a short history of wales-第3部分

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Times　of　civil　strife；　or　of　popular　indifference；　came　over　and　over　again；　and　the　old　paganism　tried　to　reassert　itself。　　And　time　after　time　the　name　of　Christ　was　sounded　again　by　men　who　thought　they　had　seen　Him。　　In　the　twelfth　century　the　Cistercian　monk　came　to　say　that　the　world　was　bad；　that　prayer　saved　the　soul；　and　that　labour　was　noble。　｛3｝　　He　was　followed　by　the　Franciscan　friar；　who　said　that　deeds　of　mercy　and　love　should　be　added　to　prayer；　that　Christ　had　been　a　poor　man；　and　that　men　should　help　each　other；　not　only　in　saving　souls；　but　in　healing　sickness　and　relieving　pain。　　In　the　fifteenth　century　the　Lollard　came　to　say　that　the　Church　was　too　rich；　and　that　it　had　become　blind　to　the　truth；　and　Walter　Brute　said　that　men　were　to　be　justified　by　faith　in　Christ；　not　by　the　worship　of　images　or　by　the　merit　of　saints。　　In　the　sixteenth　century　came　the　Protestant；　and　the　sway　of　Rome　over　Wales　came　to　an　end；　Bishop　Morgan　translated　the　Bible　into　Welsh；　and　John　Penry　yearned　for　the　preaching　of　the　Gospel　in　Wales。　　The　Jesuit　followed；　calling　himself　by　the　name　of　Jesus；　to　try　to　win　the　country　back　again　to　Rome。　　Robert　Jones　toiled　and　schemed；　and　some　laid　down　their　lives。　　The　Puritan　came　in　the　seventeenth　century　to　demand　simple　worship；　and　Morgan　Lloyd　thought　that　the　second　advent　of　Christ　was　at　hand。　　The　Revivalist　came　in　the　eighteenth　century；　and；　in　the　name　of　Christ；　aroused　the　people　of　Wales　to　a　new　life　of　thought。

After　all　this；　you　will　be　surprised　to　learn　that　many　of　the　old　gods　still　remain　in　Wales；　and　much　of　the　old　pagan　worship。　　Who　drops　a　pin　into　a　sacred　well；　or　leaves　a　tiny　rag　on　a　bush　close　by；　and　then　wishes　for　something？　　A　young　maiden　in　the　twentieth　century；　who　sacrifices　to　a　well　heathen　god。　　Until　quite　recently　men　thought　that　Ffynnon　Gybi；　and　Ffynnon　Elian；　and　Ffynnon　Ddwynwen；　had　in　them　a　power　which　could　curse　and　bless；　ruin　and　save。

Lud　of　the　Silver　Hand　was　the　god　of　flocks　and　ships。　　His　caves　are　in　Dyved　still；　and　his　was　the　temple　on　Ludgate　Hill　in　London。　Merlin　was　a　god　of　knowledge；　he　could　foretell　events。　　Ceridwen　was　the　goddess　of　wisdom；　she　distilled　wisdom…giving　drops　in　a　cauldron。　　Gwydion　created　a　beautiful　girl　from　flowers；　〃from　red　rose；　and　yellow　broom；　and　white　anemony。〃　　I　am　not　quite　sure　what　Coil　did；　but　I　have　heard　children　singing　the　history　of　〃old　King　Cole。〃　　Olwen　also　walked　through　Wales　in　heathen　times；　and　it　is　said　that　three　white　flowers　rose　behind　her　wherever　she　had　put　her　foot。



CHAPTER　VTHE　WELSH　KINGS



The　spirit　of　Rome　remained；　though　Rome　itself　had　fallen。　　And　Welsh　kings　rose　to　take　the　place　of　the　Roman　ruler；　trying　to　force　the　tribes　of　Walesof　different　races　and　tonguesto　become　one　people。

The　chief　Roman　ruler；　at　any　rate　during　the　later　wars　against　the　invaders；　was　called　Dux　Britanniae；　〃the　ruler　of　Britain。〃　　It　became　the　aim　of　the　ablest　kings　to　restore　the　power　of　this　officer；　and　to　carry　on　his　work；　to　rule　and　defend　a　united　country。　　And　I　will　tell　you　briefly　how　the　kings　ruled　and　defended　Wales　for　more　than　five　hundred　yearshow　Maelgwn　tried　to　unite　it；　how　Rhodri　tried　to　prevent　the　attacks　of　Saxon　and　Dane；　how　Howel　gave　it　laws；　and　how　Griffith　tried　to　defend　it　against　England。

