BRITISH Antiquities revived OR A friendly Contest touching the soveraignty of the three Princes of VVales in ancient times managed with certain arguments whereunto answers are applyed By ROBERT VAUGHAN Esq To which is added the Pedegree of the right Honourable the Earl of CARBERY Lord President of WALES with A Short account of the five Royall Tribes of CAMBRIA by the same Author Sunt duo tresve qui revelvant Nostrarum tineas ineptiarum Martial l. 11. OXFORD Printed by HEN HALL Printer to the University for THOMAS ROBINSON 1662. To the right worshipfull Sr. RICHARD WYNNE of GWEDIR Baronet and Knight for the County of CARNARVAN in this present Parlament SIR I Had designed this small Treatise being the first fruits of my study in Antiquities for your honoured Father but failing of my purpose by reason of his death which was untimely to his friends though not to himself I thought I might not without being highly injurious present a thing once devoted to him to any else besides your self who as his heir might lay a just claime to it and also to my most humble services I promise my self you will vouchsafe it a kind entertainment since I know both your goodnesse and your interest in the subject as lineally descended from the Princes of north-Northwales whose rights are therein maintained are more then sufficient to oblige you thereto The writing of it was upon this occasion some Gentlemen of Southwales being dissatisfied with Caradoc of Lancarvan's History of Wales published by Dr. Powel in regard that therein the Prince of north-Northwales is held forth to be Soveraigne over the other two Princes of Southwales and Powis as being of the elder house thought fit in order to the compiling of a more exact history to draw up certain arguments for the soveraignty of all Wales to be in the Prince of Southwales and to send them also into north-Northwales to see what could be said in answer to them before any further use should be made of them They were delivered by Sr. Thomas Canon late of Pembrokeshire Kt. to Sr. John Lloyd of the Inner Temple Kt. and Sergeant at Law who delivered them to me above 40 years ago desiring I would take the pains to peruse and answer them as well as I was able At his intreaty I undertook it and as you will find done somewhat in it though in a rude manner which I hope will be excused in a person whose only designe is plainly to set forth the truth which shews alwaies best in its own proper colours without the elaborate dresse and varnish of Rhetorick But some men possibly may object against this undertaking of mine that it was needlesse and that if it had been to any end it was no discretion to revive and publish an old Contest long since God be praised happily decided I confesse we have reason to blesse God for his mercy to us in our happy establishment under one Monarch we may well say we were conquered to our gain and undone to our advantage periissemus nisi periissemus But yet it must be granted that it is no small delight that redounds from the revolving and perusall of old records though Troy hath for severall ages layn buried in its ashes both its glory and government being quite dissolved though the Athenian Spartan Theban and other petit Grecian Estates have long since had their periods yet we still take a great deale of satisfaction in reading their stories how they began grew up flourished strove decayed Besides there may be this good use made of it viz that by reflecting upon our former miseries and divisions while we contended for soveraignty we may be induced to put the greater value upon our present happinesse Thus having given you an account of the worke and what I had to say in its defence I commend it to your protection and with my prayers to God for you and your noble family remain Sir Your faithfull Servant at command ROB VAUGHAN Hengwrt May the 9th 1662. The state of the Question RODERIC the great King of Wales about Aâ— Dom 876. did dispose the three Principalities thereof to three of his sons viz. Southwales to Caedelh who is maintained in this Treatise to be the Eldest north-Northwales to Anarawd who is held by some late writers of north-Northwales to be the Eldest and Powis to Mervyn who is held by some other writers of north-Northwales to be the Eldest which being least probable as touching Mervyn the Question here is Whether Cadell or Anarawd were the Eldest son of Roderic the great and which of them had the soveraigne power and rule over all Wales Arguments proving Cadelh Prince of Southwales to be the Eldest Son of Roderic the great King of Wales and that he and his issue after him had a superiority over the rest of the Princes over his two Brethren and the Descendants from them The first Argument THE principalitie of Powys after the death of Mervyn the youngest Brother who died without issue according to the most credible writers of the Antiquities of VVales descended to Cadelh as the Eldest brother and Heir and from him to Howel Dha his Son and so to Bledhyn ap Convyn by due course of inheritance from Cadelh And for the opinion that Mervyn had a Son named Lhewelyn whose Daughter and Heir was married to Mredith ap Owen third son of Owen ap Howel Dha and great Grandchild to Cadelh and that thereby Powys came to the line of Cadelh it is fit the authority thereof do appear before it receive credit Likewise whereas some Writers for Northwales do alledge that Cadâ—lh took Powys by force from his brethren after the death of his brother Mervyn it is therefore impliedly confessed that Mervyn had no children and it is not unlike that he actually entred into and seized Powys as his inheritance and that his brethren might pretend to have portions there by Gavel-kind upon the death of their brother Mervyn But could he carry a principality from all the race of Roderic who had diverse sons besides those three princes by strong hand and without right or opposition whereas it doth not appear throughout the whole course of the histories of Wales that either there was any stirre or claime made by the prince of north-Northwales or any of the descent of Roderic for Powys or any entries made by them into that country untill after the soveraignty thereof came to the King of England by the conquering of Rees ap Theodor that they made head in those parts as in other parts of Wales against the invasion of the Lords Marchers whereas they might have done it most easily seeing it wholly bordereth on Northwales and is farthest from Southwales and especially being incited and warranted thereunto for recovery of their right And if a judgment may be made that that which is ill gotten cannot long endure Et de male partis tertius haeres non gaudebit then let the long continued descent of diverse parts of
Powys in the heires of Cadelh plead for him that he came justly and lawfully to it for the Lordship of Mowthwy being a part of Powys is enjoyed to this day by descent from Cadelh And a great part thereof was held untill of late time by Grey Lo Powys by like descent and the rest of the possessions continued long in his posterity and line untill by partition they were branched into diverse families whereof a great pâ—rt is now in the Crown by severall meanes howbeit the soveraignty remained still in the heires of Cadelh as Prince of Southwales which appeareth by their chastising the defections and taking pledges for the obedience of the Lords of Powys and such testimonies of Soveraignty related by the writers of north-Northwales It is alledged also by some of them that the possession of Powys was witheld by the heires of Brochwel Ysgythroc who was Prince thereof about An Dom. 617. If that were true theâ— Cadâ—lh did not take Powys by force from his brethren But for the truth hereof Roderic was lineall heir to Brochwel Ysgyâ—hroc viz. son of Mâ—rvyn Vrych son of Nest sister and heir of Cyngen son to Cadelh son to Brochwel Ysgythroc And thereby Roderic had both the Right and Possession of Powys And therefore untill another Heir be found or other descâ—nts appear from Brochwel Ysgythroc to Bledhyn ap Convyn then by the line of Roderic the great and all the persons be mentioned that held Powys in all that time other then the line of Roderic the beliefe of this allegation may be well suspended And thus the way is cleared to conclude upon this first point that Cadelh was the Eldest and soveraigne Prince of Wales by the descending of Powys unto him Anarawd maintained to be the Eldest son of Roderic the great and to have the right of Soveraignty over all Wales and so likewise his successors the Princes of north-Northwales The Answer to the first Argument THE later Prince of Powys held that by inheritance from the third son of Rodâ—ric the great as Mr. Camden in these words declareth Powissiae principes à tertio filio Roderici magni prognati hunc agrum viz Mountgomerieshire cum aliis perpetuâ serie ad Ed 2. temporatâ—nuerunt Therefore Cadelh prince of Southwales out of whose loines the later princes of Powys were descended must of necessity be the third son oâ— Roderic the great which degree of Birth the white book of Hergest Thoâ— Maylor Jo Leland Hum Llwyd Myles and many more both modern and ancient Authors do attribute to Cadell by name And if to avoid that you will say that Camden by tertio filio did not mean Cadelh theâ— must Mervyn be the man and consequently he must have issue else the later princes of Powys could not derive themselves from Roderic and iâ— he had issue then Cadell could not have Powys by inheritance as being the Eldest of the 3 Brethren what was got otherwise is not the thing in question And truly to deny Mervyn's issue were injury in the highest degree offered to diverse Gentlemen of Wales descending from him and in particular to the reverend and learned Judge Sr. William Jones of Carnarvan shire Kt. and lately one of the Justices of the Kings bench who derives his pedegree lineally from Triffin the son of Mervyn and if you doubt whether Mervyn had such a son a very ancient parchment MS. written above 400 yeares agoe will resolve you O Driffin mab Mervyn mab Rodri mawr ydd benyw gwehelyeith Riw o Leyn that is the inheritors of Rhiw in Llyn are descended of Triffin the son of Mervyn the son of Roderic the great Likewise in a Genealogy of the princes of north-Northwales Southwales and Powys descending from Roderic the great annexed to a Latine copy of the Lawes of Howel Dha we find that Idwal voel son to Anarawd King of north-Northwales did marry Avandreg the daughter of Mervyn King of Powis upon whom he begat Meuric the Ancestor of Lhewelin the great prince of north-Northwales But the ancient and learned Giraldus Cambrensis in the relation of the Genealogy of the said Llewelyn the great hath not only himself fallen into an error but hath drawn many learned and grave Antiquaries that followed his tract into the same snare for speaking of this Avandreg he saith she was the Son and not the Daughter of Mervyn the which Mervyn against all Antiquity and truth he calleth prince of north-Northwales and so ascendeth to Roderic the great by the feminine line making no mention at all of Idwal voel the son of Anarawd prince of north-Northwales indeed whom ancient writers term and stile by the name of Ludwallus rex omnium Wallâ—nsium who also as is said before upon this Avandreg the daughter and not the son of Mervyn king of Powis begat the forenamed Meurig the Ancestor of Leoline the great But for your better satisfaction of the ground whence Giraldus did conceive this error behold these Rundlets following Rodric the great Anarawd K. of North. wales Idwal Voel K. of N.W. Mervin K. of Powis Avandrec daughter Meiric Farther more Caradoc Lancarvanensis a Southwales man who lived about 500 yeares agoe saith that a son of Mervyn named Haeardur was drowned An 953. My last witnesse for Mervyn's issue will be George Owen Harry another Southwales man who saith that Angharad daughter and heir of Llewelin the son of Mervyn king of Powis was married to Owen ap Howel dha not to Mredyth the said Owen's son as you say his testimony seeing he was an Antiquary of Southwales and a strong maintainer of Cadelh's Supremacy ought to move you to believe this point especially seeing that this marriage is the only title that the said Author ascribeth to the posterity of Cadelh over Powis which whether it were lawfull as he is of opinion or unlawfull as may be inferred out of the words of the English History of the princes of Cambria I leave others to judge it shall suffice me to prove that the Prince of north-Northwales not of Southwales had the Soveraignty of Powis as doth appear when Owen surnamed the great prince of north-Northwales having in his company Cadwalader ap Gr ap Conan his brother and the Lord Rees prince of Southwales entred Powis and chasing Owen Cyveiliog Prince thereof out of the Country seized upon all his inheritance and gave Caerenion to Owen Vachan to hold of the prince of north-Northwales the rest he reserved to himselfe saving Dywalwern a little piece of Cyueiliog which he gave the Lord Rees because according to the book of Conwey the report went that it stood within the confines of the said Rees his dominions Hereby it is manifest that the soveraignty of Powis did not belong to the prince of Southwales for if it had questionlesse the Lord Rees then present would have chalenged the same as his right by inheritance and that it did of right appertain to the prince of north-Northwales may farther appear by an ancient Inquisition taken at Bala before Humphrey Duke
