The Stone of St Cadvan, in Towyn Church. Drawn by Mr. Westwood.

[Length 7 ft., greatest width 10 in.)

The third side, marked C, he reads-an? terunc dubut marciau.
The fourth, marked D, he thinks must be read thus-

tion.

66

"The

He considers the inscription to belong to the seventh or eighth century. He remarks, that "supposing the stone to be standing erect (it is now however lying flat on the floor of Towyn Church), the inscription on the side, marked A, is to be read from the ground upwards,-so also the side, B. The third side, C, which like A is one of the narrow sides of the stone, is to be read downwards towards the ground; and the fourth side, D, has the inscription arranged downwards in the same manner. Mr. Williams, an eminent Welsh scholar, undertakes the interpretation of this inscripHe decides the inscription to be in the Welsh language, and reading the side A and its opposite, C, together, he interprets them thus:-" body of Cyngen is on the side between where the marks will be." The expression, "the marks" (marciau-the c pronounced hard), he says, must " evidently refer to certain monuments, placed to mark the spot where the deceased lay interred; probably stones, which according to the Welsh laws, were used as marks for various purposes. Such, no doubt, was the stone found in the Isle of Bardsey, bearing the inscription MARC VELIO. There might have been a stone, a maen hir, at each end of the grave, as was the case with the grave of Beli, ap Benlli Gawr (see Hanes' Cymru, p. 35), and thus the body of Cyngen would in truth be between the marks." The sides B and D he likewise reads together, and thus translates the inscriptions:-"Beneath a similar mound is extended Cadvan, sad that it should enclose the praise of the earth: may he rest without blemish." The last sentence of this inscription, Mr. Williams says is an expression equivalent to the Latin requiescat in pace, or rest his soul, which pious ejaculation assumes various shapes in the elegiac compositions of the bards." In interpreting this inscription, he enters into a very learned philological discussion upon ancient and modern Welsh, citing examples in support of his views from early Welsh writings-this we must leave to Welsh scholars. In reference to this monument it only remains to notice the valuable information respecting the individuals whom it commemorates, furnished by Mr. Wakeman (p. 205), and drawn "from Gregory of Tours; Eginard, contemporary of Charlemagne; the fragment of a chronicle, by Ingomar, of uncertain date; the chronicles of the churches of Nantes and Mount St. Michael; and the lives of some of the Breton saints, by contemporaries; and some other historians and chroniclers.' Mr. Wakeman refutes the common story, that St. Cadvan was the grandson of Emyr Llydaw, one of the princes of Armorica, and shows that Emyr Llydaw is not a name, but merely a title, signifying "Prince of Llydaw,' possibly a contraction of Emmerawd, or Emperor, hence that " son of" (in Welsh ap)" Emyr Llydaw," means nothing more than son of a Prince of Llydaw. Cadvan he seems to regard as the grandson of an Emyr Llydaw, and nephew of Howel ap Emyr Llydaw, who ruled Armorica in the early part of the sixth century, and was murdered in the year 524. On his death his dominions were divided among his sons, who, in the year 546, going to war with each other, occasioned the immigration of the families of the princes who were slain to Britain. This was the second immigration from Armorica since the commencement of this century. About this time

VOL. VIII.

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St. Cadwin came over to Britain, most probably with this second immigration. Cyngen, he agrees with Mr. Williams (pp. 100, 212), was very probably Cyngen ap Cadell, prince of Powis, whose era is pretty well established by the recorded death of his son Brochmael, early in the seventh century; he concludes by suggesting that this monument to St. Cadvan belongs to the end of the sixth century. A suggestion historically deduced, which pretty nearly coincides with the age to which Mr. Westwood, judging from its characteristics, assigns this interesting and venerable relic. It is needless to insist upon the value of investigations such as these. In a country where there is now such a dearth of early written records, these carved stones may truly be regarded as "the only unimpeachable proofs of the extent to which religion, literature, and science was cultivated" by our British forefathers, and there is no part of the country where they are so plentiful as in Wales. They cannot therefore be too highly valued, closely examined, and carefully preserved. Well may the Cambrian Association feel indebted to those members, who have been the first to decipher the stone of St. Cadvan, nor less so to Mr. Stephens, who has offered an interpretation somewhat differing from that of Mr. Williams, and many critical observations upon the subject (N. S. vol. ii., p. 58), which should be read in conjunction with the original paper.