Between　400　and　450　Rome　left　Wales　to　look　after　itself。　　An　able　family；　called　the　House　of　Cunedda；　took　the　power　of　the　Dux　Britanniae；　and　they　translated　the　title　into　Gwledig〃the　ruler　of　a　gwlad　（country）。〃　　Of　this　family　Maelgwn　Gwynedd　is　the　most　famous。　　It　was　his　work　to　try　to　unite　all　the　smaller　kings　or　chiefs　of　Wales　under　his　own　power　as　〃the　island　dragon。〃　　It　was　a　difficult　thing　to　persuade　them；　they　all　wanted　to　be　independent。　A　legend　shows　that　Maelgwn　tried　guile　as　well　as　force。　　The　kings　met　him　at　Aberdovey；　and　they　all　sat　in　their　royal　chairs　on　the　sands。　　And　Maelgwn　said：　　〃Let　him　be　king　over　all　who　can　sit　longest　on　his　chair　as　the　tide　comes　in。〃　　But　he　had　made　his　own　chair　of　birds'　wings；　and　it　floated　erect　when　all　the　other　chairs　had　been　thrown　down。　　Before　Maelgwn　died　of　the　yellow　plague　in　547；　his　strong　arm　had　made　Wales　one　united　country；　and　had　made　every　corner　of　it　Christian。

The　new　wave　of　nations；　coming　on　as　surely　as　the　tide；　began　to　beat　against　Wales。　　The　Picts　came　from　the　northern　parts　of　Britain；　and　Teutonic　tribes　swarmed　across　the　eastern　sea。　　The　Angles　came　to　the　Humber；　and　spread　over　the　plains　of　the　north　and　the　midlands　of　Roman　Britain；　the　Saxons　came　to　the　Thames；　and　won　the　plains　and　the　downs　of　the　south…east。　　In　577　the　Saxons；　after　the　battle　of　Deorham；　pierced　to　the　western　sea　at　the　mouth　of　the　Severn；　they　crept　up　along　the　valley　of　the　Severn；　burning　the　great　Roman　towns。　　Before　they　reached　Chester　and　the　Dee；　however；　they　were　defeated　at　the　battle　of　Fethanlea　in　584。　　But　the　Angles　soon　appeared；　from　the　north；　and　after　their　victory　at　Chester　in　613；　they　won　the　plains　right　to　the　Irish　Sea。

Wales　was　now　surrounded　on　the　land　side　by　a　people　who　spoke　strange　languages；　and　who　worshipped　different　gods；　for　the　Angles　and　the　Saxons　were　heathens。　　From　the　sea　also　it　was　open　to　attack。　　Sometimes　the　Irish　came。　　But　the　most　feared　of　all　were　the　Danes；　whose　sudden　appearance　and　quick　movements　and　desperate　onslaughts　were　the　terror　of　the　age。　　The　〃black　Danes〃　came　from　the　fords　of　Norway；　the　〃white　Danes〃　from　the　plains　of　Sweden　and　Denmark。　　The　Danes　settled　on　the　south　coast：　　Tenby　is　a　Danish　name。　　Offa；　the　king　of　the　Mercian　Angles；　took　the　rich　lands　between　the　Severn　and　the　Wye；　but　Offa's　Dyke　（Clawdd　Offa）　is　probably　the　work　of　some　earlier　people　whose　history　has　been　lost。　It　was　only　by　incessant　fighting　that　the　enemy　could　be　kept　at　bay。

Of　all　the　kings　who　tried　to　defend　his　country　against　the　enemies　which　now　stood　round　it；　the　greatest　is　Rhodri；　called　Rhodri　Mawr…　…〃the　Great。〃　　From　844　to　877；　by　battles　on　sea　and　land；　he　broke　the　spell　of　Danish　and　Saxon　victories；　and　his　might　and　wisdom　enabled　him　to　lead　his　country　in　those　dark　days。　　Like　Alfred　of　Wessex；　who　lived　at　the　same　time　and　faced　the　same　task；　he　stemmed　the　torrent　of　Danish　invasion　and　beat　the　sea…rovers　on　their　own　element。　　Like　Alfred；　he　left　warlike　children　and　grandchildren。　　One　of　the　grandsons　was　Howel　the　Good；　who　put　the　laws　of　Wales　down　in　a　book。

Wales　and　England　were　now；　both　of　them　in　their　own　way；　trying　to　become　one　country。　　It　was　seen　by　many　that　strength　and　peace　were　better　than　division　and　war。　　In　England；　the　Earls　of　Mercia　and　Wessex　tried　to　rise　into　supreme　power。　　In　Wales　Llywelyn　ab　Seisyll；　victorious　in　many　battles　and　wishing　for　peace；　made　the　country　rich　and　happy。　　Still；　when　he　died　in　1022；　the　princes　said　they　would　not　obey　another　over…king。

