a short history of wales-第1部分

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A　Short　History　of　Wales


by　Owen　M。　Edwards








INTRODUCTION



This　little　book　is　meant　for　those　who　have　never　read　any　Welsh　history　before。　　It　is　not　taken　for　granted　that　the　reader　knows　either　Latin　or　Welsh。

A　fuller　outline　may　be　read　in　The　Story　of　Wales；　in　the　〃Story　of　the　Nations〃　series；　and　a　still　fuller　one　in　The　Welsh　People　of　Rhys　and　Brynmor　Jones。　　Of　fairly　small　and　cheap　books　in　various　periods　I　may　mention　Rhys'　Celtic　Britain；　Owen　Rhoscomyl's　Flame　Bearers　of　Welsh　History；　Henry　Owen's　Gerald　the　Welshman；　Bradley's　Owen　Glendower；　Newell's　Welsh　Church；　and　Rees　Protestant　Non…　conformity　in　Wales。　　More　elaborate　and　expensive　books　are　Seebohm's　Village　Community　and　Tribal　System　in　Wales；　Clark's　Medieval　Military　Architecture；　Morris'　Welsh　Wars　of　Edward　I。；　Southall's　Wales　and　Her　Language。　　In　writing　local　history；　A。　N。　Palmer's　History　of　Wrexham　and　companion　volumes　are　models。

If　you　turn　to　a　library；　you　will　find　much　information　about　Wales　in　Social　England；　the　Dictionary　of　National　Biography；　the　publications　of　the　Cymmrodorion　and　other　societies。　　You　will　find　articles　of　great　value　and　interest　over　the　names　of　F。　H。　Haverfield；　J。　W。　Willis…Bund；　Egerton　Phillimore；　the　Honourable　Mrs　Bulkeley　Owen　（Gwenrhian　Gwynedd）；　Henry　Owen；　the　late　David　Lewis；　T。　F。　Tout；　J。　E。　Lloyd；　D。　Lleufer　Thomas；　W。　Llywelyn　Williams；　J。　Arthur　Price；　J。　H。　Davies；　J。　Ballinger；　Edward　Owen；　Hubert　Hall；　Hugh　Williams；　R。　A。　Roberts；　A。　W。　Wade…Evans；　E。　A。　Lewis。　　These　are　only　a　few　out　of　the　many　who　are　now　working　in　the　rich　and　unexplored　field　of　Welsh　history。　　I　put　down　the　names　only　of　those　I　had　to　consult　in　writing　a　small　book　like　this。

The　sources　are　mostly　in　Latin　or　Welsh。　　Many　volumes　of　chronicles；　charters；　and　historical　poems　have　been　published　by　the　Government；　by　the　Corporation　of　Cardiff；　by　J。　Gwenogvryn　Evans；　by　H。　de　Grey　Birch；　and　others。　　But；　so　far；　we　have　not　had　the　interesting　chronicles　and　poems　translated　into　English　as　they　ought　to　be；　and　published　in　well　edited；　not　too　expensive　volumes。


OWEN　EDWARDS　LINCOLN　COLLEGE；　OXFORD。







CHAPTER　IWALES



Wales　is　a　row　of　hills；　rising　between　the　Irish　Sea　on　the　west　and　the　English　plains　on　the　east。　　If　you　come　from　the　west　along　the　sea；　or　if　you　cross　the　Severn　or　the　Dee　from　the　east；　you　will　see　that　Wales　is　a　country　all　by　itself。　　It　rises　grandly　and　proudly。　　If　you　are　a　stranger；　you　will　think　of　it　as　〃Wales〃a　strange　country；　if　you　are　Welsh；　you　will　think　of　it　as　〃Cymru〃a　land　of　brothers。

The　geologist　will　tell　you　how　Wales　was　made；　the　geographer　will　tell　you　what　it　is　like　now；　the　historian　will　tell　you　what　its　people　have　done　and　what　they　are。　　All　three　will　tell　you　that　it　is　a　very　interesting　country。

The　rocks　of　Wales　are　older　and　harder　than　the　rocks　of　the　plains；　and　as　you　travel　from　the　south　to　the　north；　the　older　and　harder　they　become。　　The　highest　mountains　of　Wales；　and　some　of　its　hills；　have　crests　of　the　very　oldest　and　hardest　rockgranite；　porphyry；　and　basalt；　and　these　rocks　are　given　their　form　by　fire。　　But　the　greater　part　of　the　country　is　made　of　rocks　formed　by　waterstill　the　oldest　of　their　kind。　　In　the　north…west；　centre；　and　westabout　two…thirds　of　the　whole　country；the　rocks　are　chiefly　slate　and　shale；　in　the　south…east　they　are　chiefly　old　red　sandstone；　in　the　north…east；　but　chiefly　in　the　south；　they　are　limestone　and　coal。

