, and all the western parts of Britain ; and, after
gaining a complete victory over the British forces', at
Dorchester on the Thames, drove the Britons into
Essex, across the Leigh, which was at the time a navi-;
gable and very wide river. Aulus Plautius then sent
to Rome for the emperor, that he might have the honor
of the conquest of Britain*
45. Claudius, on his arrival, took the command

15
of the army; and proceeding to Camalodunum*, or
Camlan, on the river Camel, in the west of Britain,
he received the submission of several petty States, and,
returning to Rome, received the honors of a triumph,
and the ad nomen of Britannicus.
Aulus Plautius soon after was called home, and was
succeeded in the command by Ostorius Scapula.
A.D. 50. This general, after gaining some advantages
over the Iceni and Brigantes, was opposed by Caradog,
or Caractacus, chief of the Ordovices, the people of
North Wales or Ardyfi, and of the Silures, or people
of Gwent, Somerset, and Devon, and Togodumnus, son
of Cunobeline. The gallant Caractacus gave the Ro
mans battle at Caer Caradog, in North Wales: Roman
discipline prevailed, his army was defeated, his wife and
daughters were taken prisoners; and this brave veteran,
after taking his asylum among the Brigantes, was be
trayed by their queen Cartismandua, and carried captive
into Rome, and afterwards released by the clemency of
the emperor.
53. Ostorius dying, the Roman forces in Britain
were commanded, in succession, by Manlius Valens,
Aulus Didius, Veranius, and Suetonius Paulinus.
58. Paulinus is represented to have been a general
of great military knowledge, slow and deliberate in his
measures, and cautious and moderate in their execu
tion : he prosecuted the war against the Britons of the
west of England, and Wales ; and passing the Menai
from Llanvair-Is-Gaer to Llan-Idan, he laid waste the
Isle of Mona, destroyed the sacred groves, and car
ried his arms to the furthest parts of the island, which,
from his name, have been called Talybolion, or the
Heights of Paulinus.
Whilst Paulinus was engaged in this campaign, the
Iceni arid Trinobantes, under the command of^Boadicea,
* Camalodunum has been placed by antiquarians at Maiden, Col
chester, Chelmsford, &c ; but this appears to be the true position —
it was the Camlan, where Arthur fell, and, in its distance from Mona,
corresponds with the measurement given by Tacitus. It is, however,
likely there were in later ages two places iu Britain bearing similar names.

queen of the Ieeni, ,put to death the colony a* Verularn,
took the station of Camlan^ or Camaiodurium, near the
present Camelford, destroyed the temple of Claudius,-
put the garrison to the sword, defeated the ninth leg^ty
and devoted to the manes of murdered Britons the lives
of 70,000 of the Romans and their allies. Suetonius
Paulinus, being informed of these disasters, withdrew his
forces from Mona, and proceeded to London, a place
of great celebrity, as the residence of merchants, and
the. great mart of trade and commerce, but not distin-,
guished by the title of a Roman colony. In this place1
Paulinus, at first, thought of fixing his head quarters,
and of acting on the defensive : but reflecting on the
impolicy of inaction, whilst the Britons were gaining
progressive success^ he collected his forces^ consisting
ofthe 14th legion, the vexillarii, or flank companies of
the 20th, and some German auxiliaries, and marched
his army a considerable distance to the south of London
to meet Boadicea, on her return from Camlan> or Ca
malodunum. When the two armies met, the Romans formed them
selves in order of battle; but the Britons advanced in a
multitude, and without regularity : the Romans fought
with swords, and the Britons with missiles. Under such
unequal circumstances discipline prevailed, and the for
tune of the day favored the Romans. The loss of the
Britons was estimated at eighty thousand slain, and that
of the Romans four hundred men killed, and the like
number wounded ; and Boadicea is said to have put an
end to her existence by poison : but thk is the Roman
account, and a drama of the historian, to spare his na
tion the disgrace of having murdered a woman, and to
deprive Boadicea the immortality due to her for having
fought and fallen in the defence of her country.
A. 1). 62. After this battle the severity of Paulinus was
so impolitic, that the emperor Nero ordered him home,
and gave the command to Petronius Turpilianus, a
man of great prudence, and of a pacific disposition.
65. Trebellius Maximus succeeded Petronius, and,
by his urbanity and inaction, became so obnoxious to

17
the army, that the soldiers mutinied, and Trebellius was
obliged to retire, and give up the command.
A. D. 69. The next governor was Vectius Bolanus,
who continued in pacific measures, and the army still
mutinous. 7.1. On the accession of Vespasian reinforcements
were sent into Britain, un4er the command of expe
rienced officers. Petilius Cerealis carried on the war
against the Brigantes with great success; and Julius
Frontinus, who succeeded him in the command, gained
several victories over the Silures, and penetrated into
the furthest parts of Glamorgan. A millarium on the
mountain of Gelli Gaer points out the direction of one
ofhis marches, by a few letters, constituting the rem
nant of an ancient inscription —
YEFMItT/
ViE FRONTI, which, if left complete, and better
sculptured, would have been legible as Via Frontina,
or the march or road of Frontinus.
78. Julius Agricola was next sent by Vespasian
to command the Roman legions : on his arrival in Bri
tain, he found the Ordovices had revolted, and cut to
pieces a squadron of Roman cavalry that had been
stationed on the frontiers of their country: Agricola
immediately drew together the vexillarii, or flank com
panies of his legions, and a body of auxiliary troops ;
and, at the head of this army, passed through the coun
try of the Silures, and invaded Dimetia, or Dyfed:
he then engaged the Ordovices, pursued them into
their own country to the hills, and defeated them with
great slaughter.
The chiefs of the Ordovices, however, having retired
into Mona (Anglesey), Agricola ordered his auxiliaries
..to cross the Menai from A her, in Caernarvonshire, to
Beaumaris, in Anglesey, some on horseback, and others
by swimming, and to engage the enemy. The daring
mode of attack struck the Britons with such consterna-

18
tion, that they immediately sued for peace; and surren
dered the island.
After this successful campaign, Agricola devoted his
pursuits to the peace and happiness of the Britons: he
stationed the Legio Augusta on the Usk, or Wyse, at
Caer Lleon ar Wyse; made the Roman road from
Carmarthen through Loventiumy or Llanio, in Cardi
ganshire, to Machynlleth, and North Wales; drove in
the Caledonians ; formed two lines of defence, one on
the Tyne, and the other from the Frith of Forth to the
Clyde; and softened the barbarity of the Britons by
introducing Roman manners and customs, aad the cul
tivation of useful and domestic habits. Domitian, at
length, disapproving of the virtues, and jealous of the
popularity of Agricola, ordered him to return to Rome.
A. D. 85. From this time the Roman power in Britain
fell into gradual neglect and weakness; because the ra
vages of the Picts were irresistible, and their subjuga
tion would have been unprofitable. Adrian gave way
before these invaders, by drawing a retired line of de
fence from the Tyne to Solway Firth.
The irruptions ofthe Picts, in the reigns of AntoninuS,
Aurelius, Commodus, Pertinax, and Julian, were fre
quent and desolating, and created ample employment
for the Roman and' British forces, under the command
of Helvius Pertinax, and afterwards of Virius Lupus.
207- This last general, worn out with incessant
labours, sent for the assistance of Severus, who, although
in years, and infirm, came over with his two sons Basi-
anus and Geta, and the jurist Papinian. This emperor,
after penetrating into Caledonia, repaired the wall of
Adrian, and died at York.
The emperor Severus divided the Roman territories
in Britain into two districts, viz. Britannia Prima and
Britannia Secunda.
Britannia Prima consisted of ten British tribes.
1. The Cantii, inhabiting Kent, whose principal
town was Durobernum.
2. The Regni occupied Surry and Sussex, and had
Regentum, or Chichester, for their capital.

*9
3..: The Bibroces, or Rheni* extended from the sLod-
den to the Thames, in Berkshire, and had Bibracte, or
Bray, for their chief town.
4. The Attrebates covered the western part of Berk*
rshire : their metropolis was Calleva, Caerleua, or Wal
lingford; and is supposed to have been the oppidu.m or
sylvan camp of the Britons, forced apd destroyed by
Julius Cftesar.
r' 5. The Segontiaci were continental advCnturers^who
settled in the south of Berkshire, , and north of Hamp
shire ; and had. Vindonum, or Winton, now Silchester,
for their capital.
6. The Belga were another colony from the conti
nent, and their capital was called by the Romans Venta
Belgarum, the term. Venta being applicable to either
Ghent, Wind, or Gwynt.
, 7. The Durotriges, or Marini) the maritimes, inha*
bited Dorsetshire, and had Durinum, now Dorchester,
for their capital.
8. The Hadui, or Pacific, occupied all Somersetshire
to the estuary of Uxella, Bayswater Bay, or the river
Ivel, on the south ; the south-west of Gloucestershire,
as far as the hills of Wotton Under Edge, and the
north-west of Wiltshire, to the Avon and Cricklade i
this district is called by the Britons Gwlad yr Haf, or
the Summer Country ; and the Severn is called Hafren,
Or the Queen of Summer.
9. The Damnonih or Miners, inhabited a country,
called Dyfnaint, or the country pf Caverns and Miners,
which extended over a part of Somersetshire, east ofthe
Thone, and the parts lying south and west of the Ivel
artd Bridgewater Bay; all Devonshire; and the north
of Cornwall: the Cassiterides, or Oakhampton, was a
mineral mart of the Damnoniij and resorted to- by the
Mediterranean traders. • . i
. 10. The Cornabii occupied the present Cornwall.
The Camalodunum of the Romans, where the temple
of Claudius was erected, must have been in this part of
the Roman territories, on the river Camel, as the Ro-
c2

20
maris, in the time of Boadicea, had no station1 ori the*
eastern coast of Britain.
Britannia Secunda consisted of three tribes ot
nations. J . The Silures were the occupiers of the counties of
Monmouth, Hereford, Radnor, Brecknock, and Gla
morgan, to the river Tawe ; and of a small part of
Gloucestershire* on the west of the Severn ; and had
for their chief town Venta Silurum, or Caerwent, in
Monmouthshire ; and afterwards Bulheum Silurum, or
Caerfilly, in Glamorganshire: these people were called
Silures, from their being lowlanders, inhabiting the
south, and nearest to the sun.
2. The Dimeta, or People of Dyfed, inhabited
Pembrokeshire, Gower, in Glamorganshire, and the
counties of Carmarthen and Cardigan ; and had Muri*
dunum, or Muirdin, the Sea Fort, now called Caerfyr-
ddin, or Carmarthen, for their Capital town : their coun
try was called Dyfed, because it is situated to the
south of the river Dyfy.
3. The Ordovices occupied the whole ofthe present
North Wales, and the parts adjacent to the Severn, in
Shropshire, and to the Dee, in Cheshire : their country
was called Ardyfy, or north of the river Dyfy. The
mountainous part of this- district was called Venedocia,
or Gwynedd, from its snow-capped hills; and the pre
sent island of Anglesey was called Mona, or Mwyn,'
from its stone quarries and mine works.
From the death of Severus, the government of Britain
was left as a separate state, under the control of Carau-
sius, Aleetus,- and Constantius Chlorus: but this Con-
stafttius marrying Helena, the daughter of Coel Crode-
bpg, tbe prince of Ctanbria, and receiving the em
pire from Dioclesian'i the island of Britain again lost
its independence, and became a Roman province. The
persecutions of the Christians, under the rei<m of the
late emperor Dioclesian^ enable us to discover the letters
used by the Gauls and Britons, in tbe third and fourth
centuries, as the following inscription is still legible on the

21
lucernal monument bf Gordian, who was a messenger
of the Gauls, and suffered martyrdom at Rome, with
all his family, in the third century.
eHC,VQPSHAYC,VAAXHE,PVPCHVC,VVXATVC,rPQ, *H8E,CVM,*AMHXHA,TQTA, QVHEOCVFT,HF,rAKE, YEQ$HXA,AFCHXXA,*ECHT.
That is— Hie Gordianus Gallia Nuncius Jugulatus
pro fide cum familia tola. Quiescunt in pace. Gwi-
Jila Ancillajcck.
A. D. 308. On the accession of Constantine the Great
to the empire, the Britons interested themselves too much
in the fortunes of this their native emperor; for Con
stantine, in his war with Maxentius, was attended with
the flower of the British youth; and the legions in Bri
tain, which were continually drafted for foreign service,
were again complemented from native troops.
340. By these deductions from the * Roman and
British forces, the Picts and Scots were unopposed in
their inroads to the south, and became a terror to. the
defenceless natives.
The Saxons also invaded the eastern shores; and
Cambria and the west were exposed to the plundering
invasions ofthe Irish, Danes, and other adventurers.
360. The chief of the Belgic or Saxon settlers, who
had the title of Count of the Saxon shores, opposed the
invaders on the east, and fell in battle; and the Roman
general, in defending the south, was drawn into an am
buscade, and fell by the barbarous hands of the Picts
and Scots.
367. ln this state of alarm and desolation, Theodo
sius was sent into Britain by the emperors Valentinian
and Valens: this general, by his reinforcements and
military talents, quelled the disaffected,, and expelled
the invaders.
The Ordovices had made an inroad into South
Wales, and were met and driven back by one of his

cohorts, at Penbryn, in Cardiganshire, where the eohort
raised the monument Cor Balcnci jacit Ordous^-thQ
cohort Valencia defeated the Northwallians. /, -'¦¦¦¦
Theodosius then engaged the Picts and Scots, an<J
was always victorious ; and, keeping up his advantages,
he pursued them into their, own country ; he subdued
the clans of the Ottadini, Gadeni, Selgovre, Novantes,
and Damnii; and constituted the districts they inhabited
into a Roman province, which he named Valentia, out
of compliment to the junior emperor Valens.
Havipg thus delivered Britain from foreign enemies,-
and reduced the provinces into tranquillity, Theodosius
was called home for distant services; and, in quitting
the island, was followed to the shores by the Britons;
who rent the air with acclarpatory thanks for the deli
verance and peace he had given tq a deserving and
grateful nation.
-The Roman forces were afterwards commanded by
Maximus : this general expelled the invaders of Britain
on all points; his military skill procured him the confi
dence of the Britons ; and his marriage with Helena,
daughter of Euddaf, King of Cornwall, raised him tq
the throne of Britain.
This Maximus, or Macsen Wledig, is related to haye
founded three cities in Wales; viz. Carmarthen, Caer-
Salwg, now Caernarfon, and Caer-Alyn, pow Hwlffordd,
or Haverfordwest.
• The adventures of Maximus, as candidate for .the
empire, drained the south of Britain of its defensive
means : the legionary troops, and native recruits, were
transported into Gaul; and Maximus having defeated
Gratian, and expelled Valentiniap out of Italy, took
possession of the imperial dignity.
A. D. 388s The, nominal empire of Maximus was of
short duration; for after a reign of .five years, his army
was. routed by Theodosius, and himself and his sen
Flavius were put to death.
On the fall of Maximus, the remains of the British
trpqps, from want of means, qr permission to return

23
pome, were induced to settle among the Bretons, who
were at that time under the government of Conan Me-
riadog, a native of Cambria.
These Bretons were remnants of the Gauls, and to
this day speak the Gallic language in the departments
of Cotes-du-Nord, Finistere, and Morbihan; and
occupy a part of Bretagne, which was the continental
Britannia of the ancient geographers.
A. D. 389. In this weakened state of Britain, the Irish
Scots, tinder the command of Sirigi, landed in Mona,
and took possession of that island; on this invasion,
Einion Urdd ab Cynedda, who was one of the most
powerful princes of Britain, and, probably, a priest,
sent his eldest son Caswallon Law-hir, to relieve the
island : Caswallon was prompt in executing the orders
of his father ; for he routed the epemy at Holyhead,
slew Sirigi with his own hand, drove his followers to
their ships, and took repossession of Mona.
The Picts, Scots, and Saxons were now become so
powerful, that they infested all the coasts, and pener
trated into the interior of Britain.
, 395. Stilico, who directed the affairs of the empire,
during the minority of Honorius, sent into Britain an
experienced general, of the name of Victorinus, who
phecked the advances of the Picts, repelled the Saxons,
and drove the Irish out of Wales. The route of Vic
torinus through Wales is said to be still indicated by a
millarium in Brecknockshire, which requires futpre local
investigation. Victorinus was soon after called home to resist the
invasion pf the empire by Alaric, the Goth ; apd all the
legionary trpops were withdrawn from Britain, and
other provinces, to the defence of Italy.
410. The Britons, thus weakened apd deserted,
fell a common prey to invading nations, and applied, in
vain, to the emperor Honorius for assistance.
423. In the reign of Valentipian the Third, JEtius,
who then commanded in Gaul, taking compassion on
the distressed situation of the Britons, sent a legion
into Britain to drive opt the Picts and Scots, and to

24
repair the wall of Severus, and erect watch towers on
the sea coasts.
These works being completed, the legionary troops
were called home to defend the empire; and the island
of Britain was then finally abandoned, improved in
manners, but exhausted oi men.
'" The Romans, on their first invasion of Britain, found
the ancjent natives of the interior savage, naked, and
houseless, apd under the influence of the sanguinary
Druids. The long continuance of the Roman legions
on the island ameliorated the condition of the inhabi
tants, made them acquainted with the comforts, and
even the refineinepts, of life ; and the employment of
the legions in building the northern walls, temples to
the gods, places oi amusement and of luxury ; and,
above all, in forming roads and erecting stations, gave
to the Britons abundant examples of the useful and the
ornamental. The principal roads and stations pf the Romans
throughout ancient Cambria were the Via Julia Mart-
tima, the Via Julia Montana, anil the Viet Media:
so called from Julius Frontinus.
The Via Julia Maritima proceeded from Aqua
Sohs, or the present Bath, hear' the confluence, of "the
Avon and the Boyd ; over Durdham Down to Abona,
or the Sea Mills ; over the Severn, to Venta Silurum,
or Caer Went; to Isca Silurum, or Caerlleon; and then
to Tibia Amnis.
This station on the Tibia Amnis was not far from the
Bullaum of the Silures, which the Britons pronounced
Caerfilwy, and the modern Welsh Caerffily. The river
Taf was anciently called Dydd, near the sea; and in
the interior it was called Canon, or the Singing River,
which the Romans always exact in translation, rendered
Tibia Amnis, the river J lute or Pipe.
Frpm Tibia the Via Julia led to Bovium, the
present commot of Meisgyn, which was pasture land,
and not tq be confounded with Bouerton, or Lantwidj
which is so called, in Norman and Welsh, from its feeing
a sandy soil.

25
The Via then proceeded along (the hills to the station
on the Nidus, or Nedd, at Penrhytin, supposed to be
Penerituna Statio; crossed the river Nedd to Penlle'r-
gaer; to Leucarum, or the Llwchwr; to AdVigesimum,
or the Twentieth Mile on the Towy, some miles east of
Carmarthen; and, finally, Ad Menapiam, or the Ancient
British Meini, or Meinif, a place of celebrity for its
altars and religious rites, and at this time, called Plum-
stone Mountain. The Romans formed the station Ad
Menapiam, , near this mountain, at Amblestdne, which
was the ultima statio on this Via. Antiquarians, in
general, place the last station at St. David's : this mis
take has arisen from the similarity of the words Mena-
pia and Menavia, in their sounds, but which are diffe
rent in their signification ; for Menapia is from Meinif,
great stones ; and Menevia is Mynyw, the name ofthe
district, and denotes a promontory or projection into
the sea or water.
The 12th Iter of Antoninus states the Via irom Isca
to Bovium 27; to Nidum 15; to Leucarum 15; to
Maridunum 15 : this last place was formerly on the
eastern side of the Towy ; for the Romans were more
judicious tljan to erect a station, with a river in the rear.
The Via Julia Montana passed from Glevutn,
Gloiwy, or Gloucester, to Ariconium, or Bolitree ; to
Blestium, Caerflisidd, or Caerflisddu, an unknown sta
tion, near Monmouth ; to Gobanium, or Abergavenny;
to Cwm Du; Y Gaer on the river Ysgyr; Trecastle;
and passing the Heath Cock, on Trecastle Hill, to Llan-
fairbryn, near Landovery; then passing in front of
Llwyn-y-Brain and Ystract ; and leaving Llandilo on the
left, proceeded to the station of Maridunum, near the
present town of Carmarthen.
The Via Media proceeded from Nedd, or Neath, to
Chester, over Panwen Byrddin and the Black Mountain,
to Y Gaer; to Castell Collwyn, or Collen, on the river
Ython; to Caersws; over Gwynfynidd, to the undisco
vered station of Mcdiolanum, or Beddwylan, or Bedw-
lan; to Bovium, or Bapchor; and thence to Deva,
or Chester.

26
The Roman territories in Britain were at this time
divided into six provinces, viz. Britannia Prima, Bri
tannia Secunda, Flavia, Maxima, Valentia, and Vespa-
siana. The provinces of Britannia Prima and Secunda have
been already noticed, and their clans, or tribes, specified
in the time of Severus.
The Flavia Casariensis comprised seven tribes, or
nations; and had the Thames, and the hills, near
Wotton under Edge, on the south ; the Severn on the
west; and the rivers Mersey, Don, and Hupaber, op
the north.
1. The Trinobantes, a British word for New-towns?
men, inhabited the towns on the north and south of the
Thames, and on the coast of Kent. These were colo
nies from Belgium, who had made settlements in Britain
two hundred years before Caesar; and were, in Caesar's
time, under the government of Divitiacus, or Geld,
king of the Suessiones .: they were afterwards presided
by Mandubratius, or Mapdebrog, Vortigern and Vorti^
mer, under the title of Earls of the Saxon Shores.
The chief town pf these Saxon colonies was Lopdi-
num, or London, which signified a landing place, o?
sea port, and is of Saxon origin.
2. The Iceni, Cenimagni, or Cenomanni, inhabited
the great promontory of Norfolk and Suffolk, and some
parts of the counties of Huntingdon, Bedford, Norths
ampton, and Stafford ; and the principal town in these
parts was Ghent Y Cen, Venta Icenorum, or Lichfield,
though generally supposed to be Caistor, near Norwich.
3. The Coritani, Coranii, or Boatmen, occupied the
coasts of Lincoln, Rutland, and the Wash : their prin
cipal rendezvous for shipping was Corion, to which the
Romans prefixed Ratis, the proper Latin signification,
and called the place Ratis Corion.
4. The Cassii, Cattieuchlani, or Campaigners, inha->
bited all Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire; to the river
Nen; and, probably, had Alban, or Verulam, near St.
Alban's, for their chief town.
5, The Dobuni, or Inhabitants of the Dales, occur

27
pied a part of Gloucestershire, north of Wotton Under
Edge, and the low vallies of Oxfordshire, north of the
Thames. 6. The Huicci, Gwychi, or Gallant Men, possessed
Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and part of Gloucester
shire. 7. The Ancalites occupied the eastern parts of the
counties of Oxford and Buckingham.
8. The Cornavii, Corwyni, were another tribe of
boatmen, who lived on the banks of the Severn, Dee,
and Mersey.
The Maxima Casariensis included three tribes, or
nations. 1. The Sefantii, or Sistantii, occupied Lancashire,
and a part of Westmoreland; and had Rhigodunum,
Coecium, or Blackrode, for their capital.
%. .The Volantii, or Voluntii, inhabited the northern
part of Westmoreland, and all Cumberland, to the
wall of Hadrian, and had Volanti, or Ellenborough, for
their chief town.
3. The Brigantes, or Obrkyniaid, were a Belgic
colony, from Bruges, and occupied the county of York,
to the Don and Humber, all Durham, and some part
pf Northumberland.
Valentia contained five nations, tribes, or clans.
. 1. The Ottadini possessed all Northumberland, to
the north of the wall of Hadrian, all Lothian and Mers,
and the half of Tweedale.
2. The Gadeni occupied Cumberland to the north of
the wall, Tiviotdale, Tweedale to the Tweed, and
Clwydisdale to Lanark.
3. The Selgova, or people of the Solway, inhabited
Anandale, Nithisdale, and Galloway to the Dee.
4. The Novantes, or New Comers, had Galloway to
the west of the Dee.
5. The Damnii, or Men of the Dales, inhabited
Carrick, Cunningham, and Renfrew, to the wall of
Antoninus. Vespasiana comprehended six nations or clans.
1. The Horestii, occupiers of fastnesses, in Strathenv
apd part of Perth.

28
2. The Vecturones, or Gwyddyron, resided in Perth,,
to the north of the Tay, all Gawry, Angus and Merns,
and Mar on the south of the Dee.
3. The Taixali, Taithali, or Sojourners, inhabited
all Buchan, and Mar on the north of the Dee.
4. The Vacomagi possessed all Bamff, Murray,
Inverness, and the greater part of Badenoch and .
Argyle. 5. The Albani, or Highlanders, inhabited Athol and
Braidalbin, south of the Tay ; and the north of Stra^
thern, and of Monteith.
6. The Attocotti were the people of the modern dis
trict of Lenox.
The walls, roads, and stations, were performed by
the Roman legions, imported into Britain in the time of
Claudius, and which were the second, or Legio Augusta,
the ninth, the fourteenth, and the twentieth, or Legio
Valens Victriv.
The Legio Augusta was stationed at Usk, or upon
the river Wyse; and hence the place has been called
Caerlleo'n ar Wyse : it had a summer camp at Y Gaer,
near Brecknock, assisted in making the Roman road
from Carmarthen to Machynlleth, in building of
Adrian's wall, and in erecting the fort at Kirby
Thure, in Westmoreland : this legion, on quitting
Britain, is supposed to have embarked at Rutupae, or
Richborough. The ninth and fourteenth were called Legiones.
Gemina Gemella, because each consisted of the
usual number of two legions, or twelve thousand
men. The Legio Valens Victriv was stationed at Deva,
or Chester, and hence the place received the name of
Caerlleon Gawr : this legion was engaged in the wars
with the Ordovices, and the Caledonians, in building the
Roman wall of Antoninus Pius, and in erecting the fort
at Kirby Thure, and on quitting Wales, on their march
to some southern port, to take shipping, buried at
Walcot, near Bath, one of their comrades, who was a,
Briton and a blacksmith.

29
The monument erected to his memory by his com
rades, in the Fosse, at Walcot, and, of late years, re
moved to Bath, presents the following inscription : —
I V L I V S V I T A
LIS FABRICIES
I S . L E G X X V V
STIPENDIOR VM IXANORXX
IX NATIONEBE
LGA EX COLEGO
FA BRICE ELATV
S. H. S. F.
Julius Vitalis Fabriciecis legionis vicessima valentis
victricis stipendiorum novem annorum viginti novem
natione Beiga ex collegio fabrica elatus hie situs fuil.
That is lolo Wyddail, an artificer of the Legio Valens,
or Lleon Gawr, of nine years standing, in his twenty-
ninth year, and a native of Gwydd, or Isle of Wight:
this stone was raised by the troop of artificers, or
farriers. These legions had, for centuries, been recruited from
the Ancient Britons, who were continually drafted out
into foreign service ; and hence the country, by being
deprived of the men whom the Romans had improved,
lost all the benefits of civilization, and the country was
left inhabited by the infant and the aged.
And when this military school disembarked altoge
ther, the British peasant was little better than the
British savage. The spade was but of little use in a
country without sufficient force for the protection of pro
perty : the use of the chisel was lost ; and the British
youth, the strength and intellect of Britain, were sent
to serve in cohorts, in the distant provinces of Spain,
Illyricum, and Egypt.

-30

CHAP. II.
The History of the Ancient Britons^ or Welsh, from
the final Retirement of the Romans to the Death of
Llewelyn ab Iorwerth.
A. D. 430. The Romans, by their retirement, left
the Britons without a chief, judges without authority,
and priests without either means of support, or, the
sanction of the people : and the stations, palaces, and
cultivated lands, which the Romans had deserted, were
exposed to the avarice of adjoining nations: the Picts
passed the wall of Severus, the Saxons extended their
settlements and inland encroachments, and the Anglo-
Saxons were making preparations for the establishing
of new colonies.
The Britons, under these difficulties, applied for as
sistance to the king of Bretagne, who sent his brother
Constantine ab Cynfor with an army to assist them
against the Picts; and Constantine, by way of remune
ration for his great services, was elected the sovereign
bf Britain.
443. A°d soon after these contests, Caswallon Law-
hir ab Einion Urdd ab Cynedda Wledig, being almost
driven out of Cumbria, or Cumberland, by the Picts,
succeeded to the sovereignty of North Wales, and is
said to have built himself a residence near Llan Elian,
in Anglesea; but there are no visible ruins, for the
edifices of that age were composed of wattling and
plaister. 448. Constantine ab Cynfor, who had received the
crown of Britain, for his military achievements, being
murdered by a Pict, while taking the amusement of the
chase, was succeeded by his son Constans, who, having
been educated in a cloister, was but ill qualified for '
either the field or the cabinet. Constans, thus destitute

3i
of experience, courted the acquaintance, and placed
himself under the apparent friendly guidance of Vorti-
gern, king of the Saxon settlements, and count of the
Saxon shores, by whose direction he was put to death,
which terminated the British sovereignty of Britain.
Vortigern, by this cruel act, was enabled to assume
the empire ; and, in order to extend the Saxon territo
ries, and establish his own authority, he invited over
auxiliaries from Saxony, under the command of Hengist
and Horsa, two brothers, and warriors of experience,
who had served in the Roman armies, under the empe
ror Valentinian the third.
A. D. 449. These troops, upon their arrival, took
possession of the island of Thanet : and for their dis
tinguished exertions in subduing the Picts and Scots, at
Stamford, Vortigern made a grant to Hengist of the
Roman station of Dorchester. The marriage of Vorti
gern with Rowena, the daughter of Hengist, made him
a dupe to the designs of that Saxon chief, who obtained
from him the additional grants of a great part of Kent,
Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk, which were colonized
by Hengist, with numerous bodies of Saxons.
About the same time an Irish adventurer, of the
name of Brychan, took possession, either by marriage
or by force, of the district of Garth Madrym, in Wales,
and called it after his own name, Brycheinog, or Breck
nock: this Brychan was the father of saints ; the stone
at Towyn, with the word PAS C EN, is to the honor of
a son of his ; and the inscribed stone at Parkeu, in
Henllam-am-Goed, in the county of Carmarthen, is
dedicated to Crinwendda, a daughter of Brychan.
A large body of Saxons, under the command of
Abisa, the brother of Hengist, and of his son Octa, ,
landed in the Orcades, and took possession of the
islands; and having obliged the Picts to evacuate
Northumberland, they settled in the territories on the
north of the Humber.
The collusion of Vortigern with Hengist, and the
other Saxon adventurers, and the continual assumption
of territories by a people, who were, at first, professe%

32
auxiliaries, so roused the jealousy of the Saxon colonies;
and of the ancient natives, that they deposed Vortigern,
confined him at Caer Lleon ar Ddyfrdwy, or Chester,
and elected his ^on ^Vortimer* to be chief of the Saxon
shores, and king of Britain.
This prince, who was the son of Vortigern, by a for
mer wife, had to contend with the arms of Hengist,
Octa, the Picts, and the Scots, who had all entered into
a strict alliance : possessing great talents, public confi
dence, and extraordinary valour, he repulsed the Picts
and Scots, in the north, overcame Hengist and Horsa
at Ailsford, in Kent; and would, most likely, have
driven the auxiliaries out of Britain, had he not fallen
a victim to the treachery of Rowenna. This fallen
queen is said to have engaged in her service a young
man, who, in the habit of a gardener, appeared one
morning before the king, whilst walking in his garden,
and presented him with a nosegay, sprinkled with poison :
the effects were inevitable, death ensued, and Vortimer
was interred in London, the metropolis of the Saxon
towns. A. D. 468. On the death of Vortimer, his father
Vortigern was re-elected king: the first act of this his
second reign was, in concert with Hengist, the inviting
the British chieftains to a friendly feast, and unarmed,
at Caer Gawr, otherwise Caer Caradog, Chester, or
Knighton, where the Saxons recumbed at meal alter
nately with the British guests, under pretence of a
friendly intercourse. In the height of festivity, the
Saxons %ew out each his knife, and plunged it into' the
bosom of the Briton, who laid next to him. Above
three hundred British chieftains fell at this sanguinary
festival : and .the feast itself has been designated Brad-
y-Cyllill Hirion, or the Treachery ofthe Long Knives;
and is said to have taken place in May 473.
This massacre was attended with consequential.
events: Hengist was confirmed in his dominions; the
southern part of Britain was ravaged from the eastern
* Vortigern and Vortimer arc Saxon names.

33
to the western shores; and Vortigern, having fallen
under the contempt of his own creatures, retired from
public life, was put to death, and his castle set on fire
by Aurelius Ambrosius, a prince of Cornwall, in revenge
for the murder ofhis brother Coristans.
A. D. 481. This prince, with his brother Uthyr Peri-
dragon, had retired, on the usurpation of Vortigern, to
their uncle, the king of Bretagne. Ambrosius, burning
with revenge for the treachery of . the Saxons, was
assisted by his uncle with a large body of troops, and
landed in Britain, where he was instantly raised to the
throne : his first labour, according to tradition, was that
of piety; for it was by his command that the structure,
or circle, called Sfonehenge, or Stonehang, was erected
on the site of an ancient conventional circle, and which
the Welsh have ever since called Gwaith Emrys, or
Merddin Emrys.
It is said this work was designed as a memorial of
the treachery of the long knives, as a monument encir
cling the manes of the slain, and as a conventual circle
for state or national assemblies; and that the numerous
barrows which surround this circular erection are the
burial places of the British Chieftains; and one ofthe
avenues to Stonehenge leads through a group of these
barrows, consisting of seven on each side, which, to this
day, are denominated the kings' graves: this circular
work has been commemorized in the following triad: —
Tair gorchwyl gadarn ynys Prydain : codi maen Cetti,
adeilaw gwaith emrys, a thyrru Cludau'r gyfrangon.
The three mighty labourers of the island of Britain :
building the walls of monasteries, for Cetti is Cedtu, the
house of creed or belief; erecting the stones of contest,
or Ymrys, to commemorate the places of battles ; and
driving the piles of partition, or Worcester, to keep out
the Saxons. The triad is, however, too modern to refer
to Stonehenge, which was the scene of druidical rites ;
the barrows are the repositories of the bones of the
victims; and the altar Cromlech, or Hanging Stone,
which formerly occupied the centre, gave this circular
space the appropriate name of Stonehenge.
D

34
The other arid concomitant great labour of jlmbitosjus
was fo check the encroachments of the Saxons : in this
object he was well supported by the Cumbrians, by the
Britons, who had retired to Bretagne, and by the an
cient natives, who fled from the territories of Hengist,
"and of Ella, who had lately founded a colony, in Sussex.
'With these forces he marched against the Saxons beyond
the Humber, completely defeated them, took Hehgist
prisoner, and instantly put him to death, as a sacrifice
to the wrOhgs of Britain.
He next drove Octa and Esca out of York, attacked
Ella and the south Saxons, and recovered the ancieM
stations of Winchester and Salisbury*
This great prince, after a lingering indisposition, died
at Winchester, and was buried at Ambresbury, near
Stonehenge. It is to be Confessed, that notwithstanding
his military valour* the Saxons gained great advantages
over the Britons, and an extension of territories; for,
in this reign, Ella founded the kingdom of Sussex," and
Cerdic established that of the West Saxons, or Wessex.
A. D. 500. Uthyr Pendragon, whose real name wal
Meiric ab Tewdrig, brother of Ambrosius*, was- now
elected sovereign of the Britons. In his first campaign
this prince obtained a great victory over the Saxoris,
then laying siege to Caer-ar-Clwyd, or Dunbarton, and
made Esca and Cosa his prisoners.
These generals shortly after escaped from prison,
procured a fresh supply of troops from Germany, were
again beaten, and both slain in the battle of Verulam.
Uthyr, during this action, was indisposed, and carried
through the ranks in a litter to encourage his men : he
expired after the taking of Verulam, and was interred
at Ambresbury, near the remains of his brother Am*
brosius. The victorious Uthyr was ably assisted in his cant-
* Ambrosius also is said to have been poisoned : but it would net
have been worth while for Pascen, the soft of Vortigern, to come over
from Germany with an army, and to land at Milford Haven, merely
to get a Saxon of the name of Eppa, to assume the character of a
physician, and to administer poison to the then expiring Ambrosius.

35
paigns by Maelgwyn ab Caswallon Law-hir, prince Of
Gwynedd, who resided at Diganwy, in Caernarvonshire.
Uthyr, from his having conquered the Isle bf Man
and the Hebrides, received the title of Draco Insularis:
his education was liberal, his stature almost gigantic,
his valour not to be subdued, and his enmity towards
the Saxons not to be pacified : he was a dragon in Man
and the Hebrides, and a lion in Britain.
A. D. 517- The renowned Arthur, son of Meirig ab
Tewdrig, prince of Morganwg and Garthmadrim,
succeeded to the sovereignty of the Britons, and was
crowned at Caer-Lleon upon Usk, but more likely at
Exeter. Immediately after his coronation, Arthur went
in pursuit ofthe Saxons, defeated Colgrin on the banks
of the Douglas, and soon after had the like advantage
over his brother Pandulph. The name of Arthur, from
the valiant actions he had performed in his father's
armies, was familiar, and even a terror to the Saxons :
in consequence Cerdic landed in Scotland, as a distant
point weakens the pursuit.
Arthur having received reinforcements from Caron,
king of Scotland, Maelgwyn, of North Wales, Meyric,
pf South Wales, Cador, of GOrnwall, and Howel, of
Bretagne, hastened to meet the enemy, and defeated
the Saxons, who lost six thousand men in the battle of
Lincoln : but this prince soon met with the displeasures
offortune; for the Saxons, in a short time after, beat
the Britons at Cerdicsford, now Charford, in Hamp
shire ; and under Cerdic, Pascen and Eppa, invested
Bath, or Caer Badon, in Order to bring Arthur into
action. Having received assistance from various chieftains,
and, among others, five thousand men from Nathan
Llwyd, of North Wales, Arthur engaged, and defeated
the Saxons, in the battle of Bannesdown. This san
guinary contest lasted for two days ; Colgrin and Pan
dulph were among the slain; and the valour of Arthur,
in this engagement, as related in history, borders upon
the fabulous.
The recollection of battles, or rather routs, like these,
t> 2

36
in which the contending parties were armed with swords-,
pikes, knives, and bludgeons, makes one thankful for
the blessings of gunpowder, as a contrivance of great
convenience to the general, and of great release to the
soldier. .¦•"¦'
The next expedition of Arthur was his rapid march
from the west to Caer ar Clwyd, where his nephew,
Howel, the king of Bretagne, lay ill, and. was invested
by the Picts and Saxons. Arthur relieved his nephew,
pursued the enemy, and enjoyed a short interval of
peace. Cerdic, profiting by this pacific interval, rallied
his troops, had reinforcements from Germany, and
obtained such advantages over Arthur, as to add to the
kingdom of Wessex the present counties of Hants and
Somerset. The absence of Arthur in Bretagne induced
Cerdic again to extend his dominions : and this he most
effectually accomplished as the result of a signal victory
obtained over the Britons at Cerdic-Leagh, now,
Chersley, in the county of Buckingham, with the assist-;
ance of his son Cenric, and of his powerful allies, the
East Angles, who had lately founded a kingdoni of that
name on the eastern coast of Britain. The adventurous
spirit of the times,* which disturbed the peace of Europe,
called Arthur again into Bretagne, which was under
an apprehension of being invaded by the Visigoths.
A. D. 530. Prior to his embarkation, Arthur ap
pointed his nephew, Mordred ab Llew ab Cynfarch, to
take the care of his kingdom, and of the person of
Gweniver, his wife. The faithless Mordred, captivated
with the beauty of Gweniver, publicly married her, and
entering into an alliance with Cerdic, was acknowledged;
king ofthe Britons, on his ceding to Cerdic, the present
counties of Cornwall, Berks, Wilts, Devon, and Dorset.,
535. Arthur, after the absence of five years in Bre
tagne, returned into Britain, where, with the few troops
that rallied round him, he had to contend with Mordred,.
the Saxons, and the Picts. The fame of Arthur -in
creased the number of his troops; and the advantages
he obtained over his opponents were signal and suc
cessive; for he had genius to contrive, and a hand to
execute*

37
The battle of Camlan, where Arthur and Mordred:
met, finally decided the fortune of the two rivals. In
this severe contest, which wasted the power of the
Britons, the traitor Mordred fell by the avenging sword
of Arthur: but the great Arthur, was so severely
wounded, that he died a few days after at Glastonbury.
Abbey*, where he was interred by the side of his second
and beloved wife Gweniver. , , „
This Valiant sovereign has been represented by histo
rians as the greatest of captains, and the founder of
chivalry : in his military career his prowess was extra
ordinary; he was the first in the onset, arid the last in
the retreat: he had always to contend under a numerical
disadvantage. The Saxons were composed of numerous
bodies, and were determined to drive the Britons beyond
the Dee and the Severn. In this kind of warfare Arthur
was always on'the defensive, and, in the end, ever retiring,
without having benefitted from the retreat of Xenophon ;
and without artillery or tactics, sO as to leave on record
any military movements worthy the imitation of Moreau.
As the founder of knight errantry, Arthur has been
placed in a very mistaken light: it is an egregious ana
chronism; for the age in which Arthur flourished was
full two centuries ahteribr to the commencement of
chivalry. Wales experienced a serious calamity, in the time of
Arthur, by the inundation of a district of Cardigan,
called Cantref Gwaelod, or the Overflowed Hundred.
This territory extended from the present town of Car
digan to Sarn Bad rig, or St. Patrick's Causeway, which
projects into the sea, near Harlech; its principal town
* This year, 1179, tbe sepulchre of king Arthur, with his wife
Gwenhwyfar, was found in the Isle of Afaloii, without the Abbey of
Glastonbury; their bodies being laid in a hollow elder tree, buried
fifteen feet in the earth. The bones of the king were of marvellous
and almost incredible bigness; and ttie queen's hair seemed to the,
sight to be fair and yellow, but, when touched, crumbled to dust.
Over, tbe bones was laid a stone, with a cross of lead ; upon the
lower side of which stone were engraven these words:' — fficjactt st%
pultus inclj/tus Rey Arthurus in insula Amlonia.— Powel 206',

38
town was Caer Wyddno* at the extremity of Sam Cyn*
felin, and about twelve miles to the west of Aberyst*
with. The catastrophe is attributed to the intoxication
of Seithinyn, the son of Saidde, or Sandde, who had the
care of the sluices, apd neglected to drop them on the
coming in ofthe tide -.this drunken Seithenyn ab Sandde
was a brother of Dewi ab Sandde, or St. David ; and
it is rather singular that St. David, who was an apt
performer as a worker of miracles, did not order the
water out, and put down the sluices.
The reguius, or prince of Cardigan, when this part of
the country disappeared, was Gwyddno, called Garap
Hir, or Long Shanks : his arms are said to: have been
Gules, a Griffin displayed vert, and now worn by his
descendants, who are men of Llanegwad, in Carmarthen
shire: but this is a great mistake, for the Griffin was
pot introduced into coat armour- until the era of the
crusades. Mr. Lewis Morris, the antiquary, found on the coast
of Merioneth - a stone in the sands, about a hundred
yards below water mark, with an inscription in Roman
letters : the stone has been since used as a foot bridge,;
near Keil Wart; and the inscription is — Hie jacit Cal:
lixtus Monedo Regi— Here lies the Boatman to Kipg
Gwynddo; from which it appears the proper name pf
Garan Hir was Gwynddo, and not Gwyddpo.
A. D. 542. The great Arthur was succeeded by his
nephew, Constans, the son of Cador, prince of Cornwall:
In his reign the two sons of Mordred aspired to the
sovereignty; and were supported in their claims by
most of the Saxon states : these two princes were hum
bled by the reverses of fortune ; one of them was mur-;
dered in a sanctuary, and the other before the altar, at
the commands of Constans.
Always harassed by the attacks of the Saxops, and by
inward remorse for his murders, Constans retired into
Cornwall, and finally into the seclusion of a religious
life. 552. Upon the seclusion of Constans, the Saxons
having approached the borders of Cambria, the

sy

princes of that country, at that time six in number,
assembled at Aberdyvi, and elected Maelgwyn, king of
North Wales, to the sovereign dignity. This prince js
represented as a devotee, apd to have endowed the abbey
of Bangor-Is-Cped. These religious foundations were
at the tipie of service to morals and bteratuje.
The cross of Iltudus, erected by Sanrosoiti about the
middle of the sixth century, and still remaining in the
church yard of Lantwit, in the county of Glamorgan,
records the alphabetical characters of that epoch.
The ipscription on one side js
ffiTll{*»n\
O loNnf^
Iltudo Sampesonidis. To Iltudus a tribute of Sampson:
and on the reverse
Wf I****

hr t

Sampson posuit hunc crucem pro anima ejus. Sampson
erected this cross for the sake ofhis soul.
A. D. 56*0. Rhpn ab Maelgwyn succeeded his father
in the sovereignty of North Wales, and resided at Caer-
Rhun, on the banks ofthe Ppuway. Rhun was a man of
great valour ana1 policy: hjs $stinguished himself ip a
long apd sanguinary warfare with fhe Saxons of North
umberland; apd, pn his concluding a peace, and return
ing into Wales, he granted great privileges to the people
of Caernarvon, as a remuneration for their services
qn that expedition,
5$6. Ip the reigp of Beli ab Rhpp, a Saxon
adventurer, of the name of Crida, drove the Ancient
Britons beyond the Severn, and founded the kingdom

40
of Mercia, which was the last and most extensive ofthe
Saxon heptarchy.
The establishment pf these seven kingdoms of the
Saxons confined the Ancient and Independent Britons'
to Cornwall, the Corn Wealas of the Saxons; and to
Cynmry, Wealas, or Wales, for the foreign clergy very
properly called the Cynmry, Galli, and Galles, and
their country Gallia, which the Saxons pronounced
Wealas, Wales, Welsh, and Wallia. '** "
A.D. 599. 1 ago ab Beli ab Rhun, prince of North Wales,
was at this time the chief of the Britons, and was, in a
few years, succeeded,, in the nominal sovereignty by his
son Cadvan. In the reign of this prince Edelfred, king
of Northumberland, advanced with his army to besiege.
the city of Chester, which was at that time in the pos
session of the Welsh: when he had drawn up his army,
in front ofthe Welsh, he perceived the monks of Bangor*
Is-Coed had joined the army, to offer their prayers tq^
heaven in behalf of the Welsh arms. The crafty
Edelfrid commanded his troops to make their first onset
on these unarmed devotees; and in this attack twelve
hundred monks were put to the sword. ,j The Welsh
troops, after a stout resistance under Brochmael, prince
of Powys, ultimately gave wayj an<* Edelfrid marched
to Bangor-Is-Coed, and reduced to ashes that place of
devotion and seminary of learning. The monastery of
Bangor-Is-Coed, calted Bangor Maelor, and Bangor
Dunod, was founded by Dunod, son of Pabo, in the
beginning of the sixth century; but it was never re-festa-;
plished after this massacre of its rpepibers, apd confla
gration of the place, by Edelfrid, in 6Q3.
Flushed with these successes,' the king of Mercia in
tended to penetrate into the interior of Wales ; but his
passage over the Dee was disputed with determined
bravery by Broachmeal, prince of POwys, until Cadvan,*
prince of North Wales, Meredydd, prince of South'
Wales, and Bledric, prince of Cornwall, brought up
the}r forces.
These confederates, full of resentment for the mas
sacre oi the monks, and the late disgrace of the Welsh

41
arms, near Chester, engaged and defeated the Saxops,
and obliged Edelfrid, after sustaining a loss often thou
sand men in this battle, to repeat into Mercia: and
Cadfan, in consequence of this victory, was elected, at
Chester, to the nominal sovereignty of Britain.
' The defeat of Edelfrid was considered by the religious
of the times to be a pious and heavenly revenge for the
massacre of the monks ; and the nanies of Meredydd
and Cadvan have been immortalized bv still existing
monuments- The manes of Meredydd are pointed to the venera
tion of ages by the monument on Panwen Byrddin,
near Neath, bearing the epitaph
MEARITIHIFIL BERIECI
or Meredydd, the son of Meyric. ,
And Cadvan has received from posterity two oblations
of gratitude : one is a sepulchral stone, placed over the
gouth door of the church of Llan Gadwaladr, in Angle
sey, with the Latin inscriptiop — jCatamannus Rex Sa-
pientissimus Opimatissimus Qrnnium Regum. King
Cadvap, the wisest and richest of all Kings.
'** The other is the Cross of Cadvan, which was for
merly erected in the church yard of Towyn, in Merio
nethshire, is still in the peighbourhood, apd bears the
Anglo Saxon septence —
^NKNmmimm acp/izvon
The Gross of the most mighty Cadvan.
• These little memorials are gratifying to human vanity :
but divesting Ourselves of that feeling, it is' presumed,
that ten days? approbation of a few good and learned
men is worth ten centuries' of posthumous commepior
ration from the gaping vulgar.

4S
The costume of the Ancient Britons of the higher
older, in the beginning of the seventh century, is to be
seen in the sepulchral effigies of Pabo Post Prydain, hj
the church yard of Llanbabo, in the Isle of Anglesey,
Pabo liyed in the latter part of the fifth century ; hut
the sculpture is of much later date : the regal robes are
made to fit close round his neck, apd to button the,
whole length in front: they are ornamented with fur;,
and the collar, and slashes, or arm holes, are decorated
with precious stones: the under vest is close, the sleeves,
tight, and buttoned down to the elbows: his crown, sinv
mounted by three fleurs-de-lis, is in the form of a collar^
studded with precious stones ; and he holds in his hand
a sceptre, tipped with a fleur-de-lis.
A- D. 613. Op the death of Cacfvan, his son Cad-
wallon succeeded to tbe kingdom of North Wales, and
carried his arms into Northumberland, against Edwin,
king of Deifr, or Deira : but he was chastised for his
temerity ; for Edwin gave him battle and defeated him
at Widrington, and pursuing his successes and good-
fortune, extended his conquests over the greatest parts
of Wales, and obliged Cadwallon to take refuge in,
Ireland. Edwin then assumed the title of king of
Wales. The monument in the church-yard of Llan-
fihangel-y-Traethwy, in the county of Merioneth, on
which we read — Hie est sepulchrum Wledermat'm
Odeleu qui primum edificavit hane ecclesiam in temporal
Ewini Regis. Here is the grave of Wledermad
Odeleu, who first erected this church in the time of/
king Edwin ; shews that Edwin and the Northumbrians
were of the Christian faith, and desirous of propagating,
ts doctrines.
After an absence of some years in Ireland, Cad
wallon entered into an alliance with Penda, king of
Mercia. These princes advanced into Yorkshire, and
defeated the Northumbrians, and slew-Edwin and his
son in the battle of Meigen, or Hatfield Forest. Cad-?
wallon then reduced Yorkshire into a state of desplar,
tion, defeated and slew Osric, kipg of Deira, and, witj$
unpardonable cruelty, put to death the king of Bryneich^

43
or Bernicia, who- came to him attended by only twelve
soldiers, to propose a negociation. .
A.D. 635. Cadwallon, on account of his military suc
cess and severe abilities, was elected king ofthe Britons;'
and then proceeded in his usual career of desolation,
until he was finally impeded by Oswald, king of North
umberland, who gave him battle at Denisbourne,
where Cadwallon was numbered among the slain, and
his army completely routed.
676. Cadwaladr, the son of Cadwallon, now suc
ceeded to the ideal sovereignty of the Britons. This
prince is better known as a saint, than either the states
man or the hero. The Saxons, who had experienced the
ravages of Cadwallon, were now making retaliations on
the Welsh; and the results of these desolating inroads-
were bloodshed, retirements into caverns, /famine, and
distemper. In the midst of these public calamities Cadwaladr
retired into Bretagne, to his kinsman Alan, who pro
vided him with an army and transports to enable him
to expel the Saxons and recover his dominions. But
whilst the troops were preparing for embarkation, Cad-'
waladr pretended he was directed by a vision to retire
from the cares of government, and to proceed to Rome,
and enter into holy orders. In conformity with this de-*
lusion, or affected piety, Cadwaladr went to Rome, en
tered into the order of white monks, received holy
orders of the Pontiff,, and ended his days in religious
seclusion. This king, who was a fool whilst alivtv
has been canonized and worshipped as a saint when
dead. On the abdication of Cadwaladr, his son Edwal
being then a minor, was left at Bretagne under the pro-
tectiop of Alan. The army raised for the service of
Cadwaladr was, of necessity, sent into Britain, under
the command of Ivor, the son of Alan. These troops
making a descent on the western coast of Britain, were
opposed by the Saxons with their accustomed resolution
and bravery : but Ivor, after a severe contest, defeated
the Saxons with great slaughter, and took possession of
Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset.

44
Kerttwyn, king of the West Saxons, hearing of the
success of Ivor, collected a considerable army to
impede the further progress of the invader. Interest
and sensibility hpwever prevented hostilities ; for Ivor
agreed to marry Ethelburga, the cousin of Kentwyn/
and to remain satisfied with his present possessions. By
the death of Kentwyn, and by the retirement of his'
nephew Cedwell to Rome, Ivor became unexpectedly
powerful, and distinguished himself in arms by making
war on some of the Saxpp kings, and defeating thern
in several battles.
Fatigued at length 'with the cares of government, or
falling into the religious fashion of the age, he retired'
to Rome to. lead a life of prayer and idleness, and re
signed the government of the Saxons to his cousin
Adelred, apd his British dominions to Roderic
Molwynog, son of Edwal Ywrch. <
A.D. 720. Roderic, on taking possession ofhis domU
nicns, was immediately involved in a succession of wars.:
Adelred, the successor of Ivor, in Wessex, laid waste
Devonshire with fire and sword; and was proceeding to
commit the like ravages in Cornwall, but was opposed'
on the confines by the Britons, who defeated him, and'
drove him into his own dominions with great loss.
This contest has been called by the Britons, Gwaith'.
Heilyn, the Battle of Saltney, or Saltash.
Ethelbald, king of Mercia, desirous of annexing to
his own dominions the fertile country between the
Severn and the Wye, entered that part of Wales, and
proceeded in this march of subjugation to the Carnq>
mountain, near Abergavenny, where he was opposed',
by the Welsh; a sanguinary contest ensued, and ter
minated in an indecisive and drawn battle.
Ethelbald some years after having entered into ari
alliance with Adelred, king of the West Saxons, these-
princes, with their joint forces, invaded Wales, and werei
every where victorious from their superiority of num
bers. But Roderic, assisted by his ally, Cudred, who
had succeeded Adelred in the kingdom of the West
Saxons, attacked Ethelbald, who had advanced as far
as Hereford, and gained over him a signal victory.-

45
Cudred, however, being reconciled to Ethelbald, with
drew his forces from the Welsh, and joined the king of
Mercia, and by this preponderance of strength the
Welsh suffered many reverses of fortune.
In the north, Eadbert, king of Northumberland, di
rected his arms against the Cumbrians of Ystrad Clyde,
and took possession of Caer-ar-Clyde, the capital of
that district ; and in the west, the Saxons again took
possession of the territories recovered by Ivor, and
Roderic was obliged to retire, and confine himself to
the principality of North Wales.
Shortly alter this reduction of the British dominions,
Roderic died at his usual residence of Caer-Segont, on
the straits of the Menai, in Caernarvonshire, and left
two sons, Cynan Tindaethwy and Howel.
A. D. 755. Gyrian Tindaethwy having succeeded his
father Roderic, engaged in the common cause with the
princes of South Wales, in checking the, inroads of
their enemies.
The Saxons, bent upon the subjugation of Wales,
proceeded again as far as Hereford, where they were
received by the Welsh : the contest was fierce and san
guinary ; but all we know of the result, is, that Dyfwal
ab Tewdor, a soldier of great eminence, was among the
number of the slain.
The Welsh, in the reign of Cynan, deserted honour
able warfare, and followed the avocation of freebooters.
Fond of pasture, arid inattentive to cultivation, and
lodging in caverns, bushes, or huts of turf, their home
was. any where, for they had no attachment to locality
from the allurements of a comfortable house.
The improved state of. Mercia, and of the coun
try near the Severn and the Wye, by the labours of tha
Saxons, who had settled there, offered the Welsh con
venient opportunities of plundering. These incursions
became so frequent, and destructive, that Offa, king of
Mercia, caused a rampart and deep dyke to be made
from the Wye to the Dee, through the counties of.
Hereford, Salop, Montgomery, Denbigh} ajjd Flint, by,
which means the Welsh possessions were limited, and,

46
the residence 'of" the prince of PowyS was removed
from Pengwern, or Shrewsbury, to Mathrafal, in the
county of Montgomery;
As soon as the dyke was completed, the Welsh, in
alliance with the kings of Northumberland and Sussex,
fri' the night of St. Stephen's day, broke down the ram
part, levelled the dyke to a great extent, assailed the
camp" of Offa, when the soldiers were either asleep ot
unarmed, and after committing great slaughter, obliged
Offa to retire with the wreck of iiis army into his own
dominions, ' A. D. 763. Fermael, the son of Edwal, died this year.
A cross raised to his memory is to beseenatLlandyfeiJiog,
on the road from Brecknock to Built. The effigies is a
man in armour, having underneath the word FERmaeL
The Danes, and other adventurers, from the north of
the Continent, made their customary inroads into
Wales in 'pursuit of settlements. These invaders left,
in many places, monuments of their marches and vic
tories. There was formerly at Vrdndeg, in Anglesey,
a stone, with the remaining words,
FILIVS VLRICI
EREXIT HVNC LAPIDEM
The Son of Ulric raised this Stone. '
Offa returned again into Wales, and after several
years Of embarrassments and insults, brought the Welsh,
commanded by Caradog, a chieftain of the house of
Cornwall, into a general engagement upon Rhuddlan
Marsh. The victory of the Mercians was complete,
Caradog was slain; Offa put to the sword all that came
in his way, sparing neither women nor children. This
battle has given rise to the ancient musical piece, en
titled Morfa Rhuddlan.
808. The South Saxons, in conjunction with the
Danes, about this time, laid St. David's in ashes, and
reduced South Wales into a state of desolatioh.
, North Wales was also the field of intestine warfare,
for Howel,1 the younger son of Roderic Molwynogf
claimed Mona as his portion, under the custom "of
Gafael-tenuie, or gavelkind, which Cynan resisted;

47
neither of the brothers perceiving nor advised, that pos
sessions were subject to the laws of gavelkind, but that
the royal, or supreme power, was not gavisable. These
disputes, which wasted the military strength of Wales,
terminated by the retirement of Howel into the Isle of
Man, and by the death of Cynan.
A. D. 8 1 8. Merfyn Frych, king of Man, who was a
descendant of the princes of Powys, and married to
Esylt, daughter of Cynan, succeeded to the sovereignty
of North Wales* Soon after his accession, Egbert,
king ofthe West Saxons, , penetrated into Wales as far
as Snowdon, or Eryry*, seised on the lordship of
Rhyfoniog, in Denbighshire, proceeded to Mona; and
after a decisive victory over the Welsh, at Llanvaes,
near Beaumaris, took possession Of Mona, and gave it
the name of Anglesey. These conquests were soon
after followed by successive inroads made into Powys
and West Wales, by Kenulph, king of Mercia.
827. The Welsh were also deprived of every
Saxon alliance, by the valour and policy of Egbert,
who consolidated the Saxon heptarchy into one king
dom, and gave it the general name of England.
833. The Danes, at times, were in pursuit of set
tlements on the coasts of England, and landing in West
Wales, were joined by the Welsh. These allied forces
ravaged the dominions of Egbert ; but being attacked
by Egbert on Hengist Down, or Hengston Hill, in the
parish of Stoke Climsland, the allies were defeated, and
the Welsh were left exposed to the retaliations of Saxon
Vengeance. Egbert in consequence carried his arms into Wales,
Cook Chester, and pulled down the brazen statue of
Cadwallon, and issued a proclamation, that every per
son Of British descent should quit his dominions in six
months, and that no Welshman should pass the limits
of Offa's Dyke, under the penalty of death.
Hostilities were also carried on against the Welsh,
• From Eirar snow : Brt/fu signifies mountains of snow, or
Snowdon.

48
by Berthred, • the tributary king of Mercia. And in a
battle fought with this prince, at a place called Kettel,
on the frontiers, Merfyn fell in the defence of his
country. ,
A. D, 843. Roderic, the son of Merfyn, succeededbis
father in the dominions of Man, North Wales, and
Powys ; and obtained South Wales by his marriage
with Angharad, daughter of Gwgan ab Meirig, prince
of South Wales. In consequence, he has been entitled
Roderig Fawr, or Roderic the Great. , , , <
846. The territories of Roderic were invaded by
Berthred, -a Mercian prince, who laid waste Anglesey,
and slew Meyric, a chief of some eminence in the
north ; but Berthred shortly retired, on account of the
invasion of the Danes, which required his services in
England. Ithel, the chief of G went, was in arms in
the south, invaded Brecknock, and fell in his military
incursion. And Congen, chief of Powys, under the
influence of religious mania, left his country, and pro
ceeded to, Rome, to lead a life of slothfulness and
ideal piety.
This Congep raised the cross at Vale Cruris, of
Llanegwast, in Denbighshire, about two fields north
west of the Abbey, to the memory of his grandfather^
Eliseg. 873. The Danes having been repulsed from Eng
land, made a descent upon Anglesey, but meeting with)'
a spirited resistance in the battle of Bangolau, they
sailed upon other adventures. At the same time ano
ther body of Danes, under the command of Haiden and
Hungare, landed in South Wales, and plundered the
whole of the country in the course of their march into
Wessex. 877. The English again, in the courte of years,.
having an interval of peace from the Danes, revisited'
Anglesey with a powerful army ; and, in an engagement?'
with the Welsh, defeated them, and slew Roderic and <
his brother Gwyriad. This battle, fought on a Sunday,
is called, Gwaith Dydd Sul yn Mdn.
Roderic has not distinguished himself either as a

49
captain or a statesman. The peace he enjoyed gave
him leisure for increasing his strength, and introducing
cultivation. His retirement into Anglesey shewed his
want of courage and of confidence ; and his distribu
tion of his dominions into three principalities was a
great error in policy : andyet.it must be recollected,
that his subjects were petty chiefs, ever contentious with
each other, and the followers of these chiefs were
hordes of wanderers.
Cambria was now divided into three principalities.
Anarawd, the eldest son of Roderic, succeeded to
North Wales, called by the Romans Venedocia, and
by the Britons Gwynedd, from its white and snow
capped mountains.
Cadell was sovereign of Deheubarth, or South Wales.'
Merfyn succeeded to the principality of Powys,
or Po-wys, being the lordship of Wys, the country
above the Wy, or Wye.
The prince of North Wales, as Sovereign of Cam
bria, paid at this time to the king of England a
teyrnged, or impost of sixty-three pounds per annum :
and the prince of North Wales received an annual
revenue, or maelged, of four tons of flour from the
prince of Powys, and qf four tons of honey from the
prince of South Wales.
The remnant of the Strath Clyde Britons, having
lately been assisted by Gregory, in driving the Danes
from Northumberland, were afterwards obliged to cede
the whole Of Cumbria, and retire, under the conduct of
Hobart, into Wales, where Anarawd made them a grant
of all the lands between the Dee and the Conway, on
condition of their dispossessing, the Saxons. *
This grant gave offence to Eadred, earl of Mercia,
who made preparations for recovering the country; but
meeting with a defeat from Anarawd 'at Cymryd, two
miles from Conway, in the memorable battle, called
Dial Rodric*, he fled into his own country, closely
* Tudwal, the son of Rodric, was wounded in this battle, and
hence called Tudwal Gloffj'or Hopping Tudwall.

SQ
pursued by the plundering troops of Anarawd; By this
defeat the Strath Clyde Britons were enabled fo esta
blish themselves peaceably in that part of Rhds, called
Tcgeingl by the Welsh, Tegenia by the Romans, and
Englefieid by the Saxons. To this tract of land, from
its being partly situated on the river Clwyd, the Cum
brians gave the new name of Strath Clwyd, or Ystrad
Clwyd, being the name of the district from which they
had migrated.
A. D. 900. The Danes in this year, under the com
mand of Igmond, landed in Anglesey, apd were de
feated by the Welsh in the battle of Maes Rhds Meilon,
in which Merfyn, prince of Powys, was slain.
907. In a few years after,' a Danish fleer, under the
command of Uther and Rahald, disembarked ar army
ou the western coast of Wales : these troops fought
with the Welsh at Dinerth, in the parish of Llanpadarn
Trefeglwys, in the county of Cardigan. Maylor, the
son of Peredur Gam, was slain in this battle, or, shortly
after, died of his wounds, and was buried at Tregaron,
and some pious hand has raised a cross over his re
mains, with the words still legible —
POT X H A N C
M ALH.E R
^-Raised this cross to Maylor.
The Danes then proceeded to Brecknockshire and'
Radnorshire, and finally to Herefordshire, where the/
were vanquished by the Saxons : Rahald fell in battle,
apd his colleague and followers were compelled to re^
tire from Britain.
Merfyn, prince of Powys, having fallen in the battle
Of Rh6s Meilon, his brother Cadell, of South Wales,
took immediate possession of his dominions.
Thjs selfish conduet of Cadell gave offence to Ana
rawd, who invaded*- South Wales, and laid waste «X
counties of Radnor and Cardigan. These events were
early instances of the impolicy of the gavelising system
of Roderic.
Cadell dying in this year, was succeeded in the
principalities of South Wales and Powys by his son
Howel.

