A description of Wales by Sr John Prise Knight.

Cadvvalader Bhendiged, That is, The SAINT or BLESSED, in whom ended the British Kingdome, whereupon the Government of Wales by PRINCES began.

CADWALADER the last King of the* 1.1 Britains of the Noble Trojan Race, be∣ing by reason of a great famine and mortality driven to forsake his Realm and native Country, went over with a great number of his Nobility and Sub∣jects to Lhydaw (now called Little Britaine in France) there to so journe with his Cousin Alan King of the Country. And he had not been there long but intelligence arrived to him of the landing of strangers, as Saxons, Angles, and Juthes in* 1.2 his Kingdome of Great Britaine, which they finding desolate and without Inhabitants (sabe a few Saxons who had invi∣ted them in, and a small remnant of poore Britons, who in Rocks and Woods by feeding upon roots prolonged a mise∣rable life) did soon over-run and possesse themselves of a great part thereof. And dividing it into severall Territo∣ries

and Kingdomes, inhabited that part which was then and now (at this day) is called Lhoyger in the Brytish or Welsh tongue, and in English England, with all the Cities, Townes, Castles, and Uillages, which the Britains had buil∣ded, ruled and inhabited by the space of 1827 years, under diverse Kings and Princes of great renowne: whereupon he purposed to returne, and by strength of British Knights to recover his own land again.

But having made ready his Navy for the transporting of his forces, which were partly his own men, and partly such succours as he had received from his Cousin Alan, an Angell appeared to him, who declared it to be the will of God that he should not take his voyage towards Britaine, but to Rome to Pope Sergius, where he should make an end of his life, and be afterwards numbred among the blessed: for GOD had appointed that the Britaines should have no more the Rule and Governance of the whole Ile, untill the Pro∣phesy of Merlin Ambrose should be fulfilled.

Having acquainted his friend Alan with his Vision, and the message of the Angel, Alan immediately consulted all his* 1.3 books of Prophesies, as the works of both Merlins; of Merlin Ambrose (who lived in the time of King Vortiger) and of Merlin Sylvester, or Merdhin Wylht, (who flourished (after) in King Arthurs time) and also the words which the Eagle spake* 1.4 at the building of Caer Septon, now called Shaf••sbury; and after long study found the time to be now come, whereof they had Prophe••ied.

{fleur-de-lys} Little Britaine is a Country in France, called in Caesars* 1.5 time, Armorica, and after inhabited by Britains, who about the* 1.6 year of Christ 384. under the conduct of Conan Lord of Meria∣doc, now Denbighland, went out of this Ile with Maximus the Tyrant, to his aid against the Emperour Gratianus, and winn∣ing the said Country of Armorica (which Maximus gave Co∣nan* 1.7 and his People) slue and drove out all the old Inhabitants thereof, planting themselves in the same, where they to this day speak the British tongue, being the third remnant of the ancient Britains.

The names of the Kings of Little Britaine.

• 1 Conan Meriadoc.
• 2 Gradlonus.
• 3 Salomon 1.
• 4 Auldranus.
• 5 Budicus 1.
• 6 Howelus Magnus. This Howel followed King Arthur in his Warres.
• 7 Howelus 2.
• 8 Alanus 1.
• 9 Howelus 3.
• 10 Gilquellus.
• 11 Salomon 2.
• 12 Alanus 2. Of whom Caradoc makes menti∣on, descended of a Daughter of Run (the sonne of Maelgon Gwyneth, King of Great Britain,) which was married to the forenamed Howel the 2d, King of Little* 1.8 Brytaine.
• 13 Conobertus.
• 14 Budicus 2.
• 15 Theodoricus.
• 16 Rualhonus.
• 17 Daniel Dremrost, i. e. Rubicunda facie.
• 18 Aregstanus.
• 19 Maconus.
• 20 Neomenius.
• 21 Haruspogius.
• 22 Salomon 3. Slaine by his own men, and then was that King∣dome turned to an Earledome, whereof one Alan was the first Earle, who valiant∣ly resisted the Nor∣mans, vanquishing them in severall Bat∣tles.

Concerning the words of the Eagle at the building of Caer* 1.9 Septon in Mount Paladour in the time of Rudhudibras, in the year after the Creation of the World, 3048. some think that an Eagle did then speak and Prophesy: Other are of opinion, that it was a Britaine named Aquila that Prophesied of these things, and of the recovery of the whole Ile again by the Britains, bringing with them the bones of Cadwalader from Rome, as in the said Prophesies is to be seen.