of Glâ—cester An 6. Hen. 6. Totum dominium de Powis tenetur de domino Rege Angliae ut principe Walliae per servitium Baronum viz. de serto de Aberfro est in dominio de Powis qued dam alind sâ—rtum vocatum Mathraval quod simul cum omnibus terris tenementis eidem certo de Mathraval junctis annexatis tenet de domino rege ut principe Walliae per servitium praedictum in capite de jure teneri debet ut de certo de Aberffro praedicto An other Inquisition found likewise at Baâ—a in the 48th year of Ed. 3. saith that Dominium de Powis iutegrè tenâ—batur de principibus Walliae in capite viz. de certo de Aberffraw Et est in dominio de Powis quoddam alind certum vocatum Mathraval quod simul cum omnibus terris tenementis eidem certo junctis annexatis tenebatur adhuc de jure teneri debâ—ntur de certo de Aberffraw And last of all I must put you in mind that Cadell king of Powis Father of Nest Grandmother to Roderic the great was the son of Elisseu and not of Brochwel Ysgithroc for Brochwel as you say was King of Powis An. 617. and this Cadell whom you will have to be his Son died An 808. as Caradoc of Lancarvan affirmeth so then that one or yet both of them should raigne very neer 200 yeeres is almost impossible and altogether untrue for according to the ancient histories of Wales Cadelh was the son of Elisseu the son of Cynllaw the son of Beli the son of Maelmynan the son of Selyf or Salomon the son of Cynan the son of Brochwel Ysgythroc King of Powis and Earle of Chester Thus you see your first Argument and reason for Cadell's seniority and soveraignty quite overthrown First by the testimony of Camden declaring that the latter princes of Powis the issue of Cadell were descended from the third son of Roderic the great which degree of birth the Authors above mentioned ascribe unto Cadell by name Secondly by an undoubted proof of Meruyn's issue and lastly by the soveraignty over Powis proved to be in the princes of north-Northwales all which infallibly conclude them to be descended from the eldest son of Roderic the great The second Argument THat Southwales which was the portion of Cadelh was far larger then any of the two other almost double in quantity containing 38. Cantreds and 80. Commots whereas both Northwales and Powis contained but 29. Cantreds and 78. Commots and yet the Cantred of Buelht and the forrest of Dean are admitted in that division to be in Pâ—wis which were part of Southwales and assigned to Cadelh Southwales also was the far better Soile generally and most replenished with Noble men and Gentry Therefore it was the fittest portion to be assigned to the Eldest and Soveraigne and unfit for a younger brother upon evident ground of reason The Answer to the second Argument TO find out the true proportion of Cadelh's inheritance your Countryman Jo Asser Menevensis that lived in Cadelh's time will with most approved Authority direct us Illo enim tempore multò ante omnes regiones dextralis Britanniae partis ad Elfred regem pertinebant adhuc pertinent Hemeid soilicet cum omnibus habitatoribus Demeticae regionis sex filiorum Râ—tri vi compulsus regali se subdiderat imperio Hovil quoque filius Ris rex Glegnising Brochmail atque Fernail filii Meuric reges Gwent vi tyraâ—â—ide Eadred comitis Merciorum compulsi suapte eundem expetivere regem ut dominium defensionem ab eo pro inimicis suis haberent Helised queque filius Teudyr rex Brechoniae eorundem siliorum Rotri vi coactus dominium regis praefati suapte requisivit Hereby it appeares that Dyved now called Pembrokeshire Brechnock Gwent and Glewising had their severall Kings in Cadell's time so that of a certainty his portion cannot exceed the two counties of Cardigan and Carmardhen of old called the Kingdome of Cardigan which countrey being then the possession and Kingdome of Cadell who was not yet in league with King Alfred Asserius mentioneth not And Rees ap Theodor the most powerfull prince as you say since Roderic the great 's time had no more in his possession then those two counties as Sr. Edward Stradling in the conquest of Glamorgan makes good all which containing scarce IX Cantreds may seem far inferior in quantity to north-Northwales which in the daies of Howell Dda contained 18. Cantreds as Morgeneû y nad and Kysnerth his son do averre in their book of Brittish lawes Neither will it availe you though you proved that Cadâ—lh's soveraignty as chief prince of Southwales did extend to all the inferior princes within Southwales for so likewise did the soveraignty of â—narawd conclude Cadelh and all Wales in generall as owing homage to him the first of their line by the ordiuance of Roderic the great mentioned in the Description of Cambria by Sr. Jo Price and confirmed also by the lawes of Howel Dda Farther I stand not so much upon the Fertility of Northwales as upon the Situation and naturall strength thereof against all invasions being therefore most fit and requisite for a soveraign prince in a troubled time though well I might call the Inland country of north-Northwales wherein the vallie of Clwyd stretcheth it self 18. miles in length and sometimes 4. 5. 6. and 7. in breadth to witnesse against you Vallis haec saith Mr. Camden à salubritate fertilitate amoenitate verè foelix incolarum color est sanus capitis firma sinceritas inoffensum oculorum lumen annosa admodum senectus Ipsa verò virentibus pratis flaventibus arvis creberrimis villis templis spectantium oculis mirum in modum arridet And also the I le of Anglesea and the vast Snowdon hills that send so many thousands of Cattell yearly to England and no small number to Westwales lest affection might over-rule me Giraldus your countryman whose testimony you cannot except against shall speak for me Est autem haec insula prae cunctis Cambriae finibus triticeo germine incomparabiliter foecunda adeò ut proverbialiter dici soleat linguâ Britannicâ Môn Mam Gymry quod latinè sonat Mona mater Cambriae quoniam aliis undique terris deficientibus haec sola gleba praepingui uberique frugum proventu Cambriam totam sustentare consuevit And in another place Tantaeâ—tiam tam immensae quantitatis esse perhibentur montes Eryri that is Snowdon hills ut antiquo proverbio dici solâ—at sicut Monam insulam hâ—minibus in annona sic Eryri in pascuis coactis in unum armentis omnibus totius Walliae sufficere posse Then if you look to the situation thereof which you should have done together with these comparisons you shall find it to be farthest from the English a matter of great consequence in those daies and which is more it was and yet is the strongest
countrey absolutely within the Is◠of Britaine contrarily Southwales is very weak in situation and therefore open for the invasion of all Strangers but more especially of the Saxons that bordered even on the neck thereof And yet it had another inconvenience worse then all the rest by reason whereof it was reputed even in those dayes to be far worse then Northwales though it were greater in quantity and that is this Southwallia saith Giraldus quanquam quantitate longè major propter nobiles tamen qui vchelwyr quasi superiores viri vocantur quibus abundabat qui dominis rebelles esse solebant d minumque ferro detrectabant deterior esse videbatur Is it likely then that Roderic the great would prefer his Eldest son and soveraigne prince of the Britaine 's to a Kingdome that did not only want naturall fortification but had also the unhappinesse of having inhabitants whose condition and priviledges disposed them to Rebellion But if our opinions in this case be conceived not authentick as proceeding from prejudice Mr. Camden an indifferent person may be thought fit to decide the controversie And to say no more to this Argument let your own Countryman Giraldus his forementioned Incomparabiliter prevaile upon you to be of another judgment The third Argument THat Howel Dha the eldest son of Cadelh and succeeding him prince of Southwales did command the Archbishop of St. Davids and all the Bishops of Wales and chiefest of the Clergy to the number of 140. and all the Barons and Nobility of Wales and six of the most wise and best esteemed in every Commot of Wales for the Commonalty to assemble at his pallace called Y tu gwyn ar Tas in Dyved in Southwales where with great solemnity he did ordain the Lawes whereby Northwales and Powis and all the people throughout the whole dominion of Wales were governed and ordered untill after the conquering of Rees ap Theodor that King Henry the first did plant the common law of England first in the counties of Glamorgan and Pembrock which were conquered and made Counties from that time and that the Lords Marchers as they won into Wales did settle a forme of Justice mixt of the common law and of the lawes of Howel Dha yet so distempered as justly may be said with regal jurisdiction permitted for the time by the King of England that in the end it became as intolerable to the Crown as to the people which lawes of Howel Dha were neverthelesse entirely executed within so much of the principality of Northwales as continued in the four ancient counties there viz. Anglesey Carnarvan Merioneth and Flint and in the counties of Carmarthen and Cardigan in Southwales untill the subduing of Llewelyn ap Griffith the last prince of north-Northwales that King Edward the first ordained the statute of Ruthlan for justice to be done in these six last recited counties wherein all the principality of Wales then remained howbeit many of the lawes of Howel Dha continued in force as well in those counties as in the Lordships march rs untill the Statute of Wales in 27. H. 8. even as some few do continue to this day under the title of Customes Upon all which it is also concluded that to give or ordain lawes and with these muniments of Authority proveth without question a Soveraignty The Answer HOwel Dha prince of Southwales by reason of the incapacity as you say in your 5th Argument of the Heir apparent of north-Northwales took upon him the rule and government of all Wales Which being true it is not to be marvelled at if he commanded the clergy and nobility of all Wales to assemble before him that by their counsell and advice he might reforme the ancient lawes of the Brittaines nor yet if the succeeding princes of north-Northwales finding those lawes good wholsome and confirmed by the Sea Apostolick and also such as did not abrogate but confirme their Soveraignty over all Wales embraced them and commanded their subjects to obey them duly considering that his said Authority was grounded upon his regency over Northwales and the Heir thereof as manifestly appeares when Howel Dha in his said lawes saith that verbum regis Aberfraw est verbum super omnes reges Walliae nullius verbum est super ipsum So that whereas you would derive a soveraignty to Howel Dha from his power in making lawes you should first have suppressed or burnt all the Copies of the lawes of How Dha which give to the King of Northwales an absolute soveraignty over all Wales The fourth Argument THat the Bishops of Northwales were created and consecrated in Southwales by the Archbishop of St. Davids that they were