Britain, or A chorographicall description of the most flourishing kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the ilands adjoyning, out of the depth of antiquitie beautified vvith mappes of the severall shires of England: vvritten first in Latine by William Camden Clarenceux K. of A. Translated newly into English by Philémon Holland Doctour in Physick: finally, revised, amended, and enlarged with sundry additions by the said author.

[ A]

CARDIGAN-SHIRE.

FRom Saint Davids Promontory the shore being driven backe a∣slope Eastward, letteth in the Sea within a vast and crooked Bay, upon which lyeth the third Region of the Dimetae, in English called CARDIGAN-SHIRE,* 1.1 in British Sire Aber-Tivi, by old Latine Writers Ceretica (if any man thinke) of King Caratacus, this may seeme a conjecture proceeding out [ B] of his owne braine, and not grounded upon any certaine au∣thority; and yet wee reade that the worthy Caratacus,* 1.2 so worthily renowned, was the Soveraigne Ruler in these parts. A plaine and champion Country it is Westward, where it lyeth to the Sea, as also on the South side, where the River Tivie separateth it from Caermarden-shire: But in the East and North sides, which bound upon Brechnock and Montgomery-shires: there is a continued range, or ridge of hils that shoot along, yeelding goodly pasture ground, under which there be spread sundry large Pooles. That in ancient times this Shire, as the rest also of Wales, was not planted and garnished with Cities but with little cottages, it may bee gathered by that speech of their Prince Caratacus, who being taken Prisoner, [ C] when he had throughly viewed the glorious magnificence of Rome,* 1.3 What meane you (saith he) when yee have these and such like stately buildings of your owne, to covet our small cottages? Howbeit the places heere of most Antiquity let us breifly view over.

The River Tivie,* 1.4 which Ptolomee calleth TUEROBIUS, but corruptly, in stead of Dwr-Tivius, that is, The River Tivie, issueth out of the Poole Lin-Tivy, beneath the hils: whereof I spake before: first cumbred, as it were, with stones in the way, and rumbling with a great noise without any chanell, and so passeth through a very stony tract (neere unto which at Rosse,* 1.5 the Mountainers keepe the greatest Faire for cattaile in all those parts) untill it come to Strat-fleur, a Monastery long since of the Cluniack Monkes, compassed about with hilles. From thence, being received within a chanell, [ D] it runneth downe by Tregaron, and Lhan-Devi-brevi, built and so named in memori∣all of David Bishop of Menevia, where he in a frequent Synode refuted the Pelagian Heresie springing up againe in Britaine, both by the holy Scriptures and also by a miracle, while the earth whereon he stood as he preached, arose up under his feete, by report, to an hillocke. Thus farre and somewhat farther also Tivie holdeth on his course Southward to Lan-Beder a little Mercate Towne. From hence Tivie turning his streame Westward carryeth a broader chanell,* 1.6 and neere unto Kilgarran falleth downe right headlong (as it were) from aloft, and maketh that Salmons Leape, whereof I spake ere while. For, exceeding great store of Salmons it yeeldeth, and was in times past the onely British River, as Giraldus Cambrensis was of opinion, that [ E] had Bevers in it.* 1.7 This Beaver is a creature living both on land and water, footed before like a Dog and behinde like a Goose, with an ash-coloured skin somewhat blackish, having a long taile, broad and griftly, which in his floting he useth in lieu of a sterne. Concerning the subtile wilinesse of which creatures, the said Giraldus hath observed many things, but at this day none of them are heere to be seene.

Scarce two miles from hence standeth upon a steepe banke Cardigan,* 1.8 which the Britans name Aber-Tivy, that is, Tivy-mouth, the Shire-towne, strongly fortified by Gilbert the sonne of Richard De Clare, which afterwards being by treason yeelded up, Rhise Ap Gruffin rased;* 1.9 when hee had taken prisoner Robert Fitz-Stephen, whom some call Stephanides: who (after hee had stood a long time at the devotion of the [ F] Welshmen, his heavie friends for his life, being at length delivered on this condi∣tion, that hee should resigne up into their hands all his possessions in Wales) was the first of the Norman race that with a small power of men, fortunately set foote in Ireland, and by his valour made way for the English to follow, and second him for subduing Ireland under the Crowne of England.

