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That wish'd the mountains now might be again"

Thrown on them as a shelter from his ire."-B. vi. 1. 843: ·

"Y Mab llafarai felly, ac ei wedd
Newidiai i ddychryndawd gwg rhy dern
Ei gweled, ac at ei elynion llawn
O lid yn troi. Ar unwaith taenynt hwy
Y Pedwar eu hadenydd serawl gan
Ofnadwy fwrw hudd, a rhodau tren
Ei gerbyd ffraw á droynt fal pe o swn
Rhyferthwy dyfroedd, neu liosawg lu.
Ar ei elynion anfad rhagddo gyrai efe,
Mal caddug nos; tan ei olwynion llosg
Y crynai gwadal nwyfre trwyddi, oll
Ond gorsedd Duw e hun. Llawn buan yn
Eu plith y cyrchai, yn ei ddeau law
Taranau fil a miloedd daliai, rhag
Ei flaen à fwriai, bath ag ynddynt hwy
A frathent bläon; hwynt o syndawd llwyr
Y collynt wrthwynebiad, glewdid oll;
Eu harfau diles syrthient oll i lawr;
Tros aesawr, tros benorion pènau gwymp
Orseddau a Seraphion ceidrion mwth
Y gyrai efe, à fynent weithion rhag
Ei lid o luchiaw eto arnynt y
Mynyddau."-P. 190-1.

It is impossible, I should think, to read these lines without be ing forcibly convinced of the majestic expressiveness of the Welsh tongue. The following passage,

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Ei gerbyd ffraw à droynt fal pe o swn

Rhyferthwy dyfroedd, neu liosawg lu,"

is strongly descriptive, and may be advantageously compared with the Welsh translation of the 24th verse of the first chapter of Ezekiel, from which Milton's illustration is borrowed.

In a word, of the many grand and impressive passages in the sixth Book of Paradise Lost there are few, if any, to which Mr. Pughe has not done ample justice. And, surely, it is no mean praise to say, that his language has, in general, come up to that of his great prototype, who, as already observed, had availed himself of his almost universal knowlege to enrich his native tongue with all the various idioms and rich phraseology of other countries. His translator, on the other hand, has never been

obliged to travel beyond the boundaries of his own language, whatever use he may have occasionally have made, and I think very judiciously, of its inexhaustible materials to increase the variety of its combinations, and to give, in consequence, to his dic tion a degree of strength and luxuriance, which it might not, otherwise, have possessed. IDWAL.

CHRONOLOGY.

As the study of chronology has ever been considered essential to a just acquaintance with history, any attempt to elucidate it with reference to ancient times needs no apology. On this account, the following Chronological Table, extracted from the Red Book of Hergest*, may be acceptable to those, who take any interest in the ancient history of this country, and particularly of Wales. As this document has, however, already appeared in the Cambrian Register †, its republication here may be regarded by some as superfluous. But, independently, that the work alluded to may not be in every one's hands, it has been considered, that this table might be rendered more interesting by the addition of a few notes, illustrative of the events it records, and which may also have the effect of determining the degree of credit to be attached to its several dates. In this respect, however, the years of our era, as adopted in the Cambrian Register, will be retained, yet without vouching for their perfect accuracy, which, indeed, in a matter of so much uncertainty, was not reasonably to be expected. And, on this point, it may be well to premise, that the table itself, by taking no account of odd months, contains a radical imperfection, independent of what may have arisen from other causes. It is, therefore, probable enough, that some, if not most, of the early dates are not quite accurate, though others are to be vindicated by the concurrent testimony of other documents..

It appears, that this Table was compiled during the latter part of King John's reign, and that the writer must have had access to authorities, that no longer exist, a circumstance, which cannot fail to enhance its value. It may be mentioned, in conclusion, that the last two or three events in the Table are omitted in the following copy, as having no immediate connection with Wales.

VOL. II.

* See CAMBRO-BRITON, No. 14, p. 76.
+ Vol. ii, p.
312.

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE FROM A. D. 426 to 1211:
EXTRACTED from the RED BOOK of HERGEST.

From the age of Vortigern to the Battle of Badon, which
Arthur and his nobles fought with the Saxons, when Ar-
thur and his nobles were victorious, 128 years *.
From the Battle of Badon to that of Camlan, 22 years †.
From the Battle of Camlan to the death of Maelgwn, 10
years.

A. D.

554

576

586

From the death of Maelgwn to the Battle of Arderydd, when
Gwrgi and Peredur were slain, 7 years ‡

593

From the death of Gwrgi and Peredur to the Battle of Caerlleon, 9 years §.

602

* The battle of Badon, or Badon-hill, fought near Bath, is, according to Nennius, one of Arthur's twelve battles, and in which he is said to have slain six hundred with his own hand. Be this as it may, however, the victory of Badon was of great importance to the British cause: and Higden informs us, that a peace was thereon concluded between Arthur and Cerdic, wherein the title of the former, as sovereign paramount, was acknowleged.—The Rev. W. Wynn of Llangynhafal, a learned Welsh antiquary and poet, who died in 1760, in a letter published in the Cambrian Register, (Vol. ii, p. 516,) states his opinion, that this battle, which he calls that of Baanesdown, was fought in the year 520, which makes a difference of 34 years from the date above given. The truth may, perhaps, be found between these two dates; and it must now be impossible to ascertain the precise year.

†The battle of Camlan was the last, in which Arthur fought, and which proved fatal to him. See CAMBRO-BRITON, vol. i. p. 204. According to Mr. Wynn, and likewise the Cambrian Biography, this battle took place in 523.