his Suffragans and subject to his Sea And therefore Roderic in the division did aptly dispose the soveraign jurisdiction temporall in the territory where the soveraign jurisdiction spirituall was seated which otherwise had been absurd and would undoubtedly have bred great troubles The Answer IN regard the Soveraignty of the Eldest son of Roderic extended over all Wales it is not materiall in what part thereof the Ecclesiasticall supremacy be seated for be it in the territory of the third or second brother it cannot prejudice the Eldest that is Soveraign over all Your Argument did I hold it firme would perswade with me to make Edlstan the youngest son of Eghert to have a soveraignty over his eldest brother Ethelwolph as being King of Kent wherein is seated Canterbury the chiefest Sea for spirituall jurisdiction or well might I gather that the king of Dyved in whose Kingdome St. Davids lay was superior to Cadelh and his successors by reason of his good neighbourhood with the Archbishop The fifth Argument THat the prince of Southwales did seize the principality of north-Northwales and removed the princes thereof upon occasiou or offence committed as the said Howel Dha did seize the same partly by the incapacity of Meuric son of Edwal voel to govern and to stay the usurpation of others upon that pretence whereby to preserve the general peace of Wales and partly by forseiture for spoile that had been done by the prince of north-Northwales upon his countries of Cardigan and Ystradgwy This prince Howel as the writers of north-Northwales do record was of a goodly behaviour just and discreet in his government and beloved of men wherefore he obtained the attribute of Dha which is in English the good whereby it is to be concluded probably that his coming to the principality of Wales was upon just and lawfull grounds Likewise Owen ap Howel Dha his son prince of Southwales did seize north-Northwales out of the hands of Cadwalhon ap Jeuaf for usurpation and tyranny and made Mredith his third son Prince there which if it had been the soveraign seat he would not have permitted his younger son to enjoy it and to become thereby his superiour And in this point the writers of north-Northwales do obscure the truth with some art by concealing this to be done by the power of the father
your Argument And here I do greatly marvel who those six Kings of Southwales were that as you say assumed to their hands the government of Northwales for Mredyth ap Owen was neither king nor heir apparent of Southwales when he conquered Northwales and Howel ap Edwyn was King of Southwales when Griffith ap Lhewelyn undertook the rule of Northwales and in like manner Mredyth ap Owen ap Edwym governed Southwales when Biedhyn ap Cynfyn received the principality of Northwales at the hands of the king of England doing homage for the same whereby it is evident that these three princes were not of the six that you mention and Howel Dha with Lhewelyn ap Seissyllt though they were most worthy and noble princes yet cannot exceed the number of two therefore the number of six must needs be a mistake It is also to be observed that these princes Mredyth Griff Bledhyn and Trahayarn ap Caradoc after they had settled themselves in the sure and quiet possession of north-Northwales seised to their hands the Kingdome of Southwales and held the same either by strong hand and usurpation or by state of inheritance or else in the right of Soveraignty over all Wales that belonged to the crown of Nâ—rthwales Usurpers they were not if it be true that as you say in the end of your Treatise Southwales did never faile of a lawfull Prince to govern it till the period thereof by the fatall overthrow of prince Rees ap Theodor lawfull heires also to Cadelh they cannot be for the posterity of Enâ—on the son of Owen king of Southwales and eldest brother to the said Mredyth were living and therefore they could not challenge Southwales by inheritance it remaines then of necessity that their title to Southwales was grounded on the soveraignty that belonged to the king of north-Northwales whereof they were princes But howsoever the matter went it is certaine that they were kings of north-Northwales and being so they took into their hands the regiment of Southwales whereby I do conclude it was a grosse error in you when you say that no prince of north-Northwales did ever rule in Southwales or by any occasion did claime the principality thereof seeing the examples of four princes must cause you to confesse either your ignorance or partiall censure Lastly you say that Rees ap Theodor prince of Southwales with great valor and wisdome did expell Trahern ap Caradoc the last usurper of Nerthwales and placed Griff ap Conan in the quiet possession thereof but antiquity the truth will informe us otherwise for in the life of Griff. ap Conan we may read that when the said Griffith with his navy landed at Portcleis neer St. Davids your powerfull prince Rees had been a little before deprived of his Kingdome by Trahayarn king of north-Northwales and others and for safegard of his life had covertly taken Sanctuary at St. Davids but hearing of Griffith's approach he came with the Bishop and all the clergy of that house to meet him where Rees fell upon his knees before Griffith and acquainting him with his ill fortunes desired his help and aid to fight with those his adversaries promising to do him homage and to reward him with the moity of his Revenues and Griff pittying his estate yeelded to his request and having overthrown in battell his enemies he installed Rees in the quiet possession of Southwales entred and destroyed Powis with fire and sword and recovered the Kingdome of Northwales his due inheritance here withall I find an entry made to Powys by a prince of north-Northwales before the fatall overthrow of Rees ap Theâ—dor which you deny in your first Argument The sixth Argument THat the kings of England did ground their title to the principality and soveraignty of Wales upon the conquering of Rees ap Theodor prince of Wales in the raign of Rufus and not upon the subduing of Lhewelyn ap Griffiu in the raign of Edward the first as the writers of Northwales do alledge for from the conquering of Rees ap Theodor all the withstanding of the power of the kings of England in Wales was termed by them Rebellion and Treason which before alwaies had the name of War And thenceforth the Kings of England did give Seigniories and possessions in Wales to their English subjects and so the Lords Marchers began and thenceforth were the strong Castles and Forts erected and Garrisons planted in all parts of Wales wherein either the Kings of England or the Lords Marchers did set footing which grounded in the Kings of England a resolution to prosecute and accomplish the absolute conquest of Wales And thereby the bishoprick of St. Davids and by that sea all the rest of the Bishopricks of Wales were brought under the jurisdiction of Canterbury And thereupon Griff. ap Conan and the rest of the princes of north-Northwales succeeding yeilded to the kings of England submission for that principality and to hold the same of the crown of England and gave them pledges to abide in their peace And the kings of England were stayed from the absolute conquest of Northwales chiefly by their unsettled state in England being full of troubles especially by the French and Barons wars which were no sooner ended but that King Henry the third and his son Edward 1. took Northwales from Lhewelyn the last yet adding thereby no more to his former possession of the principality of Wales as the statute of Ruthlan doth shew but terram de Snowdon and accounting Lhewelyn not an Enemie but a Rebell as appeared by fixing his head on the highest turret of the Tower of London and executing his brother David for Treason whereas the English did deliver the slain body of Rees ap Theodor to a decent and honourable buriall in the Abbey of Ystradflwr The Answer ALthough the Kings of England after the overthrow of Rees ap Theodor did terme the withstanding of their power in Wales rebellion and Treason it cannot be conceived that should be a sufficient ground for their title to the principality of Wales for what are those termes but the hard censure of their utter and alwaies professed enemies in their greatest anger and indignation peradventure after some shamefull overthrow and losse received and therefore not much to be regarded But it cannot be granted they gave such names to those wars for the wars between King John with his Successors the Kings of England and Lhewelyn the great David his son Owen Goch and Lhewelyn ap Griffith Princes of Wales are alwaies termed Guerrae as it appears in the submissions of David ap Lhewelyn An 1240. 1241. of Owen Goch and Lhewelyn An the adward of Ottobonus the Pope's Legate An 1268. and the agreement between Edward the first and the said Lhewelyn prince of Wales An 1277. do likewise call those wars Guerrae which doth not in any Author signifie Rebellion as must needs be acknowledged Now that the kings of England thenceforth did give Seigniories and possessions in Wales to their
Subjects who did erect strong Forts and Castles therein it is confessed as touching some part of the inheritance of Rees ap Theodor and it is also true that before and after the death of Rees ap Theodor the Kings of England did vex and molest Griff ap Conan as the Author of his Life averreth and his successors the princes of Wales sometimes by craft and deceit and sometimes with unjust wars insomuch that to purchase their peace and quietnesse and not otherwise the princes were often content to yield up unto the Kings of England four Cantreds This with other hard dealings hath been noted by diverse writers and Henry the second did not stick to confesse the same when he said as Giraldus affirmeth Per vires nostras magnas injuriam violentiam irrogemus Cambris to which force and violence and not to any new soveraignty gotten by the overthrow of Rees ap Theodor must be attributed what submission or acknowledgment of soveraignty that Griff. ap Conan and his successors the princes of Wales did to the kings of England if any was demanded or performed over and above the wonted and usuall It is also manifest that the Archbishop of Canterbury did obtein a supremacy over the Bishops of Wales shortly after the overthrow of Rees ap Theodor yet not by reason of this said overthrow but of the suggestion of false witnesses before Pope Eugenius in the Remensian Councell whose Apostolicall decrees all the churches in Europe obey'd in those dayes Moreover you urge out of the statute of Ruthlan that king Edward 1. added no more to his former possessions of the principality of Wales by the conquest of Leoline but only Terram de Snowdon whereas it doth not so appear in any copy of the said statute that ever I could find and yet I have seen diverse in Wales anciently written on parchment both in the Latine and British tongues As concerning the dishonour done to the prince after his death by fixing his head on the highest turret of the Tower of Londâ—n Examples of this kind of dealing with Princes we have frequent in histories Tigranes King of the Armenians who lived under Tiberius Caesar could not with all his kingly titles as Tacitus sayth escape the common death of a Romane Tacitus speaks also in the 2d book of his Annals of Artavasdes King of Armenia whom Antonius having by treachery got into his power loaded with chaines and afterwards put to death Cyrus that great monarcò of the Persians who being overthrown and slain by Tomyris queen of the Scythians had his head cut off and in great contempt and deâ—ision flung into a vessell full of of man's blood Ptolomy Ceraunus King of Macedon was in battell vanquished and slaine by Belius a Brittain as some are of opinion who caused his head to be cut off and carried before him on the point of a spear round about the field in token of victory and triumph There be many the like examples in histories of Kings and Emperors whose bodies have been coursely handled by their enemies who de facto use them so as being in their power though de jure they ought not to deale so with lawfull princes And here I may not passe over how that the Abby of Ystratflur whâ—re you say that the body of Rees ap Theodor was decently