51
A.D. 913- Anarawd died a few years after, leaving
two sons, Edwal Foel, and Elis.
This period in Cambrian history is replete with dis
tressing events. Meyric, the son of Cadell, murders
his brother Clydawc. The Irish reduce Anglesey to a
state of desolation. Elflida, princess of Mercia, invades
Wales, carries her arms into the South, and defeats
Hugin, a chieftain of West Wales, at Brecknock, in a
well contested battle, called Gwaith y Ddinas Newydd,
or the Battle of the New City ; and Athelstane, to wind
up the misfortunes of the Welsh, invades their country,
and imposes on their princes an annual tribute of twenty
pounds in gold, three hundred pounds in silver, and
two hundred Heads of cattle.
By the chance of war, a Welsh chieftain, of the name
of Cadell ab Arthual, had been taken captive, and im
prisoned by the English. Edwal Foel, and his brother
Elis, in revenge of this affront, attacked the joint forces
of the English and Danes, and in the contest, were both
slain. 940. Howel, prince of South Wales and Powys, was
now elected to the sovereignty of Wales; for although
Edwal Foel had left six sons, and Elis had left a son
and daughter, the preference was given to Howel, on
account of his talents and character, the exigency ofthe
times, and the minority of the right heir to the northern
principality. This prince studied the art of war, and the science of
civilization; he took Alfred for his model, and the
Roman and Saxon codes for his text book : he knew
that the remote motive for defending a country arises
from the security of persons and property, which makes
the country valuable, and deserving of protection.
With this view he corrected and embodied the vague
and traditional maxims ; introduced others, where the
law was deficient ; described possessions, defined crimes,
limited penalties, made an assessment of things, gave
rules of services and duties, and a summary of instruc
tions for the professors of jurisprudence and ministers
of justice. E 2

52
His prudence prevented aggressions, add the Saxons
had no cause for retaliation ; and his long reign of forty
years undisturbed is a strong proof that the Welsh
brought the troubles of war upon themselves from the
love of plunder, and the carelessness of their govern
ment, and that the Saxons never coveted their moun
tains and caverns, but traversed them for the purpose
of retaliation and revenge..
Howel is said to have been called the Good from
his wisdom and good government; but it is more ho
norable to give him that epithet, because Howel was
the only good prince that Wales ever produced.
This eminent statesman of Cambria died in 948, and
left eight sons, Owen, Run, Roderic, Dyfnwal, Edwin,
Cynan, Meredydd, and Eineon.
The residence of this prince was at Ty Gwyn ar Daf,
in the present parish of St. Clear's, in the county ot*
Carmarthen, and was situated between the present ruins
of the abbey of Whitland and the turnpike road.
A. D. 948. On the death of Howel the Good*
leuaf and lago, the second and third sons of Edwal
Foel, succeeded to the sovereignty of North Wales;
setting aside their elder brother Meyric ; and the sons
of Howel the Good took possession of South Wales and
Powys, by petty and gavelised principalities.
This gavelising principle, first introduced by Roderic
the Great, and afterwards practised by continual sub
divisions of power and property, and thereby weakening
the authority and right of eldest sonsj was the general
cause of the misunderstanding and civil warfare that
distracted the petty princes, or reguli of Wales.
Ieuaf and lago, on their accession, invaded South
Wales, and gained a. complete victory over the sons
of Howel on the Carno mountains* and laid waste the
country of Dyfed, or Pembroke; The sons of Howel,
on this occasion, made an inroad into North Wales,
where they were again defeated by Ieuaf and lago,, in
a battle fought near the present Moelas, or Foelas,
some distance from Llanrwst.
The inscription on the stone at Moelas, is in com-

53
memoration of this battle, and is represented by the
following fac-simile : —
j'Lh/avfoica&e
£fy\ tfHKoeb//ri/t>L
ov  . 
lago Brenin, Edwali Fil. Einion, Foredydd et Rodric
et Edwin FiL Oiieli optimi principis hie pugnavif.
King lago, the son of Edwal, in this place fought
Eineon, Meredydd, Rodric, and Edwin, the sons of
Howel the Good.
The remaining sons of Howel were pursued to Car
digan with great loss, and finally submitted to the
sovereignty of Ieuaf and lago. The omission of the
name of Ieuaf in the inscription at Foelas, was owing
to the tyrannical disposition of lago, who considered
Ieuaf as a cipher during their joint government, and
finally kept him ip prison for many years, uptil he was
liberated by Howel, the son of Ieuaf.
958. In this reign of Ieuaf and lago, Edgar, king
of England, invaded Wales, t0 recover the arrears of
tribute, and to enforce the payment of Peter-Pence,
conformably to the ordinance of Ethelwolf*; and the
* The Peter- Pence of Ethelwolf, contemptuously called the Wolf
Penny, has been made the plot of a fanciful story of the wolves' head

54
law of Edgar, which enacted, that " aelc heorth pening
agyfen be Petre's Maesse daeg." Edgar's Laws, sect. 4.
Owen, of South Wales, about this time took posses
sion of the district of Gwyr, or Gower, in Morganwg,
and annexed it to his other dominions. .
A.D 972. The Danes also landed in Anglesey, and for
some time kept possession ofthat island. Howel, the
son of Ieuaf, also collected a body of troops, under the
pretence of revenging his father's wrongs, defeated lago,
and drove him out of his dominions ; took his uncle
Meyric prisoner, and put out his eyes, to disqualify him
for the sovereignty ; and at length attained the object
of his ambition, by becoming the king of North Wales.-
Howel, having thus ascended the throne of North
Wales, and acquired the dominions of Strath Clwyd,
by the late retirement of Dunwallon into Rome, to
engage a life of piety and seclusion, had his principa
lity invaded by an army of Danes, headed by Cystenyn
Ddu, or Constantine the Black, the son of lago. Tne
brave Howel collected his forces, and defeated the
Danes at Hirbath, and Constantine fell in battle. The
Danes after this defeat invaded Pembroke, and laid in
ruins the church of St. David's, and were again de-.
feated by prince Eineon, on Cae'r Faes, part of the*
farm of Ty Cam, in the parish of Llanwenog, in the
coupty of Cardigan. 4
In the year following, Alfred, earl of Mercia,
laid waste a great part of South Wales, destroyed
Brecknock and other towns ; and in the sequel was de- ,
feated, and himself put to death by the united forces of
Howel and Eineon. The place of this battle, and
i '. '
tax. It is, however, worthy of notice, that wolves were scarce, for
in the Laws of Hoel, where the value of a sheep skin is one penny;
the value ofthe skin of a fox, a wolf, or an otter, is eight- pence.
Lib. iii. c. 5. s. 12., and that the tribute or fee to the king of England:
was sixty-three pounds, and nothing else, save his dogs, his hawks,
and his horses.— Lib. iii. c. 2.
The English historians state, that wolves were scarce in Wales iri
the time of Howel, owing to the tax enforced by Edgar ; but Edgar
lived after Howel, and the Peter-Pence was called Wolf-Tax by the
Welsh, from tbe ordinance of Ethelwolf,

55
overthrow of the Saxons, is indicated by the inscription
on the stone at Cynwil Caeo.
'X A L O R E T
AD VENI
M A R C I E N I
F I L I V S.
Alfred, the son of Edwin, the Mercian.
Howel and Eineort, soon after this victory, termi
nated their career of patriotism, for Eineon fell a vic
tim to. the rage ofthe men of Gwent, who were fired
with a spirit of petty independence, and Howel having
increased his army, made an incursion into England,
and fell in battle, in this adventure of revenge, and of
retaliation, Cadwallon, the second son of Ieuaf, succeeded
Howel, setting aside the lawful claims of Edwal and
Ionaval, the sons of his eldest uncle Meyric ; and in
order to secure his throne, he murdered Ionaval, and
would have put Edwal to death, had not that prince
made his timely escape. This tyrant had not reigned a
twelvemonth when Meredydd ab Owen, prince of South
Wales, invaded the North, and slew the usurper, to
gether with his brother Meyric.
A. D. 986. Meredydd, who "was prince of Powys, in
right of his mother, now added North Wales to his
dominions : but the Danes having invaded Anglesey,
taken his brother Llywareh prisoner, and put out his
eyes, so alarmed Meredydd, that he retired into Car
digan, Jeavjng his northern possessions exposed to the
ravages ofthe Danes.
987. Soon after this defeat, died Ieuaf, the son of
Edwal Foel ; and Owen, prince of South Wales.
Upon the death of Owen, Meredydd, not regarding
the claims of the sons of Eineon, his eldest brother, as-;
sumes the government ofthe South.
988. In the commencemept pf his reign the Danes
landed in South Wales, ane). destroyed {he churches, of
St. David, Llapbadarn, Llanrhystyd, Ljapdydoch, and
others ; and Meredydd was reduced to the extremity of
buyipg his peace by agreeing to pay a poll-tax to the

56
Danes, of one penny per head for every person within
his dominion: this impost was called in Welsh Glo-
mael, or the Coal-Tax, the tribute being, perhaps,
paid in that article.
A. D.989. Edwin ab Eineon having raised an army of
English and Danes, invaded Dyfed, Carmarthen, and
Gwyr ; and Meredydd, in return, destroyed the town of
Radnor, and laid waste the country of Morganwg; 1 A
reconciliation, however, put a stop to these national
evils, and their friendship became the more .cemented
by the death of Cadwallon, the only son of Meredydd,
which opened to Edwin the prospect of his future
succession. 992. On the desertion of North Walesby Meredydd,
the chiefs ofthat principality elected Edwal ab Meyric,
the right heir, to the crown of the North. This prince
exerted himself in defence ofhis dominions, and defeated
Meredydd at the battle of Llarigwm, in Denbighshi«'j
and Edwin, his associate, and son of Eineon ab Ow€&,
of South Wales, fell at Clunog, in the same county,
where his monument is to be still seen, having on it a
cross prefixed,
A WIWl 9
with the inscription Edw\ni Occisio — the Slaughter" or
Fall of Edwin. ''«'
Edwal now led his, victorious troops against the
Danes, who had invaded the North under the command
of 'S wane ; in this patriotic service he fell by the swOrd
of the invaders, leaving an only son, ofthe name of
.lago. 998. The Danes' again invaded Dyfed, laid St.
David's in ruins, slew Morgeneu, the bishop of that
diocese, and desolated the country without opposition.
Meredydd, not able to withstand these invaders., apd

57
.contemplating on the calamities of his subjects, became,
a victim to his feelings, and died of grief: for this
prince had overlooked his duty, which was to kill the
Danes, and not to shed tears.
Llewelyn ab Seisyllt, who was married to Angharad,
the daughter of Meredydd, succeeded him in South
Wales ; the government of North Wales, owing to the
minority of lago, was an object of contest : the most
prominent competitors were Cynan ab Howel, and
Aedan ab Blegored. These chiefs referred their claims
to the decision of the god of battles. In this issue
Cynan was slain, and Aedan, or rather Edwin ab Ble
gored, a descendant of Howel Dda, was proclaimed
sovereign. A. D. 1 003. The reign of Aedan is barren of events,
until the invasion of North Wales by Llewelyn ab
Seisyllt, who claimed that principality as a descendant
of Trawst, daughter of Elis, the second son of Anarawd,
son of Roderic the Great. The arms of Llewelyn were
successful, and Aedan, and his four sons, fell in the
same battle; and Llewelyn, in consequence of this vic^
tory, was constituted the sovereign of Wales.
The continual warg carried on between the English
and Danes gave to this prince an interval of peace:
this leisure was profited by Llewelyn, who, by domi-
cilizing hjs subjects, and introducing among them habits
pf industry, and the pursuit of cultivation, gave to his
country a new aspect, frqm its increase of population,
and its more abundant animal and vegetable produc
tions. The reign of this gqod prince was often disturbed
by the turbulent and the disaffected ; a rebel, of the
napie of Meyric ab Arthfael, raised an army qf male-
coptepts, when Llewelyn, with his accustomed intrepi
dity, slew the chieftaip with his pwp hands,, and dis
persed his followers.
1020. The South Wallians were, in Llewelyn's
time, so rebellious, that they elected for their prince a
Scotchman, who represented the character of Rhun ab
Meredydd. The rebels, under the command of this
grgteqcjer, assembled at Abergwilly, m the county of

58
Carmarthen, where they were engaged by Llewelj'Bj
and, after a sanguinary contest, entirely defeated ; and
the impostor was overtaken and slain in the pursuit.
A. D. 1021. The courageous prince now closed a
reign replete with benefits and usefulness ; for Howel
and Meredydd, the sons of Edwyn ab Eineon ab Owen,
entered into a conspiracy, and assassinated Llewelyn;
this sovereign resided usually at the castle of Rhuddlan,
which was afterwards the residence of his son Gryffydd
ab Llewelyn.
1032. lago, the son of Edwal, succeeded to North
Wales; and Rhytherch, the son of Jestm, assumed the
government of South Wales, on the death of Llewelyn;
Both these princes were disturbed in their enjoyment of
sovereignties by other claimants.
Howel and Meredydd, in South Wales, assisted by
mercenary troops from Ireland, slew Rhydderch, dis
persed his adherents, and jointly assumed the govern
ment of the South : these two princes, in a few years
after, defeated the sons of Rhydderch, in the celebrated
battle of Hiraethwy.
The spirit of vengeance for blood, and the national
aversion towards the murderers of Llewelyn, were ripen-.;'
ing into an opportunity; and the sons of Cynan-1'
executed what the public contemplated, by putting
Meredydd to death, and expelling Howel out of Wales;
1035. These internal dissentions ofthe petty princes'
of Wales were taken proper advantage of by the Eng
lish government, who sent a large army to invade Gwent
This army took possession of that part of South Wales,
defeated the Welsh forces that were sent to oppose
them, and slew their general, Rhydderch ab Jpstyn : and
would have penetrated further into the country, had not
the death of king Canute given a new direction to milt:
tary affairs, and suspended for the present the desolatiop
and conquest of the South of Cambria."
1037. Gryffydd ab Llewelyn had, by this time, at
tained the years of maturity, and resolved on the reco- .
very of his father's throne.
The recollection of the virtues of Llewelyn, and the

59
personal talents of Gryffydd, prompted the Welsh to
rally to his standard. Thus encouraged, he attacked
and slew lago ; assumed the sovereignty of Wales, and
his armies were victorious in repelling the English and
Danes at Crossford on the Severn, and in reducing the
inhabitants of the South into subjection, after burning
Llapbadarn Fawr, and committing other acts of deso
lating warfare.
Howel ab Edwin, on his expulsion from Wales, had
retired to Edwin, the brother of Leofric, earl of
Chester ; and, by his friendly exertions, raised an army
of English and Danes, and invaded Wales : these in
vaders were soon defeated by the victorious Gryffydd,
when Edwyn fell in battle, and Howel was put to
flight. In a subsequent invasion Howel was again
routed, at Pencadaer, in Carmarthenshire, his wife was
taken prisoner, and reduced by Gryffydd to the humble
rank of a concubine.
This conduct of Gryffydd would appear, in the pre
sent age, when marriage is considered a civil institution,
to be a stain on the character of the hero : it should,
however, be recollected, that the Welsh did not confine
themselves to one or any defined number of wives, and
that the illegitimacy of a prince was no bar to his suc
cession. The persevering Howel invaded the principality a
third time ; and finding the country plundered and laid
waste by large bodies of foreigners, who had landed in
West Wales, he felt interested in the common cause of
his country; and, in the magnanimous character of a
prince and patriot, engaged the depredators at Pwll
Mynach, in Cardiganshire, and forced them to retire on
board their ships.
A. D. 1043. Howel was afterwards engaged by
Gryffydd, near the source of the Towy; and in that
action the ever unfortunate Howel fell, and his troops
were all routed and dispersed.
From the fall of Howel, the reign of Gryffydd was
free from internal commotions, with the exception of
occasional interruptions from the sons of Rhydderch ab

60
Jestyn, who claimed South Wales; and from Cynan ab
lago ab Edwal, who made some attempts to recover
possession of the North.
. The wars which Gryffydd carried on against the
English were almost incessant, and arose from his own
spirit of enterprize and confidence ; his frequent inroads
into the English territories were just occasions of reta
liation: in one of these plundering excursions his brothep
Rhys was taken prisoner, and put to death at Bulun-
dune ; and the protection and military assistance he had
given to Algar, earl of Chester, brought on Wales the
displeasure of Edward the Confessor; and Gryffydd
was forced to retire into some foreign country.
A. D. 1064. The principality was now overrun by"
the brothers Harold and Tosti; and Gryffydd, in again
endeavouring to collect forces and deliver Wales, was
put to death by- his own people ; and his head, together
with the prow of the ship in which he had returned,
were sent as oblations of peace to the English general.
Gryffydd left issue an only daughter, of the name of
Nest, who was married to Trahaern ab Caradog, after-;
wards prince of North Wales.
Bleddyn and Rhiwallon, the sons of Cynfyn by Ang-
harad, the daughter of Meredydd ab Owen, and mother
of Gryffydd ab Llewelyn, were now invested in the
government of the North and Powys ; and Meredydd,
the son of Owen ab Edwyn, received the like appoint-*
ment to the government of South Wales. These
arrangements were made through the instrumentality of
Harold, who acted as viceroy of Wales, and reserved
to- himself the lordship of G went, and erected a palace
at Portskeweth, in Monmouthshire. This great general,
always on foot, at the head of his light armed infantry,
and conforming himself to the customary diet of the
country, had penetrated throughout all Wales, and
erected every where monuments of his conquests, with
the inscription HIC VICTOR FVIT HAROLDVS;
and which were afterwards all destroyed from the jea?
lousy of his Norman successors,

61
The death of Edward, the election of Harold to the
English throne, the invasion of England by William the
Bastard, so called from his being commander in chief
of the Bastardi, who were armed with bows and arrows,
and spears ; and the continual engagements of William
and his armies, in England and Normandy, left the
Welsh unmolested, and presented to their princes a
desirable opportunity for making inroads for plunder
into the English borders, and carrying on internal war
fare, and mutual desolation.
A. D. 1068. Bleddyn and Rhiwallon, in this interval
of peace, entered into an alliance with Edric, earl of
Mercia; and having overrun and pillaged the county
of Hereford, then governed by Richard Fitzcrope,
returned* to their respective territories with immense
booties. These two brothers were afterwards engaged in a
domestic war with Meredydd and Ithel, sons of the
late Gryffydd ab Llewelyn, and competitors for the
sovereignty. The battle of Mechain gave a filial
decisipn to these claimants: Rhiwallon and Ithel were
among the slain : Meredydd fled to the mountains,
wltere he died from hunger and cold ; and Bleddyn
was left sovereign of North Wales and Powys.
In South Wales, Caradog, the son of Gryffydd ab
Rhydderch ab Jestyn, assisted by a large hody of
Norman troops, attacked Meredydd on the banks of
the Rumney: Meredydd fell in battle ; Caradog died
soon after, and Rhydderch ab Caradog, and Rhys ab
Owen, succeeded to the joint government of South
Wales. 1073. Bleddyn, of North Wales, was assas
sinated by Rhys ab Owen ab Edwyn ; and Trahaern ab
Caradog, who was married to Nest, the daughter of
Gryffydd ab LlewelyP, was proclaimed prince of North
Wales. The reign of Trahaern was soon disturbed by
Gryffydd ab Cynan ab lago ab Edwal, who had re
sided many years in Ireland, his mother having been a
princess of that country. This prince invaded and re
duced Anglesey, crossed . the Menai, and was pece-

62
trating rapidly, and with friendly receptions, when he
was engaged by Trahaern, upon Bron-yr-Erw, near the
castle of Harlech, where he was defeated, and obliged
to repass the Menai into Anglesey.
A.D. 1074. The peace of South Wales was interrupted
by Gronw and Llewelyn, the sons of Cadwgan, who
took up arms to revenge, the murder of their grand
father. These princes obtained a victory on the
Camddwr, in Cardiganshire, and another at Gway^
nyttyd, and being afterwards joined by Trahaern, they
were a third time victorious in the battle Of Goodwick
Sands, in the parish of Llanwnda, in the county of
Pembroke, when Rhys, . the surviving prince of the
South, was put to flight; and falhng into the hands of
his enemies, he was put to death, in retaliation for the
murder of Bleddyn ab Cynfyn.
1077. Rhys ab Tewdwr ab Eineon ab Owen ab
Howel Dda, was now elected prince of South Wales,
and uniting his forces with Gryffydd ab Cynan, en
gaged Trahaern on the mountain of Carno, when
Trahaern was slain, and his army defeated, and
Gryffydd succeeded to the throne of North Wales.
This prince of the North, like his predecessors, en
gaged himself in wasting the English territories ; being
worsted in one of those inroads, and by the machina
tions of Meirion Goch, he fell into the hands of the
earls of Shrewsbury and Chester, at a place called
Rug, in Edeyrnion, and was, for many years, held in
captivity. The earl of Chester, also, by way of re
prisal, committed great ravages in the North; and, id
order to keep the Welsh under subjection, erected fort
resses at Aberllienawg, in Anglesey, at Caernarvon,
and at Bangor, and another in Merionydd.
IO79. William the Conqueror soon after passed
through Wales from North to South, receiving the
homage and oaths of fealty of the chieftains, and march-,
ing with his army to St. David's, offered thanks at the
shrine of a canonized Welshman, for the successful cop-
quest of Wales by the armies of a Norman.
In South Wales, the three sons of Bleddyri ab

63
Gynfyn, attempting to recover the sovereignty, Rhys
ab Tewdwr was obliged to retire into Ireland; but re
turning with powerful auxiliaries of Irish and Scots
troops, he gave battle to these adventurers at Llechryd,
or Llech'-Ririd, in Radnor, when the insurgents were
defeated ; Madog and Ririd, the sons of Bleddyn, were
slain, and their brother Cadwgan alone saved his life
by flight.
A. D. 1088. The Welsh, on the death of William the
conqueror, conceiving the obligations of homage and
fealty terminated with the demise of that great mo
narch, joined with the malecontent earls of Hereford
and Shrewsbury, in a rebellion against William Rufus,
and laid waste all the country about Worcester; but
the citizens ofthat place repulsed the confederate rebels
with great slaughter, and were roused to this act of
great exertion in self-defence, by the spirited conduct
of Wulstap, the then bishop of that diocese.
Archbishop Sulien, of St. David's, a person of great
piety and learning, died about this period. The church
at Corwen is dedicated to him, and his tomb-stone is
still shewn there, with the words — Hie facet Iorwerth
Sulien, Vicarius de Corvaen. Or a pro eo.
Rhys ab Tewdwr was again troubled with another in
surrection, which was raised by Gryffydd ab Meredydd,
and by Llewelyn and Eineon, the sons of the lord of
Pembroke. These chieftains engaged Rhys, at Llandydoch, in
the county of Pembroke, where they were defeated by
the valiant Rhys; and Gryffydd was taken prisoner, and
instantly put to death. After this defeat, Eineon as
sociated himself to Jestyn ab Gwrgant, lord of Glamor
gan, married his daughter, and hired a body of Nor
mans to assist them against Rhys ab Tewdwr, their
lawful prince.
1091. These confederates met the veteran Rhys,
then above ninety years of age, on the Black Mountain,
near Brecknock, when, after an obstinate and sanguinary
conflict, the confederates were victorious, and the brave
Rhys fell in that battle, leaving two sons, Gryffydd and
Grono, by a daughter of Rhiwallon ab Cynfyn.

64
The Norman troops, who came to assist Jestyn and
Eineon, were commanded by Robert Fitzhammon, and
his twelve knights ; and, having vanquished Rhys, and
protected the petty chieftains, they assumed a superior
authority, founded upon their military force, and intro
duced into Glamorgan the policy of the feudal system
of the continent, and then of England, by the following
assumption and distribution of territories.
Robert Fitzhammon reserved to himself the seigniory
of Glamorgan, the castles of Cardiff and Kynffig, and
the demesnes of Miskyn, Glynroddney, Tir Iarll, and
Bouerton, Llantwod or Lantwit, the sandy soil. The
extent of this seigniory, lordship or princedom, is marked
out by a boundary stone, still seen between Kynffig and
Margam, with the imperfect letters —
PVN PIVS CARANTOPIVS;
which the humble sculptor meant for
PRINCIPIVS CARANTOPHVSy
the Cardiff Principality — a prefixed and middle letter
having been either omitted, or worn out by length of
time. William de Londres had the lordship of Ogmore, to
which he added the lordships of Kidwely and Carn-
wyllion, in Carmarthenshire, which he conquered ; for
the right of private warfare was allowable to chieftains
in the times of chivalry<
Richard Greenfield had the lordship of Neath, where
he founded an abbey of white monks, and gave the pro
fits of the lordship towards the maintenance of that
monastery. This abbey, now in ruins, was, in its
grandeur, the subject of the muse of Lewis Morganwgi
His descriptive poem is published in the appendix to
the grammar of Dr. John David Rhys,, a native of
Anglesey* who was a physician, and a catholic ; and, on
returning from his travels, took up his residence at
Llanltorch, near Brecknock, where he was much an-
noyedby the persecuting disposition of the protestants*
Paganus de Turberville, had the lordship of Coyty.
Robert de St. Quintine, the lordship of Llanbleddian*
Richard de Syward,, the lordship of Talavan,

65
Gilbert de Humphreville, the castle and manor Of
Penmarch. Reginald de Sully, the castle and manor of Sully.
Roger de Berkrolles, the manor of East Orchard.
Peter le Soore, the castle and manor of Peterton.
John le Fleming, the castle and the manor of St.
George. Oliver de St. John, the castle and the manor of Fon-
mon. William le Esterling, a Dane, now written Stradling,
the castle and manor of St. Donat.
The rebel Eineon, had the lordship of Senghennydd,
or Sainct Hennydd.
Caradog ab Jestyn, had the lordship of Avan.
Another son of Jestyn had the lordship of Ruthyn ;
and the remaining parts of Glamorgan were granted to
right owners or partizans, according to the pleasure of
Fitzhammon. The Normans, about the same time, had licenses to
conquer otter parts of Wales.
Henry de Newburgh conquered Gower.
Barnard Newmarch took the lordship of Brecknock,
and granted manors to his followers, the Aubreys,
Havards, Gunters, &c. &c.
Roger Montgomery, earl of Arundel and Shrewsbury,
had Powis and Cardigan, rebuilt the castle of Baldwin,
and gave it, and that district, the present name of
Montgomery. Hugh Lupus, earl of Chester, took possession of
Tegengl, or Englefield, and Rhyfoniog, and of all the
maritime land to the river Conway.
Arnulph, a younger son of Roger Montgomery, had
Dyfed. Ralph Mortimer had Eluel, or Lluwel.
Hugh de Lacy had Euyas, or Ewas Lacy, or Here
fordshire. Eustace Cruer obtained Mold and Hopedale.
There were also many minor adventurers at this time,
such as Peter Corbet, who took possession of the lord-

66
shipofCaurs; Mortimer, of Wigmore; Fitz Alen, of
Clun and Oswestry; Monthault, of Hawarden.; Fit2-
warren, of Whittington ; Roger le Strange, of Elles-
mere; Dru de Baladon, of Abergavenny ; and Gilbert,
Of Monmouth.
And some of these Norman leaders erected castles to
keep the conquered districts under subjection. Thus
Pembroke, Tenby, and Haverfordwest, were built by
Strongbow, De Valence, and the Hastings ; Newport,
by Martin, earl of Cemaes ; Kydwely, by DeLondres;
Swansea, Oystermouth, Loughor, Radnor, Buillt, and
Rhaiadr, by the BruCes, the Mortimers, and the Beau-
champs; Blaenllyfni, by, Herbert; AbergavennyJ by
Dru de Baladon; Ruthin, by the lords De Grey; 'and
Denbigh, by Lacie, earl of Lincoln.
The introduction of the feudal policy among the
Welsh- was a very wise measure, and highly beneficial;
for the Normans were all artificers and husbandmen;
and they would have been well received by the people,
had the lords of the. feuds been able to dispense with
the laws of vassalage. This impediment, the animosi
ties ofthe Welsh princes towards foreign intruders, and
the false ideas these princes had formed of a great go
vernment,, namely, that, it consisted in extent of juris
diction, and thus overlooking the obvious criteria of
population and produce, were stimulations to Cambrian
pride ; and the Welsh were more willing to rebel under
their princes than to receive benefits from the hands of
enlightened Normans.
A native of Edeyrnion, of the appellation of Cynwric
Hir, or Long Cynwric, released Gryffydd ab Cynan,
by carrying him on his back, in the midst of the
carousals of the English, from Chester, after twelve
years of captivity. Gryffydd, so liberated, in unison with
Cadwgan ab Bleddyn ab Cynfyn, invaded Cardigan,
and after massacring a great . number of English,
and other settlers, returned to their respective ter
ritories. The Normans having procured reinforcements from

67
England, were again defeated by Cadwgan, in the forest
o Yspys ; and this bold chieftain having laid waste
the counties of Cardigan and Pembroke, and demolished
all their fortresses, except the castles of Pembroke, and
of Rhydcors; and, uniting his forces with the sons
of Bleddyn ab Cynfyn, he desolated the counties of
Chester, Hereford, Worcester, and Salop, with all
the fury and cruelty of a rebellious and barbarous
people. A. D. 1094. By these too late struggles of the Welsh,
William Rufus was defeated, the earls of Salop and
Gloucester were slain, the castle of Montgomery taken,
and its garrison put to the sword ; and William Rufus
was obliged, in a second attempt of quelling the tur
bulent operations of the Welsh, to retire into England
in disgrace. 1098. The Welsh, by the return ofthe Norman chief
tains from foreign service, were again gradually reduced
into obedience, and Gryffydd and Cadwgan were driven
into Ireland : for the Welsh princes never treated upon
terms of conciliation, until taken prisoners, or driven out
of the country, leaving their subjects to the vengeance,
or clemency of the English and Normans. In the
sequel of these apparent efforts for liberty, Gryffydd
was limited to the lordship of Anglesey, and Cadwgan
to the lordship of Cardigan.
¦ The petty princes of Wales had, in many instances,
been as many curses to Cambria, because they had the
spirit without th'e power of independence, and they
could not submit to the laws of political necessity:
they were always dishonorable in treaties, and fre
quently open traitors towards the kings of England, to
whom they were tributary, and had entered, into the
forms of homage and fealty.
These measures of the Welsh princes, however im
politic, and apparently insincere, were morally, excu
sable : for the kings of England by imposing on the
princes by force, tyrannical conditions of tenure, had
no right to expect the performance of treaties ; because

68
there can be no binding contract in arty case Where
either of the parties is not in the full liberty and exer*
cise of volition;
Meredydd Cadwgan, and Iorwerth, the sorts of
Bleddyn ab Cynfyn, to involve their country in fresh
troubles, joined with Roger, the son of the earl of
Shrewsburyj and the earl of Pembroke, in a rebellion
against Henry the First : but ip this the confederates
acted with duplicity, for Iorwerth went over to Henry,
and was afterwards betrayed by his associates.
A. D. 1 1 10. The western part Of Wales, about this
time, received an increase of population from a colony
of Flemings, settled by Henry, in the district of Rhds,
in Pembrokeshire. These Flemings had been obliged
to quit the low countries, in consequence of an inunda
tion, and applied to Henry for a place of settlement.
That liberal monarch gave thern Rh6s, which was a
measure of policy, and of hospitality. These people
are rather distinct at this. time, speak an impure dialect
of the English, and have been of great benefit to the
principality, by introducing the practice of good hus
bandry. 1115. Gryffydd ab Cynan, and Meredydd ab Bleddyn,
again plundered the English territories, and neglected
the payment of the tribute ; in consequence, Henry,
assisted by Alexander the Fierce, king of Scotland,
pursued these rebellious chieftains, made them give
satisfaction for the ravages they had committed, and
discharge their arrears of tribute.
1 1 16. Gryffydd ab Rhys, of South Wales,- who had
passed his youriger days in Ireland, returning into his
native country, assembled his adherents at Ystrad
Towy, laid waste Pembroke, and took the castle of
Carmarthen, which Henry had made one of his seats of
government : his forces increasing, he took the castles of
Gwyr and Cidwely ; destroyed the fortresses of Blaen
PorthGwithean, and Ystrad Peithyll, in Cardigan; but
being repulsed in his siege of the castle of Aberystwyth,
he retired to the recesses of Ystrad Towy. In the

69
campaign through Cardigan, Gryffydd was assisted by
the natives, under the leaders Howel ab Dinerth,
Trahaern ab Ithel, and Cadifor ab Grono : this last
captain was proprietor of the present place, called
Castle Howel, in the parish of Llandyssil, in the county
of Cardigan; and his monument serves for a part of
the style leading into the church-yard, with the in^
scription —
CEDVOR FILIVSGREHO
(the H. often used for N.J
Cadifor, the son of Grono.
Owen ab Cadwgan, and Llywarch ab Trahaern, with
Robert, earl of Gloucester, were now engaged by
Henry to assassinate Gryffydd ab Rhys : but the mea
sure proved unsuccessful ; and the attention of Henry
was diverted from the pursuit of Gryffydd, by the rer
bellion of the princes of Powys. That insurrection
was soon quashed by Henry, who imposed on Merer
d>ldd, then prinqe, a fine of a thousand head of
cattle. These disturbances were soon followed by the death
of Meredydd, and of Henry the First.
A. D. 1135. On the accession of the perplexed
Stephen, the Welsh of the South desolated Pembroke,
and massacred the Normans.
Gryffydd ab Rhys, on the commencement of this
irruption, went to the North to Gryffydd ab Cynan, to
procure reinforcements. During his absence, 'his wife
Gwenllian, attended by her two sons, Morgan and
Maelgwyn, took the field at the head of her forces :
she was defeated near Cydweli, by Maurice de
Londres : Morgan was slain in the action, Maelgwyn
was taken prisoner, and Gwenllian was put to death by
the Order of Maurice. Owen Gwypedd, and Cad
waladr, the brothers of Gwenllian, and sons of
Gryffydd ab Cynan, in revenge for her death, laid
waste the Normap districts in Cardigan ; apd being

7°
joined by Morgan ab Owen, Gryffydd ab Rhys, Howel
ab Meredydd, Madawg ab Ednerth", and' other chief
tains, they destroyed the castles of Aberystwyth,
Dinerth, and Caerwedros, and gained a complete vic
tory over the united troops ofthe English Normans, and
Flemish settlers, in a sanguinary battle, which took
place between the two rivers, Nefer and Teify.
A. D. 1 137. The cause of the Welsh was now greatly
weakened by the death Of Gryffydd ab Rhys ab
Tewdwr; and, a few years after, by the death of
Gryffydd ab Cynan, at .the advanced age of eighty-two,
who was interred on the south side of the great altar, in
the church of Bangor.
Gryffydd ab Rhys left a son, distinguished as lord
Rhys, by Gwenllian, a daughter of Gryffydd ab Cynan;
and Gryffydd ab Cynan, who is represented to have
been a prince of incomparable virtues, and to have
cleared North Wales of invaders, leftissue by Angharad,
the daughter of Owen ab Edwyn, three sons ; Owen;
Cadwaladr and Cadwallon ; and five daughters, Mar-
ret, Susanna, Ranult, Agnes, and Gwenllian ; and by a
concubine, lago, Ascain, Edwal, abbot of Penmori,
Dollin, and Elen, who was married to Hofa ab Ithel,
Felyn of Ial.
Owen Gwynedd, the eldest son of Gryffydd ab
Cynan, succeeded his father as titular prince of" North
Wales ; and taking advantage of the troubles of Eng
land, and the absence of the feudal lords and knights,
destroyed the castles of Ystrad Meyrig, Llanstepban,
and Castle Humphrey, < and laid in ashes the town of
Carmarthen ; for the policy of the Welsh princes was
that of barbarism — to desolate, and not to recover, and
retain possession : and Stephen, king of England,
overlooked these devastations as the rights of chivalry,
and of private warfare.
A.D. 1142. Howel the Bard, and Cynan, illegiti
mate sons of Owen Gwynedcl, invaded South Wales,
and took possession of Cardigan. Gilbert, earl of
Clare, with a view of defending his feudal territories,.

71
rebuilt the castles of Carmarthen and Dinevawr ; but
Cadell, the son of the late Gryffydd ab Rhys, retook'
these castles ; and, with the assistance of his brothers
Meredydd and Rhys, recovered the castle of Llan
stepban, and defeated the Normans and Flemings, who
were commanded by the sons of Gerald,, and William
de Hay.
A, D. 1 144. Owen.Gwynedd also was in action, for he
took and razed the castle of Mold, in Flintshire ; and
his son Howel assisted Gryffydd ab Rhys in the taking of
the strong castle of G wys, or Wiston, in Pembrokeshire.
But the operations of the Welsh chieftains were
never of any continuance in" unison ; and the princir
pality was again exposed to desolation from everv
robber of royal descent, who assumed the title of
prince, whilst he acted a part inimical towards his coun
try, and traitorous towards his sovereign. The Welsh
had not sufficient industry to cultivate their possessions,
nor had they political discrimination to consider these
petty disturbers to be the cause of their misfortunes,
and that the sending the .heads of these plunderers to
the English kings, would have removed local antipathies,
and procured them peace and abundance.
1 165. Henry the Secopd, perceiving that the Welsh
leaders had neither hopor nor humanity towards
himself, nor yet towards each other, invaded Wales ;
but in passing the Ceiriog, a river in Denbighshire, he
was so warmly pressed by the Welsh, that his own life
was in danger, and would have been sacrificed to their
vengeance, had not Hubert de St. Clare, the constable
of Colchester, seen the flying arrow, and stepping before
the king, received the weapon in his own hosom, and
devoted his own life to save that of his sovereign.
After this engagement Henry retired .to the moun
tains of Berwyn, and being in that encamprnent deprived
of forage, and visited with a tempest, and then sud
denly called home by other insurrections in England,
which required his presence, the Welsh construed this
retirement into a defeat. Gryffydd ah Rhys, in copse-

72
quence, took the castles of Cardigan and Cilgerran,
levelled them with the ground, and returned to his own
territories laden with plunder.
A.D. 1 166. The prince of North Wales took the castle
of Basingwerk, and in confederacy with Rhys ab
Gryffydd and Owen Vychan, made a tripartite disT
memberment of the dominions, of Owen Cyfeiliog;
and afterwards demolished the castles of Rhyddlan
and Prestatyn, and reduced the whole of Tegengl, or
Englefield. Rhys ab Gryffydd having reduced Cyfeiliog, i\\
Powys, and paid homage to King Henry, who was
then marching through South Wales on his expedition
to Ireland, was so graciously received, that 'Henry
confirmed Rhys in the possession of his dominions.
II69. The affairs of North Wales, in this course
of success, met with a serious interruption by the death
pf Owen Gwynedd, who, after a reign of thirty-two.
years, expired, and was buried at Bangor.
It is worthy of passing observation, that when arch
bishop Baldwin made his tour through Wales, visited
Bangor, and saw the tomb of Owen Gwynedd in that
church, he charged the bishop, "Guy Rufus, to remove
the body of Owen Gwynedd out of the cathedral, be
cause archbishop Becket had formerly excommunicated
him for marrying his first cousin, the daughter of Grono
ab Edwin ; and yet Owen persisted in cohabiting with
her as long as she lived. The bishop, ¦ in obedience to
this charge, caused a subterraneous passage to be made
from the vault under the church wall outwards, and
ejected the remains of Owen Gwynedd from the cathe
dral into the church yard. This persecution of the
ashes of the dead, for having married a cousin, shews
very clearly, that the archbishops and bishop were not
well read ip the holy scriptures, and were entire
strangers to christian feelings.
Owen Gwynedd had several children : by Gwaldys, ,
or Gladys, daughter of Llywarch ab Trahaern ab Cara
dog, he had Iorwerth Drwyndwn, or Edward, with tha

73
broken nose, Conan, Maelgwn, and Gwenllian : by
Christian, the daughter of Grono ab Owen ab Edwin>
he had David, Roderic, Cadwallon, abbot of Bardsay,
and Angharad, who was married to Gryffydd Maylor:
and, by other women, he had Conan, Llewelyn, Mere
dydd, Edwal, Rhun, Howel, Cadell, Madoc, Eineon,
Cynwric, Philip, and Ryrid, lord of Clochran, in
Ireland. On the death of Owen, the succession descended to
his eldest legitimate son Iorwerth Drwyndwn : but
being set aside on account of that blemish, Howel, a
base-born son of Owen, by an Irish woman, assumed
the government. In a short time afterwards David ab
Owen", disputing the succession, raised an army, met
Howel in battle ; and, in the contest, slew Howel, and
succeeded as titular prince of North Wales.
Among the illegitimate sons of Owen Gwynedd was
Madog, a fisherman, who was lost at sea. Yulgar tra
dition reports, that Madog discovered a western conti
nent; that the discovery is recorded by Guttin Owen,
and that there is, at this time, a nation of white Indians
in America. The story is plausible, and worthy of
consideration; for, on all topics, the greater the impo
sition, so much stronger must be the credulity of its
supporters. America was discovered \n 14.91 : Guttin Owain was
not an anterior historian, but manufactured his national.
claim after the discovery : he signed the return to the
commission of Henry the Seventh, to inquire into the
pedigree of Owen Tudor, and flourished some years
after the discovery of America.
And the circumstance of meeting apparent Indians,
who speak the Welsh language, has nothing very singu
larly imposing; for outlaws and criminals, of all nations,
find it convenient to retire beyond the reach of justice,
and become the high plumed associates ofthe American
natives. Iorwerth Drwyndwn was not only set aside, but was
treated by his brother David with great severity, if not

74
with cruelty. A tumulus. on a hill,1 in the parish of
Pennant Melangell, in the county of Montgomery, is
called Bwlch Croes Iorwerth : the cross erected over
his remains was afterwards removed to the church-yard
of Llangynnog; and, in Mr. Pennant's time, had the
inscription HIC IACET ETWART.
Rhys, of South Wales, was now at war with Owen
Cyfeiliog; and entering Powys, subdued Owen, and
took pledges for his future good conduct
A. D. 1 172. King Henry, at this time, was determined
on the conquest of Ireland. In his march through
Wales he dispossessed Iorwerth ab Owen ab Caradog,
of the town of Caerlleon upon Usk, and held it for his
own use. On this march he was waited upon by the
lord Rhys, who made his submission, and promised to
his Majesty three hundred horses and four thousand
oxen, as a ^upply towards the conquest of Ireland : and
the king, in return, made a grant to Rhys of all Cardh
gan, Ystrad Tywy, Arustly, and Eluel, and restored to
him his son Howel. King Henry, in passing through
the principality, was sumptuously entertained by Rhys,
at the White House, on the Taf ; and made his obla-,
tions at St. David's, to the memory of the Cambrian
saint. On the return of Henry from Ireland, in the next
year, he constituted the lord Rhys to be chief justice of
all South Wales, and took his departure for Normandy.
During this absence of the king, and the disturbances
in England, Iorwerth ab Owen ab Caradog recovered
possession of Caerlleon ; and his son Howel reduced all
Gweot-Is-Coed, except the castle, into subjection; en
forced pledges of the inhabitants to be true and faithful
to him, and to retract their allegiance and fealfy to the
king of England ; and took prisoner his uncle, Owen
Pencarn, who was the right heir to Caerlleon and
Gwent. In North Wales, Maelgwn having taken possession ,
of Anglesey, was driven put of the island by David ab
Oven Gwynedd, forced to take refuge in Ireland; and,

75
on his returning into North Wales, was confined in
prison by his brother David.
About this time died Cadwaladr ab Gryffydd ab
Cynan, prince of North Wales, who had been married
to Alice, daughter of Richard Clare, earl of Gloucester.
This earl founded the abbey at Margam, and his daugh
ter Alice erected a cross there for the sake of her soul.
The stone cross is now used for a foot bridge; but the
Latin inscription is still legible.

llCfFEIZIT
mm nam in
Btiifummf,

that is, Alice raised this Cross for her Soul's sake, in the
Name of the Supreme Being.
David ab Owen Gwynedd, prince of North Wales,
who, during the early part of his reign, had treated his
brothers and kinsmen with great injustice, was now
brought into submission by the kindness of Henry; for
this wise king gave his sister Emma in marriage to
David ; and, in return, procured of the Welsh prince
one thousand auxiliary troops to assist him in his
French wars; and thus had the address of cementing
the fidelity, and, at the same time, of weakening the
power of David.
A. D. 1 176. King Henry, by these measures of sound
policy, acquired such ascendency over the Welsh chief
tains, that the council which he held in Gloucester for
settling the affairs of the Welsh marches, or borders,
was attended by Rhys ab Gryffydd; Cadwallon ab
Madog, of Melienydd; Eineon Glyd, of Elfed; Eineon
ab Rhys, of Gwrthrynion; Morgan ab Caradog ab
Jestyn, of Glamorgan ; Gryffydd ab If or ab Meurig,
ofSenghennydd; Seisyllt ab Dyfnwal, of Higher G went;
and Iorwerth ab Owen, of Caer Lleon.
This reconciliation of Henry to the Welsh chieftains
was against the interest of the Norman barons, and

76
created many petty warfares; for the barons were ty-.
rants, and the Welsh princes were rebels ; and when
Henry gave grants to one party, such grants were to. be
carved out of the estates of the other.
A- D. 1 1 87. The mania of the crusade, which Bald
wyn, the archbishop of Canterbury, preached throughout
Wales, greatly weakened the principality of men and
means ; for it was the creed of the day, that the only
road to salvation was by murdering the Saracens, and
rebuilding of the town of Jerusalem.
The manners and habits of the Ancient Britons, or
Welsh, at this period, are given by Giraldus Cambren^
sis — " The Welsh people are light and active, rather;
hardy than strong, apd universally trained to the use of
arms; for when the trumpet sounds the alarm, the hus
bandman leaves his plough, and rushes to the onset
with as mpch eagerness as the courtier from the
palace. They live in general upon the produce of their herds,
eating flesh in larger proportion -than bread, paying nu
attention to commerce, and anxiously studying the de
fence of their country and their liberty : for these they
fight, endure hardships, and sacrifice their lives, esteem
ing it a disgrace to die in bed, and, an honor to die in
the field of battle,
These people, when by chance unarmed, dare attack
an armed foe; the infantry defy the cavalry of the
enemy ; and, by their activity and courage, generally
prove victorious.
The commonalty use light arms, small breast plates,
bundles of arrows, long lances, helmets, and shields, and
sometimes greaves, plated with iron : the higher class
go to battle, mounted on swift and generous steeds,
which their country produces.
In time of peace, the young men, by penetrating into,
the recesses of the woods, and climbing the tops of
mountains, learn to endure fatigue; apd they acquire
the art of war by accustoming themselves to athletic
exercises, and to the use of the lance.
King Henry the Second, in answer to the enquiries of/

77
Emanuel, emperor of Constantinople, respecting Britain,
replied, ' That in a part of the island there was a peo
ple, called Welsh, so bold and ferocious^ that when
unarmed, they did not fear to encounter an armed force,
being ready to shed their blood in defence of their coun
try, and to sacrifice their lives for military renown.'
Not addicted to gluttony nor drunkenness, these peo
ple, who incur no expense in food or dress, and whose
minds are always bent upon the defence of their coun
try, and on the means of plunder, are always engaged
in the care of their horses and accoutrements. Accus
tomed to fast from mornirtg till evening, and trusting
to the care of Providence, they dedicate the whole day
to business, and in the evening partake of a moderate
meal. No one of this nation ever begs, because the houses
Of all are open ; and hospitality in this country is neither
offered nor requested by travellers, who, on entering
any house, only deliver up their arms.
Those who arrive in the morning are entertained till
evening, with the conversation of young women, and the
music of the harp, for each house has its young women
and harps allotted to this purpose. In the evening,
when no more guests are expected, the meal is prepared
according to the number and dignity of the persons
assembled, and according to the wealth of the family
who entertains : the kitchen does not supply inarry
dishes, nor high seasoned incitements to eating : the
house is not adorned with tables, cloths, and napkins ;
they study nature more than splendour; for which
reason they place all the dishes together upon mats, .
with large platters or trenchers, full of sweet herbs :
they also make use of a thin and broad cake of bread,
baked every day, and sometimes add chopped meat,
with broth.
While the family are engaged in waiting on the guests,
the host aud hostess stand up, paying unremitting at
tention to every one, and take no food till all the com
pany are satisfied, that in case of deficiency it may fall
on themselves.

78
A bed made of rushes, and covered with a coarse
kind of cloth, manufactured in the country, -called
Brychan,ox variegated and shaggy Rug, made of weavers'
web ends, is then placed along the side ofthe room, and
they all in common lie down to sleep.
The men and women cut their hair close round to
the ears and eyes ; and the women, after the manner
of the Parthians, cover their heads with a large white
veil, folded together in the form of a crown: both
sexes exceed any other nation in attention to their
teeth, which they render like ivory, by rubbing them
with the inner peel of the elder, and a woollen cloth ;
and, for their better preservation, they abstain from hot
meats, and only eat at a proper temperature.
They make use of three musical instruments, the
harp, the pipe, and the crwth, or crowd. In playing,
they always begin from B. flat, and return to the same,
that the whole may be completed under the sweetness
of a pleasing sound ; and when they enter into a move
ment, they conclude it in so delicate a manner, and
play the little notes so sportively under the blunter
sounds of the base strings, enlivening with wanton
levity, or communicating a deeper internal sensation of
pleasure, so that the perfection of their art appears in
the concealment of it.
In their rhymed songs and set speeches they are so
subtile and ingenious, that they produce, in their native
tongue, ornaments of wonderful and exquisite invention,
both in the words and sentences ; but they make use
of alliteration in preference to all other ornaments of
rhetoric, and that particular kind which joins by con-
sonancy the first letters, or syllables, of words. So much
do the English and Welsh nations employ this ornament
of words in all exquisite composition, that no sentence
is esteemed to be elegantly spoken, no oration to be
otherwise than uncouth and unrefined, unless it be
polished by the file of this rule.
In their musical concerts they do not sing in unison
like the inhabitants of other countries, but in many
separate parts ; so that in a company of singers, which

79
one frequently meets with in Wales, we hear as many
parts and voices as there are performers, who all at
length unite with organic melody in one consonance, in
the soft sweetness of B. flat. In the northern district of
Britain, beyond the Humber, and on the borders of
Yorkshire, the inhabitants make use of the same kind
of symphonious harmony, but with less variety, singing
only in two parts, one murmuring in the base, the other
warbling in the acute or treble.
Neither of the two nations has acquired this pecu
liarity by art, but by long habit, which has rendered it
natural and familiar; and the practice is now so firmly
rooted in them, that it is unusual to hear a simple and
single melody well sung; and what is still more won
derful, the children, even from their infancy, sing in
the same manner.
As the English in general do not adopt this mode
of' singing, but only the northern countries, it seems
probable that these parts of the island were more fre
quently invaded, and remained longer under the domi
nion of the Danes and Norwegians, from whom the
natives contracted this mode of singing and style of
speaking. The. Welsh esteem noble birth and generous descent
above all things, and are therefore more desirous of
marrying into high than rich families : even the com
mon people retain their genealogy; and can not only
readily recount the names of their grandfathers and
great grandfathers, but refer back to the sixth, seventh,
and still more remote generations.
Being particularly attached to family descent, they
revenge with vehemence the injuries which may tend to"
the disgrace of their blood : and being naturally of a
vindictive and passionate disposition, they are ever
ready to revenge not only recent but ancient affronts.
They neither inhabit towns, villages, nor castles, but
lead a solitary life in the woods, on the borders of which
they do not erect sumptuous palaces, nor lofty stone
buildings, but content themselves with small huts, made
of the boughs of trees twisted together, constructed

80
with little labour and expense, and sufficient to endure
throughout the year : they have neither orchards nor
gardens. The greater part of their land is laid down in pas
ture; little is cultivated: a very smallquantity is orna
mented with herbs and flowers ; and a small quantity is
sown : they seldom yoke less than four pair "of oxen
to their ploughs ; and the driver walks backwards before
them ; and when he falls down, is frequently exposed to
danger from their refractory cattle.
In cutting down their crops, instead of small sickles
they make use of a moderate sized piece of iron, formed
like a knife, with two pieces of wood fixed loosely and
flexibly to each end, and this they consider as a more
expeditious instrument.
The boats which they employ in fishing, or in cross
ing the rivers, are made of twigs, not oblong nor
pointed, but almost round, or rather triangular, covered
both within and without with raw hides : when a salmon
thrown into one of these boats strikes it hard with his
tail, he often oversets it, and endangers both the vessel
and its navigator. In going to, and returning from the
rivers, the fishermen are accustomed to carry these
boats upon their shoulders, which made Bled here say,
' There is among us a people, who, when they go out
in search of prey, carry their horses on their backs to
the place of plunder; they leap upon their horses in
order to catch their prey, and when it is taken, they
carry their horses home again upon their shoulders.'
Happy and fortunate indeed would this nation be if
it had but one prince, and that prince a good man!" —
Giraldus, by Sir R. C. Hoare, bart. passim.
This Giraldus accompanied Baldwin in his tour
through Wales, an event which drew the attention of the
gaping multitudes ; and, in consequence, an interval of
domestic peace.
The return of Baldwin into England, and the absence
of Richard in the holy war,-gave a desirable opportunity
for the Welsh princes to carry on their favorite pur
suits of civil dissentions, devastations, and murders.

81
Rhys ab Gryffydd, in the South, was atwar with his sons,
and his sons with each other: and David, the prince of
the North, was contending with Roderic, and afterwards
with Llewelyn ab Iorwerth Drwyndwn, who finally sup
planted David, and succeeded him in the principality
of North Wales.
A. D. 1197. This year died the valiant Rhys ab
Gryffydd, of South Wales, whose character has been
almost libelled by the pens of flatterers. Powel says,
rather modestly, that Rhys was the only stay and de
fence of that part of Wales; for be it was that got them
their liberty, and secured it to them: he often very
readily exposed his own life for the defence of their's,
and their country; generally he got the better of his
enemies ; and, at last, either brought them entirely
under his subjection, or forced them to quit the coun
try : he was no less illustrious for his virtuous endow
ments than for his valour and extraction ; so, that it
was with good reason that the British bards and others
wrote so honorably of him, and so mightily deplored his
death. Higden, in his polychronicon, wipes off his tears, and
exclaims " O bliss of battle, child of chivalry, defence
of country, worship of armies, arm of strength, hand of
largess, eye of reason, brightness of honesty ! ! &c. &c
" O clothing of naked, fair in speech, fellow in service,
honest of deed, sober in word, glad in semblance, love
in face! &c &c. The noble diadem of the fairness of
Wales is now fallen ; Rhees is dead ! all Wales groaneth ;
Rees is dead ! the bliss of Wales passeth ! Rees is dead !
the worship of the world goeth away : the enemy is
here, for Rees is not here."
The second volume of the Myfyrian Archaiology has
preserved the following strain of adulation from the
pen of some frantic Cambrian — " Death, in that ac
cursed year, broke the chain of destiny, to reduce the
lord Rhys ab Gryffydd under his triumphant dominion:
the man, who was the chief, the shield, the strength of
the South, and of all Wales; the hope and defence of
all the tribes of Britons; descended of a most illus-
G

82
trious line of kings ; conspicuous for his extensive al
liance ; the powers of his mind were characteristic of
his descent.
" A counsellor in his court, a soldier in the field, the
safeguard of his subjects, a combatant ort the'ramparts;
the nerve of war ; the disposer of the battle ; the van?
quisher of multitudes ; ' and who, like an enraged wild
boar rushing forward, would vent his fury on his foes.
" Fallen is the glory of the conflicts ! the shield of his
knights, the protection of his country, the splendour cf
arms, the arm of power, the hand of liberality, the eye
of discrimination, the mirror of virtue, the summit of
magnanimity, the soul of energy; Achilles in hardiness,
Nector in humanity, Tydeus in valour, Sampson in
strength, Hector in prudence, Hercules in heroism,
Paris in comeliness, Ulyses in speech, Solomon in wis
dom, Ajax in thought: he was the foundation of all
excellence." This gallant warripr and popular prince was buried
on the south side of the altar in the cathedral church of
St. David: his monument is in a good state of preseiv
ration, and the effigy represents' a man rather advanced
in years, in a recumbent attidue, clothed in armour
with his- head reposing on a helmet. — 2 Girald by Sin
R. C. Hoare, bart.
Gryffydd ab Rhys, the eldest son of lord Rhys, suc
ceeded him in the nominal government of South Wales;
but his brother Maelgwn, with an intent to dispossess
Gryffydd, entered into a league with Gwenwynwyn, son
©f Owen Cyfeiliog, lord of Powys. -
These confederates entered Cardigan with their united
forces ; and having surprised and taken Gryffydd pn>
soner at Aberystwyth, Maelgwn recovered the whole
lordship of Cardigan ; and Gwenwynwyn delivered
Gryffydd up to the mercy of the English, entered
Arusfly, and brought it under his subjection.
David ab Owen, whom prince Llewelyn had forced
to abdicate the usurped government of North Wales,
and, had for some time, lived in retirement, made an
attempt to recover the principality at the head of a

83
large? army of English and Welsh. Llewelyn, who was
tbe right heir, and in possession, boldly met the usurper,
gave him battle, routed his army, and secured the peace
and quietness ofhis dominions.
Towards the close of the same year died Owen Cy
feiliog, lord of the Higher Powys, and left his pos-r
sessions to his son Gwenwynwyn, from whose name
that lordship has been called Powys Wen wyn wyn, to
distinguish it from Powys Fadog, the inheritance of the
lords of Bromfield.
Owen was the son of Meredydd, the son of Bleddyn,
and was-entitled Cyfeiliog, from a commot of that name,
in the hundred of Cynan : he distinguished himself as
one of the leaders of the Welsh forces in the battle of
Corwen, ip Edeyrneon: was afterwards received into
favor by Henry the Second, and created lord or baron
of Powys.
Amidst the pursuit of arms, and the cares of petty
government, Owen devoted intervals to the cultivation
of bardism. This disposition of thinking liberally made
him indifferent respecting the religious mania of the
times ; and he was excommunicated by archbishop
Baldwin because he did not wait on his grace at Shrews
bury, and grant a supply of money and men for the
service ofthe crusades. Owen composed the Hirlas, or
Drinking Horn, Circuits through Wales, &c.
A. D. 1 198. About this time Trahaern Fychan, a
man of great influence in the county of Brecknock,
whilst proceeding to Llancors to consult on business
with William de Bruce, the lord of that castle, was, by
order of this Norman lord, tied to a horse's tail, dragged
through the streets of Brecknock to the gallows, then
beheaded, and his trunk suspended by the feet for three
days. Gwenwynwyn, of Powys, to be revenged on William
de Bruce, for the murder of his cousin Trahaern, laid
siege to Payn's castle. The lords marchers not able
to relieve the place, immediately released Gryffydd ab
Rhys, who soon raised a strong body ofhis countrymen :
these troops co-operating with the English, attacked
g 2

84
GrWenwynwyrt, a Sanguinary battle ensued, and, in the
sequel, the castle was relieved, and Gwenwynwyn de»
feated. ln this battle Gwenwynwyn lost many of his
best captains : Anarawd ab Eineon, Owen ab Cadwalloii;
Richard ab Jestyn, and Robert ab Howel, were among
the slain; and Meredith ab Conan, and others, were
taken prisoners. Gryffydd being set at liberty, and
having raised additional troops, repossessed himself of
all Cardigan, except the castles of Abeiteify and
Ystrad Meiric, which were still retained by his brother
Maelgwn. A. D. 1 199. To these Maelgwn added the castle of
Dinerth, after taking the place, and putting all the gar
rison to the sword.
In the following year Gryffydd ab Cynan ab Owen
Gwynedd died, and was buried in the abbey of Conway.
Maelgwn, finding that the castle of Aberteify was not
tenable,- sold it to the English. Madog ab Gryffydd
Mailor, lord of Bromfield, built the abbey of Llanegwest,
or Vale Crucis. Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, prince of North
Wales, banished out of his principality his cousin Me
redydd ab Conan ab Owen Gwynedd, under suspicion
of treason; and confiscated his lands, which were the
hundreds of Lleyn and Yfionydd. Meredith, son of
the late lord Rhys ab Gryffydd, was traitorously put to
death at Carnhwyllion, and his brother, prince Gryffydd
ab Rhys, took possession of his castle of Llanymddyfri,
and all his lands.
1202. The hopes of the Welsh, still in expectation
of liberty and independence, were greatly disappointed
by the too early death of prince Gryffydd ab Rhys,
who was buried at Ystrad Flur. In the following year,
the Welsh nobles, after a short siege, took and levelled
with the ground the castle of Gwrthryuion, which was
in the possession of Roger Mortimer.
And Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, recollecting that by the
will of Roderic the Great, and the laws of Howel Dda,
the prince of North Wales was the sovereign lord,
summoned ail the Welsh princes to do homage to him
for their dominions, and to swear their allegiance.

85
The Welsh lords all attended to this summons, with
the exception of Gwenwynwyn. This disobedience of
the lord of higher Powys was submitted to the conside
ration of the lords present, who decided that Gwen
wynwyn should be compelled to attend, or forfeit his
estate. Elis ab Madog ab Meredith, however, dissented
from this resolution, and retired from the meeting,
highly dissatisfied with their proceedings. Prince
Llewelyn, pursuant to the decision of his lords, marched
an army against Gwenwynwyn, enforced his submission,
and afterwards compelled Elis ab Madog to do homage,
and swear his allegiance.
A.D. 1203. Prince Rhys ab Gryffydd was now in ac
tion, and took the castle of Llangadock : but in a short
time the allied forces of Maelgwn and Gwenwynwyn,
besieged and took the castles of Llanymddyfri and
Llangadock, and fortified the castle of Dinerth. Prince
Llewelyn, about the same time, set at liberty his uncle,
David ab Owen Gwynedd : the ungrateful David imme^
diately proceeded to England, raised an army, and at
tempted to recover the principality of the North ; but
being defeated by Llewelyn, he retired into England,
and there died of grief.
The Welsh princes of this age weakened the country
by taking and retaking of castles, and manifested great
pruelty of disposition by their frequent assassinations.
Howel, a blind son of the lord Rhys, was slain at
Cemaes, by his brother Maelgwn's men, and buried at
Ystrad Flur. Prince Rhys and his brethren recovered
from Maelgwn the castles of Dinevor and Llanymddyfri.
William Marshal, earl of Pembroke, takes the castle
of Cilgeran. Maelgwn builds a castle at Abereineon,
hires an assassin to murder Cadifor ab Gryffydd, and is
also said to have put to death the four sons of Cadifor.
The mother of these youths was Susannah, a daughter
of Howel ab Rhys, by a daughter of Madog ab Mere-
dyth, prince of Powys.
1207. Prince Llewelyn, finding that Gwenwynwyn
was in treaty with the English, commenced his mi
litary career by •taking into his hands all the possessions

86
of Gwenwynwyn ; he then marched towards South
Wales,' rebuilt the castle of Aberystwyth, which had
been demolished by the timid Maelgwn ; took most of
the castles in Cardigan, and gave them to prince Rhys
and his brother Owen, and then returned to the North,
full of triumph and military glory. On the departure
of Llewelyn, Rhys Fychan, son of the lord Rhys, con
trary to the league he had entered into with his nephews,
besieged and took the castle of Llangadock : the prinees.
Rhys and Owen, however, soon revenged themselves of
this breach of faith, for they furiously attacked the
place, put the garrison to the sword, and burnt the
castle. The earl of Chester having rebuilt the castle of
Diganwy, and fortified the castle of Treftynon, or St,
Winifred, gave such offence to Llewelyn, that he en
tered the earl's lands, plundered his dominions, and
returned home with considerable booty. These foraging
inroads made Llewelyn contemptible to both the English
and Welsh, and, in consequence, his dependent lords
applied for protection to the king of England, as the
supreme power.
Rhys Fychan, assisted by the English, took the castle
of Llanymddyfri. Gwenwynwyn, by the aid sent him
from England, recovered his paternal dominions; and
Maelgwn, after swearing allegiance to the English king,
received a supply of English and Norman troops, with
which he entered Cardigan, and encamped at Cilcenny:
but the princes Rhys and Owen, with a small army of
chosen men, entering the camp in the night time, fell
on the confederate forces when asleep, and committed
universal slaughter. Maelgwn with difficulty escaped;
Eineon ab Caradog, and many of his leaders, were slain ;
and Conan ab Howel, his nephew; and Gryffydd ab
Cadwgan, his confidential adviser, were taken prisoners.
About the time of these provincial contests, Gilbert,
earl of Gloucester fortified the castle of Built; and
Maud de Bruce, the widow of Gryffydd ab Rhys, diedj
and was buried at Ystrad Flur.
The nominal independence of Wales was now drawing

87
towards its termination. The principality of Powyi
became extinct on the demise of Madog and Meredith;
the principality of South Wales expired at this time, ori
the dispossession of Rhys ab Gryffydd, by his uncles,
the lords Maelgwn and Rhys Fychan ; and the princi
pality of the North was titular, and dependent on the
pleasure of the king, and merely from a consideration
of the rank of his daughter, who was the wife of
Llewelyn. The lords marchers having represented to king John,
that Llewelyn perpetually made inroads into their ter
ritories, slew their men, and committed all possible
waste and destruction ; the king, in order to redress the
complaints of his subjects,, raised a large army, and
summoned to his assistance all the Welsh lords, viz. ,
Howel ab Gryffydd ab Cynan ab Owen Gwynedd ;
Madog ab Gryffydd Mailor, lord of Bromfield, Chirke,
and Yale; Meredith ab Rotpert, lord of Cydewen;
Gwenwynwyn, lord of Powys ; and Maelgwn and Rhys,
sons ofthe lord Rhys, governors of South Wales.
King John, at the head of this formidable army,
came to Chester with the design of chastising the inso
lence of Llewelyn.
But Llewelyn meantime issued orders to his depen
dents of the counties of Anglesey, Denbigh, and Flint,
to retire with their cattle and effects to the fastnesses of
Snowdon. King John now marched his army along
the sea coast to Rhuddlan, and encamped near the cas
tle of Diganwy. By this injudicious rout and position
of the English army, Llewelyn got behind them, cut off
their communication with England, and reduced the
enemy into such a state of destitution, that the king
was glad to have an opening to retire into his own
country, and to leave the .Welsh to bury his dead, and
in full possession of their woods and caverns.
The next year, king John reflecting on his disgrace
ful retreat from Wales, and anxious to recover his lost
honor, marched for North Wales with a large army,
and was met by his Welsh lords at Blanch Monastery,
or Oswestry, in the lordship of John, sop of William

Fitzalan. This grand army passing the Conway, and
encamping on the other side towards the Snow don Hills ;
the king sent a detachment of his army to burn Bangor,
and to bring to his camp Rotpert, the bishop of thai
see. These orders were faithfully executed, and
Rptpert was detained prisoner in the English camp,,
until he obtained his ransom, for a present of twq
hundred hawks.
King John, by this conquest of the clergy, threw
§uch terror upon Llewelyn, that he sent his wife Joan
to intercede with her father, the king of England, for a
cessation of hostilities. This mission of Joan was suc
cessful; Llewelyn had letters of safe eonduct, did
homage to John, promised him twenty thousand head
of cattle, and forty horses, towards the expence of his
expedition, and surrendered the inland countries, and
the principality of Wales to the king of England, and to
his heirs for ever.
By this surrender the title of prince became extinct;
the lands were all held as baronial possessions; Wales
was subdued, and king John returned into England
with great triumph and pomp, after giving instructions
to Foulke, Viscount of Cardiff, and the lords Maelgwns-
and Rhys Fychan, to compel Rhys and Owen, and the
sons of Gryffydd ab Rhys, to acknowledge the king of
England for their sovereign, and to do him homage.
In conformity with these commands, Foulke, Mael
gwn and Rhys proceeded to Cardigan, when the lords
Rhys and Owen received a safe conduct to the English;
Court, came to London, made their submission to the
king, and surrendered to him all the lands from the
Dyfi to the Aeron.
In consequence of this surrender, Foulke fortified the
castle of Aberystwyth, and placed a garrison there to
defend it for the king : but Maelgwn and Rhys Fychan,
jealous of this royal garrison, besieged and destroyed the
fortified castle of Aberystwyth.
The lords Rhys and Owen, hearing of this violation of
the king's peace, entered Isaeron, the country of
Maelgwn ; apd having slain a great number of men,

89
among whom was a distinguished youngster ofthe times,
of the name of Bach Glas, they returned to their own
dominions with great spoil and plunder.
A.D. 1211. Llewelyn, late prince, and now reduced to
the baronial rank of lord of Gwynedd, being unaccus
tomed to a life of submission, assembled the Welsh
lords Maelgwn ab Rhys, Madog ab Gryffydd Mail or,
and Meredith ab Rotpert, made complaints of the
oppressions of the English, and shewed the necessity of
having a prince, or chief, of their own. These lords,
sensible of the truth of this statement, swore fealty to
Llewelyn, and uniting their forces, they took from the
English all the castles in North Wales, excepting
Ruddlan and Diganwy, and then laid siege to the'
castle of Mathrafael. King John informed of this con
spiracy, raised the siege, and burnt the castle ; and
being called again into England on account of the tur
bulence of his nobility, and afterwards informed that
Llewelyn laid waste the marches, * he caused the
hostages he had received from Llewelyn, to the number
of twenty-eight, to be hanged at Nottingham ; among
whom were Howel, the son of Cadwgan, and Madog,
the son of Maelgwn ; and Robert Uspont, or Vipont,
about the same time, caused Rhys, the son of Maelgwn,
a promising youth of seventeen years of age, to be
hanged at Shrewsbury.
The remains of this youth, from the etiquette of the
times,' were delivered to his father, and interred in the
territory of Maelgwn. A stone in the garden wall of
Llanvaughan, in the parish of Llanwenog, in the county
of Cardigan, seems to be his sepulchral monument,
with the Inscription —
TRENECATVS
H I C I A C I T F I L I V S
MAELAGNI.
Here lies the truncated, orslaughtercd, son of Maelgwn.
Pope Innocent the Third wishing to distress the king
of England, sent a nuncio into Wales, who absolved
Llewelyn Gvvenwynwvn and Maelgwn from their oaths
pf allegiance to King John, and commanded them under

90
the penalty of excommunication, to molest and annoy
John as an open enemy to the church of God. This
absolution ofhis Holiness was, however, of no service
to the Welsh lords, for in a little while after, king
John, by the persuasion of Pandulph, the Fope'is
legate, granted to his Holiness all his demands, and he
received absolution from the hands of Pandulph.
Rhys, the son of Gryffydd ab Rhys, who had beep
dispossessed by his uncles of all his lands, applied for
redress to the king of England, who immediately com
manded Foulke, viscount of Cardiff, to take all
Ystradty wy from Rhys Fychan, unless he would per
mit his nephews, Rhys and Owen, to enjoy the castle
of Llanymddyfri, with its lands and privileges in peace;
and Rhys Fychan having refused to deliver up the
castle, the viscount Foulke raised an army and marched
to Trallwng to join the forces which Rhys and Owen
had collected in Brecknock, and with these troops took
the castles of Dinefor and Llanymddyfri, and gave them
to Rhys and Owen : and in a short time after, Rhys
Fychan was taken at Carmarthen, and committed to
the king's prison.
Llewelyn, in North Wales, ever discontented with
the rank of a subject to which he had reduced himself,
look the castles of Diganwy and Rhuddlan, and en
tering into a confederacy with the discontented barons
against king John, took possession of Shrewsbury : he
then marched into South Wales, took all the castles in
the counties of Carmarthen and Cardigan, and then
returned to North Wales, attended by the Welsh barons,
Howel ab Gryffydd ab Cynan, Llewelyn ab Meredydd,
Gwenwynwyn, of Powys, Meredith ab Rotpert, Mael
gwn, and Rhys Fychan, Rhys and Owen, and Madog
ab Gryffydd Maelor, lord of Bromfield.
A.D. 1216. In the next year Llewelyn again pro
ceeded to Aberteifi, to compose some differences betwixt
tbe Welsh lords, and to make an equitable distribution
of South Wales to the satisfaction of all parties. By
this arrangement Maelgwn had the hundreds of Pybidiog,
Cemaes, and Emlyn, und Cilgeran Castle; young Rhys

91
had Hirfryn, Mallaen, Myddfey, and the castle bf
Llanymddyfry, and the hundreds of Gwynionydd, and
Mabwyneon, in Cardiganshire ; Owen had three hun
dreds in Cardigan, with the castles of Aberteifi, and
Nant yr Arian ; and Rhys Fychan had the castle of
Dynevor, Cantref Mawr, Cantref Bychan, excepting
Hirfryn and Myddfey, and the commots of Cidwely
and Carmarthen.
The king of England having made his peace with the
Pope, his Holiness now issued a bulla of excommunica
tion against Llewelyn, of Wales, and all the English
barons at war with king John, who was under the pro
tection of the church of Rome.
This bulla had a great effect on the barons ; Gwen
wynwyn made his peace with the king, and Llewelyn
took possession of Powys. Reynald de Bruce, the son-
in-law of Llewelyn, also submitted to king John ; but
by this policy he gave offence to the confederate lords.
Rhys and Owen invaded Built, and Llewelyn laid siege
to Brecknock, and raising the siege for a hundred marks,
he marched towards Gowar ; but whilst in his encamp
ment at Llanguke, Reynald de Bruce, who was mar
ried to his daughter, came to meet Llewelyn, made his
submission, and was received into favor, and Llewelyn
granted him the castle of Senghennydd. Llewelyn then
proceeded to Dyfed to chastise the Flemings for ad
hering to the English interest, and encamped at Cefn
Cynwarchon : in this place Iorwerth, the bishop of
St. David's, and his clergy, interceded with Llewelyn
for the Flemings, and obtained peace upon condition
of swearing allegiance, and paying the charges of the
expedition, and giving hostages.
On the departure of Llewelyn the Flemings were
again in arms, and took the castle of Aberteifi. The
Welsh lord, to revenge this act of perfidy, razed the
castles of Aberteifi and Gwys, burnt the town of
Haverfordwest, and laid waste the districts of Rh6s
and Daugleddan.
A. D. 1221. The young Rhys, once prince ofthe
South, being deprived of the castle of Aberteifi, placed

92
himself under the protection of William Marshal, carl
of Pembroke. Llewelyn, in revenge of this desertion;
took the castle of Aberystwyth ; but the king sending
for Llewelyn to Shrewsbury, made him restore the
castle of Aberteifi to the young Rhys, who died soon
after this adjustment of differences, and was buried at
Ystrad Flur.
Llewelyn and the earl of Pembroke were now en
gaged in a feudal warfare : these lords fought a grand
battle, near Carmarthen, on the west of the Towy,
which was wasteful and indecisive.
The king summoned the parties to Ludlow, to enter1
into amicable terms ; but Llewelyn continuing obstinate,
king Henry espoused the cause of the earl, and invaded
North Wales: this campaign has been represented as
highly discreditable to the English army : Henry, how
ever, returned with 3000/., which is pretty evident that
Llewelyn obtained his peace in barter for money.
A. D 1230. The Welsh, at this time, received some
quietness in the South by the decease of some of their
feudal chiefs; viz. William Marshal, earl of Pembroke;
Llewelyn, the son of Maelgwn, who died in North Walesy
and was buried at Conway; and Maelgvvn, the son of
the lord Rhys, in South Wales, who was buried at
Llanfighangel Ieroth, or Iorwerth, near the Teifi; or
his monument has been brought there from Ystrad Flur.
His sepulchral Inscription is on the west end of the
church— HIC I A CIT
VL G AGNUS
R V S S E NOMA G I
Here lies Maelgwn, the son cf the lord Rhys, which
should be Russeni Magni.
Llewelyn and his confederates again repeat their
habitual deeds of devastation and bloodshed; and the
glory of the times was demolition and murder.
This fallen and savage chief destroyed Castell Coch,
in Powys, and burnt the towns of Chin and Oswestry.
The earl of Pembroke and Owen ab Gryffydd slew all
who bore allegiance to the king, at St David's; and

93
joining forces with Maelgwn ab Maelgwn, and Rhys
Fychan, they took the castles of Caerdiff, Abergavenny,
Pencelly, Blaenllyfny, and Bwlch-y-Ddinas, and put all
the garrisons to the sword.
Rhys Fychan, who is called Rhys Grug, or the hoarse
Rhys, died at Llandilo Fawr shortly after this campaign
of desolation, and was buried at St. David's on the
north side of the aUar; and his monument, which is
well preserved, represents the recumbent effigy of a man
in armour, with his head reposed on a double cushion.
And Llewelyn, deserted by his confederates, who
made their peace with the king, was at length, through
the interference of his wife and clergy, obliged to subniit
himself to be the pitiful object of royal clemency.
A. D. 1237- Joan, the wife of Llewelyn, and daughter
of king John, died in this interval of tranquillity, and
was buried, pursuant to her own wishes, on the sea
shore, at Llanfaes, in the Isle of Anglesey, where
Llewelyn, in veneration of her rnemory, founded a re
ligious house for the order of mendicant friars.
The stone coffin in which Joan was placed, has been
long emptied of her component dust, and used as a
trough for watering cattle.
Llewelyn was now grown old, impotent from a palsy,
and much disquieted by his son Gryffydd. To secure
that peace which he had always disturbed, and that
tranquillity which is so desirable in old age, and which
he little merited, he prevailed on the bishops of Here
ford and Chester to ratify his submission to king John,
and his holding of his lands by grant from the king of
England. 1240. And in a few years Llewelyn, who was
born a prince, died a vassal, and was buried in the
abbey of Conway. His coffin, at the dissolution of that
monastery, was moved to the church of Llanrwst, where
it still remains,

94

CHAP. III.
The History of the Welsh from the Death of Llewelyn
ab Iorwerth, to the present Time.
On the death of Llewelyh ab Iorwerth, all the barons
of Wales, and David ab Llewelyn among the number,
attended on the king of England, at Gloucester, and did
homage and fealty for their tenures sin Wales.
These barons, replete with jealousy, and ever en
croaching on each other, threw the principality into a
state of civil dissention and anarchy. Gilbert Marshal
took the castle of Aberteifi, and fortified it as his own
possession. David ab Llewelyn detained his brother
Gryffydd in custody, without any ostensible cause ; and
having refused to liberate him, at the request of the
bishop of Bangor, that haughty priest excommunicated
David, and prevailed on the Pope to ratify such ex-*
communication, which was followed by the forfeiture of
ail David's lands and possessions.
King Henry the Third arriving at Gloucester sum
moned all the Welsh barons to appear and make
homage. The barons of Wales, conscious of their
dependence, as Edward, tbe eldest son of king Henry,
was now entitled prince of Wales, waited oil the king.
Ralph, lord Mortimore, of Wigmore ; Walter Clifford,
Roger de Monte Alto, Maelgwn ab Maelgwn, Mere
dydd ab Rotpert, lord of Cydewen ; Gryffydd ab
Madawg^ of Bromfield ; Howel and Meredydd, the
sons of Conan ab Owen; Gwynedd Gryffydd ab
Gwenwynwyn, lord of Powys ; Morgan ab Howek,
lord of Ceri ; Owen ab Howel ; Meredydd ab Meredydd^
Howel ab Cadwallon; and Cadwallon ab Howel, re
peated their homage and fealty ; and Senena waited on
the .king, as the representative of her husband, Gryffydd
ab Llewelyn ; and, finally, David ab Llewelyn came in,

95
and made a plenary submission. Gryffydd ab Llewelyn,
and his son Llewelyn ab Gryffydd, were now delivered
up to the king, and confined in the tower of London ;
and in a short time after, Gryffydd, attempting to escape,
by letting himself down by a line, the cordage broke,
and Gryffydd fell, and expired.
King Henry, wishing to conciliate the Welsh barons,
granted to Gryffydd ab Gwenwynwyn all his estate in
Powys, and to the sons of Cynan ab Owen Gwynedd,
all their lands in Merioneth : these acts of justice gave
offence to the other Barons, and, in consequence,
Maelgwn Fychan forfeited the castle of Garthgrugyn ;
John de Mynoc, the castle of Built; and Roger Mor
timer, the castle of Melienydd.
The king, in order to keep' his Welsh barons under
control, sent an army into Wales; and David ab
Llewelyn, who was the most turbulent, entered into a
fruitless negociation with the Pope, and collected all
the forces he was able, with the intention of carrying
on hostilities against the earls of Clare and Hereford,
John de Monmouth, Roger de Monte Alto, and
others. A. D. 1245. The Welsh and marchers engaged in a
determined conflict near Montgomery, which ended in
favor of the English ; for the governor of that castle
being the general of the marchers, drew the Welsh
into an ambuscade, threw the troops into disorder, and
put them to the sword. The English, however, suf
fered considerable loss, and among their slain was a
valiant knight, ofthe name of Hubert Fitz Matthew.
The king, in hopes of restoring order in the princi
pality, sent troops from Ireland to restore tranquillity in
Anglesey, and manned the different castles in Wales
with soldiers from England and Gascony. The Irish
were unsuccessful, and driven out of Anglesey, and the
English and Gascoigns were reduced to great extremi
ties from the Cambrian mode of warfare, by cutting off
retreats, and intercepting provisions.
1246. In the midst of this general confusion, David
ab Llewelyn died, and was buried at Conway, and his
possessions in Wales descended to Sir Ralph Mortimer,

96-
in right of his wife Gladys, who was the legitimate
daughter of Llewelyn ab Iorwerth : but notwithstanding
the lawful right of Sir Ralph Mortimer, some of the
barons set up for their princes Llewelyn and Owen
Goch, the sons oi" Gryffydd, an illegitimate son of
Llewelyn ab Iorwerth. To check this rebellion, the
king sent an army into North Wales, to put Sir Ralph
Mortimer in possession ofthe baronies of Snowdon and
Aberffraw, and issued a commission to Nicholas de
Miles, Meredydd ab Rhys Gryg, and Meredydd ab
Owen ab Gryffydd, as justiciaries for South Wales, to
deforce Maelgwn Fychan, of Cardigan ; Howel ab
Meredydd, of Glamorgan ; and other barons, of all
their lands and manorial rights Meanwhile Sir Ralph
died, and his baronies descended to his son, Sir Roger
Mortimer. The next year was remarkable for lamentable events;
the bishops of St. Asaph and Bangor were reduced to
the common rank of Christians, and had to beg their
bread from door to door : the bishop of St. David's fell
like a tree and died ; and the bishop of Llandaff lost his
sight, and, like the temporizing Watson, had no pros*
peet of preferment.
A.D. 1248. Rhys Fychan, the son of Rhys Mechylj}-
in the summer following, took the castle of Carreg
Cynan, or the Rock on the river Swift, in the parish
of Llandilo, in the county of Carmarthen, which had
been some time before delivered up by his mother to
ithe English authorities.
About the same time the remains of Gryffydd ab
Llewelyn, who broke his neck in attempting to escape
from the Tower of London, were delivered to the abbot
of Conway, who bestowed upon them all the pomp and
splendour of interment. It cannot, however, be sup
posed that Henry the Third conferred this favor upon
the Welsh, but that the rebellious barons of the times
made this parade, in order to instigate the disaffected,
and to insult the government of England, by the cries
and lamentations of the Welsh over a coffin, which con
tained something ponderous, that represented the body,
of a bastard of Llewelyn ab Iorwerth.

