WALES. 



diganfhire ; — Advigefimum, mentioned only in Uie Itinerary 

 of Richard of Cirencefter, is fuppofed by fome to have been 

 fituated at Cartel Fleming, and by others near Narbertli, in 

 Penibrokpfhire ; — Menap'm, the port for Ireland, near the 

 prefent St. David's ; — Marirlunum, Caermarthcn ; — Llanvar 

 ar y Bryn, in Catrmarthenihire, is esndcntly the fcite of a 

 ilation ■,—Leucarum. Louchar, or Lougher, in Glamorgan- 

 Ihire ; — Bomiiim, Boverton, near Ewenny ; — Nidum, Neath ; 

 — Tiiia /Imnis, CaerdifF ; — Gobtifinium, Abergavenny, in 

 Monmoullilhn-c ; — B/t://ium, Monmouth; — Burriiim, Ufl< ; 

 — I/ca Si/urum, the capital of the colony, and relidence of 

 a prietor ; — Venta Silurum, CAerw>:nt; — ^ J Sal/rinum, on 

 the Severn, near the new or old palTage. 

 • Of the Roman Roads, though more dillinft traces might 

 be fuppofed to exift in Wales tiian in England, from their 

 veftiges not having been equally liable to obliteration from 

 cultivation ; yet for want of due inveftigation, few of them 

 have been traced in a fatisfaftory manner. — yia Julia Mari- 

 tima, wliich received the name of Julia, from Julia Frontinus, 

 who fuccefsfully condufted the Roman arms againil the 

 Silures, is fuppofed to have connected the ftations con- 

 tained in the eleventh Iter of Richard of Cirenceiler. 

 This road was a continuation of the Alceman-ftreet from 

 ylqua-Solis, Bath ; and direfting its courfe wcftward acrofs 

 the Severn, pafTed through Glamorganfhire, Caermarthen- 

 fhire, and Pembroke(hire, to Ad Menapium, near St. 

 David's : few traces of this road have been difcovered. — 

 Via Julia Montana was an upper road, forming a communi- 

 cation from the more central parts of the ifland, by the 

 Ryknild-ftreet, coining from Glevum, Glouceller, and paf- 

 fing through part of Monmouthfhire, entered the county of 

 Brecknock, proceeded over the mountains to Llanvair ar y 

 Bryn, and thence along the vale to Caermarthen, where it 

 coalefced with the maritime or lower road above mentioned, 

 and both terminated at St. David's Via Ocridentalu ap- 

 pears to have extended along the wedern coall of Wales, 

 from Ad Menapium to Segontium, and formed connecting 

 links between the intermediate ilations. — Via Devana takes 

 a direftion through the centre of the principality from the 



fouthern coall about Nidus, Neath, to Deva, Cheller 



Via Orieutalis took a north-eaderly direftion from Ifca 

 Silurum, to Uriconium in Staffordfhire. — A brancli of the 

 Northern IValling-Jlrtet entered Wales at Cheller, and incli- 

 ning to the well, paffed the Ilation Varis, to Conovium, 

 near Conway. — A branch of the Southern Walling-Jlreet, ex- 

 tending from Uriconium to Segontium, enters Wales near 

 the village of Llandrinio, and proceeding to Mediolanum. 

 is there met by the Via Devana ; it afterwards joins the 

 Via Occidentalis, and continues with it to Segontium. 

