| 1996.] Madoc’s Difcovery of America... Writings of Dr. Arne. 844 
Maelgon, ‘Lywelyn, Iorwerth, Davyx, Cad- 
wallon, Hywel, Cadell, Madoc, Einion,and 
Phyhp; the daughters were Gweulkant, 
and Angharad. 
Of thefe, Rodri, Hywel, Davyz, and 
Madoc, were the moft diftinguifhed in 
hiftory. Hywel was a fine poet, as ap- 
pears by his compofitions, of which there 
are eight preferved. His mufe feems to 
have been principally devoted to the fair 
fex. His mother was a native of Ire- 
land; and, though not born in wedlock, 
he was the firft who afpired to the throne, 
after the death of Owain; which event 
no focner took place, but his brother Da- 
wyx. became his competitor, under the 
- fanétion of a legitimate birth. The con- 
fequence was, that the country became 
enibroied in a civil war; which, how. 
ever, terminated, before the conclufion 
of the fame year, by the death of Hyqwel. 
‘The battle where this happened, was 
fought in Arvon, a diftri€t comprehend- 
ing the level country about Caernarvon, - 
between Snowdon and the fea, in the an- 
cient divifion of the country. But the 
exact {pot where the aétion tock place, 
cannot, I believe, be pointed out; though 
there are feveral remains of military 
works in that part of Caernarvon- 
fhire. . 
Influenced by difguft at the unnatural 
diffenfions among his brothers, Madoc, 
who is reprefented of a very mild dif- 
. pofition, refolved upon the matchlefs en- 
erprife oF exploring the ocean weftward 
b) 
im {earch of more tranquil: {cenes. The 
event was, according to various old do- 
cuments, the difcovering of a new world ; 
from which he effeéted his return, to in- 
form his country of his good fortune. 
The confequence of which was, the ft- 
ting out of a fecond expedition ; and 
Madoc, with his brother Riryd, lord of 
Clogran in Ireland, prevailed upon fo ma- 
ny to accompany them, as to fill feven 
_fhips ; ‘and, failing from the ifle of Lan- 
dy, they took an eternal leave of Wales. 
There is a large book of pedigrees fill 
extant, written by Sevan Breeva, who 
flourifhed in the age preceding the time 
ot Columbus, wherein the above event is 
thus noticed, in treating of the genealogy 
of Owain Gwynex : “ Madoe.a Riryd a 
Sawant dir yn mpell yn y Werweryz, ac 
Jno y cyvannezafant.”’ Madoc and, Riryd 
found land far in the fea of the weft, 
and there they fettled. ‘Lyqwar¢, the fon 
ot ‘Lywelya,; commonly called Prydys y 
Mus, feems to have compofed two. of his 
poems, in the time between the firft and 
she fecond of the two yoyages of Madoc. 
the fubjeét. 
Dec. 8, 1796. 
ANE. 
One of thefe pieces muft be confidered 
of great importance and curiofity : it is 
an invocation, as if he were undergoing 
the fiery ordeal, to exonerate himfelf 
from having any knowledge of the fate 
of Madoc: the fecond, being a panegyric 
upon Redri, another brother, has:a re- 
markable allufion to the fame event ; and 
alfo, to the fate of Aywel. The paflage 
runs thus :— 
Dau deyra terwyn dydores yn ‘lid ; 
‘Lu daiar a’u hofes ! 
Un ar dir, ar dorvoz “rydres, 
Yn Arvon yn arwar tracwres ; 
Ac arall, mynawg, yn mynwes mawt-vor, 
Yn mawr var anghymmes, 
Yn efguraw haw] hawz adnes; 
Yn efgar i bawb am beues. 
THE TRANSLATION. 
Two princes, of {trong paflions, broke off iw 
wrath; beloved by the multitude of tke 
earth. One on land, in 4rvon, allaying of 
ambition ; and another, a placid one, on the 
bofom of the vaft ocean, in great and immea- 
furable trouble, prowling after a poffefiion eafy 
to be guarded; eftranged from all for a coun- 
try. 
This article has run too long to admit 
of any thing more being now faid upon 
I fhall therefore conclude. 
Your’s, &c. 
MEIRION. 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
STR, 
TN the laft Number but one of your 
4 Magazine we were favoured by one of 
your mufical correfpondents with fome 
account of the Life and Genius of Dr. 
In this biographical fketch, X. 
affirms, that Dr. Arne was the “ fy 
muj.cian who placed our claim to harmonic 
excellence on @ level with the Ttalians.? 
From what I have feen, however, of the 
Doétor’s works, I confeds I have not 
formed of them fo elevated an opinion as 
your biographer. 
Good compofition I am fond of, and 
would, confequently, thank him to point 
out thofe pieces which he ranks equal to 
the produétions of the Italian mafters. 
I am far from being prepoffeffed again 
the genius of my own countrymen, but 
I have always conceived the Italian com- 
pofers to poffefs more tafte and origina- 
lity than any which our own country 
could boaft of, 
It is ftated by X. that Comus was 
the production which fixed the bafis of: 
Arne’s profetiional fame, and that the 
mufic Js as ipimjtable as the poctry, and 
WHi 