buried was not founded before the dayes of the Lo Rees ap Griff. ap Rees ap Theodor Prince of Southwales as appeares by his Charter made presently after the foundation Ego Rhesus Southwalliae proprietarius princeps venerabile Mâ—nasterium vocabulo Stradflur aedificare coepi aedificatum dilexi feci res ejus auxi possessiones in quantum suffragante Deo volui amplam omnem donationem quam eidem monasterio antea contuli Anno iterum ab Incarnatione Domini 1184. scilicet praesentis scripti memoriâ stabilivi tres etiam selâ—i scilicet Gruff Rhesus Mredith candem donationem eodem tempore loco in manu Abbatis de Straflur obtulerunt And in the year of our Lord 1164. just 20. yeares before the date of the former charter as witnesseth the book of Conwey it was first covented Rees ap Theodor was slain Anno 1091. whereby it appeares that your Abby was not founded 73 yeares after his death It remaines now that I speak somewhat of the true and undoubted conquest of Wales atchieved by Ed. 1. as it appeares by the power that he assumed over all the inhabitants of Wales after the fatall overthrow of Leoline the last prince of the British bloud for of all the Kings of England he was the first that altered the forme of Government in Wales he was the first that made the statute of Ruthlan as a Law to govern the people of that countrey by he also created Edw of Carnarvan his eldest son prince of Wales who according to Mr. Camden and diverse more ancient writers erat primus ex Anglico sanguine Walliae princeps Hereby it appears that W. Rufus was not the conqueror of Wales nor Rees ap Theodor the soveraigne prince of Wales for if Rees had been the superior Prince King W. Rufus having learned of his Father the lesson of a Conqueror would in no case have omitted to accomplish those rites of a Conqueror Neither did the kings of England challenge the principality of Wales by the conquest of W. Rufus but by the atchievement of Ed. 1. as it appears first of all by the words of the statute of Ruthlan Divina providentia saith Ed. 1 quae in sui dispositione non fallitur inter alia suae dispensationis munera quibus nos regnum nostrum Angliae decorari dignata est terram Walliae cum incolis suis prius nobis jure feodoli subjectam jam sui gratiâ in proprietatis nostrae dominiâ—m obstaculis quibuscunque cessantibus totaliter cum integritate convertit corenae regni praedicti tanquam partem corporis ejusdem anneâ—â— it univit Henry the fourth gives the title of Conqueror of Wales to Ed. 1. in his lawes against the Welshmen made An 2. H. 4. thus Nulle-Gallâ—is ait chastel fortresse ne maison defensive de son propre ne de autre agardere autrement que nâ—scoit usâ—z en temps le Roy Ed conquerer de Galez that is No Welchman shall have castle fortresse nor house defensive of his own nor of other to keep otherwise then was used in the time of king Edward Conqueror of Wales The title of those Petitions made at Kenynten do averre the same Peticones de Kenynton factae apud Kenynton per homines Northwalliae tam pro communitatibus comitatuum quam pro singularibus personis exhibitae domino principi filio regis Ed conquestoris Walliae Auno regni praedic Ed. 33. And John de Delves in the 8. year of Ed 3. layes open the King's title to the principality of Wales in these words Terra Walliae est terra conquesta
lost the crown and scepter of London as we find in Prawf Ynad being an ancient MS containing the old laws of the Britains Then by a generall assembly of the men of Gwynedh Powys Deheubarth Evas Morganwâ— and Sersyllwe it was ordained that Aberfraw in Northwales should be the chiefest seat and the king thereof the soveraign King of all the British Princes And King Howel Dha in his Laws mentioneth a tribute due to the king of north-Northwales from the kings of Southwales and Powis whereby and by the inquisition before specified it is apparent that the title of Aberffraw or Northwales in effect is as large ample and honourable as the title of all Wales The ninth Argument IF King Edward the first of England had not accounted Wales to be his by the conquest of Rees ap Theodor he might have assumed against Lhewelyn ap Griff. the title of Mâ—rtimer his subject in the right of Gwladice his wife sole sister and heir of David ap Lhewelyn the last lawfull prince of north-Northwales for Griffith ap Lhewelyn his eldest Brother father to Lhewelyn the â—â—st Prince was base born But neither did the King think good to borrow that title nor did the Mortimers albeit they were raised to be Earâ—s of March and becoming the strongest subjects in alliances and kindreds augmented the same by marrying the sole daughter and heir of the Duke of Clarâ—nce whereby they had after the crown of England ever claime the principality of Wales yea though they were in disgrace with the state of England and were in action against Henry the fourth which such mighty persons would hardly have omitted if the house of Northwales had had good right to the principality of Wales Neither would the policy of the State of England have suffered the rising of that house which by an undoubted right to Wales might have bereaved them thereof yet such right as they had is now lawfully vested in the crown by king Edward the fourth as heir to Mortimer The Answer IT appeareth in the statute of Ruthlan that Edward 1. did not claime or account the principality of Wales to be his by the overthrow of Rees ap Theodor for the assumes the glory of the conquest of Wales to himself as is manifest before in my answer to the 6. Argument whereunto for your better satisfaction in this point I remit you And the reason that he borrowed not the title of Mortimer his subject although it be a thing seldome or never heard of that the titles of Kingdomes should be borrowed or lent and that his said subject himself did not seize upon the said principality from Leoline the last as his right by inheritance was because that Mortimer had no right thereunto for Gwlades his wife was the sole sister of Griffith the eldest son of Lhewelyn the great who left behind him diverse children and not of David according to your allegation as by most strong arguments and ancient authority shall appear I doubt not but to your full satisfaction And first of all Ralph Lord Mortimer of Wigmâ—re the husband of Gwlades dhu did procure with all his might the deliverance of Griffith out of his Brother Davia's prison and also labour for his installment in the principality of Wales as is apparent in Mathew Paris which he would never have done it his wiâ—e had been the sole sister and heir of David for by the raising of Griffith to the throne of Wales he should not only depose David but also most indiscreetly exclude himselfe from being heir apparent to the principality of Wales and next to rule after David who had no issue Secondly the Lord Mortimer after the death of prince David made no claime to the principality which in no wâ—se he would have omitted if he had been his heir apparent and the king of Englands nephew as you pretend who for the recovery of his right would minister unto him sufficient aid both in men and money But this neglect infallibly denoteth that Gwlades with her posterity was not the heir of David seeing that Leoline held that peaceably with the consent of the King And in an old book written above 200 years ago I found the pedegree of Richard Duke of York father of king Edward the 4. wherein the Dukes descent is first brought to the Mortimers by Anne his Mother and from the Mortimers to the Princes of Wales by the said Gwlades as being sister and heir of Griffith and not of David even thus Leolinus fuit princeps Walliae pater Gladys ddu haeres suus fuit Griffinus princeps Walliae qui habuit quatuor filios Lewâ—linum ille fuit ultimus princeps Walliae Owinnm David Rodri qui decesserunt sine haered bus ideo revertamur ad Gladys Dhu quam Radulphus Mortimer duxit in uxorem Lewelyn was Prince of Wales and the father of Glaays ddû his heir was Griffith Prince of Wales who had 4. sons viz. Lewelyn the last Prince of Wales Owen David and Rodri who dyed without heirs therefore let us come back again to Gladys ddu whom Ralph Mortimer married Hereby it appeareth that Griffith was Lâ—welyn ap Jorwerth's son heir therefore born in Wedlock that his four sons leaving no Heirs as that Author saith the right of the principality descended to the posterity of Gwladus which directly proveth she was sister of the whole bloud to Griffith and not to David of whom the Author maketh no mention at all accounting him and his sisters some of whose posterity live at this day no better then Bastards Thirdly our ancient books of pedegrees do with one consent affirme that the children of Leoline ap Jor were Griffith and Gwlades dhu whose mother was Tanglwyst the daughter of Lhowarch goch of Ros David Prince of Wales Gwenlliant Angharad and Marvred whose Mother was Joan the Daughter of King John The white book of Hergest a very fair and ancient parchment Manuscript saith that prince Lhewelyn wedded one Tanglwyst the daughter of Llowarch Lord of Anglesey and begat by her Griff. and Gwladys dee Gwilym Tew that flourished in the daies of Henry 6. hath written that Leolin ap Jorwerth begat Gwladus ddu upon the daughter of Llowarch goch which was the mother of Griffith And last of all I find it noted in an old manuscript thus Lewelinus Gervasii filius princeps Walliae primo desponsavit Tanglwyst filiam Lhowarch Vychan de qua genuit Griffith Gwlades ddu quondam uxorem Radulphi de Mortuomari post mortem dictae Tanglwyst idem Lâ—welynus desponsavit Joannam filiam Johannis regis Angliae de qua genuit David principem Gwenlliant uxorem Jo Lacie comitis Lincolnia Angharad primo desponsata Johanni de Brewys domino de Brechon post cujus decessum desponsata fuit Malgoni Vachan ap Maelgon ap Rees ex eadem uxore genuit filiam quae maritata est Johanni Scotico comiti Cestriae qui fuit nepos Ranulphi comitis Cestriae ex parte
sororis sui Here is you see most infallible proof that Gwlades was not the sole sister and heir of David but the only sister of Griffith Lhâ—welyn the great his eldest son who by equity should have succeeded his father in the principality of Wales although you and others do averre that he was a Bastard but how truly I appeale to the judgment of impartiall Antiquaries for do but equally consider whether a Bastard would offer to disquiet his father and Prince because he intended that his lawfull heir should succeed him in his dominions or presume to bandy with the legitimate heir for his due inheritance or whether the King of England would maintaine such an execrable quarrell against his naturall nephew or the Lords of VVales against their true legitimate prince in a Bastard's behalf These circumstances might satisfy that Griffith was not only born in wedlock but also the right proper prince of Wales by inheritance Consider likewise how Lhewelyn called all the Lords and Barons of Wales before him to Ystratflur and caused them to swear to be faithfull subjects and to do homage to David his son and that long before his death which had been needlesse and frivolous if David had been his heir and Griff his bastard consider I say how that Henry the third immediately after the death of Griffith assuming the title of his said prisoner into his own hands intituled his eldest son Edw to the principality of Wales accounting David no lawfull prince as it appears thereby yea and how that neither the Bruses Lords of Brechnock Lacies Earls of Lincoln nor any other that married Prince Davids sisters of the whole blood pretended any right to the principality of Wales after his death though he left no issue or his body to survive him which such mighty persons would hardly have omitted if David had been the true heir of Leoline the great and lawfull prince of Wales â—urthermore David Benvras in a funerall Elegy to Lhewelyn and his two sons gives them in generall the name of Princes and prefers Griff before David Whereupon I do conclude that if Griff had been a bastard in all likelihood the Bard would not presume to prefer him before David being legitimate neither have given him the title of Prince but that it was his Birth-right Again Polydor Virgil in the 16. book of his History of England denoteth that Griff was his fathers lawfull heir and that David was an