97
Llewelyn, Owen and David, who had 'dispossessed sir -i
Roger Mortimer, now entered into a feudal war with
each other, and which the English beheld with indif
ference. After the sacrificing of many lives, Llewelyn
took his brothers prisoners, and committed them to
close confinement.
Edward, prince of Wales, having visited the princi
pality, and dealt out justice to the dissatisfaction of the
Welsh, gave rise to a more extensive plan of rebellion.
Llewelyn, assisted by Meredydd ab Rhys Gryg, and
Meredydd ab Gryffydd, recovered from the English all
the interior of North Wales, Merionydd, Cardigan, and
Gwerthrynion ; forced Rhys Fychan out of Built, and
took possession of the baronies of Gryffydd ab Gwen
wynwyn. Rhys Fychan thus deprived of his estates,
was supported by an English army, which landed at
Carmarthen, under the command of Stephen Bacon,
and besieged the castle of Dinevor ; but Llewelyn
came to its relief, a sanguinary battle took place be
tween the two armies, and the English were defeated,
with the loss of two thousand slain, and several barons
and knights taken prisoners.
Llewelyn, after this victory, laid waste all Dyfed,
burnt the castles of Abercoran, Llanstephan, Maen-
clochog, and Narberth, and all the towns in his route,
and returned to the North with great plunder and mili
tary reputation.
, The arms of Llewelyn were then directed agaiust the
possessions of the earl of Chester, which he overran
with fire and sword: and the next year, 1258, he
advanced into South Wales; reconciled Rhys Gryg and
Rhys Fychan ; took possession of Cemaes and Rhds ;
marched in a hostile manner through Glamorgan ; and,
on his returning towards North Wales, desolated all
Bromfield, which was at the time the feudal possession
of Gryffydd ab Madog Mael or.
The king of England sent his commands to Llewelyn
to abstain from further hostilities ; but this obstinate
chief having a large army, and assisted by many dis
affected barons, was bent upon further adventures. The
H

98
prince of Wales also advanced to the borders, for the
purpose of restoring tranquillity in Wales ; but the dis
turbances in England required his presence at home,
and the rebellions in Wales were overlooked, as objects
of minor consideration.
The lord James Audley, whose daughter was married
to Gryffydd, lord of Bromfield, checked the inroads of
the Welsh, by the assistance of some German cavalry ;
the English also cleared the marches of cattle, and left
nothing for the Welsh to plunder; and the king and
his nobles entering into terms of conciliation, the troops
and means afforded by the malecontent lords were with
drawn; and Llewelyn, thus deprived of plunder, and
deserted by his promoters, offered to make his submis
sion, and to give the king four thousand marks ; to the
prince three hundred marks ; and to the queen two
hundred marks, for the damages he had committed.
The king, however, refused these terms, as inadequate
to the injuries sustained by his other liege subjects.
The bishop of Bangor was some time after requested
by Llewelyn to treat with the king, and to offer sixteefl
thousand pounds for the damage done, on condition
that the Welsh should have all causes tried and detef-
mined at Chester, and enjoy the laws and customs of
their country ; and this submissive proposal was also
rejected by the king.
Llewelyn having no hopes of peace, was obliged to
continue in arms ; and, at the head of his troops, dis
possessed sir Roger Mortimer of all Built, besieged the
castle of Melienydd, put the garrisdn to the sword, and
took Howel ab Meyric, the governor, and his wife and
children, prisoners : he then laid waste the earldom of
Chester, and destroyed the castles of Diganwy and
Diserth, which belonged to Edward, prince of Wales.
The civil war in Wales was now reduced into mere
skirmishes ; for Llewelyn lost many of his adherents;
Owen ab Meicdydd, lord of Cydewen ; and Meredydd
ab Owen, of South Wales, died : David ab Gryffydd
being released out of prison by Llewelyn, went over to
the English ; Gryffydd ab Gwenwynwyn took and de-

99
stroyed the castle of Mold ; Grono ab Ednyfed Fychan
died; and shortly after Gryffydd, lord of Bromfield,
who was buried at Valle Crucis, or Llanegwest ; and
Llewelyn was glad to submit to the king, and to his
own terms, at the castle of Montgomery.
A. D. 1272. The tranquillity of Wales was again
disturbed by the death of King Henry the Third : for
as Edward, prince of Wales, succeeded to the throne,
they thought the principality was left at liberty to choose
a chief;, and never contemplated that Edward, by his
advancement to the throne of England, still continued
prince of Wales, as his second title, until the event of
issue male. This misconception was favorable to the
views of Llewelyn; and the absence of Edward, in the
Holy Land, gave opportunity to dereliction, and induced
numbers to rally to the standard of the Cambrian ad
venturer. 1274. On the return of Edward from the holy war,
all the barons, and among the rest, Llewelyn, was sum
moned to attend the coronation of Edward, at West
minster; but Llewelyn refused to attend, under pretence
of personal danger, and sent his excuse by the abbots
of Ystrad Flur, and Conway, to the archbishops and
bishops, then sitting in convocation at the Temple, in
London. King Edward admitting of no excuse, and highly
offended at the non-submission of Llewelyn, proceeded
to Chester ; and Llewelyn continuing still obstinate,
Edward formed his army into two divisions, or brigades ;
the one he led himself into North Wales, and for
tified the caste of Rhuddlan ; and the other led by
Paganus de Camutiis, into South and West Wales, took
possession of all the castles, and reduced the barons to
submission, and to the performance of homage and
fealty. David, the brother of Llewelyn, had been already
received into royal favor, had the earl of Derby's
widow given in matrimony, and a grant of the castle of
Denbigh, and its appurtenances.
At last Llewelyn was forced to succumb, and re-
h 2

100
teived for his wife the lady Eleanor, daughter of the
Countess of Leicester.
A.D. 1281. In a few years Llewelyn and David
were again in rebellion, and Uniting, their forces, be
sieged the castle of Hawarden, slew all who opposed
them, and made prisoner of Roger Clifford, one of his
Majesty's judges in North Wales : they then proceeded
to besiege the castle of Rhuddlan ; but being informed
the king was marching to raise the siege, they thought
proper to retire.
Rhys ab Maelgwn, Gryffydd ab Meredydd ab Owen,
and other barons in South Wales, took the castle of
Aberystwyth. During these tumults, John Peckham,
archbishop of Canterbury, endeavoured to persuade
Llewelyn to a re-submission ; and finding his good
offices of no avail, he excommunicated Llewelyn, and
all his adherents.
King Edward, upon this, sent an army by sea into
Anglesey, and restored order and subjection in that
island. With the intention of transporting his troops
from Anglesey to Bangor, he caused a chain of boats,
Covered with planks, to be formed over the Menai, at
Moel-y-Don. This pontoon is said to have been so
wide, that three score men might pass over abreast.
The army, consisting of English, Gascoigns, and
Spaniards, was led by William Latimer, and Sir Lucas
Thany, and could discover no signs of an enemy : but
as soon as the tide came in, and overflowed the land
on the Bangor end of the bridge, the Welsh descended
most furiouslv from the mountains, and fell on the
English troops, who suffered severely ; lost many dis
tinguished soldiers, among whom were Sir Lucas Thany,
Robert Clifford, sir Walter Lyndsey, two brothers of
Robert Burnell, bishop of Bath, and others, to the num*
ber of thirteen knights.
The forces ip South Wales were commanded by the
earl of Gloucester and sir Edmund Mortimer. These
generals defeated the Welsh in a well contested battle, at
Llaudilo Fawr, though not without the loss of William
de Valence, the king's cousin german, and four knights.

101
Llewelyn was all the time in Cardiganshire, laying
waste the, lands of Rhys ab Meredydd, and others, who
had seceded from the conspiracy, and avowed their sub
mission and loyalty to king Edward ; but tired, at length,
of this career of spoliation, detested by the plundered
inhabitants, and deserted by his men, he retired, with a
few followers, into Built, on the river Wye, where he
had appointed a neighbouring grove to be the place of
interview with some of the barons of the country.
Whilst Llewelyn was in this place, waiting the arrival '
of the barons,' John Gifford, and Edmund Mortimer,
lords of the country, being informed of the intended
interview, descended from the hills to pursue Llewelyn.
The bridge over the Wye, called Pont Irfon, was so
manfully defended by the few followers of Llewelyn,
that Mortimer and his troops found it impracticable to
force a passage : but Elias Walwyp, discovering that the
river was fordable a little below the bridge, sent a de
tachment over, who attacked the Welsh on the rear,
and forced them to abandon the bridge. Mortimer
having thus obtained a passage for his troops, surrounded
the wood ; and Llewelyn, in attempting to escape, and
join his men, was run through the body by Adam
Franctpn. The head of Llewelyn was then cut off, and
sent to king Edward, at Conway, and then placed on
the pinnacle of the Tower of London.
David ab Gryffydd, the brother of Llewelyn, was
shortly afterwards delivered up by the Welsh, and tried
and executed at Shrewsbury : and Rhys Fychan, of
Ystrad Tywy, surrendered himself to the earl of Here
ford, and was committed prisoner to the Tower of
London. By the execution and imprisonment of the rebellious
barons, the principality was restored into tranquillity ;
and to secure a continuanceof good order, king Edward
fortified the castle of Caernarfon, and several others.
A. D. 1284. The king of England conducted himself
towards the Welsh by measures of soupd policy : in
1281, he had appointed commissioners to visit the
principal towns in Wales, and to make returns of the

102
laws, customs, and legal proceedings ofthe principality:
he now enacted the StatUtum Wallia, which ordained
the appointment of sheriffs, coroners, forms of writs,
&c. &c. ; and by sending for his queen, Eleanor, who
was then in the family way, and causing her to reside
at the castle of Caernarvon, where she was delivered of
a son, afterwards Edward the Second, he pacified the
restless spirit of the Welsh, by giving them a native
prince. Howel Dda had, in his time, in imitation of Alfred,
of England, divided Wales into counties and hundreds;
and the Norman settlers had subdivided these hundreds
into commots ; for, according to lord Coke, "commot is
equivalent to county, and signifies a great seigniory, or
lordship, and may include one or divers manors."
Co. Litt. 5. Edward, in imitation of Alfred, Howel
Dda, and the feudal lords, made a distribution of the
principality into counties, hundreds, and commots ; and
the commots were again subdivided into manors. By
this chain of jurisdiction and dependence of tenure,
the people, consisting of barons, freeholders, and
vassals, were at the disposal of the king, and they we're
cemented to him by interest, and by looking up to their
sovereign as to the source of favor and of justice.
The lords of the marches, or borders, had, by their'
first conquests of parts of Wales, been allowed Jura
Regalia, in all cases, except treason, and had supreme
courts : thus, the dependent barons had their subor
dinate courts, and the suitors might appeal from the
court baron to the court of the feudal lord, which was
held once a month, at the castle of the lord.
The supreme court was divided into two branches:
equity, under the cognizance of the chancellor; and
revenue, or fees, subsidies, imposts, and disputes, re
specting vassals, at the court of exchequer, under the
presidency of the chamberlain : perhaps the distribu
tion of business might have been otherwise ; that the
chamberlain was the judge at law ; and the chamber
lain, the custos of all grapts, contracts, customs,- and
by-laws,

103
In the present distant age, the strict line of the de
partments of these ministers of justice is lost, and a
discovery of them would be of no service to jurispru
dence, as the rules of analogy in law are never construed
from the practice of inferior courts, and it would be
contrary to reason to draw inductions, ab imo ad
summum.
The chamberlain, though his duties are rather stated
in a humiliating manner in Fleta, was a judge of im
portance; he had the care of the establishment and
revenue of the feudal lords, and was highly respected
or dreaded by the knights, freeholders, and vassals.
There is at this time a sepulchral monument, used
as a stile to enter the church-yard of St. Nicholas, in
the county of Pembroke, with the following Inscription
in Norman Freucb, and Norman Latin —
TVNCCETACEVX SORDAARHICIA CIT. X
That is — "Be uncovered and silent — the Chamberlain
lies here," which shews the obeisance and attention
generally due to a person in his office.
King Edward, by sending judges through Wales,
curtailed the jurisdiction of the feudal lords ; and, by
ordering his sheriffs to go the tourn, he opened a court
for the freeholders in all cases, and for the vassals
in criminal cases, and thus limited the influence of
the barons.
Before the time of Edward, the principality, from die
time of Roderic the Great, had been gavelized into
three districts, and which king Edward subdivided into
counties. The three ancient districts, or provinces, were
Gwynedd, or the Snowy Hills; Powys, or the domi
nion of the Wy, or Wye ; and Dyfed, the country to
the south of the river Dyfi.
Gwynedd, or North Wales, was divided into four
parts, viz.
1. M6n, a Mine, or Quarry; 2. Arfon, opposite
Mon; 3. Mer'ionydd, or the country of Meirion ab

104
Tibeon ab Cynedda; and 4. Perfeddwlad, or the
Interior. 1. M6n contains three hundreds, (a) Aber ffraw, or the
Conflux of the Ffraw; (b) Cemaes, or Cenmaes, the
Head-Laud ; and (c) Rhdsyr, the Heath Land.
(«) Aberffraw has the commots of Llifon, the flooded;
and Malldraeth, the uninvadeable Strand.
(i) Cemaes has the commots of Talybolion, or
Heights of Paulinus ; and Twr Celyn, or Tir Cyhelyn.
(c) Rhdsyr has the commots of Tindaethwy, or the
Castle on the Taethwy, or Travelling Water; and
Menai, the Streight, or Narrow Water.
2. Arfon contains four hundred, («) Aber, or the
Conflux ; (b) Arjon, or opposite M6n ; (c) Dunodig, '
the Territory of Dunod ab Cynedda ; and (d) Llyn, or
Lleyn, the Lake of Cantref Gwaelod.
(«) Aber had three commots, Llechwedd Uchaf, or
the Upper Declivity; Llechwedd Isaf, or the Lower
Declivity; and Nant Conwy, or the Conway Brook.
(Jj) Arfon had two commots, Uwch Gwyrfai, or
above the River Gwrfai; and Is Gwyrfai, or below the
Gwrfai. (c) Dunodig had two commots, Ardudwy, or Ardur-
ydwy, on the River Dyryd; and Yfionydd, the Rivers.
(d) Lleyn had the commots Cymmyt-Mayn, or the
narrow Commot ; Tinllayn, or the Castle of Lleyn j and
Canologion, the intermediate Men.
3 Merionydd contains two hundreds ; (a) Meirion; , ,
and (/>) Penllyn, or the Head of the Lake, called Llyn
Tegyd. The learned bard, Sion Tegyd, is a native of
this district.
(a) Meirion had three commots, Talybont, or above
Bridge ; Pennal, the Hind End ; and Ystu- Maner, or
the Manor of the Ystwy.
(b) Penllyn had three commots, Uwchmeloch, above
Meloch; Ismeloch, below Meloch ; and Mignant, Brook
Side. 4. Perfeddwlad contained five hundreds ; (a) Rhy
foniog, the Territory of Rhyfaon ab Cynedda ; (b) Ys
trad, upon the Stratum, or Roman Causeway; (c:) Rkos^

105
die Heath ; (d) Dyfryn Clzvyd, the Vale of the River
Clwyd; and (e) Tegengl, or Englefield.
(a) Rhyfoniog had the commots of Uwchaled, above
Aled ; and Isaled, below Aled.
• (b) Ystrad had the commots of Hiraethog, the long
or extending Mountain ; and Cynmeirch, the Lofty.
(c) Rhos had .the commots of Uwchdulas, above the
River Dulas ; Isdulas, below Dulas ; and Creuddyn,
the Sanguinary.
(d) Dyffryn Clwyd had the commots of Coleigion,
the Lands of' Coel ab Cynedda ; Llannerch and Dog-
feilyn, the Land of Dogfel ab Cynedda.
(e) Tegengl had the commots of Cynsyllt, the Royal
or Exchequer advance Land ; Prestatyn, on the Sands ;
and Rhuddlan, the Liberty.
Powys was divided into Powys Fadog, from Madog,
the son of Meredydd ab Bleddyn; and Powys
Gwenwynwyn from Gwenwynwyn, the son of Owen
Cyfeiliog. Powys Fadog contained five hundreds ; (a) YBarwn,
or the Barony; (b) Y Rhiw, or the Hill; (c) Uchnant,
above the River Dee ; (d) Trefred, the Demesne, or
Homestead ; and (e) Rhaiadr, from the River Rhaiadr,
or Cataract.
(a) Y Barwn had three commots, Dinmael, the
possession of Mael ab Cynedda ; Edeyrnion, the terri
tory of Edeyrn ab Cynedda; and Glyndyfrdwy, the
Hiils ofthe Dee.
(b) Y Rhiw had three commots, Ial, the Brow ;
Ystrad-Alun, the Road on the River Alun ; and Caer-
gwrle, the strong Fort
(c) Uwchnant had three commots, Merflordd on the
Marches ; Maelor Gymraeg, or Broomfield ; and Maelor
Saesneg, the English Market.
(d) Trefred contained Croesfaen, the Stone Cross ;
Tref-y-Wain, or Chirke ; Croesoswallt, Oswald's Cross,
or Oswestry.
(e) Rhaiadr contained Mochnant Isrhaiadr, or the
Promontory below Rhaiadr ; Cynllaeth, early Milk ;
and Nanheudwy. ¦*

106
Powys Wenwynzvyn consisted of ten hundreds;
(a) Y Fyrnwy, the River; (Jb) Cynan; (c) Llyswynaf,
the Palatine, (d) Ystlyg, the Curve; (e) Cydewain ;
(/) Arwystly, the Possessions of Arustel ab Cynedda;
(g) .Maelienydd, the Yellow Hills ; (h) Elfed, the
Stormy; (i) Buallt, ancient Grove; and (Jc) Clawdd,,
or the Dyke.
(a) Y Fyrnwy, contained three commots ; Mochnant
uwch Rhaiadr, the Promontory above Rhaiadr; Mech-
ain Iscoed, the little Common Underwood ; and Llan-
nerch Hudol.
(b) Cynan, two commots, Mawddwy, the troubled
Water, and Cyfeiliog.
(c) Llyswynaf, two commots, Caereinion, and Mech-
ain Uwch-Coed, the little Commot Overwood.
(d) Ystlyg, three commots, Deuddwr, the two Rivers;
Corddwr, the approaching Rivers or Isthmus; and
Ystrad Marchell, or the Causeway of Mareellus.
(e) Cydewain, two commots, Cynan, and Hafren,
the Severn.
(/) Arwystly, three commots, Uwch-Coed, Over-'
Wood ; Is-Coed, Under- Wood ; and Gwrthrynion,
opposite the Hills.
(g) Maelienydd, three commots, Ceri, the cheek;:
Rhiwalallt, the Hill over Grove; and Glyn Ieithon/
the Hill of Languages.
(h) Elfed, three commots ; Uwch-Mynydd, Overhill;
Ismynydd, Underhill ; and Llechddyfnog, the Quarry. \
(i) Buallt, three commots, Dreulys, the uncultivated
Swydd-y-Fam, the Mother Commot ; and Isirfon, below'
the River Irfon.
(IS) Clawdd had three commots, Dyffryn Teufediad^
the productive Vale; Swyddwynogion, the official Lands;
and Penwcllt, the better Promontory.
Dyfed, or South Wales, consisted of the districts of
Caeredigion, the Territory of Caredig ab Cynedda;
Dyfed Proper ; Caerfyrddin, the great Fortress ; Mor--
ganwg, the District of the White Sea; Brychetnog, or
the Hilly ; and Gwent, which formerly extended as
far as the Gwenwy, or Wenny river.

107
Caeredigion was divided into four cantreds; (a) P'en-
wedig, the bloody Head-Land; (b) Canol, the Middle;
(t) Castell, or the Castle Hundred; and (d) Swydd
Hirwain, or the long Mead.
(a) Penwedig, contained three commots, Geneu'r
Glyn, the Entrance to the inferior Hills ; Creuddyn,
.the Sanguinary ; and Perfedd, the Interior.
'(b) Canol had three Mefenydd, the Mountainous;
Anhunog, the Unsheltered ; and Penarth, the Source
ofthe River Arth, or Bear.
(c) Castell had two commots, Mabwynion, the Lands
of the Sons ; and Caerwedros, the sanguinary Fort.
(d) Hirwain, two commots, Gweinionydd, the Mea
dowy ; and Is-Coed, or Under- Wood.
Dyfed Proper was divided into six hundreds;
(a) Arberth, on the boundary ; (b) Daugleddeu, the
two Swords, being the names of rivers ; (c) Y Coed,
the Woods ; (d) Pen fro, the Promontory ; (e) Rhds,
the Heath; (/) Pybidiog, the Encampment ; (g) Ce
maes, the Head-Land; and (h) Emlyn, the narrow
Hundred. (rt) Arberth had three commots, Penrhyn, the Sum
mit; Estrolef, the Settlement of Strangers; and Ta-
lacharn, on the Bay.
(b) Daugleddeu, three commots, Amgoed, the Forest ;
Pennant, River Head ; and Iselfre, the low Promontory.
(c) Y Coed, two commots, Llanhauaden and Castell
Gwys, or Wiston.
(d) Penfro, three commots, Coed yr Haf, Summer
Wood ; Maenor Byrr, the short Manor ; and Penfro.
(e) Rh6s, three commots, Hul-Ffordd; HoefsRoad;
Castell Gwalchmai, the Castle of Gwalchmai; and Y
Garn, the rocky Hill.
(/) Pybidiog, three commots, Mynwy, In- Water;
Pencawr, the Giant's Head ; and Pybidiog.
(g) Cemaes, three commots; Uwch-Nefer, above
the River Nefer; Is-Nefer, below the Nefer; and Tref-
draeth, or Town, on the Strand.
(h) Emlyn, three commots, Uwch-Euch, above the
River Euch; Is-Euch, below Euch; and Lleffethr, the
Declivity.

108
Caerfyrddin was divided into four hundreds ; (a) Ffin-.
tog, the Boundary; (b) Eginog, Productive; (c) Bychan,
Little; and (d) Mawr, the great Hundred.
(a) Ffiniog has three commots, Hirfryn, Long Hill,
between Nedd and Tawe; Derfedd, Extremity; and
Is Cennen, below the River Cennen, or Swift.
(b) Eginog, three commots, Gwyr, the encircled with
Water; Cydweli, the Conflux of Rivers; and Carn-
wyllion, the monumental Tumulus, or, funeral Heap of
Hwyllion, or the Mariners ; perhaps Danish or Nor-r
man Invaders.
(c) Bychan, three commots, Mallaen, Impregnable;
Mainor Deilo, the Manor of Llandilo; and Caeo, or
Caewy, inclosed by Rivers.
(d) Mawr has four commots, Cethiniog, severely
Cold; Elfed, the Territory ofthe Son of Elfyw; Elfed
also signifies Stormy ; Uchdryd, the Lands of Uchdryd
ab Edwin ab Grono; and Wydigadaf, or the Demesne
on the Taf, betwixt the rivers Wydig and Taf.
Mon>anwg, was divided into four hundreds; (a) Glyrt-
Ncdd, the Glen of Neath; (/;) Penny f hen, the Heads
ofthe Rivers; (c) Brenhinol, or Sovereign Hundred;
and (d) Gzventkcg, situate in Gwent.
(a) Glyn Nedd has four commots, RhwngrNedd,
between Neath and Dulas; Afan, between Neath and
Afan; Pen-y-Bont, Bridge- End; and Glynogwr, or the
Glen of tbe River Ogwr.
(b) Penydden has four commots; Meisgyn, Pasture
Land ; Glynrliondda, the Glen on the River Rhondda;
Talafan, the Source of the Afan ; and Rhuthyn.
(c) Brenhinol, four commots, Cibwyr, on the River
Cib; Senghenydd, the Slang of Land; Uwch-Caeth,
above Caeth ; and Is-Caeth, below Caeth.
(d) Gwentlwg, two commots, Yr Ardd Ganol, the
Central Garden; and Eithaf Dylogion, the most distant
Landholders. Brychetnog was divided into three hundreds; (a)Selyf,
the Hills of Prospect; (b) Canol, Central; and (c) Mawr,
Great. (a) Sclyf has two commots; Selyf Proper; and

109
Trahaiarn, the lands of Trahaiarn Fychan, who was
murdered by the Braces, and other Norman lords at
Brecknock, in A.D. 1198.
(b) Canol, three commots, Talgarth, on the Garth •
Ystrad wy, the Causeway on the Wye; and Brwynllys. '
(c) Cantref Mawr, has three commots, Tir Raulfi ;
Llywel; and Cerrighywel.
Gwent was divided into three cantreds; (a) Gwent
Uwchcoed ; (b) Iscoed; and (c) Cantref C6ch, or the
Red Hundred.
(a) Gwent -Uwchcoed, had five commots, Euas;
Teirtref; Erging; Uchcoed; and Bryn biga.
(/;) Gwent Iscoed, has four commots, Tref-y-Grug;
Y Mynydd ; Llefnydd ; and Iscoed.
(c) Cantref C6ch is the present Forest of Dean.
The royal grants of the forfeited lands, such as
Denbigh, to Henry Lacy, earl of Lincoln ; Ruthyn, to
Reginald Grey, second son of John, lord Grey, of
Wilton, &c, created in the Welsh barons a strong
jealousy, which fermented into disaffection, and finally
broke out by open rebellion.
A.D. 12 89. Sir Rhys ab Meredydd, who had been very
loyal to king Edward, and expected high preferment
and extensive grants, was of the number of the dis
appointed : for some miseonduct, he was cited to the
king's court, by lord Pain Tiptost, warden of the king's
castles; and by the lord Alan Pluucket, the king's
steward in Wales, to which sir Rhys refused to comply ;
and in the full warmth ofthe moment, sir Rhys raised
a body of troops, fell upon lord Pain Tiptost, sacrificed
many lives, and plundered and burnt several towns
belonging to the English. To prevent further destruc
tion, the earl of Cornwall was ordered to go in pursuit
of sir Rhys : the earl quickly overcame sir Rhys,
dispersed his followers, and took his castle, but
with considerable loss ; for as the besiegers had un
dermined the castle, the walls fell, and crushed many
of the assailants to death; among whom were lord
Stafford, and the lord William de Monchency : and
Robert Tiptost, lord deputy of Wales, in a short time

110
after, with a large army, defeated the Welsh, with the
loss of four thousand men, and took sir Rhys prisoner,
who was tried and executed at York.
The exigency of the English government, in carrying
on war against France, made a subsidy from the peo
ple inevitable : this tax was very unpopular ; the clergy
refused to contribute, and the Welsh rose in arms, and
hanged Roger de Pulesdon, and others, who collected
the subsidy.
The men of West Wales elected Maelgwn Fychair
for their general, and plundered all the estates occu
pied by the English, in the counties of Carmarthen and
Pembroke. The men of Glamorgan chose one Morgan,
for their leader, and expelled the earl of Gloucester
from all his estates in Wales, which had formerly been
the possessions Of Morgan's ancestors : and the people
of North Wales, under the command of Madoc, a
relation of Llewelyn ab Gryffydd, massacred the English
at a fair at Caernarfon, and defeated the English and
Gascoigns at Denbigh, under the command of Edmund,
earl of Lancaster ; and Henry Lacy, earl of Lincoln.
King Edward, in consequence of these losses, pro
ceeded to Wales to restore order, and to avenge himself
of the death of Roger de Pulesdon ; but in his marches,,
his carriages, with provisions, were intercepted by the,
Welsh, and he was reduced into extremities : the
Welsh were also very expert in receiving the cavalry of
the English upon their spears, and hence their masses
became impenetrable : but the earl of Warwick ad-;
vancing in a mixed line of horsemen and cross-bow
men, some of the spearmen fell by the arrows of the
bowmen, and the cavalry were then able to break in,
and bear down the remainder, with great slaughter.
After this victory, the king ordered all the forests in
North Wales to be cut down, and built the castle of
Beaumaris, and fortified others, to keep the people of
the North in quietness and subjection.
Madoc, after these reverses, made his submission to
the king at Oswetry, who received him into favor, on
condition that he should pursue Morgan, the leader

in
of the men of Glamorgan, and bring him in a prisoner.
The success of this undertaking of Madoc is uncertain :
it is well known that he advanced into Glamorgan,
and was buried on the mountain above Margam, in that
county. His sepulchral Inscription is —
BODAOC HIC IACIT
FILIVS CATO TISIRNI
PRONEPOS E TERRA
VENEDOCIA.
Here lies Madoc ab Cedydd ab Sern, of North Wales.
A.D. 1301. The insurrection in Wales being again
quelled, prince Edward came to Chester, to receive the
services of homage from sir Gryffydd Llwyd ab Rhys ab
Gryffydd ab Ednyfed Fychan, who had received the
honor of knighthood of king Edward the First, at
Rhuddlan, on his bringing him the news of the queen's
safe delivery of a son at Caernarfon castle ; Henry, earl of
Lancaster, for Monmouth ; Reginald Grey, for Ruthyn;
Foulke Fitzwarren, for his lands ; lord William Martyn,
for Cemaes ; Roger Mortimer, for his lands ; Henry
Lacy, earl of Lincoln, for Rbds and Rhyfoniog ; Gry
ffydd, lord of Pwll, for Powys ; Robert, lord Montalt ;
Tudor ab Grono, of Anglesey ; Madoc ab Tudor,
archdeacon of Anglesey; Eineon ab Howel, of Caer
narfon ; Tudor ab Gryffydd, Llewelyn ab Ednyfed,
Gryffydd Fychan ab Gryffydd ab Iorwerth, Madoc
Fychan, of Englefield ; Llewelyn, bishop of St. Asaph ;
Richard de Pulesdon, Gryffydd ab Tudor, Ithel ab
Bleddyn, and Ithel Fychan, and many others, for their
lands. At Rhuddlan, the prince received the homage of
Richard de Sutton, baron of Malpas.
At Conway, he received the homage of Lewis de
Felton, for his lands in English Maelor ; of Eineon,
bishop of Bangor ; and of David, abbot of Mynan.
John, earl Warren, did homage for the lordships of
Bromfield and Yale, and his : lands in Hope-Dale, at
London, in Ely-Place, in the chapel of the lord John
de Kirkby, sometime bishop of Ely ; and some time
afterwards, Edmund Mortimer did homage for his lands,
in Ceri and Cydewen.

112
Notw ithstanding this attachment of the barons, sir
Gryffydd Llwyd, in a few years after, became so dis
satisfied with the oppressive conduct of sir. Roger Mor
timer, judge of North Wales, in his partial administra
tion ot justice, that sir Gryffydd broke out into open
rebellion against the English ; and in order to carry his
plan of national independence into effect, negociated
with sir Edward Bruce, brother to the king of Scotland,
and who had lately conquered Ireland, for the assistance
of troops. This negociation came to nothing ; Bruce
sent no auxiliaries; sir Gryffydd, with what forces he
was enabled to raise, overran all North Wales, and
plundered the marches ; and then engaging with an
English detachment, the Welsh were defeated and
dispersed, and sir Gryffydd was taken prisoner.
The principality being subjected to the English laws ;
its general history, from the time of Llewelyn ab
Iorwerth, is necessarily included in the history of
England. There are, however, some events which
merit particular observation. ,
The title of prince of Wales became illustrious in the
annals of Europe, in the person of Edward, son of
Edward the Third, and known by the epithet of Black
Prince, from the colour of his armour.
A-D. 1346. This promising general, at the age of
sixteen, distinguished himself at the battle of Cressy.H
having, with his own hand, killed John, king oi Bohe
mia, in this action; he took the plume of feathers from
the head of king John, and placed it on his own : the
princes of Wales have, ever since that battle, worn a
plume of three ostrich feathers, with the German
motto, ICH DIEN, or, I SERVE
After the death of the Black Prince, a survey was
taken of Wales, in order to assign the dower to his
widow, when the revenues of Wales were ascertained* to
be ,£468. 1 8s. 5d.
In the reign of Henry the Fourth, a prominent char
racter of the name of Owen Glyndwr, so called from
his patrimony, Glyndyfrdwy, rose in arms, with the
intent of restoring the independence of Wales. This
Owen was the son of Gryffydd Fychan, and descended

113
from a younger son of Gryffydd ab Madoc, lord of
Bromfield : he had received a liberal education; was
a member of one of the Inns of Court, and called to
the degree of barrister at law; and was one of the
esquires of king Richard the Second. The appointment
of scutifer required the continual attendance of Owen,
and hence he was always in action ; served in Ireland and
North Wales, and attended the king in adversity, when
deserted by his troops, and taken refuge in Anglesey.
On the removal of Richard from the throne, and
the crowning of Henry the Fourth, Owen had no
interest at Court ; but, on the contrary, as a partizan
of Richard the Second, he was pointed out as an object
of persecution, and of royal hatred.
There happened to be a misunderstanding betwixt
Owen and the lord Grey, about extent of territories, as
their estates were adjoining ; and a piece of common
land was the cause of contention.
As long as Richard reigned, the claim of Owen was
protected by his influence at court; but on the de-
posal of Richard, king Henry issued a summons by the
lord Grey, for Owen to attend the king to Scotland.
The summons was intentionally detained by lord Grey*,
and not delivered to Owen until after the departure of
his majesty : and the non-attendance of Owen so of
fended the king, that he confiscated his estates. This
underhanded proceeding threw Owen into the alternative :
he re-entered on his lands, raised troops of the most
desperate characters, burnt Rhuthyn, and claimed the
principality of Wales : he then marched to the hills
of Plynlimmon, and lived by plundering the country.
The Flemings, in Cardigan and Pembroke, mustered
a force of about fifteen hundred men, and marched
against him, with the full confidence of their being able
to defeat his followers, and make him their prisoner.
The forces surrounded him at~a place called Mynydd-
Hyddgant, when Owen and his followers cut their way
through the Flemings,: and put to the sword two hun
dred of their assailants.
The good fortune of Owen was now evident; his
i

114
standard was daily crowded by additional troops; and,
in a battle with lord Grey, he gained a complete victory ;
took that nobleman prisoner, and insisted upon re
ceiving ten thousand marks for his ransom. Lord
Grey was glad to agree to terms, and was obliged to
sell his manor of Hartley, in Kent, to discharge the
demand, and to marry Owen's daughter.
His next victory was over Edmund Mortimer, earl
of March, at Bryn Glas, near Pilleth, in Radnorshire,
when the earl was taken prisoner ; they afterwards joined
their forces, as the earl had some right to the crown of
England, from his being next in blood to king Richard
the Second, who was still living.
He then marched through the counties of Glamorgan
and Monmouth, and burnt the towns of Cardiff and
Abergavenny : and though the king proceeded into
Wales to chastise the Welsh for their presumption, such
was the good fortune of Owen, that king Henry could
not bear the severity of the season, and returned into
England ; and Glyndwr summoned a parliament at
Machynlleth, and was in that assembly crowned prince
of Wales;
Owen, and the earl of March, were now joined by
the earl of Worcester; and his brother, the earl of
Northumberland, and the valiant lord Percy. These
parties, by an indenture tripartite, executed by their-
deputies, at the house of the archdeacon of Bangor,
entered into a treaty of triple alliance, to partition the
realm. By this dismemberment, all the lands betwixt
the Severn and the Trent, southward, were apportioneTl
to the earl of March ; all Wales, and the lands bey&m
the Severn, westward, to Glyndwr ; and all the lands
north of the Trent, to tbe lord Percy.
A. D. 1403. To enforce the purport of this treaty,
the lord Percy, surnamed Hotspur, marched with his
army to Shrewsbury, against the king of Englarid.
Hotspur, at this place, was attacked by the English
before Owen and the earl were able to join him ; his
troops were defeated, and Percy fell in battle. The
earl of Northumberland was, at the time, advancing into

115
England with another army ; but meeting with the king
at York, and, perhaps, dissatisfied with the negligence
ofhis allies, in not having effected a junction of forces
with Percy, he laid down his arms, and dismissed his
troops. A.D. 1404. Owen having raised himself to the high
order of prince, sent his chancellor, Gryffydd Young,
doctor of laws ; and John Hanmer, to Paris, to con
clude a league, offensive and defensive, between him
and Charles the Sixth, king of France, against Henry
of Lancaster, and his adherents. The letters of credence
were delivered at Dolgellau, on the 10th of April,
1404, and in the fourth year of his government ; and
the treaty was signed at Paris on the 14th of July
following. In the same year, Owen defeated the English at
Graig-y-Dorth, near Monmouth, and took the castles
of Harlech, and Aberystwyth.
The affairs of Glendwr then fell into reverses : his
son, Gryffydd, was sent with an army into Brecknock
shire; but in the battle of Mynydd-Pvvllmelyn, the
Welsh were defeated, with the loss of fifteen hundred
men, and Gryffydd was taken prisoner.
Charles the Sixth, pursuant to his treaty, sent an army
to Pembrokeshire, under the command of Hugueville :
this general invested Haverfordwest; but finding the
castle at that time guarded by the earl of Arundel im
penetrable, he raised the siege, laid waste the country,
and joined his forces with Owen, at Tenby : these joint
forces took the town of Carmarthen, and passed
through South Wales, as far as Worcester, where they
were met by the English : the two armies near this
city continued for some time inactive, and in mutual
dread; for, in the sequel, the English retired, and the
French allies marched into South Wales, and disem
barked for the continent.
The character of Owen Glyndwr was replete with
duplicity, and his motives for entering into alliance
were to divert the English from himself, and to sacrifice
his friends : he had been perfidious towards earl
i 2

116
Percy, and he was late in effecting his junction with
the French forces. This insincerity exposed him to the
desertion of his allies and friends ; and be was by
degrees abandoned by his troops, and died in secret
retirement in 1415.
The rebellion of sir Owen Glyndwr, and the Welsh
barons, brought on the Welsh very severe enactments
in the reign of Henry the Fourth ; and, among others^
they were made incapable of purchasing lands, of oc:
cupying any castle or place of strength ; of being re
turned to parliament ; and of filling the offices of jus
tice, chamberlain, sheriff, or any place of trust. They
were also forbidden to marry Englishwomen, and to
give their children learning, or trade.
Henry the Fifth, of Monmouth, was less severe, and
experienced the fidelity and good services of the Welsh
at the battle of Agincourt, which happened on the 25th
of October 1415.
When the king was informed the French were ad
vancing, he sent captain David Gam, or squint eyed,
who was the son of Llewelyn ab Howel Vaughan* of
Brecknock, by Maud, daughter of Ifan ab Rhvs ab
Ifor, of Eluel, to reconnoitre the enemy. This officer
found the French to be twice the number of the English;
but the brave Gam, not daunted at the numerical dif
ference, on being questioned by king Henry, made
answer, " Please my Liege, they are enough to be killed,
enough to run away, and enough to be taken prisoner. '
The person of the king was, in the same battle, exposed
to danger, when captain Gam, with his accustomed
gallantry, charged the enemy at the head pf his brave
men of Brecknock, drove back the French, and delivered
his sovereign. In this encounter, Gam, and hisson-in-i
law, Roger Vaughan ; and his kinsman, Walter Llwyd^
of Brecknock, were mortally wounded. The generous
monarch conferred the military honour of knighthood
on all the three, and they died in the field of battle. ¦:¦
A. D. 1429- The condition ofthe Welsh, in the reign
of Henry the Sixth, is pretty clear, from the following
conveyance —
" I, Ednyfed Fychan ab ,Ednyfed, do hereby give,

117
grant, and confirm my free tenements of Rhandir
Gadog, &c ; and my free tenements of Porthamel, &c. ;
and my seven natives, viz. — Howel ab Dafydd Dew,
Matthew ab Dafydd Dew, Evan ab Evan Ddu, Llewe
lyn ab Dafydd Dew, Dafydd ab Matto ab Dafydd
Dew, Howel ab Matto ab Dafydd, and Llewelyn ab
Efan Goch, with all their progeny, born, and to be born ;
and with all their goods, chattels, &c, to William ab
Gryffydd ab Gwillym, esq, to have and to hold the
said free tenements, &c, and the said natives, &c, to
the said William ab Gryffydd ab Gwillym, his heirs,
and assigns, for ever.
Given at Rhandir Gadog, on the 20th day of June,
in the 27th year of Henry the Sixth."
A. D. 1485. The next memorable event in Wales,
was the landing at Dale, in Pembrokeshire, of the earl
of Richmond, afterwards Henry the Seventh, with an
army from France of two thousand men.
The earl, being a grandson of Owen Tudor, and
having been born at Pembroke, was received by the
Welsh as a countryman, and a favorite. In his march'
through Cardigan, Henry slept one night at Llwyn*
Dafydd, in the parish of Llandyssilio Gogo, the seat
of Dafydd ab Ifan, and presented his host with a
drinking horn, richly mounted on a silver stand, which
afterwards came into the possession of Richard, earl
of Carbery, and is to be still seen at Golden Grove, ip
Carmarthenshire, one ofthe seats of lord Cawdor.
The horn was the usual drinking cup of the Danes
and Normans, and by them introduced into Wales.
The Welsh called their horn, Hir-las, or the Long-.
blue : it was a section of the horn of a bullock, or calf,
and bottomless. The person pledged held -his fourth
finger under the horn, whilst the wine, ale, or mead -
bearer filled ; then drank the contents, and blowing
through the horn, at the narrow end, shewed all was
gone, and passed on the hir-las to the next guest. A
hir-las, made in the time of Elizabeth, is to ,be seen
at the seat of lord Penrhyn, in Caernarvonshire, whose
house occupies the site of the ancient residence of

118
Roderic Molwynog, who flourished in 720. The dia
meter of the drinking end of this Hir-las is two inches
and a half; the diameter ofthe finger and blowing end,
five-eights of an inch; apd the contents about half-
a-pint.i The earl, in his journey through Wales, was joined
by sir Rhys ab Thomas, Stanley lord of Bromfield, and
other barons ; apd with these forces, advanced to meet
the enemy. The cause of contest was decided in the
battle of Bosworth, near Leicester, when Richard the
Third was slain, and the earl of, Richmond was saluted
king by the whole army; and assumed the title of Henry
the Seventh; This good fortune of Henry depended
entirely upon the attachment of the Welsh, and his own
good policy.:
Upon his landing at Dale, he raised the standard of
a red dragon, displayed upon green and white silk: it
was the insignia of Uthyr, the draco insuleris : it was
worn by the valiant Arthur on his helmet ; and this
happy incident of Henry flattered the Welsh, and roused
them to arms, from the recollection of ancient valour,
and national glory.
, The same standard was carried at the battle of
Bosworth, where sir William Brandon, the bearer, fell
hi a personal contest with king Richard. On this acci
dent, the earl of Richmond, with great judgment and
propriety, gave the standard to a distinguished Cam
brian, of the name of Rhys ab Meredydd, of Hiraethog,
whose tomb is still to be seen at Ysputty Ifan, in the
county of Denbigh.
Sir Rhys ab Thomas, who was the prime support of
Henry, was buried in the priory, at Carmarthen ; and
his tomb, on the dissolution of religious houses, was,
removed to St. Peter's church, in that town.
The effigies of sir Rhys and his lady shew the
costume of the times. Sir Rhys wears his hair flowing
in ringlets over his shoulders ; a ringed iron collar round
his neck; a breast-plate, op vvhich his arms are paintedf
a sword and dagger; his arms and legs, cased in ar-,
mour; and overall, a mantle, with the collar falling

119
back, and his arms painted in a garter on the left
shoulder. The lady of sir Rhys wears a cap nearly
square, a necklace, a short gown, shewing the petticoat
below, aud tied round the waist by a gold cord, with
suspended tassels ; and over all she wears a long robe
with large sleeves.
King Henry, sensible of the important services ren
dered to him by the Welsh, reformed the oppressive
Jaws that his predecessors had enacted against them,
ordained the impartial administration of justice, and
repealed the obnoxious laws which placed Welshmen
under disqualification of offices ; and, in order to pre
serve peace, and to improve the government of the
principality, sent his son, prince Arthur, into Wales,
attended by Dr. William Smith, .afterwards bishop of
Lincoln, as president of his council ; sir Richard Pool,
chamberlain; and sir Henry Vernon, sir Richard
Crofts, sir David Philip, sir William Udal, sir Thomas
Englefield, sir Peter Newton, and others, as his council
and ministers of state.
The prince had not remained long at Ludlow before
he fell indisposed, died, and was buried. at Worcester.,
A. D. 1504 In some months after, finding the
princess of Wales, who was Katherine, the infanta of
Spain, and consort of Arthur, was not encient, Henry,
duke of York, was created prince of. Wales.
The king, sometime afterwards, finding the rank of
his grandfather, Owen Tudor, was called in question,
directed a commission to the abbot of Llan Egwest;
Dr. Owen Pool, canon of Hereford ; and John King,,
herald at arms, to make inquisition respecting the
pedigree of Owen. These commissioners, assisted by
sir John Leyaf, Guttyn Owen, bard; Gryffydd ab
Llewelyn ab Ifan Fychan, and others, collected the
genealogy of. Owen Tudor; and by their return,
shewed that Owen ab Meredydd ab Tudor was lineally
descended by issue male, saving one woman, from
Brutus, in one hundred degrees ; from Vortigern, in
thirty degrees ; from Beli Mawr, in forty degrees; from
Goel Codebog, in thirty-one degrees ; .from Roderic the

120
Great, in seventeen degres; and from king John, of
England, in seven degrees ; and the commissioners and
their assistants undersigned the return by the following
attestation : —
"Guttin Owain, Gryffydd ab Llewelyn ab Ifan
Fychan, Madoc ab Llewelyn ab Howel, Robert ab
Howel ab Thomas, John King, and others, at the king's
costs and charges ; the abbot of Llan Egwest, and Dr.
Owen Pool, canon of Hereford, overseers: — Abstracted
out of the old Chronicles of Wales, by sir John Leyaf*
priest." Hepry the Eighth pursued the line of policy chalked
out by his illustrious father, respecting the principality;
of Wales. The casual disturbances arose from local
incidents on the marches or borders of the country,
where the line of property and jurisdiction was the
cause of misunderstanding and contention. ; To remove
mutual depredations, and their hostile consequences,
Henry, by two acts of parliament, the one passed in the
27th, and the other in the 3.5th year of his reign, made
a plenary incorporation of Wales, and placed the English
and Welsh under the same laws, and in the enjoyment
of the same liberties.
From these enactments of Henry the Eighth, the
history of Wales is included in the history of the en>
pire ; and the peculiarity of the Welsh consists in their..
language, manners, and character : the language of the
principality is so interesting, as the provincial remains
of the ancient British, that it will require investigation
in a future chapter in this work.
The manners and customs of the Welsh are ancient,
and not affected from novelty. The dress of the higher
order is like the English: but the Welsh peasant vests
himself from economy; for the cloth and flannel he
wears have been spun by his own family, and, in ge
neral, from materials of his own growth : the costume
from these homely manufactures is visible in the clothes
ofthe milkmen, and gardening girls, in the streets, and
vicinity -of London.
The people of the principality are clean apd indus-

121
trious : there is, however, in the nature of a Welshman,
such a hurriness of manner, and want of method, that
he does nothing well ; for his mind is over anxious,
diverted from one labour to another, and hence every
thing is incomplete, and leaves the appearance of confu
sion and negligence.
The amusements of the natives have, of late years,
been less various, from- an assumed policy of govern
ment ; that the peace of the empire depends on the dis
continuance of public sports and pastimes : the game
laws, which give to certain persons a property in the
birds of the air, and require a qualification for diver
sions of the field ; the inclosure acts, which have deprived
the people of places for athletic exercises, and the seve
rity of the bishops in shutting the public out of the
church-yards, have thrown over the mind of the pea
sant a gloominess that will produce malevolence, and
terminate in the transgression of law.
The common exercises of the Welsh are running,
leaping, swimming, wrestling, throwing the bar, dancing,
hunting, fishing, and playing at fives against the church
or tower: and they constitute the joy of youth, and the
admiration of old age.
: The convivial amusements are singing and versifica
tion. In these favorite exercises the performers are of
humble merit; the singing is mere roar and squeak; and
the poetical effusions are nonsense, vested in the rags of
language ; and always slanderous, because the mind of
the bard is not fertile in the production of topics.
The Welsh character is the echo of natural feeling,
and acts from instantaneous motives : it has more of
fortitude and charity, virtues which emanate directly
from the heart, than of prudence and temperance,
which are the creatures of habit, and selections of the
mind : its main object is to answer the purpose of hu
man being, by self-preservation' and purity of conduct;
for the Welshman never commits suicide, nor does he
ever fall a victim to deviations of affection : in hospita
lity he looks at theexigence of the moment, and makes
no enquiry into the character of the person, whether he

122
be a villain or a vagabond, an outlaw or u spendthrift j
and, in the distribution of charity, he never throws his
guinea into the printed list of subscriptions, but puts
llis mite privately into the hand of indigence.
The Welshman, from his isolated course of life, is
not a model of prudence, because his inexperience in
the wiles of mankind affords no data for induction; nor
is he an example of temperance, for the limited extent
ofhis means, and the simplicity of his mode of living,'
debar him from the enjoyment of luxuries, and from
devotions to excess.
The general pursuit ofthe Welsh is agriculture : but
without approximation to excellence; for the cattle are
subjected to privations, and the soil to ingratitude.
Trade and commerce are carried on with great spirit
in the wealthier counties of Glamorgan, Carmarthen,
Pembroke, and Anglesey : but in the inland and poorer
parts, the country gentleman is above bringing hi*
sops up to business, and makes pride of necessity, be
cause he has not the means of advancing them a capital.
The fine arts are strangers to the principality ; and!
the Welshman seldom professes the buskin, or the use
of the mallet, the graver, or the chisel : but although.
deficient in taste, he excels in duties and in intellect £
no part of the empire, of the like amount of population,:
has produced so many soldiers, sailors, professional,
men, and writers on every topic of literature and scienceii
The battle of Maida was a Cambrian labour: the most:
distinguished officers at Waterloo, where all fought, andj
some fell, were the sons of Wales : the English navy
has always more than a proportionate number of Welsh;
admirals and captains : the mitre, at all times, graces,,-
the head of a Cambrian: in medicine the names .ofthet
Ancient Britons are always on the rolls of the college
of physicians : in jurisprudence Wales has always pro-;
duced more than her proportion of talent: and in lite- 1
rature and science the list of worthies would run through1
the. alphabet : but as the enumeration would be tedious,,
the adduction of orie name will justify the assertion of
more than proportionate talent, and that name is Abra
ham Rees.

123

chap. iv.
' History of Christianity among the Ancient Britons,
or Welsh.
The Christian Religion is said to have been intro
duced into Britain by Joseph of Arimathea; but this is
a groundless tradition, for Arimathea is a transposition
of Mariathea ; and it was Joseph, the husband of the
holy Mary, that went to Pilate, and begged the body of
Jesus; and he was the only person entitled; for the
bodies of criminals were given by the Romans to the
nearest relatives of the sufferers.
There is another tradition current in church history,
that Lleirwg, or Lucius, king of the Silures, applied bv
letter to Pope Eleutherius for Ihe assistance of Christian
missionaries ; and which letter is still extant ; and that
Eleutherius, in compliance to this request, sent Dyfan,
Fagan, Medway, and Elvan, to preach to the Ancient
Britons the gospel of peace; that Lleirwg, or Lucius,
exerted himself in the cause, by erecting the first Chris
tian church at Llandaf: and the names of the mission
aries have been immortalized by places of worship,
dedicated to them as protecting saints, in various parts
of Wales: " but this epistle of Lucius is liable to suspi
cion; and our later English historians affirm, upon many
reasons, that it is spurious; first, because it bears date
in the year of Christ, 159, whereas Eleutherius was not
Pope before A. D. 1030; secondly, because many of
the words favor of the Norman Latinity, and the Eng
lish law; and that the scriptures are quoted in it, ac
cording to St. Jerome's translation, who flourished about
two hundred years after Eleutherius ; thirdly, because
neither Geofrey, of Monmouth; nor any other of out-
ancient historians, take any notice of it. There are
besides several presumptions that help to destroy the.

124
credit of the epistle ; such as, that the Pope speaks to
Lucius in the plural, Vos estis Vicarius Dei, which
manner was introduced by some of the later princes;
that the style of the Roman language in those days did
not allow of the Pope's expression — Se leges Ccesaris
posse semper reprobare ; that the words Protectione,
and Pace, are not of Roman, but of modern English
stamp ; and, that in the ancient copies of the Con
queror's laws, this epistle is not to be found." —
Duck De Usu, p. 1 2.
The true history seems to be, that the principles of
Christianity were imported from Alexandria into Britain,
about the middle of the third century, and in the reign
of Coel Godebog, the grandfather of Constantine the
Great. It is presumed, that the adventures and doc-'
nines of Jesus Christ, as topics of literature, were
composed under various titles, in different languages,
and finally rendered into Greek, at Alexandria, the
asylum of Grecian philosophy and Asiatic learning—
Under various titles ; such as, Memoirs of the Apostles,
as quoted by Justin Martyr; a great number of
Gospels, Diatesseron ; Omohgumcna, &c. In diffe
rent languages, for the twelve apostles consisted of
Gallileans, who spoke a kind of Asiatic Gallic ; Romarr
publicans, who spoke Latin ; Simon Zelotes, a Canaanite,'
or Phoenician ; and Judas Iscariot, the only Jew of the
twelve, and whose oral language was the Syriac. These
adventures and doctrines soon fell into the hands of
the Eclectic Philosophers, at Alexandria : for, it was a
custom in Egypt to seize all books imported into that
country. The books so seized were transcribed by
copyists ; the copies were delivered to the proprietors,
and tbe originals were deposited in the Alexandrian
library. It may be remarked, in transitu, that these officious
transcribers sometimes prefixed, affixed, and inter
pellated : thus, when the Komesh of Moses was trans*
cribed, the copy returned had the cosmology of the
Egyptians prefixed, which forms the first four chapters
of Genesis ; whereas, the Mikra, and the Targummim,

125
in ancient times, commenced with the present fifth
chapter of that roll, or volumen.
From thisgrandm agazine of erudition, at Alexandria,
the principles of Christianity were imported by the
traders to Cassiterides ; the ancient Britons embraced
them; and Godebog, king of Britain, was called Coel,
the Believer ; and is distinguished in history by the
name of Coel Godebog. This conclusion stands sup
ported by an argument, per se ; for it is certain that
Christianity, in its early ages, was distinguished into
Asiatic and Alexandrine doctrines. The Asiatic was
composed of the ceremonial, the ritual, and the mar
vellous ; and formed a species of religious drama ; the
Alexandrine was the creed of mathematicians and
logicians : it consisted in the worshiping of the Deity,
and in practising the pure morality of the Christian
code. The Druids, who were of a philosophic turn of mind,
and worshippers of the sun, could never adopt the
polytheism of the ancient Romans, but received with
avidity the Alexandrine principles; and the Christian
church was established in Britain on liberal principles,
and continued for centuries independent from any con
tinental jurisdiction.
The blessings of Christianity, thus countenanced by
philosophy, and protected by royalty, were so obvious
in the lives and conduct of the Britons, that Constan
tine, the son of Constantius Chlorus and Helena, and
grandson of Coel Godebog, made it his first labour, on
his accession to the empire, to persuade the senate and
people of Rome to embrace the Christian faith: he
promulgated several laws respecting Christianity, which
are still extant in the Codex Justiniana ; and he had
the credit of making the religion of the Britons to be
the future established religion of the Roman empire. ^
In Britain, the Druids, who were more of the juridical
than the sacerdotal character at that time, and inculcated
Christianity upon the basis of justice and piety, had
ample opportunity in their decisions of right, to deliver
moral maxims conducive to the leading of a good and

126
happy life, without incurring the displeasure of the
Romans, nor having to contend whh any superstition or
prejudice in the people : and the order and profession
of the Druids gave weight to what they had the inclina
tion to dictate : for the bench is authoritative in earnest,
and its dicta always positive ; whilst the pulpit beos
attention, endeavours to persuade; and, at most; can
only recommend.
This system of rational Christianity continued i in
Britain for some centuries. Meanwhile, the Asiatic
Christians, who officiated Paganism in the name of
Jesus, and continued to worship the three Jupiter*
under new names, had the address to procure edicts of
Gratian, Valentinian, and Theodosius, constituting
their tenets to be those of the church militant of Rome.
These edicts continued the priests in the plenitude of
ancient authority : for their holy tenets and holy cha*
racters were not to be questioned.
The translating of the Mikra, Lessons of the Jews,
or Old Testament, into Latin, which developed the
ample provisions made for the priests under the Mosaic
Dispensation (when the proprietors of land paid no
rent, but occupied allotments), encouraged the Roman
priests in an authorized claim of professional remunera
tion ; and tbe minister of religion, who formerly held a
staff in his hand, with a piece of stick across it, to draw;
towards him for his own support the entrails of the
victim, now converted his staff into a shepherd's crook,
to catch the sheep, and take to himself the whole of
the animal.
The church of Rome thus armed two-fold, with
powers to dictate, and to take, made it her first labour
to give.uni versatility to her religious creed. The island
of Britain offered a desirable opportunity for a con
troversial mission; for the ancient Britons derived
their greed from the gospels of Christ, and not from
the edicts of emperors; and were strangers to the
Christiano Paganism of Rome. Wales had, besides,
produced a man of talent, of the name of Morgan, or
Pelagius, who was one of the most popular leaders of

127
the British church. The trinitarians sent missionaries
to oppose his doctrine ; and to establish schools in dif
ferent parts of Wales, for the training of ministers in
Roman orthodoxy. The knowledge taught in these
seminaries was all triadic, and founded on the fol
lowing tenet: —
" There are three things, and- there is not any thing
without them : God, the Father Almighty ; God the
Son, All-merciful; and God the Holy Spirit, All-
abundant." This triad is not only trinitarian, but conveys also a
notion of Pantheouism. Soundness of sense, however,
is out of consideration, when opinions are imposed on
the mind under imperial authority: the doctrines of
Garmon became prevalent ; the ancient Britons deserted
the gospels, and looked for salvation in the edicts De
Summa Trinitate : and whatever they ventured to speak,
write, or perform, was all triadic ; they even sat down
at table by threes, in honor of theTrinity.
The historical Triads give us the following trivial
and dateless relation of events : —
" The first of the three chieftains, who established the
colony of Britain, was Hu the Mighty, who came with
the original settlers from the Summer Country, which
is called Deffrobanni ; that is, where Constantinople is
at present." In this passage, the word Hu isa. Prankish
name : Deffrobanni is a corruption of Dorobernium ;
and Byzantium was not called Constantinople until
about A. D. 330.
" There are three principal provinces in the Isle of
Britain — Cymru, Lloegyr,. and Alban; (i.e.) Wales,
England, and Scotland." Here again, is a modernism,
for the present England was peopled by Saxon settlers,
who were called Lloegyr, or mercenary troops.
" The three peaceable settlers of the Isle of Britain
were the Cymry, who came with Hu, the Mighty ; .the
Lloegrians, who came from Gascony; and the Brython."
The word Gascony is either a transposition of me word
Saxony; or, it is the modern corruption of Vasconia.
" The three colonies, who settled in Britain by per-

128
mission : — the Celyddon, or Caledonians, in the North ;
the Gwyddyl, or Irish, in Albania; and the people of
Galedin (Flanders), who had lands given to them by the
Cymry." This position does not refer to ancient his
tory, but to the settling of the Cumbrians in Flintshire;
the Irish in Anglesey ; and the Flemings in the coun
ties of Pembroke and Glamorgan.
" The three ruddy chiefs of Britain : — Arthur, Rhun/ .
and Morgan Mwynfawr." &c. &c. is a modernism..
The Triads on Morality, Jurisprudence, Bardism, &c.^
are most of them nonsensical and vulgar : the trans
lating of a few of them will satisfy the most idle
curiosity. " There are three things which a man looks for, and
does not wish to find : — the sole of his shoe parting;
vermin on his shoulders, after combing his head ; and
n other man courting his wife."
" A Welshman loves three things : — fire, salt, and
good ale.
" There are three things which cannot hide them
selves : — a straw in one's shoe, an awl in a bag, and a
whore in a crowd."
" There are three parts of speech : — noun, pronoun/,
and verb."
" There are three men subject to three things ;— • a-
miller to thieving, a parson to hypocrisy, and a musician
to tell lies."
" There are three things which a man must do with-)*
out them to live happy :— wealth, arms, and a wife."
"The three requisites of a liar : — a good memory; a
brazen face, and a fool to hear him."
The Triads against the English are numerous, and
very abusive : — the printing of such rubbish is to be
lamented, as it tends to promote an antipathy against a
great and enlightened people.
This method of writing in triads derives its origin
frbm the mystical number three : for the ancients had
three Deities, of the name of Jupiter, and symbolic, of
the three ages ofthe world : the father ofthe one was,
iEther, from whom Proserpine and Liber are said. to be

129
begotten. The father of the other was Ccelus ; he is said
to have begot Minerva. The third was a Cretan, the
son of Saturn : these three were addressed as' Pater,
Calus, et Spiritus Orbis.
When the religion of Rome, which embraced the
adoration of the gods of all nations, became Christian,
and the objects of worship limited to Jesus Christ, and
the Apostles, as their god and semi-gods, the carmen
pontificale, in which the people followed ; and the priest
was said praire (hence prayer), to lead or go before,
underwent an alteration, by introducing, Pater, Filius,
et Spiritus Sanctus, instead of the old words Pater,
Ccelus, et Spiritus Orbis.
In the course of time this Christian Trinity was made
a topic of discussion, and even questioned by some bold
thinkers, who had the temerity to investigate the truth
of the tenets which they were taught to believe. Amonc
others, Pelagius*, a native of the present county of
Glamorgan, ventured to deny the doctrine of original
sin ; to consider Jesus Christ to be nothing more than a
messenger of righteousness, &c; and, being a man of
learning, and having the advantage of the language of
his country, promulgated his opinions with such success,
that the official priests of his times, Roman, Gallican,
and Cambrian, were alarmed, not only for the safety of
souls, but also for the salvation of their order.
A Romish priest, in his Church History of Bri-
tanny, gives the following account of the Pelagian
doctrine : — " In Britanny, Pelagius endeavoured to defile
the church of Christ with his execrable doctrines ;
teaching, that man may be saved by his merits, without
grace ; that every one is directed by his own natural
freewill, to the attaining of justice; that infants are
born without original sin, being as innocent as Adam was
before his transgression, &c.&c." HughTalinCressy, 164.
* Pelagius is often stated to have been a monk of Bangor-Is
Coed, county of Flint, and twelve miles from Chester ; but that
monastery, or college, was not instituted until A. D. 525, and called
Bangor, by Deiniol ab Dunod abPabo; whereas, Pelagius flourished
in the fifth century. K

130
To oppose the propogation of these doctrines of
Pelagius, the British clergy, in A. D. 429, applied for
the assistance of the Gallican church, who deputed two
champions of the church militant; St. Gannon, bishop
of Auxerre ; and Lupus, bishop of Troyes, to preach
French sermons to the Welsh people, in order to coun
teract the Welsh preaching of Pelagius. The success
of this effort of French preaching is related to have
been most marvellous. The two missionaries also dis
tinguished themselves in a military affair : for the Picts
and Saxons invading Wales during this crusade ; and,
meeting with the Welsh forces, led on by Gannon and
Lupus, at a place, called Maes Garmon, or Gannon's
Field, near Mold, in the present county of Flint :. St.
Garmon and Lupus ordered the Welsh to call out
" Hallelujah" three times : this Hebrew sentence,, so
repeated, terrified the Saxons to such a degree,- that
they all instantly ran away, and the Welsh obtained
over the allies a signal victory.
But the greatest service rendered by Garmon and
Lupus, to the Trinitarian doctrine, was the establishing
of schools, in which orthodoxy was to be cultivated*
these schools were —
1 . Caerlleon or Wysg, under the direction of Dyfrig, or
Dubricius : among his numerous scholars were Teilau ab
Hydwn Dwn ab Ceredig ab Cynedda, a celebrated, Bri*
tish Saint; and Gatog ab'Gwynlliw abGlywis ab Tegyd
ab Cadell Deyrnllwg, who was afterwards appointed'
principal ofthe monastery of Llanveithin, in Llancarvan.'
2. Llancarvan, in Glamorgan, under the direction'
of Iltudus, or Illtyd. In this school was educatedJ
Dewi, or David ab Sandde ab Codig ab Ceredigab
Cunedda,who afterwards became archbishop of Caerlleon^
ar Wysg, on the resignation of Dubricius; and re
moved the metropolitan see to Mynyw, the present %¦
David's. The province of St. David's, in the time of
Sampson, the twenty-sixth archbishop, included seven
suffragan bishopricks, viz. -Exeter ; query, if it was not
Usk, for the British names are the same, and the places
are often mistaken in history; Bath; Hereford; Teliau;

131
or Llandaff; Bangor; St. Asaph; and Femes, in
Ireland. 3. Ty Gwyn ar Daf, or Whitland, below Carmar
then, under Paulinus, a disciple of Iltudus. This
Paulinus, called Paulin by the Welsh, placed Credifel
and Fleuyn, the sons of Ithel Hael, at the head of this
seminary, and was buried at Pant Paulin, or Pant-y-
Polion, near Caeo, in the same county. His monumental
inscription is —
" Servalor fidei, patriaque semper amatorS'
Hie Paulinus jacit cultor pientissimus aqui.
The school which Paulinus established became in
time a friar house, and finally a celebrated Cistertian
Abbey of Ty Gwyn, which was built about A.D. 1 146.
4. Henllan — The present St. Asaph.
5. Bangor-Is-Coed, on the river Dyfi, at a place
called Maelor, twelve miles from Chester, in the county
of Flint. This school was under the superintendence
of Adian, the son of Gwrny w, and grandson of Urien-
Reged. Another leading object of the Roman missionary
saints, was to establish the catholic religion under the
auspices of a hierarchy. The Romans had a knowledge
of mankind ; and concluded, that men in office will
advocate any doctrines, so that they can maintain their
appointments : they, therefore,, proposed to the arch
flamens of London, York, and Caerlleon ar Wysg, to
become archbishops; and their twenty-eight flamens to
become bishops : the proposal was immediately ac
cepted ; and there sprung into the church the archbishop
of London, and his fourteen suffragans; the archbishop
of York, and his seven suffragans ; and the archbishop
of Caerlleon ar Wysg, and his seven suffragans ; all of
them corresponding in number and locality with the
archflamens, and flamens, in the hitherto hierarchy of
the Roman Paganism in Britain.
From the retirement of these missionaries, nothing
prominent occurs in the history of the British church,
until the Synod of Llanddewi Brevi, in Cardiganshire,
about 492, when the trinitarian doctrine was preached
K 2

132
¦with such energy, by Dewi, or St. David, at Ltanddewfy
that the ground on which David was preaching rose to
a hillock under his feet. What a pity the sermon is
not in print ! Not a line left! Nothing but tradition;
of his having metamorphosed the house and land of a
philosopher into a standing pool ; and of his having.
performed many other such mischievous miracles.
The three curses of Britain were now approaching
their completion : the first, was the schools for mytho
logical education ; the second was a body of clergy, who
were unacquainted with the British language; and the
third^now pending, has been called the subtraction oftithes.
Austin, the monk, was deputed by Pope Gregory to
Britain about A. D. 6()0, in order to raise a regular
support for the flamens, or clergy, and open a source
of revenue for the see of Rome. This monk succeeded
most happily ; for he soon prevailed on Ethelbert, king
of Kent, to enact laws for the levying of tithes ; and,
finally, on the ancient Britons, to endow churches, and
make liberal contributions for the clergy; these contri-!
butions are known" in British history under the odious
description of " presents to the bald man" or the "ton
sured parson."
St. Austin was also commissioned to settle a dispute
then existing between the clergy of the continent, and
the clergy of Britain, respecting the celebration of a
festival. The Egyptians had instituted in their epact,
or superadded four days to the year, a succession of
festivals, in commemoration of the births of OsiriSj
Orus, Typho, and Isis. The last festival was on the
full moon, next after the vernal equinox ; and the three
other festivals were held on the three preceding days.
The Egyptian year commenced with the full moon next
after the vernal equinox ; and the first month, or luna-
tion, was called Pharmuthi, or Royal Moon ; and began,
in ancient times, on the eighteenth ofthe Nisan of the
Hebrews. These Egyptian festivals, held on the days
superadded to the month Phamenoth, were called
Pamylia, and much resembled the Phallephoria,' W
Priapeia of the Greeks; The Hebrews, before they

133
left Egypt, kept the first feast of the Pamylia, and have
called it Pascha, or the Passover ; and the seven fol
lowing days, the feast of unleavened bread, from their
can-ying with them materials for buiscuits to support
them in their adventure. The Passover was a feasting
on lamb or kid ; the eating of bitter herbs, in small
bunches, formed into sops, by dipping them in the
Charoseth, which was a mixture of vinegar and figs,
raisins, or palm tree branches, pounded ; and in blessing
the cup, blessing the bread, and in washing the feet of those
who sat at table. Jesus Christ was apprehended on the
night after the Passover, and tried and executed on the
first day of unleavened bread: for the Jews put their-
criminal law in force always on grand festivals, when
the people assembled. In the course of thirty-six hours,
or one day and two nights, Our Saviour rose again :
this day of resurrection, which was the third day of
unleavened bread, has been always kept by the Chris
tians as a Paschal festival ; and, in England, has been
called Easter, from the goddess Eostre, whom the
Saxons worshipped in the month of April. The Britons
differed from the church of Rome in the celebration of
this feast : for the Romans observing the order of the
council of Nice, held Easter on the Sunday after the ]4th
day of the moon, whilst the Welsh celebrated their Easter
on the 14th day ofthe moon, if the Sunday so happened.
Austin, however, was not able to adjust this dispute :
but the Saxons kept the feast conformable to the church
of Rome ; and the Saxons and Welsh, about 660, had
a regular disputation ; and, in the sequel, many san
guinary fights, respecting a precise day in Egyptian
chronology. The point was at length decided in 760
by Elbodius, who was appointed archbishop of North-
Wales, and reduced the clergy of Britain under the do
minion of Rome.
The wretched condition of the ancient Britons was
now completed : driven to the most barren part of the
island, where the soil required the utmost labour, and
most seed, they were subjected to a contribution of
tithes on the same scale as the inhabitants of the most
fertile parts of Britain, where the labour required was

134
less, the seed less, and the produce four, even five,
times greater in value.
This impost of tithes, which has brought on the
lawyers the malediction of mankind, for suffering an
order of men, dressed in the habits of the priests of
Jupiter, to claim one-tenth of the animal increase^and
vegetable produce of countries, under the sanction,. of
law, deserves more than a passing animadversion. ,
The following statements of this impost, on Hebrew,
and modern agriculture, will shew that its oppression is.
contrary to the dictates of Scripture ; —
Bible statement.
6000 Bushels of Corn.

100 Bushels as First Fruits of the Threshing Floor. __ *
590 Bushels of First Tithe to the Levites.
53 1 Bushels of Second Tithe.
1221 Bushels total paid for Tithes, Support ofthe Poor, and,
 — towards Festivals.
4799 Bushels remaining to the Husbandman.
MODERN STATEMENT.
6000 Bushels will require, suppose 150 acres.

1 200 Bushels, at- eight bushels rent per acre.
150 Bushels for Poor's Rate, Statute Labour, &c.
1350 Bushels paid in disbursements.
600  • in Tithes.

