58 PAPERS, ETC. 



although, according to the Historia Britonum of Nennlus, 

 the battle of Badon Hill Stands as the last of the twelve 

 great battles of Arthur, we find it described as the " last, 

 almost" in the history of Gildas.* 



The battle of Badon Hill, according to the Annales 

 Canibri£e,t took place, A.D. 516 ; the battle of Camlan, in 

 which Arthur was mortally wounded, A.D. 537. This 

 would give A.D. 520, or thereabouts, for the date of the 

 battle of Llongborth. 



This is the nearest approxiraation we are able to make 

 to the date of the engagement to which the elegy relates. 

 The fierce endurance and daring hai'dihood manifested, 

 indicates a struggle for national existence. The actions 

 recorded are those of men fighting almost at their own 

 doors in defence of their households. Such would be the 

 Gase with the men of Dyvnaint, at Langport ; hence we 

 find the battle-cry in the thick of the fray, was, " Haste ! 

 ye that be Geraint's men !" 



The issue of the engagement was doubtful ; we cannot 

 regard it as a decided victory on either side. Judging, 

 however, from such expressions as these — 



" In Llongborth I saw the smoking pile:" 

 and, 



" In Llongborth I saw the biers 



With the dead drenched in göre :" 

 we have reason to infer that the Britons were, at least, 

 left in possession of the field, for such sights are witnessed 

 only after a battle. 



Such are the reasons which have appeared to me to 

 justify our identifying Langport with the Llongborth 



* Hist. Gilcl;ie. c. 26. . . obsessionis Badonici Montis, novissimoeque 

 ferme de furceferis non minimse stran;is. 



t Mon. Hist. Brit., p 830. 



