306 ESSAY ON THE ORIGIN AND CHARACTER 



church of Llangadwaladr, in Anglefea, this infcrip- 

 tion, in the old eharadtcr: " Catamanus rexfapieri' 

 ii/Jtmus, op'matijftmui omnium regiim.** Catamanus, 

 or Cadvan, died in the beginning of the feventh 

 centur}^ The church was founded by his grand- 

 fon. — ^About the reign of Charles 11. , the fexton of 

 Llanbabo, in Anglefea, was digging a grave, when 

 he by chance difcovered, at the depth of feveral 

 feet, an ancient tombftone. It was taken out and 

 depofued in the chancel, where it is yet to be feen. 

 It has on it the figure of a man, in long robes, with 

 & coronet on his head, and a fceptre in his hand. 

 Round the edge there is a Latin infcription in thefc 

 ©Id cbarafters, mixed with the Roman. It was de- 

 figned to commemorate Pabo poft Prydain, Paba, 

 the fitpport of Britairi, who lived about the period 

 when the Saxons fir (I entered Britain. He has 

 been celebrated for his valour in the contentions, 

 with the Britons, againfl the Pifts and Scots : — he 

 was the founder of the church of Llanbabo. — ^There 

 are many other monumental infcriptions in North 

 Wales in this ancient character. 



Another evidence that the Britons had an alphabet 

 previoufly to the arrival of the Saxons, is adduced 

 from infcriptions on Britifli coins flruck fome cen- 

 turies before. In Dr. Stukeley*s impreffions from 

 the coins of the ancient Welfh kings, there is one 

 from a coin of Bleiddyd, or Bladud, king of Britain, 

 about nine hundred years before Chrift. This h 

 now lodged in tlie Cotton mufeiim. There are 



others 