1950 Total paid.
4050 Bushels remaining to the Husbandman.
Hebrew profit 4799
Christian profit 4050 749 Bushels iu favor of the Hebrew, .
, The church of Britain completely reduced under foT
reign jurisdiction, and constituted of Pagan temples,, a.
Mosaic priesthood, and an enacted religion, the Pope
of Rome soon assumed an unlimited control over the
opinions and affections of the Britons : over their opi-.
nions, because there is not a town or village in Britain

135
in which bigots have not shed the blood of their bre
thren : for all zealots have been rogues, and all martyrs
have been fools; and mankind have not, until of late,
been convinced, that it is the law that dictates the truth
of religion : hence, that Mahometanism is as true at
Constantinople as Popery is at Rome; and that man is
under a political obligation to observe the religious cus
toms of nations, by being circumcised in one country,
or baptized in another; and by keeping the Sabbath on
Saturday among the Jews ; on Sunday among the
Christians; and on Friday among the Mahometans.
The Pope also imposed on the affections of the
Britons by the founding of an immense number of
monasteries and nunneries, to be the sepulchres of living
devotees. The ancient Britons, it must be confessed,
had already a few monastic institutions, as seminaries
of learning; for it is related, that in the preceding cen
tury, about the year 610, a king of Northumberland,
of the name of Edelfrid, on his investing of Chester,
was met by twelve hundred monks of Bangor-Is-Coed,
who had already fasted and prayed for the space of
three days, for the success ofthe British arms, and had
the weakness to think, that their presence would give
ardour to their countrymen, and influence the god of
battles. Edelfrid was not to be alarmed by empty
bellies, and the prayers of idle feHows; and had the se
verity of putting to death these children of fanaticism.
This act of the king of Northumberland has been exe
crated in history, as an assault on a defenceless and
pious body of men ; for the writers have not reflected,
that war may be declared, and mischief implored, by
fasting and prayer; and that the extermination of the
slothful is beneficial to the community.
The monasteries and nunneries newly founded in
Cumbria, Capibria, and Cornwall, were not instituted
as seminaries of learning, but intended as temples of
chastity, and of unabated devotion. The chastity of
the inmates of such places, though distinct, and far
from each other, may be questioned, when it is called
jp ipjnd, that tbe sexes have mutual wishes apd longings.

136
to answer the purposes of their being, by increase and
multiplication: and the setting apart of thousands of
robust young fellows, and lively girls, to a tedious
routine of continual devotion, whilst the rest of man^
kind have to toil for their maintenance, is an unreason
able separation of the human race, and an oppressive
burden upon industry. If there are men and women
who have the vanity to think that they are the peculiar
favorites of heaven, it is proper that they should have
their freedom of will, by immuring themselves in sanctu
aries, and devoting their lives to fasting, prayer, and
singing : and to feast upon the bread, wine, fruit, and
firstlings that will be showered down upon them. The
less sanctified part of the human race should also have
the liberty of thinking that toils produce blessings ; that
rewards and punishments are immediate; that the
duties of man are to be thankful to God ; and to merit
the thanks of his fellow men ; and, that since the earth
receives the benefit of one eternal day, devotion should
not interrupt rest : for, whilst some good men take their
repose during the passing of the earth's shadow, there
are other good men, on successive meridians, enjoying
the blessings of the sun, and devoting their awakening
hours to industry, thanksgiving,, and benevolence.
The form of Liturgy performed in the British cathe
drals, &c, in the eighth century, was in Latin. The fol
lowing is a specimen from the old English Litany, in
Mabellons Analecta : —
" Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Christ hear
us (thrice); Holy Mary, pray (thrice) ; Holy Michael,
pray ; Holy Gabriel, pray ; Holy Raphael, pray ; AH
Holy Angels, pray; All Holy Archangels, pray; All
Holy Choirs, of the nine celestial orders, pray for us ;
Saints Stephen (twice) ; Damlanus, Menna, Dremorus,
&c. &c. (Britons) ; and all Holy Martyrs, pray for us;
Saints Samson, Briocus, Melorus, Branwalatrus, Brin-
danus, Carnachus, Gilda, Guinwalocus, Courentinus,
Citawus, Guoidanus, Munna, Serwanus, Guiniawus,
Tutwalus Columcillus, Mevinnus, Guoidwalus, Dir-
cillus, Bachla (Britons) ; and all Holy Confessors, pray

137
for us; Saints Tecla, Ticiawa, Genufefa?, Menna,
Mathelthia, &c.- (Welsh Ladies); and all Holy Virgins,
pray for us.
The church of Rome not contented with these en
croachments upon the affections of the British youth,
proceeded still further; and in a Synod, held in Lon
don, in A.D. 1103, over which Anselm, archbishop of
Canterbury, presided, a decree passed, enjoining,
among other matters, the celibacy of the British clergy.
This severe injunction is said to have been fostered from
an aversion to the fair sex, by the then existing Pope,
who, when a boy, had been thrown off a horse and trod
upon, and by that accident received the misfortune of
emasculation : the carrying this decree into practice
met with an opposition dangerous to the existence of
Christianity: for the married clergy being ordered to
put away their wives, could not suppress the uproar of
their ladies, who insisted upon a continuation of their
conjugal rights : nor could it be possible for themselves
to abandon the fair sex altogether, after having been
accustomed to receive the caresses of their frolicsome
wives, and to offer their nocturnal oblations on the altar
of love.
The clergy not then married were, by this decree,
doomed to a harassing and provoking course of life,
from the fondness of the ladies : for the merry part of
the softer sex are for ever making rapturous and irre
sistible advances towards the gownsmen.
In 1 1 88, the mania of the crusades extended itself
into the principality.
Peter the Hermit, a native of Amiens, in Picardy, in
Prance, having visited the holy places in Jerusalem, as
a pilgrim, in IO96, and witnessed the hardships which
the Christians experienced from the Saracens: on his
return to Europe, be painted the sufferings ofthe natives
and pilgrims of Palestine in such striking colours, that
every heart was melted into compassion, and every
breast glowed with indignation, when he challenged the
warriors ofthe age to defend their brethren, and rescue
their Saviour.

138
Pope Urban the Second, in the councils of Placentiaf,
and Clermont, seconded the views of Peter ; and the
infatuated princes of the western empire raised an army
of nearly three hundred thousand men, consisting of
French, Germans, and Italians, who proceeded towards
the East, under the command of Peter the Hermit;
Godescald, the Monk ; and Walter, the Pennyless.
These hoards of fanatics were so badly generalled by
Hermit, Monk, and Pennyless, and their conduct in
their march so oppressive and desolating, that most of
them were cut to pieces by the natives of the towns
and countries through which tbey passed and plundered;
Godefrey of Bouillon ; Hugh the Great, count of
Yermandois ; Robert, duke of Normandy, and others,
raised another numerous army, assumed the cross for
the deliverance of the holy sepulchre; marched towards
the East ; took the cities of Nice aud Antioch, &c. j
and Godefroy was crowned king of Jerusalem in 1099,
and this constituted the fiist crusade.
The Christians having established in the East the
four estates of Edessa, Tripoli, Antioch, and Jerusalem,
quarrelled with each other ; and Noureddin, sultan of
Aleppo, taking advantage of these divisions, recovered
the city of Edessa, and alarmed the whole of christr
endom. ,
Saint Bernard prevailed on Lewis the-Seventh, king
of France; and Conrad the Third, emperor of Ger
many, to raise an army for the relief of the eastern
Christians : these monarchs, attended by a great num
ber of nobility, and immense bodies of troops, who had
enlisted under consecrated banners, formed the second
crusade : their military services were rather inglorious,
for the generals were deceived by the treachery of the
Greeks : the armies were defeated by the Turks, and
the remnants retreated into Jerusalem.
The kingdom of Jerusalem was, in 1187, taken by
Saladin, the sultan of Egypt, which induced the Pope
to send his emissaries throughout Christendom, to am-
mate the people to rally round the standard of the holy
cross, and form a third crusade. Ip 1188, Baldwin,

139
archbishop of Canterbury, travelled through Wales,
saying mass in every cathedral, and persuading the
princes and people to kiss the cross, and enlist in
the service of the .church militant, in another expedi
tion for the delivery of Jerusalem, and the recovery of
the holy sepulchre.
This impostor, by causing a wooden cross, made by
one of his carpenters, to be carried before him, and
proclaimed to be the same cross on which our Saviour
had been put to death, collected together all the popu
lation of the country ; the dread of excommunication
made all the princes throughout Wales pay their re
spect to this religious adventurer, by meeting him in
all parts on the confines of their territories : princes and
people followed him on his return into England ; and, in
consequence, the principality suffered an abduction of
wealth, and a loss of population.
In the 12th and 13th centuries the inhabitants of the
principality derived an essential benefit from the Nor
man invasion. The Norman soldiers were all artificers;
their labours were at first confined to England ; but, as
the adventurous barons had distant grants, and extended
their conquests, they erected cathedrals and abbeys in
the districts they took possession of, and thus extended
into Wales the convenient knowledge of architecture.
The churches in Wales are generally in the Norman
style of building, as the tower is on the west end : but
most of the churches are of late erection ; for the place
of worship was formerly nothing but the bare cross ; in
some places there was an inclosure covered in, and
cancelled, so as to contain the crucifix, the image of the
saint, the altar, and the officiating ministers ; and these
little churches had been Pagan temples, and the pre
siding saint and image had been a Pagan god : for it is
well known, that the temples of Bacchus, where the
cheerful cultivators of the yine kept their merry fes
tivals, and drank, danced, and sung, when the vintage
season was closed, were afterwards converted into
Christian churches, with the . same image still remain
ing, under the name of St. Dionysius.; and that there

140
have been thousands of fools, who, by fasting, kneel-
ing, praying, and smiting of breasts, implored the in
tercession of the image of the boy Bacchus, to save
their bodies from the penal consequences of aneestorial
fruit stealing, and to deliver their souls from the cruel
and eternal torments of unexplored regions : and it was
not until the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that parish
churches were erected throughout the whole of the
principality. The Welsh church, now formed into a component of the
church of England, and under the jurisdiction of Rome,
was like to have undergone another change of creed
from the political measures of Henry the Eighth : that
creature of passion having drawn upon himself the in
dignation of the Pope, and of most of the kings of
Europe, applied to the Ottoman Porte for assistance, to
meet his then pending difficulties; and received in
answer, that every assistance would be given to Henry
against the power of the Pope, and the arms of the
continental monarchs, on condition that Henry and his
subjects should embrace the Mahometan religion,
Henry immediately consulted his bishops, and the ma
jority was in his favor, and for receiving the Ma'
hometan creed. (See Plowdens Janua Anglorum).
But this contemplated change of faith was not carried
into execution, because he found it more convenient
to secede from the Pope of Rome, and to assume to
himself all the authority, though not the title, of a Pope
of Windsor.
This change in the supremacy of the church, which
exposed to contempt the long received infallibility of
the Pope, induced men to think for themselves in mat
ters of religion, and brought into fashion a kind of
mania, or universal rage for opinions and doctrines.
These enquiries were, unhappily, not carried on with
temper by the people, nor treated with moderation by
government : and what was distressing to the country,
the throne vascillated in religious dogma.
Mary burnt the protestapts; and Elizabeth burnt the
catholics.

141
When this spirit of persecution subsided, the religion
Of the Welsh distributed itself into the following deno
minations and principles : —
Unitarianism — Deity, and Moral Duties.
Quakers — Inspired Instruction, and Prudence.
Ari&ns — Deity, an Atoning Christ, and Gospel
Morals. Armenians — Trinitarianism, Free Will, Love, and
Holiness. Calvinists — Trinitarianism, Violent Conversion, Elec
tion, and Triumphant Hymns.
EstablishedChurch-^- rrimta.ri&msm, English Bishops,
Welsh Hearers, Political Sermons.
Roman Catholics — Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus ;
Joseph's Virgin, Manes of the Saints, Discipline, and
the performing of Miracles.
The Catholics are not numerous in the principality :
their priests are men of distinguished learning and
piety, and eminent preachers : the members of their
churches are all of them devout, moral, and loyal.
The Established Church is, in all countries, essential
to the dignity of government; the diffusion of civil
duties ; the preservation of the peace ; and the promo
tion of happiness : but the national church should be
founded on sound policy, and upon a minute considera
tion of the means, the manners, and the language of the
community. The Welsh Church is a valuable and admirable esta
blishment; but from want of useful regulations, it is
deficient in discipline, and deserted by the community.
The tithes are oppressive on a poor soil ; the popula
tion is not numerous ; the parishes large ; the minister
scantily remunerated ; and the country requires the
conversion of tithes into an assessment, that the man
sions of the great, the mines, and the manufactories,
might relieve the burden of the husbandman, and con
tribute towards the comforts and usefulness of the
clergyman. The Welsh Church is always presided by English
bishops ; and from these injudicious appointments arise

142
the serious evils of mismanagement in the bishops, and
want of discipline in the clergy. These evils are not
brought forward as charges, but noticed as certain and
inevitable consequences. Suppose the see of London
had been filled for centuries by Welsh bishops, who
could not speak a word of the English language ? The
consequences are apparent, and Wales is exposed
to all of them ; and if the Welsh clergy had not
been of good hearts, and lovers of thejr king and
country, they would long ago have become a lawless
mob. We have most humbly to thank God, that there arej
in the Welsh Church, a great number of clergymen;
whose talents and, acquirements would be of high credit
in any age, and to any nation : these men, accustomed
to severe and intense application, preach in the English
language, in a style and manner worthy the approba
tion of the politer auditories of London : and their
Welsh sermons are composed with such correctness,
and delivered with such freedom of enunciation, as if
the mother tongue had been the sole object of their
studious pursuits.
But there are barriers thrown in the way of the Welsh'
clergy : and it may not be impertinent to offer a few*
suggestions, which may tend to their removal.
1.' The Welsh bishopricks should be supplied from
the Welsh clergy ; and the poor curate, in such case,
might have motives to excellence, and cherish a hope of
obtaining a mitre. If the English government question
the propriety of adopting this measure, let them con-*
sider whether the English nation would suffer themselves
to be priestridden by a regular succession of foreign
bishops ; and whether that w~as not the causa causans
of the reformation.
2. Libraries should be formed in county towns, or
other convenient and central places, for the use of the
clergy, to consist of treatises on every topic, particularly
on morals, medicine, and agriculture: the books to be
lent out, and returned monthly.
3. Collections of contributory Welsh Sermons, from

143
Various hands, should be occasionally sent to the press,
and distributed as examples of composition among the
junior clergy, who, it is presumed, would, in time, be
nefit by such examples, and become themselves future
contributors to such collections.
The Methodists, consisting of Calvinists and Arme
nians, are a charitable, friendly, and highly deserving
set of people : they have preserved the Welsh language,
they are full Of zeal and of good works; and had it not
been for the almost heavenly industry of the Ministers
of these denominations, Christianity would have been
lost in Wales; as the established church is but little
frequented, the service being performed only onee in
the week: the tenets ofthe Methodists, by a spirit of
religious inquiry, become daily more liberal: enthusiasm
gives way to the moral sense : and the Methodist
preachers are making rapid advances towards a state of
rational Christianity.
The Unitarians are composed of the most intelligent
and most learned of all denominations, who have disco
vered, that contentions in religion are wicked before
God, and detrimental to the happiness of mankind:
they look through nature up to nature's GOD; and
they study the gospel as a code of precepts and of duties:
this worshipping of the one God is comfortable, it is
grand, it is certain : for, suppose an Unitarian to wor
ship one God, and the Quinquinarian to worship five
Gods, and that the Quinquinarian is right, still the Uni
tarian is not wrong ; he is also right as far as his belief
goes; he is only deficient in duty towards the four minor
Gods: but suppose the Unitarian to be right, what
polytheism, what serious blasphemy does the Quinqui
narian run into by his mixt worshipping, and by his
scrambling of oblations among his five Gods !
The dissenters will, in a short time, become universal,
if they have recourse to a few regulations.
Their colleges should be presided by laymen, or cler
gymen of university education, who have seceded from
the established church : the course of study should be
more extended, so as to qualify men for professional

144
and commercial life. There should be three professors;
one for theology, oriental languages, and literature;
another for the classics, belles lettres, morals, and ora
tory ; and a third for the mathematics, natural philo
sophy, political economy, commerce, and agriculture.
The librarian would answer the purpose of a proctor,
by inspecting the conduct, and visiting nightly the
lodgings of the students. The library should be open
in college hours, to the use of ministers, and studious
men of all denominations ; and there should be attached
to every college a society, or academy of literature
and science; the being admitted a member should be
an honor conferred on persons of great and extensive
learning ; and their transactions, or contributory papers,
whether in Welsh, English, Latin, French, &c. should
be published annually, and in the languages in which
such communications may have been written.
Should the dissenters pursue a course something si
milar to this suggestion, and abolish prizes, and the false
notion of exciting the barbarous feeling of emulation, it
is presumed, that their labours would be more exten
sively useful, and meet with a liberal remuneration from
. all the respectable parents in the principality, and with,
an extensive correspondence from the learned of all
nations.

145

CHAP. V.
Ofthe Lazes of the Welsh.
It appears from the Roman commentator, that in
remote and early times, the inhabitants of Britain had
all things in common, and having no distinction of
meum and tuum, had no Occasion for positive laws : and
if any differences should arise between individuals, such
differences, were adjusted by the decisions of the Druids,
or long bearded inhabitants of the hollow oaks, which
answered in effect to the responsa prudentum of the
Roman jurisprudence. This was the custom of the
more ancient and inland inhabitants.
And that this was the custom, is evident from Caesar,
who relates De Bell Gall. lib. 6 c. 13. de omnibus
controversiis, publicis privatisque constituunt ; et si
quod est adrnissum f acinus ; si cades facta ; si de
hareditate, si de finibus controvcrsia est. iidem de-
ceriiunt : pramia panasque constituunt.
In the maritime towns, of the island, colonized by the
Belgi, a powerful nation of the continent, a system of
commercial law, since called the Mercenlage, was in
force; for these towns were called by the Saxon or
Belgic names of the towns whence the settlers came :
and Caasar, in his description of Britain, says — mari-
tima pars ab iis, qui, prada ac belli infer endi causa, ex
Belgis transierant ; qui omnes fere iis nominibus civi-
tatum appellantur, quibus orti ex civitatibus ed perven-
erunt, et bello ilia to ibi remanserunt atque agros
colere cceperunt. — Bell Gall. lib. 5. c. 10.
These colonies, called the Trinobantes, or new comers,
by the Britons, were anciently governed by Divitiacus,
king of the Belgi and Suessiones. Bell Gall, lib 2. c. 4.
And in Cassar's time, by Mandebrog, or Mandubratius.
lib. 5. c. 18.

146
On the south-western coast of the island, the rela
tions of trade with the Phoenicians or Punics, who came
to Cassiteredes, or Oakhampton, for tin; and to the
Isle of Wight, to collect amber*, must have introduced
various regulations in districts, where trade had been
hitherto unknown, and the construction of a ship not
yet attempted
When the Roman power reduced Britain into, a
province, the laws of this country became complex and
local : for it was the policy of the Romans to suffer the
existing laws to remain, and to introduce the laws of
the empire, where none already existed. Hence the
laws of the Belgic and Suessionic colonies were suf
fered to remain, whilst the civil code was put in force
among the inland, or ancient people of the country?
but in some measure blending with it a few oral maxims
respecting the descent of lands, the distribuiion of
effects, and the punishment of particular crimes t
The Roman laws thus introduced into the interior;
* Tacitus in Vit. Agric. Gignit et oceanvs margarita, sed sub-
fused ac. liventia. Suet. vit. C. J. C. Britanniam pctisse spe mat-
jraritarum, c. 47. The Romans called every thing that would grace
a necklace, by the term jewel, or Margarita. Pliny relates, thai
Britain produced amber. Lib. 37. c. 2. Gemmas, margaritas/fifa
Mela, lib. 3. c. 8, 36".
t There is an ill-told tale among the illiterate Welsh, respecting
Dunaldus Molmutius, a celebrated British legislator. The case is
this: Tyssilio is made to say, that Molmutius lived 660 years before
Christ ; was the son of the earl of Cornwall ; wrote a code of laws
in Welsh: these laws, extant in the time of Gildas, were translated
by hiin into Latin, and this translation was communicated to Alfred
the Great, by Asserius, bishop of St. David's. Alfred, who, in life
and purposes (A.D. 880), bore a great resemblance to Dyfhwal
Molmutius (lived 1500 years before him), translated these laws from
the Latin of Gildas into Saxon.
But most unfortunately to the fabricators of this tradition,, the
laws of Alfred are in print in Saxon and Latin, and worth the perusal
of any man of learning; they, however, make no mention of any
earl of Cornwall 660 years before Christ.
The laws of the ancient Britons are contained- in the Triads of
Dyfnwal Moelmud ; Llyfr Cyfnerth ab Morgenau ; Llyfr Grono ab
Mereiddig; Llyfr Hen-y-Ty Gwyn ; Llyir Gweir Mab Rhuon; Llyfr
PrawfYnad ; and RholTegwared Ddu. They are all of them late pro
ductions, and are cither summaries or selections of the laws of Howel
the Good.

147
were conformed to by the Britons, until they were' de
serted by the Romans under the empire of Honorius.'
Soon after the desertion of the Romans, the Saxons,
who invaded this country, or rather augmented the
colonies already settled here, enacted a succession of
ordinances and laws.
In 6 13, Ethelbert, king of Kent, according, to Beda,
with the advice of his wise men, made certain ordi
nances upon the Roman model, respecting the robbers
of churches, ecclesiastics, and individuals.
Ina, king of the West Saxons, A. D. 729, enacted a
short code of laws still extant in the Saxon language, in
which the weregild, or penalty for killing a Welshman,
was one hundred and twenty shillings ; but if the Welsb>
man was the proprietor of five hides of land, the penalty
was six hundred shillings. Vide Be altheodiges mannes
slagc.—S. 22.
In title 70, Be Fostre, the holder of ten hides of
land was to render a supply of twelve ambra, or gal
lons of Welsh ale : and in title 73, if a Welshman, of a
servile condition, killed an English freeman, the pro
prietor of the Welshman was to deliver him over to the
heir of the slain, or redeem him by paying a penalty of
sixty shillings.
In the code of Alfred, A. D. 880, no mention is made
of the Welsh, nor of British manners ; and the perusal
ef it will re:but the charge of its being a translation from
the ancient British.
The laws of Edward the Confessor, A.D. 910, take
no notice ofthe Welsh people : the laws of Ethelstan,
930, merely enact that every Welshman possessing a
farm, was to pay to the king an annual census of two
hundred and twenty shillings : and the laws of Edmund,
940, pass over the Ancient Britons in silence.
•>:¦¦ But about this time we come to a new, or, perhaps>
the primitive epoch in , Welsh jurisprudence, by. the
enactment of a code of laws by Hoel * the Good, prince
•The Myfyrian Archaiology, vol.2, p. 612, makes Howel the
Good contemporary with Edgar, king of the Saxons ; whereas Hoel
died in p.5S ; and Edgar did not begin to reign until 959.
IS

14S
of Wales ; for at this time the Welsh laws, cohsisting of
ancient customs, the LexCaesarea, the Edicts of Roman
Praetors; who had resided in Britain; the Saxon and
Danish laws, and the Canon law, lately introduced;, on
the submission of the Welsh clergy to the jurisdiction of
the metropolitan church of Canterbury, became so
complex and impracticable, that Howel the Good found
it requisite to form out of all these materials a concise
and practical code. For this purpose, about the year
940, he summoned a convention of civilians, clergy, and
others, to be held at Ty Gwyn ar Daf ; the White House
on the Taf, or Whitland, in the parish of St. Clear's}
in the county of Carmarthen. The convention, so suni'
moned and held, consisted of the following members :—
Morgeneu, Ynad, i.e. a judge, or doctor of laws;
Cyfnerth, son of Morgeneu; Gweiri, son of Cyfiawn;
Gronwy, son of Moriddig ; Rhewydd, Ynad ; Iddk
Ynad ; Gwiberi Hen o Iscenain, i. e. Viberius Senex, of
Iscenain ; which is a commot, consisting of the parishes
of Landybie, Lanvihangel, Lanarthney, Lanon, &&<;
Gwrnerth Llwyd, son of Gwiberi; Meddwon, of
Cerisg; Gwgawn. Dyfed ; Bledrws, son of Bleiddydj
Gwyn Faer, or Gwyn the prefect, who was the pio->
prietor of Whitland ; and Blegewryd, archdeacon of
Llandaff, and doctor of laws.
The result of their conjoined labours was a short
code, which has been long ago published, with some'
thing like a Latin translation ; by doctors Wotton,
MoSes Williams, and Clarke : the following summary
of which is now, for the first time, offered to the public
in a legal costume.
The Privileges and Qualifications of a Judge. ..
The Aulic judge was to hold his land free ; to sit at
the fire opposite the king, and next to the priest of the
palace; to receive twenty-four pence on the decisional
a real action; and the like fee of any person receiving
advice respecting his privileges and dues ; and also of
every person acquitted 'on a charge of battery, or of
theft : to have the great gates thrown open on his going'
i/Oj and returning from the palace : and he was to have J

149
his horse in attendance of the king ; and his linen robe
of the queen.
The Qualifications requisite in a judge were to be
versed in the three Canons of Jurisprudence, and the
Estimate of Things.
The three Canons of Jurisprudence were — 1. The
nine Accessaries of Murder. 2. The nine Accessaries
of Theft. 3. The nine Accessaries of Arson.
I. The nine Accessaries of Murder were— 1. .Pointing
out the person to be murdered. 2. Advising. 3. Con
senting. 4. Watching. 5. Associating. 6. Repairing
to the place. 7- Misleading the person to be murdered.
8. Detaining. 9. Seeing and suffering the murder.
II. The nine Accessaries of Theft were— 1. Shewing
the thing to be stolen. 2. Consenting. 3. Treating. 4.
Accompanying. 5. Breaking, or pulling down. 6. Receiv
ing, or buying. 7. Travelling with the thief. 8. Sharing in
the theft. 9- Taking a reward for concealing,the theft.
III. The nine Accessaries of Arson were — 1. Advising
to burn. 2. Consenting. 3. Accompanying. 4. Car
rying the combustible. 5. Striking the fire. 6. Putting
the match, 7- Blowing the fire. 8. Setting on fire.
9. ¦ Looking on and suffering the fire.
Whoever would maintain bis innocence of these
charges must defend himself on the oath of fifty com
purgators, all free, and of this country.
The Estimate of Things.
Horses — Palfrey, or a pack-horse, 10s.; draft-horse,
5s; stallion, 15s.
Cattle — Ox or cow, 5s. ; ear, horn, tail, or eye of
a,cow, 4d each.
Pigs— Sow, 30d. ; farrow, the value of the sow;
boar, worth three sows.
;.' Sheep, %'c. — Ewe, 4d. j ram, 8d. ; goat, 4d. ; kid, Id.
Various - Gat, 4d. ; goose, Id. ; gander, 2d. ; hen. 1 d. ;
cock, 2d.; king's greyhound, 10s.; hawk, 10s.; hive of
bees, 2s. The Lazvs respecting Theft
were lenient, in three instances.
!. In a scholar, who had undergone the tonsure : in
this case, he was to be degraded into a layman.

150
2. In a boy, who had not completed his 14th year of
age. 3. Where the person was ignorant in the language,
laws, and customs of the country ; and had been three
days and three nights without lodging, and without
alms. These exemptions had been borrowed from other laws;
the first from the Canon, the second from the Civil;
and the third from the Saxon law.
Of Evidence.
The testimony of one man was of no weight ; but the
testimony of a priest, respecting the confession of a
felon on oath, was admissible.
There were three men, whose testimonies were not
credible, viz. — 1. An Apostate. 2. Convict of Perjury.
And 3. A Common Thief.
There were nine persons whose words were admis
sible in evidence : — A Lord, between his two villains;
an Abbot, between his two monks ; a Father, between
his two sons ; a Judge, respecting his adjudication, if
doubtful ; a Bailor, respecting his Bailees ; a Priest,
between two of his, parishioners; a Virgin, respecting
her virginity; a Shepherd, when ohe beast kills another,
and both in his custody ; and a Thief without hope, .re
specting his fellow thief, when brought to the gallows.
The fine for killing a cat guarding the palace, or royal
barn, was singular : the slayer was to hold the cat by
the tail with her head hanging down, so as to touch the
floor, and to pour wheat about her until the heap thus
congregated covered the tip of her tail.
But the most interesting matter in these laws is
their making the first reference in the history of thjs
country to the trial by jury: the passage relates to the
practice in real actions : — J
" Yr hawlwr biaf dangos ei hawl, a gwedi;hynny jf
amddifFynwr ei amddiffyn ; a herwydd hynny y dyluant
henuriaid gwlad gydsydriaw yn garedig pwy o hony^t
sydd ar y iawn. A gwedi darfod, i'r henuriaid rhagrir
trhio eu synwyr a chadarnhai eu syll trwy dwng, ynfry
dylu y Brawdwyr fyne$ ar neilldu a barnu herwydd jf

151
henuriaid a dangos i'r Brenin yr hyn a farnont. A
hynny yw dedfryd gwlad gwedu gwrtheb : ac yny modd
hwnw y terfynir dadleu tir a daer."
The demandant is to shew his claim, and then the
tenant his defence ; and as to the matter, the elders of
the country ought to consider amicably to which party
the right belongs : and after the elders have declared
their opinion, and given validity to the form by being
upon oath, the judges are to retire and give judgment,
agreeably to the finding of the elders, and to lay before
the king their adjudgment : and this is the verdict of the
country after defence made, and is the mOde of deter
mining pleas respecting real property.
This code, however, taken collectively, is a very poor
production. The first book, which treats of the duties
and perquisites of the four and twenty officers of the
palace, might suit the establishment of a farmer in the
present day. The second Book is a medley of Canon,
Civil, and Criminal laws. The third Book is a sum
mary of Judicial Practice, and contains the Canons of
Jurisprudence already noticed. The fourth Book is a
motley collection of Forensic Triad es, strangely dis
torted from other codes, by the enthusiastic religious
ofthe middle ages, who, after dividing the Deity into
three beings, formed a notion that the number three was
the standard, or perfect number in nature ; that every
cause had three effects ; that the modes were three ; and
that all the categories might be answered by. triades.
The following specimens will shew- that the triades were
not the result of sound logic : —
There are three causes for which a man may beat his
wife — 1. for pulling his beard ; 2. for wasting his goods ;
3. for living with another man.
There are three arts which a villain is not to teach
his son, without the permission ofhis lord— 1. reading;
2. music ; and 3. horse-shoeing.
The three Dauntless of a Community are— 1. a
baron ; 2. a madman ; and 3. an insolvent.
The fifth Book is a Doctrina Placitandi, without
method, and mostly taken from the Institutes of Justinian,

152
After this enactment of Hoel, the Weigh are again.
named in the Saxon laws of Ethelred, A. D. 980, in
the Senatus Consultum De Monticolis Wallia, upon
an occasion of some interest, from the mentioning made
of trial by jury; for this is the first time that this mode
of trial occurs in the laws of the Saxons ; and the sur>
ject patter is a treaty entered into wjth the Ancient
Britons : these circumstances are so specious as to risk
a conclusion, that the trial by jury was the practice
among the inhabitants of .Britain, and afterwards bor
rowed of them by the Saxon invaders. The passage in
the Senatus Consultum is in the article Be Badum, or
Pledge- -Tzoelve Lahmen scylon rihte tacean, Wtalan
und JEnglan; six Englisce und six Wylisce. From
this time the Welsh continued in the observance of their
own code until A. D. 1286, the twelfth of Edward the
first, when Wales, by the atatute of Rhuddlan, was in
corporated . with England, divided into counties, and
instructions given to sheriffs and coroners, and. the
forms of writs enacted.
" This law deserves most particular notice, though
little attended to either by lawyers or historians, except.
Carte, who touches upon it but transiently. It not only
informs us what were the customs and laws in Wales at
that time, but likewise, by the remedies provided, what
was the law of England.
In order to make these new regulatious upon the best
consideration of the different laws of the two countries,
Edward had, the year before, directed inquiries upon
oath before certain commissioners, with the bishop of,
St. David's for their president, whose certificates and
returns, are printed in the appendix to Hoel Dda's laws,
and contain many curious particulars. Of these laws
and customs, which prevailed in Wales before Edward's
conquests, some are still retained, others altered, and
some entirely abolished by this statute : I shall here
take notice of but two or three of them. All the wit
nesses agree, that the princes of Wales could alter the
laws at their pleasure, nor do they make the least men
tion of a parliament, - or even a council : the ipference

153
from this seems to be, that the inhabitants of this island
have adopted the institution of parliaments, from some
of the invading strangers. The next observation I shall
make upon the examination of these witnesses is, that
there is not the least allusion to any sort of feudal te
nure, which confirms what I have before advanced, that
they were unknown in this country before the Norman
conquest. There is at present in North Wales no co
pyhold tenures, and scarcely an instance of what are
called manerial rights; the property is therefore almost
entirely free and allodial. We find likewise, that ga
velkind prevailed throughout Wales; the right of suc
cession to lands in the eldest son must have there
fore been derived from the Normans ; as was also
the trial by battle, which was before unknown in the
principality. The preamble to the statute recites, that Wales was,
before the conquest of Edward, jure feudali subjecta
to the crown of England, which expression is very re
markable, as it is believed no instance can be found in
any record, or ancient historian, of ajus Jeudale pre
vailing in England : we hear indeed ofthe word feudum ;
and the distinction between the feudum novum and the
feudum antiquum; but a regular system of feudal law,
which this expressiop seems to import, there are but
very slight traces of. Edward however was conqueror,
and had a right to make use of his own words in the
preamble to his law.
After the introduction, very complete directions are
given to the sheriff aud coroner, upon whom so much
depends with regard to the execution of the law, some
pf which I shall here insert, as they throw great light
not only on the powers of these officers, but likewise are
explanatory of other circumstances relative to the state
of the criminal law at this time.
After the duty ofthe sheriff in the execution of his
office is explained, the statute then proceeds in the
same manner with regard to the coroner, in which he
is directed, amongst other particulars, to attend upon
information, of a man's being so dangerously wounded

154
that his life is despared of, and he is likewise ordered to
summon a jury. This branch of duty in a coroner is
now totally neglected, as his proceedings are only super
visum corporis; it is a regulation however which de
serves much to be revived, and I should conceive, that
this attendance of the coroner and a jury, when a dan
gerous wound had been received, was to prevent the
dying words of the person murdered from being evi
dence. This kind of proof as allowed at present cannot
be too cautiously admitted. It is presumed indeed,
that the words of a person expiring cannot but be true,
considering the situation under which he gives the in
formation. . But may not a dying man, though a good
Christian, deprived of expected happiness in life by a
wound received perhaps from an enemy, rather wish His
punishment more eagerly than he should do ? and may
not those about the dying person, who are generally
relations, repeat what he hath said more strongly On the
trial, than possibly the words Were delivered ?
After this, the duty of the coroner in cases of abjufa*
tion is explained, which is now indeed abolished ; it
may not however be improper to mention the particulars
of this punishment, as described by the statute If a
felon or murderer fly to a sanctuary after the offence
is committed, the coroner is to send to the king's bailiff
of the commote, who is to summon a jury ofthe neigh
bourhood. The felon is then to make his abjuration in
the presence of the jury, after which he is to be led to
the porch of the sanctuary, and the coroner is to appoint
a port, from which he is to embark for banishment; to
this place he is to proceed by the nearest highway,
without ever turning to right or left, and to carry a torcli'
in his hand lill he arrives.
After what relates to the sheriff and coroner, the sta
tute then gives the form of writs in those actions which
were at that time most commonly used. The drawing
up these writs was anciently thought to be of such con
sequence, that it was one of the articles insisted upon
by the barons in the year 1258, that the chancellor
should not only be elective, but should take an oath,

Que il ne enselera mil brief, per brief de curs, sans le
commandement le roi, et It cunseel.
It is likewise well known, that there is no legal ar
gument which hath such force in our courts of law, as
those which are drawn from the words of ancient writs ;
and that the Registrum Brevium is therefore looked
upon to be the very foundation of the common law. I
have compared the writ of Novel Disseisin, as set forth
in this statute, and likewise the writ of Mortdaneester,
with the forms in the register, which seem to tall\ ex
actly (mutatis mutandis) for England and Wales. I
have likewise compared them with the forms in that
ancient book in the Scotch law, entitled Quoniam At-
tachiamenta : the comparison of these writs seems most
fully to prove the great authority which is due to our
Registrum Brevium, and likewise that the law of Scot
land, as hath before been contended, agreed anciently
not only with the principles of the law of England, but
in its practice, though there might be some variances of
no great importance." — (Barr. 104.)
The English law authors maintain that Wales was
always feudatory to the kingdom of England, and was
held ofthe crown of England; but not parcel of it as
stated by Coke, 2 Inst. 195 ;, 4 Inst. 239 ; 1 Rol. 246'
and 229 ; and therefore it is said, the kings of Wales
did homage and swore fealty to Henry the Second, John,
and Henry the Third. — Brad. Hist. 299, #c.
And that in 1 1 of Edward I., upon the conquest of
Llewelyn, the principality became a part of the domi
nion of England ; and by St. Wallia, 12 Edward I., was
united to the crown of England, tanquam partem cor
poris ejusdem. — 4 Inst. 240 ; 2 Mod. Cas. 140.
In other books it is admitted, that Wales, before its
Union with England, was governed by its own laws*
Vaug. 300, 399 ; Cro Car. 247 ; Jon. 255 ; and that
the princes of Wales could alter the laws at their plea
sure. And it is to be observed, that though the St.
Wallia is supposed to have united Wales to England ;
yet such union could only be of a part; for the coun
ties rnentioped, are Merioneth, Caernarvon, Anglesey,

. 156
and Flint, in North Wales ; and the counties of Car
marthen and Cardigan, in South Wales.
By 28 Edward III. c. 2, lords of the marches of
Wales shall be attendant to the crown of England, and
not to the principality of Wales : these marches lied
between the counties of England and Wales, and not in
any county. — Vaugh. 415.
. By 9 Henry I V . c. 4, felons in Wales shall be put
to answer where taken, and not be delivered by disclaim
ing in seigniory, or by letters of marche : these marches
were formerly governed by a president and council;
generally held at Ludlow, until abolished by the act of
king William; the extensive powers of which council
may be seen in a copy of the instructions given to lord
Compton, the president, still preserved in the seventh
volume of Rymer.
By 26 Hen. VIII. c. 6, no person, without licence
of the commissioners, shall, within Wales, levy any
commorth, bydale, tenants ale, or other collection, for
marriage, mass, priest, redemption of murder, felony. Or
the like; nor make any games, upon pain of a year's
imprisonment : nor shall any one cast arthel into any
court, to disturb justice, under the like pain.
By 27 Henry VIII. the lord chancellor shall as
sign justices ofthe peace and gaol delivery, by commis
sion under the great seal, in the counties of Chester,
Flint, Anglesey, Caernarvon, Merioneth, Cardigan,
Carmarthen, Pembroke, and Glamorgan, which justices
shall have the like authority as those in England.
By same St. c. 26, Wales is incorporated with Eng
land ; and all persons born there are to enjoy all liber
ties as those born in England ; and lands are to descend
there according to the English laws. The laws of Eng
land are to be executed in Wales. The king to appoint
sheriffs of counties, and to hold chancery and exchequer
courts at Rrecknock and Denbigh. Courts of law to
be kept in the English tongue. Welsh laws and cus
toms to be enquired into by commission ; and such of
them as shall be thought fit and reasonable, to be eon*
tinued.

157
By 31 Henry VIII, all monasteries, abbaties, pri
ories, &c, were vested in the king. These religious
houses had been all valued by the 26th of the same
monarch : and the following were the monasteries,
abbaties, &c. of the principality, and their annual valua
tion, as given by Speed, Dugdale, and Tanner.
ANGLESEY
1. Glannach.or Priestholme.— The Benedictine priory
in this little island was founded by Llewelyn ab Iuivverth,
prince of North Wales. .£47- 15*. 3d.
2. Caer Gybi, or Holy Head.- — The monastery of St.
Cybi was destroyed ; and afterwards a college of pre
bendaries founded. — £ 24*
3. Llan vaes. — The house of G rey Friars was founded
here by Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, and dedicated to Sl
Francis : it was the burial-place of Joan, the daughter of
king John ; ofthe king of Denmark's son ; and of many
barons and knights slain in the Welsh wars, and main
tained eight friars.
BRECKNOCKSHIRE.
Brecknock Benedictine Priory. — Founded by Ber
nard de Newmarch ; dedicated to St. John the Evan
gelist; called in Welsh, Bettvvs Ifan, and valued at
£112. 14*. Id. CARM ARTHENSH IRE.
Abergwilly. — The college founded by ThomasBecket,
bishop of St. David's, was annexed by Henry VIII. to
the new college at Brecknock. — £, 42.
Albalanda, or Whitland. — This cistertian abbey was
founded by Rhys ab Tewdwr, and dedicated to Saint
Mary, and its annual value was — £, 135. 3s. 6d.
Cidwely. — The Benedictine Priory was founded by
Roger, bishop of Salisbury ; dedicated to St. Mary, and
its annual value — £, 38.
Carmarthen. -^-Austin Canons Priory was dedicated
to St John the Evangelist, and its annual value —
£ 174. Ss. $d

158
The value of the Grey Friars is Pot given.
Talley. — This Premonstratensian Abbey was founded
by Rhys ab Gryffydd A.D. 1190.— £ 136. 9s. 7d. '
CAERNARVONSHIRE.
Bangor. — The monastery was founded here by Mael
gwn ab Cynan ; afterwards formed into a bishopriek,
and its annual value; — £ 151. 3*.
Bardsey, or Ynys Enlli. — This Abbey was dedicated
to St. Mary; annual Value— £ 46. 1*. 4d.
Bedd Gelert.— An ancient Priory of Black Monks,
dedicated to St. Mary.— £ 70. 3s.. 8d.
CARDIGANSHIRE.
Cardigan.— A Benedictine Cell, or Priory of Black
Monks.— £ 32.
Llan Ddewi Brefi College.— «£ 40.
Llanlleer. — -A Cistertian Nunnery, — £ 57. 5s. 4>d.
Strata Florida, or Ystrad Flur. — A Cistertian Abbey,
founded by Rhys ab Gryffydd A.D. 1 164.— £1 \S.7s.3d.
DENBIGHSHIRE.
-Maynan.— This Abbey was founded, and the Cister
tian Monks were translated here from Aberconway, by
Edward I. A.D. 1283— .£ 162. 15*.
Llan Egwaste, or De Valle Cruris. — This Cistertian
Abbey was founded by Madog ab Gryffydd Maelor,
and dedicated to St. Mary.— £ 188. 8s.
FLINTSHIRE.
St. Asaph, formerly called Henllan, and afterwards!
Llan Elwy. — A bishopriek, founded by St. Kentigern,
bishop of Glasgow, and first bishop of Henllan ; his
successor was Asaph, or Hassaph, from whose name
this place received its present denomination of St
Asaph.— £ 202, 10*. 6d.
Basingwerk, in the parish of HolywelL This Cister
tian Abbey was founded by Ranulph,. earl of Chester,
dedicated to St. Mary, and completed by Henry II.—*
£ 150. 7*. 3d.

159
GLAMORGANSHIRE.
Llandaf — Bishopriek built by bishop Urban 1120,
and dedicated to Saints Peter, Dubritius, Teilau, and
Odoceus.— £ 154. 14*. 2d.
Margam. — A Cistertian Abbey, dedicated to the
Virgin, and hence called Mairgam, the virgin's cross,
was founded by Robert earl of Gloucester, A.D. 1 147 ;
and, perhaps, on the site of the cell dedicated to the
Trinity by Cyngarus, in the sixth century. — £ 181.7*. 4d.
Neath. — A Cistertian Abbey, dedicated to the Tri
nity; founded by Richard de Granville, in the time of
Henry I., for monks of the order of Savigny, in France.
—£l3% 7s. id.
Swansea Hospital. — Founded by Henry de Gower,
bishop of St. David's, A. D. 1332.— £ 20.
Ewenhy Benedictine Priory — Founded by sir John
Londres, lord of Ogmore, and dedicated to St. Michael.
—,£78. 0*. 8d. MERIONETHSHIRE.
Cymmer, or Kinmer — Cistertian Abbey ; founded
by Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, and dedicated to St. Mary. —
£51. 13s. 4d.
Llanlugan Cistertian Nunnery. — <£ 22. 10*. Sd.
MONTGOMERYSHIRE.
Ystrad Marchell, or Strata Marcelli. — Cistertian
Abbey; founded by Owen Cyfeiliog, to the honor of
God and the blessed Virgin. — £ 64. 1 1*. 2d.
PEMBROKESHIRE.
Caldey Island belonged to St. Dogmael Abbey. —
£5. 10*. lid.
St. David. — This Bishopriek is supposed to have been
first, a monastery, founded by Tadog, or St. Patrick :
the see was translated from Caerlleon by St. David.—
,£426. 2*. Id.
St. Dogmael. — ATirone Abbey ; founded by Martin,
of Tours, in the time, of the Conqueror. — £96. Os. Id.
Haverfordwest. — Austin Black Canons, founded by
Robert de Haverford, lord of the place, and dedicated

160
to St. Mary, and Thomas the Martyr.— £ 133. 1 1*. Id.
Pembroke.— Benedictine Cell.— £ 113. 2*. 6d.
Pilla, or Pill Rh6s.— Benedictine Priory, dedicated to
St. Mary, and St. Budog ; and founded by Adam de
Rupe — .£67- 15s. 3d.
Slebech — Knights Hospitallers. — ,£211.0*. lid.
Tenby. — St. Mary Magdalen's Hospital, for the king's
tenants. — £ 2. RADNORSHIRE.
The Cistertian Abbey of Cwm-hir, or Comber, placed
by some writers in this county, and by others, in Salop
and Pembroke, appears to be a misplacing, by repeti
tion of Cymmer Abbey, in Merionethshire.
By 34 and 35 Henry VIII. c. 26, Wales divided
into -twelve counties: two judges to be appointed to
hold sessions twice a year : corporate officers may hold
pleas, and determine actions according to the English
law. Justices of peace to be appointed as in England;'
and freeholders may be jurymen in all cases, civil and
criminal ; but not on attaint, unless they have 40s.. a
year. Foreign plea, or voucher in Wales, triable in any
other county in Wales or England. The tenure, mort
gage, sale, and demise of lands, as in England. Error
in the Great Sessions in Wales shall be redressed in
the Court of King's Bench ; and process for urgent and
weighty causes from the Chancellor of England, as
usual. This enactment contains a most complete code
of regulations for the administration of justice, with
such precision and accuracy, that no one clause of it-
hath ever yet occasioned a doubt, or required an ex
planation. Though the calendar of the journals of the
House of Lords begins with the first year of this reign;
yet I cannot find any thing relative to this most excel-"
lent law ; and therefore the principality must for ever
remain ignorant of their greatest patriot and benefactor.
The statute begins by dividing Wales into twelve
shires; lord Herbert, of Cherbury, in his life of Henry
the Eighth, informs us, 'that before this it consisted of
one hundred and forty lordships marchers, with juri'"

l6l
regalia; and that the great view of the statute was to
reduce their jarring customs to uniformity.
Previous steps had been indeed taken to introduce a
thorough union of laws between the two countries, by
statutes which passed in the twenty-sixth year of this
king's reign.
One of these most particularly injoins, that the jurors
in Wales, who are recited to be frequently tampered
with, should pot, without leave of the court, be per
mitted to have either meat or drink, which shews, that
for some time the trial by jury had prevailed in those
parts of the principality at least, where there had been
an opportunity of introducing the English laws. It is
for this reason that, the present statute continually re
fers to, and approves of the laws used in the maritime
counties of North Wales, because' Edward the First,
and his successors, by means of their garrisons in those
Counties, were the better ertabled to enforce the establish
ment of the English ordinances.
Another regulation soon followed, that ho Welshman
may carry with him to a court of justice, or place of
public resort, any kind of offensive weapon, which shews
that there were frequently great riots and insurrections
in the principality. Major, however, who lived at this
time, says, that the custom of going armed was by no
tpeans peculiar to Wales, " In Anglia ad templum,
sive forum, sine armis vadit nemo."
But the most material previous regulation, is that of
the 37th section of the twenty-seventh of Henry the
Eighth, by which it is enacted, that the lord chancellor,
immediately after the prorogation of parliament, shall
issue the king's commission, to inquire and search out,
by all ways and means, all and singular laws, usages,
and customs, used within the said dominion and coun
ties of Wales, and return and certify them to the king
in council.
This return, therefore, must have been made ; though
I cannot find it in Rymer, and must contain many
curious particulars, upon which the present most com
plete ancf comprehensive -law of the thirty-fourth and
M

162
thirty-fifth of Henry the Eighth was undoubtedly framed.
Rowland, in his Mona Antiqua, informs us, however, that
copies of the proceedings of these commissioners were
deposited both in the chamberlain and auditor's office of
North Wales ; that Sir William Gryffydd, of Penrhyn,
caused them to be transcribed bv one Jenkin Gwyn, and
that they are entitled, The extent of North WVles.
I have already said, that this statute is so clear, that
it never hath required any parliamentary exposition or
alteration, much less does it want my illustrations ; as
the great lord Bacon hath barely abridged .sume of the
regulations, thinking that they spoke sufficiently for
themselves. Mr. Justice Dodderidge hath done the
same in his account of the principality of Wales, with
out any observations, except that the justices of the great
session have toe same powers with the ancient justices
in Eyre. He could not mean by this, that the justices
in Eyre had the powers of deciding causes in a court of
equity, which the justices of the great session have so
long exercised, that it cannot be now disputed. How
they originally obtained this jurisdiction is rather dark,
as in the present statute, which most particularly enu
merates every officer in the courts of law, there is not
the least allusion to any proceedings in equity.
By the 37th chapter of the twenty-seventh of Henry
the Eighth, the king is indeed empowered, for the next
five years, to erect and constitute what courts he shall
please; during which time he mi.^ht probably have in
stituted the present courts of equity in Wales ; but it is
still singular, that this statute should be entiiely silent,
with regard to any such court or officer belonging to it.
The king had likewise power to alter the laws of Wales
according to his discretion, the abolishing of which made
one pfthe articles on the part of the House of Com;:
mons in what was called the Great Contract, whefl
James the First proposed giving up the court of wards,
Sec. in consideration of £ 200.000. per annum. The
repeal of this power accordingly followed in the four
teenth year of the same king's reign, when the lord chan
cellor dwells upon its being a bill of grace.

163
Bishop Godwyn, in his life of Henry the Eighth,
Piuch commends this statute of union between England
and Wales: and says, that the good effects of it were
fully experienced at the time he wrote ; from these ad
vantages, he strongly presses an union with Scotland.
Henry the Eighth lived to hold two sessions of par
liament after this ; but nothing occurs in the statutes
of those years, which is deserving of particular notice
or observation.
He began his reign with the greatest expectations of
his people; and in this, according to bishop Godwyn,
they were not deceived in the twelve first years, which
may be compared to the Quinquennium Neronis. He
was, in the early parts of his life, magnificent, and ge
nerous ; but afterwards his prevailing passion appears to
have been that of despotism and tyranny, attended with
no small degree of cruelty : he was the first king of
England who was styled metuendissimus ; and no prede
cessor, or successor, ever equally deserved that epithet.
He had more learning than perhaps ever fell to the
share of a king ; and bishop Burnet informs us, that he
had seen many statutes, if not entirely drawn by him, at
least altered and corrected with his own hand ; his pen
may, therefore, be said to have been often dipped in
blood, as every session almost produced new treasons
and felonies. Hollinshead asserts that 72,000 criminals
were executed during ,his reign, which amount nearly to
2000 a year ; whereas, he says, that in the latter end
of queen Elizabeth's the number did not exceed 400.
1 must own, I cannot but think there is a great exagge
ration in the account, or an egregious mistake in this
chronicler, who is generally very accurate ; for though
I believe that the world rather improves in point of
morality and social duties, from century to century, yet
this is too great a disproportion in the comparative num
ber of criminals, who might be condemned to suffer. —
(Barr. Obs. 456.)
By 1 Edward VI. c. 10, Exigents and proclamations
awarded out of K. B. against persons residing in Wales
or Chester.
M 2

164
¦ By, land 2 Philip and Mary, c. 15, the privilege*
and liberties of the lords marchers in Wales are con^
firmed. By 5 Elizabeth, c. 25, in case of default of jurors,
the sheriff may supply by a tales de circumstantibus ;
and the jurors, whw first made default, shall lose their
issues. Ibid, c. 28, the old and new testaments, and con*'
mon prayer book, shall be translated into the Welsh
tongue, and be used in every church in Wales.
By 18 Elizabeth, e: 8, the crown may appoint two
other persons^ learned in tbe laws, to be judges on each
of the Welsh circuits, which had but one justice before,
or grant commission of association.
By 27 Elizabeth, c. 9, aU fines and recoveries in
Wales are to be enrolled.
By 19 Charles II. c. 2, the l?th Car. II, c. 7, con^
cerning replevins and avowries, is extended to Wales.
By 1 William and Mary, Sess. 1, c. 27, the court
of president and council in Wales was dissolved.
The justices of the great sessions in Wales to nomi-
nate yearly in their circuits three persons for each
Uiirc to be sheriffs, and certify the same to the privy
council, on the morrow of All Souls.
Errors in pleas personal in Wales shall be redressed
by writ of error, in the same manner as appointed by
34 and 35 Henry VIII. c. 26*, in pleas, real and mixed
By 5 and 6 William and Mary, c. 4, the king may
appoint any number of justices of peace in Wales.
By 7 and 8 William III. c. 38, inliabitants of Wales
may dispose by will of all their personal estate in such .
manner as they shall think proper, notwithstanding any
custom. Jurors returned to try issues in Wales are to have
£6. per annum, freehold or copyhold.
By 1 1 and 12 of William III. c. 9, the clause in 22
cand 23 Charles II. c. 9, that in actions of trespass,
assault, and battery? where the jury find damages' under
40*., the plaintiff shall recover no move costs than da-1
mages, is extended to the court of great sessions in Wales-

165
Ibid. No sheriff in Wales, or the counties palatine,
ptoall hold any person to special bail upon process from '
his Majesty's courts at Westminster, unless the cause
of action is sworn to be £ 20. and upwards ; nor shall
bail be taken for more than the sum in the affidavit.
By 8 George I. c. 25, when judgments in the courts
of great sessions in Wales, and the counties palatine,
are signed, the day and year shall be set down thereon,
and such judgment shall relate to that day, and not to
the first day of the session.
By 6 George II. c. 14, in personal actions under
£ 10. ip the courts of great sessions of Wales, and
Chester, the plaintiff shall sue out a writ or process,
and serve the defendant with a copy eight days before
holding the said courts, who shall appear at the return,
or before the third court ; and if he appears not then,
the plaintiff on affidavit of service, may enter an ap
pearance for him.
Ibid. The 4th George II. c. 26, directing that pro
ceedings in courts shall be in English, is extended to
Wales. By 20 George II. c. 42, ' all acts of parliament,
wherein England is mentioned, shall be deemed to in
clude Wales, and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
By 32 George II. c. 28, where gaolers, bailiffs, or
others, are guilty of extortion or abuses, the courts in
Wales, upon the prisoner's petition, may examine into
the same summarily, and grant redress.
By 8 George III. c. 14, sheriffs in Wales shall pro
vide lodgings, and other accommodations, for the jus
tices of the great sessions, during the time of each re
spective session : but in their accounts they are not to
be allowed more than £ 10. for such accommodation
in any one county, for any one session.
By 12 George III. c. 31, £ 300. per annum shall be
paid to the chief justice of Chester ; and £ 200. per
annum to the second justice ; and each of the Welsh
judges, in augmentation of their salaries.
By the Welsh Judicature Act, 13 Geo. III. c. 51,
s. 1, in case the plaintiff in any action upon the case for

166
words, debt, trespass on the case, assault and battery, or
other, personal action, where the cause of action shall
arise in Wales ; and which shall be tried at the assizes
at the nearest English county to that part of Wales in
which the cause of action shall be laid to arise, shall
not recover by verdict a debt, or damages, to the
amount of ten popnds ; if the judge, who tried the cause,
on evidence appearing before him, shall certify on tbe
back of the record of nisi prius, that the defendant was
resident in Wales at the time of the service of the writ,
or other mesne process served on him ; on such fact
being suggested on the record or judgrnent roll, a
judgment of nonsuit shall be entered against the
plaintiff, and the defendant shall be entitled to, and
have like judgment and remedy to recover his costs
against the plaintiff, as if a verdict had been given by
the jury for the defendant ; unless the judge, before
whom the cause shall be tried, shall certify on the back
of the record, that the freehold or title of the land men
tioned in the plaintiff's declaration was chiefly in ques*
tion, or that the cause was proper to be tried in such
English county.
By s. 2, in all transitory actions arising within the
principality of Wales, which shall be brought in any, of
his Majesty's courts of record out of the said princi
pality, if the . venue therein shall be laid in any county
or place out of the said principality, and the debt or dar
mages found by the jury shall not amount to the sum of
ten pounds ; and it shall appear upon the evidence given
on the trial, that the cause of action arose in Wales, and
that the defendant was resident therein at the time of
the service of any writ, &c. ; and it shall be so certified
under the hand of the judge who tried the cause, upon
the back of the record of nisi prius ; on such facts
being suggested on the record, or judgment roll, a judgr
ment of nonsuit shall be entered thereon against the
plaintiff: and he shall pay to the defendant his costs of
spit, &c. ; and in the taxation of costs, the proper officer
shall allow to the plaintiff out of the defendant's costg,
Jhe foil surn givep him by the yerdjct,"

J 67
In Evans, one, &c. v. Jones, which was an action on
the case for words spoken by the defendant in Wales,
where he resided, of the plaintiff, who was an attorney
of the king's bench, the plaintiff sued by attachment of
privilege ; but laying tbe venue in the W'elsh county, the
cause was tried at Hereford, and the plaintiff had a
verdict for five shillings damages ; whereupon the judge
certified under the Welsh Judicature Act, that the de
fendant was resident in Wales at the time of the service
of the attachment of privilege in this action. It was
moved to enter this fact on the record pursuant to the
statute, in order that a judgment of nonsuit might be
entered against the plaintiff. Lord Kenyon, chief
justice (alter cause shewn) — The plaintiff might have
exercised his privilege by laying his venue in Middle
sex; but as he has laid it where the defendant resided,
and the cause of action arose, I am clearly of opinion
he is within the Welsh Judicature Act, and that the sug
gestion must be entered on the record. — Rule absolute.
6T. Rep 500: and if he had laid the venue in Mid
dlesex, he would have been within the second section
of the act.
The practice is to change the venue from an English
to a Welsh county, upon the usual affidavit, by granting
a rule absolute in the first instance. — Hopkins v. Lloyd,
6 East. 355. And the next English counties are Here
fordshire to South Wales; and Shropshire to North
Wales.— 2 Maul, and Selw. 270.
Ibid. — No Welsh judge may appoint a deputy, ex
cept for the purpose of calling and adjourning the court,
receivino; motions, taking and proclaiming fines, and
arraigning recoveries; but the king, by sign manual, may
appoint judges for the next sessions, in place of those
vho may be indisposed.
Ibid Suits may be tried by special juries, as in the
courts at Westminster, at the expence of the party ap
plying, and each juror shall have one pound one shilling,
and nq more.
Ibid. The judges may empower persons to take
affidavits concerning proceedings in their circuits, which

168
are to be filed ; but they are not to be taken during the
sessions. The officers used to take affidavits may con
tinue to do so; and the judges may also empower peiv
sons to take bail, which shall be filed in the protho*
notary's office.
Ibid. The judges may make rules forjustifyingtbail,
and notice shall be given of the taking of such bail by
the defendant's attorney to the plaintiffs.
Ibid- Writs may be made returnable the first -Wed
nesday in any month, or the first day of the next session,
at the option of the plaintiff.
Ibid. All penalties recoverable by statute in the courts
at Westminster, except such as are to be sued for ip
the exchequer only, the offence being committed in
Wales, and the defendant resident there, may be re
covered in the great sessions.
By 33 George III. c. 68, it is enacted, where final
judgment shall be obtained in the courts of great ses
sions in Wales, &c, and the persons or effects cannot
be found within the jurisdiction of the court, any court
at Westminster may issue execution, &c.
Clapses in 34 Henry VIII. c. 26, enacting, that the
sheriffs in Wales may issue a capias, &c, in plaints
under 40s., and that no judgment be stayed by writ of
false judgment, is repealed ; and no execution to be
stayed by any such writ, unless the prosecutor enter
into recognizance, &c. ; and in case of breach of re:
cognizance, an action of debt may be maintained.
And by 5 George IV. c. 106. s. 1, when and as
often as the attendance of any person or persons shall
or may be deemed necessary as a witness or witnesses to
give evidence in, about, or concerning any suit, cause,
trial, commission, or issue, prosecuted, brought, and de
pending in or before any pf the said courts of great
sessions, and such person or persons shall not, wheq
his, her, or their attendance is so deemed necessary, be
resident within the jurisdiction of the said court of great
sessions, where such his, her, or their attendance may so
be deemed necessary, but be resident at such time in
Englap4 or Wales, in all and every such cases it shall

169
and may be lawful for any of the parties in the said
suits, trial, commission, or issue, to apply to the proper
officer of his Majesty's courts of exchequer at West
minster, and such officer is hereby authorized and re
quired to issue a writ or writs of subpana ad testifican
dum, orany writ or writs oi subpoena duces tecum, on de
mand, in like manner as the same is or are issued by
the said court of exchequer in any cause, trial, suit,
commission, or issue depending therein ; and such writ
or writs of subpana ad testificandum and oi subpoena
duces tecum shall be directed to such person or per
sons, commanding such person or persons to attend and
give evidence as a witness or witnesses in such court of
great sessions, upon such cause, trial, commission, suit,
or issue so prosecuted and depending therein ; and such
person or persons shall be compelled and compellable
to attend the same, hi like manner and under such pe
nalties as if the said writ or writs had issued to com
mand his, her, or their attendance in the said court of
exchequer, in, upon, or concerning any suit, cause, trial,
commission, or issue depending therein ; and any such
party,/ on whose behalf any such writ or writs shall be
issued, in default of obedience to any such writ or writs
by the person or persons to whom the same may be
directed, and on whom the same shall be served, shall
have the like remedy against such person or persons for
such default, as if the said writ or writs had issued from
the said court of exchequer, to compel and require sucli
person or persons to attend and give evidence there :
provided always, that in every case where a new cause
br issue is commenced, it shall and may be lawful for
the marshal of the said court of great sessions, in which
such new cause or issue is commenced, in the name of
a justice of such court, to issue such writs oi subpana ad
testificandum, ox oi subpana duces tecum, as either of
the parties to the said suit shall require ; and in case of
disobedience to any such writ, the parties shall have
the like remedy in the said court" of exchequer as if
the said writ or writs had been directly issued out of
that court,

J 70
S. 2. It shall and may be laAvful for any party; or
parties, who shall be dissatisfied with any verdict given
or obtained, or nonsuit entered against him, her, or
them, in any action which shall have been tried in any
pf the said courts of great sessions, to apply by motion
to any ofthe said courts of king's bench, common pleas,
or exchequer sitting in banco, for a rule to shew cause
why a new trial of such action should not be granted,
br nonsuit set aside and a new trial granted, or a ver
dict entered for the. plaintiff or defendant, or a nonsuit
entered, as the case may be, in the same manner as
hath been usually heretofore done in actions depending
in the said courts, and tried at nisi prius before any
judge of assize, by virtue ot any record issuingoutofthe
said coats : and that thereupon it shall and may be law
ful for the said courts to grant such rule, and proceed tp
hear and determine the merits of the same, in such man*
ncr and form as hath been heretofore done in actions
depending in the said last-mentioned courts, and tried
as aforesaid ; and in case the courts shall make the said
rule absolute, which they are hereby authorized and
empowered to do, and order a new trial to be had be
tween the parties in such action, that upon the party or
parties who shall have obtained such rule delivering an
cffice copy of such rule so made absolute, to the pr«H
per officer of the court of great sessions where such
cause was tried, all proceedings upon the former ver
dict or nonsuit so obtained in the said courts of great
sessions shall cease, and the said actions shall proceed
to trial at the next or some other great sessions, to be
holden in and for the. county in which the same was
tried as aforesaid, in like manner as if no trial had. been
had therein ; or in case of a verdict being ordered to
be entered for the plaintiff or defendant, or a nonsuit
being ordered to be entered, as the case may he, judg*
ment shall be entered accordingly.
S. 3 A transcript of the record for which such new
trial shall be moved, or motion made for altering the
verdict, or entering or setting aside a nonsuit, certified
by the prothonotary of the said courts of great sessions.

