I have above cited a passage from the ancient Universal History, in which the Writer appears inclined to believe the reality of Prince Madog's Voyages. But the Author of the History of America, Modern Part, Vol. 38, p. 5. treats them with contempt. "To recite, says he, the fabulous story of Madog, a Welsh Prince, and the Tale related by William of Newbury, of two green Children, who were found in a Field, in the Reign of King Stephen, would afford the judicious Reader as little Amusement as Instruction."
This voluminous Work, upon the whole, seems well executed, but like all others of great Length, is very unequal; because written by persons of different Abilities and Opinions. Gentlemen of great eminence in the literary World, and of unimpeached Integrity were engaged; and others, though of acknowledged Abilities, yet, to say the least, of very suspicious Characters, were employed. Among the latter, Psalmanazar, who, if he was a Spanish Jesuit, as has been said, and wrote this article, might be induced by the Amor Patriæ, to ascribe to his Countrymen the honour of having, first discoved America. The Author of the above paragraph, whoever he was, affected to look upon the Tradition concerning Madog, and the Tale of the two green Children, as equally ill founded, and unworthy of credit. Whereas in Truth, the one is plainly an idle monkish Tale, the other a simple Narrative of an Event. One is a Fact supported by numerous authorities, the other evidently is one of those prodigies, pretended miracles, and priestly Inventions, which are to be found in most Authors who wrote during the dark ages of Popery.
We have above seen, that one has been favourably thought of by several Writers, at home and abroad, and is confirmed by circumstances and memorials in America: the other I have not seen mentioned by any Writer, but by William of Newbury, and by a few who have cited him.[yy]
[Footnote yy: That the ancient Britons were descended from the Trojans was asserted by several Writers before Jefferey of Monmouth, who wrote about the Year 1152. It is alluded to by Taliessyn, who flourished about the middle of the 6th Century. A Welsh Author, already mentioned, Mr. Theophilus Evans, says, that the first Writer, who questioned the Fact, was William of Newbury, in welsh called, Gwilym bach, about the Year 1192, on this occasion. When Jefferey ab Arthur, (of Monmouth, who was Bishop of St. Asaph) died; William an English-man applied to David ab Owen to succeed him, and was refused. The refusal so mortified him, that he immediately set about composing his Book, in which he abused Jefferey, and the whole Welsh Nation. There is great reason to believe that resentment, upon some account, guided the Pen of William.
See Drych y prif Oesoedd, and the Preface to Jefferey's History.]
It is true that in this Century, and about the close of the last, if not near the beginning of it, many Welsh people settled in America.[zz] But it is as true, that long before the earliest of these periods, there were whole Tribes in the inland parts of that Country, who spoke Welsh, and who consequently, must have been descended from some Colony or Colonies, who had settled there long before the Year, 1660.
[Footnote zz: See a performance entitled, Hanes y Bedyddwyr ymhlith y Cymru. "The History of the Welsh Baptists," by Joshua Thomas. Carmarthen. 1778.]
Mr. Jones says that they were numerous, in 1660, and Messrs. Beatty and Stewart, intimate the same, in 1766, and 1768. It cannot be thought that there Tribes are descended from emigrants in the present or last Century. Their Numbers, Customs, Manners, and Traditions, prove that they have been settled there for many Ages. Besides, the difference between the European and American Welsh, in Mr. Jones's time, shews that the two people had then been long asunder; for it was greater than could take place, within 60, indeed, within 100 Years.
For these reasons I am strongly of opinion, that several American Tribes are descended from Prince Madog's Colony.
From the earliest account we have of the ancient Britons they seem to have been the best informed, formed, and most enlightened of all the northern Nations in Europe. The speech of Caractacus, addressed to the Emperor Claudius, and preserved by Tacitus, is a proof that good natural Sense and Literature, such as it was in that Age, in some measure, flourished in Britain.[aaa]