Such a highly curious specimen of British Palæography has appeared deserving of this detailed notice, on account of the great rarity of similar remains in other parts of the kingdom, and the important bearing of such evidences, hitherto very imperfectly understood, upon historical inquiries.

In addition to this early inscription, we find, on looking through the other volumes, numerous other inscriptions on early monumental stones, carefully deciphered and recorded-as that of "Wledermat Odeleu," the founder (as the inscription mentions) of this church in the time " Ewini Regis," on a stone in the churchyard of Llanfihangel y Traethau. (Vol. iii., p. 224.) Another at Llangian, Caernarvonshire-MELI MEDICI FILI MARTINI, considered to be not later than the fifth century. Some at Llannor, Caernarvonshire (vol. ii., p. 201); the tombstone of Brochmael, said to be earlier than the ninth century (ibid. p. 30); of Turpilius, in Brecknockshire (ibid. p. 25); with those of Porius (vol. i., p. 424); and Catamanus (ibid. 165)-(the former near Dolgelley, Merionethshire, the latter in Anglesea); and an incidental notice of the pillar of Eliseg (ibid. pp. 17, 32). Several of these have been noticed by Camden, and others, but few, if any, so clearly deciphered, as they now have been by the keen investigations of the members of this association. Nor have they been less attentive to earlier British antiquities. Among the papers on these antiquities, we may notice, under a title, "Castra Clwydiana,' a full account of an examination of three out of six ancient camps on the Clwydian Hills, on the confines of Denbighshire and Flintshire, accompanied by four plates containing plans of each camp (vol. i., New Series, 81, 174: and Mr. Longueville Jones's interesting account, illustrated with engravings of British remains in the neighbourhood of Conway and Aber (vol. i., p. 70). Roman remains are rather scanty in Wales, but at the more important stations some discoveries have been made. At Caerleon, a villa was excavated in the garden of J. Jenkins, Esq., of which an account will be found in vol. iv., p. 73, illustrated by nine plates. Among the relics then found, was a bronze ornament, recognised by the Rev. C. W. King as the precise pattern of ear-rings at present in common use in Tuscany, and portions of

Samian ware, bearing the potters' marks-MERCATOR and COTTO, both well known to antiquaries, as found in London, and GATTIVS MANSINVS, the impress of which was reversed. In North Wales we are told, that numerous discoveries have been made at Segontium (Caernarvon), consisting of a Roman hypocaust and baths (engraved vol. i., p. 177), and four other bildings (ibid. p. 285), with a considerable list of coins; which, with tiles, a curious inscribed piece

of slate, and other relics, are deposited in the interesting museum established at Caernarvon. Some good specimens of Roman glass, found in a railway cutting near Caerleon, are deserving of notice. (Vol. iii., p. 187.) Two were deposited in stone coffins, with human remains. "Samian" and other Roman ware, a bronze lamp, and other relics were found near the spot. Of the most uncommon type a representation is here given. Another, with one handle, was of square form, not unlike those found in the Bartlow Hills, &c. The third was cylindrical, with one handle. A very singular little relic, described as a "British amulet," is figured (Vol. iii., p. 97), and we gladly avail ourselves of the

Glass vessel found at Caerleon.

obliging permission of the publisher to lay before our readers the annexed representation, (orig. size.) hoping that its date or intention may be explained. It was found in Merionethshire, and is of a dingy

green compound metal. It has been attributed to the age of British primitive Christianity.

Of Welsh Ecclesiastical and Medieval antiquities, the volumes before us contain a store of information, not to be met with elsewhere. Among the former, relating to existing cathedrals, Mr. Freeman gives "Some remarks on the Architecture of the Cathedral of Llandaff," accompanied by a ground plan, showing the dif ferent styles which are found in the building. The outline and plan of the building he considers is its most remarkable point. Its most marked peculiarity is the absence "not only of a central

tower, but of transepts in any form. In this respect it is unique among the cathedrals of South Britain, and has but few parallels among churches of equal size, even when not designed as episcopal sees." (Vol i., New Series. p. 109.) We learn from a Memoir on the History and Architecture of the Cathedral of Llandaff" (ibid. p. 24), by the Dean, that the original foundation of the see is ascribed to the influence of St. Germanus and Lupus, on their deputation from the council held at Troyes, in the middle of the fifth century; and that Urban, the earliest bishop of this district after the Norman conquest, found there a primitive cathedral, founded by Dubritius, its first bishop, which "consisted rather of a small chapel than a church, its length being only 28 feet, its breadth 15 feet, and height 20 feet. Two small aisles, however, are also mentioned, as also a circular