Alan hereupon counselled Cadwalader to fulfill the will of God in going to Rome, which he did; and after he had lived there eight years in the service of God he dyed in the yeare of Christ 688, So that the Britains ruled this Ile, with the

out-Iles, of Wight: Môn, in English called Anglesey: Manaw, in English, Man: Orkney and Ewyst, 1137. years before Christ, untill the yeare of his incarnation 688. And thus ended the Rule of the Britains over the whole Ile.

{fleur-de-lys} The Britains being sore troubled with the Scots and Picts,* 1.10 and denied aid of the Romans, sent for the Saxons to come to de∣fend them against their Enemies: who coming at the first as friends to the Britains, liked the country so well, that they became their mortall enemies, and drove them out of the same.

About the yeare of Christ. 590. Gurmundus an arch-pirate* 1.11 and Captaine of the Norwegians, after that he had conquered Ireland, being called by the Saxons to their aid against Careticus King of the Britains, overcame the same Careticus in battell, and compelled him and his Britains to flee beyond the rivers of Sea∣verne and Dee to Cambria (now called Wales) and to Corn∣wall, and some to Britaine Armorike, where they remaine to this day, and gave Loegria (now England) to the Saxons. And al∣beit that Cadvan, Cadwalhon, and Cadwalader were since intituled Kings of all Britaine, yet they could never afterwards recover the quiet possession of the whole Iland. After the de∣parture of Cadwalader out of the Land, the Britains were govern∣ed within the Country of Wales or Cambria by those men, whereof this history following doth intreat, which were commonly called Kings of such Provinces and Countries as they possessed, untill the time of Owen Gwyneth, who being in the daies of King Stephen,* 1.12 and Henry the second, was the first that named himselfe Prince of Wales, and so the rest after him kept that title and stile: and yet neverthelesse, they are sometimes called Princes before his time, and Kings after him, as I have observed by diverse Charters and old Records, which I have seen in the Tower of London and else∣where. Howbeit, this Author calleth the chiefest of them Kings till the time of the said Owen, and since, Princes.

¶ Some say that Cadwalader was the sonne of Cadwallan by* 1.13 the sister of Penda King of Mercia, and that he is the same that Beda calleth young Cadvalla.

He beareth B. a Crosse pateé fitcheé Or. Which coate of

armes was also borne by his sonne Ivor, who was slaine by the Saxons, and succeeded by his Nephew Ive, who was Crowned and Annointed King, not upon the account of his being a Bri∣tain, but because he had Saxon blood running in his veines, his Father being one Renten of the British race, and his Mo∣ther of the Saxon. This Ive Reigned 37 years, he was a wise and a provident Prince, he bare the fore▪mentioned Armes of K. Cadwalader as long as he lived, & so did the rest of the Kings untill the time of King Edward the First, so Nic. Upon de offic∣militar. Humphred: Duc. Glocest.

After three years of his Reigne he went to Rome, in the time of Pope Sergius about the yeare of our Lord 690. so Po∣lychron.

Cadwalader the Blessed being much weakned by a continuall war with the Saxons, which was attended with a great famine, & a raging pestilence, is said to retire with his Nobility to Little Britaine, where being kindly received by Alan King of the Country he lived, untill news was brought to him, that the plague began to coole and cease; then having obtained aid of his Cousin Alan for the recovering of his Kingdome he pre∣pareth for his returne. But one night, as he lay a bed, an An∣gell appearing to him, and telling him, that it was Gods will he should goe to Rome, and there spend the rest of his dayes in the service of God, and that it was declared that neither he nor his posterity should have the chiefe rule of Britaine, untill the time that his bones were brought back from Rome to Britaine, made him alter his resolution, and goe to Rome A. D. 680, where after he had lived eight years he dyed 688 or 689 in Pope Sergius his time, as Galfr. Mon:; Cadwalader being much dismayed and perplexed at the Vision, Quaesivit causam tanti maligni in Regnosuo, as is recorded in an old Book, Cui Angelus respondens dixit, Negligentia Praelatorum, rapina poten∣tum, cupiditas Iudicum, detestanda luxuria, rabies perjurorum, & inordinatus Cultus vestimentorum.

