, that they cleaned them.

[170] I believe it was not till the last century that a good road took
the place of this pass.

[171] The Saxons of Wessex seem to have adopted the Dragon for their
ensign, from an early period. It was probably for this reason that it
was assumed by Edward Ironsides, as the hero of the Saxons; the
principality of Wessex forming the most important portion of the pure
Saxon race, while its founder was the ancestor of the imperial house of
the Basileus of Britain. The dragon seems also to have been a Norman
ensign. The lions or leopards, popularly assigned to the Conqueror, are
certainly a later invention. There is no appearance of them on the
banners and shields of the Norman army in the Bayeux tapestry. Armorial
bearings were in use amongst the Welch, and even the Saxons, long before
heraldry was reduced to a science by the Franks and Normans. And the
dragon, which is supposed by many critics to be borrowed from the east,
through the Saracens, certainly existed as an armorial ensign with the
Cymrians before they could have had any obligation to the songs and
legends of that people.

[172] "In whose time the earth brought forth double, and there was
neither beggar nor poor man from the North to the South Sea." POWELL's
Hist. of Wales, p. 83.

[173] "During the military expeditions made in our days against South
Wales, an old Welchman, at Pencadair, who had faithfully adhered to him
(Henry II.), being desired to give his opinion about the royal army, and
whether he thought that of the rebels would make resistance, and what he
thought would be the final event of this war, replied: 'This nation, O
King, may now, as in former times, be harassed, and, in a great measure,
be weakened and destroyed by you and other powers; and it will often
prevail by its laudable exertions, but it can never be totally subdued by
the wrath of man, unless the wrath of God shall concur. Nor do I think
that any other nation than this of Wales, or any other language (whatever
may hereafter come to pass), shall in the day of severe examination
before the Supreme Judge answer for this corner of the earth!'"--HOARE's
Giraldus Cambrensis, vol. i. p. 361.

[174] Gryffyth left a son, Caradoc; but he was put aside as a minor,
according to the Saxon customs.

[175] Bromton Chron., Knyghton, Walsingham, Hoveden, etc.

[176] Bromton, Knyghton, etc.

[177] The word "decimated" is the one generally applied by t