TO THE EDITOR OF THE CAMBRO-BRITON. SIR,-The CAMBRO-BRITON, which was introduced to me soon after its commencement, afforded me so much pleasure (for I ever took an interest in ancient British affairs), that it is now regularly supplied to me by the first conveyance immediately after its publication. The following account of a curious monument, discovered some time since on this Island, may probably be worth inserting in your excellent work, which would oblige Guernsey, June 23, 1821. Your's, &c. LOUIS JOS. DE CAISNE. ON the top of a hill about one mile from the Vale Church, on the border of the sea, on this Island, stands one of those remarkably curious remains of the primitive religion of Gaul and Britain, viz. that of the Druids, and the only thing of the kind to be found in the Island. The discovery of this monument was in consequence of a plan in contemplation to build a tower on the spot, in digging for the foundation of which this discovery took place; and it was, by order of Sir John D'Oyle, immediately cleared of the sand and earth, which covered it, and the project of building a tower was then relinquished. The monument is composed of rough granite stones, in number eighteen, of which fourteen are erect, about six feet above the surface; the other four compose the whole of the roof, and are of an immense size. On the within side the stones are perfectly smooth, and, on the out-side, rounded. The flooring is composed of remarkably curious small pebble stones, the whole of which, being nearly of one size, are about three inches long and one in diameter, and remarkably regularly set. The entrance is at the narrowest end, and a person may enter by stooping, it having been filled up, in a great measure, by the sands and washing of the sea. It has not yet been ascertained what depth these stones are in the earth; but this much is certain, that there is, at least, as much length within the earth as without. It may be observed, that this monument is surrounded by a kind of wild rose, which supplies the place of grass. These are in general of the height of three inches, and of a fine straw colour. The rose itself is particularly large, and its leaves remarkably small. THE following letter of Argus, which relates to the inscription recently discovered at Pentravoelas, and of which a fac-simile appeared in the last volume, is inserted, not because we assent implicitly to the propriety of his interpretation, but because, as he justly observes, a variety of conjectures may tend to elicit the truth; we cannot help premising, however, that ARGUS appears to be in error with respect to the letter in the first line, which he calls S., and which seems obviously to be an E., corresponding with the same character in other ancient inscriptions; and it deserves also to be noticed, that it bears no resemblance to the letter, acknowledged to be an S., in the word EJUS, in the last line. II. INSCRIPTION AT PENTREVOELAS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE CAMBRO-BRITON. SIR,-IN the last volume of the CAMBRO-BRITON, page 410, there appeared a fac-simile of an Inscription discovered at Pentrevoelas, in Denbighshire. I was much gratified with the opinions of the two learned antiquarians on the subject.P. B. W. decyphered it "Brohomael, or Brochmael, hic jacit et uxor ejus Canne;" but the letters I. A. T., at the commencement of the second line, were left out. Mr. W. O. Pughe added the three preceding letters to Brohomael (or it may be read Brychymael), which renders it Brychymaeliat; but, after all, the letter S., in the first line, is overlooked*. Independent of this, the word Brychymaeliat, which signifies a descendant of Brychmael, must be allowed to be rather too ambiguous, according to the simple and plain style of the ancient inscriptions. The Inscription, I grant, cannot, with certainty, be decyphered at this distance of time, without some information respecting the event; but, however, as reiterated conjectures sometimes bring out the truth, permit me to offer another to the list; "Brych. o Mâslliat hic jacit et uxor ejus Caune,”Broch or Brych, an abbreviation of Brychan, and Mâslliat, probably a corruption of Maesllwyd. Hence the Inscription might be read-" Here lies Brychan of Mâsllwyd and his wife Caune;" and, as it has been a prevailing custom amongst the Welsh, from time immemorial, to be nominated after their places of residence, so far may this interpretation lead to a farther inquiry. May, 1821. ARGUS. ed, BIOGRAPHY, OWAIN GLYNDWR*. And he was once the glory of his age, His only blot was this, that, much provoked, 66 THOMSON. OWAIN VYCHAN, or Vaughan, usually called Glyndwrf, was born on the 28th of May, 1349, a year," we are inform"remarkable for the first appearance of the pestilence in Wales, and for the birth of Owain Glyndwrt." He was a lineal descendant from the princes of Wales, and lord of considerable possessions, near Corwen in Merionethshire. He received his education in England, and appears to have been admitted a student in one of the Inns of Court. But he soon quitted the profession of the law for one more congenial with * This biographical sketch of the celebrated Welsh chieftain is from the same pen as the account of his revolt, which appeared in a former Number (vol. ii. p. 448): a circumstance, which we think it proper to intimate, on account of the coincidence in some particulars between the two sketches, which might, otherwise, be ascribed to a wrong cause. On the former occasion the writer dwelt only on a detached part of the hero's life, of which he has now given, and with considerable felicity, a more comprehensive view. Perhaps, however, it might yet be possible, from the remains of the Bards of Glyndwr's time, and especially of those who partook of his princely patronage, to raise a biographical monument to our hero still more worthy of his renown. A few interesting particulars, derived from this source, and relating more immediately to Glyndwr's place of residence, may be found in the first volume of this work, 458 et seq.