There are some Authors say, that the time of the great pe∣stilence and mortality, and consequently of Cadwaladers going to Rome was before the yeare 680. Beda saith, the pestilence happened A. D. 664. Nennius or whoever is the Author of the Tract beginning thus, Woden genuit Beldoc &c. (who by

Leland, Bale & S. Simon Dewes is said to live in the declining age of the British Empire, that is, in the time of Cadwallan and Cad∣walader Kings of Britaine, and Penda King of Mercia) averreth that the mortality aforesaid hapenned in the Reigne of Oswi King of Northumberland, and of Cadwalaeder King of the Bri∣tains. Oswi began his Reigne A. D. 643. and dyed 670, so that the year wherein, as Beda saith, the plague began, was a∣bout the 22 or 23 yeare of Oswis Reigne, at what time also Cadwalader ruled the Britains. For farther confirmation, there is an old British Chronology written on parchment 400 years agoe, which saith that from the battell of Caerlegion or Westchester fought A. D. 603 (between Ethelfred King of Northumberland Generall of the English and Brochwel Ysgythroc Leader of the Britains) to Cadwaladers going to Rome is 62 years, which 62 years added to 603 will make 665, the time about which the Pestilence, as Beda and the rest say, reged in Britaine. Ieffrey of Monmouth who saith that Cadwalader dyed in Pope Sergius his time on the 12 of the calends of May, seems to mistake Cadwalader for Cadwalla King of the West-Saxons, who went to Rome 688, being the 3d year of the Reigne of Alfred King of Northumberland as Beda in the 7 and 8 Chap∣ters of the 5 book of his Ecclesiasticall History, and also S. Hen. Savil doe affirme; upon Easter day following this Cadwallae was Baptized and dyed the 12 of the Calends of May 689, but in our old British Calendars we find the 12 day of November to be consecrated to the memory of K. Cadwalader, which is to be reckoned the day of his death, or second Birth; Caradoc (our Author) as well as Ieffrey is mistaken in the time of Cadwala∣ders going to Rome, and probably upon the same grounds.

In the old MS. text we read that after Cadwalader, Ivor sonne of Alan King of Little Britain ruled 48 years & then dyed. And after him Rodri Molwynoc, but no yeare put downe; the Trans∣lators (it seems) found in some Copies that Rodri began his Reigne A. D. 720: take 48 out of 720 there will remaine 672 which must be the yeare of our Lord, that Ivor came into Bri∣taine, by that account, that is 8 years before Cadwalader went out of Britaine, which is not probable, so that we may conclude the account of time Ieffrey and Caradoc give us as to this parti∣cular very uncertaine. Adde the three years Caedwalader resided

in Litle Britain to 665 which out of Ninnius, Beda &c. is proved to be the yeare of Cadwaladers going for Rome, his going thi∣ther may be said to fall A. D. 668, unto which adde the 48 years of Ivors Reigne, the whole will be 716, wherein Ivor may be supposed to dye, being but foure years short of the yeare 720, which the Translators assigne for the beginning of Rodri Molwynocs Reigne; the reason inducing the Translators to assigne that yeare (peradventure) might be this, viz. that Ivas King of the West-Saxons, whom they confound with Ivor, went to Rome in the same yeare.

King Cadwalader was a Benefactor to the Abbey of Clynnoc Vawr in Arvon, as may be seen in the Extent of North-wales, which is in the keeping of the Auditor, and in the 2d volume os Monasticon Anglicanum published by M. Dugdale, to whom I sent the following account of the endowing of the said Abbey as it was taken out of the said Extent,

Ed: Rex Ex parte Galfridi Trefnant nunc praepositi sive Rectoris Ecclesiae Collegiatae de Clynoc Vawr.

Quidam Gwithaint dedit propriam Villam suam Clynnoc Vawr Deo & Beunon tunc Abbati Abbathiae de Clynnoc Vawr pro anima sua & anima consobrini sui Catwalani sine censu Rega∣li & sine Consule ....... alicui, quamdiu fuerit lapis in terra: Ac personae subscriptae dederunt Deo & Sancto Beuno ter∣ras subscriptas sicut Gwitheint dedit Clynnoc Vawr. viz.

Cadwalladrus Rex dedit Grayanoc. Tegwaret Rex dedit Porthamal. Mervyn Princeps dedit Carnguch. Cadwgan ap Cynvelin dedit Bodveilion in Llyn & Bodvael. Rodri filius Mervin dedit Denîo. Griffith ap Tangwn dedit tertiam partem Maestref. Idwal dedit Penrhos. Rodri dedit tertiam partem Newgwlf. Grean dedit Dorwyn [vel Corwyn.] Rodri filius Idwal dedit Botelog. Gwithenet filius Tridoc dedit Llanllyuni & Coret Aber∣seint. Cadell Rex dedit Kilcourt, Idwal dedit Clynnoc Vechan. Tridoc dedit Coret * 1.14 Gwrvin à silva usque mare. Idwal dedit Aber Braint. Cadell ap Rodri dedit Bryn hidu∣gen.