From Tivie mouth, the shore gently giveth backe, and openeth for it selfe the pas∣sage [ A] of many Riverets;* 1.10 among which in the upper part of the Shire, STUCCIA, whereof Ptolomee maketh mention, is most memorable, when as the name of it con∣tinueth after a sort,* 1.11 whole at this day, being called in common speech, Ystwith: at the head whereof are veines of Lead, and at the mouth the Towne Aber-y-stwith, the most populous and plenteous place of the whole Shire, which that noble Gilbert de Clare also fensed with walles, and Walter Bec an Englishman defended a great while a∣gainst the Welsh right manfully. Hard hereunto lyeth Lhan Badern vaur, that is, The Church of Patern the great, who being borne in little Britaine, as wee reade in his life, both governed the Church by feeding, and fed it by governing. Unto whose memory the posterity consecrated heere as well a Church, as also an Episcopall See. But the Bi∣shopricke, [ B] as Roger Hoveden writeth, quite decayed many yeeres since when the people had wickedly slaine their Pastour.

* 1.12At the same mouth also the River Ridol dischargeth it selfe into the Irish sea. This River, descending out of Plinlimon, an exceeding steepe and high hill, that encloseth the North part of the Shire, and powreth out of his lap those most noble Rivers Se∣vern and Wy, whereof I have already often spoken. And not much above Y-stwith mouth, the River Devi that serveth in stead of a limite betweene this and Merionith-shire, is lodged also within the Sea.

Scarce had the Normans setled their Kingdome in Britaine, when they assailed this Coast with a Fleet by Sea, and that verily with good successe. For, by little, [ C] and little, in the Raigne of King William Rufus, they wrested the maritime Coasts out of the Welshmens hands: but the greatest part thereof they granted unto Cadugan Ap Blethin,* 1.13 a right wise and prudent Britain: who was highly esteemed, and of great power throughout all Wales, and evermore shewed much favour and friendship to the English. But when his sonne Oën, a furious and heady young man, who could at no hand away with peace, infested the Englishmen and Flemings newly come thither with continuall invations, the unhappy father was fined with the losse of his lands, and punished for the offenses of his sonne, who was himselfe also constrei∣ned to relinquish his native Country and to flie into Ireland. Then this Cardigan-shire was given by King Henry the First unto Gilbert de Clare, who placed Garisons and [ D] fortified Castles there. But Cadugan with his sonne Oën, received into favour a∣gaine by the English, recovered also his owne lands and inheritance. But Oën retur∣ning to his old bias and rebelling afresh, was slaine by Girald the Castellan of Pen∣broke, whose wife Nesta he had carryed away and ravished. And his father being had away into England, long expected for a change of better fortune, and at length in his old age being restored to his owne home and friends, was upon the sodaine by Madoc his Nephew stabbed through the body. After this, Roger de Clare through the liberality of King Henry the Second had Cardigan-shire bestowed upon him: but when Richard of Clare, his Nephew, if I be not deceived, whiles he came hither by land was slaine by the Welsh, Rhise Prince of South-Wales, having made a great [ E] massacre of English and driven them out, at length with his victorious Army be∣came Lord thereof: neverthelesse it fell againe by little and little into the hands of the English without any bloudshed.

There are in this Shire Parishes 64.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cardigan-shire.
• * 1.2

  King Carata∣cus.
• * 1.3

  Zonaras.
• * 1.4

  Tuerobius 〈◊〉〈◊〉 river.
• * 1.5

  Rosse. Strat-fleur.
• * 1.6

  Kilgarran. The Salmons leap.
• * 1.7

  Castore•• Bevers.
• * 1.8

  Cardigan.
• * 1.9

  Fitz-Stephen.
• * 1.10

  The River S••••ccia.
• * 1.11

  Y-stwith.
• * 1.12

  The river Ridol.
• * 1.13

  Lords of Car∣digan-shire.