171
respectively, or his deputy, shall be transmitted to the
court to which such application shall be made as afore
said, for the purpose of such motion for a new trial, or
setting aside such nonsuit and granting a new trial
thereon, or entering a verdict for the plaintiff or de
fendant, or entering a nonsuit, and which transcript the
said prothonotary or his deputy is hereby authorized
and required to deliver on demand, on payment of the
usual fee; and that the costs of such application for a
new trial, and setting aside such nonsuit, or entering a
verdict for plaintiff or defendant, or entering a nonsuit,
shall be in the discretion of the said court to award and
order to and 'by vvhich party to such motion the same
shall be paid : provided always, that nothing herein
contained shall be deemed or taken to prevent any of
the said courts of great sessions from granting any new
trial, or setting aside any nonsuit, or entering a nonsuit,
or altering a verdict, according to any rule established
therein. S. 4. It shall and may be lawful for the said court.
to which such applications shall be made, or any com
missioner appointed to take affidavits therein, to admi
nister an oath to any person or persons making an affi
davit either to c.btain such rule, or shew cause against
the same as aforesaid; and every person or persons
forswearing him, her, or themselves in such affidavit or
affidavits, shall incur and be liable to the same penal
ties as if such affidavit or affidavits had been made and
sworn in an action depending in. the said court: provided
always, that nothing in this act contained shall extead
or be construed to extend to stay or delay the entering
up judgment which shall have been given or obtained in
any action in any of the said courts of great sessions,
and suing out execution thereon, unless the party or
parties intending to apply under the provisions of til?
act for a new trjal thereof, or for alteration of the ver
dict, or entering or setting aside a nonsuit, with tvo
sufficient sureties, such as the court of great sessions.
wherein such action shall be depending shall allow of,
shal| first before such stay made be bound unto the

172
party or parties for whom such verdict or nonsuit shall
have been given or obtained, by recognizance to be
acknowledged in the same court, in such reasonable
sum as the same court of great sessions shall think fit,
to make and prosecute such application for such new
trial or alteration of verdict, or entering or setting aside
a nonsuit, and also to satisfy and pay, if such applicar.
tion shall be refused, all and singular the debts, dama
ges, and costs adjudged and to be adjudged, in conse-
quence of the said verdict, or nonsuit, in the said court
of great sessions, and all costs and damages to be also
awarded for the delaying of execution thereon; and
upon such recognizance being entered into, the said
court of great sessions is hereby authorized to stay all
proceedings in such action : and further, that the enter
ing up of judgment, in any of the said courts of great
sessions, in any writ of dower or action of ejectment,
and suing out execution thereon, shall not be stayed,
unless the party or parties intending to apply for a new
trial, or to alter the verdict, or enter or set aside a non
suit therein under the provisions of this act, shall be
bound in manner aforesaid unto the party or parties in
whose favor such verdict or judgment of nonsuit shall
have been given or obtained, in such reasonable sums
as the court of great sessions in which such action shall
be depending shall think fit, with condition, that if such
application shall not be made and prosecuted, or shall
be refused, the party or parties so intending to make
such application shall pay such costs, damages, and sum
or sums of money as shall be awarded by the said court
of great sessions, in case no such application shall have
been made and prosecuted, or after such application
shall have been refused; and upon such recognizance
being entered into, the said court of great sessions is;
hereby authorized to stay all proceedings in such action*
S. 5. The court of great sessions wherein such action
shall be depending, upon such failure to make and pro
secute such application, or such refusal, as aforesaid^
shall issue a writ, if necessary, to enquire as well of the
mesne profits as of the damages by any waste commit

173
ted after such veVdiet or nonsuit in such writ of dowet f
or action of ejectment, shall have been given or obtained ;
and upon the return thereof,- judgment shall be given,
and execution awarded for such mesne profits and da
mages, and also for costs of suit.
S. 6. All writs of execution upon judgments obtained
m the said courts of great sessions shall and may be
niade returnable before the judges of such courts re
spectively, on the common day in each of the two vaca
tions annually betwixt the two sessions (being the first
days of Trinity term after the spring sessions, and the
first day of Hilary term after the autumn sessions), or
on the first day of the next sessions, at the election of
the party or parties obtaining such judgment, his, her,
or their attorney, who shall sue out the same ; and that
the sheriffs (to whom any such writ of execution, or
bailable writ issued out of the said courts, returnable
in the vacation, shall be delivered) shall make due re
turns of such writs at the time the same shall be return
able, and file such writs and returns with the proper
officer of such courts, or as soon afterwards as such
sheriff" shall be called upon by a rule ofthe same courts.
S. 7. It shall and may be lawful to and for the re
spective prothonotaries of the said courts, or such other
Officers as the judges of the said courts respectively shall
appoint, to grant rules for the sheriffs in the vacation
to return such writs of execution and bailable processes
as shall be returnable in the vacation, in such manner
and under such regulations as tbe said justices of the
said court shall appoint for that purpose; and in case
arty sheriff shall refuse or decline to return any writ
within six days after the service of such rule on him or
his deputy, such sheriff shall be in the like contempt,
and answerable in the same manner as if such rule had
been made by the said judges at sessions.
S. 8. It shall and may be lawful to and for the said
prothonotaries, or such other officer as aforesaid, to
grant rules in the vacation for a particular of the plain
tiff's demand, aud of defendants set-off, and for leave
to plead several matters, or to pay money in stay of

174
proceedings, or to sign judgment for want of a plea, in
uny action depending in the said court, under sucli
regulations as the said judges shall appoint for that
purpose. S. 9. It shall and may be lawful for the judges ofthe
said courts of great sessions respectively, and the judges
of such courts are hereby authorized and empowered;
to issue commissions to persons resident out of the ju
risdiction of such courts, for the purpose of taking an
swers, examinations, and affidavits, and for the exami
nations of witnesses in causes in equity, and also for
the taking of affidavits and the examination of witnesses
at law, in such manner and in such cases as the said
court of exchequer has been used to issue the same, as
occasion shall require, and of administering oaths to the
persons putting in such answers and examinations, and
making such affidavits, and being examined as witnesses.
S. 10. All and every person or persons forswearing
him, her, or themselves in any answer or affidavit, or in
any deposition or examination, taken and swom before
any Commissioner appointed by virtue of this act, shall
incur and be liable to the same penalties as if such an
swer or affidavit, deposition or examination, had been
taken and sworn in any suit in equity depending in the
said court of exchequer, or in any action depending in:
the said court.
S. 11. It shall and may be lawful for the judges of
the said courts of great sessions, and they are hereby
authorized and empowered, in all cases at law, when the
said courts shall be sitting, in any county within the li
mits of such courts respectively, to make such rules and
orders in suits at law, instituted and depending in the,
other counties within their jurisdiction, as to them the
said judges shall seem meet and occasion shall require;*
and such rules and orders shall be as valid and effect
tual in the law, and as binding upon the parties, as if
the same had been made in the particular county in
which such suits were instituted.
S. 12. It shall and may be lawful for the judges of
the said courts of great sessions, and they are hereby

Us
authorized and empowered, in all cases, both at law and
in equity, when the said courts shall not be sitting in
Wales, to hear motions and petitions, and make such
rules and orders thereon in vacation, c;nd out ofthe
jurisdiction ofthe said courts, as to them the s^id judges
shall seem meet, and occasion shall require ; and such
rules and orders shall be as valid in the law, and as
binding upon the parties, as the same would or might
have been in case the same had been made in Wales
within the jurisdiction -of the said courts, and during the
sitting thereof.
S^i 3. Whenever a cause of action shall arise in one
county, and the defendant or defendants shall reside in
another county, such counties as last aforesaid being
within the same jurisdiction of the said courts of great
sessions respectively, it shall and may be lawful that
any writ or writs to commence any action within any of
the courts of great sessions, shall and may issue, di
rected to the sheriff of such county wherein such defen
dant or defendants may reside, such last-mentioned
county being within the same Jurisdiction of the said
courts of great sessions respectively, notice bein<>- in
dorsed on such writ of the county wherein such action
is brought, and which said writ or writs shall be deemed
legal process to compel such defendant or defendants to
appear to such action or actions.
S. 14. In all cases in which judgments shall have
been obtained in the courts of great sessions respective! v,
it shall and may be lawful for the prothonotary of the
circuits of the .«aid courts of great sessions within which
such judgment has been obtained, and he is hereby re
quired, upon the application of the person or persons
so obtaining the same, to issue a testatum execution
against the defendant or defendants, his, ' her, or their
goods and chattels directed to the sheriff of any of the
counties within the same jurisdiction of such court of
great sessions, although such county is not the county
within which such judgment was obtained, in such and
the same manner, and with the same force and effect
as testatum executions are issued from the • courts at

Westminster into any county on judgments in action*
where the venue is laid in another county.
S. 15. In all cases in which any person shall have
commenced any suit, or have entered any appearance
in any suit at law or in equity instituted in any of the
said courts of great sessions, or shall have come in as a
creditor or purchaser, or otherwise submitted to the juris
diction of the said courts of great sessions, but by reason
of his or her residence out of the jurisdiction of such
courts, or haviug withdrawn therefrom, his or her per
son or goods cannot be made amenable to the process
thereof, it shall and may be lawful for the said co/.'rt of
exchequer in all suits and matters in equity, and in all
suits and matters at law for the said court of exchequer
and also for the said courts of king's bench, and common
pleas, upon a certificate from the proper officer of the
said courts of great sessions, of such commencement of
suit, or of such appearance having been entered or such
submission made, and. upon a transcript or office copy
of such rule, order, or decree being duly certified to the
said court of exchequer in matters of equity, or in
matters of law to the said court of exchequer or the
said courts of king's bench and common pleas, together
with an affidavit of a due service of a copy of such rule^
order, or decree, and of the non-performance thereof^
to issue an attachment or other process for enforcing!
obedience to the same, in such manner as is usual for
the purpose of enforcing obedience to the rules, orders,
and decrees of such court.
S. 16. It shall and may be lawful for the judges^of
the said courts, and they are hereby authorized to re
move any officer of the said courts, or his deputy, for
peculation, extortion, or other misconduct, and appoint
a new officer or deputy in the room of the person ; so
removed ; any law, usage, or custom to the contrary
notwithstanding: provided always, that nothing in this
Clause contained shall authorize such judges to dismiss
on their own authority any officer of the said courts
nominated and appointed by the crown.
S. 17. The judges of the said several courts of great

177
sessions shall and may, within their respective jurisdic
tions, have and take, and are hereby required to have
and take, from any officer or officers of such courts re
spectively, and hereafter to be appointed, within three
calendar months next after such appointment, and as
often after as occasion may require, such security as to
such judges shall seem proper for and concerning the
accounting for all and every sum and sums of money
vvhich such officer or officers shall receive in any cause
or suit at law or in equity pending in any such court
of great sessions, and which said sum or sums of money
shali be paid into any such court by any person in any
suit therein, and received by any such officer or officers
as is or are, or shall be accustomed or authorized to
receive the same; such security to be given by recogni
zance, or otherwise, as the said judges shall direct,
binding every such officer or officers, together with two
or more sufficient sureties, in spch penal sum or sums
as to the said judges shall seem proper, for the due
accounting for all and every Such sum or sums of mo
ney so paid.
S. 1 8. It shall and may be lawful for 'the judges of
the said courts of great sessions, and they are hereby
authorized and empowered, in all cases in which they
Shall think fit, to order and direct any sum or sums of
money belonging to the suitors of the said courts of
great sessions to be paid into the Bank of England, in
the name, and with the privity of the accountant-general
of his Majesty's court of Exchequer at Westminster,
subject to the order and decree of the court of great
sessions, at the instance of which it shall be so paid in ;
and the said accountant-general is hereby directed to
obey the orders and decrees of such court of great
sessions in regard thereto, in like manner as he obeys
the orders and directions of the. said court of exchequer,
and to act and do all matters and things relating to the
delivering, securing, and investing of the money so orf
der'ed to be paid, and the payment, selling, and trans
ferring of the same, and the keeping the accounts with
the Bank of England, and other matters relating thereto,
N

178"
in the like manner as he acts and does all matters and
things relating to the delivery, securing, and investing
of the money and effects of the suitors of the said court
of exchequer, and the payment, selling, and transfer^
ring of the same, and the keeping the accounts or other
matters relating thereto.
S. 19. And whereas by an act of parliament made in
the thirteenth year of his late Majesty's reign, intituled
" An Act to discourage the Practice of commencing
frivolous and vexatious Suits in his Majesty's Courts at
Westminster, in causes of action arising within the Do*
minion of Wales, and for further regulating the Pro*
ceedings in the Courts of Great Sessions, in Wales," it
is enacted, that in case the plaintiff in any action upotl
the case for words, action; or debt, trespass on the case,
assault, and battery, or other personal action, where the
cause of such action shall arise within the dominion of
Wales, and which shall be tried at the assizes at the
nearest English county to that part ofthe said dominion4
of Wales, in which the cause of action shall be laid to
arise, shall not recover by verdict, debt or damages to
the amount of ten pounds, in such case, if the. judge
who tried the cause, on evidence appearing before him1,
shall certify on the back of the record of nisi prius, that
the defendant or defendants was or were resident in the
dominion of Wales, at the time of the service of'tUl
writ or other mesne process served on him, her,; or
them in such action, on such fact being suggested. "Oil
the record or judgment roll, judgment of nonsuit shall
be entered against the plaintiff; and such defendant or
defendants shall be entitled to and have like judgment
and remedy thereon, to recover such and the like costi
against the plaintiff or plaintiffs in every such action,' aS
if a verdict had been given by the jury for the defendant
or defendants, unless the judge, before whoni such cause
shall be tried, shall certify on the back ofthe record, that
the freehold or title of land was chiefly in question,'" or
that such cause was proper to be tried in such English
county: and whereas it is expedient, that ' so much of
, the said act as is herein recited should be repealed; and

175
other provisions be made in lieu thereof; be it therefore
enacted, that so much of the said act as has been herein
recited be and from henceforth shall stand absolutely
repealed, and is hereby repealed.
S. 20. And whereas it is also expedient that so much
of the said act of the thirteenth year of his late Majesty's
reign, which relates to prevent transitory actions, where
the cause of action does not amount to ten pounds,
arising within the said principality, from being brought
in any of his Majesty's courts of record out of the said
principality, be repealed, and other and further provi
sions substituted in lieu thereof; be it therefore enacted
by the authority aforesaid, that so much of the said
last mentioned act be and is hereby repealed.
S. 21. In all actions upon the case for words, action
of debt, trespass on the case, assault and battery, or
other personal action, and all transitory actions, which
from and after the sixth day of November, which shall
he in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and twenty-four, shall be brought in any of his Ma
jesty's courts of record out of the principality of Wales,
and the debt or damages found by the jury shall not
amount to the sum of fifty pounds, and it shall appear
upon the evidence given on the trial of the said cause,
that the cause of action arose in the said principality of
Wales, and that the defendant or defendants was or
were resident in the dominion of Wales at the time of
the service of any writ, or other mesne process, served
on him/her, or them in such actions, and it shall be so
testified under the hand of the judge who tried such
cause, upon the back of the record of nisi prius (on such
facts being suggested on the record or judgment roll), a
judgment of nonsuit shall be entered thereon against the
plaintiff or plaintiffs, and the plaintiff or plaintiffs shall
pay to the defendant or defendants in such action, his,
her, Or their costs of suit, and the defendant and de
fendants shall have like remedy to recover the same as
in the case Of a verdict given for the defendant or de
fendants in such action ; and in the taxation of all costs
allowed and given to the defendant or defendants, the
n 2

18^
proper officer shall allow to the plaintiff or plaintrfTsv
out ofthe defendant's Costs, the full sum given by the
verdict to the plaintiff or plaintiffs for his, her, or thek'
debt or damages; and although no judgment shall be
entered for the plaintiff or plaintiffs upon such verdict,
yet nevertheless such verdict, without any- judgment
entered thereon, shall be an effectual bar to any action
or actions commenced in any court whatsoever by the
plaintiff' or plaintiffs for the same.
S. 22. Nothing in this act contained shall bar or pre
clude any person or persons from commencing and car
rying on any action, and which may be tried at the
assizes at the nearest English county to that part of the
said dominion of Wales, in which the cause of action
shall be laid, to arise against any Defendant or defen
dants so resident in the dominion of Wales,- and ob
taining full costs in such action, if the judge before
whom the cause shall be tried shall certify on the back
of the record, that the title or freehold of land was
chiefly in question, or that such cause was proper to be
tried iu such Englisb county.
S. 23. No writ of certiorari shall be granted, issued
forth, or allowed, to remove any action, bill, plaint,
cause, suit, or other proceeding at law whatsoever, ori
ginated in or commenced, carried on or had -in any of
his Majesty's courts of great sessions in Wales, unless '
it be duly proved upon oath that the party or parties
suing forth the same hath or have given seven days'
notice thereof in writing to the other party or parties
concerned in the action, bill, plaint, cause, suit, ol.
other proceeding sought to be so removed, and unless
the party or parties so applying or suing forth such
writ, shall, upon oath, shew to the court in which appli
cation shall be made sufficient cause for issuing such
writ, and so that the party or parties therein concerned
may have an opportunity to shew cause, if he or they
shall so think fit, against the issuing or granting suph
certiorari, and that the costs of such applicaticwbe in
the discretion of the court wherein such application
shall be made for such certiorari. . ;

181
S. 24. The fees to be paid on any fine or recovery
levied or suffered, and the amount of King's silver to be
paid thereon, shall be in the same proportion, and
.ascertained and calculated in the same manner by the
proper officer, as the fees and" King's silver now usually
payable on fines and recoveries levied and suffered in
his Majesty's courts of common pleas, at Westminster,
and shall not exceed the same.
S. 25. Provided always, and be it further enacted,
that in all and every case where such fees and King's
silver are now payable to any person or persons duly
authorized to receive and compound for the same,
under and by virtue of any patent or patents for any
term or terms now in existence, within the respective
courts of great sessions in Wales, the same sum or
sums as is or are now demandable and payable under
and by virtue of such patent or patents, shall be here
after paid during the term or terms granted by such
patent or patents.
S. 26. It shall and may be lawful for the cursitorof
each and every court of great sessions in Wales, to issue
any writ or writs of covenants, for the purpose of levying
an\ fine or fines within the jurisdiction of such courts
respectively, such writs to be issued and be tested, and
bear date fourteen days at least before the first day of
¦Hilary term, or fourteen days at least before the first day
of Trinity term in each and every year; and the several
cursitors, and each and every ot them, are hereby re
quired so to do as often as applied to for that purpose,
on payment of the usual fee or fees now demandable on
any writ of covenant ; and that all and every writ or
writs so tested or bearing date as aforesaid be made re
turnable on the said first day of Hilary term, and the,
said first day of Trinity term respectively, in each and
every such year ; and that upon an acknowledgment of
such fine or fines by. the proper parties to the same,
taken before a judge of such court respectively/ or by
virtue of any dedimus potesialtm, which the said cursitor
or cursitors is and are hereby also required to grant, as
oftenas the same be necessary, and on the allocatur of

182
a judge of the court of great sessions, within whose juris
diction the fine may be so levied, in like manner in
which such allocatur is given when a fine is acknow
ledged on any dedimus potestatem, or otherwise, during
the sitting of such courts of great sessions, and on a
certificate made on the back of apy such writ or writs
of covenant by the proper officer of such court, of the
actual payment of King's silver payable upon every such
fine or fines, and which certificate such proper officer is
hereby required to make upon payment of such King's
silver, at the costs- and charges of any person or persons
paying the same, such fine or fines shall have full force
and effect, and be deemed to be fully completed from
the first day of Hilary term, or the said first day -of
Trinity term, on which the said writ or writs shall be
made returnable as-aforesaid ; and proclamation, if ne
cessary, shall be made of such fine or fines at the next
ensuing great sessions, and at the two following great
sessions, according to law ; and all such fine and fines
shall operate and enure, apd shall be equally binding
upon all lands, tenements, and hereditaments, and upon,
"all parties privy thereto, from the said first day of Hilary
term, and the said first day of Trinity term, in like
manner as if the same was or were levied during the
sitting of the court.of great sessions, within the jurisdic
tion of which such lands, tenemepts, and hereditaments
are situated.
S. 27- All and every fine and fines hereafter levied in
Wales, shall take effect and enure, and be deemed com
plete from the date of the caption of the acknowledge
ment taken in such fine or fines, and on the payment of
King's silver due thereqn, notwithstanding the death or
deaths of any party or parties to such fine pr fines after^
such acknowledgment.
S. 28. Any person authorized to take affidavits as a
commissioner in the courts of king's bench, common
pleas, aind exchequer, or a master extraordinary in the
high courts of chancery in the united kingdom, are hereby
authorized to take any affidavit of and concerning any
matter or matters arising, or fines or recoveries levies!

183
or suffered within the said respective courts of great
sessions, in like manner as any affidavit is now taken ip
the said last mentioned courts of king's bench, common
pleas, exchequer, or chancery, of and concerning any
fines or recoveries levied or suffered, or any cause,
matter, or thing depending, or in anywise concerning any
of the proceedings arising or being within the last-men-
tipned courfs.
S. 29. No person shall be compellable to serve on
any petit jury at any such court of great sessions, unless
he possess an estate of freehold or copyhold of the clear
yearly value of eight pounds or upward, or any estate
for the term of any life or lives, or for the term of
ninety-nine years from the commencement of such
estate, of the clear yearly value of fifteen pounds.
With all these legislative enactments, the practice of
the law is still very defective in the principality of
Wales. In civil cases the plaintiff and defendant do
not understand their counsel ; and the judge and coun
sel do not comprehend the evidence in the Welsh lan
guage ; and the jury very often do not derive any benefit
from the summing up of the judge ; and, in consequence,
have not the advantage of the logical arrangement and
inductions of the court.
In cases of crown law, there is a complete failure of
justice, and the accused is placed iii a painful and cruel
situation ; he does not, nor do the jury, understand the
cause and detail of accusation ; the judge and counsel
receive the evidence from interpretation ; the interpre-
tion is always wrong; for instead of translating the
words of the witness in the first person, the interpreter
gives them in the second person, " lie says so and so ;"
and thus the evidence is narrative and not positive.
The judge has to address the jury in a language they
are unacquainted with, and the accused knows no more
than the dead of what is going on in court, at the mo
ment he is receiving, perhaps, the sentence of death.
The English government, in appointing of Welsh
judges, always select barristers of distinguished learning
and character : but they do not take into consideration

184
the language, manners, and customs ofthe people : these
are considered as requisites in judicial characters sent
to India, the Ionian Islands, and the Cape of Good
Hope ; and it is singular that the condition of the
Ancient Britons should not meet with similar policy.
The bar has included at all times a number of learned
Welshmen; and the twelve judges in general have
among them one or ippre of the natives of Wales ; and
3?et the Welsh courts, with few exceptions, are presided
by Englishmen : this must be an oversight of the mi
nisters, and legislative bodies, and requires a gradual
reformation.

185

CHAP. VI.
Of the Druids.
Et vos barbaricos ritus, moremqvt sinistrum
¦ Sacrorum, Druida positis repetistis ab minis.
Lucan 1. v. 450.
The Ancient Britons paid their adoration to Sul, the
Sun ; Taran, the Thunder ; and Andras, the Goddess of
the Woods, Liberty, and Confusion ; and they are sup
posed to have been worshippers of hills, groves, and
rivers, frpm their fondness of such places ; because tbe
lofty summit elevates the mind into grandeur of thought:
the grove is the seat of peace and meditation, and the
running stream introduces the contemplation of purity
tjme, and eternity.
This devotion of thought might have proceeded into
fancies, and finally into idolatry : for the fifth law of
Canute forbids the worshipping of the sun, moon, fire,
streams, wells, stones, and trees.
The priests, or ministers of religious rites, were Ge
nerally called Druids, from the Teutonic, or northern
vyord Tryw, a Tree ; and by the Kritons, Derwyddion,
or the Inhabitants of Groves and Trees. These occupiers
ofthp hollow oaks intrpduced themselves and their rites
and customs into the north of Scotland, Man, Mona,
Wales, and the western parts of Britain, and never ap
proached the settlepients of the Belgi, or Saxons. The
Druidical remains are the Solar Stone, the Circle, the
-Cromlech, the Cistfaen, &c.
The Solar Stone is like the Hirmensul, or long solar
stone of the northern parts of the continent : that on
Mostyn Hills, in the county of Flint, is eleven feet
above the pedestal, having regular circles and diverging
lines, and is called Maenchwyfan, or the Stone of Lament
^tiqn ; and near it are sevpral Tumuli or Barrows, cop-r

r86
taining human bones. These Tumuli are called, Y Gar-
seddau, the Sessions, or the Adjudged.
The Britons had several places dedicated to the
sun, viz. — Dinsul, or St. Michael's Mount, the Ocrinuni
of Ptolemy, in Cornwall ; Dinsul, in Anglesey ; Caeis
sul, the present St. Paul's, in London, &c.
The solar stones are supposed, by Borlase, to be
objects of idolatrous worship; but it is likely they were
also used for other purposes.
The erect, or indicial stones, are numerous through
out the principality : some of them have been Roman
miliaria, without inscriptions ; others are out of their
line of roads, and. of anterior erection.
There is a tradition among the Welsh, that the upright
stones were raised for the destruction of snakes and ser-o
pents, and that these vermin, in ancient times, were nu
merous in the country, and beat themselves against
these stones, until they finally caused their own de
struction : the origin of this tradition may be accounted
for, if we suppose that the Druids, like most magicians,
made use of serpents in their imposing exhibitions, and
trained them to entwine round these stones, and from
their motions terrified the vulgar, and drew haruspicial
conclusions respecting the unseen events of futurity.
The country people call an upright stone sometimes,
Llech-y-Cawr, aud very often Llech-y-Gawres, and
Llech-yr-Ast*. The first name of the Giant's Stofie has
led many to conclude they were sepulchral : but the
conjecture has not in any instance been supported by
any subterraneous discoveries, though frequently at
tempted by the spade of curiosity. The other names
of the Stone of the Giantess, and the Stone of the
Bitch cannot be mistaken, as they refer to the brutal rites
of the Druidesses ; and we are supported in making such
inference from the respectable authority of Strabo, who,
sates, that the religious rites of the Druids were often
performed by women.
In Mr. Edward Llwyd's time there were two stones
erect, and now thrown down, and called Llech-y?
Gawres,and Llech-yr-Ast, in a field, called Cant-Lleyas,

187
the Hundred Cries or Lamentations, in the parish of
Llangoedmawr, in the county of Cardigan : there is
also in the same county, in the parish of Iianfihangel
Pen-y-Brin, a stone, called Llech-yr-Ochain, or the Stone
of Grief; and near to it a well, called Ffynon Waedoo-
the Bloody Well.
These appellation? of the stones, the field, and the
$vell, are strong indications of their being places of san-
guipary rites.
On the mountain of Gelli-Onnen, in the parish of
Llangyfelach, in the county of Glamorgan, there was, in
late times, a stone, called Croes-y-Garn, which stood in
the middle of a heap of stones, and has been thrown
down, and broken into three or four pieces ; it was a flat
stone, three inches thick, two feet wide, and about five
feet in height : the top was round, like the sun, and or
namented with knots ; below this, and on each side,
were a human face and hands, then fretted work ; and at
the bottom of all were two feet cut out in very rude
sculpture. This monument had been originally a solar
stone, was afterwards altered into a cross, and thus had
the honor of receiving Pagan and Christian salutation
and worship.
The times of meeting at these solar stones have been
lost; for the Romans, who abhorred the Druidical
rites, would not suffer their continuance, and hence we
have no notices left respecting their fasts and festivals.
Some fanciful writers have stated Clammau and Cyn-
tefin, or the First of May, and First of July, to be grand
Druidical days : unfortunately for these inventors of the
marvellous, Clammau is a Roman term, ad kulendas
tnaia ; and Cyntefin is not the First of July ; but Cyntaf-
Hefin, the First of June ; as Hefin signifies Young, and
is the Welsh of Junius, or June. The term Gorseddau,
given to the Barrows on the Hills of Mostyn, gives us
no assistance ; for Gorseddau is an ecclesiastical word
from, Choir, or Chorus, a Company of Singers : a meeting
pf bards or minstrels is called Gorsedd, or Assembly of
Singers, similar to the choir of the cathedral ; and the
.Barrovyson Mostyn Hills are called Gorseddau, from

188
the church singing and mass performed there, when the
solar stone was consecrated for a cross, and Paganism
superseded* by the admirable principles of Christianity.*1
The Druidical circles are numerous : that at Stone
henge, according to Mr. Cough's account, stands in
the middle of a fine flat area, near the summit of a,
hill, and is enclosed with a circular double bank and
ditch, near thirty feet broad, the vallum inwards ; after
crossing whiph, we ascepd thirty yards before we reach
the work.
The whole forms a circle of about one hundred and
eight feet in diameter from out to out, consisting, when
entire, of sixty stones, thirty uprights, and thirty im
posts ; of which there remain only twenty-four uprights;
seventeen standing and seven down, three feet and a
half asunder, and eight imposts. -Eleven uprights have
their five imposts on them by the grand entrance : these
stones are from thirteen to twenty feet high. The lesser
circle is sqmewhat more than eight feet from the inside
of the quter one, and consisted of forty lesser stones;
the highest six feet, of which nineteen remain, aud only
eleven standing ; the walk between these circles is three
hundred feet in circumference. The Adytum, or Cell;
is an oval, formed of ten stones, from sixteen to twenty-
two feet hjgh, in pairs, with imposts, which Dr. Stukely
cailsTrilithons, apd above thirty feet high, rising in height
as they go round ; and each pair separate, and not con-;
nected as the outer pair, the highest eight feet. Within
these are nineteen smaller single stones, of which only six
are stapdipg. At the upper end of the Adytum is the
altar, a large slab of blue coarse marble, twenty inches
thick, sixteen feet long, and four broad, and pressed
down by the weight ofthe vast stones that have fallen
upon it The heads of oxen, deer, and other beasts;
have been found on digging within and about Stone*
henge, and human bones in the circumjacent Barrows. •
The avenue to Stonehenge was first observed- by
Mr. Aubrey. Dr. Stukely found that it extended more
than 1700 feet down to the bottom of the valley, and
was raised a little above the downs, between two ditches-,

189*
At the bottom it turns off to the right, or east, with a .
circular sweep, and then in a straight line goes up the
hill between two groups of seven barrows, 'called The
Kings' Graves. -^-Gough '* Camden.
Stonehenge was anciently called Merddin Embrys,
.which, in the Cornish dialect, signified The Great Fort
Or Fence of Judgment: and, it is to be apprehended,
that druidical judgment did not consist in conclusions
bf right, but in condemnation, and in festivity on human
victipis. Mr. Pennant, in his ideas respecting Druidism, fell
into the fancies of Rowlands — " AtTre'r Dryw, or the
Habitation ofthe Archdruid, I met with the mutilated
remains described by Mr. Rowlands; his Bryn Gwyn
is a circular hollow of a hundred and eighty feejt in di
ameter; not far from it was one of the .Gorseddau,
now dispersed, but once consisted of a great heap of
stones. Here were also the reliques of a circle of stones^
with the Cromlech in the midst, but all extremely im
perfect."— 2 Pennant, 230. , t
The stupendous monument of Druidism, at Ave-
bury, in tne county of Wilts, is worthy of descrip
tion ; — " A village of the same name, being built
within its circuit, and out of its stones, the gardens,
orchards, and other inclosures, have both disfigured
and concealed the £reat. original plan. The whole
is environed with an immense circular rampart, or
terrace of earth, 60 feet broad, and a ditch within it, of
the same breadth, the diameter is 1400 feet, the circum
ference 4800 feet, and the area inclosed 22 acres,
through the centre of which runs the high road from
Bath to Marlborough. The first circle of stones within
tips area is 1300 feet in diameter, and consisted of 100
stones from 15 to 17 feet square, reduced in 1742 to
40, of which only 17 were standing, and about 43 feet
asunder, measuring from the centre of each stone."
Within this great circle were two lesser, each consisting
of two concentric circles, the outermost of 30, the inrier
pf 12 stones, of the same size, and at the same distan
ces from each other as the others. The southernmost of

190
these circular temples had a single stone in its centre,
21 feet high, the northernmost a cell, or kebla, formed
of three stones, placed with an obtuse angle towards
each opening to the north-east^ before which lay the
altar, as at Stonehenge."— Gough '* Additions.
The observations of the venerable Iolo MorgaPwg
are worthy of high consideration. " The Welsh bards,"
says this favorite of the muse, " always meet in the
open air, whilst the sup is above the horizon, where
they form a circle of stones, according to ancient cus
tom: this circle they call Cylch Cyngrair, the Circle of
Concord, or of Confederation. In these days, however,
it is formed only of a few very small stones, or pebbles,
such as may be carried to the spot in one man's pocket,*
but this would not have been deemed sufficient by those
who formed the stupendous bardic circle of Stonehenge:''
-^-Williams's Poems, Lyric and Pastoral, vol ii. p. 39',
in note.
These Druidical circles have been of late years repre
sented as the places of national assemblies of the An
cient Britons, and that it was here they made their
laws, formed treaties, and regulated the army, navy,
and finances of barbarians. If they were ever used for
such purposes, the parliaments must have been very
frequent, and the petty states numerous; for from Jersey
and Guernsey, through the west of England, through
all Wales, to the Isle of Man and the Orkneys, these,
circles ai e to be met with every where, and sometimes
two or three in a parish. If the wise and learned of
the woods and fastnesses met in such places to legislate
for the country, it is a lamentable circumstance that the
enactments, the orations, and even the names of tbe
distinguished members of these assemblies, have all
fallen into the shades of oblivion.
It is the duty of a writer, and it is becoming5 to
common sense, in recurring to anterior times, to leave
behind all notions of modern institutions, to store his
rnind with all the information derivable from the writ
ings of contemporary nations, aud to sink his thoughts
into a contemplation of the conduct of savages, whe

191
had no home, no right, no power, but what emanated
from natural force, and the most despotic volition.
The Cromlech is a large stone resting on two or more
supporters, and was a local altar. Some of these stones
are called Liech-y-Gawres, which shews there were
Priestesses or Female Druids. Mr. Fenton is judicious
in his remark, that across or church is generally erected
in the neighbourhood of the Cromlech, to divert the
public mind from idolatry and inhuman rites.
At Llanamlech, three miles from Brecknock, on the
road to Abergavenny, is Ty Illtyd, or the House of St.
Ehvydd, and the name is applied to a Druidical remain,
erected upon an eminence, called Maenest, or, probably,
Maenast, at a short distance from the village. It is
composed' of three rude stones, pitched firmly in the
ground, and supporting a fourth, placed in a declining
posture upon the top, and evidently of the same con
struction with what is elsewhere called a Cromlech.
The space beneath is about eight feet long, four feet
wide, and nearly of the same height, and open at one
end: the side stones within are inscribed with a number
of strange characters, or squares, triangles, and radii.
A rude upright stone, as was cornmon near Cromlechau,
stood formerly on One' side Of it, and was called by the
country people Maeh Illtyd, or Il'ltyd's Stone ; but was
removed about a century since by Mr. Walbeof, the
lord of the manor, who made use of it in building. —
1 Hoards Girald, 57.
The Maen Illtyd is- evidently a corruption of some
other name, which has been converted into that of a
saint: the sound leads one to presume is was the stone
of the fairies, who were the objects of Druidical vene
ration. The great Cromlech, at Pentre Evan, or St. Evan,
in the county of Pembroke, has received the fol
lowing description* by George Owen : — " Another thing
worth noticing is the stone, called Maen-y-Cromlech,
in Peutre Ifan : it is a huge and massy stone, mounted
on high, and set on the tops of three other high stones
pitched; standing upright in the ground, which far sur-

192
passeth, for bigness and height, Arthur's Stone, in thf
way from Hereford to the Hay, or Llech yr Ast, near
Blaen Porth, in Cardiganshire, or any other I have
ever seen, saving some in Stonehenge, on Salisbury
Plain, called Chorea Gigantum, being one of the chief*
wonders of England. The stones whereon this is laid
are so high, that a man on horseback may well ride
under it without stooping; and the stone that is thus
mounted is eighteen feet long, nine feet broad, and
three feet thick at the ope end, but somewhat thinner at
the other; and from it, as is apparent since its placing
there, is broken off a piece of five feet broad, and ten
feet long, lieing yet in the place. The whole is more
thap twenty oxen could draw. There are seven stones
that stand in an arc, in form like the new moon, to the
south end of the great stone, and on either side two
upright stones confronting each other: doubtless it was
mounted long since, in memory of some great victory^
or the burial of some notable person, which was the'
ancient rite, for it is mounted on high, to be seen afar
off. and hath divers stones round it, set in manner
much like to that which is written in the first book
of Maccabees, c. xiii. only, that this our trophy is of
ruder form: 4bey call the stone Gromlech; but I think
that the true etymology is Grymlech, the Stone of
Strength, for that great strength was used in the setting
it. to lie in the manner it doth."
The idea Mr. G. O. entertained of this Cromlecjii
being a monument of victory is plausible, for Crom, in
t! e Gaelic, signifies , Stooping, and might refer to the
disgraceful condition ofthe captives in being obliged;..!?. .-.
.pass under this stone of triumph. . '
In other places the Cromlech is not so elevated., and
could not have been used as a sign of subjugatiqiK-j;
Crom, in Welsh, signifies the Crop, Gorge, or Stomachs
and Cromlech is the Stone of Festivity. It must.be..
acknowledged, that the Scandivanian Priests, or Druids^,
made oblations of human victims, and that these bar- ;
barous rites, and the influence they had over the na
tions they misled and over-ruled, exposed them to the

193
detestation and vengeance of the Roman generals : but
it is still uncertain whether the Britons partook of these
inhuman festivals. The priests of all nations have ge
nerally lived on the oblations which the gods were said
to have consumed, and seldom allowed the offerer ofthe
sacrifice to partake of the oblation. By analogy, the
Druids having all the selfishness and overbearance of
the profession, were not likely to have possessed more
liberality than others of the like order in other countries ;
and it is gratifying to our feelings, that however our
ancestors were priest-ridden, and persuaded to make
sacrifices of their captives, wives, children, and of their
own persons, there is no proof that the Ancient Britons,
in any instance, feasted at the Cromlech, or ever me
rited the odious epithet of canibals.
The Cistfaen is a space inclosed by four stones,
and having a great horizontal stone for a lid or cover.
Mr. Fenton, in his tour through Pembrokeshire, ex
plored the sub-contents of the Cromlech and Cistfeini,
on the bay of Newport. This group of Cistfeini, con
sisting of five, placed in a circle, radiating from a centre
once occupied by what is denominated a Cromlech,
long since overturned, stood on a gentle rising, in a
field to the right of the road, and was almost hid, being
overgrown with weeds and briars ; and by several up
right stones still to be traced, seemed to have been sur
rounded by an extensive circle of such, forming the
mysterious precinct. Having removed the lid stones of
the Cists, and digging down about a foot through fine
mould, I came to charcoal, and soon after discovered
pieces of urns, of the rudest pottery, some particles of
bones, and a quantity of black sea pebbles : I opened
them all, and, with a very trifling variation of their con
tents, found them of the same character. In the va
cant space between each Cistfaen, as well as in the
centre, over which the Cromlech had been raised, I
likewise dug, but found nothing indicatory of sepulture,
furnishing a strong presumption that it was for a very
different use. The largest lid stone was thirteen feet
three inches in length, nor were the others much less,

194
and the whole group was in circumference forty-two
yards. Before 1 had made this experiment on so many
together, perfectly decisive of their use, there was every
reason to suppose, from the form and name of the
Cistfaen, that it was sepulchral, and perhaps for the
Druids only, particularly when, like these, they differed
so essentially from what in general we meet with:
yet it still remains to be ascertained for what purpose
that relic of remote antiquity, called the Cromlech, Was
erected. — P. 555.
The- Cistfaen is to be met with in the Orkney Islands/
Dr. Barry states the Island of Westray, in- particular,
contains a great number of these graves, and he attri
butes them to the Scandinavians : they are formed
either of stones of a moderate size, or of four larger"
oues on end, arranged in the form of a chest, to contain
the body, and such other articles as the custom ofthe
times interred with it. Few marks of burning are ob
servable in these mansions of tbe dead, which are occu
pied mostly by bones, not of men only, but of several
other animals. Warlike instruments of the kind then
in use also make a pait of their contents, such as bat
tle-axes, swords, broad swords,, helmets, swords made
of the bones of a -large fish, and also daggers.— Ork
neys, 211.
The Barrows, near Stromness, when opened, gave
the following contents^ — ¦One of them contained three1
stone chests, in one of which was a skeleton, with a
bag, containing bruised bones : the second had in it a
skeleton in a sitting attitude; and the third contained a
parcel of human bones, with some heads and hair,'
which, when first discovered, had the appearance of
being rotten, but on their exposure to the air seemed to'
resume their former freshness.— iterr?/, 38.
In the history of Guernsey, Mr. Berry describes an
immense Cistfaen, which stands on the waste upon an'
eminence, near l'Ancresse, which is composed of five
cumbent stones, decreasing in weight from about twenty-
five tons to ten tons in weight. The remains of two or1
three earthen vessels-, and a quantity of human and other'

195
bones, some of them bearing evident marks of fire, have
been dug up, which are sufficient proof of the erection
having been sepulchral, if not devoted to the inhuman
purpose of Druidical sacrifice. — -338.
There is in the parish of Llangyfelach, in the county
of Glamorgan, a place, called Carn Llechart, consisting
of a circular area of upright stones, eighteen yards in
diameter, with only one entrance; and in the centre isa
Cistfaen, or Altar, for the sanguinary rites of Druidism,
and for a depository of the remaining ashes or burnt
bones of the. victims. A similar area, eighty feet in
diameter, called Meini Hirion, with a Cistfaen in the
centre, is to be seen in the parish of Dwygyfycheu, in
the county of Caernarfon.
The Cistfaen, which is generally found in Druidical
circles, and in the vicinity of the Solar Stone, and the
Cromlech, answers two purposes, to secure the victim,
and to receive the remnants of the sacrifice, consisting
of hair, bones, and ashes. By the chance of war or
forgetfulness, the victim has been suffered to expire in
the Cistfaen; for a skeleton is sometimes found in a
sitting attitude, being the position in which the .wretched
being breathed his last: and the contents of the Cist-
feini, which have been opened and dug under, manifest
that they were not sepulchral places, but the dust-
holes of the Druids, where they threw the residue of
their savage oblations and festivals.
One of the contributors to the Cyclopaedia Britannica
advances the following wild doctrines: — " Before the
invasion ofthe Romans, the Ancient Britons had among
them various schools and seminaries of learning, which
were wholly under the direction of the Druids, to whose
care the education of youth was altogether committed.
These Druidical academies were very much crowded
with students; as many of the youth of Gaul came over
to finish their education in this island. The students,
as well as the teachers, were exempted from military
services, and from taxes; and enjoyed many other pri
vileges which much served to increase their number.
o 2

196"
The academies of the Druids/ as well as their templesv
were situated in the deepest recesses of woods and
forests, partly because such situations" were best adapted
to study and contemplation; and principally because
they were most suitable to that profound secresy with
vvhich they instructed their pupils, and kept their doc
trines from the knowledge of others. Wherever the
Druids had any temple of any great note, attended by a
considerable number of priests, there they also had an
academy, in which such of their priests as were esteemed
most learned were appointed to teach. Of these British
academies, the most celebrated was situated in the Isle
of Anglesey, near the mansion of the Arch-Druid, who
had the chief direction in matters of learning, as well
as of religion." This quotation, (containing as well
three times), which might as well have been omitted,
gives us the important information, that a great number
of students crowded round the Druids for receiving lec
tures, because they .kept their. doctrine from the know
ledge of others : that they were privileged from serving
in the militia, from the window tax, &c. : but why
not give the true history, that no man in Anglesey knew,
at the time, how to wrap himself in a coat j and that his
abode was the bush or the cavern. Again, this contri
butor takes notice of the mansion of the Druid, not con
sidering the palace of Howel the Good, in the close of
the tenth century, was made of white rods, or watling,
instead of walls. The learning of the Arch-Druid, of
Anglesey, in savage times, may be presumed, from the
abilities of William John, late Arch-Druid ofthat island,
who was cowkeeper to Mr. Bailey, at Brixton; apd died
about three years ago.
It would be insulting to the understanding of the
reader to quote, at length, this contributor any more, as his
reveries are intrusive to pen, paper, and the press. In the
Course of- his inventions and fancies, he asserts, it is pro
bable the Druids were great astronomers, and received
the science of the heavens by tradition, all the way down
from Enoch, who went up to heaven : that the Druids,

197
knew the admeasurement ofthe world; or, at least, of
the island of Britain ; and that one of them read lectures
in anatomy on the bodies of more than seven hundred
living men ; and that the Druids dissected a prodigious
number of human subjects : but he has omitted the
process of roasting, and the savage luxury of the repast.
The Druids are said, to" have delivered their doctrines.
in verses: but it is -singular that none of them are
left, either on record, or in common tradition. A few
men of Glamorgan, in the latter part of the fifteenth
century, composed a set of aphorisms, which are sup
posed to express the opinions of the Druids respecting
the Deity, and moral duties, in the followingTheological
and Moral Triades ;— -
Theological Triades.
1. There are three primeval Unities, and more than
one of each cannot exist; one God ; one Truth ; and
one point of Liberty, and this is where all opposites
equiponderate. 2. Three things proceed from the three primeval
Unities': all of Life, all that is Good, and all Pozver.
3. God consists necessarily of three things : the
greatest of Life, the greatest of Knozuledge, and the
greatest of Pozver ; and of what is the greatest there
can be no more than one of any thing.
4. Three things it is impossible God should not be :
whatever perfect Goodness should be, whatever perfect
Goodness would desire to be, and whatever perfect
Goodness can perform.
5. Three things evince what God has done and will
do : infinite Power, infinite Wisdom, and infinite Love j
for, there is nothing that these attributes want of Power,
of Knowledge, or of Will, to perform.
6. The three regulations of God towards giving ex-.
istence to every thing : to annihilate the power pf evil,
to assist all that is good, and to make discrimination
manifest, that it might be known what should and what
should not be.
7. Three thipgs it is impossible that God should not

'X

198
perform : what is most beneficial, what all want niost,
and what is most beautiful of all things.
8. The three stabilities of existence : what cannot be
otherwise, what need not be otherwise, and what cannot
be conceived better ; and in these will all things end.
9- Three things will infallibly be done : all that is,>
possible for the Power, for the Wisdom, and for the
Love of God to perform.
1 0. The three grand attributes of God : infinite PleT
nitude of Life, of Knowledge, and of Power.
11. Three causes produced animated beings : Divine
Love, possessed of perfect Knowledge ; Divine Wis
dom, knowing all possihle-means ; and Divine Power,
possessed by the joint Will of Divine Love and Wis
dom. 12. There are three Circles (or states) of existence:
the Circle of Infinity, where there is nothing but God,
of living or dead, and none but God can traverse it ; the
Circle of In c boat ion, where all things are by Nature de
rived from Death ; this circle has been traversed by
man ; and the Circle of Felicity, where all things spring
from Life. ; this man shall traverse in Heaven.
13. Animated Beings have three states of existence ;
that of Inchoation in the Great Deep (or Lowest point
of existence) ; that of Liberty in the state of Humanity;
and that of Love, which is Felicity in Heaven.
14. All animated Beings are subject to three Neces
sities : a beginning in the Great Deep (lowest point of
existence), Progression in the Circle of Inchoation,
and Plenitude in Heaven, or the Circle of Felicity ;
without these things nothing can possibly exist but
God. 15. Three things are necessary in the Circle of In
choation : the least of all animation, and thence the
beginning : the materials of -all things, and thence in
crease, which cannot take place in any other state; the
formation of all things out of the dead mass, hence dis
criminate individuality.
16. Three things cannot but exist towards allani:
mated Beings from the nature of Divine Justice ; Co-

199
sufferance in the Circle of Inchoation, because without
that none could attain the perfect knowledge of any
thing; Co-participation in the Divine Love „• and Co-
ultimity from the Nature of God's Pozver, and its at
tributes of Justice and Mercy.
17. There are three necessary occasions oi Inchoa
tion (metempsychosis) : to collect the materials and pro
perties of every Nature ; to collect the knowledge of
every thing ; and to collect Pozver towards subduing
the Adverse, and Devastutivc, and for the diveslation
of Evil: without this traversing every mode of ani
mated existence, no state of animation, or of any thing
in Nature, can attain to Plenitude.
} 8. The three great, or primary infelicities of the
Circle of Inclination ; Necessity, loss of Memory, and
Death. 19. There are three principal indispensabilities (ne*
cpssities) before plenitude of knowledge can be obtained:
to traverse the Circle of Inchoation ; to traverse the
Circle of Felicity ; and the recovered memory of all
things down to the Great Deep.
20. Three things are indispensably connected with
the state of Inchoation : no subjection to injunctive
laws, because it is impossible for any actions to be. there
otherwise than they are; the Escape of Death from all
Evil and Devastation ; and the Accumulation of Life
and Good, by becoming divested of Evil in the Escapes
of Death ; and all through Divine Love embracing all
things. 21. The-three instrumentalities of God in the Circle
of Inchoation, towards subduing Evil and Devastation ;
Necessity, Loss of Memory, and Death.
22. There are three Connates ; Man, Liberty, and
Light. 23. The three necessary incidents of Humanity : to
suffer, to change, and to chuse ; and, man having the
power of chusins,, it is impossible before occurrence to
foresee what his sufferings and changes will be. ..
24. The three equiportions of Humanity : Inchoa
tion and Felicity ; Necessity and Liberty; Evil Mid

200
Good; all equiponderate ; man having the power of
attaching himself to either the one or the other.
25. From three causes will the necessity of reincho-
ation fall on Man: from not endeavouring to obtain
knowledge ; from non-attachment to Good ; and from
attachment to Evil ; occasioned by these things he
wjll fall down to his connatural state in the Circle
of Inchoation, whence, as at first, he returns to Hu
manity. 26. For three reasons must Man unavoidably fall
into the Circle of Inchoation, though he has in every
thing else attached himself to Good : Pride, for which
he falls down to the utmost of the Great Deep, or
lowest point of existence ; Falsehood (Untruth), to a
state corresponding with his turpitude ; and Cruelty
into a corresponding state of brutal Malignity, whence,
as at first, he returns to the state of Humanity.
2>7. Three things are primitial in the state of Hu
manity : the accumulations of Knozvledge, Benevolence,
and Pozver, without undergoing Dissolution (Death).
This cannot be done, as of Liberty and Choice, in any
state previous to Humanity ; these are called the three
Victories. 28. The three victories over Evil and Devastation
are Knozvledge, Love (Benevolence), and Power; for
these knozv how, have the will, and the Power, in their
conjunctive capacities, to effect all they can desire:
these begin, and are for ever continued, in the state of
Humanity.
29. The three privileges ofthe state of Humanity,
Equiponderance of Evil and Good, whence Compard-
tivity ; Liberty of Choice, whence Judgment and Pre
ference; and the origin of Power, proceeding from
Judgment and Preference; these being indispensably
prior to all other exertions.
30. In three things Man unavoidably differs from
God : Man is a finite, God is infinite ; Man had a
beginning, which God could not have ; Man not being
able to endure Eternity, must have in the Circle of'
Felicity a rotatory change of his mode of existence : God

201
is under no such necessity, being able to endure all
things, and that consistent with Felicity.
31. Three things are primitial in the Circle of Feli
city : cessation of Evil; cessation of Want; and the
cessation of Perishing.
32. The three restorations of the Circle of Felicity :
Restoration of Original Genius and Character ; Re
storation oi all that was primev ally beloved; and the
Restoration of Remembrance from the origin of all
things; without these, perfect Felicity cannot subsist.
33. Three things discriminate every animated being
.from all others : Original Genius; peculiarity of Re
membrance, and peculiarity of Perception : each of
these in its Plenitude, and two Plenitudes of any thing
cannot exist.
34. Witn three things has God endued every ani
mated being : with all the Plenitude of his own Na
ture ; with Individuality differing from that of all
ethers ; and with an original and peculiar Character
and Genius, which is that of no other being : hence in
every being a Plenitude ofthat Self, differing from all
, others. 35. By the knowledge of three things will all Evil
and Death be diminished and subdued: their Nature;
ffieir Cause ; and their Operations .- this knowledge
will be obtained in the Circle of Felicity.
36. The three stabilities of Knowledge are : to have
traversed every state of animated existence : to remember
every state and its incidents; and to be able to traverse
all -states of animation that can be desired, for the sake
pf experience and judgment: this will be obtained in
the Circle of Felicity. \
37. The three peculiar distinctions of every being in
the Circle of Felicity are : Vocation ; Privilege ; and
Character (Disposition); nor is it possible for any two
beings to be uniformly the same in every thing ; for,
every one will possess Plenitude of what constitutes his
Incommunicable distinction from all others ; and there
pan be no Plenitude of any thing without having it in a
degree that comprehends the whole of it that can exist.

202
38. Three things none but God can do : to. endure
the Eternities ofthe Circle of Infinity; to partici
pate of every state of existence without changing ; and
to reform and renovate every thing without causing the
loss of it.
39- Three things can never be annihilated from their
unavoidable possibilities : Mode of existence ; Essentials
of existence; and the Utility of every mode of existence :
these will, divested of their Evils, exist for ever, as va
rieties of the Good and Beautiful in the Circle of Fe
licity. 40. The three excellencies of changing mode of
existence in the Circle of Felicity : Acquisition of
knozvledge ; Beautiful variety ; and Repose, from not
being able to endure uniform Infinity and uninterrupted
Eternity. 4 1 . Three things increase continually : Fire, or
Light; Understanding, or Truth ; Soul, or Life : these,
will prevail over every thing else, and then the state of
Inchoation will cease.
42. Three things dwindle away continually : the
Dark ; the False ; and the Dead.
43. Three things accumulate strength continually,'
there being a majority of desires towards them : Love;
Knozvledge ; and Justice.
44. Three things become more and more enfeebled
daily, there being a majority of desires in opposition to
them: Hatred; Injustice; and Ignorance.
45. The three Plenitudes of Felicity : Participation
of every Nature with a plenitude of one predominant;
Conformity to every Cast of Genius and Character,
possessing superior excellence in One; the Love of
all beings and existences, but chiefly concentered in
One object, which is God; and in the predominant
One of each of these will the Plenitude of Felicity
onsist. 46. The three necessary Essentials of God : Infinite
in himself; Finite to finite comprehensions; and Co-
unity with every mode of existence in the Circle, of
Felicity.

203

Moral Triades.
1. The three primary principles of Wisdom :, Obe
dience to the Laws of God; Concern for the welfare
of Mankind : and suffering with foititude all the acci
dents of Life.
2. The three great laws of Man's actions : what he
forbids in another; what he requires from another; and
what he cares not how it is clone by another.
3. Three things well understood will give Peace ; the'
tendencies of Nature ; the claims of Justice; and the
voice of Truth.
4. There are three ways of searching the heart of
Man : in the thing he is not aware of; in the man
ner he is not aware of; and at the time he is not
aware of.
5. There are three things, and God will not love him
that loves to look at them : Fighting ; a Monster ; and
the pomposity of Pride.
' 6. Three things produce Wisdom : Truth, Conside
ration, and Suffering.
7. The three great ends of Knowledge : Duty,
¦tJtility, and Decorum.
', 8. There are three men that all ought to look upon
with affection : he that, with affection, looks at the face
of the earth ; that is delighted with rational works of
art; and that looks lovingly on little infants.
- 9- Three men will not love their country : he that
loves luxurious food ; he that loves riches ; and he that
loves ease.
10. Three things may be observed in a woman : and,
loving the first; she will not dislike the other two : her
own face in the mirror; her husband's back afar oft';
and a gallant in her bed.
11. The three laughs of a fool : at the Good, at the
Bad, and at he knows not what.
12. Three things corrupt the world : Pride, Super
fluity, and Indolence. — 2 Williams, p. 239-
The translator, Mr. E.W., asserts these Triades. to be
patriarchal, pure, and sublime : it is therefore to be

204
lamented that they were ever made so generally Known j
for the publication of mysticism is a revelation pf grand
secrets, apd a depreciation in their value. The divinea
and moralists of the present day, it is presumed,
will form but a humble opinion of these Druidic^
maxims ; and it is to be apprehended they will never
be made the theme of pulpit harangues, nor used as a
text book for theological and moral lectures in either of
¦ the English universities.
Dr. Owen Pugh, in his preface to the Elegies, attrir
buted to Llywarch Hen, giyes the following inventive
account of Druidism : —
The Bards were divided into three essential classes,
the Bardd Braint, Derwydd, and Ovydd. But before we
proceed to explain the distinctions of these, it is requi;
site to take notice of the Azoenyddion, or Disciples; whom
it may be proper to consider as a fourth class. The
Azvenyddion wore a variegated dress of the bardic
colours, blue, green, and white. To be admitted into
this class, the first requisite was unimpeached piorals ;
for it was indispensably necessary that the candidate
should above all things be a good man. He was seldorn
initiated into any thing considerable until his under
standing, affections, morals, apd principles in generaj
had undergone severe trials. His passions and faculties,
were closely observed, and exercised, when he was leas);
aware of it ; at all, times, in all places, and on every oc
casion possible, there was an eye, hid from his obser-r
vation, continually fixt upon him ; and from the know
ledge thus obtained of his head and heart, and in short
his very soul scrutinized, an estimate was made of his,
principles and mental abilities ; and agreeable to the
approbation given, and in the manner, and degree
thought most proper, he was initiated into the mysteries,
and instructed in the doctrines of Bardism. During
his probationary, state of discipline he was to learn such
verses and adages as contained the maxims of the iiir.
stitution, and to compose others himself, on any relative
subject, doctrinal or moral.
The Bardd Braint was the title of the corporate de?

205
gree, or fundamental class of the order. None could be
admitted to this degree without having undergone the
regular discipline amongst the Azvenyddion. He was,
after presiding at three Gorseddau, denominated one of
the Gorseddogion, and became fully qualified to exer
cise all the functions of Bardism ; for it was as of this
degree, and character, to which was annexed a pleni
tude of power adequate to all the purposes of the insti
tution, that the chief Bard always presided. He could
proclaim, and hold a Gorsedd, admit disciples, and
Oiyddion ; was capable of being employed in embassies ;
in the office of herald ; and to instruct youth in the prin
ciples of religion and morality. It has been already
Said that a Bard could not bear arms, as he was the
herald of peace ; he was also to observe the most in
violable secresy on all occasions, between such parties
as engaged him in confidential offices ; neither was be
to espouse any particular party in religion, or in politics,
as being inconsistent with his character. The Bardd
Braint, on all occasions where he acted officially, wore
the unicoloured robe of sky-blue, which was the distin
guishing dress of the order, being emblematic of Peace,
and also of Truth, from having no variety of colours.
The Derwyddon, or Druids, were such of the Bards,
of either of the orders, of Bardd Braint, or of Ovydd,
that were set apart to, or employed peculiarly in the
exercise of religious functions ; and long after the con
version of the Britons to Christianity the ministers of
religion were called by this term, notwithstanding they
had been for ages the Pagan priests ; but Pagans we
can hardly call those, who worshipped the true God in
simplicity. Therefore let not the pious be alarmed at
the idea of Druidism being still alive in this island; but
let him examine it a little, and he will find that the Bri
tish patriarchal religion is no more than that of Noah,
or of Abraham, inimical to Christianity. There is in
Druidism, and no less in Christianity, what seems ex
tremely repugnant to the manners, and even the religion,
of this age — a severe inflexible morality. Though the
Derwydd was more peculiarly, yet he was not exclu-

206
sively the minister of religion, for the Bardd Braint]
and even the Ovydd, might officiate as such, after being
confirmed by reception into the order, at a Gorstdd.
There was no superiority attached to the order of Der"
wydd; it was only a peculiar officiality, for which the
others were deemed equally qualified ; and indeed, to
be a Derwydd it of necessity implied that he was a
Bardd Braint ; but, as a matter of convenience, the
religious establisment was allotted to an appropriate set
of Bards, distinguished by that name, to give notoriety,
and discriminate visibility to their function. The dress
of the Derwydd was white, the emblem of Holiness, and
peculiarly of Truth, as being the colour of light, or the'
sun. The Derwydd was exempted from some offices,
that were incumbent on each of the others. In him
sanctity of life, and celebrity for wisdom, were recom
mendatory qualifications always looked for ; he was most
immediately tbe instructor of youth : and was, from the
necessary obligations ofhis office, the residentiary Bard
of his district, an obligation which the others did not lie
under. The O'vydd was the third order, being an honorary
degree, to which the candidate could be immediately
admitted, without being obliged to pass through the re- '
gular discipline. This degree, in every circumstance of
its peculiar institution, appears to be intended to create
a power » that was capable of acting on emergencies, on
a plan different from the regular mode of proceeding,
as well as of bringing within the system such kind of
knowledge as was unknown, or foreign to the original
institution. The requisite qualifications were, in ge
neral, an acquaintance with valuable discoveries in
science ; as the use of letters, medicine, languages, and
the like ; and it was not an easy thing, even in this
order, to dispense with the knowledge of, and a genius
for, poetry; ,but this on particular occasions might be
done, in consideration of other eminent qualifications ;
for this order was a provisionary one, for the purpose
of admitting into the bardic system, in a regular man
lier, every thing useful, and laudable in science. The

207
Ovydd was, however, enjoined to acquaint himself with
the bardic institutes and traditions ; for, from several
contingencies, it was possible that the order, or institu
tion, might be perpetuated only by Ovyddion; which in
its original purity, it could not be done, unless they were
acquainted with its true principle, nature, and intention.
It was deemed more honourable to be admitted into the
orders by having been first admitted an Ovydd, than
by going through a long discipline, at least such an idea
now prevails. The Ovydd could exercise all the func
tions of Bardism ; and by some particular acts he be
came entitled, by virtue of having performed them, to
other degrees, after such acts had been acquiesced in by
a Gorsedd. It is a received opinion that the Bards, in'
the character, and being of the order of Ovydd, may
hold a Cadair, or subordinate provincial meeting, under
cover, or within doors. The dress of the Ovydd was
green,' the symbol of Learning, and also of Truth, from
being unicoloured. The candidate for this order was
elected at a Gorsedd, on the previous recommendation
of a graduated Bard of any of the three orders ; who
might from his own knowledge declare that whom he
proposed was duly qualified. If the candidate was not.
known to a Bard, the recommendation of a judge, or
magistrate, or of twelve reputable men, could constitute
him a candidate, on which he was immediately elected
hy coelbren, or ballot. But if it ever happened that
the number of Bards was not sufficient to elect, then
any one of the order might arbitrarily admit three, who
were thereupon deemed finally graduated. No more than
three could be admitted in this manner, for that' was a
sufficient number to proceed by election, in the regular
way ; because arbitrary proceedings could not be suf
fered, but where the number was inadequate to act other
wise, and consequently a matter of necessity. Procla
mation was another way of admission to the degree of
Ovydd ; that is, it was proclaimed at a Gorsedd, that
a person of a certain name, place, and qualification was,
on specified recommendation, proposed as a candidate;
and that at a certain future period, not less than a whole

208
year, he Wag to be admitted to that degree ; and if- no
objection was, during that time, brought against him,,
he was considered to be graduated.— Owen's pref. p. 36.
These biped cameleons, who changed their colour as
they took their degrees, must have made an imposing
appearance in their long robes ; and it is to be regretted
that Dr. O. P., in his interesting detail, has not been
more minute in giving us the names ofthe materials of
which the robes were made; whether silk, muslin,
Welsh flannel, or Scotch plaid ; and io informing Us
where these long robes were hung up of a night, when
the learned gentlemen retired to take their repose in the
luxury of a bush, or of a cavern.
A learned writer, the reverend Mr. Led wich, has
given the true history of the Druids, in the following
investigation of passages which make mention of them-
in the writings of ancient authors : —
We are told the Druids taught the unity of God ;
were not polytheists ; that Hesus, Teutates, and Taranis,
were only names and titles of the Supreme Being ; nor
did they worship the heavenly bodies : that Apqllo and
Beal were the prime deities of the Pagan Irish ; that
they swore by the sun, moon, stars, and wind, and
that they venerated the planets as types of the great
Creator. Schedius declares their religion different from'
the Roman. The authors of the Universal History
oppose some of these notions; and Borlase says, it has
long been disputed whence the Druidic discipline and
superstition had their rise : but if we compare it, adds
he, with the ancient gentile religion, every tenet and rite
which the Druids taught and practised; every deity
which they are said to have worshipped, we shall find
all common to them, and the most ancient idolaters of
the east.
The Celtes, as Maximus Tyrius informs us, adored
Jupiter ; but the Celtic Jupiter is a lofty oak. On the
contrary, Lucan —
Et quibus immitis placatur sanguine diro
Teutates horrensqneferis altaribus Hesus ;
Et Taranis Scythica non mitior ara Diana.

209
Assertions of ancient and modern writers so dissi
milar, demonstrate an imperfect knowledge of the
subject ; and the impossibility of arriving at the ge
nuine and original dogmas of Druidism. All that at
present can be done towards giving a proper idea of
them, is to recur to the ancients, and produce what
they have delivered. In such a review it seems also
necessary not to include every notice, as others have
done, of the Celtic religion, dispersed in a multiplicity
of authors, but to confine the inquiry to that theology
alone, which is expressly declared to be Druidic : for
theCeltes, a widely extended people, differed in religious
tenets very much from each other; their notions of
divine matters being tinctured with those of .their sur
rounding neighbours.
Cassar is the earliest writer who mentions the Druids :
whether he was ignorant of the subject, and confounded
deifies ; or whether he wrote more like a soldier than a
philosopher, is no part of our present business : his ac
count of the Druidic religion we shall now give, and
compare it with the Roman.
1. The Druids presided over divine affairs, took care
of public and private sacrifices, and were the interpre
ters of religion : so did the Roman priesthood, as related
by Dionysius, Halicarnasseus, and almost in the words
of Cassar.
2. The Druids exercised a civil and criminal juris
diction, so did the Roman sacred college. Cicero in
forms us, that it was the saying of aged men, that he
could not be a good pontiff, who was ignorant of the
civil law.
3. Those who did not obey their decrees were inter
dicted the sacrifices. Among the Romaps such a pro
hibition implied the most atrocious guilt/.'
4. There was a chief Druid, who had supreme autho
rity, The Pontifex Maximus was a well known dignity
in the Roman hierarchy.
5f. On the decease of the chief Druid, the next in
dignity succeeded : if there were equals, one was
p

210
chosen by suffrage. The sacred college at Rome Was
filled by suffrage.
6. The Druids were exempted from serving in war,
and from taxes. The Roman priesthood was free from
military duty, and city taxes ; and it may be collected,
that they had an immunity from all taxes.
7 . The Druids taught their disciples a great number
of verses. It was the Roman custom for youth to begin
their studies with poetical works : —
Det primos versibus amnos,
Maoniumque bibat falici pectore fontem. ,
Petr. Arbit.
8. It was unlawful for the Druids to commit their
secrets to writing. The Roman augurs were sworn to
secresy. 9- The Druids taught the Metempsychosis : this was
the belief of the unlearned Romans ; and, as such, \s
ridiculed by Cicero, Ovid, and Seneca.
The Druids discoursed much of the stars, and their
motions ; of the magnitude of the world ; of the nature
of things ; and of the greatness and power of the im
mortal gods. Such speculations employed the Roman
clergy, as we learn from Cicero, Plutarch, and Ammia-
nus Marcellinus.
This parallel exhibits a remarkable analogy. Is it
not probable, that like late travellers, Caesar has- sub
stituted the Roman in the place of the Druidic tenets.
The affirmative receives countenance from the omission
of some well authenticated: and distinguishing practices,
as their slaying and eating human victims, and, their
magical performances.
Cicero, who was contemporary with Caesar, and' a
man of universal knowledge, and great curiosity, never,
I think, mentions the Druids, or even Britain; except
in one or two places ; and then as a country whence
slaves alone could be procured. " These you mnst not
expect to find skilled in letters or music," says he, in
writing to Attieus.
Diodorus Siculus lived in the age of Julius Caesar,.

211
or somewhat later : he says, the Saronides were the
Gaulish philosbpherS and divines, and held in great esti
mation : nor was it lawful to perform any sacrifice with
out the presence of a philosopher. There were also
Vates, who, from auspices, and the entrails of victims,
predicted future events.
The first part of this citation has supplied the mo
derns with all the fine things they have advanced on the
Druids. The idea which Diodorus would convey of
the Saronides, is their superintendence of the rites of
religion. The only inducement he might have had for
using the word philosopher was a perusal of Caesar, who
mentions their discourses on the stars; but lest he
should be mistaken, he immediately adds fheologists;
as theology included such contemplations.
The passage in Lucretius so triumphantly brought,
as making the Druids the authors of philosophy among
the Celtes and Gauls, is explained in a few subsequent
pages of Diodorus, where, it appears, the philosophy he
was speaking of is theology : thus, we see the Druidists
not only strain, but manifestly pervert the words of
every ancient author to serve their purpose.
Had the Druidists reflected on what occasion the
presence of the philosopher was necessary, they certainly
could never think them such as became an enlightened
and polished mari, it was to behold one ofhis own species
stretched on his back, his breast dissected With the stroke
of a sword, while the Vates stand around, and with
curious eyes view the convulsions of the members, the
streaming of the vital fluid, and from the Spectacle
deduce cruel presages. These Vates were the same as
the Roman Haruspices, the lowest of the sacerdotal
order, so odious their employment, that they were
scarcely admissible to the rank of senators.
1 Diodorus Siculus could not have better opportunities
of information than Caesar, who resided some time
among the Celtes.
The latter mentions but a single order bf priests, and
no more are found among, ancient and modern bar
barians, whose customs and manners' preserve an uri-
p 2

212
erring resemblance. Diodorus makes an addition,, for;
which there seems to be no ground but that propensity
which writers cannot restrain, of accommodating the
practice of other people to their own.
But it will be said, that the intelligent, and judicjous-
Strabo informs us, the Druids, besides the study of na
tural causes, cultivated also moral discipline, or ethics,
which, in the Grecian schools, were the principal parts
of philosophy. As Diodorus, from Caesar's account of
their employment, called them philosophers, so Strabo,
from seeing them thus named, described their philoso
phy in terms solely applicable to the improved state of
it in Greece, and by no means adapted to the wretched
conjuring tricks of the Druids. If Strabo intended an
eulogy on the learning and religion of the Celtes, as is
pretended, he palpably contradicts himself, by givin«
us such characteristic traits of national barbarity as are
Only found among the most ignorant and barbarous
people : had Strabo adverted to the inference to be
drawn from his account of the Druids and their coun
trymen, he never would have said that they cultivated
physics or ethics.
Passing over Mela, Lucan, and Tacitus, who record
nothing remarkable of the Druids, I shall proceed to
what Pliny has delivered concerning them.
The Druids, says he, who are the Gaulish Magi, hold
nothing so sacred as the mistletoe, and the tree on which
it grows, if it be ap oak : they select groves of this
wood for religious purposes ; nor do they perform any
sacred office without garlands of its leaves, from whence
they derive their name of Druids. The mistletoe (very
scarce) when found, is collected with great ceremony v
this is done on the sixth day of the moon, a day so
much esteemed by them, that they have made, their
months, years and ages, (which consist but of thirty years)
to take their beginning from it : the moon, at that time,
being strong enough, though not arrived at half her
fullness. This day they call All-heal.
Having prepared their feasts and sacrifices under the
oak, two white bulls are tied to it : a priest, clad iu

213
white, ascends the tree, and cuts off the mistletoe : it is
received below in a white garment : they then sacri
fice their victims. The mistletoe, exhibited, is believed
to remove sterility, and to be a preventative against
poison : an eminent instance, concludes he, that human
religion has often no other object than frivolous things.
To this Bruker adds, that we may easily appreciate the
value of that philosophy, which endeavoured to derive
credit to its professors from the wearing of golden chains,
and conducting itself with arrogance and pride.
In other places, Pliny 'relates their magic rites in
gathering their samolus and selago ; their stories and
charlatannerie, respecting the serpent's egg, and their
sacrificing, and eating men.
Pliny calls the Druids the Gaulish Magi ; in the
Celtic, they are named Dryi, and Dryithe, signifying
persons conversant in diabolical aits. A closer know
ledge having betrayed to the Romans their real cha
racter and ritual, they were no longer honored by
them with the pompous titles of philosophers and di
vines, but that of magicians and conjurors. In what a
contemptible light Pliny held the powers of magic, and
the supposed virtues of herbs, may be seen in lib. 26,
c. 4. ; lib 28, c. 16. ; and lib. 37, c. 10. ; and in other
places, where we find some very trifling, and some laugh
able, prescriptions of those ancient doctors.
As to their inhuman sacrifices, Pliny, after recounting
them, adds, it cannot be estimated what thanks are due
to the Romans for removing such monsters from society.
That the Druids offered men in sacrifice is not denied,
but that they ate them is not so easily assented to:'
and yet that the barbarians of northern Europe in
dulged in such repasts admits of the strongest evi
dence. Diodorus Siculus relates that the Britons, who
inhabited Iris, or Erin, devoured human flesh. The
Gauls, conducted by Brennus, into Greece, did the
same. St. Jerome, in the fifth century, writes thus : — :
" In my youth I saw, in Gaul, the Scots, a British
people, feeding upon human bones." The Scots and
the Britons, of Iris, were probably the same people, and

214
as likely to be natives of Ireland as of Britain. The
deljcacy of modern times is shocked at the narration,
and endeavours to elude jts force by obsprying, that no
such custpin is found in Caesar pr Tacitus : that Jerome
was young when he saw this spectacle, and might be
imposed upon : but nothing can exceed the weakness
of such evasions. Jerome was writing on a very seriqus
subject : he was of mature age, and his credit and
veracity at stake. It was not easy to erase from his
memory the recollection of thpse men-eaters; the fact
is not retailed froin hearsay, or vague report : ipse adoles
cent ulus vide rim : can any mode of expression, pr form
of language, be less equivocal ?
-On the authority of some painted glass, in the
cloyster of Whitby Abbey, it is asserted, that the Scots
were anthropophagi until the reign of William the Con
queror- — Afonast. Angl. 72. And so late as 1297,
we read of their slaying a man, and dividing his skin
into sniall portions ; not by way of reliques, but to
insult the deceased : in a word, the barbarians of
Europe, of North America, and of the newly disco
vered islands, delight in human blood ; their principal
religious rites are stained with it. Infinitely more re
fined, spiritual, and mild, is the ritual of the uncivilized
Siberians; and yet the Russian academicians do not
break out into rapture on the sublimity of their theo
logy, or the extent of their knowledge : in the style of
Pliny's remark on the Druids, they add — lis sont de
la plus grossiere ignorance, et dans la plus graride,
misere ; leur etat preuvc evidemment, que notre bon-
heur est proportioned a nos lumieres.
Here I shall close the evidence of aptiquity on the
Druidic religion, and the professors of it. If any
traces of an enlightened and polished people can be
found in, or are fairly deducible from it, the discoverer,
without envy or rivalry, may enjoy the reward of his
sagacity. Every liberal and cultivated niind will join
with Lucretius—
Nam nihil egregius quam res secernere upertas
A dubiis, animus quag ab se protinus dddit..
Lib. 4. v. 468-

215
As a corollary fairly deducible from what is advanced,
we may lay it down as certain, that mankind, in the va
rious stages from rudeness to civility, will be found to
have the same religious sentiments, the same occupa
tions, and the same customs and manners. The frame
of our mental and corporeal faculties will admit of no
deviation from this identity : if the annals of the world
record an exception, let it be produced : I am bold
to say, it has escaped some attentive observers of the
history of the human species. To behold an order of
men, possessed of every science and accomplishment,
as the Druids are said to have been, Avhile their com
patriots were sunk in the grossest ignorance, is such a
phainomenon as never was seen.-^7 Archaeol. 32.

216

CHAP. VII.
Of the Bards.
Vos qvoqve qui fortes animas belloque peremptas,
Lnudibus in lorigum vates dimittitis avum,
Vlurima securifudistis carmina Bardi.
The Bards, Bardi, or Barti, from their bearded apr
pearance, were of Scandinavian origin; and their pursuits
of music, public mission, and. versification, were intro
duced into Wales intermediately from Ireland and
Normandy. Strabo, Diodorus Siculus, Lucan, Mela, Ammianus
Marcellinus, and other authors, make mention of the
Bardi; but their notices refer to the Bards of the con
tinent. Music and poetry were imported into North Wales
from Ireland ; for the princes of the North, by inter
marrying with Irish women, and frequently taking refuge
in that island, introduced many of its manners and cus
toms into their native country. The Bards before that
time were the noisy attendants ofthe Druids, and beat
their tins, or blew their horns, without the inner Druidi
cal circle. The times of these rites and clamours are fully
alluded to in the following note of Mr. Edward Wil
liams: — " The four grand and solemn Bardic days are
of ancient usage, the two equinoctes, and the two sols
tices; the new and full moons are also subordinately
solemn Bardic days: these are the conspicuous days,
we may say holidays of nature ; and were doubtless
observed long before the institution of any other solemn,
sabbatical, or festival days: this, and many other usages
ofthe ancient British Bards bear the stamp of, and are
obviously retained from, remotest antiquity : these cus
toms are not known to have been discontinued or sus-
pcpded in any.age whatever, but have always, to the

217
present day, been observed. This is matter of no less
curiosity than of wonder, that it should not have been
long ago noticed ; but the ancient British Bardism has,
for ages, been in the hands of those who ranked not
with the higher classes ; and is retained only in those
very sequestered and mountainous places that are sel
dom, if ever, visited by literary men. Bardism has also
been from time immemorial under some degree of per
secution : its regular professors are known in Glamor
gan by the nick-name of Gwyr Cwm-y-Felin, and gene
rally supposed to be infidels, conjurors, and we know
not what. The North Walian Bards, as they call
themselves, but improperly, of whose meetings we
sometimes, of late, meet with accounts, know nothing
at all of the ancient and genuiue Bardism." — 2 Wil
liams's Poems. l6l, in note.
The venerable Iolo Morganwg, in another part of the
same, volume, gives a favorable account of his pro
fession : — " The term Bard, in its original Cimbric
acceptation, signifies priest ; but, when letters were not
known, Song having been found the best, most pleasing,
and for that reason the most effectual, means of fixing
permanently the Oralities of Religion and useful science,
it became as indispensably necessary for a Priest to be
a Poet as it is in these times for him to be able to read
and. write; hence Bard and Poet came in length of time
to be synonymous terms.
Moderns understand nothing by the word Tradition
but the wildly confused popular story of we know not
what; Old wives tales; something as widely different
from Bardic Tradition as the East is from the West;
and, of course, whether they censure, or, in part, admit
what they call tradition, they only talk nonsense, and
jabber they know not what.
The Didactic Songs and Aphorisms of the Bards
were .always laid before their Grand Meetings, Conven
tions, or Curialities, of the Solstices and Equinoxes ;
there they were discussed with the most scrutinizing
severity, if admitted at the first they were re-considered
af the second meeting ; if then approved of, they were

218
referred to the third meeting; and, being approved of
by that, they were ratified or confirmed; otherwise they
were referred to the Triennial Supreme Convention for
ultimate consideration, where all that had been con*
firmed at the Provincial Conventions were also recited,
and the disciples, that there attended from every Pro
vince, enjoined to learn them, that thereby tbey might
be as widely diffused as possible: these were recited for
ever afterwards, annually at least, at every Curiality or
Convention, in Britain: this being the practice, it was
impossible for perversion and interpolation to take place,
every thing of this kind would be soon detected and re
jected ; all the Bardic Traditions were thus to be for ever
recited annually at one or other ofthe four Grand Meet->
ings of the year : being thus guarded in every Province,
it was impossible for them to deviate materially from
Truth. This well-guarded Tradition was a better
Guardian of Truth than letters have ever been, especi-
ally before the art of Printing was discovered : we con-.
fide in letters that skulk in dens and dark corners ; we
know not whence they come into light, we often know
not how they came into existence. If a manuscript has
a little of the mould of age on it, we admit blindly more
of what it says as truth than becomes a wise man.
Letters can transmit lies to posterity through a long,
dark, and unknown, as it were, subterraneous passage :
Bardic Tradition walks in open day and beaten tracks,
exposes itself to the eye of light, as its own language
emphatically has it. Macpherson, Chatterton, Pinker
ton, and others, could never have sported with Bardie
Tradition os they have done with Letters, Nothing
eau more evince the fidelity of Bardic Tradition than
that the Romance of Geoffry, of Monmouth, is never
once noticed in any Bardic Poem or Aphorism, and of
each there are extant in ancient manuscripts perhaps
a thousand ; it is so late as the fourteenth century, and
t the latter end of it, before any thing of the Story of
Brutus appears in the writings of any Welsh Poet, and
every Poet was not a Bard. The Bards never mention,
or U} the least allude to, the Trojan origin of the Britons,

219
whatever some may villainously assert. They always
represent the Cymmry (Cimbri) as the Indigenes of
Britain, and never give any farther account of their
origin. Taliesin, by Llin Droea, (Trojan Race),
means the Romans, then in this island ; not the Ancient
Britons. ; Song, or poesy, was in the hands of Bardic Tradi
tion, and well guarded by it from falsehood and fiction,
which the Bards would by no means admit or authorize
in the least; apd the public would never countenance
what their much-esteemed Bards rejected. It was in
vain to attempt the propagation of falsehood in Verse.
Long narrations and declamations in prose were unma-
nagable things for Tradition, they could not with ease
come under its cognizance ; of course it was more open
than poesy to fiction : here letters were able to baffle
the truth of Oral Fidelity, Art triumphed over Nature :
hence it is that all the Welsh fabulous writings, as
Geoffrey's History, Romances, Works of Popish super
stition, &c. are in prose, nothing of the kind appears in
verse till about the close of the fourteenth, or beginning
pf the fifteenth centuries, when we meat with incidental
mention and allusions to the Trojan fable, and the
achievements of papal priestcraft. About a century
before this, Edward the Bardicide, surnamed Long-
shanks, had caused many of the Bards to be massacred,
and all were severely restricted in the exercise of their
ancjent functions. They were Sons of Truth and Li
berty, and of course offensive to that age of tyranny and
superstition ; but the Welsh would not suffer them to
be exterminated. Some of therp continued to the time
ofthe Reformation, and even to this day. Whatever
of fable and superstition may be found in the Welsh
poetical manuscripts of the fifteenth and sixteenth cen
turies rnust not be attributed to Bardism; for, about
this time, the Monks retained in their monasteries many
Poets, [not Ba,rdsj that were ready and willing enough
to do the work of their masters ; apd they did it.
The Welsh Bards and their countrymen were so par
tial |o the science of tradition, that it was retained long

220
after letters became generally known, it was by means
of it that the Primitive Christianity of Britain came
(hand in hand with Bardism) down to the present day
through a long and very dark night of error and Gothic
barbarity, through the flames of papal persecution; on
this account the ancient Welsh Bards, though they
have not yet obtained it, are entitled to as noble a
triumphal arch as that which has long ago been erected
for the Waldenses. I cannot help thinking that the
Patriarchs had' something like the Bardic Science of
Oral Tradition, and that we owe to it the accounts of
the Creation, of the Deluge, the Book of Job, &c. and
had we still, even in this literary age of the world, a set
of men thus set apart, and supported by the Commu
nity, to instruct the multitude (always very ignorant in
spite of our boasted books) on the principle of Bardic
Tradition, it would be in manv cases useful, and no less
? ml '
so as a counterpart to, and a watchful eye Over, Letters,
that, unlooked after, commit daily the most enormous
rascalities: such an institution also amongst poor unlet-:
tered Heathens would have a better and more imme
diate effect than a premature attempt to literate them.'
Why must we not indulge all the suggestions of Bene
volence? why not endeavour to. turn every thing to the;
good of our poor fellow mortals? this kind of Tradition
is the most ancient, the most natural, and when duly
considered, and its principles well understood, will
appear evidently the most effectual, method of propa
gating Knowledge and Truth ; my suggestions are highly
countenanced by the example and practice of him who
spake as never man did, whose Sermon on the Mount
is a set of Aphorisms very much like those ofthe Bards'
of Britain, and who wrote no book, but trusted all his'
divine maxims to the care of Orality, where for many
years they remained before they were committed to
writing, and ever since we have had woful reasons to
lament that something like scientific tradition had not
kept a watchful eye over the scoundrel Scribblecraft,'
that journeyman-thief ot Priestcraft." — 2 Williams, 220.
These specious positions of Iolo will not bear minute

221
investigation, and shew that a fine pOet is not always
a. tine reasoner.
In the reign of Hoel the Good, 950, the Bards were
in great estimation, and enjoyed several privileges. The
Aulic Bard, on his appointment, received from the queen
a gold ring ; and from the king a silver badge, or a harp,
which he was not to part with, because it was a mark of
distinction for life, and revertible to the crown at his de
cease. His place at meal was next to the chief of the
household, and his office asPrydydd, or Companion, was
to amuse the company with the harp, songs, and recita
tions, in flattering commendation ofthe ancestry, achieve
ments, and liberality ofhis prince, or patron. In these ex
ercises he never omitted mentioning the excellence ofthe
ale, mead, and wine, and the generosity of the chief in
pushing round the can.
, The admission of such low characters into the free
conversation of princes and chiefs was soon found to
be injudicious; for the amusing poets of all nations have
been an idle, insincere, and dissolute set of fellows.
Homer was a public vagrant; Virgil, an idolatrous
flatterer; Horace, a seducer and a sot; Milton, who
had the elevation and pathos of mind to soar to heaven,
and sink into hell, wrote the most laboured models of
blasphemy; Dryden, in his fine flights, divests beauty
of her veil, leaves chastity unconcealed, and throws the
most brilliant colours on the vilest propensities of human
nature; Pope, on his horizontal pinions, always carries a
ballast of envy, malice, and all uncharitableness ; and
Dean Swift is for ever fluttering over the common sewer,
or the stagnant pool.
The Welsh Bard employed to praise his chieftain,
fouud it his duty, or assumed the impertinence, to slander
his opponents : these ill-timed incentives to hatred,
anger, and hostilities, widened the door of dissention,
and prompted the chieftains to aggressions and reprisals.
Bleddyn ab Cynfyn, prince of Powys, considered the
demeanour of these household and wandering Bards
so dangerous, that in 1076 he thought it expedient to
make enactments and regulations for the future conduct
of versifiers and minstrels.