Its　rocks　give　Wales　its　famous　sceneryits　rugged　peaks；　its　romantic　glens；　its　rushing　rivers。　　They　are　also　its　chief　wealth　granite；　slate；　limestone；　coal；　and　lodes　of　still　more　precious　metalsiron；　lead；　silver；　and　goldrun　through　them。

The　highest　mountain　in　Wales　is　Snowdon；　which　is　3；570　feet　above　the　level　of　the　sea。　　For　every　300　feet　we　go　up；　the　temperature　becomes　one　degree　cooler。　　At　about　1；000　feet　it　becomes　too　cold　for　wheat；　at　about　1；500　it　becomes　too　cold　for　corn；　at　about　2；000　it　is　too　cold　for　cattle；　mountain　ponies　graze　still　higher；　the　bleak　upper　slopes　are　left　to　the　small　and　valuable　Welsh　sheep。

There　are　three　belts　of　soil　around　the　hillsarable；　pasture；　and　sheep…runone　above　the　other。　　The　arable　land　forms　about　a　third　of　the　country；　it　lies　along　the　sea　border；　on　the　slopes　above　the　Dee　and　the　Severn；　and　in　the　deep　valleys　of　the　rivers　which　pierce　far　inland；the　Severn；　Wye；　Usk；　Towy；　Teivy；　Dovey；　Conway；　and　Clwyd。　　The　pasture　land；　the　land　of　small　mountain　farms；　forms　the　middle　third；　it　is　a　land　of　tiny　valleys　and　small　plains；　ever　fostered　by　the　warm；　moist　west　wind。　　Above　it；　the　remaining　third　is　stormy　sheep…run；　wide　green　slopes　and　wild　moors；　steep　glens　and　rocky　heights。

From　north…west　to　south…east　the　line　of　high　hills　runs。　　In　the　north…west　corner；　Snowdon　towers　among　a　number　of　heights　over　3；000　feet。　　At　its　feet；　to　the　north…west；　the　isle　of　Anglesey　lies。　　The　peninsula　of　Lleyn；　with　a　central　ridge　of　rock；　and　slopes　of　pasture　lands；　runs　to　the　south…west。　　To　the　east；　beyond　the　Conway；　lie　the　Hiraethog　mountains；　with　lower　heights　and　wider　reaches；　further　east　again；　over　the　Clwyd；　are　the　still　lower　hills　of　Flint。

To　the　south；　30　miles　as　the　crow　flies；　over　the　slate　country；　the　Berwyns　are　seen　clearly。　　From　a　peak　among　theseCader　Vronwen　（2；573　feet）；　or　the　Aran　（2；970　feet）；　or　Cader　Idris　（2；929　feet）　we　look　east　and　south；　over　the　hilly　slopes　of　the　upper　Severn　country。

Another　30　miles　to　the　south　rises　green　Plinlimmon　（2；469　feet）；　from　it　we　see　the　high　moorlands　of　central　Wales；　sloping　to　Cardigan　Bay　on　the　west　and　to　the　valley　of　the　Severn；　now　a　lordly　English　river；　on　the　east。

Forty　miles　south　the　Black　Mountain　（2；630　feet）　rises　beyond　the　Wye；　and　the　Brecon　Beacons　（2；910　feet）　beyond　the　Usk。　　West　of　these　the　hills　fade　away　into　the　broad　peninsula　of　Dyved。　Southwards　we　look　over　hills　of　coal　and　iron　to　the　pleasant　sea…　fringed　plain　of　Gwent。

On　the　north　and　the　west　the　sea　is　shallow；　in　some　places　it　is　under　10　fathoms　for　10　miles　from　the　shore；　and　under　20　fathoms　for　20　miles。　　Tales　of　drowned　lands　are　toldof　the　sands　of　Lavan；　of　the　feast　of　drunken　Seithenyn；　and　of　the　bells　of　Aberdovey。　　But　the　sea　is　a　kind　neighbour。　　Its　soft；　warm　winds　bathe　the　hills　with　life；　and　the　great　sweep　of　the　big　Atlantic　waves　into　the　river　mouths　help　our　commerce。　　Holyhead；　Milford　Haven；　Swansea；　Newport；　Barry；　and　Cardiffnow　one　of　the　chief　ports　of　the　worldcan　welcome　the　largest　vessels　afloat。　　The　herring　is　plentiful　on　the　west　coast；　and　trout　and　salmon　in　the　rivers。