usurper of the principality upheld by the King of Englana's favour in these words Id temporis Lewelinus Walliae princeps è vita migravit deinde inter Gruffinum David filios ejus de principatu disceptatum est quem ad ultimum David etsi minor natu favente Henrico assecutus est and a little after multos Wallorum miserebat casus Griffini qui per proditionem avito principatu fraudatus in carcere esset insidebatque in illorum animis tanti facinoris memoria Adde hereunto how Leolinus Gervaâ—ii filius desponsavit Tanglwist de qua genuit Griffith as I said before adde I say the testimony of the book of Hergest before mentioned with the which agrees John Griff Eyton an Author of above an hundred and fifty years antiquity Here I might cite the opinion of Guttun Owen and the Bards who with one consent do testify that Gr was his fathers eldest son and heir apparent whose testimonies seeing their function was nothing else but truly to decant the famous deeds and true pedegrees of the Princes and Nobility of Wales I hold it good reason that we follow and preferre before the traditions of Strangers who most commonly being enemies to the Welchmen were carelesse of their affaires and therefore apt to erre in relating their histories especially since they looked upon it as their interest to conceale or extenuate rather then declare their glory And the Translators of the Chrâ—nicle of VVales tracing their steps and forgetting the fidelity of Translation added at their pleasure that Griffith was a Bastard and that Gwlades was the sister of David going besides the old text wherein you shall find no such matter Also Bastards by the lawes of Howel Dha were excluded from any share of inheritance with their Brethren legitimate but Gruff as Dr. Powell out of Math Paris relateth claimed a portion of his fathers inheritance according to the customes of VVales even so much as of right ought to appertain unto him VVhich words do insinuate that he was ready to prove his Father and Mothers marriage lawfully consummated And David confesseth a portion due to his Brother when in the third article of his submission to H. 3. he saith Item I and the said Griffith and either of us shall hold our portions of land of our said soveraign Lord the King in capite Lastly the Bastards of the Princes of VVales were not tolerated to bear their fathers Arms and if permitted yet not without difference as may be observed in the Coats of Madoc the son of Gwenwynwyn Lord of Powis David goch the son of David Lord of Denbigh and Fradhsham Eneon and Cynwric twinnes the sons of Mad ap Mred Prince of Powis and Tegwared y bais wen being the Bastard of Prince Lhewelyn ap Jorwerth had therefore a peculiar Coat of Arms given him and his posterity to wit Ar. a cheveron S. charged with 3. Mullets pierced But Griffith father of Llywelyn the last Prince gave his fathers Coat without any change or difference at all and so did his progeny after him which proveth that he was lawfully born These reasons and testimonies do perswade me to think that Griffith was unworthily defamed of Bastardy and deâ—eated of his Birthright under that pretence But in regard herein I thwart the judgment of good Antiquaries both ancient and modern I leave the matter to a farther debate The tenth Argument 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 Authority 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
beat out the truth of the point in question I cannot conceive so in regard you have not been pleased to be so particular in your quotation of Authors as could be desired And whereas you think it not fit to register the acts of Wales under Usurpers it seems you would deprive your reader of a perfect history and conceale such passages which are a requisite to be known as the lawfullest proceedings in that a history how rugged soever the passages thereof may be ought to testify the truth by the consent of times and immediate succession of Princes otherwise that will appear like a broken chaine wanting some necessary lincks to unite the whole neither will man's desire be satâ—sfied untill it receive instruction who were and who were not Usurpers and how their government differed or whether Usurpers being really possessed of the Crown did not use the same jurisdiction which belonged unto the right heir and withall t is far more fit decent that the acts of Wales should be registred under the name of those Vsurpers of Northwales in regard that all Wales was subject to the crown thereof then under the princes of Southwales who were as I said their subjects tributaries though the lawfull heirs of Cadelh And in my judgment you cannot so confidently excuse your Southwales government from usurpation for that time seeing Rotherchap Jestin and others are acknowledged to be Vsurpers within the compasse of the time limited You may be further convinced touching the truth of our allegation if you do but indifferently weigh the evident proofs that follow upon these grounds First how the soveraignty continued in north-Northwales before the daies of Roderic the great Secondly how Anarawd Prince of north-Northwales was Roderic's eldest son And lastly how the Princes of Southwales and Powis paid tribute to the Prince of north-Northwales To the first if you look back into the times before Roderic's raigne you must confesse Cadwalhon lhawhir King of Northwales was chiefest of the four that bare swords before Arthur at the triumphant feast of Caerlheon of which number as Galfridus Monemutensis affirmes the King of Southwales was one or you must deny the testimony of your George Owen Harry pag. 26. Then afterwards when the Britains wanted a supreme governour there was a generall meeting had for the election of a King and a continuall supply was had from the Princes of north-Northwales as first it may appear when after the death of Vortiporius whom we call Gwerthevyr the Britains met at Traeth Maelgwn as may be seen in those ancient British laws intituled Prawf ynad Lhe y caffas Maelgwn vot yn pennaf brenhin ac Aberffraw yn pen lhyssoedh a Jarlh Mathyraval a jarlh Dinevwr a iarlh Caerlh on y danaw ynteu whicâ— may be thus Englished Where it was ordained that Malgwn Prince of north-Northwales should be the chiefest or soveraign King and Aberffraw in Northwales the soveraign seat of the Britains and that the Earls of Powis Southwales and Caerlheon should be under him and obey him And after that when the Princes of Southwales Powis and Cornwall after the battell of Bangor met at Chester where with the consent of all those Princes Cadvan Prince of north-Northwales was made King of Britaine after him succeeded in their own right Cadwalhon his son and Cadwalader his grandchild at which time the Britains lost the soveraignty of the whole Isle as Galfridus saith And yet Râ—deris Molwynoc Prince of north-Northwales the Grandchild of Cadwalader was obeyed by all the British Princes as their supreme and soveraignâ— Prince and called also King of the Britains according to all Authors and so was his son Conan Tindaethwy and after him Mervyn Vrych King of Man who in the right of his wife Essyllt Conan's daughter was sole Prince of all Wales as your own George Oweu Harry and all other writers testify and after them succeeded Roderic the great their son who as Giraldus saith toti Walliae praesidebat So then hitherto that is 300 years before Anarawd's raign it was not controverted who had the soveraignty for it being most manifest that the soveraignty of Wales remained in Northwales it may perswade an indifferent Reader that Roderic would not alter the course of the Soveraignty being a matter of that ancient continuance especially when it must be confessed that the Prince of north-Northwales was eldest son and heir apparent to his father Rod ric as both old and late writers do with one consent confesse of which for brevities sake I will make choice but of few but such as are reputed to be of best credit and insight in Antiquity to assist me with their testimonies And first of all Dr. Powel in his notes upon Giraldus and additions to Caradocus proveth that Anarawd was the eldest son of Roderic the great and sayth farther that he was the right heir of Cadwalader as is evident by all histories Sr. John Prise a Scuthwales Gentleman in his description of Cambria saith that Rodericus magnus King of Wales gave Northwales as the chiefest part to his eldest son Humphry Llwyd in his Breviary of Britain and Jo. Leyland in his notes upon his book intituled Genethliacon Edvardi principis and the book of Hergest written in the dayes of Ed. 4. averre that Roderic gave Northwales to his eldest son adding withall that Cadelh who had Southwales was the third son Cyndhelw brydydd mawr that is Cyndhelw the great pâ—et who flourished in the daies of Henry the second King of England writeth thus I Rodri mawr vawr vilwriaeth Gymro I rai Gymru hâ—laeth A Gwynedh nwn gynnydh aâ—th I vab hynaf y pennaeth Caradocus Lancarvanensis forementioned who wrot in the dayes of Henry the first testifies in some copies of his Annals that Roderic had by his wife Angharad diverse sons as Anarawd his eldest son to whom he gave Aberffraw with Northwales Our old books of pedigrees written on parchment above 400 years ago do attribute the seniority of birth to Anarawd the son of Roderic the great and not to Cadelh To conclude Asser Menevensis Bishop of St. Davids who flourished even in the dayes of the sons of Roderic saith in the acts of King Alfred that Anaraut filius Rotri cum suis fratribus ad postremum amicitiam Northanhymbrorum dâ—serens de qua nullum bonum nisi damnum habuerat amicitiam Alfredi regis studiose requirens ad praesentiam illius aavenit cumque à rege houorificè receptus esset ad manum Episcopi in filium consirmatiâ—nis acceptus maximisque donis ditatus regis dominio cum omnibus suis cadem conditione subdidit ut in omnibus regiae voluntati sic obediens esset sicut Ethered cum Mercis Here your countryman gives our Anarawd a superiority over his brethren esteeming them no otherwise then his inferiors and subjects as plainly it appears when he saith that King Alfred of all the brethren honoured enriched with great gifts and entred into league with Anarawd only This testimony
with the rest is sufficient to prove that Anarawd Prince of north-Northwales was the eldest son of Roderic the great and therefore soveraign King of the Britains which Merdhin Silvester 300 years before Anarawds birth foretold to wit that he should be supreme prince of the Britains after his father Roderic Now time calleth me to come to my last argument which is that the Princes of Southwales and Powis payed a tribute to the Prince of north-Northwales Wherein to deale briefly I will not trouble you here with the testimony of our great Antiquary Mr. Selden before mentioned in my Answer to your 8. Argument nor with the authorities of our other late writers but will content my selfe with the ancient laws of our British Princes where thus we read Try mychdeyrn dyledoc a dhylu gwladychu Cymruoll danei thervyneu brenin Aberffraw arglwydh Dinefwr a hwn Mathraval Tri phrif lys arbenic sydh ir tri theyrn hyn yn essyddyneu breiniawl ydhynt Vn yw Aberffraw yngwynedh Dynevwr yny Deheu a Mathraval wynva ym Powys a llyma mal y dosparthwyd eu teyrnasau hwynt yn dair rhan vn bie vchafiaeth ar y dhwy nit amgen noc Aberffraw pie y bendevigaeth Teir mychdeyrn dhylyet adhylyir o Gymru olh Aberffraw gan y dhwylys hynny adhylu vn o Dhinefwr sef yw honno melget pedeir tunelh o vel a gassei pedeir mu ymhob tunelh dwy grenneit ymhob mu lhwyth deuwr ar drossol ym hob gren Peillget o Wynva a ymodh hunw hefyd Thus Englished Three lawfull Kings ought to rule all Wales under its bounds the King of Aberffraw in Northwales the Lord of Dinefwr and this of Mathraval these three Princes have three principall courts for their Princely dwellings Aberffraw in north-Northwales Dinefwr in Southwales and Mathraval wynfa in Powis Thus their Dominions were divided into three parts one hath a soveraignty over the other two viz. Aberffraw hath the Primacy Three princely Tributs are due out of all Wales whereof Aberffraw ought to have from those two seats one from Dinefwr which is a tribute of honey viz. 4. tuns of Honey every tun containing 4. mu every mu 4. grens every gren as much as two men could carry