222
Bardism was introduced into South Wales by the
Norman Lords, who had their Trouveadores, or im
promptu rhymers, who were succeeded by native Bards.
These Trouveadores were men of intellect and litera
ture, who were emancipated from vaSsalagel The
modern ceremony of conferring the order of Bardism
was taken from the Norman manner of releasing the
Trouveador from vassalage : for, in the present day,
when a miserable versifier is honored with the admission
into the order of Bards, he has to take off his shoes,
and he is pronounced a poet by some Bard of the isle
of Britain, who holds a sword in his hand, as if he were
about to confer upon him the honor of knighthood.
The age of chivalry, and the crusades, introduced the
art of herald ry, and gave to descendants the honor of wear
ing the achievements of their ancestors ; and the right
of warfare allowed to contemporary feudal lords, gave
occasion for heralds, messengers, or bearers of' flags of
truce : these offices in South Wales, and afterwards in
Powys and Gwynedd, were filled by the domestic min^
strels, and hence his duties extended fo baronial em
bassies, to pedigrees, and to coals of arms.
On the decease of the Trouveadores of the Norman
barons, their places were filled by Welsh, Or native
Bards, who had received some notions of music and
versifying from the Scandinavians by way of Ireland;
and were now introduced into a more extensive know
ledge of their favorite arts, through the more polished
medium of Normandy.
The refined manners of the Norman lords, whose
barns were more respectable than the Cambrian palaces,
whose conversation was learned and refined, and whose
knowledge and pursuit of the useful and fine arts indicated
civilization and luxury, enlarged the capacity ofthe Welsh
Bard : the orchard, the garden, and the abbey gave him
additional topics; the society of gentlemen improved
his language and taste; and the manuscripts of Greek
and Roman writers, preserved in the museums of these
chiefs, supplied him with specimens of fine thinking, and
models of composition : the Bards were therefore either
of Irish or Norman cultivation.

223
In North Wales, where the Irish harp and mode of
versifying were introduced, the minstrels, or rhymers,
were such impertinent and mendicant vagrants, that
Gryffydd ab Cynan, in the twelfth century, found it im
perative to make regulations for their better conduct,
in terms much more restrictive than the prior enact
ments of Bleddyn ab Cynfyn.
In South Wales no such enactments were requisite ;
for the Bard was the associate of the lord, the learned,
and the artist: it is therefore to Norman grandeur
and refinement the Welsh have to attribute the rise
and progress of Bardism, as a profession of poetry, di
plomacy, and heraldry.
In the words of Dr. Powel, the Welsh minstrels were,
in the twelfth century, of three sorts : the first were
called Beirdd, who composed songs and odes of va
rious measures, wherein were required not only the poet's
skill, but also a natural endowment, or a vein of genius,
which the Romans termed the furor poeticus : these
also kept the records of the arms and pedigrees of great
men : the next were such as played upon musical in
struments, chiefly the harp and the crwth ; the last sort
were called Atcaneaid, whose profession was to sing to
instruments played upon by others. Each of these, by
the laws of Gryffydd ab Cynan, had their rewards al
lotted to them ; their life and behaviour were to be un
blamable, under the risk of severe punishments, and
they were forbidden from entering any man's house, or
to compose a song of any person, without the permission
of the party. Under these wholesome regulations, the
Bards still kept their places at the tables of the great,
and were invited to public festivals ; for in 1 176, Rhys
ab Gryffydd, prince of South Wales, made a great fes
tival at Christmas, at his castle of Aberteify, after pro
clamation first made, and invited all the Bards and
musicians to attend: and for the amusement of the
company, the Bards contended in rhyme upon given
topics ; and the musicians played in turn, as disputants
of the greatest dexterity and skill.
The Bards, or Cambro Hybernian minstrels, of North

2*24
Wales, by their slanderous and seditious songs> and
impromptu rhymes, made themselves obrioxious to; their*
English sovereign ; and, in consequence, Edward the
First is represented to have treated them with great se
verity : but historians have not reflected that these min-
trels were instigators of civil warfare, and cowards, who
never assisted in the contest.
The learned and loyal members of the order of
Bardism were not subjected to any inconvenience or
penal grievance: for, in Glamorgan, the Bards met in
sessions, or Gorseddau, in imitation ofthe Druids; but
with this difference, that the Druids were judges of
victims, and the Bards of talent : at these meetings, the
Bard of the chieftain, and when domestic Bards were
discontinued, the most pre-eminent favorite ofthe muse
presided ; the exercises upon a given topic, proclaimed
by the chairman, were delivered in succession ; and the
chairman delivered his judgment, or barn, upon the
talents and claims of these off'-hand composers of
poetry. The following is supposed to be a correct list of the
presiding Bards of Glamorgan, and of the attendant
pupils or candidates for poetical honors: —
Trahaern Brydydd Mawr, Pres., •• .. *• A.D. 1300.
Hywel Bwr Bach, Pres.  • 1330.
Dafydd ab Gwilym, Pres., •• •> •  1360.

Iefan Hen.. Pres.,  •• 1370.
Gwilym ab leufan Hfcn, "\
leufan Tew H6n, f parfis
Hywel Swrdwal, or Sudwai, f
a Norman descendant, J

leufan Tew Hen, Pres.,  1420.
Hywel Swrdwal, or Sudwai, ~\
leufan ab Hyfel Swrdwal, f R .
leufan Gethin ab leufan ab Lleision, f
Hywel ab Dafydd ab leufan ab Rhys, j **-

Ieufan Gethin ab leufan ab Lleision, Pres., • • • • 1430.
Gwilym Tew, Bard.

225
Gwilym Tew, Pres.  . . . . A. D. 1 450.
Huw Cae Llwyd, TJ
Hywel ab Dafydd ab leufan ab Rhys, f „ ¦
Harri o'r Garreg Lwyd, (
Iorwerth Vynglwyd, j
Meredydd ab Rhosser, Pres.  1 4/0.
Iorwerth Vynglwyd, 1
¦ leuan Deulwyn, > Bards.
Sir Eineon ab Owain, J
Ieufau.DeulwYn, Pres. •• •' •• •• •• 1480.

Iorwerth Vynglwyd, •%
Lewis Morganwg, > Bards. *
Harri Hir. J

Harri Hir,
Iorwerth Vynglwyd, Pres. •• -»-..- ; *• 1500.
Lewis Morganwg, 7 R .
leufan Du'r BIwg, \ BaMs-
Lewis Morganwg, Pres. »' •• •  1320.
Meirig Dafydd,
Dafydd Benwyn, C Bards k
Llewelyn Sion o Lange wydd, f
Thomas Llewelyn o Regoes,
Meirig Dafydd, Pres. •• *• •»  1550.
Watkin Pywel, Bard.
Dafydd Benwyn, Pres.  1550.
Llewelyn Sion, -%
Sion Mawddwy, > Bards.
Dafydd LlwydMathew, *
Llewelyn Sion, Pres.  •• '1580.
Watkin Pywel, -~
leufan Thomas, i
Meiler Mathew, \RarH«.
Dafydd ab Dafydd Mathew, t earas'
Dafydd Edward o Vargam, \
Edward Dafydd o Vargam,
Watkin Pywel, Pres.  1620,
Dafydd Edward, -\
Edward Dafydd, > Bards.
Dafydd ab Dafydd Mathew, J
0.

226
Edward Dafydd, Pres. •• '  >6G0.
Hywel Lewys, ->.
Charles Bwttwn, esq. J
Thomas Roberts, Offeiriad, \ Bards.
S. Jones o Vryn Llywarch, Offeiriad, /
Eufau Sion Meredydd, }
Dafydd o'r Nant,
Dafydd o'r Nant, Pres.  T°"80-
Hope in y Gweydd, ¦*
Thomas Roberts, Offeiriad, 5 Bards.
Dafydd Hopcin o'r Coetty, J
Samuel Jones, Offeiriad, Pres.  * • 1700.
Rhys Prys, Ty'n-y-Ton, father of Dr. Richard ~\
Price, the moralist and financier, y Bards.
William Hain,
Sion Bradford, when a lad,
Dafydd Hopcin, o'r Coetty, Pres. •• •• <• 1730.
Dafydd Thomas, }
Rhys Morgan, Pencraig Nedd, ( Bards.
Dafydd Nicholas, (
Sion Bradford, J
Sion Bradford, Pres.  1760.
Lewys Hopcin, J
William Hopcin, > Bards.
Edward Evan, I
Edward Williams, J
Edward Evan, Pres.  1780.
Edward Williams, or Iolo Morgangw, Pres. •• 1824.
In the other districts of Wales the societies were
merely occasional meetings. The four nominal chairs
are : —
Morganwg, or Glamorgan, Brecknock, and Gwent ; — President,
Edward Williams.
Motto; Duw a phob Daioni; God and all Goodness.
Dyfed, or Carmarthen, Cardigan, and Pembroke; — President,
Walter Davies.
Motto ; Calon wrth Calon ; Heart united to Heart.
Powys, or Denbighshire, Montgomeryshire, Merionithshire, and
Radnorshire.;— -President,
Motto; A Laddo a Leddir; He that Kills shall be Killed.
Gwynedd, or Anglesey, Caernarfon, and Flint; President,
Motto; lesu, or Jcaus.

227
These chairs, or provincial assemblies of Bards, are
the creatures of the Norman barons; their mottos are
modern, and the language is the present current Welsh.
The advocates for the antiquity of Welsh Bardism
recur to the times of Noah, in tracing the history of
versification ; they give us the costume of the Bard in
remote and early times, and adduce the triades, or
aphorisms of the Bards, as models of moral philosophy.
These reveries are inconsistent with history and rea
soning. The triades make no mention of Gorseddau,
or Sessions, held at London, York, or Usk ; the cos
tume is not ancient, for it is questionable whether there
was, in the time of Caesar, a Bard in all Britain, who
had acquired the science of tying a knot, and of apply
ing the skin of the wild beast to cover his nakedness ; and
the aphorisms, or Bardic institutes, are the productions
of modern barbarians. It will be sufficient to dissect a
few of them, and append, the observations.
1, " The three foundations of Genius : the gift of
God, man's exertion, and the events of life."
Obs. The gift of God is proper : but, man's exertion
is the acquisitive : the events of life are circumstantial,
and cannot be foundations of Genius.
2. " The three primary requisites of Genius : an eye
that can see nature, a heart that can feel nature, and
boldness that dares follow nature."
Obs. Judgment isa requisite of Genius : but there
are more than one organs of sense ; the other two
members of the triad do not apply ; and the triad al
together is an old rule for painting.
3. " The three indispensables of Genius : under
standing, feeling, and perseverance."
Obs. This triad is the echo of the preceding one ;
understanding and feeling are hac, and hac ; and per
severance is beyond bounds, and relates to individual
conduct. 4. " The three properties of Genius : fine thought,
appropriate thought, and a luxuriantly diversified thought.''
Obs. Thought is the property of a fool, as well as
ofamanof Genius: there are more than three pre-
q2

228
dicates of thought, and the framer of the triad was un
acquainted with genus, species, difference, and variety.
5. " The three things, that ennoble Genius : vigour,
fancy, and knowledge."
Obs. This triad is incorrigible ; and the writer might
as well have written, Twm, Sion, and Catty.
6. "The three supports of Genius: strong mental
endowments, memory, and learning."
Obs. Here are three names for one thing : memory
and Learning are mental endowments ; the first is na
tural, and the other imposed and attained.
7- " The three ministers of Genius : memory,' vigour,
and learning."
Obs. The Welsh is Tri Gweinidogion Aweri, the three
vassals of Genius : they are all three foreigners, and'
have no logical appointments in this place.
8. " The three marks of Genius : extraordinary un
derstanding, extraordinary conduct, and extraordinary
exertion." Obs. These extraordinaries have no business here :
for the man of Genius is in general extraordinary de
stitute of the whole three.
9- " The three friends of Genius : vigour, discretion,
and pleasantry.
! Obs. Genius has the friendship of pleasantry, gives
occasional calls on vigour, and never associates with
discretion. 10. " The three things that improve Genius : proper
exertion, - frequent exertion, and prosperity in its ex
ertion." •;
Obs. This triad promises three improvements of
Genius, and mentions only one, viz., prosperous exer
tion : and the one mentioned is a stimulus, not an im
provement. 11. " The three^ effects of Genius : generosity, gentle
ness, and complacency."
Obs. Neither of these is applicable as an effect of
Genius. - 12. " The three things that enrich Genius : content-

229
ment of mind, the cherishing of good thoughts, and ex
ercising the memory."
¦ Obs. Neither of these three things tend to enrich
Genius, or to make it fructiferous, for such is the Welsh
expression. The word Genius, as used in these triades,
represents the muse : for the Welsh A wen is the same
as the Avena, or anciently pronounced Auena, of Vir«il
and Martial.
To resume the history of Bardism : — It is allowed
that Edward the First possessed many virtues, and
pursued lenient measures of policy. Mr. Carte says,
'' the only set of men who had reason to complain of
Edward's severity were the Bards, who used to put the
remains of the Ancient Britons in mind of the valiant
deeds of their ancestors. ' He ordered them all to be
hanged, as inciters of the people to sedition. Politics
in this point got the better of the king's natural lenity ;
and those who were afterwards entrusted with the o-q-
vernment of the country followed his example ; the pro
fession becoming dangerous, gradually declined, and,
in a little time, that sort of men was utterly destroyed."
In the history of the Gwydir family, sir John Wynne
had given a similar opinion : — " Edward the First, who
caused our Bards all to be hanged by martial law, as
stirrers of the people to sedition : his example being
followed by the governors of Wales, was the cause of
the utter destruction of that sort of men. From the
reign of Henry the Fourth, this kind of people were at
some further liberty to sing and. keep pedigrees, for we
have some light on antiquity ffom their songs and writ
ings. From the reign of Edward the First to Henry
the Fourth there is therefore no certainty, or very little
of things done, other than what is to be found in the
prince's records, which, now by tossing from the exchequer
at Caernarvon to the Tower, and to the offices in the ex
chequer at London ; as also by ill-keeping and ordering
of late days, are become a chaos of confusion, with a
total neglect of method and order, as would be needful
for him, who would be ascertained of the truth of things
done from time to time."

230
Sir John, however, is not correct in all his observa
tions ; for, from the reign of Edward the First to Henry
the Fourth the Cambrian muse was not dormant; and
we have a few poetical remains of Gwilym Ddii, Lle
welyn Brydd, Hillyn, Iorwerth Vychan, Llewelyn Ddu,
Llywarch Llaety, Casnodyn, and Rhisserdyn, and
others, who all lived in that interval.
The Bards, in North Wales, by the severity of Edward
the First, lost the patronage of the Barons, were driven
out of their houses, and travelled through that part of
the country in the character of rhyming and musical
beggars. A. D. 1403. To put a stop to this public evil, Henry
the Fourth, by the Ordinances de Gales, enacted, Que
les Ministrelx, Bar des, Rymours et Westours, et autres
Vagabundez Galeys deinz Northgales ne soient de-
formes seoffrez de surcharger le paiis, come ad este
devant ; mais soient iis outrement deffenduz sur peine
d" Emprisonment d'un an. That the Minstrels, Bards,
Singers, Vassals, and other Welsh Vagabonds, in North
Wales, be not hereafter permitted to be a burden to
the country as they have been ; but that they be thereof
prohibited under the penalty of a year's imprisonment
After this ordinance of Henry, the more respectable
and learned of the Bards met in Gorseddau, or Sessions,
in South Wales, under the patronage of the Barons ;
and in North Wales and Powys, by royal permission.
In 1450, a Gorsedd was held at Carmarthen, which
was presided by Dafydd ab Edmund, who, paying more
attention to quantity, alliteration, and consonancy, than
to plot and description, extended the Welsh poetry into
four and twenty varieties of rhythm. The chairman was
probably a classical scholar, knew versification to be
music limited within time and compass ; that different
subjects require different quantities in the expressions,
in order to make an union of sense and sound ; and
with these impressions he put the Muse of Cambria in
Greek and Roman fetters, by introducing new canons
or rules.
This innovation of the chief Bard of Dyfed gave

231

great umbrage to the other Bards of Wales ; and it is
considered objectionable in the present day, from a mis
taken notion that Dafydd ab Edmund fettered the poet
to four and twenty metres upon any given theme ;
whereas, the object of Dafydd was to give a variety of
rhythms, that the Bard might introduce them not com-
pulsorily, but ad libitum, as Dryden has, in Alexander's
feast ; and Pope, in St. Cecilia's Day.
The true system of Bardism existed only in South
\7ales, and more particularly in Glamorganshire, where
the Trouveadores had been introduced in the retinue of
the Norman chiefs, who made settlements, erected
castles, apd exhibited all the pomp and splendor pf re^
finement and luxury in that part of the principality.
As the Norman language fell into disuse,, and the do
mestic Bards of these chiefs were selected from the most
learned of the Welsh natives, this new order of men,
bearing the same epithetic names as the Scandinavian
and Irish companions of the Druids, had too much
vanity to acknowledge their literary origin as poets,
and assumed a higher rank in antiquity than their masr
ters, the Trouveadores, who had taught them the art pf
thinking, and the fascinating use of numbers.
These Bards in 1460 held a Gorsedd, C6rsedd, or
Assembly of Singers, on Garth Maelog, in Glamogan-
shire, under the patronage of sir Richard Neville, and
under the Bardic Presidency of Gwillym Tew.
From A.D. 1300 to 146*0, being a period of 160
years, these sons of Song had, under the protection of the
barons, cultivated the Muse, polished their native lan
guage, and arpved at that degree of conscious perfec
tion, that they despised the Normans, who had given
them instructions, and were willing to trace the art of
Cambrian Poetry from a more ancient, although a bar
barous source of knowledge.
At this Choir, Cdr, or Corsedd, a few institutes of
theology, ethics, and poesy, were drawn up and deter
mined on in the form of triades ; the profession was
graduated into certain ranks or orders ; their dresses
were agreed to, as to their make and cofour; the forms of

conferring degrees with the point of the sword, on the
canlffdate standing without his shoes, like knight
hood, or manumission, was approved of; aud the con
cluding of their meetings with a grand and full chorus,
in imitation to the Choir or C6r of the cathedral, was
also received in token of its being a Christian, and not
a Pagan or Druidical meeting, and gave to these assem
blies the name of Corseddau.-
And it is to the ae'ra of this grand meeting on Garth
Maelog the historian has to recur in tracing the rise
and progress of the modern Druids, Bards, and Awen-
yddion, whose conceited obscurity, mystic knowledge,
and pertinacious credulity, excite in every man of learn
ing the smile, and the grin, the irresistible emotions
of laughter, and sentiments of repugnance and con
tempt. The minstrels, rhymers, and Bards pf North Wales,
who had been placed under severe restrictions by Edward
the First, and his immediate successors, were in some
measure relieved by Henry the Eighth. This enlight
ened monarch permitted a Session to be held at
Gaerwys, in 1523, in order to exempt a few men of cha
racter, abilities, and patronage, from the severe enact
ments then in force against minstrels, rhymers, and.Bards.
The persons certified as exempted from the operations
of the laws against musical vagabonds, were : —
Tudyr Aled ; Permissive Bard, and Teacher of Vocal Music.
Dai Nantclyn ; Teacher of Vocal Music.
Edward Sire, "J
Ed3 Grjfhturf ( Teacbm °f Ins,rumental Music.
Morys Llanfaer, /
Hwlcyn Llwyd "J
leufan GnthTwr, ' Siudtat* of Instr>»»ental Music.
Dai Maesmor,
Huw Menai,
Bi^lf ffin'i ?P«>t»fo»*^ Students.
Sion ab Sander, }

S

l

233
In 1568 an Eisteddfod, or Bardic Session, was held
at Caerwys, in the county of Flint, by virtue of a com
mission from queen Elizabeth, directed to sir Richard
Bulkley, sir Rhys Gryffydd, Elis Price, doctor of laws ;
William Mostyn, esq., and dated at Chester, on the
23d of October, in the ninth year of her reign.
The purport of this commission was not the promo
tion of Bardism, but the suppression of vagrant min
strels, by admitting into the faculty of music, or singing
and playing on the harp and crwth, men of abilities
and character.
The Eisteddfod was held on the 26th of May fol
lowing; and the undermentioned vocal and instru
mental performers were allowed to continue their
avocation of minstrels : —
Vocal Music.
Lewis Edward, ")

William Llyn, > Bards of Vocal Song,
Owen nan, or Gwynedd, I °-
Simeon Fychan, s

William Gynwal,
Lewis Menai,
Sion Tudur,
Hugh Llyn, ^-Primary Students of Vocal Song,
Bedo Havesp,
Sion Philip,
Hugh Conway,
Ieuan Tew, ~)
Huw Pennant, > Secondary Students of Vocal Song,
Howel Ceiriog, )
Dafydd Alaw, "1
Edward Brwynllys, / Probationary Students.
RhysGelli, )
Instrumental Music.
Sion ab Rhys, Pencerdd, -j
William Penllyp, [ Chief Bards, and Teachers of the Harp.
Hwlkin Llwyd, *
Thomas Anwyl,
D. Llwyd ab Sion ab Rhys,>chiefB ds (not T€achers) ofthe
Edward ab Evan, S „
Rob. ab Howel Llanvor, \ .
Humphrey G6ch,

234

Richard Glyn,

I

Sn Penllyn,' ( Prima|y Stude,,tS 0" the Harp'
LewisLlanvor, J
Htrw Dai, "\
Huw ab Morris, /
Siamas Morlas, V Secondary Students on the Harp.
Sion Newburgh, i
Ellis Gryffydd, J

Lewis Berahi, ~1
leufan ab Meredydd, > Probationary Students on the Harp.
Gwalchmai ab Dafydd, J
Siamas Eutyn, j chief Bard and Te3chers of the Crwth.
Evan Pen mon, )
Robert ab Rhys Gyttyn, "^
Thomas M6n, f Chief Bards (not Teachers) of the
Sion Ednyfed, i Crwth.
Thomas Grythor, *
Sion Ddu Grythor ; Primary Student on the Crwth.
Robert ab Evan Llwyd,
Edward Grythor,
Thomas Kegidva,
Rhys Grythor Hiraethog, ^Secondary Students on the Crwtlj.
Thomas Grythor Bach,
Dafydd ab Howel Grythor,
Will am Ednyfed,
Richard Conway, ^
Robert (fcnway, [ Probationary Students on the Crwth.
Crytlior Llwyd Marchedd,

5

The commission stated, " Whereas it is come to the
knowledge of the lord president, and others, our said
council, in our marches of Wales, that vagrant and idle
persons, naming themselves minstrels, rhymers, and
bards, are lately grown into such an intolerable multi
tude, &c. ; the reformation whereof, and the putting of
these people in order, the said lord president and coun
cil have thought to be very necessary ; and knowing
you to be men both of wisdom and upright dealing,
and also of experience, and good knowledge in the
science, have appointed and authorized you to be com-

235
missioners for that purpose. Our said council have
therefore appointed the execution of this commission to
be at the said town of Caerwys, the Monday next, after
the feast of the blessed Trinity, which shall be in the
year of our Lord God 1568.
And therefore we require and command you, by the
authority of these presents, not only to cause open pro
clamation to be made in all fairs, markets, towns, and
other places of assembly within our counties of Anglese}',
Caernarvon, Merioneth, Denbigh, and Flint, that ail
person and persons that intend to maintain their livings
by name or colour of minstrels, rhymers, or Bards,
within the talaith of Aberffraw, comprehending the said
five shires, shall be and appear before you the said day
and place, to shew their learning accordingly, and that
you do repair to the place the day aforesaid, and call
ing to you such expert men in the said faculty of Welsh
music, as to you shall be thought convenient, to proceed
to the execution of the premises, and to admit such
and so many as by your wisdom and knowledge you
shall find worthy into, and under the degrees heretofore
in semblable sort, to use, exercise, and follow the sci
ences and faculties of their professions, in such decent
order as shall appertain to each of their degrees, and as
your discretion and wisdom shall prescribe to them,
giving strict monition and commandment in our name,
and in our behalf to the rest, not worthy, that they re
turn to some honest labour and due exercise, such as
they be most apt unto for the maintenance of their
livings, upon pain to be taken as sturdy and idle va
gabonds, and to be used according to the laws and sta
tutes provided in that behalf, letting you with our said,
council for advertisement by due certificate at your
hands, of your doings in the said premises."
The purport of this commission, which has been
blazoned as an order to hold a royal congress of Bards
tinder the patronage of queen Elizabeth, merely amounts
to an order ofthe queen to punish all minstrels, rhymers,
and Bards, as idle vagabonds, according to the laws

236
and statutes provided in that behalf, with the exception
of a few selected players on the harp and crwth, of
passing talents and character.
The writings of the Welsh Bards are numerous;
The largest collection is in the first volume ofthe MyT
fyrian Archaiology : they consist of ingenious trifles,
very often on humble topics, and vested in coarse lan^
guage; and do. not include one epic poem.
Aneurin, Llywarch Hen, Merddin, and Taliesin, are
said to have flourished in the sixth century: if that was
the case, the Muse of Cambria fell dormant for five
hundred years, and awoke again in the eleventh cen
tury. The times in which these. Bards flourished has
been matter of great anxiety to antiquarians, who have,
after years of labour, informed the world, that Llywarch
was buried in the church of Llanfor, drawing the incon-;
sistent conclusion, that Taliesin was buried in that
church seven hundred, years before the building could
have been erected.
The oldest Welsh MSS. do not recur further than the
twelfth century. Merddin treats of the orchard which.
had no existence in Wales before the conquest : —
Aneurin, Llywarch Hen, Merddin, and Taliesin, make
use of the English words, frank , venture, banner, sorrow,
&c. and introduce the names of places not built, and
the names of saints who had not been canonized in the
sixth century.
The history of Welsh Bardism, as a branch of litera^
ture, commences with the times of William Rufus, when
the Norman settlers, in South Wales and Powis, intro
duced architecture and cultivation, and gave to the
contemplative Bard the new topics of the castle, abbey,
orchard, and the splendour of costume, festivity, and
military parade.
The first writer that deserves our notice was Owain
Cyfeiliog, prince of Powys, who flourished A. D. 1 170,
and has left us some specimens of his muse, which have
been rendered into English by very respectable trans,*
lators.

237
THE CIRCUITS THROUGH WALES,
By Owen Cyfeiliog, Prince of Powys.
To share the festal joy and song
Owen's train we move along ;
Every passion now at rest,
That clouds the brow, or rends tbe breast ;
But oppression's foes the same.
Quick to kindle into flame.
Setting off from Mortyn, say
Whether shall we bend our way T
Quick dispatch thee, boy : take heed
That thou slack not of thy speed,
Or with idle gossip greet
The loit'rer thou may'st chance to meet.
Onward push, and look not hack ;
Let nought divert thee from thy track.
To Keri hie thee, lad, and say,
Thither we will bend our way-
Keri greeted, onward haste,
Thy time will not admit of waste.
With no vulgar message sent,
On thy duty be intent :
Dread our anger to excite,
Lest our vengeance on thee light.
Then announce, that in our rounds,
We visit next Arwystli's bounds.
Thy errand told, stay not long,
Herald of a princely throng :
But onward still thy steps pursue,
Caredig's confines in thy view.
Thither with speed, increasing go,
Swift as an arrow from a bow :
And to Penwedig tidings bear,
Of our approach and visit there.
Hence without delaying, boy,
To toil familiar by employ ;
Scorn fatigue; and unsubdu'd,
Be thy painful march renew'd ;
Then with shout as hunter's loud,
Publish this our message proud :
That Meirion's mountains shall detain
The course of our convivial train.
Quick proceed, the mountains crost,
That not a moment may be lost;

238
Ff st by the margin flf the deep,
Where storms eternal uproar keep.
The road to shorten mend thy pace,
Be thy speed contracting space ;
And faithful to thy message, say
We take Ardudwy in our way.
No delaying, boy, push on
Ardudwy visited, be gone.
Haste the region to survey
Which Merfyn gloried erst to sway.
To Nefyn go, inquire for Nest,
And lodging there, become her gnesl.
By which untold it may be seen,
That we are On our road to Lleyn. .
Messenger, set off again,
Forerunner of our gallant train,
Hurry at our chief's command,
Prince of liberal heart and hand :
And as through Arvon winds thy way,
Armed knight, we charge thee star,
That having journeyed many a mile,
We mean to visit Mona's isle.
We are Owen's princely host,
Spoils of foes the wealth we boaEt,
Tyrant Lloegyr overthrown
Gives us title to renown.
Then our toilsome marches o'er,
Can we want an opening door ?
Shall we not find in Rhds a bed,
Whereon to lay the weary head ?
Thy prince commands thee to depart,
(Except the mistress of his heart
Haply thou should'st chance, to meet),
With strictest orders none to greet :
But quickly mount the fleetest steed,
Not confining to thy speed ;
To Llanerch tidings to convey
That we shall stop there on our way.
Off again, that region face,
Nurse of a renowned race,
Who, for many a gallant deed,
Deserve the horn, the hero's meed ;
Thither haste with our commands.
Quitting Tyno Bedwal's lands,
And say we purpose to regale,
And taste of social joy in IM.

239
But tarry not, no respite take,
This witching region quick forsake,
Howe'er her sons to charm thy stay
May throw temptations in thy way ;
We forbid thy lingering there
Beyond the opening of the year.
To Maelor then thy steps direct,
That she our coming may expect.
This performed yet loiter not,
Be thy very food forgot :
Every hindrance put away,
All that can create delay.
To stop in Maelor's not allowed,
For farther still extends thy road ;
To visit Cynllaith we propose,
Then haste the messge to disclose.
Thy progress, then, with counsel due,
And forms that suit our rank pursue,
Worthy of our commission prove,
For not like petty tribes we move;
Prompt to discharge thy duty go,
And borrow fleetness from the roe,
That Mechain in her turn may hear
Of our intended visit there.
What though our prince, with prosperous rounds,
Has measured Cambria's lovely bounds,
Though conquer'd realms enrich our train,
Heaven's kingdom yet is our's to gain,
Which to possess may we aspire,
Faith lending pinions to desire ;
Where we our earthly journies past
May rind eternal rest at last. ' R. Fenton, Esq.

TOE HIR-LAS, OR DRINKING HORN,
From the Welsh of Owen Cyfeiliog, Prince of Powys.
1.
Uprose the ruddy dawn of day ;
The armies met in dread array
On Maelor Drefred's field :
Loud the British clarions sound,
The Saxons, gasping on the ground,
The bloody contest yield.

uo 2.
By Owen's arm the" valiant bled,
By Owen's arm the coward fled
Aghast with wild affright,
Let then their haughty lords beware,
How Owen's just revenge they dare,
And tremble at his sight. 3.
Fill the Hir-las Horn my boy,
Nor let the tuneful lips be dry
That warble Owen's praise ;
Whose walls with warlike spoils are hung,
And open wide his gates are flung
In Cambria's peaceful days. 4.
This hour was dedicated to joy,
Then fill the Hir-las Horn, my boy,
That shineth like the sea;
Whose azure handles, tipp'd with gbkl^
Invite the grasp of Britons bold.
The sons of liberty*

' Fill it higher still, and higher,
Mead will noblest deeds inspire ;
Now the battle's lost and won,
Give the Horn to Gronwy's son;
Put it into Gwgan's hand,
Bulwark of his native land,
Guardian of Sabrina's flood,
Who oft has dy'd his spear in blood.
When they hear their chieftain's voice,
Then his gallant friends rejoice ;
But when to fight he goes, no more
The festal shout resounds on Severn's winding shore.
6.
Fill the gold-tipp'd Horn with speed,
(We must drink, it is decreed),
Badge of honor, badge of mirth,
That calls the soul of music forth!
As thou wilt,, thy life prolong.
Fill it with metheglin strong.
Gryffydd thirsts, to Gryffydd fill;
Whose bloody lance is used to kill ;
Matchless in the field of strife,
His glory ends not with hi* life :

a

Dragon, son of Cynwyu's race,
Owen's shield, Arwystli's grace
To purchase fame the warriors flew,
Dire, and more dire, the conflict grew;
When flusii'd with mead they bravely fought,
Like Belin's warlike sons, that Edwin's "downfal wrought.

Fill the Horn with foaming liquor,
Fill it up, my boy, be quicker;
Hence away, despair and sorrow!
Time enough to sigh to-morrow.
Let the brimming goblet smile,
And Ednyted's cares beguile ;
Gallant youth, unused to fear,
Master of the broken spear,
And the arrow pierced shield,
Brought with honor from the field.
Like au hurricane is he,
' Bursting on the troubled sea.
See their spears distaiu'd with gorejj
Here the din of battle roar !
Bucklers, swords, together clashing,
Sparkles from their helmets flashing!
Hear ye not their loud alarms ?
Hark ! they shout : to arms ! to arms !
Thus were Garthen's plains defended,
Maelor fight began and ended.
There two princes fought ; and there
Was Moraeh Vorvran's feast exchaug'd for rout and fear.
S.
Fill the Horn; 'tis my delight,
When my friends return from fight,
Champions of their country's glory
To record each gallant story,
To Ynyr's comely offspring fill,
Foremost in the battle still;
Two blooming youths, in counsel sage,
As heroes of maturer age,
ln peace and war, alike renowned,
Be their brows with garlands crowned ;
Deck'd with glory let them shine,
The ornament and pride of Ynyr's ancient line!
9-
To Selyf fill of Eagle heart,
Skill'd to hurl the fatal dart ;
R

242
With the wolf's impetuous force
He urgeth on his headlong course.
To Tudor next, great Madog's son,
They the race of honor run
Together in the tented field,
And both alike disdain to yield,
Like a lion in the fray,
Tudor darts upon his prey.
Rivals in the feats of war,
Where danger call'd, they rush'd from far ;
Till shatter'd by some hostile stroke,
With horrid clang their shields were broke,
Loud as the foaming billows roar,
Or tierce coutending winds on Talgarth's stormy shore.
, 10.
Fill the Horn with rosy wine,
Brave Moreiddig claims it now,
Chieftain of an ancient line,
Dauntless heart, and open brow.
To the warrior it belongs,
Prince of battle, theme of songs?
Pride of Powys, Mochnant's boa3t !
Guardian of his native coast !
But ah ! his short-liv'd triumph's, o'er,
Brave Moreiddig is no more !
To his pensive ghost we'll give
Due remembrance while we live ;
And in fairy fiction dress'd
Flowing'hair, and sable vest,
The tragic muse shall grace our songs,
Whilst brave Moreiddig's name the mournful strain prolongs.
11.
Pour out the Horn (though he desire it not),
And heave a sigh on Morgan's early grave ;
Doom'd in bis clay-cold tenement to rot,
While we revere the memory of the brave.
12.
Fill again tbe Hir-las Horn,
On that ever glorious morn,
The Britons and their foes between,
What prodigies of might were seen !
Ou Gwestyn's plain the fight began ;
But Grynwy sure was more than man !
Him to resist on Gwestyn's plain,
A hundred Saxons strove in vaiu.
To set the noble Meyric free,
And change his bonds to liberty,

243
The warriors vow'd. The god of day
Scarce darted his meridian ray,
When he beheld tbe conquerors steep'd in gore,
Aud Gwestyn's bloody fight, ere highest noon was o'er.
13.
Now a due libation pour
To the spirits of the dead,
Who that memorable hour
Made the hostile plain their bed.
There the glittering steel was seen,
There the twanging bow was heard ;
There the mighty press'd the green,
Recorded by their faithful Bard.
Madog there, and Meilir brave.
Sent many a Saxon to his grave.
Their drink was mead, their hearts were true,
And to the head their shafts they drew ;
But Owen's guard in terrible array,
Resistless march along, and make the world give way.
14.
Pour the sweet transparent mead,
(The spear is red in time of need),
And give to each departed spirit,
The honor and reward of merit.
Wrhat cares surround the regal state,
What anxious thoughts molest the great;
None but a prince himself can know,
And Heav'n that rulelh kings, and lays the mighty low.
15.
For Daniel fill the Horn so green.
Of haughty brow, and angry mien ;
While ihe less'uiug tapers shine
Fill it up. with gen'rous wine.
He no quarter takes nor gives,
But by spoil and rapine lives.
Comely is the youth, and brave,
But obdurate as the grave.
Hadst thou seen in Maelor fight
How we put the foe to flight?
Hadst thou seen the chiefs in arms,
When the foe rush'd on in swarms !
Round about their prince they stood,
And stain'd their swords with hostile blood.
Glorious bulwarks ! to their praise
Their prince devote»bis latest lays.
U 2

244
Now, my boy, thy task is o'er;
Thou shalt fill the Horn no, more.
Long may the King of kings protect,
And crown with bliss my friends elect ;
> Where Liberty and Truth reside, •
And Virtue, Truth's immortal bride !
There may we all together meet,
And former times renew in heavenly converse sweet.
R. W.

Dafydd ab Gwilym, the father of Welsh Poetry,
flourished about A. D. 1355.
This great genius, and man of fashion of the times,
was bom at Bro Gynin, in the parish of Llanbadarn
Fawr, hi the county of Cardigan. His father was
Gwilym Gam, ab Dafydd, ab Iefan, ab Hywel, ab
Cynwrig, ab Gronwy, ab Meredydd, ab Madog, ab
Iorwerth, ab Llywarch ab Bran, the founder of one of
the fifteen tribes of North Wales. His mother was
Ardualful, a sister of Llewelyn ab Gwilym Vychan, of
Emlyn, commonly styled Lord of Cardigan, as the pro
prietor of D61 G6ch, in that county.
The princely descent of our Bard from Llywarch ab
Bran is unquestionable : for as Dafydd was an illegiti
mate offspring, his pedigree was the more respectable;
because the identity of his father was attested by the
affidavit of his mother.
After receiving a liberal education, at the expence of
his uncle, Dafydd went to reside at Gwernygleppa, in
Monmouthshire, which was the residence or palace of
his relation Ifor Hael, or Ifor the Generous, who was
lord of Maesaleg, a son of Llewelyn ab Ifor, lord of
Tredegar, and leaving no issue, was succeeded in his
estates by his nephew Llewelyn ab Morgan ab Llewe
lyn ab Ifor, from whom are descended, in a direct line,
the present Morgans of Tredegar.
At Gwernygleppa our Bard was engaged in receiving
the rents of Ifor; and in superintending the education
of Angharad, the daughter and only child ©f Ifor Hael.
The young Angharad died in tender years ; and there

245
is still extant an elegy, by Dafydd ab Gwilym, on his
fair and hospitable pupil and relative.
From this time our poet devoted himself entirely to
the Cambrian Muse. In 1360 he was elected to the
Bardic Chair of Glamorgan ; and, in succeeding
years, composed several poetical pieces, with a talent
and taste hitherto denied to Welsh versifiers, and
which entitle him to the epithet of the Father of Welsh
poetry.

THE FAIR PILGRIM.
The Charmer of sweet Mona's Isle,
With Death attendant on her smile,
Intent on pilgrimage divine,
Speeds to St. David's holy shrine,
Too conscious of a sinful mind,
And hopes she may forgiveness find.
Whal hast thou done, thrice lovely maid ?
What crimes can to thy charge be laid ?
Didst thou contemn the suppliant Poor,
Drive helpless Orphans from thy door,
Unduteous to thy parents prove,
Or yield thy charms to lawless Love,
No, Morvid, no; thy gentle breast
Was form'd to pity the distress'd ;
Has ne'er one thought, one feeling known,
That Virtue could not call her own;
Nor hast thou caus'd a parent's pain,
Till quitting now thy native plain.
Yet, lovely nymph, thy way pursue,
And keep repentance full in view ;
Yield not thy tongue to cold restraint,
But lay thy Soul before the Saint ;
Oh ! tell him that thy lover dies;
On Death's cold bed unpitied lies;
Murder'd by thee, relentless maid,
And to th' untimely grave, convey'd.
Yet ere he's number'd with the dead,
Ere yet his latest breath is fled ;
Confess, repent, thou cruel Fair,
And hear, for once, a Lover's pray'r,
So may the Saint with ear benign,
Sweet Penitent, attend to thine,

246
TbOu soon must over Menai go;
May ev'ry current softly flow,
Thy little bark securely glide
Swift o'er the calm pellucid tide ;
Unruffled be thy gentle breast,
Without one fear to break thy rest,
Till thou art safely wafted o'er,
To bold Arvonia's tow'ring shore.
O ! could I guard thy lovely form
Safe through yon desert of the storm,
Where fiercely rage encounf ring gales,
And whirlwinds rend the affrighted vales:
Sons of the tempest, cease to blow,
Sleep in your cavern'd glens below ;
Ye streams that, wilh terrific sound,
Pour from your thousand hills around ;
Cease with rude clamours to dismay
A gentle Pilgrim on her way.
Peace! rude Traeth Mawr; no longer urge
O'er thy wild strand the sweeping surge ;
'Tis Mor vid on thy beach appears,
She dreads thy wrath — she" owns her fears;
O ! let the meek repentant maid
Securely through thy windings wade.
Traeth Bychan, check thy dreadful ire ;
And bid thy foaming waves retire ;
Till from thy threat'ning dangers freed,
My charmer trips the flow'ry mead,
Then bid again with sullen roar,
Thy billows lash the sounding shore.
Abermo, from thy rocky bay,
Drive edch terrific suTge away :
Though sunk beneath thy billows lie
Proud fanes, that once assail'd the sky.
Dash'd by thy foam, yon vestal braves,
The dangers of thy bursting waves.
O ! Cyric, see my lovely fair
Consign'd to thy paternal care ;
Rebuke the raging seas, and land
My Morvid on yon friendly strand.
Dyssynni, tame thy furious tide,
Fix'd at thy source in peace abide ;
She comes — O ! greet her with a smile !—
The charmer of sweet Mona's Isle.
So may thy limpid. rills around,
Purl down their dells with soothing sound.

247
Sport on thy bosom, and display
Their crystal to theglitt'ring day ;
Nor shrink from Summer's parching sun,
Nor, chain'd in ice, forget to run.
So may thy verdant marge along
Mervinia's Bards in raptur'd song
Dwell on thy bold majestic scene,
Huge hills, vast woods, and vallies green,
Where revels thy enchanting stream,
The Lover's haunt, and Poet's theme.
Thou Dyvi, dangerous and deep,
On beds of ooze unruffled sleep;
O'er thy green wave my Morvid sails ;
Conduct her safe, ye gentle gales ;
Charm'd with her beauties, waft her o'er
To fam'd Ceredig's wond'ring shore.
Foamy Rhediol, rage no more
Down thy rocks with echo'd roar ;
Be silent, Ystwyth, in thy meads,
Glide softly through thy peacefnl reeds ;
Nor bid thy dells rude Aeron ring,
But halt at thy maternal spring ;
Hide from the nymph, ye torrents wild,
Or wear, like her, an aspect mild ;
For her light steps clear all your ways ;
O, listen ! 'tis a Lover prays !
Now safe beneath serener skies,
Where softer beauties charm her eyes,
She Teivi's verdant region roves,
Views flow'ry meads and pensile groves ;
Ye lovely scene?, to Morvid's heart,
Warm thoughts of tenderness impart,
Such as in busy tumults roll,
When Love's confusion fills the soul.
Her wearied step, with awe profound,
Now treads Menevia's honor'd ground.
At David's shrine now, lovely maid,
Thy pious orisons are paid :
He sees the. secrets of thy breast,
One sin, one only, stands confess'd,
One heinous guilt, that, ruthless, gave
Thy hopeless Lover to the grave.
Thy soften'd bosom now relents,
Of all its cruelty repents,
Gives to Remorse the fervent sigh,
Sweet Pity's tear bedews thine eye ;

248
Now Love lights up its hallow'd fire,
Melts all thy heart with chaste desire:
Whilst in thy soul new feelings burn,
O! Morvid, to thy Bard return:
One tender look will cure his pain,
Will bid him rise to life again,
A life like that of Saints above,
Extatic joy, and endless love.
E.W.

TO IVOR THE LIBERAL,
On being presented by hint with a Pair of Gloveit.
Thou Ivor, darling ofthe Muse,
Who through the world thy fame pursues;
Proclaims thy worth in ev'ry clime,
Whilst rapture fills her lay sublime ;
And feels her thrilling soul expand,
Whilst foster'd by thy bounteous hand.
Thy ample gate, thy ample hall,
Are ever op'ning wide to all ;
Aud, warm'd in Heav'n, thy ampler mind
Dilates in Love to all mankind. <
The Poor from thee with joy return,
They bless thy name, they cease to mourn ;
And bid the God, who knew their grief,
Reward thy hand that gave relief.
As, lately, sitting at thy board,
WTiere ev'ry guest thy worth ador'd,
With grateful warmth I tun'd my lays,
And felt high transport in thy praise,
Whilst noble Dukes, and Barons bold,
Sprungifrom those Heroes fam'd of old,
United, anxious, to proclaim
The peerless glories of thy name;
Name far renown'*! for worth complete,
The greatest of the truly great.
Thy favors were on all bestow'd,
Whilst ev'ry look with rapture glow'd ;
Thy Bard, estcem'd the nobler guest,
Was wilh distinguish 'd bounty bless'd ;
The gifis of Nudd could not excel
The gloves that to my portion fell;
Surpassing M onlay's boon of old,
For both my gloves were cramm'd with gold ;
And Rhydderch's hand could not reward '
With nobler meeds his tuneful Bard.

249
I with thy gifts will never part,
Whilst life's warm blood flows through my heart:
The Warrior draws his blade in vain;
Mv gloves he never can obtain;
Great Ivor's friendship shall inspire
His Bard wilh Arthur's martial fire ;
His grateful Bard, that dares advance,
Unarm'd, against that warrior's lance;
And, feeling Heav'n approve the deed,
Will with his blood the ravens feed.
Should my dear Morvid, kneeling, crave
Wiiat, for my songs, lov'd Ivor gave s
Though sore to bear, I'll bid her weep,
And, spite of Love, thy present keep.
Weak Vanity shall ne'er induce,
And doom thy gloves lo common use,
They near my heart are safely stor'd,
Like relics of a Saint ador'd :
Yet, should the Northern blast compel,
When snows enrobe the frozen dell,
I'll wear thy gloves, they shall impart
Warmth to my hand, and to my heart.
Nor shall the hand, thy bounty grac'd,
Be with a meaner glove embrac'd.
To sing thy deeds I often roye
Through stately Wennallt's verdant grove,
When May displays her florant hues,
Invites to joy the tuneful Muse,
I feast with thee, those shades among,
On luxuries of ancient song ;
Strive old Anneurin's heights to gain,
And emulate his lofty strain.
O ! let me to poetic fame
Consign thy great, thy deathless name.
Thy princely stock was ever grac'd
With martial sons, with daughters chaste;
The noblest virtues all combine,
To gild the glories of thy line.
May ev'ry blessing from above,
On thee descend in dews of love !
If aught excels in bliss divine,
May that selected meed be thine !

-'¦E. TV.

250

THE THUNDER STORM.
1.
One day to the grove with my Morvid I walk'd
We feasted on kisses and tenderly talk'd ;
The Cuckoo sang chearful, sweet warbled the Thrush,
Whilst with my dear nymph I sat under the bush,
Though long for the fair one I, joyless, had mourn'd,
Yet her looks now confess'd my warm passion return 'd ;
I sang of her charms, and, rewarding my lay,
She wieath'd for my brows the green trophies of May.
2.
Alas ! whilst these amorous moments of joy,
Wilh sweetest excess, did our feelings employ,
A loud clap of thunder, with terrible sound,
Affrighted the vales and the mountains around |
The rain, in a deluge, came down from the skies;
The light'ning's rude gleam fiercely flash'd on our eyes.
How trembled my charmer! and, wild with dismay,
She left the green wood, and ran, frighten'd away.
3.
Thou fierce fi'ry Dragon, thus roaring aloud,
With rumble tremendous aloft iu the cloud ;
Like a Bull in wild anger assailing the rocks,
And striking proud mountains with terrible shocks ;
At thy trump's mighty clangor mad elements jar,
And, full of thy furies, quick rush to the war ;
Thy wild hissing flames with huge waters contend :
My Morvid, alas! thought the world at an end.
4.
Struck dumb with deep terror she hurry'd her pace,
Like thy lightning she flew from her lover's embrace ;
I curs'd thy stern grumble with anger profound,
When drumm'd through the welkin thy bugbears around.
I thought, for one ev'ning, to fly from all care,
To this blooming arbour with Morvid myofair ;
Now pour, in full torrents, thy wrath on my head,
For, scared by thy rattle, my charmer is fled.
E. W.

251
Howel ap Einion Lygliw flourished A. D. 1 390.
ODE ADDRESSED TO MYFANWY FECHAN,
The Heiress of Castell Dinas Brdn.
Sorrowing I strike the plaintive string ;
Deign, cruel maid, to hear me sing,
And let my song thy pride controul,
Divine enchantress of my soul!
Sure Greirwy's charms must yield lo thine,
And Garwy's suffering to mine.
Far from Myfanwy's marble towers,
I pass my solitary hours.
O thou ! that shinest like the sky,
Behold thy faithful Howel die!
In golden verse, in flow'ry lays,
Sweetly I sing Myfanwy's praise ;
Still the disdainful, haughty fair,
Laughs at my pain and my despair.
What though thine eyes, as black as sloes,
Vie with the arches of thy brows ;
Must thy desponding lover die,
Slain by the glances of thine eye 1
Pensive as Trystan, did I speed
To Bran, upon a stately steed.
Fondly 1 gaze, but hard's my doom,
Oh, fairer than the cherry's bloom !
Thus at a distance to behold
Whom my fond arms would fain enfold.
How swift on Alban steed I flew, r
Thy dazzling countenance to view !
Though hard the deep ascent to gain,
Thy smiles were harder to obtain.
Thy peerless beauties to declare,
Was still thy zealous lover's, care.
O fairer thou, and colder too
Than new-fallen snow on Arens brow !
O! lovely flower of Trevor's race,
Let not a cruel heart disgrace
The beauties of that heavenly face !
Thou art my daily thought ; each night
Presents Myfanwy to my sight;
And Death alone can draw the dart,
Which Love has fixed in my heart.
Ah ! can'st thou with ungentle~«ye,
Behold thy faithful Howel die?
For thee my verse shall ever run
Bright rival of the mid-day sun I

252
Should'st thou demand thy lover's eyes,
Gladly to thee I'd sacrifice.
My useless sight, that only shews
The cruel author of its woes,
Refulgent in her golden bower
As Morning iu her eastern tower.
Thy name, the echoing vallies roun
Thy name, a thousand hills resound,
Myfanwy Fechan, maid divine !
No name's so musical as thine ;
And ev'ry bard with rapture hung
On the soft music of my song.
For thee I languish, pine and rave,
White as Dwrdwy's curling wave.
Alas ! no words can speak my pain,
While thus 1 love, but love in vain !
Wisdom and Reason, whal are they,
What all the charms of Poesy,
Against the fury of thy darts,
Thou vanquisher of human hearts !
When first I saw thee, princely maid,
In scarlet robes of state array'd,
Thy beauties set my soul on fire,
And every motion fann'd desire :
The more on thy sweet form 1 gaz'd,
The more my frantic passion blaz'd.
Not half so fine the spider's thread,
That glitters on the dewy mead,
As the bright ringlets of thy hair,
Thou beauteous object of my care !
But ah ! my sighs, my tears, are vain ;
The cruel maid insults my pain !
And canst thou, without pity, see
The victim of thy cruelty —
Pale with despair, and robb'd of sleep,
Whose only business is to weep ]
Behold thy bard, thy lover, languish ;
Oh ! ease thy bard's, thy lover's anguish :
Aud for Heav'n's sake, some pity shew,
Ere to the shades of night I go !
O, fairer than the flowers adorning
The hawthorn, in a summer's morning !
While life remains, I still will sing
Thy praise, and make the mountains ring
With fair Myfanwy's tuneful name;
And from misfortune purchase fame.
Nor even to die shall I repine,
So Howel's name may live with thine.
M. W.

253
Gryffydd Llwyd, Bard to Owain Glyndwr, flourished
A. D. 1400. A COWYDD, OR ODE,
Predicting the success of Glyndwr.
" Eryr digrif afrifed
" Owain," SfC.

Cambria's princely eagle, hail !
Of Gryffydd Vychan's noble blood !
Thy high renown shall never fail,
Owain Glyndwr, great and good !
Lord of Dwrdwy's fertile vale,
Warlike, high-born Owain, hail !
Dwrdwy, whose wide-spreading stream?,
Reflecting Cynthia's midnight beams.
Whilom led me lo thy bower,
Alas! in an unguarded hour!
For high in blood, with British beverage hot,
My awful distance I forgot ;
But soon my generous chief forgave
The rude presumption of his slave.
2.
But leave not, illustrious lord,
Thy peaceful bower and hospitable board,
Are ill exchang'd for scenes of war,
Tho' Henry calls thee from afar.
My prayers, my tears were vain ;
He flew like lightning to the hostile plain.
While with remorse, regret, and woe
I saw the god-like hero go.
I saw with aching heart,
The golden beam depart.
His glorious image in my mind
Was all that Owain left behind.
Wild wilh despair, and woe-begone,
Thy faithful bard is left alone,
To sigh, to weep, to groan !
3.
Thy sweet remembrance ever dear
Thy name still usher'd by a tear,
My inward languish speak ;

254
How could'st thou, cruel Owain, go,
And leave the bitter stream to flow,
Down Gryffydd's furrowed cheek ?
I heard, who has not heard thy fame I
With extasy I heard thy name
Loud echo'd by the trump of war,
Which spoke thee brave, and spoke from far ;
Yet of a gentle heart possess'd,
That bled within thy generous breast ;
Wide o'er the sanguine plain to see
The havoc of hostility. 4
Still with good omens may'st thou fight,
And do thy injur'd country right !
Like great Pendragon shalt thou soar,
Who bade the din of battle roar;
What time his vengeful steel he drew,
His brother's grandeur to renew,
And vindicate his wrongs ;
His gallant actions still are told
By youthful bards, by Druids old,
And grateful Cambria's songs.
5.
On sea, on land, thou still didst brave
The dangerous cliff and rapid wave ;
Like Urien, who subdued the knight,
And the fell dragon put to flight,
Yon moss-grown fount beside,
The grim black warrior of the flood,
The dragon, gorg'd with human blood,
The w. ter's scaly pride.
Before his sword the mighty fled,
But now he's number'd with the dead.
Oh! may his great example fire
My noble patron to aspire
To deeds like his ! impetuous fly
And bid the Saxon squadrons die :
So shall thy laurell'd bard rehearse
Thy praise in never-dying verse ;
Shall sing the prowess of thy sword,
Beloved, and victorious Lord !
6.
In future times thy honor'd name
Shall emulate brave Urien's fame !
Surrounded by the numerous foe,
Well didst thou deal the unequal blow.

255
How terrible thy ashen spear,
Which shook the bravest heart with fear,
Yon hostile towers beneath !
More horrid than the light'nings glance
Flash'd the red meteors from thy lance,
The harbinger of death.
Dire and more dire the conflict grew ;
Thousands before thy presence flew ;
While borne in thy triumphal car,
Majestic as the god of war,
Midst charging hosts unmov'd you stood,
Or waded through a sea of blood.
7.
Immortal fame shall be thy meed,
Due to every glorious deed ;
Which latest annals shall record,
Beloved, and victorious Lord !
Grace, wisdom, valour, all are thine,
Owain Glyndyfrdwy divine !
Meet emblem of a two-edg'd sword,
Dreaded in war, in peace ador'd !
Steer thy swift ships to Albion's coast,
Pregnant with thy martial host:
Thy robes are white as driven snow,
And virtue smiles upon thy brow :
But terrible in war thou art,
And swift and certain is the dart,
Thou hurlest at a Saxon's heart.

Loud fame has told thy gallant deeds
In every word a Saxon bleeds.
Terror and flight together came
Obedient to thy mighty name :
Death in the van, with ample stride,
Hew'd thee a passage long and wide ;
Stubborn as steel, thy nervous chest
With more than mortal strength possess'd ;
And every excellence belongs
To the bright subject of our songs.
9-
Strike then your harps, ye Cambrian bards ;
The song of triumph best rewards
The hero's toils. Let Henry weep
His warriors wrapt in everlasting sleep :
Success and victory are thine,
Owain Glyndyfrdwy divine!

256
Dominion, honor, pleasure, praise,
Attend upon thy vigorous days !
And when thy evening sun is set,
May grateful Cambria ne'er forget
Thy noon- tide blaze ; and on thy tomb
May never fading laurels bloom. R. W.

A. D. 1730. Evan Evans. This great genius, and
child of misfortune, was born at Cyrihawdref, in the
county of Cardigan : he received his classical education
under the celebrated Mr. Edward Richards, at Ystrad-
meirig, and entered of Jesus College, Oxford, in 1751.
Mr. Evans possessed for his inheritance a small freehold
on the banks of the Rheidol, which he sold to a younger
brother for £, 1 00. previous to his entering the university,
and thus reduced himself into the character of an ad
venturer : he distinguished himself at college as the
writer of two Odes, irk Welsh, on the marriage and co
ronation of George III. After receiving orders he
officiated as curate at Newich, in Kent ; Llanvair Tal-
haiarn, in Denbighshire; Towyn, in Merionethshire;
and several other churches. The profession of a divine
was, on his part, ill chosen, and not adapted to his bent
of mind : his favorite pursuits were the Cambrian muse
and British antiquities : his time was employed in co
pying of old Welsh MSS. and Inscriptions ; and he
wasted the best years of his life in vagrant curiosity.
In early life, some of his Welsh productions introduced
him into the acquaintance and friendshp of Mr. Lewis
Morris : his being educated at college made him an
associate to many of the most respectable ofthe clergy;
and the lucubrations of his muse glowing with the fine
imagery of the Greek and Roman poets, and dressed in
the varied language of Cambria, made his talents ad
mired, and his society courted by every gentleman of
erudition and taste throughout the principality.
Mr. Evans, being a divine, could not take the con
verse of Solomon, that wise men make feasts, and fools
eat them: he frequented the tables of the great, and

257
considered the invitations of the wealthy to be tokens
of friendship. A man of wit or learning should have
self-esteem, and know, that in visiting the festive boards
of luxurious fools he is conferring a degraded obli
gation. Mr. Edward Richards gave his friendly advice to
Mr. Evans, requesting him to stay at home, and to
abstain from the festivals of insincere grandeur, in the
following Welsh lines : —
Gartref sa, gwilia, goledd-rai lladrbn,
Twyllodrus yw bonedd :
Dileu'n gwlad yw dilyn gwledd ;
Gwell i ddyn golli i ddannedd.
Mr. Evans complied with this admonition, but fell
into a greater evil by becoming a devotee at the ale
houses. Some of the finest flashes of wit that ever bla
zoned on the minds of Rabellais, Swift, or Sterne, have
bursted into merriment, and produced laughter, tears,
shaking of sides, and thunders of applause, over the
contents of the bottle. And the Muse, of all nations,
has never taken fine flights without first fluttering round
and round, and sometimes dipping her wing in the con
tents of the capacious bowl, or of the foaming can.
The cask of ale is the Helicon of Welsh Bardism ;
for the oil of corn is a cheering and a merry beverage.
Our bard, in these libations, was unfortunately immo
derate ; and reduced himself into penury, and voidness
of pursuit.
Dr. Warren, the then Bishop of St. David's, had too
much discrimination and generosity to suffer a clergy
man of distinguished genius to fall into poverty, andhe
allowed him a comfortable income : and Paul Panton,
esq. of Plasgwyn, some time afterward, granted Mr.
Evans an annuity for life, on consideration of being put
in possession of all Mr. Evans's MSS., which amounted
to above a hundred volumes of various sizes.
With these provisions, the Bard enjoyed for many
years the comforts of life : he expired in August, 17 89,
inthe fifty-eighth year of bis age, and was buried to

258
the east of the church in the church-yard of Llanfihangel
Lledrod, in the county of Cardigan, where a rough and
'unhewn stone points out the remains of this eminent
Bard. Mr. Evans was, in his person, tall, athletic, and of a
dark complexion.
His talents were chiefly classical : in his youth he
had made himself eminent as a Latin and Greek scho
lar; and late in life he studied Hebrew, under the
Rev. Mr. Barker, master of the Grammar School, at
Carmarthen. Mr. Evans's publications were " Specimens of Welsh
Poetry, with literal Translations in English :" — Disser-
tatio de Bardis, which has been greatly admired for its
critical accuracy and Latinity : " Sermons, by Tillot
son and others, translated into Welsh, in two volumes :"
" The Love of our Country," an English poem. Se
veral poems in Welsh, which were printed in the Didd-
¦anwch Teuluaidd : and the subject matter of the
notes appended to Mr. Barker's Hebrew and English
Lexicon. Among the Bards of Cambria, Mr. Evans isr known
by the appellation of Evan Brydydd Hir, or the Long-
metred; as his versification generally ran on into a
measured length. The following encomium on the two
sonnets of Edward Richards, in praise and dispraise of
the bridge erected across the Teifi, at Rhyd Fendiged,
will afford a specimen : —
I IORWERTH RICHARDS,
Ar ei Ddwy Groes Gerddi.

Ti godaist in unwaith
Bont gadarn deg odiaelh
Gwir harddwch cywreinwaith Y dalaith wen deg.
Nid Teifi allsai chyffro
Er rhewi ac er rhuo
Na suglo na gwyro Un garreg.

259 2.
Ond d' awen fawr Iorwerth
A drodd y bont brydferth
Wen ddinam yn ddinerth Hyll auferth ei lun.
Dy gerdd a Mr ini
Ofh trysto fynd trosti
Ac erni i bawb gryny Bol gronyn.

Mr. Lewis Morris flourished A. D. 1750, was a na
tive of Anglesey, a land-surveyor by profession, and
eminent as a poet, critic, and antiquarian. He was
the patron of Gronwy Owen, and the friend of Evan
Evans. The following is a specimen of his muse, very
happily presented, in an English dress, by Mr. Edward
Llwyd, author of " Beaumaris Bay," &c. &c.
MORWYNION GLAN MERIONYDD ;
OR, THE
FAIR MAIDS OF MEIRION.
" Er a welais dan y Ser, y
" O vwynder glewder gwledydd."

Whate'er beneath the arch of heaven
Of festive glee is found,
Whate'er of good — of blessings given
ln other climes abound ;
United here I fondly tell
That Mirth with Meirion loves to dwell.

Ana fhough thy rough aspiring rocks
Stem Winter wraps in snow,
And drives awhile thy fleecy flocks
To seek the vales below ;
Yet here, the Cuckoo's earliest voice,
Delights to bid thy swains rejoice.
S 2

260
Not sweeter blooms the fragrant beam,
That leads the Bee to sip,
Nor yet more dear the milky stream,
That meets the infant lip ;
Than thou, thy fertile vales and fields,
The matchless charms that Meirion yields.
Unsullied foam thy silver streams,
As down thy rocks they rush ;
And loudly ring the glowing themes,
That cheer thy every bush ;
Yet sweeter sing— the spotless Fair,
The girls that here engross lily care.
Ye Youths in Pleasure's paths that range,
By no restraint confin'it,
That seek amid the charms of change,
The Maid that meets your mind ;
Tis vain ! ye roving swains return,
Or still with Passion's ardour burn.
Here, too, theHarp^-sweet hoard of sound,
My Country's choice and care,
Still bids the voice of song abound —
Gives sordid thoughts to air :
And thus renew'd, 'tis heaven to hear
The strains to Cambria's offspring dear.
And when, with all that Wealth can boast,
to other realms I roam,
Though Nature's kind, on every coast,
My heart is still at home ;
To thee I come, from every clime,
Dear Meirion ! all my soul is thine.

Liieyd's Poems, 202.

David Nicholas flourished A. D. 176*0 j was private
tutor in the family of Mr. Aubrey, of Aberpergwm,
near Neath. His Fanny Blooming Fair has been trans
lated into English by the late William Davis, esq. of
Crinallt. FANNY BLOOMING FAIR.
1
With Fanny, blooming fair,
Who still unrivall'd reigns
What virgin can compare
Through all Siluria's plains ;

261
Come Cambrian Bards, and wave a beauteous chaplet rare,
Of sweetest flow'rs
From Pindus' bowers,
Fpr Fanny, blooming fair, 2?
Sweet lily of the dale,
The theme of ev'ry song,
Her charms shall still prevail
O'er all the youthful throng;
Still bright as morning dawn her lovely face appear;
Of lire the balm
She bears the palm,
Dear Fanny, blooming fair. 3,
No pleasure can I taste,
But from the mournful strajn,
My tedious hours I waste
In sorrow, grief and pain :
Jf you dear, dear lovely maid, refuse to ease;
Oppress'd with woes, my life I close,
Pear Fanny, blooming fair. 4.
Slow Neath shall seek the hills,
And leave th' extended main,
In hoarse-resounding rills
The tow'ring beacon gain :
Though high o'er ruling clouds, its lofty peak \i rear,
Whene'er I rove,
Or cease to love
My Fanny, blooming fair, 5-
Beneath those polar skies.
Where streams forget to flow,
¦ Where icy mountains rise,
Wrapp'd in eternal snow ;
Though tempests round me rav'd, and shook the frigid air,
With fbadi desire
I'll strike the lyre
To Fanny, blooming fair. 6.
In all the blaze of day,
On Afric's utmost bound,
Though Phcebus' noon-tide ray,
Should parch the burning ground ;
Though sick'ning nature droop, and scorching deserts bare,
My song shall be
Of love and thee,
Dear Fanny, blooming fair.

262 7.
Thou balmy zephyr mild,
Blow on the hawthorn pale,
Soft April's modest child
That decks the flow'ry vale ;
And then each tender sigh perfum'd with incense bear,
Those sighs that prove
Unfeigned love
To Fanny, blooming fair. 8.
In softest whispers speak
Her poet's anxious pain,
That faithful heart must break,
That long has sigh'd in vain;
For soon without one smile to chase my deep despair,
The yew tree's gloom
Must shade my tomb,
Dear Fanny, blooming fair.

263

CHAP. VIII.
Of the Azvendi.
ThE Azvendi were Scandinavian Rhymers, from
Azvcnd, a Verse, and called by the Welsh Awenyddion.
Giraldus says, in chap. xvi. " There are certain per
sons in Cambria, whom you will find no where else,
called Awenyddion, a people inspired : when consulted
upon any doubtful event they roar out violently, are
rendered beside themselves, and become, as it were,
possessed by a spirit: they do not deliver the answer to
what is required in ' a connected manner ; but the per
son, who skilfully observes them, will find, after many
preambles, and many nugatory and incoherent, though
ornamented speeches, the desired explanation conveyed
jn some turn of a word ; they are then roused from
their extacy, as from a deep sleep, and as it were by
violence compelled to return to their proper senses.
After having answered the questions, they do not reco
ver till violently shaken by other people ; nor can they
remember the replies they have given. If consulted a
second or a third time upon the same point, they will
make use of expressions totally different ; perhaps they
speak by the means of fanatic and ignorant spirits :
these gifts are usually conferred upon them in dreams :
some seem to have sweet milk or honey poured on their
lips; others fancy that a written schedule is applied to
their mouths, and on awaking, they publicly declare
that they have received this gift : they invoke, during
their prophecies, the true and living God, and the Holy
'Trinity, and pray that they may not, by their sins, be
prevented from finding the truth."
This relation of Giraldus is important, as it furnishes
us with data for fairer and subsequent conclusions.
The priests of uncivilized nations have been always

264
accompanied in their barbarous rites by minstrels and
soothsayers : the former by their instrumental and hide
ous noise, to drown the cries and groans of the agoni
zing victims, and the latter to draw the attention, and
iinpose on the credulity of the public, by their preten
sions to inspiration, and the gift of foretelling national
fmd personal events.
After the suppression of Druidical rites, and thp sub
stitution of the Irish harp for the barbitos, the Bards
and Awendi of Wales advanced into the more respectT
able professions of harpers and singers ; and were de^
scribed by the English under the general name of
minstrels. In the time of Edward I. the Awendi, or
accompanying singers, in their impromptu rhymes, were
for ever prophesying the return of Merddin, Arthur, or
some ideal chief,, to the delivery of the Britons, and the
conquest and expulsion pf the Saxons : and hence the
severity of Edward towards these promoters of re
bellion. The enactments of Edward fettered the tongues of
the prophets for many years ; and the powers of the in
spired were limited to a few foretellers pf private events,
and to the revelation of deeds done, and the criminal
actors : but, in the last century, the slumbering muse
awoke, and the spirit of prophecy again visited Wales,
in the form of men and women, called Jumpers. The
practice was encouraged by Daniel Rowland, Howel
Harris, William Williams, and other preachers of mys
ticism. When a triumphant hymn has been sung, and hal
looed twenty times over, the audience begin to move and
recover themselves like a field of standing corn impel
led Iry a succession of passing gusts of wind: worked
into a frenzy by this motion, and by the singing of some
mad couplets of their own composition, some of the
most frantic jump with joy; the women, by singing
amorous couplets, jump with love; and others, who
fancy themselves nOn-elected and amongst the damned,
jump out of wretchedness and despair. In the course

265
of these reveries many mortal embraces are inter
changed, many heavenly enjoyments are foretold, and
even longed for, and when the flesh becomes willing and
the spirit contrite, these determined Awendi retire, and
the affectionate females, in due time, become the mo
thers of Awenyddion and Jumpers.

266

CHAP. IX.
The Pedigrees ofthe Welsh.
" Quasi in ritu currentes.'7 i
The ancient families of Wales trace their pedigrees
from the Kings of Britain and the Princes of Wales,
or from some chief of the royal and noble tribes.
The following is n list of the Kings of Britain, and,
subsequently, ofthe Princes of Wales, from remote and
fabulous times to the dissolution of the petty states, and
the incorporation of the principality : —
1. Hu, or Hesychion, who is said to have come from Asia,
where Constantinople now is, unfortunately for the Triad
Constantinople is in Europe.
2. Locrinius.
3. Madawg.
4. Membyr.
2. Efroc Cadarn.
7. Brutus Tarian Las.
8. Leon.
p. Run Baladr Bras.
10. Bleiddyd, or Lupiuus.
11. Llyr or Lear.
12. Cordalia or Rhegan.
13. Cynedda, Increase.
14. Riallon.
15. Gwrwst.
l£>. Seisyllt, having the English accent.
17. Ingo, or Antonius.
1 8. Cynfarcb, or Aedd Mawr.
19- Gwrfyw.
20. Dyfnfardd, the Pathetic Bard.