CHAPTER　IITHE　WANDERING　NATIONS



By　land　and　by　sea；　race　after　race　has　come　to　make　the　hills　of　Wales　its　home。　　One　race　would　be　short；　with　dark　eyes　and　black　hair；　another　would　be　tall；　with　blue　eyes　and　fair　hair。　　They　came　from　different　countries　and　along　different　paths；　but　each　race　brought　some　good　with　it。　　One　brought　skill　in　taming　animals；　until　it　had　at　last　tamed　even　the　pig　and　the　bee；　another　brought　iron　tools　to　take　the　place　of　stone　ones。　　Another　brought　the　energy　of　the　chase　and　war；　and　another　a　delight　in　sailing　a　ship　or　in　building　a　fortress。

One　thing　they　had　in　commonthey　wandered；　and　they　wandered　to　the　west。　　From　the　cold　wastes　and　the　dark　forests　of　the　north　and　east；　they　were　ever　pushing　west　to　more　sunny　lands。　　As　far　back　as　we　can　see；　the　great　migration　of　nations　to　the　west　was　going　on。　　The　islands　of　Britain　were　the　furthest　point　they　could　reach；　for　beyond　it；　at　that　time；　no　man　had　dared　to　sail　into　the　unknown　expanse　of　the　ocean　of　the　west。　　In　the　islands　of　Britain；　the　mountains　of　Wales　were　among　the　most　difficult　to　win；　and　it　was　only　the　bravest　and　the　hardiest　that　could　make　their　home　among　them。

The　first　races　that　came　were　short　and　dark。　　They　came　in　tribes。　They　had　tribal　marks；　the　picture　of　an　animal　as　a　rule；　and　they　had　a　strange　fancy　that　this　animal　was　their　ancestor。　　It　may　be　that　the　local　nicknames　which　are　still　rememberedsuch　as　〃the　pigs　of　Anglesey；〃　〃the　dogs　of　Denbigh；〃　〃the　cats　of　Ruthin；〃　〃the　crows　of　Harlech；〃　〃the　gadflies　of　Mawddwy〃were　the　proud　tribe　titles　of　these　early　people。　　Their　weapons　and　tools　were　polished　stone；　their　hammers　and　hatchets　and　adzes；　their　lance　heads　and　their　arrow　tips；　were　of　the　hardest　igneous　rockchipped　and　ground　with　patient　labour。

The　people　who　come　first　have　the　best　chance　of　staying；　if　only　they　are　willing　to　learn；　hardy　plants　will　soon　take　the　place　of　tender　plants　if　left　alone。　　The　short　dark　people　are　still　the　main　part；　not　only　of　the　Welsh；　but　of　the　British　people。　　It　is　true　that　their　language　has　disappeared；　except　a　few　place…names。　But　languages　are　far　more　fleeting　than　races。　　The　loss　of　its　language　does　not　show　that　a　race　is　dead；　it　only　shows　that　it　is　very　anxious　to　change　and　learn。　　Some　languages　easily　give　place　to　others；　and　we　say　that　the　people　who　speak　these　languages　are　good　linguists；　like　Danes　and　Slavs。　　Other　languages　persist；　those　who　speak　them　are　unwilling　to　speak　any　new　language；　and　this　is　the　reason　why　Spanish　and　English　are　so　widespread。

After　the　short　dark　race　came　a　tall　fair…haired　people。　　They　came　in　families　as　well　as　in　tribes。　　They　had　iron　weapons　and　tools；　and　the　short　dark　people　could　not　keep　them　at　bay　with　their　bone…　tipped　spears　and　flint…headed　arrows。　　We　know　nothing　about　the　struggle　between　them。　　But　it　may　be　that　the　fairy　stories　we　were　told　when　children　come　from　those　far…off　times。　　If　a　fairy　maiden　came　from　lake　or　mound　to　live　among　men；　she　vanished　at　once　if　touched　with　iron。　　Is　this；　learned　men　have　asked；　a　dim　memory　of　the　victory　of　iron　over　stone？

The　name　given　to　the　short　dark　man　is　usually　Iberian；　the　name　given　to　the　tall　fair　man　who　followed　him　is　Celt。　　The　two　learnt　to　live　together　in　the　same　country。　　The　conqueror　probably　looked　upon　himself　at　first　as　the　master　of　the　c