between them on a leaver the other is the like quantity of flower of Mathraval wynva This I hold sufficient proof that that Southwales and Powis were tributaries to Northwales and this should suffice me for this time had not Howel Dha a prince of Southwales and the son of Cadelh decreed in his Laws that as the King of north-Northwales was to pay a tribute to the King of London so should all the Kings of Wales pay tribute to the King of Northwales LXIII libras est mychdeyrn dyled quod rex Aberfrau reddere debet regi Londoniae semel cùm acceperit terram suam ab eo pâ—stea verò omnes reges Walliae debent terram suam ab eoaccipere i. e. à rege Aberffraw illi reddere meicheerd deleet abediw pâ—st eorum mortem verbum illius verbum est super omnes reges nullius verbum est super ipsum that is to say sixty three pounds is the Monarchicall tribute which the King of Aberfraw ought to the King of London when once he hath received his lands of him afterwards all the Kings of Wales ought to take their lands of him that is of the King of Aberfraw and to pay him a reliefe after their death And his law is a law over the Kings and no mans law is over him So saith Howel Dha The weight of these reasons makes me omit diverse others and many conjectures together with the vulgar opinion for seeing before Roderic's time the case is made out by good proofs and that in Roderic and his sons times and their posterity it is still strengthned with the authorities of both Southwales and Northwales new and old writers I see no reason why you should not conclude with me That the Princes of north-Northwales had the soveraignty over all Wales THE END A Mistake touching the Pedegree of the Earl of CARBERY corrected FInding a mistake in a book lately printed called Cambria triumphans touching the Pedegree of the right honourable the Earl of Carbery the Author making him to be descended from Gwaethvoed of Cardigan whereas indeed Gwaethvoed of Powis was his Ancestor I thought I should be wanting to my duty to that Noble person and the truth if I did not when I had an opportunity endeavour what lay in me the rectifying of it The Gentleman the Author I do very much respect and honour for his love expressed to our Country in his worthy pains to maintain the honour of it and do not so much impute the mistake to him being a stranger as to our late unskilfull Recorders of Genealogies who by reason of their not examining things throughly and not studying Chronology better have been the occasion of his Error In their writings they deliver to posterity that Gwaethvoed of Cardigan was the Father of Gweristan the Grandfather of Blethyn ap Cynvyn King of Wales the Earl's Ancestor but without any grounds for it as I shall make it to appear by shewing 1. That there were two Gwaethvoeds 2ly that Gwaethvoed of Cardigan could not be the great Grandfather of Blethyn ap Cynvyn and so not the Earl of Carbery's Ancestor That there were two Gwaethvoeds our boâ—ks of Pedâ—grees assure us which make often mention both of Gwaethvoed vawr of Powis and of Gwaethveed of Cardigan They are recorded as distinct persons the one being stiled of Powis the other of Cardigan for distinction's sake And they appear further to be distinct by their distinct Coates of Arms and distinct Pedegrees he of Powis beareth vert a Lyon rampant A. imbrued head feet and tayle the other Or a Lyon rampant regardant S. langued and armed G. And for their Pedegrees books written about 400 years ago say that Gwaethvoed of Powis was the son of Gwrhydr ap Caradawc ap Lles Llawddeawc c. to Beli Mawr Belinus magnus Monarch of Britaine the father of King Lud and of Cassibâ—lan who was King when Julius Caesar first entred Britaine And there are other books that derive the Pedegree of Gwaethvoed of Cardigan to Gwythno Garanir Lord of Cantre Gwaelod to wit that large Plaine extending it self between the Countyes of Carnarvan Cardigan and Pembroke long since swallowed up by the Sea thus Gwaethvoed ap Eunydd as Lewis Morgannwc saith but others leaving out Eunydd say he was the son of Cadivor ap Peredur peiswydh ap Eneon ap Eunydd and so to the said Gwythno Garanir and in a direct line from him to Cunedha wledig King of the North and Cambria That Gwaethvoed of Cardigan could not be the great Grandfather of Blethyn ap Cynvyn c. for Blethyn was neer of this Gwaethvoed's age Caradoc of Lancarvan in his history of Wales tells us that Blethyn was slaine A. D. 1073. being born as may be conjectured about 1023. supposing
prince of Southwales and attributing the same wholly to the power of a third son whereas it is evident that he had neither force nor authority to perform it but as his fathers minister and subject whom his father thought good to honour with the fruit of his valour and victory being atchieved propriâ manu not proprio marte more then the conquests of the famous prince Edward called the black prince whose everlasting honours they are but the possessory right of them was to his fathers crown And it is to be observed that as the division of Wales by Roderic the great did give the ground of the subduing thereof to the crown of England so it bred these preparatives thereunto first the continuall usurpation of the Descendants of Anarawd upon his lawfull heirs Insomuch as for 200 yeares after the division five of that line did intermissively usurp the government of Northwales and only two lawfull princes ruled there and those not past 12 yeares if they be allowed to be the issue of Anarawd which some writers of north-Northwales do gainsay in which licentious times one Aedan ap Blegored a meer private man neither of the bloud of the Prince nor of the Nobility that any antiquity doth record intruded into the government and held it 12. yeares untill he was expelled by the prince of Southwales Secondly it gave the Danes and English opportunity to invade and weaken all the parts of Wales who were often called in by the usurpers of Northwales to joyn with them against the prince of Southwales By those occasions the princes of Southwales as supreme lords of Wales for the generall quiet preservation thereof did seize assume into their hands the government of Northasales wherein six of them ruled the said 200. yeares which had not they done the government in all likelihood had been in that time translated from the race of Roderic the great But in the end of those 200 yeares Rees ap Theodor prince of Southwales with great valour and wisdome did overcome all these long grown evills and being the most powerfull prince that was since Roderic the great and lineal heir to Cadelh expelled Trahern ap Caradoc the last usurper of north-Northwales and placed Griffith ap Conan who was held to be the lawfull prince of the house of Anarawd in the quiet and settled possession thereof which honourable dealing was very ill requited by Griffith ap Conan towards the son of Rees ap Theodor in his distresse as shall be after declared By all which may appear the generall care of the princes of Southwales over the whole dominion of Wales derived from their supreme power authority and jurisdiction For confirmation hereof it is further to be observed that sithence the said division no prince of north-Northwales did ever rule in Southwales or by any occasion did make claime to the principality thereof and therefore upon this disposing of the principality of Northwales by the princes of Southwales it is further concluded that the princes of Southwales were the soveraign princes of Wales The Answer IT is recorded by Caradocus that Anarawd King of Northwales made a road into the country of Cardigan Ystradtywi the possession of his brother Cadelh but being that the Author alleageth not the cause thereof as whether it were lawfull or unlawfull it might with better reason be said that it was made for the defect of Payment of the Tribute due to the crown of Abersraw from Southwales then such a Rebellion as thereby forfeiture of Royalty should ensue and considering also that no chastisement was executed by Cadelh or Howel Dha his son upō Anarawd who lived long after it may seem great rigor and tyranny in him and much to derogate from his title of Dha that is the good if he did deprive Idwal's son of his inheritance for the offence of Anarawd his grandfather committed many yeares before his birth not upon the countries of Howel as you say but of Cadelh his father Therefore if you hold his coming to Northwales to be upon good and lawfull grounds it will be your best course rejecting offences and forfeitures wholly to stick to the incapacity of the heir of Northwales by reason whereof Howel's coming to Northwales whether it were as being next of blood able and worthy to undertake such a charge or by the appointment of his cousen Idwal foreseeing perhaps the weaknesse of his son or else by the election of the people was good just and lawfull And in regard of his said regency over the house of Northwales and the right thereunto belonging I do confesse that he was the soveraign prince of all Wales But considering that after his death the other sons of Idwal Voel and their successors the princes of north-Northwales recovered and held as I said before as well the soveraignty of all Wales as the rule of north-Northwales it plainly appears that the right of soveraignty belonged not to Southwales Moreover Owen the son of Howel Dha was never ruler of north-Northwales nor had any action against Cadwalhon ap Jeuaf whereby to deprive him of his Crown and Kingdome as you say neither is it likely if he had so conquered him that he would preferre his yonngest son to the Government of that Kingdome lest by exalting the younger brother to honours and dignities above the elder discord and sedition might breed between them and in a word your own countryman Caradocus that lived about 250 years after this time attributeth the overthrow of Cadwalhon ap Jevaf and conquest of Northwales to the only power of Mredith ap Owen who then in his Mothers right did rule all Powis land whereby his power to undertake that voyage may plainly appear in these words Mredyth ap Owein a lathawdh Cadwallawn ap Jevaf drwy fuddugoliaeth a chaffael meddiant oi gyuoeth sef gwyneth a Mon a ddarystngawdh iddaw that is Mredith ap Owen slew Cad ap Jeuaf in battell and seised on his dominions for Northwales and the isle of Anglesey submitted to him Here is no mention had of Owen or his power and therefore our writers of Northwales being only Interpreters of your Caradocus are free from that scandalous imputation that you charge them with And Lhewelyn ap Seissyllt prince of Southwales who overcame Aedan ap Blegowryd did not challenge the regency of north-Northwales for Jago the son of Idwal the lawfull heir as is thought was not as yet in full age as appertaining any way to the crown of Southwales as you could wish it but as he was next heir of blood unto the said Jago for as Caradocus saith he was descended from the kings of Wales by the mother side whose name was Trawst the daughter and heir of Elissau the second son of Anarawd the eldest son of Roderic the great and by that meanes according to the same Author he claimed and enjoyed the right of Northwales therefore his coming to the rule of that Kindome doth not at all favour or confirme