267
21. Dyfnwal Moelmud, son of Clydno.
22. Beli and Bran.
23. Gwrgant.
24. Cyhelyn and Marsia.
25. Seisyllt.
26. Cynfarch.
27. Daned.
28. Morydd, the Mariner.
29. Gwrfinog.
30. Eleidr and Arthal.
31. Owain and Bredyr.
32. Gorfiniaw.
33. Morgan ap Arthal.
34. Einion.
35. Eidal ap Owain.
36. Rhun ab Bredyr.
37. Geraint ap Eleidr.
38. Cadell.
39. Coel, the Believer.
40. Por.
41. Cheryn.
42, Silgnius.
43. Eidal.
44. Andras.
45. Urien.
46. Eloryd.
47. Clydog.
48. Clydno.
49- Gorwst.
50. Meirion.
51. Blaiddyd, or Lupinus.
52. Caf.
53. Owain.
54. Seisyllt.
55. Blegwryd.
56. Arthmael.
57. Eidal.
58. Rhvdion.

268
59. Rhydderch.
60. Sawlbenuchel, Saul the Hauteur,
6l. Pyr.
6~2. Capeir.
63, Manogsui.
64. Bdi Mawr,
65. lludd and Caswallon, or Cassibelaunus, B.C. 60 years.
The preceding names are most of them fabulous,
and all of them descriptive of ideal Kings : for the
Ancient Britons were not governed by a Monarch, but
formed thensselves into, petty states, some of which, in
pases of emergency, elected a commander in chief of
their confederate forces, Lludd, the contemporary chief
with Caswallon, was the Governor or Prince of the
Saxon Colony of London : his true name was Leod or
Leot, and he was the father of Mandebrog, or Mandu
bratius, the Saxon Prince, who was removed from his
government by the Britons, during the retirement of
Caesar into Gaul. The following lists of the descend-.
ants of Llud bear out this position, as they contain)
several names of Roman and Saxon usage : —
LLUDD, or LEOD,

Caesvar.

Avlech.

Mandubratius.

Tenevan.

Lary.

Avallacb.

Gwenddolau.

Cunobeline.

Rh«n,

Owain.

Endos.

Gwydyr.

Clywedog.

Brychwaia.

Enyd.

Meirig.

Powyr.

Duwg.

Endeyrn.

Coel.

Giviunn.

Amwedd.

Eudigant.

Lucius.

Toon.

Ainverydd..

Rhydderch.

Tegonwy.

Gwrddofyn,

Rhuddvedel.

Cadnawg.

Dofyn.

Gran.

Corf, or Corb.

Gwrddoli.

Urban.

C'eidio.
Doli.
Tudbwyll.
Gwinawy.
Gwrgain.
Dehewaint,
Gwyuau.
Gain.
Tt;gvan.
<26o
Edwal. Gwyddwg. Coel Godebog.
Lies. Tago.
Caradog. Tegid.
Gwrhydr. Padarn. j
Gwaethvoedj, Edeyrn, married Gwawl. Cena'u.
in A. D. 900 Cynedda Wledig, A.D. 32Sv
to 950 1
The Kings and Princes who succeeded Cassibe
launus :—

Tenevan, son of Lludd.

Cunobeline.

Gwydr.

Caradog ab Bran ab Hyr Llediaetk

Coel Godebog.
Constans,
Constantine.
Euddaf.
Maximus, or Macsen Wledig.
Cystenyn ab Cynvor.
Constans.
Vortigern Grwlheyrn, a Saxon
A.D. 448.
Vortimer, or Gwrthefyr
ib.
Emrys Wledig, or Aurelius Ambrosius
48 L
Uthtir Pendragon
500.
Arthur
A.D. 517.
Cystenyn ab Cadwr^
A.D. 542
Maelgwyn
A.D. 552.
Rhun ab Maelgwyn
A.D. 560.
Beli ab Rhun
585.
tago ab Beli
599-
Cadvan ab lago
A.D. 613.
Caswallon ab Cadvan
A.D. 635.
Cadwalader ab Caswallon, A.D. 676, was the
last British King, and died
A-D. 703.
Ivor, son of Alan IL, King of Armorica, became
King of Wesses and Wales
A.D. 700.
270
Roderig Molwnog ab Edwal Iwrch ab Cadwa-
lader, King of Wales A.D. 720.
Conan Tindaethwy A.D. 755.
Merfyn Frych A.D. 819-
Roderig the Great, son of Merfyn A.D. 843.
Anarawd, Prince of North Wales }
Cadell  South Wales \ A.D. 877"
Merfyn  .••••Powys *
Howel Dda ab Cadell, Prince of South Wales
and Powys A.D. 907.
Edward Foel ab Anarawd, Prince of North
Wales, A.D. 913.
Howel Dda, Prince of All Wales A.D. 940.
Ieuaf and lago ab Edwal Foel, North Wales A.D. 948.
Owen and Howel and Brothers, South Wales
and Powys, A.D. 948.
Howel ab Ieuaf, North Wales A.D. 973.
Cadwallon ab Ieuaf, North Wales A.D. 985.
Meredyth ab Owen, Powys 986.
 South Wales 988.
Edwal ab Meyrig, North Wales ' 992.
Llewelyn ab Seisyllt, South Wales and Powys 998.
./Edaii ab Blegcred, North Wales 1003.
Llewelyn ab Seisyllt, North, South and Powys 1015.
lago ab Edwal ab Meirig, North Wales 1021.
Howel ab Edwyn, South Wales 1021.
Gryffydd ab Llewelyn, All Wales 1038.
Bleddyn and Rhiwallon ab Cynfyn, North Wales and
Powys 1063.
Meredydd ab Owain ab Edwin, South Wales 1063.
Trahaearn ab Caradog, North Wales 1073.
Rhys ab Owain, South Wales 1074.
Rhys ab Tewdwr, South Wales 3077-
Gryffydd ab Cynan, North Wales IO79.
Testyn ab Gwrgan, King of Glamorgan , 1090.
Gryffydd ab Rhys, South Wales 1 1 16,
Meredydd ab Bleddyn ab Cynfyn, Powys.
Owain Gwynedd, North Wales 1 137.

271
Rhys ab Gryffydd, South Wales 11 37.
Madog ab Meredydd, Powys. Last Prince of Powys.
Dafydd ab Owain, North Wales 11 70.
Llewelyn ab Iorweth, North Wales. Last Prince of
North Wales 1195.
Gryffydd ab Rhys, South Wales 1197.
Rhys ab Gryffydd, South Wales. Last Prince of
South Wales 1202.
The catalogue of ancient Kings is the production
of some ambitious herald, who was resolved on giving
to the Britons a more ancient origin than the Romans :
but, by inventing too many names, he has come in
contact with the deluge.
The heralds of the present day are contented with
tracing the pedigrees of families from either of the fol
lowing royal or noble tribes: —
1. Urien Reged, of Cumbria.
2. Brochwel Ysgithrog, of Powys.
3. Brychan Brycheinog.
4. Cadifor ab Dinawol.
5. Gryffydd ab Cynan.
6. Rhys ab Tewdwr.
7. Bleddyn ab Cynfyn.
8. Jestyn ab Gwrgant.
9. Ethelystan Glodrydd.
10. Hwfa ab Cynddelw,
1 1. Llywarch ab Bran.
12. Gweirydd ab Rhys Goch.
13. Cilmin Troed Ddu.
14. Collwyn ab Tangno.
15. NefyddHardd.
16. Maelog Crwm. "
17. Marchudd ab Cynan.
18. Hedd Molwynog.
19. Braint Hir.
20. Marchweithian. y

272
21. Edwin of Tegengle.
22. Ednowain Bendew.
23. Efnydd of Dyffryn Clwyde.
24. Ednowain ab Bradwen of Merionydd.
25. Tudor Trevor, chief of the tribe of Maelor;
1. URIEN REGED,
lived in the latter part of the fifth century ; was Lojd
bf Reged, in North Britain, and defeated Flamddwyn,
or Ida, at Argoed Llwyfain.
DESCENDANTS IN THE FEMALE LINE,
JOHNES • • of Havod  Cardiganshire,
2. BROCHWEL YSGITHROG,
Prince of Powys, flourished A. D. 606, and commanded
the Britons when defeated at Chester. His son, Tis-
silio, is said to have written an Ecclesiastical History of
the Britons; but this is a mistake of archbishop Usher,
for there was very little, if any, materials existing for a
church history in the time of Tyssilio.

DESCENDANTS,

BLANEY

• • of Tregynon.

WYNNE

• • of Garth.

LLOYD

• • of Leighton.

THOMAS

¦ • of Downing Ucha.

3. BRYCHAN BRYCHEINOG, or BRYCHAIN
YRDD,
Lord of Garthmadrin, Fonthill, or the present county
of Brecknock, is said to have been the son of Han-
laff, a king of Ireland ; to have married Marchell,
a daughter of Tewdwr, or Tewdrig ab Teithfalt,
king of Garthmadrin, and to have lived in the be
ginning of the fifth century : he is also said to have
had three wives, and fifty children.

<Z73
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE.
GWYN •• ofTaliaris;Mrs. Hughes, lady of Col.Hughes, of Tregib.
GWYN •• ofGlanbran,
TYBIEU • • daughter of Brychan, lived in a cell at Llari-Tybieu .which
was formerly included in the lordship of Garthmad-
rin,and resided afCae'r-grdes.
JEFFREY'S •• of Llanddoisant.
WILLIAMS • • of Bettws, and of Quay-street, Carmarthen.
POWEL • • of Castle Madock;
 of Aberseuni.
PRICE * • Captain David Price, R.N:
POWEL •• ofGlyn-llech.
4. CEDIFOR AB DINAWOL,
Lord of Cardigan, lived at Castle Hywel, iii the ele
venth century. DESCENDANTS IN THE FEMALE LINE.
CAMPBELL • • Lord Cawdor.
LEWES * • of Llysnewydd and Dyffryn.
GWYN •• of Garth.
LLOYD •• of Alltyrodym
•  • • of Mabws.
THOMAS • • of Wain-IVdr1.
JONES * • of Llaniua.
TOUCHET •• of Llwyd Siac;
LEWIS • • of LlanychaerOn.
5. GRYFFYDD AB CYNAN,
Prince of North Wales, A. D. 1079- Mr. Vaughan,
of Hengwrt, informs us, that Gryffydd ab Cynan, Rhys
ab Tewdwr, and Bleddyn ab Cynfyn, made diligent
search after the arms, ensigns and pedigrees of their
ancestors, the nobility and kings of the Britons.
DESCENDANTS OF GRYFFYDD AB CYNAN, EXTANT IN
THE MALE LINE.
WYNNE • • of Pengwern,  • • Merionethshire.

Q74
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE.
WYNNE -.ofGwydir  Caern.
 • • of Watstay, now Wynnstay • • Denb.
 .  • •' of Bodscallun and Berth Ddu • • Caern.
 • • of Conwy  Caern.
 • • of Maes Mochnant  ••• Denb.
¦  • • of Ystymcegid 
 _ . . of Clynnenney  Caern.
DOLBEN • • of Rhiw-waedog • • • •  Merion,
POWELL • • of Penmachno  ? • • • • Caern.
DAVIES • • of Tanllyntardeni  Merioii
PRYSE • • of Yscarweddan  • 
ANWYL --of Park 
6. RHYS AB TEWDWR MAWR,
Prince of South Wales, A. D. 1077-

DESCENDANTS IN THE MALE LINE.
RICE • • of Newton, Lord Dynevor.
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE PEMALE LINE
WYNNE • • of Dole-Bachog  Montg.
 • • of Llan Erfyl 
 • • • of Coed-llai, or Leeswood  Flint.
OWEN •• of Glyndyfrdwy  •••
 • • of Cefen Hafod.
LLOYD • • of Plas Uwch Clawdd  Denb.
POWEL • • of Ceidio 
EVANS •• ofTrecastell-   ;...
JONES •• ofHaim ..••-.• 
7. BLEDDYN AB CYNFYN,
Usurper of North Wales, 1068.
DESCENDANTS EXTANT IN THE MALE LINE,
KYNASTON • • of Hardwick  Shrops.
LLOYD • • of Cwm Bychan  Merion.
 • « of Blaen Glynn 

275
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE.
VAUGHAN • • of Golden Grove, Derwydd, &c.
KYNASTON •• ofHordley.
 .-of Ottley.
 • • of Morton.
 •• of Llwyn-y-Mapsis.
 . . of Pont-y-Byrsley.
WILLIAMS •« of Hinchinbroke, Huntingdonshire, of whom was
descended the Lord Protector Cromwell.
NANNEYS • • of Nanneu  Merion.
MAURICE •• ofLIoran  Shrops.
KYFFIN •• ofBodfach  Montg.
 .. of Macnan  •••• Caern.
 . . of Glasgoed  Shrops.
TANATS . • of Aberlanat  Montg.
MEREDYDD • • of Glantanat 
POWELL • • of Whittington  Shrops.
JONES • • of Trewithian 
MAESMOR-- ofMaesmor  Denb.
HUGHES • • of G werclas  Merion.
8. JESTYN AB GURGANT,
Prince, or Lord of Glamorgan, and descended from
Tewdrig, who was King of Gwent, in the time of Ar
thur. Jestyn lost his country from the treachery of
Einion ab Cadfor ab Collwyn, who brought in Robert
Fitzhammon, and his twelve knights.
DESCENDANTS EXTANT IN THE MALE LINE.
WILLIAMS •• of Tame, Earl of Abingdon.
NEWTON •• ofHeathley.
JONES • • of Craflwyn «  • • Caern.
 ¦ • • of Dol yn Edeiroeon  Merion,
 • • of Dol-y-Moch  ...••
MYTTLEY • • of Myttley 
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE.
VAUGHAN • • of Golden Grove. -Mrs. Watkins, Abercamlaes.
of Derwydd. .Sir Thomas Stepney, bart.
T 2

* t

, 276
¦9. ETHELYSTAN GLODRYDD,
Prince of the country between the Wye and the Severn,
or Ferlys, lived A. D. 1010, and was tbe son of Cy-
helyn ab Ifor, by Rhiengar, daughter and heiress of
Gronw ab Tudor Trevor, from whom he derived the
title of earl of Hereford. Ethelystan was a godson of
Athelstan, king of England ; was born at Caer-ffawydd
Beech, Chester or Hereford, and was slain in a civil dis
turbance at Cefn-Digoll, in Montgomeryshire.
DESCENDANTS EXTANT IN THE MALE LINE.
CADWGAN • • Lord Cadogan, and others of the name.
CLYNofClyn •<?'  •  Shrops.
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE,
PRICE • « of Ceri  Montg.
_  . . of Bodfach 
—  • • of Newton  *  "
 • • of Penarth
-ai  • » of Park
 * • of Pilale* '  •'¦••'<¦< Radn.
-  • • of Llanbister.
OLIVER • ¦ of Nevbddwen,
 — •• of Llangyniw.
LLOYD •' of Cery ..<"...  *.*. Montg,
¦ -. i  • • of Mochdre.-
WYNN •• ofGellidowyll.
 • • of Llanfendigedd.
OWEN • • of Rhiw Saeson  Mont.
PHILIPS •¦'• ofLlan-Ddewi.
VAUGHAN <• of Bugeildy.
 ¦— •• of Pant-y-Garreg.
MEREDYDD •• of Llanafan,
OWEN .1 ofMorbend.
MORRIS • • of Cery  i ...... ; ... Monf;
JAMES •• of Croes-gynan.
MATTHEWS . . of Blod well  Shrops.
 ¦  -•• of Mochdre.
POWELL • • of Westyn and Ednop ...... Shrops,

27f
10. HWFA AB CYNDDELW,
' i i Lord of LWs Llifon, in Anglesey, was steward to Owain
Gwynedd, and resided at Prasaddfed, in that island.
His lordships and estates were divided among his five
sons, viz. Methusalem, Cyfnerth, leuan, Iorwerth, and,
Bledrws. Sir Howel y Pedoeau, or Horseshoes, so called
from his great strength, that he could straighten or
form a horseshoe with his bare hands, was a descend
ant of Hwfa, being the son of Gryffydd ab Iorwerth ab
Meredydd ab Methusalem ab Hwfa." Howel's mother
had been the nurse of Edward II. ; and Howel was a
great favorite of Edward, and received from him the
honor of knighthood.
DESCENDANTS EXTANT IN THE MALE LINE.
OWEN • « Attorney General on the Carmarthen circuit.
 . . 0f Bodeon  r • Anglesey.
 ¦ • of Penrhos  • • t • Montg.
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE.
OWEN • • of Orielton ? - • • • ;  Pembr.
WILLIAMS • • of Llanbedw  ........ Montg.
BOULD •• ofTre'rDd&l.
OWEN •• ofPorkinton  , Shrop,
 • • of Llanvathley.
MORRIS •• of Tre Iorwerth.
WYNN • • of Bodychen • r  • • • • Anglesey.
 • r of Bodowyr.
GRIFFITHS • • of Chwain,
LEWIS .-ofPresaddfed, 11. LLYWARCH AB BRAN,
Lord of Cwmmwd Menai, in Anglesey, was brother-
in-law to Owain Gwynedd, for they were married to
two sisters, who were daughters of Grono ab Owain
ab Edwyn, lord of Tegengle, or Englefield. He is,
thought to have resided at Tref Llywarch, which con-

278
tained the present Holyhead, and three parcels of land,
called after the names of his three sons, Gwely Ior
werth ab Llywarch, Gwely Cadwgan ab Llywarch, and
Gwely Madog ab Llywarch.
Prince Llewelyn ab Iorwerth made a grant to Mere
dydd ab Iorwerth ab Llywarch, of the township of
Eseynig; and it was held in the twenty-sixth of Ed
ward the Third by leufan Wyddel, and Tudur ab
Howel ab Tudur, who were the descendants of Me
redydd. DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE.
LLOYD • • of Rhiwgoch  ^  Merion.
—  .- of Maes-y-Neuadd.
 ¦  • • of Hendre'r-Mur.
 » « of Bryn Hir.
 •• of Coed-y-Rhygyn.
 • • of Llandecwyn.
¦  ¦  • • of Cefn Faes.
 • • of Cae-Adda.
WYNN •• ofMosoglen.
PRICE • • of Bodowyr  Anglesey.
PARRY •• ofBodafon.
GRIFFITH • • of Celynnog Fawr • • •  Caern.
MEREDYDD •• of Monachdy Gwyn.
 « • of Hafod Lwyfog.
 — • « of Porthamal.
OWEN •• ofRuthin  Denb.
»
12. GWEIRYDD AB RHYS GOCH
was Lord of Talybolion, or the Heights of Paulinus in
Anglesey. He resided at Caerdegog, and the hamlets
and tenements of his lordship bear the names of his
children and grandchildren, viz. Gwely Madog ab
Gweirydd, Gwely Llywarch ab Gweirydd, Gwely
Howel ab Gweirydd, and Gwely Meuric ab Gweirydd ;
this last estate was in the time of Edward the Third in
the possession of Howel ab leufan ab Ednyfed ab,
Meuric ab Gweirydd ab Rhys Goch.

279
' DESCENDANTS EXTANT IN THE MALE LINE.
FOULKES • • of Gwern-y-Gront  Flintshire
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE.
LLOYD • • of Gwaredog  Anglesey.
WYNN •• ofBodewrydd 
HUGHES. • • bf Beaumaris 
13. CILMIN TROEDD DU,
or Cilmin with the Black Foot, resided at Glynllifon, in
Caernarvonshire, and was nephew to Merfyn Frych.
Some of his descendants have assumed the name of
Glyn, from the local name of Glynllifon. The race of
Cilmin has produced several ancient lawyers, viz. Mor
geneu Ynad ab Gwrydr, Cyfnerth Ynad ab Morgeneu,
Morgeneu Ynad ab Madog, Morgan Ynad ab Meuric,
and Madoc Goch Ynad.
DESCENDANTS EXTANT INTHE MALE LINE.
GLYNN • • of Hawarden Castle  Flintshire.
 •• of London.
HUGHES • • of Bodryn.
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE-
GLYNN • • of Glynllifon  Caern.
 • • of Lleyar 
• • • of Nanlley 
14. COLLWYN AB TANGNO
was the Lord of Efionydd, Ardudwy, and part of
Llyn, still in possession of some of his descendants.
His residence was the present castle of Harlech, which
was formerly called Caer-Collwyn. His grandchildren,
Asser, Meirion, and Gwgan, lived in the time of Gryff
ydd ab Cynan, about A.D. 1080.
SIR HOWEL- Y-FWYALL,
or the Battle Ax, who distinguished himself in the

280
battle of Poictiers, when the French king was taken
prisoner by the Black Prince. Howel received the
honor of knighthood on the field of battle : and the
Prince allowed a mess of meat to be served before
his axe or partizan for ever, to perpetuate the memory
of his good services. The mess of meat, after his
death, was carried down to be given to the poor, for
his soul's sake. Sir Howel was constable of the castle
of Criccieth, where he resided.
DESCENDANTS EXTANT IN THE MALE LINE.
WILLIAMS • • of Aberarch  Caernarvonshire.
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE,
ROBERTS •• of Llwynrhudol, Mr. Thomas Roberts, London.
BODURDA • • of Bodurda . •  Caern,
BODVEL-- ofMadryn.
JONES •• of Castell March.
WYNN •• ofPant-du.
 • • of Penardd.
 > • of Bodsanan.
 • • of Pen-y-berth.
 • • of Pen Coed, .
LLOYD •• of Bodvan.
 ¦• of Gardd.
 • • of Dol-y-Penrhyn.
RHYDDERCH • • of Tregaenan.
VAUGHAN.- ofPlas-hGn.......  Caern, *
 . • of Perkin  •  Meirion
OWEN-- ofPlas-du.
 • • of Maentwrog.
ELLIS •• of Ystymllyn • •••••••  Caern.
15. NEFYDD HARDD,
of Nant Conwy, lived in the time of Owain Gwynedd,
was a man of learning, and resided at Crygnant, near
Llanrwst; Owain had placed his son Idwal under the

£81
care of Nefydd, but his son Dunant, either from jea7
Jousy or mischance, slew the young Prince at a place,
called Cwm Idwal.
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE.
MORGAN • • of Gwibernant  •  Caern.
Dr. 'Morgan, translator of the Bible into Welsh, was
of this family.
EVANS • • of Llanrwst.
DAVIES -r of Coed-y-Mynydd,
16. MAE LOG CRWM,
of Llechwedd-Isaf, and Creuddyn, in the county of
Caernarvon, flourished about A.D. 1175, in the time
of David ab Owain Gwyqedd. The Chaloners, who
received that name as descendants of Madoc Crwm,
gome time a resident at Chaloner, a town in France,
were a respectable family of this tribe.
DESCENDANTS EXTANT IN THE MALE LINE.
CHALONERS • • of Gisborough  Yorkshire.
DESCENDANTS JN THE FEMALE LINE.
THOMAS • • of Caer Pill.
17- MARCHUDD AB CYNAN.,
Lord of Abergeleu, lived in the time of Rodri Mawr,
A.D. 849, and resided at Bryn Ffeinigl. Of this house
was Ednyfed Fychan, a general of Llewelyn ab Ior
werth, who defeated Ranulph, earl of Chester, and
other chiefs of the Marches : this Ednyfed was the
ancestor ofthe following- Welsh families : —
DESCENDANTS EXTANT IN THE MALE LINE.
WYNN • • of Melay, Lord Newborough.
 • • of Garthewyn.
FOULKES •• ofEriyiet.
LLOYD • • of Plas Power, formerly of Plas Madog.

282
PRICE • « of Gerddi-Bluog, formerly of Maentwrog, in Merioneth
shire. Of this family was Edmund Prys, Archdeacon
of Merionydd, whose grave is left without a tomb, and
his labours without any monumental commendation.
MORGAN • • of Gwlgre  Flintshire.
GRIFFITH • • of Carreg Lwyd.
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE.
WYNN • • of Dyffryn Aled  Denbighshire.
 .. ofTrefarth.
ROBARTS • • of Gwasane  Flintshire.
LLOYD • • of Gydros.
 ¦ •• ofDol.
 •• ofTrebul.
HUGHES • • of St. Asaph.
SMITH •• of Saint Asaph.
VAUGHAN • • of Hen Bias and Bronheulog.
LLEWELYN •• ofLlanelian.
JENKIN • ofEfenechtyd.
JONES, Col. • • of Maesgarnedd, an Officer in Cromwell's army.
WILLIAMS • • of Cochwillan, Maenol, Marl, Meillionydd, and
Ystumcolwyn.
HOWEL •• ofMarlinydd.
CONWAY •• of Nant.
GRIFFITH •• of Festiniog.
HUGHES •• of Cefn-y-Garlleg.
18. HEDD MOLWYNOG,
Lord of Llanfair, Talyhaern, Dyffryn-Elwy, and Nan-
haled, was steward to David ab Owain, lived about
A.D. 1180, and resided at Yr Henllys, in the parish
of Llanfair Talyharn, in the county of Denbigh.
Hedd had three sons, viz. Menter, Gwillonon, and
Gwrgi ; and among his posterity was the celebrated
Iolo Goch son of the countess of Lincoln, and bard
to Owain Glyndwr.
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, ORIN THE FEMALE LINE.
LLOYD • • of Havodunnos  Denbighshire.

283-
—  • • of Llwyn-Maen, near Oswestry.
 • ¦ of Llanforda.
.  . • of Dre-newydd, in Whittington Parish.
PARRY • • of Llangernin.
WYNN • • of Bryn Cynric.
GRIFFITHS •• ofBodychwyn.
—  ¦— . «• of Haford-y-Garreg.
.  . . 0f Blaen Ial  Denbighshire.
 . , . 0f pias Newydd.
19- BRAINT HIR,
Of Is-Dulas, lived about A.D. 870, and wras a man of
learning. DESCENDANT.
VAUGHAN •• of Pont-y-Gwyddel.
20. MARCHWEITHIAN,
Lord of lo-Aled, lived at Llys Lleweni, in the eleventh
century. DESCENDANTS EXTANT IN THE MALE LINE.
PRICE • • of Rhiwlas  Merionethshire.
 • • of Boch-y-rbaiadr.
WYNN • • of Llangynhafal  • • • • Denbighshire.
PANTON • of Coleshill Manor  Flintshire.
PARRY •• ofTywysog and Pistill.
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE.
PRICE . T of Giler • • • ,  Denbighshire.
 : — • • of Tyddyn Sieffrey.
 •• of Cwmmein.
 • • of Fedw-deg.
 • • of Ljanrwst.
 . . of Dugoed in Penmachno.
WYNN •• of Foelas  Denbighshire,
 . of Pias Newydd Yspytty.
¦ —  pf Hafod-y-Maidd.

284
FOULKES • of Llys Llywarch.
 • • of Carwed Fynydd, and Meriadog.
VAUGHAN • • of Pantglas.
— ;  ¦ • of Blaen-y-Cwm.
•  :  •• ofLlysfaen.
WILLIAMS •• of Abercomvy.
 • ¦ of Hafod Garregog.
DAVIES •• pfLlathwryd.
GETHIN • ¦ of Gerniogen  Denbighshire.
21. EDWIN,
Lord o£ Tegengle, or Englefield, a part of the county
of Flint, containing the hundreds of Rhuddlan, Coles-
hill, and Prestatyn, and lived in the commencement of
the eleventh century. Owain ab Uchtryd, the great
defender of Tegengle, was the grandson of Edwin ;
and Howel Gwyneddr an officer of Owain Glyndwr,
was of this tribe.
DESCENDANTS EXTANT IN THE MALE LINE.
LLOYD -.ofTrefor.
WYNN •• ofCopparleni.
PARRY •• of Llaneurgain,
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE,
MOSTYN • • of Mostyn  Flintshire.
LLOYD •• of Farm. '
WYNN •• of Nhercwys.
EDWARDS • • of Stansty.
 • ¦ of Rhual.
 • • of Gallt-y-Celvn.
—  •• of Llangollen Fychan.
EVANS • • of Coed Lai and Treuddyn.
HUGHES •• ofDisserth.
JONES • • of Gweraffield and Mold.
OWENS • • of Coed Lai, Gwasane, Caerfallwch, Trenddyn, Ard-
dunwynt, and Hope.
PRICE • • of Llwyn Ynn.
BROMFIELD •• of Bromfield.

285

22. EDNOWAIN BENDEW,
Lord of Tegengle, lived A. D. 1 079, and resided at
Ty-maen, in the parish of Whiteford.
DESCENDANTS EXTANT IN THE MALE LINE.
LLOYD • • of Wygfair 
FOULKES • ¦ of Mertyn 
GRIFFITHS • • of Rhual 
¦HUGHES -of Halkyn  /Flinfshir,
' .  • • of Bagillt  • 
GRIFFITHS • • of Plas-Issa, Caerwys 

DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE.
WYNN ' ¦ of Galedlom and Caerwys ........ ~)
PUGHE . • of Skeifiog' 
PIERS • • of Llanasaph  « • * • » 
PARRY • • of Cole.shill and Basingworh ......
GRIFFITHS • • of Panty-Llongdu 
 . • of Caerwys Hall  > Flintshire.
EVANS » • of Llaneurgain  •  "
JONES • ¦ of Skeifiog 
WILLIAMS • • of Clommendy Skeifiog 
HUGHES • • of Coedy-Braine.  •

23. EFNYDD,
Lord of Dyffryn Clwyd, lived in A.D. 1120; had a
daughter ofthe name of Hunydd, was married to Me
redydd ab Blethyn, prince of Powys.
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE.
SIMUNT • • of Coed Llai 
PRICHARD • • of Caergwrley 
ROGERS • • of Flint 
MEREDYDD • ¦ of Trefalon 
'  of Pentra Bychan....  Ilmi ! i.
*  • • of Stansty •••>.. 

ALMOR •• of Almor ....
ALYNTON • • of Alynton
LLOYD •• ofGresford. •

286
24. EDNOWAIN AB BRADWEN,
Lord of Merionydd, lived A. D. 1 194, at Llys Brad-
wen, near Dolgelleu. The ruins of the castle are about
thirty yards square; the entrance about seven feet
wide, with a large upright stone on each side, by way
of door-case ; the walls of large stone, not cemented by
mortar ; and the structure may be parallelled with the
artless fabric of a modern cow-house.
Ednyfed ab Aaron, a descendant of his, protected
Owain Glyndwr under his reverses of fortune, by sup
porting him in a cave, called Ogof-Owain, in the parish
of Llangelynin. DESCENDANTS EXTANT IN THE MALE LINE.
OWEN • • of Cae'r Berllan  Merionethshire.
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE.
LLOYD • • of Nant-y-Mynach and Peniarth.
OWEN • • of Peniarth and Morben.
GRIFFITHS • • of Garth and Cloddiau Cochion.
LEWES • • of Llysnewydd and Dyfiryn.
25. TUDOR TREVOR,
father of Llwyth Maelor, or the tribe of Maelor, was
the founder and proprietor of Whittington Castle : the
son of Ynyr ab Cadfarch descended from Cadell
Deurnllug, king of Powys, and lived in the tenth cen
tury. Tudor had large possessions in Ferlys, between
the Severn and the Wye ; and in Herefordshire, by
right of his mother Rhiengar, who was the daughter of
Lluddoca ab Caradog Freichfras, lord of Hereford.
DESCENDANTS EXTANT IN THE MALE LINE.
LORDS HAMBDEN AND TREVOR.
MOSTYN • • of Mostyn.
 ¦ — •• ofTrelacre.
 • • of Bryngwyn.
 •• ofSegroit.

287
P EN NANT • • of Bychton.
 • • of Penrhyn.
JEFFREYS •• of Acton.
EDWARDS . • of Chirk.
WYNN •• of Gerwyn-fawr.
JONES • • of Llwyn onn.
DESCENDANTS EXTINCT, OR IN THE FEMALE LINE.
TREVOR • • of Brynkinnallt.
 •• of Pentra Kynric.
 of Tref Alen.
 .-of Plas Teg.
 • • of Oswestry .
LLOYD .. of Halton.
YOUNG - • of Bryn Yorkin.
DYMMOCK .« of Willington.
PUGHE •• ofLlan-y-Mynach.
LLOYD • ¦ of Plas Issa y Clawdd.
 • • of Dal-y-Wern.
 . . 0f Cilgwyn • »  Cardiganshire.
PARRY •• ofWernos.

288

CHAP. X.
Ofthe Language of the Ancient Britons and Modern
Welsh.
The Language of Britain, in ancient times, was the'
same as that of the continent, from the Baltic to the
Mediterranean, and called the Celtic.
In Italy it received great refinement, and was formed
into Latin on the Grecian model of grammar and com
position. The invasions of the Carthaginians and
Moors, and the* introduction of the Punic and Arabic
into the peninsula of Spain, gave to the language of that
part of Europe an African character : and the irruptions
of northern hoards into Gaul compelled the ancient
inhabitants of that country to retire to the maritime dis
trict of Bretagne. The successive encroachments made
on the Britons of our island by Carthaginians, Saxons-,
Romans, Danes, and Normans, confined them to the
north of Scotland, Wales, and Cornwal : these ancient
natives were called Gualli, or Gualles, by the Saxons,
and some ofthe people of Italy were called by the same
name ; but not being able to pronounce the gu, they gave
to some part of Italy the name of Welsh Land, and to
the remnants of the southern Britons the appellations of
Wales or Welsh, and Cornwales and Cornish : the
language of Britain is therefore tp.be collected from the
three dialects of the Cornish, Cambrian, and G aelic j
for, being derived from one common origin, they illus
trate each other, and shew, by the expression or term
used, from what nation the Britons derived their im
provements and useful arts.
A complete dictionary of the Celtic is a great desi
deratum in literature, as it would elucidate many pas
sages in the Roman authors from the acceptation and
quantity of words still used in the Celtic dialects. The

289
Danes, Germans, French, and Welsh have, a century
ago, laboured on the subject, but to no benefit, for the
writers of the continent could not speak any of the
dialects; and the Welsh, making Baxter included, have
always failed from their deficiency in the languages of
northern Europe.
The Celtic language, which was spoken in Britain,
must have received an influx of words from the different
invaders and settlers : hence the Cornish, as it remains
in print, is the most corrupt dialect: the Welsh is leas
mixed than the Cornish, but greatly supplied with
Anglo Saxon and Norman French : and the Gaelic ofthe
Highlands has been adulterated with the Scandinavian.
The Gaelic, however, from the locality ofthe people, has
been the best preserved, and is of essential service to
the Welsh antiquarian, for most ofthe names of rivers
and places in Wales are to be derived from the Gaelic,
and not definable from the modern Welsh.
The reader, if he feels any interest or curiosity, will
be able to form some idea of the Ancient British, and
draw his own conclusions respecting the greater or less
degree of perfection of the three dialects, by perusing
tbe following glossarial specimen of the Gaelic, Welsh,
and Cornish: — G. denotes Gaelic, W. Welsh, C.
Cornish, S. Saxon, L. Latin, N. F. Norman French,
Gr. Greek, &c. &c.
W. Q. Ab, an ape, 1. apes.
W. Abad, g. ab, c. abbat, an abbot, a. abbad.
W. Abediw, heriot, fine on death, 1. obitu.
W. Aberthawr, a sacrificer, 1. obfertor.
G. Abhal, w. afal, an apple, from 1. malum.
W. Abred, the druidical place of purgation, s. abered, hot.
G. Acuil, an eagle, hence 1. aquila.
GJAd, water, hence adiad, a duck.
G. and W. Addas, good, convenient, becoming.
W. Aden, a wing, c. leaf of a book.
G. Adhm, knowledge, c. addhan, to know, w. advxun, to know.
W. Adeitad, a building, 1. ades, xdilis.
V

290
• W. Adfah, g. -ad/tain, a Stranger, from 1. aditfkti'r: the g. has also
tittkirack, other lander, which is the proper expressMjii.
W. Adferu, to accustom, restore, I. adferu.
W. AdiU, vile, of no value, L «d telum.
W. Admdem, the verses of a chapter, 1. ««fcoft»»
W. Adseimo, to resound, 1. tfd and ao//-o.
ii. Adx.dk, a circle, fire, aduatk, horror, detestation, adaatkmkorv,
great borror, &c. are words which refer to the ciwle, fire, and .san
guinary rites <sf tbe Druids.
W. Adxoertk, cheap, s. adweortk.
W. Addfam, a person convicted., deported, L ad maas.
W. Addfed, ripe, J. ad mettm.
W. Addurno, to adorn, I. adomo.
G. Afmtr gold, treasure: hejice St. Nicholas Peafos!, Canrerarius,
treasurer, or chamberlain, in Pembrokeshire.
W. Ajfwys, bottomless, I. «4j/*«M ; bettce itgers. -ajfrnm is a cor
ruption of infer-orum abyssus.
W. Agaten, c ag-ofea, a w Insistent.
C Akud, vi. aliwydd, a key.
C. Aires, the stern of a ship, gr.
Cil. Ai-c, a tribe, «. «c<4, a race, generation.
G. Aigeie, the deep, w. eigiox, ihe deep bottom.
G. Ailmeadk, prayer, s. telmsad, oblations.
G. Ammr, a virgin, w. rnner, a heifer, not forced.
W. Alitud, a stranger, s. mUeodig.
C 4&, the sea-shore, gr.
C. AUor, g. altoir, w. o&r, an altar.
G. ^fa«, c and w. <mser, time, revolution of the stars.
G. jl*!a«, a river, hence the same of a river iu Carmarthenshire
and most of tbe rivers in Wales have Gaelic '.raities.
O. Attain, c eno, w. ewairf, a soul ; c pL ewemw, souls; bence the
g, Hcamh, and w. xefoedd, heaven, or place of souls.
G. Alb, height; w. a/to/, tire summit; eJtot j5ct£r, the young
vertex, or summer solstice ; alban arthax, the bear vertex, or winter
solstice ; alban, eilir, the clear vertex, or vernal equinox ; and alba*
elvtl, the stormy vertex, or autumnal equinox.
£ng. Apron, g. w. and c. a-bron, before, in front.

291
G. Andias, to the goddess of day, sun, or south.
C. Aradar, w. aradr, a plough ; 1. aratrum.
C. Arluidh, a lord, from ar, over^ and s. leod, the people,
W. Arian, silver coin, with the impression of a soldier ; the g.
tiirgad, silver, is also the impression of a prince ; and the 1. argentum
is of Celtic origin, aud signifies the impression of theking or national
chief. G. Arm, an army ; hence 1. arma.
G. Aros, an abode, a residence.
G. Ath, a ford.
W. Aur, gold ; hence 1. aurum; but the g. and f. or seems to be
tbe Celtic radix.
G. W. and C. Bach, little, the radix of I. bacchds, little, and ever
young: and bach in the g. signifies drunkenness; and in all the dia
lects, power, a book ; hence in the w. and c. bach-gammon, or back
gammon, a little battle ; and g. bachla, a drinking-cup, from g. beag,
little. G. and W. Bdd, a boat, length.
W. Badd, a washing-place, a bath ; gsbaddhon, a little haven ; and
w. baedd, a boar. From these expressions many conjectures have
been raised respecting Badona, Bathonia, Aquae Solis, or the city of
Bath. G. Baitte, c. banne,. a drop; bence vr. diodfain, small-beer, or
droppings of the brewing-tub.
G. Bais, water ; hence Llanpaes, in Anglesey, and g. baisdam, to
wash, to baptize ; w. beisio, to wade through the water.
G. Ban, pale, white ; c. ban; w. bann, high, a hill ; g. bann, a pro
clamation ; and hence banns of marriage ; g. bannach, a traveller, a
fox. G. Bar, top, crop, ear of corn, bread; hence c. and w. bara, bread,
and w. baran, strength.
G, Barn, w. larnwr, c. barnwr, a judge, nobleman, from the n. ba
ton, and baronier.
G. Bascaid, w. basgawd, a basket. This word is used by Jx\ venal,
Adde et bascaudas et mille escaria multum,
and is said by Martial to have been a Gaelic expression,
Barbara de Pictis venit bascauda Britannis.
U 2

2J)2
W. and C. Bath, likeness, coin, g. bathais, the forehead.
W. Bedd, a grave, length, as troedfedd, the foot in length ; hence
beddyddio, or bedyddio, to anoint or wash in full length ; c. bedh, a
grave, and bedhidian, to baptize ; g. fad, length, and c. bydyddi, to
dip or drown.
C. Beam, a child, g.bearan, a young man; from the sc, g. bedd,
fruit; and beiih, a birch tree.
G. Bid, fruit, and bedd, a birch tree, w. bedwy, a birch tree; c.
hedewen, an aspen tree.
G. Be, and bean, a woman, c. benaw, w. benyw, a female.
C. Ber, g. heart, w. byr, short, and berr, a leg.
C. Besidar, a window.
W. Ber/A, fair, bright boundary, hence Narbertb, on the boun
dary of the Flemings.
C. Ben, a head ; hence w. benyw, a female.
G. Beo, cattle, w. bu or buw, an ox, or cow ; hence w. beudy, a
covr-house, g. bualidh, a cow-house, w. bugail, c. bygal, and g. bcua-
chille, a cattle-herd, shepherd.
C. and G. Biail, w. bwiall, a hatchet.
G. Beltine, the month of May, and bealtine, the solar bonfire of
Phoenician origin ; vid. Selden de Diis Syr.
G. Bial, water; hence e. pail, or water-bucket.
C. Beys, g. beodh, w. byd, the world, scene of being.
G. Biorach, a two-year old heifer; w. bustach, two winters, a steer.
G. Bith, existence, w. and c. byth, everlasting.
W. Blaen, a point, bluenae, the inland extremity of a valley.
G. Blaith, a blossom, c. bledhan, w. blvsyddyn, a year.
G. Blaoth, w. bloedd, a shout or calling ; c. bleit, w. blaidd, a wolfc
W. Blith, producing milk, g. blidham, to milk.
C. Blu, a parish, w. plwyf.
C. Blot, w. blawd, flour, meal.
C. and W. Bod, home, a habitation.
C. Boos, eating or drinking to excess; hence e. booze.
C. Bosca, and bothoc, a hut of twigs, a cottage; hence e. booth.
W. Bodd, c. both, free will, pleasure, satisfaction.
¦•C Bounadd, life, boynedh, w. beunydd, daily.
W. Bon, origin, bontdd, nobility, descendants from some person
of celebrity.

293
G. Brae, w. braich, an arm.
W. Brad, treachery, g. bradhrudh, ambush.
C. Bren, a tree, w. brenin, a chief, a king ; g. braine, a captain of
a ship ; c. brenniat, a steersman.
G. Brdn, black, g. w. and c. brdn, a crow, the names of dark
rivers. G. Bras, quick, w, and c. coarse, careless ; hence a bad tailor is
called in w. bras-bwythydd, or whip-stitch.
G. and W. brdth, treachery, biting, stabbing.
G. and W. Bre, a hill, a spot ; brech and breac, small-pox, g. breac-
an, w. brychan, plaid, variegated bed-cover.
W. Brawd, g. bruthair, c. brauder, a brother.
W. Briw, a cut ; briwsion, crumbs ; breuan, a hand-mill.
W. and G. Brith, c. bruith, of divers colours ; brithill, a trout,
mackarel. G. Bro, ancient, in the w. a country, a promontory,
G. Brog, a shoe.
C. and W, Bryn, a hill, brynakh, Highlanders,
W. Buaii, swift, g. lasting.
C. Bysterden, a builder, a man of windows, from bcisdar, a
window. G. Ca, a house, w. coe, a hedge, an inclosure, a field ; caer, a place
surrounded by a wall.
G. C. W. Cad, high, war, a field of battle.
G. Cathair, a chair, from the ecclesiastical term cathedra ; the w.
cadair, a chair, is of the same origin, and is misunderstood : cathedra
signified the sacrifice among the Greeks, and cadair has tbe same
meaning in Welsh : thus, in the laws of Howel the Good, lib- i. c.10.
I'edwar cadeiriawg ar ddeg y sydd yn llys, should be rendered
"There are fourteen festive associates in the palace." For the
prince and his dependents placed themselves in a recumbent posture.
The chair is a modern contrivance, and still unknown in Wales, in
hats similar to the watling-built palace of Howel the Good. The
same passage introduces a tenth associate, or bardd. cadeiriog, or fes
tive bard, and cannot have any other meaning: for, if bardd cad"-
riog denoted a person who has presided at a gorsedd, taken his de-

294
grees, &c, the falconer, farrier, and huntsman must have been gra»
duated, for they are called cadeiriog, as well as the bard. In the
laws of Howel, as printed, the festive associates are not properly in
dicated by figures; and the passage should be marked — " 10. FesT
tive Bard— 11. The Farrier of the Palace— 12. The House Stew?
ard — 13. Master of the Stables — and 14. The Head Huntsman."
.W. and C. Calan, from the 1. kalehda, the first day ofthe month.
C. Caid, a bondman, w. caeth, a captive.
G. and W. Cain, chaste, beloved, fair, beautiful.
W. Call, prudent, discerning, g. caill, a trick.
W. Cam, crooked, winding as the name of a riyer, w. aud g. in-'
jury, deceit, injustice.
C. and W. Cdn, a song, g. cqnntic, a song, a little song.
G. C. and W. Cdr, dear, a kinsman, a friend.
G. C. and W. Cam, a heap of stones.
W • Carreg, a stone, craig ; g. curraig, a rock, c. carrog, a brook.
G. Ceann, w. cen, the head, projection, production,
G. Cu, w. ci, a dog.
W. and C. Claf, sick ; g. claimh, the itch, w. clafr, the leprosy.
W. Cladd, c. cledd, a ditch ; hence the rivers Cleddeu, in Pembroke
shire, should be rendered ditches, as they covered the British en
campment, and afterwards the Roman station Ad Menapiam, at Am7
blestone ; c. cledhiou, ditches.
G. Clag, w. and c. cloch, a bell, or clock.
G. Clair, a board, or table, clairin, a cripple, clairseoir, a harper,
w. cler, music, and clcra, to go about with music, playing and beg
ging. In Glamorganshire the bards are called Gwyr Cwm y Felin, or.
beggars, who frequented the. mills for distributions of meal or flour. (
G. Clais, a stroke, an impression, claiseach, a sword.
W. Cledd, a ditch, fnrrow, mark, cleddyf, a sword.
G. Cle, left-handed, bepce w. gogledd, north, or to the left, for
when a Welshman stands facing the rising sun he has the south on
his right, and calls that point deheu, or the right, and the north gog
ledd, or the left ; be calls the east dwyrhain, (in g, dagrian,) the suns
or queens, alluding to the sun and moon rising in that quarter ; and
he denominates tfae west by the term gorlltwin, or the duniuution of
light. This distinction of the cardinal points, from the position of

£95
Ihe person, was taken by the Ancient Britons from tbe. position rif
the Roman augurs. — Lie. Dec. i. lib. 1.
G. Cleitaeh, full of rocks ; bence Clydath, a river in Wales, aad
Clyde, the name of several rivers.
G. Clo, a nail or peg, w. a lock.
G. Clog, w. and c. cloch, a bell.
G. Cloch, a stone, chchar, a stone surrounded by stones, Sec. ;
hence Maenclochog, the Menapia of the Romans in Pembroke
shire. W. and C. CISfi, lame.
G. Clais, w. and c. dust, the ear, the handle of a vessel.
G, Cnadan, a frog, vt.jfroga, bom ffiog, a fen, or moor.
W. Cnoi, to gnaw, g. cnaoi, consumption.
G. Cod, victory, w, and c. cad, war.
G. Coille, w. coed, c. coet, wood, timber, g. coid, sticks.
G. Codail, sleep ; hence e. to cuddle.
W. Coeg, vain, proud, c. cok, a fool.
W. Coel, belief, worship ; pren-coel, the cross, g. coitt, wood.
W. and C. Cqf, g. cuimkne, memory.
G, Ctir, c. coif, w. cwir, 1. cera, wax.
G. Cats, a foot, w. coes, a leg, g. coisin, a stem or stalk.
W. Calon, c. colon, the heart; g. ccdam, flesh, sense.
C, C6n, a supper, w. ciniaw, a dinner, or late meal.
G, W. and C. Copt, a horn, a drinking cup.
C. Carlo, w. ewrta, a sheepfold.
G. Creag, w. craig, c. ireeg, a rock,
W. Craw, c. era*, a pigrstye, or hut.
G. Croch, w. crog, c, crofr, hanging-place, or gallows, ^
W. Craw, g. cruin, round, bounded.
G. Cruit, w. crwth, c. croud, a Scandinavian fiddle.
G. Cu, w. and c. ci, a dog.
G. Chilean, c.coilon, a whelp or pup,
W. Dafn, a drop, g. daif, liquid, drink.
G. Dair, c. <Mr, w. derwen, an oak ; hence deiri, the inhabitants
of some parts of Northumberland, and of Gloucestershire.
G. Dais, w. dds, from f. to, a rick of corn.

296
W.G. and C. Ddll, blind.
G. Darcan, au acorn, w. mesen.
C. Dans, w. //an/, a tooth ; g. deideadh, the tooth-ache, and dea®-,
tog, a nettle.
G. Deur, c. dagar, a tear, w. dagreit, tears.
G.and C. Dorn, the hand, w. dwrn, the fist.
C. and W. Darn, a piece, section, or fragment.
G. Deich, w. and c. dig, ten ; g. deichmhios, December, the tenth
month. G. Dia, w. Duw, c. Deu, GOD.
G. Dia, c. rf«r, w. dydd, the day, or sun, which was worshipped by
the Ancient Britons ; even the modern inhabitants repeat their be-:
lief with their faces toward the rising sun, and that m evening ser
vice ; thus turning their backs on the object of their veneration. '
The Days of the Week are called hy the Welsh —
Sul, unity, sun, god of day, to whom the Gauls devoted bands of
warlike men, who were called soldwii, or troops of the suu.
IMm, the image ofthe sun, the moon,
Mawrth, the great, the warlike, from mavors.
Mercher, Mercurius, the horseman, traveller, trader, &c. It is
worth noticing, that Langres, a town in the deparment of tbe Upper
Marne, in France, is of great repute, on account of its pig-markets ;
and the following inscription is legible over the gate ofthe town: —
MERCVRIO-MOCHO.
To the tutelar god of pig dealers,
lau, young, the father of nature, who never falls into years. The
Cornish word lou is irmre ancient, and corresponds with Ioupater ;
but that dialect is almost lost, and the town Marchnadlov, or Thurs
day Market, is now pronounced Market Jew.
Gwener, from Venus Veneris, w. gwen, fair, agreeable.
Sadwrn, from Saturnus.
G. Dile, c, diet, w, dilute, a deluge, or inundation.
G- W. and C. Din, a hill, place of defence.
G. Diot, a meal, or dinner ; c. and w. diot, and diod, ale,
W. Dior, c. dauar, g. dur, water.
G. Draoith, a Druid ; g. and c. druth, a harlot,
W. Dyn, g. daine, c. dean, a man.

297
G. Each, a horse, eachlann, a stable.
G. Easgan, an eel.
G. Eirr, c. er, and w. eira, snow.
G. Eaglais, c. eg/ei, w. eglwys, a church, from the Norman French.
C. JEwhw, g. innis, w. yrcys, an island.
G. Anam, c. eaa, w. enaid, die soul,
C. Ehual, w. j/c/ze/, g. arc/, high.
W. and C. Fa, a bean.
' W. and C. Fystio, to beat, or thresh.
G. and C. Go}, evil warfare, battle, galli, powerful.
G. Gabh, w. and c. g&f, a smith. ,
G. Gabhail, spoil, booty, conquest ; w. and c. gavel, a tenure.
G. Gabhal-cine, holding by tribes or clans, similar to the present
baron and commoners,
W. and C. Garr, the shank.
W. and C. Gardd, g. gairdin, a garden, inclosed tillage, introduced
Jjy the Normans.
W. and C. Gafr, g. gabhar, a goat. ^
G. Galan, an enemy, w. galanas, enmity, devastation.
G. Gaoid, wind, bleak, gaoidhal, a Highlander or Irishman, cor
rupted in Welsh by the term gwyddel.
W. and C. Geneu, the mouth.
G. Garbh, w. and c. garw, rough, coarse.
C. Ger, w. gair, a word,
G. Geailh, c. gudh, w. gwydd, a goose.
G. Gast, an old woman; w. and c. a bitch : the word is of Scan
dinavian origin, and signifies one possessed, a sorceress, or Druidess.
G. Gamh, c. goyf, w. gauaf, winter, or unproductive : the other
seasons in Welsh are, gwanwyn, tender lambs; haf, the productive,
and hydref, corn home, or the autumn.
It is singular the English have no word for autumn, nor had the
ancient Germans. — " Autwmni nomcu acboita ignoraniur." — Tacit, de
Mor. Ger. because they divided the year into three seasons.
G. Gas, w. and c. gzeas, an attendant, or servant.
G. W. aud C. Glan, clean, pure, neat, handsome.

298
G. Glas, w. and c. c/o,"a lock, a fastening ; and of the same signi
fication as clavis, and a corruption of that word, which denoted a
secondary fastening.
G. W. and C. Gor, cor, and cwr, short, diminutive.
W. and' C. Gual, g. guall, low, vile, of no rank nor value.
G. Glasog, the pale bird, the wagtail ; w. and c. giienoi, white
belly, or weaver, and weaver's shuttle.
W. and C. Gwr a gwraig, man and wife.
 Gwyn, white.
¦  — GweU and gueli, a place to lie down, a bed.
 — Hqf and Han, summer, productive.
 Enew and Hanow', name or appellation.
— :  — Mir and Heer, long. -
 Helwr and heliai, huntsman, or pursuer,
—  Henaeth and heneih, a generation, race, a tribe.
- — Hwyad and hoed, a duck, or water fowl.
 Hoeden, a romp, from the e. high-down.
 Hwch and hoh, a sow.
 Halen and holoin, salt, from haul or hoil, the sun.

G. W. and C. lar, a bird, a hen.
G. Ifrion, c. if arn, w. yfern, hell, from rnfemum.
W. and C. Yd, corn, wheat.
 Isel, low, humble, the bottom.
~  Calanedd and kalanedh, slaughter, the slain iu war.
 Cath, cath, a cat.
 Cegyr, hegath, hemlock.
 Cyirch, kerh, oats.
 Cyfelin, ietelyn, length to the elbow, a cubit.
 — Ceiliog, kulliag, a cock, the male bird.
The Cornish used the letter k, because the Greek alphabet had
been introduced on their coasts : but the Gaels and Welsh write
•with the c hard, in imitation of their Roman masters.
G. Ladron, c. ladhron, w. lladron, thieves, murderers.
G. Laith, c. latt, w. llaeth, milk.
G. Lain, c. len, w. llawn, full.

299
G. Lamb, c. lau, w. Haw, a hand.
G. Leac, w. llech, a stone.
G. Leas, c. les, w. llys, a palace, court of law.
G. Loch, black, hence, Lochwr, a river in Carmarthenshire, and
loch and fcc/; are the old words for pools and lakes.
G. Loisg, c. lose, w. llosg, a burning.
G. Lua, c. fo, w. llif, water.
G. Luch, c. logoden, w. llygoden, a mouse, full-eyed.
G. Los, c. fos£, w. lost, a tail.
C. Lostek, fair tail, the fox, w. losl-lydan, broad tail, the beaver.
G. Mac, c. mab, w. mab, a son, from bach, little.
G. Jliao/, c. mod, w. raor/, bald.
G. Mam, c. mjaw, w. »wmj, mother.
The word Mam is mentioned by Varro — Cum cibum ac potionem
hurts ac pappas dicunt mat rem mammam, patrem tatam,
G. Mil, c. mel, w. mil, honey.
G. Mi, c. mis, w. mis, a month, lunation.
The months in Gaelic are Ceid Mios, the first month, Faoillidh,
bad weather, Mart, Aibrean, Bealtuin, w. Bellten the thunderbolt, or
Jupiter Tarannis, Ogmhios, the young month, or June, from Junius,
lui, the month of Julius, Ochdmhios, the eighth month, or August,
Seachdmhios, Ochdmhi, Naoimhios, and Deicbnhioi.
In Cornish, the months are Yenoar, Huevral Merh, Ebral, Me,
Ephan, Gorephan, East, Gledngala, or September, Hedra, October,
Mis-diu, or the dark month, November, and Kevardhin, the stormy,
or December.
W. Mis, a month, isa corruption ofthe Latin mensis, or perhaps is
the radix, for mensis was formerly written mesis, and is still to be so
seen on ancient monuments.
The months in the year in Welsh are
lonawr, from the Latin Januarius, from Janus, the Son of
Coelus and Hecate, was one of the two months added by Numa.
Chwefror, from Febrvarius, a februando, or the Roman custom
of offering sacrifices to expiate the sins of the past year. The true
sound of the Mlic F, or Digamma, seems to be preserved in the word
Chwefror. Varo, Priscian, Cassiodorus, and Terentianus, give to the

300
Digamma the sound of V : this, however, was given from conve
nience, because the Romans could not utter the guttural ; but- the
ancient Britons had the utterance, and had received the Greek let
ters, and their proper sounds, from the Alexandrian traders, who
frequented the southern and western coasts of Britain long before the
Roman invasion.
Mawrth, from Mars Martis, or Mavors, of whom it is said by
Varro —Mars ab eo, quod maribus in bello prceest : cut quod a Sabisis
acceptus, ibimamers. — Lib. 4.
Ebril, from Aprilis, — quod ver omnia aperit, but most likely from
Aper, as this is the proper season for snaring the wild boar, who- is
said to be sleepy in April and May.
Mai, from maia, the earth, the bona dea, or goddess of old people,
this being the last month in the year, in the time of Romulus, May
was called Trimilki by the Anglo-Saxons, because their cows in this
month were milked thrice a-day.
Mehcfin, or mishefin, the young month, is a translation of Metis
Junius, which, anciently, commenced the Roman year. The first of
June is Cyntffin in Welsh.
Gorphnaf (July), the resting month,
Aust, from Augustus : this month being ordered to be so called
by a decree of the' senate in compliment to Augustus Causar, fop
having reduced Alexandria, in Egypt, under the Roman power, — ,
Suet. 31. Dio. 55. 6.
Mtdi (September), the reaping month.
Hydref (October), the corn home.
Tachwedd (November), the stormy.
Rhagfyr (December), preceding the short day,
G. Measog, c. mesen, w. mesen, an acorn.
G. Milts, c. melus, w. melus, sweet.
G. Buidhe, c. milin, w. melyn, yellow.
G. More, c. moh, w. moch, pigs.
G. Muir, c. mor, w. mor, the sea.
G. Mur, c. mur, w. mur, a bulwark, and all derived from mor, great.
G. Nathair, c. nader, w. neidr, a snake or adder.
G. Neath, c. neid, w, nith, a nest, the town of Neath.
G. Ncamhidh, c. nef, w Nefoedd, the heavens, the sky.

301
G. Nearf, c. nerth, w. nerth, strength.
G. Nuna, c. naun, w. newyn, hunger.
G. Nochd, c. noath, w. noeth, naked.
G. Mac Brathair, c. noi, w. nai, a nephew.
G. Uan, c. oare, w. oen, a lamb.
G. Ola, c. o/e«5 w. o/eio, oil.
G. Air, c. our, w. aur, gold.
G. Mcacan, c. panez, w. panas, parsnip.
G. Pcaccadh, c.pechad, vr.pechod, sin.
G. Pian, c. poa?/, w. poen, pain.
G. Ceann, c. yerc, w. yen, the head of any animal, hill, or land.
C. and W. Po aud pou, a province, or lordship, hence Powys, the
lordship on the Wye.
G. Poll, c.pol, w. pwll, a pit.
G. Raich, c. braich, w. braich, an arm.
G. Ramh, c. rep, w. ranv/-, an oar.
G. Reo, c. reu, w. rhew, frost.
G. Riadh, c. red, w. redeg, running, racing.
G. Rimb, c. r/az, w. rhif, a number.
G. Rian, c. r«an, w. rhuan, the sea, pool, river.
G. Roimb, c. rece, w. rhufain, the city of Rome ; the Gaelic word
is formed from Rome, the Cornish from Roma, and the Welsh from
fiomana. G. Roinn, c. rhen, w. rkan-, a share, a portion.
G.Roinne, c. ren, w. mwng, horse-hair, mane.
G. Roith, c. rhot, w. rAdrf, a wheel.
G. Ruamh, c. re», w. rhaw, a spade.
C. Ro, w. rhodd, a gift, present.
Q. /1<m, c. r^«, w. rhos, a heath, promontory.
0. Beann, c. r%n, w. 6ry?i, a hill.
G. ^/^, c. rid, w. rAyrf, a ford, or passage.
G. Lion, c. ruid, w. rhwyd, a net.
G. Sac, c. sac, w. sach, a sack, which is of the same sound in all
languages. G. Soar, c. saer, w. sder, a sawyer, or carpenter.
G. Sceir, c. skerr, w. star/-, a sharp sea rock.
G. Scion, c. than, w. *c/e/r, a knife, or spear.

G. Sciobal, c. scaberias; w. ysgubor, a swept place, a barn fof
sheaves. <
G. Sciberneog, c. scovarnoeg, w. ysgyfarnog, long-eared, a hare*
G. Screacham, c. skrech, w. ysgrechain, to shriek.
G. Scuab, c. m£//, w. ysgub, a sheaf, a besom.
G. Seacaim, c. «%, w. sychu, to dry.
G. Sean, c. swoin, w. szdj/«, a charm.'
G. S/gA, c. sechys, w. 3/cA; ox, or any dry cattle, from sych,
G. Sgadan, c. eskadan, w. yscadan, herring, a shoal of fisb<
G. Sladuire, c. ladhr, w. lladdur, a murderer, a thief.
G. Sul, c. «///, w. s&l, the sun, the eye, observation.
G. Soc, c. soh, w. racA, a ploughshare,
G. Tarbh, c. tarn, w. tarw, a bull.
G. Tarvas, w. tarfutan, a phantom, ideal, scarecrow.
G. Tea*, c. to, w. tes, heat.
G. 2%A, c. ti, w. tt), a house.
G. Toll, c. roW, w. twit, a hole. Tullianum in carcere.
G. Tez»e, c. <an, w. tdn, fire.
G. TWi, c. ton, vi. ton, a wave.
G. Tor, c. £«r, w. twr, a tower.
G. Torch; c. forcA, w. torcX; a swine.
G. Traoich, c. rr«i/, w. troedfedd, a foot in length.
G. Triun, c. rrefOT, w. trian, poor, lean,
G. Tula, c. tyle, w. fj/fo, a hillock, habitation, hence tibi serviaf,-
ultima Thule. — Virg.
G; Torunn, c. taran, w. taran, thunder.
G. Tron, c. iron, w. trwyn, a nose, promontory.
G. Dim, c. tin, w. din, a fortified hill ; the word din, or den, is of
Scandinavian origin, and denoted a Druidical fort ; tbe British term
was llan.
G. Uir, c. tir, w. tir, tbe earth, Country, land.
G. Uan, c. oan, w. ocn, a lamb.'
G. Voir, c. owr, w. aw, an hour:
G. Uisg, water, and hence the name ofthe river Usk.
These dialects are not very pliant as materials of Grammar, for
they are bare of declension, thus — The Church of England is ex
pressed Church England, The maris wife is Wife ihe man; and the

303
verbs are stubborn in their conjugations ; thus — Amo, amas, &c, is
formed Ego sum amans, Tu es amaas ; and Amor, amaris, &c, are
in a circuitous and recurrent language, Est mihi amans. Est tibi
amans, &c ; but, as simple expressions, the words contained in the
Gaelic, Welsh, and Cornish, are applicable to the things, and exhibit
fair examples of the philosophy of language. And, however prowe
the inhabitants of different countries may be to tail into a mutual
contempt of language, every man of industry and liberality will
pronounce, that tfae Gaelic and Cornish are as essential to a learned
Welshman as the Anglo-Saxon, Danish, and Norman-French, are
acknowledged to be to a learned Englishman.

304

CHAP. XI.
British Antiquities.
ANGLESEY.
This island, if we trace the British sound from the
Latin word Mona, was called Myn, a mine, which
is now become obsolete, and the Welsh language has
only the plural mzvyn, mines.
Aberffraw, or the conflux of the Ffraw, was, in
96*6, destroyed by the Irish invaders, who had pre
viously slain Rodrig, the son of Edward Hoel.
This place was once the royal residence of the
princes of Gwynedd, and a place of record of the laws
of Hoel the Good.
Mr. Pennant says, not a vestige is to be seen of
its former boast: and the author of the Supplement
to Rowland's Mona laments that " we cannot, at this
time, discover any vestiges of the royal palace, nor have
we any records whereby to judge of its ancient form
and position ; but it is generally supposed to have been
situated in a field adjoining the town, on a spot where
a barn novr stands, which, probabLy, was built out of
its ruins ; for the stones, in some parts of it, appear to
have been better wrought than is common in such
buildings." These writers should have recollected that the Welsh
palaces, in the eleventh century, had nothing to boast
of, and that the royal places of record were erected
from the humble materials of watling and mortar, and
not so magnificent as a modern barn.
Beaumaris is so called from the church being dedi
cated to Beau Marie, or St. Mary, in Norman times. The
castle, now in ruins, was built by Edward I. about 1295,
and a garrison of about one hundred soldiers was kept

305
in, it, to overawe the Welsh, until, the close of the se
venteenth century. The castle covers a space of nearly
sixty yards square ; and the outer wall and ditch en
close a large extent of ground, so as to accommodate a
strong garrison, and give protection to, the defeated.
Caer Gybi, or Holyhead. The ancient church in
this place is within the ruins of a Roman station, and
dedicated to Cybi ab Selyf : it was enlarged into a col
lege by Hwfa ab Cynddelw, lord of Llys Llifon, in Ang
lesey, some time before 1£91, because this college was
rated in the Lincoln taxation in that year. Oh the
south .side of .the church are some remains of Eglwys-y-
Bedd, or Capel Llan-y-Gwyddel, so called from its be
ing erected over the grave of Serigi, an Irish chief and
invader, who was slain in this place by Caswallon Law
Hir : and on the northern wall of the church are the
words —Sancte Kybi ora pro nobis.
Din Sulwy. This place is affirmed by Mr. Fen
ton, in his Tour of Pembroke, 582, to have been the
largest British establishment in the whole principality,
crowning an eminence near Redxvharf.
It was unquestionably a place of sacrifice, and where
victims were offered to the Sun, by the Druids, or Scan
dinavian priests.
Llangadwaladr, dedicated to St. Cadwaladr, the
last British king.
The author of Mona has the following statement :—
A.D. 676. Cadwaladr, son of Cadwallo, crowned king.
 650. King Cadwaladr caused Llangadwaladr to
be built;
that is, twenty-six years before he was crowned, and de
dicated to himself.
There is a stone over the south door of the church of
Llangadwaladr, with the inscription — Catamanus Ilex
Sapientissimus Opimatissimus Omnium Regum.
This Cadfan was the grandfather of Cadwaladr. The
inscription is not ancient ; for Cadwaladr died inthe
•commencement of the eighth century ; and all churches
in Wajes are modern erections.
Llanedwen. Near this place, on the banks of the
x

306
Menai, is the greatest Cromlech in Anglesey, and sup
posed to be an altar on which the Druids offered to
the Sun the sacrifice of human victims. The church of
Llanedwen is said to have been erected in A.D. 640 —
about A. D. 1440 would be nearer the truth. The
Rev. Mr. Rowland, author of the Mona Antiqua, lies
buried here, under a tomb-stone of Anglesey black
slab, bearing a Latin inscription, written by himself.
The wandering stone, Maen Morddwyd, is secured
in the wall of this church, and deprived of its locomo
tive impositions.
Llanidan, dedicated to St. Aiddan Foeddawg.
Mr. Rowland, in his Mona Antiqua, has given fanciful
descriptions of groves, temples, courts of justice, &c. in
the parish of Llanidan ; and closed his list of the mar
vellous with a drawing of a medallion, having a profile
On one side more like a Welsh mdrrk than a Galilean
fisherman; and on the reverse^"" This is Jesus Christ
the Reconciler," in imperfect Hebrew,
Newborough. This place had formerly a tempo
rary residence of some of the English kings ; but has
nothing left to indicate ancient grandeur. The inscrip
tion on the stone at Vrondeg, now not legible, has been
read Filius Ulrici erexit hunc lapidem — which was a
triumphal monument of some northern chief that had
invaded the island.
LlanVAEs. The Friary was founded here by Lle
welyn ab Iorwerth, over the grave of his wife Joan,who
was daughter to King John, and died in 1137. These
friars were favorable to the cause of Glyndwr, and on
ffiat account they were reduced to eight, and only two
of the number allowed to be Welshmen. The church
has been for many years converted into a barn, and the
coffin of the princess Joan used for a watering trough.
Llan Jestyn. This church contains the tomb of
Jestyn, the saint of the place, who^was the son of Ge-
ttrint. Mr. Daines Barrington, in V. Archaeol. 24i,
shews pretty clearly that the real saint was Justinan, of
Brfctagne. The tomb-stone is not of greater antiquity
thWthe fourteenth or fifteenth century; and bears' the

307
inscription — Hie jacet Sanctus Yestinas, cut Guen-
llian Filia Madoc et Gryffyt ap Gwilym optulit in
oblacoem islam imagintm p. salute animarum s. The
dedicated figure represents a man, with a hood on his
head, a great round beard and whiskers : he is vested
in a long cloak, fastened by a broche ; in one hand is a
staff, with the head of some< beast on the top ; and in
the other is a scroll, with the above votive inscription.
BRECKNOCKSHIRE.
This district, anciently called Garth Mathdrym, or
Fox Hill, is said to have received the name of Brech-
einog from Brachan, the son of Awlach Mac Gormuc,
an Irish prince, by Marchell, daughter of Tydor, chief
of Garth Mathrym. Such is the fabulous tradition.
The truth, however, is, that Brecheinog in the Irish, or
ancient language of Cambria, signifies " a hilly country."
The following particulars respecting Brecknock are
collected from Leland : — " The castle standeth in the
suburbs, and is divided from the town by Honddu river.
At the end of the lower part of the castle cometh Hon
ddu into Usk, as soon as Usk is once passed through
the great bridge. Usk bridge, at Brecknock, was
thrown down by the rage of Usk water, in the 26th of
Hen. VIII. ; it was not by rain but by snow that came
out of the mountains. In all the lordship of Breck
nock was not in time of memory but the priory of
Black Monks, in Brecknock, a cell to Battle. Ber-
nardus de Novo Mercatu was founder of it.
The town of Brecknock is well walled, and hath a
fair castle joining to it : in the town is a mighty great
chapel, with a large tower for. bells. The paroche was
where the priory was : it standeth north, without the
wall, upon the ripe of Honddu."
Brecknock. The castle, and two religious houses,
of which some remains are still visible, were founded
by Barnard Newmarch, who, in A.D. 1090, conquered
and took possession of the lordship of Brecknock. The
castle of Brecknock was destroyed by/the inhabitants,
xS

309
in the time of Charles the First : this was a wise mea*
sure, for they saved themselves the expense of main"
taining a garrison, and delivered the town from the
desolations of warfare.
Y Gaer, about two miles north of Brecknock, called
also Caerbann and Benni, is the Castrum Bannii ofthe
Romansj and Caerfon of the Welsh. Several Roman
roads led "from this place ; and; <amohg others, one not
yet described led to the station east of the present Car
marthen. The course of this foad was over Tal-y->
Sarn mountain; Cefn Cethin, and Cefn Llanfihangel, to
Coed Gain or Ad Vigesumum ; but this being soon
superseded by another road on the other side of the
Towy, perhaps it would be in vain to search for the re
mains of what had been never completed.
Built had formerly a strong castle ; it was in the
possession of Roger Mortimer, in 1260, when it was
taken by the forces of Llewelyn ab Gryffydd. It is
called Built, or Buallt, from its having been woody or
boscage land. Llewelyn lost his life near this town in
a dingle, now called Cwm Llewelyn. This place has
been mistaken by antiquarians for the Bullceum Silu
rum, or present Caerfilly.
Llan deu,. a village on the road to Hay, and two
miles from Brecknock, was formerly the residence of
Gerard de Barry", ' or Giraldus Cambrensis, who was
archdeacon of Brecknock. The manor belongs to the
bishop of St. David's ; the mansion was formerly cas
tellated, but is How in fuinsj and fills the observer with
emotions of sorrow, that dilapidations do not work a
forfeiture of ecclesiastical preferments.
Llanavan, about five miles north of Built, is dedi
cated to St.. A yan, who lived in the beginning of the
sixth century, add was a son of Cedig ab Cynedda.
There is a stone in the church-yard with the inscription
Hie facet Sanctus Avanus episeopus ;— who was most
likely Avan Farddig, the bard to Cadwallon ab Cad-
fan. Llandegemman, one of the seven religious houses
of Dyfed, mentioned in the laws of Hoel, Dda, is at

309
present the name of a farm in St. Michael Cwmdu, in
the hundred of Crickhowel, formerly called YsrradyW'.
• Llangenan, another of the seven religious houses
of Dyfed, and now written Llangeney, is the name of a
parish, in the hundred of Crickhowel, and on the east
ern boundary of Brecknockshire.
The seven religious houses of Dimetia, or Dyfed,
rnentioned in the laws of Howel the Good, lib. ii. c. 9.
are St. David's, St. Ismael, Llandegfan, Llantwit, Llan
Teilian, or Landaftj St. Dogmels, Llandyfeiliog, and
Llangynwy. The passage alluded to runs thus; —
Saith Ysgobty y sydd yn Nyfcd. Un yw Mynyw
yn eisteddfa arbennig ym> Nghymru. AU yw eglwys
Ismael. Trydydd Llandegman. Pedxverydd Llan
JJssytld Pymmed Llan Delaxv. Chwechfed Llan
Denlydawg. Seithfed Llan Genau. — These names of
places are indefinite, and do not include Neath, Mar
gam and Strata Florida; and are, therefore, of no
weight. Mr. Theophilus Jones, like all country histo
rians, by crowding extraneous matter, has, perhaps,
wandered in his conjectures respecting Llandegeman
and Llangenan, and been a little too covetous, by en
riching his work with two religious houses in one hun
dred. Llangattock. On the mountains of Carno, in thfs
parish, are two great heaps of stones or carneu ; in one
of which is a cistfaen. The great battle between Ethel-
wald and Rodri Molwynog, in 726, is said to have
been fought on these mountains. ' .
Crickhowel, from Crug Howel, an ancient British:
fortress, on the Breannog mountain. The castle in the;
town was erazed by Owain Glyndwr. ,
. There is on the borders of Crjckhqwel a stone, nine,
feet long, and now thrown down, with a-n inscription,
which has created great inquiry and many conjectures.
It will, at las,t, be discovered to be a boundary stone,
informing the reader, in Latiri.or Norman French, that
the. possessions of Tuber ville extended to this spot.
- Brynllys Castle, on the^ banks of the river Llyfhii
represents its former grandeur by a tower, -and parts of

310
its walls still remaining : it was formerly the property
of the Clifford's.
Hay. The tumulus, near the church, is supposed to
have been the site of an ancient British fort or timber-
fence. The castle was built, and the town was sur
rounded with strong walls, by some of the Norman
adventurers, lt was given by Edward the First to
Humphrey de Bohun ; and the remains are testimonies
of fallen greatness.
Llandefailog. There is a tomb-stone in the
church-yard of this place, with an inscription that is
hardly legible. It has been represented as the sepul
chre of Brochwel Ysgythrog ; but from the letters and
military events, it is more like of being the tomb of
F.I.R. mael, as has been already noticed in this work.
The church is dedicated to Maelog ab Caw ab Cawr-
daf ab Cradoc Fraich-fras, prince of Brecknock ; and
the letters on the threshold ofthe church door are com
memorative of some ancestor of Maelog.
Llanwrthwl. In this parish is a common, called
Rhds Saith Maen, or the Seven Stones Heath ; and
near it another, called Rhds y Beddau, or the Heath of
the graves, which refer to Druidical rites.
. Llanflhangel Cwmdu. In a field not far from
Tretower, in this parish, is a stone, thrown down, with
the inscription : - Catacus hie jact, filius Tesernacus ;
— for which " Cadog, the son of Dyssyrnawg, lies here,"
is offered as a conjectural reading.
Some Roman encampments, and British posts or
banks, are pointed out in this parish, and deserving of
local interest.
Llanddetty. The Roman road, from the Bullseum
Silurum, or Caerfilly to Bennium or Gaer, near Breck
nock, traverses tbe whole of this parish from south to
north. Llansaintfread. The Roman road crosses this
parish from Cathedin to Llanhamlach ; and on this
road, near Scethrog, is a stone, with an inscription —
filius victorim — and the valley near it is called Cwm
gelanedd, or the valley of slaughter by tan enemy. The

^ 311
word preceding filius is not intelligible ; but the stone
is sepulchral on the son of Cadwgan : this inscrip
tion, and that at Llanfihangel Cwmdu, are to the me
mory df men who fell in the defence of their country
against the Norman adventurers.
Llanhamlach. On the farm of Maenest, or Maen-
ast, the stone of the sorceress, is a cromlech, which
gave name to the farm. The cromlech is now called
Ty Illtid, or the cell of St. Iltudus: and the inside re
presents several geometrical figures, drawn by the
hands of idle visitors. It was formerly surrounded by
a circle of stones, at a few paces distant from the crom~
lech ; but these stones, called Meini Jlltud, have been
all removed, and nothing; now remains but the cromlech.
Llanfrynach. In 1775 a Roman bath was dis
covered, in a field called Carneu Bach, near the village ;
and in a field, called Cae Gxvyn, belonging to a farm,
called Ty-yn-y-lhvyn, was a great heap of stones, or
carn, which, when cleared, for the purposes of agricul
ture, a cistfaen was discovered, which contained a
quantity of human bones ; and what is singular, the lid
had also upon it a quantity of human bones, which
clearly shews the sacrificial use of the cistfaen.
Vaenor. There was a cross in this parish, in the
time of Gibson, with a Latin inscription — In the name
ofthe Father, Son, and Holy Ghost — which is not at
present to be found, nor are any traces left.
There is, in the same parish, near the river Llyseuog,
on the road from Brecon to Merthyr, a stone, with the
words
TIR  V S
C A T I R I
which are to be read tirminus, or terminus catiri,
the boundary of Cadir, the supposed name of the
manor or proprietor.
Periderm, or Pen-y-daren. A long boggy common in
this parish, is celebrated for a battle which took place
there, between Jestyn ab Gwrgan and Rhys ab Tewdwr,
in which the former was victorious; and, in conse-

312
quence, the common is called Hirwain-Wrgan, frorn
Gwrgant. Ystradfellte, the stratum or Roman road on the
river Mellte. In this parish is Maen M<*dog : the
£enour of the inscription is uncertain.
CAERNARVONSHIRE.
This county is called Caernarfon, from its being
opposite to Mona.
Caernarvon. The Setdntiorum Portus, Seteia
JEstaarium, and Scgontium of the Romans, was the
Caer Stient, or fort, on the river Seint of the Britons.
It was also called . Caer Custent, and Hin Gaer
.Custenin, from its being the supposed burial-place of
Constantius : and Mathew of Westminster states, that
about 1283, the body of Constantius, father of the em
peror Constantine, was found here, and deposited in
the church by prder of king Edward the First.
Caernarfon Castle was built, .or rather repaired, in
,1283, by Edward I. ; and his consort Eleanor was der
livered in the Eagle Tower, in this castle, of Edward,
the first English Prince of Wa!es, and afterwards Edr
ward II. of England.
Many parts pf this castle are in a perfect state, and
preseptfine specimens of old English architecture.
Bangor, sometimes called Bangor Faxvr lurch
Conwy, Bangor Faxvr yn Arlleclm edd^ and Bangor
Deifiiol, was founded in the sixth century by Deniol
ab Dunod ab Pabo ; and Daniel was appointed the
first bishop.
Conxvay Castle was built by Hugh, earl of Chester,
in the reign of William the Conqueror, and repaired by
Edward I., in 1284: it was afterwards put in a state
of improved defence by Dr, John William James, arch
bishop of York, at the command of Charles :I , on the
commencement of the civil wars, ln 878 the Welsh
obtained, near this place, over the joint forces of the.
English and Danes, a signal victory, which has been
¦ called Dial Rodri, or the Revenge oi' the Death of Ro
derig.

