, and the greatest benefactor which the race had
known since the days of Hu Gadarn. Tradition differs as to his exact
origin, but there is ground for believing that he was the chief of a
Cornish tribe, and that he was elected to the throne on account of his
wisdom and virtue. He gave a regular system of laws and a constitution
to the kingdom, and appointed magistrates in every place, whose duty it
was to administer justice without respect of persons in all disputes, and
whenever the law had been violated. This great and good man is believed
to have lived about 400 years before the Christian era.

After the Cymric or British race had been established in the island about
1300 years, they were invaded by the Romans, under Julius Caesar. The
king, who at that time ruled in Britain, was called Caswallon; he was a
great warrior and much beloved by his subjects. In him and his Britons
the Romans found their match and more, for after a month's hard fighting
and skirmishing, they were compelled to betake themselves to Gaul, the
country from which they had come.

Mighty was the triumph in Britain, says an old chronicler, on the retreat
of the redoubted foe; and Caswallon gave a grand festival at Caer Lud, or
London, which was reckoned in after times one of the three grand
festivals of Britain. A grand festival indeed it must have been, if, as
an ancient bard says,

'Full twenty thousand beeves and deer
Were slain to find the guests with cheer.'

Britain was not subdued by the Romans till the time of Claudius Caesar.
When conquered it was still permitted to possess a king of its own, on
condition that he should acknowledge the authority of Rome, and pay
tribute to her. The first king in the world to confess the faith of
Christ was a British king, tributary to Rome. This king, whose name was
Lles ap Coel, made his confession as early as the year 160. The
Christian faith is supposed by some to have been first preached in
Britain by Joseph of Arimathea; by others, by St. Paul himself. After
remaining several centuries under the sway of Rome, the Britons again
became independent, the Roman legions being withdrawn from the island for
the defence of their own country, threatened by barbarian hordes. They
did not, however, enjoy their independence long; a ferocious race, of
mysterious origin, whom they called Gwyddelian Fichti, invaded them, and
filled their country with horror and devastation. Unable to offer any
e