conquisita fuit per dominum Edwardum nuper regem Angliae proavum demini principis nunc per quem conquestum tota terra tam de dominio quam in servitiis injuncta fuit annexa coronae Angliae The seventh Argument AFter this conquest of Wales by the overthrow of Rees ap Theodor and the expulsion of his son Griff ap Rees who was forced to fly to Ireland Griff ap Conan being then prince of north-Northwales and of greatest power of any prince there sithence the said division never stirred for the principality of Southwales which if he had been the supreme Prince of Wales by this occasion he should most properly and justly have done neither did any of the Princes of north-Northwales succeeding him to the last prince Lhewelyn ap Griffith make claime thereunto Albeit they were all of them one after the other the most powerfull worthy fortunate Princes that had ruled in north-Northwales since the division as OweÌ„ Gwynâ—th David ap Owen Lhewelyn ap Jorwerth David ap Lhewelyn and that they had the advantage in their times of the alteration of seven Kings of England a troubled state there to have attempted it But Griff ap Rees returning from Ireland to recover his patrimony in the weaknesse of his fortunes retired to Griff. ap Conan then prince of North wales whose daughter he had married had by her worthy sons Of whose return purpose Henry the first King then of England understanding knowing him to be the undoubted heir of Wales and that he would be received by the people sent for the prince of north-Northwales and drew him in to yield to the delivery of Griff ap Rees into his hands which the Prince attempted and had effected accordingly but that Griff ap Rees upon some notice thereof hardly escaped into the Sanctuary of Aberdaron whence the prince would have forced him but that he was rescued by the whole clergy of the countrey and thence conveyed to Southwales whereupon it is evident that if Griff. ap Conan had been soveraign prince of Wales de jure first no necessity compelling him he would not have been so undiscreet as to have put himselfe into the King of England's hands who claimed the soveraignty thereof neither would the king have suffered him to depart seeing by detaining him he might more easily have compassed his end Secondly the Prince of north-Northwales would not have been so injurious to himself as to have delivered Griffith ap Rees if he had been his homager of Southwales whereby to divest himself of his right thereunto by his own act But it is plaine that the prince of north-Northwales in respect of the conquering of Rees ap Theodor having submitted himself to the King of England as his homager and to his peace came to the king at his sending for him knowing well that the King was carelesse of him as touching the right of Soveraignty of Wales And so he yeilded to make his peace the firmer with the King to the betraying of his Superior of his guest and son in law and the son of him who got him the possession of the principality of Northwales Hereupon Griff ap Rees put himselfe in armes and so held himself during King Henries time and a part of King Stephens recovering a great part of Southwales and died leaving his troubles and possessions to his son called the Lord Rees who in the end made peace with king Henry the second and surrendred to him his title to the principality of Wales bringing the chiesest of the Nobility and Gentry of Southwales to Glocester where they submitted themselves to the King and received their lands and possessions by the Kings grant to hold of him And the Lord Rees accepted of the King to be his Justice of Southwales which office continued untill 27. of King Henry the 8. and ended in the Lord Ferrers of Chartley The Answer FOr Answer hereunto you must first conceive that Griffith ap Conan at the time of Rees ap Theodor's death was not so powerfull as you make him to be for as we read in the Author of his life he was then but newly escaped out of the Earl of Chester's prison where he had remained 12. years Secondly that notwithstanding his unsettled state in Northwales by reason of his said imprisonment and the King of Englands displeasure conceived against him he joyned forces with Cadwgan ap Bledhyn his son in law and entring Southwales after they had slaine in battell a great number of Normans a great part thereof though not all became subject to Cadwgan as the British history of the Princes relateth wherein also we find that afterwards Griff ap Conan sent his sons Owen and Cadwalladr twice to Southwales being one time accompanied with 6000 Footmen and 2000 Horsemen they took the Castles of Walter Espec and Richard de la Mare and also the Castles of Aberystwyth Dinerth and Caerwedros subduing the whole countrey to the town of Cardigan and after the slaughter of 3000 Normans in the field they chased the rest out of the Country restoring Griffith ap Rees to his father's inheritance and the ancient inhabitants to their former dwellings Which is sufficient evidence that they made claime to Southwales as soveraign Princes And Griffith ap Conan cannot be imagined to interest himselfe in the cause especially in his weaknesse by sending his subjects to the field but that he challenged the soveraignty thereof as due by inheritance and his son Owen Gwynedd prince of north-Northwales would not have entred Southwales in the first year of his reign as the Chronicle witnesseth overthrowing the Castles of Ystratmeuric Stephens and Hwmphreys and burning the town of Carmarthen and compelling part of Dyved to pay tribute unto him as Gwalchmai ap Meilir that lived in that age hath recorded retaining most of Cardigan in his own hands without claime or pretence of title Likewise when Henry 2. King of England made his third Expedition against Wales the Lord Rees and the power of Southwales and all the other Lords of Wales with their forces marched against the King under the conduct of the Prince of north-Northwales which directly proveth his soveraignty over all Wales After these tumults and turmoils Lhewelyn ap Jorwerth Prince of north-Northwales to prevent all doubt that might arise concerning his right made all Southwales and Powis swear fealty unto him as the book of Conwey makes good wherein we read that they acknowledged the like fealty to David his son and Lhewelyn the last Prince But as concerning the unkind dealing of Griff ap Conan with Gr ap Rees and Gr ap Conan's going to the King of England I cannot see how that deserves an answer as an Argument for the soveraignty in the Princes of Southwales Lastly you affirme that the Lord Rees surrendred his title to the principality of Wales to the King of England which seems unto me most improbable considering he would not voluntarily depose himself of such royall preheminence and
soveraignty without he were brought to such extremity that there were no other remedy whereas it is evident that the Lord Rees was in great favour with King Henry the second at the time you mention and had been for many years before witnesse the Office of being Justice of Southwales which the King had given him three years before that peace at Glocester as the book of Conwey mentioneth then also that he brought to the King's peace at Glecester no lords of Northwales or Powis but few of Southwales such as had formerly offended the King whereby it appears that his said resignation if there were any such extended no farther then his title of Southwales only and yet in regard that all the English writers do terme and stile the said Lord Rees King of Southwales even to the last period of his life I cannot readily believe that there was any such surrender made untill the same do appear by some Authentick record The eighth Argument THat the Princes of north-Northwales though some late writers of those parts call them Princes and Kings of Wales did not write themselues so nor were taken to be so in their time when there was fit occasion to set forth their title But ever since the conquering of Rees ap Theodor they did acknowledge this title from the Kings of England as may appear by the said submissions and transactions between the kings of England and the Princes of north-Northwales from the death of Rees ap Theodor to the death of Lhewelyn the last prince even as they are related by the writers of north-Northwales And which maketh it more evident when the Pope did absolve Lhewelyn ap Jorwerth from his oath of obedience made to King John and David ap Lhewelyn from his oath of obedience made to King Henry the third he gave them the title of Princes of north-Northwales only whereas both the Princes would have sought and the Pope would have yeilded them the title of Princes of Wales in that case especially for the larger extent of their absolutions if there had been ground for it Likewise it appeareth by the excommunication of Lhewelyn ap Iorweth when as he persisted in action against King Iohn after the Pope had made his end with the King that the Pope stiled him Prince of north-Northwales only and the colour that those writers do take to terme them of Northwales Princes of Wales was for that after the subduing of Rees ap Theodor the people of Wales had no other in their distresses to resort unto for protection but the Princes of north-Northwales And in that respect and not otherwise there being then no Princes of Southwales Lhewelyn ap Iorwerth Prince of north-Northwales being incited by the Pope and Barons against King Iohn did assume a command in most parts of Wales but it ceased in short time and he submitted himselfe and his country to King Henry the third The Answer IT it is certain that the Princes of north-Northwales howsoever they did lay down their titles were alwaies reputed and taken to be the soveraign Kings of Britaine Princes of Wales for Caradoc Lancarvan in Glamorganshire speaking of Anarawd prince of north-Northwales gives him the title and honour of King of the Britaines and chief King of Wales as is manifest in the ancient copies of his History Idwall oel his son is called by William Malmesbury and others Rex omnium Wallensium The same stile or the like in effect Caradocus attributeth unto the sons of Idwal Howel ap Jevaf Meredith ap Owen and Bleddyn ap Cynvyn Princes of north-Northwales Trhayarn ap Caradoc is called King of Wales by George Owen Harry a Gentleman of Southwales Griff ap Conan whom Mr. Camden calleth princeps Walliae was acknowledged by Rees ap Theodor himself to be Brenhin Brenhincedh Cymru that is King of the Kings of Wales as the Author of Griffiths life averreth whereby it clearly appears that the said Rees prince of Southwales pretended no right to the Soveraignty of Wales And Caradocus also saith that Griff ap Conan prince of north-Northwales was pâ—nna brenhin ac amdhiffynnwr a thangnefedhwr Crmruoll that is the chiefest King defender and peace-maker of all Wales Leoline the great also is by Mathew Paris Mat Westminster Polidor and all our British Antiquities termed prince of Wales and sometimes king of Wales as in an old British Ode dedicated to Lhewelyn by one Encon wan a Bard of that age is extant wherein he is called Gwir frenhin Cymru that is the true or naturall king of Wales And David Benvras a Bard of great estimation in his time in the funerall Elegy of David Lhewelyn's son calleth him mab brenhin Cymru that is the son of the king of Wales In like manner Prince David and Leotine the last are termed most commonly Princes of Wales by all Authors And here I may not passe how that our great Antiquary Mr. Selden in his notes upon Mi Draiton his Polilbion gives our Princes from Anarawd to the last prince the name and title of princes of Wales adding withall that after the division among Roderic Mawr's sons the principality was chiefly in north-Northwales and the rest as tributaries to the Prince of that part Seeing therefore that the princes of north-Northwales even from Roderic's time to Lhewelyn ap Griffith were reputed and taken to be the undoubted Princes and Kings of Wales I cannot be induced to change my opinion upon bare pretences be they never so specious Furthermore it is confessed that the Princes of north-Northwales did acknowledg as well the principality of Wales as the title thereof to the kings of England yet not only after the death of Rees ap Theodor but many hundred years before as it appears by tribute paid by our Princes unto the kings of England in acknowledgment thereof for in the dayes of the old Britains Tair talaith as we find in an old British Manuscript and in the British Triades a dheleid y dala wrth goron Lundain un ym-Henrhyn Rhionydhyny Gogledh ar ail daleith yn Aberfraw ar drydedh yn Gerniw that is three Coronets ought to be held of the Crown of London the one was the Crown or Coronet of Penrhynrhionydd in the North the second was of Aberfraw and the third that of Corawall And touching the Pope's absolution of Lhewelyn ap Jorwerth from an oath of obedience to the king of England by stiling him Prince of north-Northwales whence you infer that he was not Soveraign of any other part else the Pope would have given it him in his stile it concerns you before you make good your conceit herein to propose unto us the Pope's own words in the Originall and then to shew your self to be of his Counsell that when he named Northwales the chiefest seat you might be sure he did thereby intend to take away the Soveraignty over the rest of Wales And that Northwales exceeded Southwales in respect of supremacy you may be easily convinced if you look back into those times when the Britains