For some account of the battle of Arderydd, called in the Triads one of the "three frivolous battles," see CAMBRO-BRITON, vol. i. p. 442 and No. 13, p. 10. Mr. Wynn thinks it was fought in the year 577. Gwrgi and Peredur were twin brothers, sons of Eliver, a distinguished chieftain of North Briton: according to another account they fell in the battle of Caergrau, fought against the Saxon Prince Ida, in consequence of the desertion of their followers on the eve of the battle. And this event has been fixed at 584, seven years after the battle of Arderydd.-Maelgwn Gwynedd, whose death is placed above in 586, is supposed to have died at least sixteen years earlier. See the Cambrian Biography, and the Cambrian Register, vol. ii. p. 523. However, the authority of Dr. Powell, Sir John Price, and Matthew of Westminster concurs with the account in this chronology.

§ Matthew of Westminster states, that the battle of Caerlleon, which he calls Caerlegion, was fought A. D. 603, between the Britons and Æthelfrid King of Northumberland, and that a great number of the monks of Bangor (Iscoed) were then massacred. According to Bede, too, Brochwel, son of Cynghen ab Cadell, Prince of Powys, commanded the British forces on the occasion and the battle is farther said to have been fought at the instigation of St. Augustin.

A.D.

From the Battle of Caerlleon to the Battle of Meigin, 14 years.

616

From the Battle of Meigen to the time when Cadwaladr the
Blessed went to Rome, 48 years*.

664

From Cadwaladr to the death of King Offa, 128 years.
From Offa to the time, when Teganwy was burnt by light-
ning in the age of Owain ab Maredudd, 20 years.
From the burning of Teganwy to the death of Merfyn
Vrych, 33 years t.

792

812

845

From Merfyn to the time, when his son Rodri was slain, 27 years.

872

From the Battle of Conwy till Mervyn, the son of Rodri, was slain, 17 years.

From Rodri to the time when his son Anarawd revenged his death, 3 years ‡.

875

692

From the death of Mervyn to the death of Cadell, the son of
Rodri, 10 years.

002

From Hywel's pilgrimage to his death, 19 years.
From Hywel's death to the Battle of Carno, 7 years .
From the Battle of Carno to the Battle of Idwal's sons, one
year .

From the death of Cadell to the death of Anarawd, 6 years. 908 From Anarawd to Hywel ab Cadell's pilgrimage to Rome, 18 years §.

926

945

952

953

From the Battle of Idwal's sons to the death of Owain, son of Hywel Dda, 24 years.

977

From Owain's death to the reign of Cnud, his son, 27 years. 1004 From Cnud to the Battle of Machawy, when Gruffydd, son

*For a short notice of this event see CAMBRO-BRITON, vol. i. p. 248. † According to Dr. Powell's History, Merfyn Frych was slain in the battle of Kettel, fought against the Mercians, under their King Berthrid, in the year

843.

This was the Battle of Conway, called by the Welsh Dial Rodri, or Rodri's Revenge, fought, according to Powell, in 878, against the Saxons and Danes. The Britons were commanded by Anarawd, son of Rodri, who, in gratitude for his success, bestowed considerable possessions on the collegiate churches of Bangor and Clynog Vawr, in Arvon.

§ For an account of this event see CAMBRO-BRITON, No. 16, p. 147.

|| This battle was fought on the Carno Mountains between Ieuaf and Iago, Princes of Gwynedd, against the sons of Hywel Dda, who sustained a complete defeat. The date is fixed by Powell at A. D. 949.

This second battle took place in Dyved, which was laid waste by leauf and Iago.

A. D.

From the Battle of Machawy to the death of Gruffydd*, 9 years.

of Llywelyn, was victorious, and the bishop of the English was slain, 42 years.

1046

1055

[From the coming of Christ in the flesh to that year, 1055 years.]

From that year to the death of Gruffydd, son of Llywelyn, 6 years t.

1061

From Gruffydd's death to the arrival of William the Bastard in this island, 5 years; and he reigned 21 years. From William the Bastard till Bleddyn ab Cynvyn was slain, 7 years.

1066

1073

From Bleddyn to the Battle of the Mountain of Carno, 6 years. There Gruffydd ab Cynan and Rhys ab Tewdwr conquered Trahaiarn, son of Caradawg+.

1079

From the Battle of the Mountain of Carno to the time, when
Rhys ab Tewdwr was slain, 13 years.

1092

From the Red King to the death of Caradawg, the Monk, 25 years.

From the death of Rhys to that of William the Red King §, 7 years he reigned, 13 years.

1099

1124

From Caradawg to the death of Cadwallon ab Gruffydd,
and the death of Maredudd ab Bleddyn, 8 years.
[From the coming of Christ in the flesh to that year, 1133
years.]

1132

1133

From the death of Cadwallawn to the time, when Owain and Cadwaladr destroyed Aberteivi, 6 years.

1139

From the destruction of Aberteivi to the slaughter of the
French in Tal Moelvre, 20 years ||.

1159

*This is supposed in the Cambrian Register to refer to Gruffydd ab Rhydderch, who was a prince of Gwent, and contemporary with Gruffydd ab Llywelyn, by whom he was slain.

+ This notice in Italics is added in the Cambrian Register, in order to supply a presumed defect in the original MS., wherein there would otherwise be an omission of six years. Gruffydd ab Llywelyn was killed by Caradog ab Rhydderch in the year above mentioned.

Trahaiarn succeeded to the sovereignty of Gwynedd on the death of his uncle Bleddyn ab Cynvyn, and maintained a long and furious contest with Gruffydd ab Cynan, which, however, terminated in his own defeat and death in the bloody battle of Carno.

§ William Rufus.

This was one of the battles gained by Owain Gwynedd, and, no doubt, the same, which gave occasion to the ode of Gwalchmai translated in the first

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