313
Conway Abbey was founded by Llewelyn ab Ior
werth in 1 1 85. This place was a depository of na
tional records, and the mausoleum of many of the
princes of North Wales. Gryffydd, son to Conan ab
Owen Gwynedd, was buried here in the year 1200;
Howel ab Gryffydd ab Cynan, in 1216: Maelgwn,
son of Prince Llewelyn, in 1230; Llewelyn ab Ior
werth, in 1240; Dafydd ab Llewelyn in 1246; and
Gryffydd ab Llewelyn, who broke his neck, in attempt
ing to escape from the Tower of London, in 1249-
Cricciaeth is supposed to have derived its name
from haying been a station of Agricola. This castle
had a garrison maintained iu it, after the subjugation
of Wales by Edward I., under the command of Wil
liam de Leybourn. Sir Howel-yrFwyall, who was a
descendant of Collwyn ab Tagno, and distinguished
hiniself under the Black Prince, at the battle of Poic-
tiers, was constable of this castle
Deganwy was built in a castellated form by the
earl of Chester, in 1210: it was called the Gannock
by the English. There are no remains left but the
foundations. Dwygyfycheu. In this parish is a circular area of
eighty feet in diameter, formed by upright stones, with
a cistfaen in the centre ; these stones are called by
the common name of Meini Hirion.
Clynog Faxvr. An abbey was founded in this place
by Beupo ; and it was . afterwards dedipated to that
saint, and endowed by Anarawd. The present large and
handsome church is an erection of almost a late date,
and since the incorporation of Wales.
Dr. T. Williams, related, that}n 1594 he saw, in the
church of Clynog Faxvr, ap ecclesiastical history, which
had been, written by Turrog, who lived iq the time of
•Cadfan, prince of North Wales. Tyssilip, a son of
-Brochwael Ysgythrpg, is said to have been contempo
rary with Turrog, and to have written a Chronicle of
Wales. These productions are greatly lamented as lost,
'and the lamentators have never reflected that there
were no books contrived for many centuries after the

314
time of Cadfan, and that the imposture would be more
palatable if they had made use of the word rolj.
CARDIGANSHIRE.
This part of Wales was anciently called Tyno Goch,
or the Red Valley, and was given as a reward to Care-
dig ab Cynedda, for having driven the Irish out of
Wales, about the middle of the fifth century ; and hence
called Caredigion, or Cardigan.
, The Castle of Aberteify, or Cardigan, of which
there remain only two round towers and some of the
walls, was originally a Norman fort, erected in the
eleventh century, by Roger de Montgomery, earl of
Shrewsbury. As a fort, it was alternately occupied by
the Normans and Welsh, until the time of David ab
Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, about A. D. 1240, when Gil
bert Marshall, of the Pembroke family, built a regular
castle, some remains of which are the present ruins.
The church is dedicated to the Virgin; the arms of
Edgar Atheling, on one of the panes of glass in the
eastern window, is a priestly imposition, for the first
manufacture of glass in Britain was at Crutched-friars,
in London, in 1557j and this church has been built
since that time.
A Welsh saint, of the name of Mathaiarn ab Bry
chan, is said to have been buried in this church-yard ;
but his relics perform no miracles, for his bones are
re-dusted, and men are not credulous. There was for
merly, on the river side, at the eastern end of the
church, a priory or cell of black monks, which belonged
to Chcrtsey, and afterwards to Bisham Abbey.
Llangoedmawr, High Wood. This church is dedi
cated to St. Cynllo ab Mor ab Ceneu ab Coel Godebog.
A tumulus in this parish, on a hill, called Corxvg Mazvr,
points out the spot where Gryffyth ab Rhys ab Tew
dwr, in 1135, gained a complete victory over the Eng
lish army, whose generals, Richard de Clare and bis
son Gilbert, had been previously slain by Morgan ab
Owen, of Carleon.

315
On a field, called Cantllevas, in this parish, there
was formerly a huge stone, called Llech-yr-ast : a circle
of stones was near it ; and, in the neighbourhood, an
other great stone, called Llech-y-gawres ; all noticed
by Edward Llwyd, and now thrown down or removed
into some better use.
Llechryd. This church is dedicated to the Holy
Cross. The dissenting meeting-house in this place is
reported to have been built by Major Wade, an officer
of cavalry to the lord protector Oliver Cromwell.
Llandysil, dedicated to Tyssul ab Coron ab Ceredig
ab Cynedda Wledig.
On a stone forming part of the stile leading to the
chufch-vard are several letters, which form a rather
unintelligible inscription. The first part, CEDVOR,
seems to allude to Cedifor ab Dinawol, who was con
temporary with William Rufus, and lord of Castle
Howel, in this parish.
This castle was originally called Castle Humphrey,
from some Norman adventurer, who erected it, to keep
the country in subjection, and to form a refuge for him
self and followers. In 1150 this castle was repaired
by Howel ab Owen Gwynedd, and since that time has
been called" Castle Howel.
Castell Abereinion, which was built by Maelgwyn
in 1205, is now called Cil-y-Graig, and is merely a
circular moated tumulus.
Castell Gwynionydd, now called Castell Coedd Fan,
which was given by prince Llewelyn in 1216 to Rhys,
the son of Gryffydd ab Rhys, presents very humble
remains. There are four carneddau, or sepulchral heaps of
stones, in this parish, and on opening have been found
to contain earthen jars, with the ashes of the dead-
Troed yr Oer, dedicated to St. Michael. The
great mound of earth in this parish, called Crug-y-
Balwg, is probably the grave of Maelog
Blaenporth, dedicated to St. David. An old
intrenchment 'on the road side in this parish, called
Y gaer, points out the fort built by earl Gilbert, and

316
the Flemings, and which was besieged by Gryffydd ah
Cynan in 1 } 14.
Llanfihangel Pen-y-Bryn, or St. Michael on
the Hill. In a field in this parish, called Pare Car-t
reg-y-Lluniau, is a stone about five feet in height, and
about two feet in width, with the inscription — For Ba
le nci jecit Ordous— the army of Valence defeated the *
North Wallians. This Valence, who was cousin ger-
man of Edward the first, fell fighting with the Welsh at,
Llandilo, a short time before the demise of Llewelyn ab
Iorwerth. There is also in this parish a stone, called Llech yr
Ochain, or the Stone of Grief, near a well, called
F/ynon Waedog, or the Bloody Well, as referring tq
some obsolete and sanguinary sacrifices of barbarous.
times. Llanwenog, dedicated to St. Gvvynog ab St. Gildas,
In a field, called Caebant, on a farm, called Bwlchmawrt
in this parish, is a tumulus, called Crxig yr Eidon, or
the Tumulus of the Ox, which was opened many years
past, and found to contain an earthen glazed coffin, in
an upright position, and inclosing human bones : and
in a field, called Cae'r Faes, or the Field of Battle,, on
the farm of Tycam, is an old intrenchment, now called
Clawdd Butirih, or the Foss of the Cattle Yard. Thus,
have these two remains outstood the tale of tradition.
At the entrance into the kitchen garden of Llan-,
vaughan is a monumental stone, about nine feet high,
formerly moved from the eastern wall of Capel Whyt,
in this parish, which bears the following inscription :—
Trenacatus icjacet filius Maglagni , arid is to be read
Truncatus, or Trenecatus ic jacei filius Maglagni ;
that is, " Here lies the Beheaded, or basely murdered.
Son of Malgwyn" — which had reference to the remains
of Rhys, the son of Malgwyn, a youth of only seventeen
years of age, and a great favorite of the, Welsh, who,
had been hanged and beheaded in 1211, at Shrews-:
bury, by Robert Vipont.
, Cetlan, dedicated to All Saints, and signifies the Re^
tired Place. ,-.,--

317
. .Near Frwd Cynan, Or. the Rapid .Stream,, in this
parish, is a stone, eleven yards in circumference, called
L'lech Cynan, from the odjoining stream, and having no
inscription it communicates no signification.
There are numerous carneu, or carneddau, or grave
tumuli, in th s parish : on one of them is a stone, called
( 'arreg tair groes, the Stone of the Three Crosses or
Three Martyrs, where divine service was probably per
formed before the erection of cells, and subsequently of
churches. There are also on the mountain, south of the Frwd,
two,stories, one called the Byrfaen, the Short Stone ;
and another, called Hirfaen-gwyddog, or The High
Directing Stone; the former stone being short, and not
sufficiently conspicuous for that purpose.
Silian, dedicated to St. Sulien. In this church
yard is a monumental stone, only a foot appearing above
ground, with an inscription in Runic knots. The dif
ficulty in deciphering such inscriptions consists in find
ing out the commencement ofthe inscribed sentence.
Llandysilio Gogo. St. Dyssil. Near Llxvyndafydd,
the ancient residence of Dafydd ab Iefan, where he en
tertained the earl of Richmond, on his return to Bri
tain, is a moated tumulus, called CasUll Caerxvedros., or
the Sanguinary Fort. This castle was, in 1 1 35, in the
possession of the Normans and Flemings, and in the
same year destroyed by Cadwaladr and Owain Gwyn
edd, the sons of Gryffydd ah Cynan.
Llanarth. In this parish was anciently Castell
Mabwynion, which was taken by the lord Rhys, or
Rhys ab Gryffydd ab Rhys, from Roger de Clare, earl
of Gloucester, in 1 165, and. afterwards allotted to the
same. lord. Rhys by prince Llewelyn, in 1216. The
present remains are visible in the old intrenchments of
Cast ell. Moeddyn, or in that of Pen-y-'gaer.
Ystrap.: At Maes Mynach, in this parish, is a
monumental stone, with Runic knots, being a monastic
mode of raised sculpture : and about a mile to the west
of Llanllear is an old cottage, said to have been for
merly a chapel to a nunnery, ox Llanllear, as trans
lated into Welsh.

318
Ystrad Flur, or Strata Florida. The ancient ab
bey in this place was founded by Rhys ab Gryffydd in
1164, which he confirmed by his charter in 1J84, and
had Sisiius for its first abbot. The public events of
South Wales were recorded here, until the demise of
Llewelyn ab Gryffydd, in 1270.
This venerable edifice was burnt down in the wars
of Edward the First, who afterwards, in 1294, granted
a licence to the abbot to rebuild the abbey : but all
that remains at present is merely the north gate or en
trance™ The old church-yard contained about one hundred
and twenty acres, and was the burial-place of princes,
abbots, and eminent persons ; but not a line, not a
fragment of a tomb-stone is now left.
Llanddewi Brevi. The inscription*
HIC JACET 1DNERT FILIUS
QUI OCCISUS FUIT PROPTERP
SANCIT,
formerly over the chancel door, is now placed over the
window of the north side of the chancel, and implies,
Here lies Ednerth, son of Cadwgan, who was put to
death for violating this sanctuary of St. David.
Llanxemnws. In this church-yard is a monumental
cross and inscription, in memory of Heroidis filii Caro
Iltuti, that is, of Heraidd, Son of Caron, Son of Iltudus.
Aberystwyth. This castle was built together with
that of Cilgerran or Dingeraint, in 1109, by Gilbert
de Strongbow, son of Richard le Clare, who had a
licence from Henry the First to seize and occupy the
lands of Cadwgan ab Bleddyn.
Gryffydd ab Rhys took this castle in 1 1 35, -and put
to death the Normans and Flemings, who garrisoned it.
Cedwalach afterwards repaired, Owen Gwynedd took,
and Maelgwyn, in 1208, demolished this ancient fortress.
In 1277 it was rebuilt by Edward I. In the begin
ning of the fifteenth century it was taken, given up, and
retaken by -Owain Glendwr, and from 1408, has con
tinued in the hands of the English. The present remains
consist of the ruins of gateways and towers, which giye
an idea of its pristine strength and extent.

319
Castell Gualter, a little above the church of Llan-
fihangel Gennau r Glyn, of which there are but few
remains, was built by Walter Espec to protect his ac
quired territories in Cardiganshire, and was destroyed
in 1135 hy Cadwaladr and Owain Gwynedd, the sous
of Gryffydd ab Cynan.
Tregaron. There is stone in the church-yard of this
place, with the inscription,
POTx HANC
MALHER,
which is to be read — Posuit crucem hane.
Mailyr. — This Mailyr was the son of Rhywallon ab
Gwyn, and partizan of Trahaern ab Caradog, in his
wars with Gryffydd ab Conan, and fell in the battle of
Carno, in A. D. 1010.
CARMARTHENSHIRE.
Carmarthen, the Maridunum of Ptolemy, and the
Maridunum of Antoninus and Richard of Cirencester,
was the Muirdin,. or Sea Fort, of the ancient Britons.
The Roman station of Maridunum was at first on
the other side ofthe Towy : for the Romans in their
advances took their stations with the rivers in front, and
not on the rear, and such were the stations, Ad Iscam,
Ad Tibiam, Ad Nidum, and Ad Leucarum.
After the Romans had brought the Dimetaz to terms,
and formed Julian Roads, they took their station at the
present Carmarthen, and constituted it a muncipal
town: for it is visible, from the line of ruins, 'that the
ancient Maridunum was very extensive.
The castle of Carmarthen was built in 1144 by Gil
bert, earl of Clare ; taken and repaired by Cadell, son
of Gryffydd ab Rhys, in 1 149, retaken by the earl of
Clare ; taken by prince Rhys, in 1 196 ; by Llewelyn, in
1212; and in 1233 was attacked by the earl of Pem
broke, without success ; for after close investing the place
for three months, he was obliged to raise the siege.
The town or city of Carmarthen is mentioned in the
Elegy of Llywarch the Aged, on Cadwallon, king of
Britain.

320
Lhest Cadwallon tra Cjiaer
Fryddin a chynnwrf tae-r
Can cad, a thorn 'can caer.
"The host of Cadwallon through Caermarthen, in active bustleV' •'
Of a hundred battles, and the razing of a hundred forts. •..
The more ancient Roman station was to the east of*
the Toxcy, and called Ad Vigesimum, or Twenty Miles
from Leucarum, ov Castle Llwchwr. Coedgain, from its-
name and local distance, appears to be the Ad Vige-
sum, and to - which place the Roman road proceeded,
from Y Gaer, or Bennium, near Brecknock, over Tal-
sarn mountain, to the west of Castell Carreg Cynan\
and over Cefn Cethin and Cefn Ltanfihangel ; and
the stone on Cefn Cethin points, out this line of road.
St. Clare, or St. Clears. This castle stood on the
confluence of Cathgenny and the Taf, and was pro
bably. ,a Welsh castle, formed of a tumulus and
wooden piles.
Caeo, or Cynwil.Caeo, is remarkable for the re-
remains of its mines, which had been worked in an
cient times, and were subsequently places of refuge for
the Welsh, when defeated by their enemies.
At Pant-y-Polion, which should be written Pant-y-
Paulin, in this parish, is the following inscription: —
Servator fidei patriaeque semper amator,
Hie Paulinus jacet cultor pientissimus aequi ;
and is supposed to be the monument of Paulinus, who
opened a school at Whitland, in the time of Iltudus,
and was the preceptor of St. David.
In the same neighbourhood is another stone, with an
inscription, of which Mr. Edward Llwyd gave the fol
lowing transcript : —
TALOR ADVENTM AC VERAS
F I L I V S.

Our Author seems to mistake the first character,
which is a X : the first line, if left perfect, was
A L O R E D, and the whole of the monument should
be read— Alfred, the son of Edxvin, defeated.— This
Alfred was earl of Mercia, who invaded South Wales
in 981, and was defeated in this place by the princes
of North and South WTales.
Castell Carreg Cynen, the Stone Castle, on the river
Swift, in the parish of Llandilo, is an English structure,
over an ogof cavern, or place of retreat of the ancient
natives. This castle, from its locality, cut off the re
treat of the Welsh to this cavern ; and, like the Nor
man castles, kept the surrounding country in awe and
subjugation. It was taken in 1 248 by Rhys Vychari,
son to Rhys Mechel, from the English, to whom it had
been privately, and out of malice, given up by the mo
ther of Rhys Vychan.
Cidweli, or Kydwely, the confluence of the
rivers Gwendraeth Faxvr, and Gwendraeth Fychan.
This place was formerly occupied by the Scots, under
the government of the sons of Ceian, who were driven
out of this part of Wales by Cynedda.
The castle was built by Maurice de Londres ; de
stroyed in 1093 by Cadwgan ab Bleddyn; rebuilt in
1 190 by Rhys, prince of South Wales ; again demo
lished by his grandson, Rhys ab Gryffydd ; and at last
fell into the hands of the English government.
Henry VII. made a grant of this castle to Rhys ab
Thomas ; but, being forfeited by his grandson, Rhys
ab Gryffydd ab Rhys ab Thomas, it was then granted
to Richard Vaughan, Earl of Carberry, and President
of Wales.
Maes Gwenllian, near this town, is celebrated for
having been the scene of a battle, fought between
Gwenllian, the wife of Gryffydd ab Rhys and Maurice
de Londres, about the year 1 1 30.
Dinevor Castle, now in ruins, was built by Gilbert,
earl of Clare, and surrendered by him in 1 144 to Ca
dell, the son of Gryffydd ab Rhys, prince of South

322
Wales. It was then taken and retaken by the Nor
mans and Welsh chieftains very frequently. In 1257
the English besieged this place, but it held out until
relieved by the army of prince Llewelyn.
Dintvor signifies the weed or rush-place of defence ;
for the Welsh were very deficient in architecture ; their
palaces and forts were composed of hurdles and piles,
and the use of stones in building was introduced by the
Normans. It was, however, probably so called from a
wooden fence or fort raised here by Ifor of Bretagne,
in 710. In 1319 Hugh le Despencer was governor
of Drosslxvyn and Dinevor castles.
Laugharne, or Talachar Castle, was, on the death of
Henry II. taken by Rhys ab Gryffydd ; and again be
sieged and taken in the reign of king John, by Lle
welyn, prince of North Wales. This castle is some
times called Abercoxcin, and Abercorran, in Welsh
history. Llanstephan Castle was taken from the Normans
and Flemings by Cadell ab Gryffyd ab Rhys, in 1 145.
In 1 1 89 it was in the hands of the English, and taken
by Rhys ab Gryffydd : and, in 1275, prince Llewelyn,
after having defeated the English, under the command
of Stephen Langton. near Llandilo, overran the coun
try, and destroyed the castle of Llanstephan.
Llanddoisant. At Dyffryn Cydrych, in this pa
rish; were formerly extensive ruins and excavations,
called Llys Brychan : and, from this circumstance
Mr. Theophilus Jones concluded -that Garth Madrym,
or the lordship of Brecon, once extended to Llandilo and
Llandybie. Llanboidy. Gxval-y-Filast. A cromlech, in this
parish, indicates its having been the abode of some san
guinary priestess ; and Cil-y-Maen Llwyd presents a
Druidical place of sacrifice, twenty yards in diameter,
called Meinu Gwyr, or Circle of Stones.
Llan Newydd. On the road-side, in this parish,
is a stone to the memory of Severinus, the son of Seve
rus, a personage of lost celebrity, and a Roman soldier.

323
Llanfihangel Ieroth. On the west end of this
church is a Latin inscription —
H I C I A C I T
VLCAGNVS PVS
SENOMACI
" Here lies Maelgxvn, son of the lord Rhys."
Llandybie. This church is dedicated to Tybie, whose
festival is kept on the 26th of December, and contains
two handsome monuments : one to the memory of Sir
Harry Vaughan, of Derwydd* who mas major-general
in the army, under his relative, the earl of Carberry,
commandant ofthe forces of the counties of Carmar
then, Cardigan, and Pembroke, in the reign of Charles
the First. The other is the monument of Mrs. Vaughan,
also of Derxvydd, and of Golden Grove, and mother
of lady Stepney,
Tbe Stepneys were an ancient family of Hertford
shire ; and afterwards, by intermarriage, of Prender
gast, Lanelly, Langennych, and Derwydd; and pro
duced several men of talents : and it will be sufficient
to mention the names of Stepney, ambassador to Vi
enna, and buried in Westminster Abbey ; Stepney,. the
poet ; and the late Sir John Stepney, formerly envoy to
Hesse Cassel.
Llanfair-bryn, near Landovery ', was one of the Ro
man stations, on the road from Gloucester to St.David's.
Sir Richard Colt Hoare has discovered, that a Roman
road led from this place, through Caeo to Loventium,
or Llanio-issa, &c, (probably a road of communica
tion with the mines of Caeo); and that another Roman
road, or causeway, proceeded through Ludlow Fach,
and by Landrindod Wells, to the station on the river
Ython. Landovery. This castle was the property of Rich
ard de Pwns, and commanded by Meredydd ab
Rhydderch ab Caradog, in A.D. Ill 3, when it was be-
* It is hardly worth noticing, that Ihe author of this History was
born at Derwydd, and hence is a natal Druid.
Y 2

,324
sieged, without success, by Gryffydd ab Rhys. It was
afterwards governed by Walter Clifford ; and taken by
Rhys ab Gryffydd in 1 1 30, and by Rhys ab Gryffydd
in 1201.
Llangadock. This castle was taken by Rhys ab
Gryffydd in 1203.
Whitland Abbey, ot Bangor-y-Ty Gwyn, is said to
have been the school of Paulinus, who lived at the close
of the fifth century.
This abbey was founded by Bernard, bishop of St.
David's, in the year 1 143.
The White House on the Tfif, where Hoel the Good
compiled his code of laws, in 940, was in the neigh
bourhood of this abbey, if not on the same spot ; for the
ancient palaces ofthe Welsh prince's being composed of
merely piles and hurdles, and inferior, in point of com
fort, to a modern barn, were thrown aside, to give room
to a more substantial species of architecture.
Nexvcastle in Emlyn. This castle is a Gothic build
ing ; was taken, in 1215, by Llewelyn, prince of North
Wales, who gave it, hi the year following, to Maelgwn
son of prince Rhys : it was afterwards rebuilt by Sir
Rhys ab Thomas.
Trelech. Crug-y-Dyrn, in this place, is a com
plete carnedd, with a cistfaen in the centre, and covered
all over with mould ; it appears to have been a place
of sacrifice, which the Druids secreted on their retreat.
The word Dyrn, or Fists, implies that it was a place of
combat, or that the victims were beaten to death by
the priests of the victors.
Henllanamgoed. The inscription on the fallen stone
at Parkeu —
CRENVEND AN
FIL BARCVN
is to be read — Crinwinddaf, the daughter of Merchyn,
DENBIGHSHIRE-
Denbigh signifies a toft, or small hill, and was

32.5
formerly called Cledfryn yn Rhds, or the Craggy Hill
on the Heath.
Denbigh Castle was erected, and the town of Den
bigh walled in by Henry Lacy, earl of Lincoln, in the
reign of Edward the I. It was afterwards granted suc
cessively to Hugh de Spencer, to Roger Mortimer, earl
of March ; to William Montacute, earl of Salisbury ; to
Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester ; and to the earl of
Portland. Clunog. The stone in this place, with the inscription

MWJim

is Edwini Occisiq — The Slaughter or Fall of Edwin.
This Edwin was the son of Eineon ab Owen, of South
Wales ; and was defeated together with Meredydd ab
Owen in the battle of Llangwm, in 992.
Llanegxvast, or Vale Crucis. The inscription on
the broken cross, about two fields north-west of the
abbey, has been fairly deciphered by Edward Llwyd,
though he threw aside the other at Voelas as desperate,
and left it for the amusement of the present writer.
The inscription on the cross of Vale Crucis com
memorates Congen ab Cadell ab Brochwael Ysgyth-
rog ab Eliseg, who was slain in the battle of Chester
in 607. The letters on this cross are of a subsequent date to
the time of Congen, and of the same character as the
inscription on the cross of Ilci or Alice, still legible at
Margam, in Glamorganshire, which was erected and.
sculptured about the close of the twelfth century,

326
Voelas. The following inscription, in this place has
distracted all antiquarians :

7'Ljt)/(/vfY>lO(/ie

of

av 
logo Brenin Edwali Fil. Eineon, Foredydd et Roderic
et Edwin Fil. Owed optimi principis hie pugnavit.
King lago, the son of Edwal, in this place fought
Eineon, Meredydd, Roderic and Edwin, the sons of
Howel the Good. FLINTSHIRE.
This district, after being taken possession of by the
Saxons, was granted by Anarawd to the oppressed
Cumbrians, who were driven out of Cumberland by the
Saxons about A. D. 890. It is probable the national,
name of these settlers was, Flyn, or Flyndi.
Flint Castle -was built by Henry II., and repaired by
Edward I. It was taken and reduced to ruins by Rhys
ab Maelgwn, and Gryffydd ab Meredydd ab Owain,
in 3281.
Bangor, now a small parish church, was once the
celebrated monastery of Bangor Is Coed, and con
tained above two thousand monks. It was founded by

3Q7
Dunod Fawr, the son of Babo, in the sixth century, and
after his name, called Bangor Dunod.
St. Asaph, or Llanelwy, was founded by St. Mungo,
commonly called Kentigern of Scotland, in the year
543 : and after the resignation of St. Mungo, it was
governed by St. Asaph. In the time of Howel the
Good the abbot of this Monastery was Chebur, and
he was one of the attendants of Howel when he went
to Rome, to obtain a confirmation of his code of laws
from the Roman pontiff. -
This abbey, like all others in Wales, was originally
built of timber and mortar, afterwards of stone ; and
was burnt by Owen Glyndwr in the year 1402, during
the episcopacy of John Trevaur the second. It was
afterwards rebuilt, or rather restored to its present state,
by bishop Redman, about the year 1473.
Basingwerk castle. Some vestiges of which still re
main near Watts's dyke, was taken and demolished by
the Welsh, rebuilt by king Stephen, and afterwards
besieged and destroyed in the year 1 1 65, by prince
Owen Gwynedd.
Caergxvrle, or Caergawrle, was a camp of the Legio
Vict rix.
Mostyn Mountain. On this hill is a remarkable
monument to the sun, very much like the hirmensul of
the northern countries of Europe. It stands eleven
feet above the pedestal, having regular circles, and di
verging right lines, and a few illegible letters ; and is
called Maen Chxvyfan, or the Stone of Grief.
Near this monument are several Tumuli, containing
human bones, called Y Gorseddau, or the Sessions,
which clearly allude to the human sacrifices of the
Druids to the Solar Planet, at appointed sessions, or
meetings. /
Caerxvys appears to bave been a Roman station.
The inscription in this parish,
HIC IACITMVLI
ERB  OBIH,
has been read the Wife of some Person ; but as the H

328
is often pronounced N, it is more probable it should he
read Meilyr, and something terminating in yftn.
-Rhyddlan. In this place a signal battle was
fought in 794, between the English and Welsh, in
which Caradog ab Gwyn, king of North Wales, was
slain. Llewelyn ab Sitsyllt built a fort in this place in the
beginning of the eleventh century.
The castle, which was one of the most important
fortresses for keeping the Welsh in awe, was erected
by Robert de Rhuddlan, in the reign of William the
Conqueror. Caradog informs us, that in 11 67, Owen
Gwynedd, prince of K orth Wales, Cadwaladr, his bro
ther, and Rhys, prince of South Wales, besieged and
took the castle of Rhuddlan. In 1214 it was again,
besieged and taken by Llewelyn ab Iorwerth.
King Edward the First fortified this castle in 1277,
and in the twelfth year of his reign, held a parliament
here, when the Statutum Walliaz, or Statute of Rhudd
lan, was enacted, GLAMORGANSHIRE.
This county derives its name from the Welsh Mor-
ganxcg, which signifies the White Sea personified, and
is very correctly expressed by the word Sxvansea.
Barri is a small island on the southern coast of this
county, and was the residence of St. Baroc, whose
remains are said to have been buried in a chapel, now
overgrown with ivy. The family name of de Barri
was from this island.
Cardiff, Caerdydd, Caerddf, or Caertophe Castle,
was built by Robert Fitzhammon in A. D. Ill 0.
Ifor Ddu took this place by surprize, and carried away
William, earl of Gloucester, grandson of Fitzhammon,
and detained him prisoner until his ransom was paid.
and satisfaction made to the injured Welsh.
In 1232 Maelgwn and Rhys took this castle : in
1374 it was the residence of Edward le Despencer;
and in 1404 Owen Glyndwr burnt the town, and de
molished a great part of the castle of Caerdiff.

329
Cadngston. The stone on Banwen Byrddinfva. this
parish is inscribed MEARITINI FIL
BERIECI,
Merddin or Berddin, the son of Meyric; and the
river Pyrddin took its modern name from this nionu-
ment; for Pyrddin is not the descriptive name of a
river, because all rivers are called from their colour,
course, rapidity, &c.
Caerphtlly, the Bullceum Silurum of the Romans,
and said to be the largest castle in Britain, except
Windsor, was built by some Norman adventurers, and
enlarged, or repaired, by Edward I.
The Welsh call this place Castell Senghenydd, or
the Castle of Hennydd ab Bledryd, who died in 891.
The old word for water among the Silures was
Buile, which the Romans would write Bulla, and by
adding the termination form into Bullceum. The mo
dern Welsh pronounced the words Caer Buile by the
expression Cacrfili : hence the name of Caerphily.
See Shaw's Gaelic Dictionary, word Buile.
This position of Bullceum corresponds with the as
sertion of Ptolomy, " His (i. e. Dimetis) magis ori
entates Sityrcs sunt in quibus urbs BuUceum."
Cefn Bryn in Gower is remarkable for its stupen
dous Cromlech : the upper or capsular stone is sup
posed to be of 20 tons weight. *
Ewenny. This priory was founded by Moris de
Londres,.. hi the twelfth century, and dedicated to St.
Michael Gower, or Gwyr, a district of this county, is so
called, because Gwyr signifies an encircled space, and
this peninsula is nearly surrounded by the sea and rivers.
It was subjugated by a Norman adventurer, of the
name pf de Newburgn, earl of Warwick.
Gelli Gaer. On" this hill is the inscription
YEFroim
ViE FJIONTI, which, if left complete, and not worn

330
out by intermediate ages, would have been Via Frontina,
or the road of Julius Frontinus. This Via Julia Mariti^
ma passed from Ad Tibiam, or Caerfilly, to Bovium, the
present Meisgyn, or pasture land, then along the hills,
and crossed the road from Llanisawel to Neath, near
the erect stone in the field, near Penrhytin, to the sta
tion Ad Nidum, the Nest or Nestling, which is the
character of the river; and it is rather singular, that
the word for Nest is still written Neath in the Gaelic
dialect, Llangyfelach. On the mountain of Gelli Onnen,
in this parish, was a stone, called Croes*y-Garn, which
stood in the middle of a heap of stones, and was after
wards thrown down, and broken in three or four pieces.
It was a flat stone, three inches thick, two feet wide,
and about five feet in height : the top was round, like
the sun, and ornamented with knots. Below this, and
on each side, were human faces and hands, then fretted
work; and at the bottom of all were two feet cut out in
very rude sculpture. This monument was, at first, de
dicated to the sun, and afterwards altered into a cross.
In the same parish is Cam Llec hart, consisting of a
circular area of upright stones, eighteen yards in dia-.
meter, with only one entrance; and in the centre is a
cistfaen, or altar, for the sanguinary oblations- of the
Druids, and for a depository ofthe ashes of the victims.
There is also a similar circle on the mountain of
Drummeu, a few miles west of Neath.
Margam. This abbey, according to Leland, was
dedicated to theVirgin ; and hence Margam, or Mair-?
gam, the Virgin's Cross: it was founded in 1147, by
Robert, earl of Gloucester ; and, on the dissolution of
monasteries, granted to Sir Rice Mansell, knight. The
only remains now standing is the shell ofthe chapter
house, used for the parish church. The cross at Mar
gam was anciently a solar stone, and dedicated to the
sun ; but, like others of the kind, it has been crossed
by two grooves, on the introduction of Christianity,
and been made to undergo a change of masters.

331
There is a cross used as a foot-bridge, with the in
scription —
IICIFEIZIT
h/mcRL/ca
mmnornin Bdifummi*
that is, l( Alice raised this Cross for her Soul's sake, in
the name ofthe Supreme Being."
Another, used for the same purpose, in front of Cwrt-
y-Dcfed, is in the same character, and dedicated to the
Trinity, by R E S V S, or the lord Rhys ab Gryffydd.
And a third stone is sepulchral, with the words —
HIC IACET H EN RICVS, in Anglo-Saxon letters, and
is the monumental tomb of one ofthe abbots of Margam.
On the hill or mountain above Margam there is a
sepulchral monument, with tbe inscription —
BODAOC HIC IACIT .
J*S FILIVS CATOTISIRNI
PRONEPOSETERRA VENEDOCIA.
•' Here lies Madog ab Cedydd ab Sern, of North Wales."
And by the road side, from Kynffig to Cardiff we meet
wjth the following inscription :
PVNP CIUS
CARANTOPHVS,
and denotes the Cardiff Seigniory, Lordship, or Prin
cipality ; which included Kynffig : for Cardiff was
ealled Carantoph by the Normans ; that is, Caer on
the Taf; and is, in the present day, written Caertophe
by most antiquarians.
Landaf Cathedral. The first bishop of this place
was Dyfryg, or Dubricius, who was consecrated by Ger
manus and Lupus ; and on his promotion to Caerlleon
in 512, was succeeded by TeUo, or Teiliaw; hence
Landaff has been often called Llandeilo, Esgobaeth,
Teilo, &c,

332
Llychwr Castle, or A berllychzvr, was the Roman
station of Leucarum. This castle was taken by Merer
dydd and Rhys in 1150; and again by Rhys ab Gryff
ydd ab Rhys in 1215.
Lantwit, or Lantzvod, was anciently the school of
Iltudus, and is celebrated' for two monumental remains
in the church-yard : the one is the section of a cone,
with fret-work circles, and without inscription ; and the
other is the pedestal of a cross, erected by Sampsop, to,
the memory of Iltudus and himself.
fitT/ISa",P€\

i/Cf-JH-f-

\uf t

There is another cross in this church-yard, dug up
some years ago, and which is pretended to have been
erected in commemoration of king Ithel, by the same
Sampson, written here Samson : but this is a palpable
imposition; for Sampson died in the sixth century;
king Ithel fell in battle about the year 850 ; and the
inscription is in a round hand, of very recent times. If
the cross was meant to the memory of Ithel Hoel, the
imposture is equally evident, from the style of charac
ter and latinity, when compared with the cross of
Iltudus. Neath Abbey was founded in A.D. 1 1 1 1, by Richard
de Granville, lord of Glyn Nedd. The name of the ar
chitect was Lalys, who is said to have been eminent in
his profession; and to have obtained lands in Llan-
gewydd ; built Lalyston, and removed the parish church
to Trelalys, or Lalyston.

333
Antiquarians are divided respecting the dedication of
this abbey —some give it to the Trinity, and others to
the Virgin : the truth seems to be, that Neath Abbey
was dedicated to the Trinity ; and the abbey at Mar
gam, to the Vierge, or Mair ; and hence Margam.
The last abbot of Neath was John Lyson, or Eleison,
in whose time this church was in a flourishing condi
tion, and its buildings in a state of perfection and splen
dour, from the description then given, in an Ode, ad
dressed to Lyson, by Lewis Morganwg : this produc
tion of Lewis begins with —
" Oes Oesoedd llysoed Lleison."
And the following extracts present the most interesting,
and, at the same time, the most difficult passages :
" Abad pob Abad a'i pert,
Afal Duw o floedeuyn,
O flas oraits fal Sieron,
O feluster fal Awstin."
Abbot of Abbots, and in moral view
The fairest plant that e'er in Eden grew ',
With holy gifts endow'd, to him belong
St. Jerom's lofty thoughts, St. Austin's honey 'd tongue.
*' Teml Nedd, tai anil newyddion,
Duw mawlhair yn y deml hon ;
Dunawd tad Abad altebion, — Bernet
Baruwr crefyddoliou, &c. &c.
Dethol doethion
Hyder dysgydron,
O grefyddwyr gwar ufuddinn,
Noddfa'n hiaitb.nawdd Dduw fo'n hon."
In Neath's new temples tow'riug in the skies,
The notes of prayer aud praise alternate rise;
There Dunot leads ihe loud responsive song,
And Bernet rules the numerous, faithful throng;
There aged wisdom takes her long abode,
And labour'd learning rests his pond'rous load ;
There Cambria's speeeh, and Cambria's saints reside,
May God's good Spirit o'er the place preside.
" Glaslwys glwyslon,
Glosydd gleision,
Fal wybr y phal o Hebron,
Y w chloghi'r Foiiachlog hon :

334
Trwin yw'r plwm yn tryininio'r plaS,
T6 d6-las, tai riuwiolion."
Church, Turret, Cloister, lost in azure sky,
Like that of Hebron's vale, arrest the eye,
And pond'rous sheets enwrap the lofty dome.
For leaded roofs pronounce a holy home.
" Pob lliw yn y gwydr, pob Hun gwiwdratsl.
Pa le trwy hwn fal pelydr haul,
Pyrth arail perthorion ;
pIiaTherual}P0bathraw0n; Urddas Gobau, Beirdd, Esgobion,
Oes aur Siwels, a res Siwion."
High in the windows of this ancient fane,
Contrasted colours tinge the varied pane ;
And solar rays in pure transparent way,
With many names and tongues the panes pourtray J
Illustrious Chiefs, or Bards, or Bishops ,trace,
Or Sewel's ancient stock, or Sewin's race.
" Ac aur yn gerygl, 1
Naf eurnaf fernygt, > tair ffynnon.*
A ffinygl, J
And gold to arms a triple service yields,
Quarters, surrounds, and globulates the shields.
" Erfai mae ar wydr arfau merodrion,
Arfau nen olau yn freninolion,
A'r fawt sy o-gylch arfau 1'wysogion,
Arfau Nedd gan-oes, oes fain nadd gwynion,
Arfau'r gwyr gorau dan gofon Harri ;
A'r muriau eglwysi o'r marmor gleision,
Y nen fawr dchel yn y nef wreichion,
Goruwch y golwg, archangylion," &c. &c.
With royal arms the lucid panes abound,
And princely shields the royal arms surround;
Tn towered form, on a calm sea beneath,
Are drawn the arms of hundred ages, Neath ;
And arms of worthies who adorn'd the day,
When the great Harry bore imperial sway.
Blue marble columns of surprising height,
Support the leaden dome's tremendous weight:
Painted above — the light far distant beams,
Silvers the clouds, or runs in varied streams,
And by a master's hand in higher sky,
Archangels dimly seen, escape the eye. J. J.

335
Neath Castle was built by Ricliard de Granville, one
of the twelve Norman knights, who followed Fitzham
mon, in his conquest of Glamorgan.
This place was attacked in 1185, by the Welsh, who
were forced to raise the siege on the arrival of an Eng
lish army. In 1231 it was taken and reduced to ruins
by prince Llewelyn.
Swansea Castle was built by Henry Beaumont, earl
of Warwick ; it afterwards became a part of the posses
sions of the see of St. David's, and was rebuilt by
bishop Gower.
There was anciently a Roman station near this
town, at Penile' r-gaer.
The fields, near the roads between Swansea and
Lougher, probably called Maes Hozvel, are of sacred re
membrance ; for it was on these plains Howel ab Me
redydd ab Bleddyn gained a glorious victory over the
English, soon after the death of Henry I.
MERIONETHSHIRE
is so called from Meirion, the son of Tibion ab Cyn
edda, who received this district in reward for his ser
vices in driving the Irish out of the country, about tbe
middle of the fifth century.
Harlech, or Harlech Castle, was formerly a fort, called
Tzvr . Bronwen : it afterwards received the name of
Caer Collwyn, from Collwyn ab Tangno, who resided
here, about the close of the ninth century, in the time
of prince Anarawd. In 1283 Hugh de Workeslow was
constable of this castle : and in the time of the wars of
York and Lancaster it was under the command of
Dafydd ab lefan ab Eineon, a partizan of the house of
Lancaster, when it was taken by William Herbert,
earl of Pembroke.
Llanfihangel y Traethzvy. In this church-yard is an
inscribed stone, in Anglo Saxon letters ; the Latin, on
which may be rendered, "This is the Sepulchral Cross of
Gwladrifad Ddewin, who built this church in the reign
of king Edwin." Vide page 42.
Llandderfel, dedicated to St. Derfel Gadarn. His

336*
wooden image, formerly kept in this church, was of d
gigantic size^ and used at Smithfield in 1538, in burn
ing a Friar of the name of Forest, for denying the
king's supremacy.
Rttg Cattle, near the present house of Rug, is wor
thy of notice, as the place where the brave Gryffydd
ab Cynan was surprized, shortly after his victory on the
mountains of Carno, and Confined for twelve years in the
castle of Chester^ until he was liberated by the gallantry
of Cynwrig Hir.
Towyn. On the tomb of Cadfan, which is a rude
pillar in this church-yard, is the Anglo Saxon inscrip
tion,
CPHZVQM-

'The Cross ofthe, most mighty Cadfan/' And on ah*
other stone is PASCEN, monumental of Pasgen, a Son
of Dintfat.
Trawsfynnydd. The following inscription is over a
tomb-stone, called Bedd Porws, in this place :
Poritjs
hic in tumulo jacit
Homo  rianus fuit.
Mr. Edward Llwyd took Rianus to relate to the
word Christianas : but the reading is
PoRIUS
HlC IN TUMULO JACIT
Homo Meirianus fuit.
" In this grave lies Morwys, a native of Meirion."
MONTGOMERYSHIRE.
Montgomery Castle was erected by Baldwin, lieu
tenant of the marches to William the Conqueror, and
hence called by the Welsh, " Tre Faldwyn."

337
ftoger de Montgomery, in 1092, fortified the qaStle,
and gave it the name of Montgomery.
It was soon after destroyed by the Welsh, rebuilt
again by Henry III., in 1 22 1 , and finally demolished
by the natives, in 1231.
Math rafael. The seat of government of the
principality of Powys was moved from Pengxvern, or
Shrewsbury, in A. D. 795, to this place, in conse
quence of the forming of Offa's dykej in the time of
Cadell, prince of Powys.
In 1112 prince Llewelyn laid siege to the castle,
which Robert Vipont had erected at Mathrafael : when
king John was informed of it, he * levied an army, and
raised the siege, and destroyed the castle. The founda
tions may be traced on the banks of the river Vyrnwy.
Pennant Melangell. There is an effigy of a war
rior bearing a shield, with the inscription, Hie Jacet
Edwart, in this church-yard ; and which is supposed
to be the burial place of Iorwerth Drwyndwn, who had
fled hither for sanctuary, from the persecution of his
- brother David.
Powys Castle was built by Cadwgan ab Bleddyn
about A. D. 1110, and was called Castell Bleddyn,
Castell Coch, Trallwng, Castell Pwll, and Castell
Gwenwynwyn.
It was destroyed by prince Llewelyn in 1233, and
afterwards repaired ; aud has received the name of
Powys Castle from the time of Charles I., when sir
William Herbert, the proprietor, was created baron
Powys, of Powys.
Ystrad Marchell, Strata Marcelli, or Vallis Crucis
Abbey, waS founded about the year 1200 for Cistertian
monks, by Madog ab Gryffydd Maelor, prince of
Powys. The almost illegible letters on the ruins of this
building seem to convey a confirmation of the right of
sanctuary in this place to the men of Powys.
Llanwnog. In this parish is the village of Caer-
sws, which presents Ronian streets, sewers, &c, and
: has, in its neighbourhood, remains or traces of three
camps. %

338
Carno. The decisive battle between Gryffydd ab
Cynan and Trahaern ab Caradog, in 1097, is supposed,
by some writers, to have been fought here. The names
Carno, Trallwng, Llechryd, &c, being given to several
places, create historical difficulties/
PEMBROKESHIRE.
This is formed from the Welsh Penbro, a promon
tory. Pembroke Castle was built by Arnulph de Montgo
mery, and enlarged by Geraldus de Carrio, in 1106*.
It was plundered and burnt by Cadwgan ab Bleddyn,
and rebuilt by his son Owen ab Cadwgan j and was the
birth place of Henry VII.
There is a cavern in this castle, called the Wogan, or
O goff an ; for the ancient Britons generally erected
their piles, or timber forts, round the entrance of some
cavern, Caldey. This island belongs to Manor Beer, and
derives its name from Colendi Deum ; for there was
formerly a priory in this place, and from the inscription,
" Orate pro anima Cadoucani," had received some
endowments from Cadwgan ab Bleddyn.
Carew, or Caerwy, the Fort on the Water, was the resi
dence of some of the Welsh princes, and given by Rhys
ab Tewdwr, as a marriage' portion, with his daughter
Nest, to Gerald de Winsor, who erected Carew Castle.
Cilgcran, or Cilgeraint, the retreat of a British naval
Commander, who lived about the beginning ofthe eighth
century, in the time of Ina, was anciently a British
fort, or place of refuge.
The Castle was begun by Roger de Montgomery,
and finished by Gilbert Strongbow, earl of Strygil : and
afterwards enlarged, or perhaps rebuilt, in 1222, by
William Marshall, earl of Pembroke.
St. David's. This Cathedral was built on the
foundation of an ancient British temple, dedicated to
Andras, the Goddess of Confusion ; arid hence the ca
thedral church has been dedicated to Andras and Dewi;
or, to speak in an ecclesiastical phrase, to St. Andrew

339
and St. David. In this however, there is nothing deror
gatory to the venerable remains of this church, because
most of our churches savour very much of paganism in
their dedications: thus St. Denys, in Paris, is dedicated
to Dionysius, or Bacchus, the God of Sots ; Llanavan is
dedicated to Avon, a River ; St. Alban to Alban, a Hill,
&c. &c.
Dafydd, who was the son of St. Sandde by St. Non,
a maternal saint, to whom Llannon, in Carmarthen
shire, is dedicated, took possession of this temple of
Andras, and converted it into a Christian cell, or herme-,
tical residence. This Dafydd, who was, in the Church
language, called Divinus, and pronounced by the Welsh
Dezvin, was considered to have been a great prophet,
and performer of miracles; for Divinus, Dewin, or Di
vine, denotes a person that can foretell events, and has
a communication with ideal beings.
The present Cathedral was erected by Peter de Leia
about the year 1 1 80, and the episcopal palace was
built by bishop Gower, A. D. 1340.
The dusty remains of David were held, in pious
times, in such veneration, that two pilgrimages to St.
David's, to the temple of Andras, produced equivalent
relief to the souls of fools_, as one pilgrimage to Rome
to kiss the Sea la Santa, and tender their oblations to
the statue of the wife of Joseph ; and this was fully
established by the maxim —
Roma stmel quantum, bis dat Menevia tantum.
Impressed with this idea, William the Conqueror,
in 1079; Henry IL, ini 171 ; and Edward I., in 1284,
paid their devotion to the shrine of St. David, and
prayed the saint to forgive them for having desolated
his country, and shed the blood of his countrymen.
On the' reformation pilgrimages were discontinued,
the commerce of St. David's fell into decay; the ima
ges were pulled down ; and, it is related with great
confidence, that the palace of St. David, and the castle
of Llewhaden, were stripped of their leaden roofs by a
mitred thief, of the name of Barlow, in order to enable
him to portion his five daughters. If such were the
z 2

340
Case, it is to be hoped that St. David's will, in some
future age, be honored With a bishop of reflection and
piety, who will replace the stolen lead, and compromise
the felony : but the whole story is questionable — it is
slanderous: for the leaden roofs of two buildings would
have been a miserable portion for five daughters ; and
the probability seems to be, that the lead was removed,
and applied to the covering*in of the palace at Aber-
gzvilly. This Cathedral contains the monuments of Giraldus
Cambrensis, the lord Rhyg, and Edmund, earl of Rich--
-mond, father of Henry VII.
HaVerford, or Cattle Ford, and called by the
Welsh Hwlffordd, is generally written Haverford West,
fieing its ancient distinction from another Haverford,
now altered into the word Hereford.
The castle of Haverford is supposed to have been
built in the beginning of the twelfth century, by Gil
bert, earl of Clare. In the time of the civil wars this
place was garrisoned for the king, and was under the
command of sir John Stepney. The small part of the
castle now standing is used for a county gaol.
St. Nicholas Penfoyst. The stile to this church
yard, and whiclLformerly stoo.d on the east-side of the
church porch, has the following inscription —
TVNCCE TACEVX
SORDAAR HICIA
C1T >«
That is-—" Be uncovered, and silent,
The chamberlain lies here.''
Mr. Fenton, in his tour of Pembrokeshire, took
some pains to account for the signification of Penfoyst
to no purpose. Penfoyst, in the Gaelic, signifies a
treasurer ; and, in the Welsh, chief knight, or master
ofthe ceremonies; and the place is also called Villa Ca-
tnerarii ; so that it denotes the township of a chamber
lain to Martin de Turribus, or some other lord of Ce
maes, or Norman adventurer.
St. Dogmael, or Llandydoch. The old abbey was

about a mile from the present church, at a place, called
Yr Hen Fonachlog, near Caerau.
Mr. Edward Llwyd found a stone here with the in
scription — SASRANNI FILL
CVNOTAMI
The A is very often read for the letter V, and the
sentence is legible : as Saisrun ab Cynetha. It was
common with the Welsh to prefix Sais to the name of
a' man, who lisped or had a Saxon education. Run, the
son of Howel the Good, was lord of Cardigan, and
might have been the founder of this abbey. The de
votees of the times made all founders, if possible, to
have been sons of Cynedda Wledig, and this Sais Run,
or Sanctus Run, was so complimented. The first erec
tion was destroyed by the Danes, in 1087. The pre
sent church of St. Dogmael was built on a part of the
sjte, and from the materials of the old abbey, built in
that place by Robert, the son of Martin de TurriBus.
Rhys ab Tewdwr defeated Gryffydd ab Meredydd,
and L'ewelyn and Eineon, the sons of the then lord of
Pembroke, in this place, ip A- D- 1Q90.
RADNORSHIRE.
This county is called, in Welsh, Maesyfed, or
Maeswyfed, the Land on the Wye.
Old Radnor, Maesyfed Hen, or Pencraig, was
burnt by Rhys ab Gryffydd in the reign of king John.
New Radnor was formerly surrounded with walls,
which were demolished by Owen Glyndwr.
Castell Paine was built by Paine, or Paganus, a
Norman adventurer.
Castell Colwen was also called Castle Maud, from
Maud, the wife of WiJJiam Valery ; and was the property
of Robert de Todeney, in the reign of Edward the Se
cond- It was destroyed by the Welsh, and afterwards
rebuilt by, Henry LI. in A. D. 1231.
Prestegne was celebrated as a place of British worship
to Andras, the Goddess of Confusion and the Woods ;

342
and hence called Llanandras. The Christians changed
the name of Andras to St. Andrew.
Rhaiadr Wy, or the Fall of the Wye, has given the
English name Radnor to this county. The castle of
Rhaiadr was re-built by Rhys, prince of South Wales,
in the reign of Richard I.
Gxvrthrynion, near the water-falls, is a desert coun
try near Rhaiadr. The sound of the name of this dis
trict has given rise to many fabulous stories respecting
Vortigern, who was the earl of the Saxon shores, and
chief of Britain.
" Cymmer Abbey standeth between two great hills in
Melenydd, the Yellow Country, or Corn Country : it is
seven miles from Knighton : the first foundation was
made by Gadwyddel ab Madog* for sixty monks. No
church in Wales is seen of such length as the founda
tion of the walls there begun doth shew ; but the third
part of this work was never finished. All the house
was spoiled and defaced by Owen Glyndwr." Le
land, v.5. p. 13-
Llechryd, or Llechwryd, had formerly a monumen
tal stone to Riryd ab Bleddyn, who fell in this place, in
a battle with Rhys ab Tewdwr, in A. D. 1080.

FINIS.

343

1MB E X
TO
NAMES OF PERSONS AND PLACES.

AFANC, an Inroad, or Influx of Water
Alphabet, Ancient, from Muratprius
Aedan ab Blegored, of uncertain History
./Etuis, a Roman General
Agricola, a Roman Commander in Britain
Adelred Alaric, the Goth
Albani, a British Tribe
Alfred, of Mercia, his Monument
Alice's Cross at Margam, and Inscription
Ancalites, a British Tribe
Anec, the Punic Name of Carthage
Archflamens and Flamens, Archbishops and Bishops
Anglesey, Antiquities of that County
Arthur ab Meyric ab Tewdrig • «
Arimathea, a Transposition of Maria Thea
Attrebates, a British Tribe
Attocotti, do..
Augustus • ¦ • • • •
Aulus Plautius, a Roman General • •
Aulus Didius, do. . . . „-
Awendi, Founders of modern Jumping, in Religious
Worship • • • •
Bassianus ¦• ••
Bibroces, a British Tribe
Bards, Bardic Triades and Specimens
Belgae, a British Tribe

. . .

J

• • .

/¦¦' 2
| 57

23

• •

17

..

44

23

. .

28

55

75
. , . «
27
• •
8
Bishops • •
131
••.
304
35
123
19
28
13
14
15
n Religious
263
18
• • •
J9
..
216
•
19
344
Belgi, or Suessiones, Settlers • • . . 3
Bleddyn and Rhiwallon, Princes of North Wales • • €0
Boadicea, or Mauddig, Queen of the Iceni • » . . 15
Braint Hir, Tribe and Descendants of •• • • 283
Brit, Brito, Britannia • • • • . . 1
Bretannike • • • • • • . . 3
Bleddyn ab Cynfyn, Tribe and Descendants of . . 274
Brecknockshire, Antiquities of . . • t 307
Bretons, Remains of the ancient Gauls •• •? 23
British Antiquities, of the Twelye Counties of Wales. . . 304
Brigantes, au ancient British Tribe . . • • 27
Britons, Manners and Customs of the •• .. 9,76.120
Brochwel Ysgithrog, and Descendants of . . . . 40, 272
Bulljeum Silurum, or Caerfilly . . • • 24
Cadifor ab Dinawol, Tribes of • • • • 272
Cadvan's Cross, at Towyn • ¦ • • . . 41
Casswallon Law Hir • • • • . . 23
Gadwallon . . • • • • • • 42
Caesar's Invasions and Retreats • » . . 4
 —Fac-Simile of his Will .. ?• 13
Cadell ab Artbwal • • :• •• 51
Caer-ar-Clwyd ? • . . • • 36
Cadifor ab Gronw's Tomb • • • • « • 6Q
Caer Segont • • • • • • 45
Cadwaladdr, Son of Cadwallon, last British King • • 43
Caledonia and Caledonii • • •< • • 3
Calais • • • • ?• • • 4, 5
Caligula, Emperor of Rome, traduced •• .. 14
Cataractus •• •• •• .. 14,15
Camelford • « • • • • • • l6
Camalodunum, on the River Camlan • ¦ • • 15, 37
Cadwgan • • • • • • • • 67
Cardiganshire •• •-• »• •• 314
Caernarvonshire, Antiquities of • • • • 312
Carmarthenshire • • • • • « 31fl
Cantii, a British Tribe of • • • • 16
Cartismandua, a treacherous Queen • • • ¦ 15
Cantref Gwaelod inundated •• •• 37
Caron, the Forts, or Cinque Ports • • • • 4

345

fiassibellaunus, pr the Brazen Helmet « •

5

Cassiterides, or Oakhampton, in Devonshire

3

,Cassii, an ancient British Tribe

26

Ctirdicsford . . .. .

35

Cerdic Leagh

36

Cilmin Troed Ddu, his Tribe and Descendants

979

Comius, of Artois, his Mission

4

Claudius, Emperor of Rome ••

14

Cambria, divided into three Principalities
Coel Godebog, the Believer • •

49

125

Collwyn ab Tangno, Tribe of • •

279

Constantius Chlorus • ¦ . .

20, 125

Constantine the Great • • • • •

21, 125

Constantine ab Cynfor • • • • •

30

Congen • . • •

48

Christianity, its History •"• • • •

123

Cor Balenci, questionable Reading • *

22, 316

Coritannii, ancient Tribe « • • • •

25

Cornabii • • • •

f 19

Coruavii . • . •

27

Crida

39

Crusaders • • • • • • .

137

Cynan Tindaethwy •• «f •

45

Cudred • • • • •

.44

Cunobelinus, or Cynfelin t • • • ?

13

Dafydd ab Gwilym, the Father of Welsh Ppetry

f 244

Damnii, ancient British Tribe « ? • •

27

Damnonii, ditto • •

19

David ab Llewelyn • • • ¦

94

Danes • . • • • •

• 21

Denbighshire, Antiquities of •• ••

324

Dial Rodri • t

49

Dialects, Gaelic, Cambrian, and Cornish

289

Dimetia • t • •

17

Diir.etae • • * r •

20

Dioclesian, Emperor of Rome

20

Dobunii • • • • • '

26

Domitian, Emperor of Rome

f 18

346

Durptriges • •

19

Druids, their History, &C • • ¦ •

185

Drnidical Triades • • • •

197

Dwryfran, ancient Isthmus of

i

Eadred • • • • • • • •

49

Easter, Disputes respecting keeping of • • •

132

Edelfrid • • . • • • • • •

135

Edwin of Deira • • • • •

42

Edwal Foel • • . •

51

Edwin ab Eineon, hence Rhyd Odin, Ynis Cedwin, &c.

56

Edward, Prince of Wales

97

Edwin, Tribe and Descendants of

284

Ednowain Bendew, Tribe of • •

285

Ednowain ab Bradwen, Tribe of

286

Efnydd, Tribe and Descendants of • <

285,

Fineon defeats the Danes

S4

Egbert ' ;

47

Eineon Urdd • • • • • • •

23

Elflida defeats Hugin at Brecknock ' • •

51

Eryry, or Snowdon

47

Ethalbald

44

Ethelystau Glodrydd, Tribe and Decendants of

276

Essedarii • • • • • •

5

Euddaf • • • • • • • •

22

Evan Evans, Brydydd Hir

256

Firmael, a Prince of Powys •«

46

Fleming, Settlers in South Wales

68

Flintshire, Antiquities of

326

Frcenum, from Ffrwyn, from Ffroen

10

Gadeni, a Tribe of Ancient Britons

27

Garmon and Lupus, apostolic Missionaries

130

Geta • • • • • • • •

14,18

Glamorganshire, Antiquities of • •

328

Gordian's lucernal Monument and Inscription

21

Gown, from the British Cawn • • • •

10

Greek and Diplomatic Letters • • ¦ • •

2,12

Gronw and Llewelyn

62

Gryffydd ab Llewelyn • • • • •

58

347
Gryffydd ab Cynan, Tribe and Descendants . • 96, 273
Gryffydd ab Rhys • . . . . . . . 68, 82
Gryffydd ab Llewelyn • • • • . . 96
Gryffydd Llwyd, a Welsh bard • • « • • • 253
Gwaith Dydd Sul yn Mon .. .. .. 48
Gweiridd ab Rhys Goch, Tribe of . . • • 278
Gwenifer, the Queen of Arthur • • . • • • 37
Gwenllian, Daughter of Gryffydd ab Cynan •• €9
Hsedui, the Pacific, a Tribe of Britons •• .. 19
Hamilco, a Carthaginian Admiral • • . • 2
Harold and Tosti • • . . . . 60
Hedd Molwyuog, Tribe and Descendants of • • 282
Helena • • • • • - • . 22
Helvius Pertinax, a Roman General •• •• 18
Hengist, a Saxon Adventurer •• •• •• 31
Hirlas, a Dano Cambrian Drinking Horn • • • • 117
Honorius • • • • • • . . '23
Horestii, a British Tribe • • • • • • 27
Huiccii, do. • « • • • • • • 27
Howel the Good • • • • • • • • 51
 his Laws • ¦ • • • • 1 48
Howel ab Edwin • « • • • • 58
Howel a b Eineon Lygliw, a Bard •• »• 251
Hwfa ab Cynddelw, Tribe and Desendants of •• 277
ICH DIEN, its origin •• •• •• 112
Igmond, a Commander of the Danes • ¦ • • 60
Iceni • • • • • • • • ' 26
Iorwerth Drwyndwn • • • • • • 73
 his Monument • • • * 74
Iltudus's Cross at Llantwit • • • • • • 39
Isca Silurum • • • • • • * • 24
Isle of Honey and Honey Island • • • • 2
Ivor of Bretagne, Founder of a Fort at Dinevor • « 43
Jestyn ab Gwrgant • • • • • • 64
_  Tribe and Descendants of • • 275
Keilwart, ancient Inscription there • • • • 38
Kentwyn •• •• •• •* 44
Kings of Britain from fabulous Times •• •• 266

348

Kynffig, Boundary Inscription near that Place

64

Llan, ,the Oppjdum of Caesar

9

Language of the Ancient Britons

, 288

Laws .of the Welsh > •

J45

Legio Augusta, and Valens Victrix

18

Llewelyn ab Seisyllt

57

Llewelyn ab Iorwerth .• •

, .83

Llewelyn and Owen Goch ab Gryffydd • t

as

Llwarch ab Bran, Tribe apd Descendants of

277

Llychlyn, the German Ocean ? • •

^ 1

Madog, the Fisherman, lost at Sea

73

Mandubratius., or Mandebrog

8

Maelgwyn: • ¦ » • • • • • •

35

Maelgwyn ab Rhys's Tomb ? •

92

Madog's supposed Tomb. - > t r

11}

Maelog Crwm, Tribe and Descendants of

281

Manlius Valens • • • • • •

k}

Marchudd ab Cynan, Tribe and Descendants of

t 2S1

Marchweithia.n, Tribe and Descendants of • •

283

Massacre with long Knives • • • • •

32

M.axentius • • • • • • • • • •

21

t 22

5Q

Menapia, Maenclochog, or Amblestone • • ?

25

40, 55

Merfryn Frych • .• • •

47

Merionethshire, Antiquities of

335

Meyrip • • • • . . .

, 14

Mikra, Lessons of the Jews, the Old Testament

, 126

Mona, plural of My n or Moen, a Mine • • r

1, 304

Mordred ab Llew

36

Morfa Rhuddlan • - • • . .

4.6

Moelas, Inscription at, translated • >

53

Montgomeryshire, Antiquities of . •

336

Morris, Mr. Lewis, a WelshBard and Critic

259

Nathan Llwyd, a Welsh Chieftain

•¦ 35

New Towns, or Trinobantes • • . .

4

Nefydd Ilardd, Tribe and Descendants of .

: 2R9

349

Nero, Emperor of Rome
Nicholas, Mr. David, a Welsh Bard
Nicholas St. Penfost, Inscription there
Nidus, or Neatli, a Nest hi the Gaelic
Norman Knights partitioning Morganwg
Octa and Essa *•
Oestrymnides, the Isles of Bees or Honey
Offa's Dyke
Ordovices * •
Owen Cyfeiliog, Prince and Bard
Owen Gwynedd
Owen Glyndwr's Rebellion
Owen Tudor's Pedigree
Papinian, the Jurist • •
Pasgen and Eppa » »
Pasgen, Son of Dingat or Brychan. — Query
Paulinus, Suetonius » .
Paulinus, St., his Tomb, at Pantypolion
Pedigrees of Welsh Houses
Pelagius, a learned Arian • •
Pembrokeshire, Antiquities of
Penulus of Plantus quoted • *
Petilius Cerealis • «
Petronius Turpillianus
Picts and Scots • * • •
Pope's Bulla
Powys, Po-wys, Lordship on the Wye
Princes of Wales, of Welsh Extraction
Radnorshire, Antiquities of • •
Regni, an ancient British Tribe
Rhos Meilion, Battle at • •
Rhys ab Tewdwr
 Tribe of
Rhys ab Gryffydd dies lamented
Rhys Fychan • • • •
Rhysab Maelgwn's Tomb
Rhun ab Maelgwyn
Richmond, Earl of, Lands in Wales

16

260

103

25, 300
•6i
34
,
1
45
..
17,21
..
83, 237
• * ¦
70
..
112
...
119
..
18
,.
35
tery
31
..
15
..-
131
266
• ¦ ¦
129
..
338
• , 3
• • •
17
16
••
18, &c.
..
9t
..
49
• • •
27©
i
342
t * •
•18
• • •
50
•
62
..
27'4
...
81
..
86
89
k
39
• • •
117
350
Roman Roads •• .. • •¦ •• 18,24
Rutupae, or Richborough •• •• «-• 7
Sampson's Cross at Lantwit • • • • 3Q
Sam Badrig, in Merionethshire • • • • 37
Segontiaci, British Tribe • • • • • • 19
Selgovae and Setantii, Ditto • • » • • • 27
Seithinin ab Sandde, a Welsh Drunkard • • • • 38
Schools established by Garmon and Lupus ¦• 130
Severus, Emperor of Rome • • • • • • 18
Silures •• •• •• •• 3, 17, 20
Serigi, slain by Caswallon • • • • • • 23
Solar Stone, or Hirmensul of the Continent < • • • 1 S5
Stilico • • • • • • • • • • 2.3
Statute Laws of the Welsh •• •• •• 148
Stonehenge, a Circle for Druidical Rites •• •• 33,188
Suessiones, or Belgic Settlers in Britain • • • • 3
Sulien's inscribed Monument at Corwen • • • • 63
Taixali, an Ancient British Tribe • • • • 28
Thames, where crossed by Caesar • • • • 7, 8
Tibia Amnis, the River Canon or Singing •• •¦ 24
Theodosius •• •• •• •• 21, S3
Tithes, Bible and Modern Statement of •• •• 134
Togoduninus •• •• •• •• 14
Tribes of Wales •• ¦• •• •• 271
Trebellius Maximus •• .. « .¦ 16
Trinitarianisra and Triades • • • . . 127
Trinobantes, or Newtowns-men •• .. 4,15,26
Tudor Trevor, Tribe and Descendants of • • • • 286
Turpilianus •• •• •• •• ](J
Uthyr Pendragon • • • • . . . . 33
Urien Reged, Tribe and Descendants of •• .. 272
Vacomagi • . . . . . . . 28
Valens Victrix, the Legion 30 called . . . . 28
Valentinian and Valens, hence Valentia •• .. 21,22
Vecturones . . . . . . ... gs
Vectius Bolanus •• .. .. \j
Venta Silurum . . . . . . 24
Vespasian .. .. .. .. '15

351

Via Julia Fronlina, and other Roman Roads
Victorinus Vigesimum, at Coedgain
Vitalis's Monument, near Bath
Volautii Volusenus declares War in the Roman Name
Vortigern and Vortimer, Saxon Earls
Vrondeg, Inscription at that Place
Wales and Welsh, whence so called
Wales divided into Hundreds and Commots
Welsh, their Manners and Customs • •
 Religious Sects • •
 Laws • • • • • •
 and Language
Wissan • • • •
Wolf-penny, or Peter Pence, from Ethelwolf

17,24 '23 25, 29 27 4
31,32 46 40
103
76, 1 20
141145
288 4
53

London : Printed by J. Williams, Ship Place, Strand.

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