Angharad Prince Llewelyn ap Sitsyllt's widow who was slaine A. D. 1021. to marry Convyn Blethyn's father 1022. Now Gwaethvoed of Cardigan could not be ancienter then Blethyn if so ancient will appear if we examine the 2d book and 4th ch of Giraldus Cambrâ—nsis his Itinerarium Cambriae there we may find that in the year 1188 when Baldwin Arch-Bishop of Canterbury visited Wales with Giraldus in his company to perswade the Welsh to list themselves for the holy war against the Saracens that there was a son of this Gwaethvoed's an aged man then living called Ednowen a Lay Abbot of Lanbadern vawr in Cardiganshire being a 115 years just after the death of Blethyn ap Cynvyn therefore we must needs conclude this Gwaethvoed could not live long before Blethyn and if he did live before him any time he could not so long before him as to be his Grandfather Besides that Gwaethvoed the Earl of Carbery's Ancestor was a distinct person from Gwaethvoed of Cardigan and far ancienter may from hence further be gathered viz. that the generations from him to our time are more in number then the generations from Gwaethvoed of Cardigan as appears by this instance to wit my Lord Vaughan the Earlâ—s son is the 21th generation from Gwaethvoed his Ancestour whereas Sr. Richard Price of Gogerddan Baronet descended from Gwaethvoâ—d of Cardigan my Lord 's equall in age is but the 17th in descent from that Gwaâ—thvoed Also we read in our books of one Morvydh daughter to Yayr ddu King of Gwent now Monmouthshire who lived in King Athâ—lstan's time A. D. 921. as Rog Hovenden hath it recorded that married one Gwaethvoed which could not be that of Cardigan who as is said having a son living 1188. cannot rationally be supposed to be born before the year 1000 or thereabouts but may very well be that Gwaethvoed of Powis the Ancestour of Blethyn this Gwaethvoed might very well be Blethyn's great grandfather there being a 100 years difference of time and above between them The Pedegree of the right honourable Sr. RICHARD VAUGHAN Earl of Carbery Lord Viscount Molingar Baron of Emlyn and Lord President of the Marches of WALES Gwaithvoed vawr Lord of Powis Morvydd da coheir of Yayr ddu king of Gwent Gwerystan Lord of Powis Nest danghter of Cadell ap Brochw l. Convyn Lord of Powis Aagharad Queen of Wales da heir of Mredith ap Owen king of Wales the relict of Llywelyn ap Bledhyn ap Cyâ—vyn King of Wales Haer da coheir of Cilliâ—â— Blaidd rudd of Seissylt Gest Meredith ap Bleddyn Prince of Powis Hunyth da of Eynydd Madoc ap Meredith Prince of Powis Eva da of Madoc ap Urien ap Egmir ap Lles ap Idaerth Benvras of Maesbroke ER. Gh. Enion Evell Arddyn da. of Madoc Van ap Madoc ap Enion hael ap Urien of Main Gwinedd R. C. Run ap Enion Elizabeth da to Jo. Lord Strange of Cnoâ—kin Gh. ER. Cyhelyâ— ap Rhâ—â— Eva da. and heir of Grono ap Cadwgan Saethydd Lord of Henvache Gh. ER. Ivaf ap Cyhelyn Eva da to Adda ap Awr of Trevor Gh. ER. Madoc Coch. Lleuki da of Howel goch ap Mared Van c. to Bleddyn ap Cynvyn Gh. ER. Madoc Kyffin the da of Griffith ap Rees ap Madoc ap Ririd Ulaidd Gh. David ap Mad. Kyffin Catharin da of Morgan ap Davydd ap Madoc ap David Van ap David up Griff. ap Jorwerth ap Howel ap Moriddig ap Sandde Gh. RC. David Va. of Gartheryr Gwervyl da to Griffith ap Rees ap Griffith ap Madoc ap Jorwerth ap Madoc ap Ririd ulaidd Gh. Griffith Vaugh. Tibod da to Meredith ap Tudur ap Gronw ap Howel y gadair Gh. Hugh Vaughan Esq Jane da of Moris ap Owen ap Griff. ap Nicôlas Gh. John Vaugh. Esq Catherin da. of Harry ap Trahayarn of Bodlysgwm Gh Walter Vaugh. of Golden Grove Mary da. of Griffith Rees of Tresnewyth in Carmartbin shire John Earl of Carbury c. Margaret da. of Sr. Gely Meuric Kt. Richard Earl of Carbury c. Alice da. of John Earl of Bridgewater He beareth Or. a lyoa rampant G. the coat of Blethyn ap Kynvyn not the Coat of Prince Madoc ap Meredith being A. a lyon rampant S. armed and langued G. The 5. Royall Tribes of Cambria 1. GRiffith ap Conan King of north-Northwales is the first registred in our books he was the Grandchild of Prince Jago ap Edwal whose son Conan was forced to fly into Ireland for safety where he married Ranullt daughter of Auloedd King of Dublin Man and the Isles and the reliâ—â— of Mathganyn King of Vlster and had issue by her this Griffith He beareth G. 3 lioncels passant in pale barry A. armed Az. 2. Rees ap Tewdwr mawr the second Royall Tribe who took upon him the government of Southwales A. D. 1077. G. a Lyon rampant Or. within a bordure indented 3. Blethyn ap Cynvyn the third royall Tribe was King of Northwales and Prince of Powis and after the death of his grandfather Meredith ap Owen Prince of Southwales he became King of all Wales Or a Lyon rampant G. armed and langued Or. 4. The fourth Royall tribe Elystan Glodrydd Prince of the country between Wy and Severne He was the son of Cyhelyn ap Jvâ—r by Rhiâ—ingar the daughter and heir of Grâ—nw ap Tuder Trevor from whom he had derived to him the title of the Earldome of Hereford Athelstan King of England was his Godfather Elystan's two Coates quartered A. 3 boars heads cobazed S. langued G. tusked Or. His Mothers Coaâ— Parted per Bend sinister Ermine and ermines over all a lyon rampant Or. 5. Jestyn ap Gurgant the fifth Royall Tribe was Prince or Lord of Glamorgan he descended from Iewdric King of Gwent in King Arthur's time He lost his Country to Robert Fitz hamon the Norman and his 12 knights whom by the procurement of Eneon ap Cadivor ap Colwyâ— he had hired to come with an army to assist him against Rees ap Tewdwr Prince of Southwales Blethyn ap Maenyrch Lord of Breeknock a just judgment upon him for his disloyalty to the said Rees his Lord Prince God being pleased suddenly to permit treachery to be punishedwith treachery Rees and Blethyn after a very bloudy fight not far from Brecknock were both slaine in the field G. 3 cheâ—onels in pale A. Prince Griffith ap Conan Rees ap Tewawr and Blethyn ap Cynvyn made diligent search after the Armes Ensignes and Pedegrees of their Ancestours the Nobility and Kings of the Britains what they discovered by their pains in any papers and records was afterwards by the Bards digested and put into books And they ordained 5. royall Tribes there being only 3 before to whom their pollerity to this day can derive themselves and also 15 speciall Tribes of whom the Gentry especially of Northwales are for the most part descended And in our books we have mention of the Tribe of the Marcâ—â— c. besides other Tribes called Gweâ—â—lyth and Gwehelaethan THE END
if there had been any doubt in the matter 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 The Answer I cannot think it reason from the doubt of Northwales writers whether Anarawd or Mervyn were the eldest son of Roderic the great to conclude Cadelh to be the eldest especially seeing neither our writers nor any else do make any thing for Cadelh and also that all in generall do agree that the King of Northwales howsoever he were called was the eldest of the Brethren Not only Dr. Powel but a multitude of most ancient writers do prefer Anarawd to the Kingdome of Northwales as our ancient Bards and writers of Genealogies Illorum enim saith Dr. Powel constans assertio est Anaratum primogenitum principem fuisse Venedotiae The ancient Author of Griffith ap Conan's life brings the pedegree of the said Griffith lineally to Anarawd Meilir Brydydh that flourished in William the Conqueror's time averres the said Griffith to be descended of Anarawd Caradocus Lancarvanensis affirmes that Anarawd the eldest son of Roderic the great was King of Northwal s. And last of all Niâ—nius the old British writer and Disciple of Elv dugus who lived in the daies of Roderic and his children saith thus Anaraught rex Moniae i.e. Môn qui regit modo regnum Wencdociae regionis i. Gweinedh Therefore Giraldus Cambrensis with his followers Leyland and Lhwyd must needs be in an error when he gives his voice for Mervyn And truly Giraldus Cambrensis though in antiquity he were most expert and skilfull yet seems not a little to be ignorant of the true history of Roderic the great and his children for besides the former error in the 2d chapter of his book intituled Descriptio Cambriae he avers that the said Roderic was the cause of the division of Wales into the three kingdomes of Northwales Southwales and Powis whereas it is apparent that the said three kingdomes had their severall Kings many years before his birth as Dr. Powâ—l most truly proveth in his notes upon the said chapter then also he saith that Cadelh to whom Roderic had given Southwales for his portion survived Anarawd and Mervyn whereby he got the monarchy of all Wales Cadelh saith he praemortuis fratâ—ibus totius Walliâ— monarchiam obtinait And Caradâ—cus a more ancient writer testifieth that Cadelh died 6. years before Anarawd with whom agreeth your countreyman George Owen Harry and another most ancient British Chronologer which beginneth thus Oes Gwrtheyrn Gortheneu c. mentioned by Sr. John Prise p. 121. defensionis Britannicae historiae Lastly he faith that Cadâ—lh's successors even to Theodor enjoyed the said mâ—narchy whereas it is clear that diverse of the line of Anarawd ruled the Kingdome of Northwales during that time so that we cannot but conclude Giraldus to be in a grosse error And as to the testimony of David Nanmor on whom relies your whole hope for Cadelh's soveraignty it is answered that his Authority had it been as you make it to be which shall appear to be far otherwise especially in so ancient a matter as we now handle being favoured or strengthned by no antiquity and himselfe not flourishing before the middle of the raign of Henry the sixth would have been too weak to encounter not only Dr. Powel but a multitude of most ancient Anthors well seen in antiquity that maintain the contrary I cannot be perswaded that he was ever of that opinion nor that those verses you are pleased to lay to him are his They do not savor of the skill of the meanest Bard much lesse of Nanmor that sometimes contended with David ap Edmond for the chair at the Eistedhfa in Caermarthen and by his Compod manuel his Gorchestion Cywydhau Odes and Epigramms is well known to surpasse most men of his time in Poeticall science They have faults as to the measures in 4. seveâ—all places such as our Bards terme Twyll gynghanedh and Twyll odl which by the teachers of the faculty to wit Dr. David du of Hiradhic Edyrn dafod Aur Eneon yffâ—irad and divers others have been damned for schismes and solaecismes in the art and so forbid to be used It being so as to the Poetry the History may justly be suspected of mistakes if not of forgery in order to the promoting of a small designe And there are mistakes in the history for Rodâ—ric was not the divider of Wales and Cadelh is denyed by all writers to be the eldest of the 3. Brethren nor was the K. of Aberffraws name Nerawd but Anarawd And in the 5th and last Stanza which you forbear the mention of there is a manifest error for therein it is said that Roderic made his division betwen his 3. sons A.D. 811. long before his reign and probably before he was born for Caradocus saith he began his reign A. 843. and his father Mervyn frych but in the year 817. at which time Prince Conan Tindaethwy dyed The eleventh Argument THese authorities and reasons are delivered simply to beat out the the truth of this point in question and chiefly out of a desire to clear the way for a perfect History of Wales if any shall undertake it which otherwise cannot be for besides this evidence of the soveraignty of the Prince of Southwales where there never failed a lawfull prince to govern untill the period thereof by the fatall overthrow of the last and worthy prince Prince Rees ap Thâ—odor it seems not fit to register the acts of Wales for a great part of 200. years under Usurpers And therefore it is desired that if any shall be disposed to answer hereunto or to give reasons for maintaining their allegation it be done without prejudice or partiality and that they range not out of the limits of the question The Answer WHereas you alledge that your authorities and reasons are delivered simply to