the British herald.

{154j} By the "bulwark of toil" is probably understood Morien.

{155a} Being like him a Bard.

{155b} "Cynrennin." Al. "expert." The conference having been so
egregiously violated by the assassination of the British herald, is
immediately broken up, and the advice of Aneurin eagerly followed.

{155c} Their loquacity and haste had been greatly excited by liquor.

{155d} See Notes to stanza xxxviii.

{155e} The treacherous herald before mentioned.

{156a} Another way of construing these two lines would be,--

"Strangers to the country, their deeds shall be heard of;
The bright wave murmured along on its pilgrimage;"

in reference to the British heroes.

{156b} According to version 4,--

"Where they had collected together the most melodious deer."

The deer were collected within the encampment for the purpose of
supplying the army with food, or so as to be out of the reach of the
enemy. The locality was probably that of Ban Carw, the Deer Bank.

{156c} Dyvynawl Brych.

{156d} I.e. no pacific insignia.

{156e} A moral reflection suggested by the perfidy of the Saxons at the
conference of Llanveithin.

{156f} Morial is recorded in one of the Englynion y Beddau, (see line
348, note 2) as one who fell not unavenged. His name occurs in one of
Llywarch Hen's poems, (see line 495. note 2.) Meugant gives an account
of the expedition of one Morial to Caer Lwydgoed (Lincoln) from whence he
brought a booty of 1500 bullocks.

{156g} Or, "mutually sharing" the toils of war.

{157a} These two lines may be translated in reference to the Saxon
herald;

"The stranger with the crimson robe pursued,
And slaughtered with axes and blades."

{157b} "Cywrein." Al. "The warriors arose, met together, and with one
accord," &c.

{157c} Or, "made the assault."

{157d} Or, simply, "women."

{157e} "Gwich," a shriek; Al. "acted bravely." Al. "were greatly
exasperated;" or perhaps for "gwyth" we should read _gweddw_, "their
wives they made widows." Gruffydd ap yr Ynad Coch in his Elegy upon
Llywelyn, (Myv. Arch. i. 396) makes use of similar sentiments, in the
following lines,--

Llawer deigr hylithr yn hwylaw ar rudd
Llawer ystlys rhudd a rhwyg arnaw
Llawer gwaed am draed wedi ymdreiddiaw
Llawer gweddw a gwaedd y amdanaw
Llawer meddwl trwm yn tomrwyaw.
Llawer mam heb dad gwedi ei adaw
Llawer hendref fraith gwedi llwybrgodaith