-ED. ↑ The family name of this hero was Vychan, or Vaughan; he is styled Glyndwr from his patrimony of Glyndyvrdwy, or the Bank-side of the Dee. No name, perhaps, has been so variously spelt. He is called indifferently, Glendour, Glendowr, Glendower, Glyndour, Glyndower, and Glyndwr. In one statute (4 Henry IV. ch. 34) he is described as Owen ap Glyndourdy, traitour a nostre Sr. le roy." M.S. penes Mr. Lewis Morris. Holinshed relates a circumstance attending the birth of this chieftain, which is intended, doubtless, to bear some allusion to his sanguinary and turbulent career; "Strange wonders," he says, "happened at the nativity of this man, for the same night that he was born all his father's horses, in the stable, were found to stand in blood up to their bellies!" his ardent and sanguine disposition; and, during the tumults, which agitated the country in the reign of Richard the Second, he did not remain an inactive spectator, but espoused the cause of the king, to whom he was sincerely and affectionately attached; and, as a reward for his loyalty, he was created a knight, and appointed scutiger, or squire of the body, to that monarch. When Richard was deposed, Owen retired to his estates in Wales, deprecating and lamenting the downfall of his beloved master. At Glyndyvrdwy, then, four centuries ago, lived this Cambrian hero, dispensing numerous blessings amongst his happy and devoted tenantry; and probably with no loftier wishes than those of contributing to the comfort and happiness of his dependants. But he was roused from this peaceful inactivity by oppression unendurable by a Briton. Lord Reginald Grey of Ruthin, whose lordship was contiguous to Glyndyvrdwy, wishing to confine his neighbour within the bounds of the Dee, claimed the hills on his side the river, and took possession of them, although they had long been the property of the Glyndwr family. This unjust seizure produced a suit in the courts of law, in which the Welshman obtained a restitution of his lands; and Lord Grey became, in consequence, his most inveterate and deadly enemy. On the accession of Henry the Fourth to the crown, Grey, relying on the favour and protection of his monarch, again seized the lands, which had been legally awarded to Owen; and, when the latter laid his case before the Parliament, he obtained no redress, nor was his application even noticed. This contumely was aggravated by an insult of greater, and, eventually, of fatal consequence. When Henry went on his first expedition against the Scots, Owain was to have accompanied him with a certain number of his retainers. A writ of summons for this purpose was entrusted to Lord Grey, who designedly and rashly withheld it till the time for Owain's appearance had elapsed; and it was impossible for him to obey the royal mandate. Grey represented his absence as an act of wilful, and, therefore, of traitorous, disobedience; by which wicked and treacherous transaction he procured from Henry a grant of all Owain's lands; the knight himself being, at the same time, declared a traitor. This was not to be patiently endured by the aggrieved and choleric Cambrian; and a short time from this period saw Owain Glyndwr with a trusty and gallant band of Britons, spreading fire and desolation through the territory of the presumptuous Grey. He soon recovered the lands of which he had been so unjustly deprived, and, actuated by the lex talionis, took possession of a large portion of the domains of his enemy. Nor did the consequences rest here. Ambition now entered the mind of the infuriated Chieftain; he called to his recollection his high and princely lineage, and, directing his arms to a nobler cause the freedom of his country,-involved both nations in a war, which lasted some years, sacrificed many thousand lives, and drenched both countries in blood. Although the Welsh were at first despised as a bare-footed rabble*, and their disaffection ridiculed, they were soon found to be a formidable and dangerous enemy. The intelligence of Glyndwr's retaliation on Lord Grey no sooner reached the court, than the king immediately dispatched some troops, under the command of that nobleman and the Lord Talbot, to chastise him; and they arrived with such speed and diligence, that they nearly succeeded in surrounding his house before he gained intimation of their approach. He contrived, however, to escape into the woods, where he did not long continue; but having raised a band of men, and caused himself to be proclaimed Prince of Wales on the 20th of September, 1400, he surprised, plundered, and burnt to the ground, the greater part of the town of Ruthin (the property of Grey) at the time when a fair was held there. Having achieved this, he retired to the mountain-fastnesses, and directed his attention to the speedy augmentation of his forces. The disturbance in the Principality had hitherto been chiefly considered as a private quarrel between Grey and Glyndwr, and the government did not appear to be much concerned as to * John Trevor, Bishop of St. Asaph, foreseeing the danger of driving into desperate measures a person of Owain's interest, spirit, and abilities, advised more temperate proceedings, adding, that Owain was by no means a despicable enemy, and that the Welsh would certainly be provoked into à general insurrection; his advice was rejected, and he was answered by an English nobleman in the House of Lords, "Se de illis scurris nudipedibus non curare." Pennant, vol. iii. p. 319, and Barrington's Observations on Ancient Statutes. |