The Description of Wales | Page 6

as their country was more defenceless. The third
division of the Britons, who obtained a part of Britany in Gaul, were
transported thither, not after the defeat of their nation, but long before,
by king Maximus, and, in consequence of the hard and continued
warfare which they underwent with him, were rewarded by the royal
munificence with those districts in France.

CHAPTER II

Of the ancient division of Wales into three parts
Wales was in ancient times divided into three parts nearly equal,
consideration having been paid, in this division, more to the value than
to the just quantity or proportion of territory. They were Venedotia,
now called North Wales; Demetia, or South Wales, which in British is
called Deheubarth, that is, the southern part; and Powys, the middle or
eastern district. Roderic the Great, or Rhodri Mawr, who was king over
all Wales, was the cause of this division. He had three sons, Mervin,
Anarawt, and Cadell, amongst whom he partitioned the whole
principality. North Wales fell to the lot of Mervin; Powys to Anarawt;
and Cadell received the portion of South Wales, together with the
general good wishes of his brothers and the people; for although this
district greatly exceeded the others in quantity, it was the least desirable
from the number of noble chiefs, or Uchelwyr, (6) men of a superior

rank, who inhabited it, and were often rebellious to their lords, and
impatient of control. But Cadell, on the death of his brothers, obtained
the entire dominion of Wales, (7) as did his successors till the time of
Tewdwr, whose descendants, Rhys, son of Tewdwr, Gruflydd, son of
Rhys, and Rhys, son of Gruffydd, the ruling prince in our time, enjoyed
only (like the father) the sovereignty over South Wales.

CHAPTER III

Genealogy of the Princes of Wales
The following is the generation of princes of South Wales: Rhys, son of
Gruffydd; Gruffydd, son of Rhys; Rhys, son of Tewdwr; Tewdwr, son
of Eineon; Eineon, son of Owen; Owen, son of Howel Dda, or Howel
the Good; Howel, son of Cadell, son of Roderic the Great. Thus the
princes of South Wales derived their origin from Cadell, son of Roderic
the Great. The princes of North Wales descended from Mervin in this
manner: Llewelyn, son of Iorwerth; Iorwerth, son of Owen; Owen, son
of Gruffydd; Gruffydd, son of Conan; Conan, son of Iago; Iago, son of
Edoual; Edoual, son of Meyric; Meyric, son of Anarawt (Anandhrec);
Anarawt, son of Mervin, son of Roderic the Great. Anarawt leaving no
issue, the princes of Powys have their own particular descent.
It is worthy of remark, that the Welsh bards and singers, or reciters,
have the genealogies of the aforesaid princes, written in the Welsh
language, in their ancient and authentic books; and also retain them in
their memory from Roderic the Great to B.M.; (8) and from thence to
Sylvius, Ascanius, and AEneas; and from the latter produce the
genealogical series in a lineal descent, even to Adam.
But as an account of such long and remote genealogies may appear to
many persons trifling rather than historical, we have purposely omitted
them in our compendium.

CHAPTER IV

How many cantreds, royal palaces, and cathedrals there are in Wales
South Wales contains twenty-nine cantreds; North Wales, twelve;
Powys, six: many of which are at this time in the possession of the
English and Franks. For the country now called Shropshire formerly
belonged to Powys, and the place where the castle of Shrewsbury
stands bore the name of Pengwern, or the head of the Alder Grove.
There were three royal seats in South Wales: Dinevor, in South Wales,
removed from Caerleon; Aberfraw, (9) in North Wales; and Pengwern,
in Powys.
Wales contains in all fifty-four cantreds. The word CANTREF is
derived from CANT, a hundred, and TREF, a village; and means in the
British and Irish languages such a portion of land as contains a hundred
vills.
There are four cathedral churches in Wales: St. David's, upon the Irish
sea, David the archbishop being its patron: it was in ancient times the
metropolitan church, and the district only contained twenty-four
cantreds, though at this time only twenty- three; for Ergengl, in English
called Urchenfeld, (10) is said to have been formerly within the diocese
of St. David's, and sometimes was placed within that of Landaff. The
see of St. David's had twenty-five successive archbishops; and from the
time of the removal of the pall into France, to this day, twenty-two
bishops; whose names and series, as well as the cause of the removal of
the archiepiscopal pall, may be seen in our Itinerary. (11)
In South Wales also is situated the bishopric of Landaff, near the
Severn sea, and near the noble castle of Caerdyf; bishop Teilo