Anarawd filius Rodri dedit Yscallen in Creuddyn. Cadell dedit Botwynoc & Llwyn Dynwal. Rodri ap Mervyn dedit Priscoll & Nant Soch in Llyn. Cadell dedit Ethinoc. Rodri dedit Ilanor in Llyn. Cynan filius Hival dedit Botelias in Llyn. Anarawd dedit Bodagwyn. Anarawd filius Mervyn dedit Dolbebin. Grevax filius I won dedit Dolcoedog. Griffith ap Llywelyn dedit Aberllyfin. Eliued filius Madoc dedit Maysang in suis terminis Jago filius Idwal dedit Llechedern in Llyn. Griffith ap Cynan dedit Boterid. Trahayarn ap Caradawg dedit Treswyn. Jago filius Idwal dedit Brynerit. Griffith ap Llywelyn dedit Y Vainol. Cadwgan dedit Llanvawr in Llyn. Griffith ap Llywelyn dedit Trefrew. Lunlion alias Coulion filius Llawfron dedit Hirdref in Llyn. Jonas dedit Bodegros. Rodri filius Mervyn dedit Mowedd. Cadell filius Rodri dedit Penhidgen. Griffith ap Llywelyn dedit Tr••flagh. Rodri dedit Penros in Twrkelyn. Howel filius Cadell dedit duas partes Llecheiddior. Griffith ap Llywelyn dedit Roswenesaf.

St Beuno, to whom the Abbey of Clynoc was dedicated, was the Sonne of Hywgi ap Gwynlliw ap Glywis ap Tegid ap Cadell a Prince or Lord of Gl••wisig, Brothers sonne to S. Cadoc ap Gwynlliw sometime Bishop of Beneventum in Italy; He was by the Mothers side Cousin German to Laudatus the first Abbot of Enlli (in English Bardsey) and to Kentigern Bishop of Glasco in Scotland, and of Llanelwey in Wales. The said Centigerns fa∣ther was Owen Regent of Scotland and sonne of Urien King of Cumbria. Beuno having raised to life, as the tradition goes, S. Wenifryd (who was beheaded by one Caradoc a Lord in North-wales because shee would not yeeld to his unchast desires) was greatly respected by King Cadvan, who gave him Lands, whereon to build a Monastery. Cadwallon Cadvans sonne also gave him lands called Gwareddoc, where beginning to build a

Church, a woman came to him with a Child in her armes, who told him the said Lands were the Inheritance of the said Child: this did trouble Beuno exceedingly, insomuch that hee and the said woman along with him went in all hast to Caer Seiont (called by the Romans Segontium, now Carnarvon) to K. Cadwallon, who then kept his Court there. When he came before the King, he told him with a great deale of zeale, he had not done well to devote to Gods service another mans inheritance, and demanded of him back againe the golden Scepter he had given him as a consideration for the said Lands, which the King refusing to restore was without more adoe excommunicated by him; Beuno after he had pronounced his sentence against him went his waies, but Gwyddeint a cou∣sen german of the King's having heard of it followed after him, and overtaking him gave him (for the good of his own soule and the King's) the Towneship of Clynnoc vawr, which was his undoubted inheritance: there Beuno built a Church a∣bout the yeare of our Lord 616 about what time Cadvan dyed* 1.15 leaving his sonne Cadwallon to succeed him. Some say Beuno recovered S. Wenifryd to life in the yeare 644, but that a∣greeth not with the truth of History. Not long before this time Eneon Bhrenin, or Anianus Rex Scotorum, a Prince in the North of Brytaine leaving his Royalty came to Llyn in Gwy∣neth, where he built a Church, which is at this day called (from him) Llan Eingan Bhrenin; It is said that there, in the service of his God, he spent the remainder of his daies; K. Eneon was the sonne of Owen Danwyn, the sonne of Eneon Yrth, the sonne of Cunedha Wledig King of Cambria, and a great Prince in the North. He was cousen german to Maelgwn Gwyneth King of Britaine, whose Father was Caswallon Law-hîr, brother to Owen Danwyn. The sayd Maelgon dyed about the yeare of our Lord 586. Medif daughter to Voylda ap Talu traws of N••n∣conwey was Maelgons mother.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A. D. 680. Galfr. Mon.
• * 1.2

  Galfr. Io. Castor.
• * 1.3

  Girald. I••i∣ner. Cambr.
• * 1.4

  Galfr. Cast.
• * 1.5

  D. P.
• * 1.6

  Little Bry∣taine, or Bry∣taine Armo∣rike.
• * 1.7

  Galfr. Mon. I. Cast. Math. West. Fabian. C••xton.
• * 1.8

  R. Caen▪ lib. 2. Pe••. 2.
• * 1.9

  Galfrid▪ Cast.
• * 1.10

  450
• * 1.11

  Galfrid. ••ast.
• * 1.12

  H. Lh••yd.
• * 1.13

  R. V.
• * 1.14

  Gwrvai.
• * 1.15

  A. D. 616.