stimony, that "the Picts and Saxons and Scots and Attacots harassed the
Britons with continual oppressions." {2b}

The final abandonment of the island by the Romans occurred, according to
Zosimus, about A.D. 408 or 409, at which time the native princes arose to
the full enjoyment of feudal dignity and power. In the North, among
others, we find Pabo Post Prydain, a descendant of Coel Godebog in the
4th degree, and Cynvarch Oer, a member of another branch of the same
family; both of whom, however, were compelled by the inroads of the
predatory hordes, to leave their territories and seek refuge in Wales,
though it would appear that Urien, son of the latter, succeeded
subsequently in recovering his paternal dominion.

The struggle continued, and the enemies had gradually extended themselves
along the coasts, when in 547 they received an important reinforcement by
the arrival of Ida with forty ships. Gododin, Deivyr, and Bryneich,
being situated on the eastern shore, would be especially exposed to the
ravages of these marauders. Indeed it does not appear that Gododin ever
recovered its pristine independence after the death of Cunedda, at least
we do not hear that any of his sons subsequently asserted their claims to
it, or had anything to do with the administration of its government: they
all seem to have ended their days in their western dominions. Deivyr and
Bryneich, however, were more fortunate, for we find that they were ruled
as late as the 6th century by British monarchs, among whom are named
Gall, Diffedell, and Disgyrnin, the sons of Disgyvyndawd; {3a} though
there is reason to believe that at that time they were in treacherous
alliance with the Saxons. A Triad positively affirms, that "there were
none of the Lloegrwys who did not coalesce with the Saxons, save such as
were found in Cornwall, and in the Commot of Carnoban in Deivyr and
Bryneich." {3b} And it is a remarkable fact, as corroborative of this
statement, that the Cymry ever after, as may be seen in the works of the
Bards, applied the term Bryneich to such of their kindred as joined with
the enemies of their country.

Certain it is, that, at the period of our Poem, the people of the three
provinces in question were open enemies of the Cymry, as appears from
stanzas iii, v, and ix. When we see there how the Bard commends one hero
for not yielding to the army of Gododin, and celebrates the praise of
another who committed an immense slaughter amongst