To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
THE late writers of Northwales cannot agree whether Mervyn or Anarawd were elder. Mr. Humphry Lloyd following Giraldus, preferreth Mervyn; Doctor Powel, Anarawd. How can they then fitly decide this point, or conclude against Cadelh to be the eldest? It is probable that Giraldus living in Henry 2ds. time, being a native of
VVales, and best seen of any (as his works do shew) in the antiquities thereof, and living in a time when there were more store of them then now are, or have been in this last age, and otherwise a great learned man and Bishop of St. Davids, had as good grounds and helps to prove for Mervyn, as any later writer for Anarawd. Therefore upon this doubt and uncertainty, which of these two were elder, it is safest for the truth to agree upon so good authorities and grounds of reasons for Cadelh to be the eldest, which is confirmed also by the authentick Au∣thority of a countrey man of Northwales, David Nantmor, the famous Bard, who was and still is of such estimation in Northwales, as none will contradict any thing written by him. Neither would he have declared the truth so plainly, if there had been any doubt in the mat∣ter. And thus he writeth:
Tri meib i Rodri meun tremyn i keid Cadelh, Nerawd, Mervyn. Rhannodh ef yr hwn oedh vn Rhodhiad holl Kymry rhydhyn.Rhannodh a gadodh er gwelh, dawn, yfydh Dinefwr i Gadelh Ymab hynaf oi stafelh Pennaf o wyr pwyvn welh.Nerawd wr gwastawd dan go, yn gyfan A gafas Aberffro May dayoni Duw yno Fe biau i bryniaw ay bro.Gwir gwir a dhoydyr i dhyn, paen ifank, Powys cafas Mervyn Lhymar modh yr adrodhyn Ytreir rhwyng y trywyr hyn.
In English thus.
Three sons we find were unto Roderi, VVhom Cadelh, Nerawd, Mervyn men do call,
Divide he did, that was a Monarchy Of Cambria a guift between them all.Divide and leave for best (O justly done!) Dinevowr unto Cadelh did he then Within his bower the first begotten son, (And who so good) the chiefest of the men.And courteous Anarawd did possesse Aberffro for his portion, mark you this, Whom God I pray with goodnesse all to blesse, Both hills and dales the same his own it is.The tale is true, yea, true it came to passe, That Powis should young Mervyn's portion be, And thus for truth the very manner was, How all divided stood between them three.