unadulterated by the sea. Not far from the source of the river
Conwy, at the head of the Eryri mountain, which on this side extends
itself towards the north, stands Dinas Emrys, that is, the
promontory of Ambrosius, where Merlin {171} uttered his prophecies,
whilst Vortigern was seated upon the bank. There were two Merlins;
the one called Ambrosius who prophesied in the time of king
Vortigern, was begotten by a demon incubus, and found at Caermardin,
from which circumstance that city derived its name of Caermardin, or
the city of Merlin; the other Merlin, born in Scotland, was named
Celidonius, from the Celidonian wood in which he prophesied; and
Sylvester, because when engaged in martial conflict, he discovered
in the air a terrible monster, and from that time grew mad, and
taking shelter in a wood, passed the remainder of his days in a
savage state. This Merlin lived in the time of king Arthur, and is
said to have prophesied more fully and explicitly than the other. I
shall pass over in silence what was done by the sons of Owen in our
days, after his death, or while he was dying, who, from the wicked
desire of reigning, totally disregarded the ties of fraternity; but
I shall not omit mentioning another event which occurred likewise in
our days. Owen, {172} son of Gruffyth, prince of North Wales, had
many sons, but only one legitimate, namely, Iorwerth Drwyndwn, which
in Welsh means flat-nosed, who had a son named Llewelyn. This young
man, being only twelve years of age, began, during the period of our
journey, to molest his uncles David and Roderic, the sons of Owen by
Christiana, his cousin-german; and although they had divided amongst
themselves all North Wales, except the land of Conan, and although
David, having married the sister of king Henry II., by whom he had
one son, was powerfully supported by the English, yet within a few
years the legitimate son, destitute of lands or money (by the aid of
divine vengeance), bravely expelled from North Wales those who were