ell ydyw cadw nag olrhain."

Hast thou heard the saying of Cynrain,
The chief counsellor of the Island of Britain?
Better to keep than to pursue. (Iolo MSS. pp. 251, 651.)

The word has however been construed "chief spearmen," and "of the stock
of."

{109d} There is a place so called in Cardiganshire.

{110a} Al. "gogyverth," to oppose.

{110b} "Yn hon," from _on_ an ash, and by metonymy, a spear. Or, as
"hon" means what is present to the sight, we may construe the passage
thus,--

"To greet openly," &c.

{110c} "Deivyr diverogion," the droppers of Deivyr; not "the men who
dropped _into_ Deira," as Davies has it. Deivyr and Bryneich were now
opposed to the British patriots. See lines 50, 78.

{110d} Namely Cydywal, a chieftain of Gwynedd, now stationed in the
region of Mordei; considering the disaster that ensued, it appeared
whilst he presided over the banquet in his own camp, as if he were merely
preparing a feast for the birds of prey.

{110e} His history is unknown.

{110f} "Cyn y," i.e. _cyni_.

{111a} Nothing is known of this diviner.

{111b} The "croes" was probably a kind of cross bow. Taliesin in
"Gwaith Gwenystrad" says of the slain warriors,--

"Llaw ynghroes"--

Which has been translated by Ieuan Vardd,

"Their hands were on the crucifix [cross.]" (Myv. Arch. vol. i. p.
52.)

Al. "Athrwys," (ath-rhwys) "very vigorously."

{111c} This appears to have been the compact entered into by the
different tribes of the Britons, for the purpose of withstanding the
usurpation of the common foe. See line 32.

{111d} "Ermygei," which might also, and perhaps more literally, be
rendered _he paid respect to_. The other reading "dirmygei," would mean
_he spurned_, or _dishonoured_.

{111e} "Blaen Gwynedd," the borders of North Wales, whither the Saxon
encroachment had already extended.

{112a} "Fawd ut," i.e. ffawddyd, from ffawdd, radiation, splendour. We
may also render the sentence as follows,--

"I fell by the radiant rampart, (ffin)"

the epithet _radiant_ having a reference to the arms of the soldiers.

{112b} Or, as a moral reflection,--

"A hero's prowess is not without ambition."

There are various readings of the word which is here translated
_prowess_, e.g. cobnet, colwed, eofned, but all of them are capable of
that construction, thus "cobnet" comes from _cobiaw_, to thump, "colwed,"
from _col_ a sting, or a prop, whilst "e