committing direful acts of piracy, and that twice already vast armies
have swept along threatening to entirely overwhelm the whole
commonwealth.

What infatuation to admit bands of these same men into the very
strongholds and the heart of the land! As if upon the approach of their
countrymen they would remain true to the oaths they have sworn for pay,
and not rather admit them with open arms. No blame can, upon a just
consideration, be attributed to either of these nations that endeavour
to oppress us. For, as they point out, the ancients from whom we are
descended held them in subjection many hundred years, and took from them
all their liberties.

Thus the Welsh, or, as they call themselves, the Cymry, say that the
whole island was once theirs, and is theirs still by right of
inheritance. They were the original people who possessed it ages before
the arrival of those whom we call the ancients. Though they were driven
into the mountains of the far distant west, they never forgot their
language, ceased their customs, or gave up their aspirations to recover
their own. This is now their aim, and until recently it seemed as if
they were about to accomplish it. For they held all that country
anciently called Cornwall, having crossed over the Severn, and marched
down the southern shore. The rich land of Devon, part of Dorset (all,
indeed, that is inhabited), and the most part of Somerset, acknowledged
their rule. Worcester and Hereford and Gloucester were theirs; I mean,
of course, those parts that are not forest.

Their outposts were pushed forward to the centre of Leicestershire, and
came down towards Oxford. But thereabouts they met with the forces of
which I will shortly speak. Then their vessels every summer sailing from