But　the　long　ships　full　of　Danes　came　again；　the　Angles　crossed　the　Severn：　　war　and　misery　took　the　place　of　peace　and　plenty。　Griffith；　the　son　of　Llywelyn；　came　to　renew　his　father's　work。　　In　the　battle　of　Rhyd　y　Groes　on　the　Severn；　in　1039；　he　drove　the　Mercians　back；　in　the　battle　of　Pencader；　in　1041；　he　crushed　the　opponents　of　Welsh　unity；　in　1044　he　defeated　the　sea…rovers　at　Aber　Towy。　　At　the　same　time　Harold；　Earl　of　Wessex；　was　making　himself　king　of　England。　　A　war　broke　out　between　Griffith　and　Harold；　and；　during　it；　in　1063；　the　great　Welsh　king〃the　head　and　the　shield　of　the　Britons〃was　slain　by　traitors。

So　far　I　have　told　you　about　a　few；　only　the　greatest；　kings　of　the　House　of　Cunedda。　　I　know　that　you　are　wondering　where　Arthur　comes　in。　　I　am　not　quite　sure　that　Arthur　ever　really　lived；　except　in　the　mind　of　many　ages。　　He　is　the　spirit　of　Roman　rule；　the　true　Dux　Britanniae；　and　he　has　all　the　greatness　and　ability　of　all　the　race　of　Cunedda。　　I　have　been　shown　mountains　under　which　he　sleeps；　with　his　knights　around　him；　waiting　for　the　time　when　his　country　is　to　be　delivered。　　Let　us　hope　that　what　Arthur　representscourage　and　wisdom；　love　of　country　and　love　of　rightlives　in　the　hearts　of　his　people。



CHAPTER　VITHE　LAWS　OF　HOWEL



The　two　ideas　which　ruled　Wales　werethe　love　of　order　and　the　love　of　independence。　　The　danger　of　the　first　is　oppression；　the　dangers　of　the　other　are　anarchy　and　weakness。　　Wales　was　sometimes　united；　under　a　Maelgwn　or　a　Rhodri；　and　the　princes　obeyed　them；　oftener；　perhaps；　the　princes　of　the　various　parts　ruled　in　their　own　way。

The　internal　life　of　Wales　is　best　seen　in　the　laws　of　Howel　the　Good。　　Howel　was　the　grandson　of　Rhodri；　and；　about　950；　he　called　four　men　from　each　district　to　Hendy　Gwyn　（Whitland）　to　state　the　laws　of　the　country。　　Twelve　of　the　wisest　put　the　law　together；　and　the　most　learned　scribe　in　Wales　wrote　it。

It　was　thought　that　there　should　be　one　king　over　the　whole　people；　but　it　was　very　rarely　that　every　part　of　Wales　obeyed　one　king。　　The　country　was　divided　into　smaller　kingdoms。　　In　many　ways　Gwynedd　was　the　most　powerful。　　It　was　very　easy　to　defend；　for　it　was　made　up　of　the　island　of　Mon　（Anglesey）；　the　promontory　of　Lleyn；　and　the　mountain　mass　of　Snowdon。　　Its　steep　side　was　thus　towards　England；　and　its　cornlands　and　pastures　on　the　further　side。　　It　was　also　the　home　of　the　family　of　Cunedda；　from　Maelgwn　to　the　last　Llywelyn。

Powys　was　the　Berwyn　country。　　Ceredigion　was　the　western　slope　of　the　Plinlimmon　range；　the　eastern　slopes　had　many　smaller；　but　very　warlike；　districts。　　Deheubarth　contained　the　pleasant　glades　and　great　forests　of　the　Towy　country。　　Dyved　was　the　peninsula　to　the　west；　the　southern　slopes　of　the　Beacons　were　Morgannwg　and　Gwent。

Howel　the　Good　found　that　the　laws　of　the　various　parts　differed　in　details；　and　he　gave　different　versions　to　the　north；　the　south…west；　and　the　south…east。　　But　the　law　and　life　of　the　whole　people；　if　we　only　look　at　important　features；　are　one。　　Several　commotes　made　a　cantrev；　many　cantrevs　made　a　kingdom；　many　kingdoms　made　Wales。

In　each　commote　there　were　two　kinds　of　peoplethe　free　or　high…　born；　and　the　low…