 Numerous vicinal roads alfo traverfed the country from 

 Ilation to (lation, velliges of which are traceable in various 

 places. A road of communication branched off from the 

 Via Occidentalis at Penallt, and proceeded eallerly to Caer 

 Sws. Another road extended north-eallerly from Llanvair 

 ar y Bryn towards the (lation on the river Ython, between 

 which places it is difcoverable on the extenfive wades in the 

 vicinity of Llanrindod Wella. From Maridunum, a road 

 leads to Loventium : the conllruftion is evidently Roman, 

 being formed of various ftralitications ; is about thirty feet 

 wide, and edged with Hone. Another may be traced from 

 Llanio, running eaderly by Llanvair mountain, and paffiiig 

 through Caio, it goes to Lhmvair ar y Bryn, thence to the 

 Gaer near Brecknock, and fo to the grand dation Glevum, 

 Gioucedcr. In feveral places, having the denomination of 

 Sarn, traces of vicinal roads arc dillinguilliable ; and 

 wherever this Britidi word occurs, it is probable a Ro- 

 raan road paffed near ; as Talfarn, Penfarn, and Sarnau 



in Cardiganfhirc. Numerous viUas, fudatorie«, aquedudls, 

 walls, milliaria, or mile-ftones, llatues, votive altars, in- 

 fcribed doiK s, tcflellated pavements, urns, pottery, bricks, 

 tiles, medals, coins, and various othi-r remains, have been 

 difcovered, which evidently point out the vediges of Roman 

 refidence, and by which the occupation of the country by 

 the Romans may be clearly deduced. 



Civil Hijlory of Wales After domineering over Britain 



above four centuries, the Romans bade a final adieu to the 

 idand ; which was foon expofed to the inroads of numerous 

 enemies. Adailed on the north by the Pifts and Scots, it 

 was equally infeded by the Irifli on the wed. The native 

 ftrength of the country had been exhauded by war ; the 

 number of its inhabitants further dimiiiinied by famine and 

 pedilence ; and ihe navy was fallen iiuo d cav. Under 

 thefe difadvantages, the people were alfo in want of that 

 unanimity fo elfential in times of emergency. They had 

 recourfe to their ancient form of goveriuneut, and eledled 

 for their governors certain reguli, or chieftains ; but thefe, 

 indead of combining to oppofe the common enemy by well- 

 concerted plans of co-operation, were principally occupied 

 in fecuring their feparate interefts. In this fad fituation, 

 without union, order, or difcipline, and attacked on all fides 

 by inveterate foes, the' Britons adopted the mod impolitic 

 of all expedients for national fafety, — that of calling in the 

 affidance of one barbarous nation to drive out another ; 

 which fubjedled them to a new and heavier yoke. At this 

 period, bcfides the many chieftains under whom the idand 

 was divided, a perfonal competition exided between one 

 who tyrannized over the red and held the fovereign autho- 

 rity, named Gwtheyrii, or (as called by mod Englirti 

 writers) Vortigern, and a chief of Roman parentage, called 

 Ambrofiiis, biit by the Wcldi, Enirys Wiedig. During 

 this conted, Gvvtheyrn, to reptl the incuifions of the Scots 

 and Pidls, called in the affidance of the Saxons, an army of 

 whom arrived under the command of Hengiil and Horfa, 

 defccndants of Woden, the founder of their nation. The 

 Saxon generals having driven back the enemy, and dif- 

 covered the pufiUanimity of the Britidi monarch, turned 

 their attention towards edablilhing their troops, and fecur- 

 ing to themfelves a portion of the territories they had de- 

 fended : this |)lan, through the treaciiery or incapacity of 

 Gwlheyrn, they were enabled to accomplidi. The enraged 

 Britons depofed Gwtiuyni, and placed Emrys on the 

 throne : he for a time prevailed againd the Saxons, but 

 fredi troops arriving under the command of Ella, they be- 

 came victorious, and extended their territory. On the 

 death of Emrys, his brother Uther, commonly called, from 

 his office, Pendragon, was eleAed to the fovereign dig- 

 nity. The intedine warfare was carried on with varied 

 fuccefs between the Britons and Saxons ; but numerous 

 hordes continually arriving from the north, the latter be- 

 came formidable in fever.d parts of the ifland. Arthur, the 

 celebrated foil and fucceffor of Uther, for a feries of years 

 coiiduftcd the war againd the invaders ; and in many def- 

 perately-fought battles led on the Britons to decifive vic- 

 tory. During the reigns of Uther and Arthur, the ancient 

 Britons had attained the meridian of their glory ; but it was 

 now drawing to a clofe : the death of Arthur decided the 

 fate of Britain. Civil didcntions prevailed among the 

 Britous, which were promoted by their crafty adverfaries. 

 During thefe troubles, many of the people fubmitted to the 

 Saxons and Scots ; others, to preferve their freedom, fled 

 to Armorica, which, from the number of the refugees, ac- 

 quired the name of Bivtagne ; fome retired into the wilds 

 of Devonfliirc and Cornwall ; fome took dielter in the 

 mountainous parts of the north of England ; but by far the 



greatett 



