When Prince Madog, the supposed first European discoverer of America sailed, Giraldus was about 25 years of age, and probably abroad for education. He therefore might have no intelligence of transactions which took place in a distant, and, to him, little known part of the World; for it does not appear that he ever was in North Wales, until he accompained Arch-Bishop Baldwin thither in the year 1188, when he went to convert the Britons to the Romish Faith, and to persuade them to engage in a Crusade.—Besides, being a Fleming by descent, and so nearly connected with the English Court, he could have very little correspondence with the Britons, who were far from being easy under the Dominion of the usurping Saxons, Normans, and especially the Flemings, who had lately invaded and possessed a part of their Country.
The first account that I can find of the discovery of America by the Britons is in an History of Wales written by Caradoc of Llancarvan, Glamorganshire, in the British Language, translated into English by Humphry Llwyd, and published by Dr. David Powel, in the year 1584. It was re-printed in 1697, under the inspection of W. Wynne, A. M. Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford. There was another edition lately published.
This narrative bears the strongest Semblance of Truth, for it is plain, natural, and simple. It says, that on the death of Owen Gwynedd, Prince of North Wales, about the year 1169, several of his Children contended for his Dominions; that Madog, one of his Sons, preceiving his Native Country engaged, or on the eve of being engaged, in a Civil War, thought it best to try his Fortune in some foreign Climes. Leaving North Wales in a very unsettled state, he sailed with a few Ships which he had fitted up and mann'd for that purpose to the westward, leaving Ireland to the north. He came at length to an unknown Country where most things appeared to him new and uncustomary, and the manners of the Natives far different from what he had seen in Europe. Madog having viewed the fertility and pleasantness of the Country, left the most part of those he had taken with him behind, (Sir Thomas Herbert says that the number he left behind was 120) and returned to north Wales. Upon his arrival, he described to his Friends what a fair and extensive land he had met with, void of any Inhabitants, whilst they employed themselves, and all their skill to supplant one another, for only a ragged portion of Rocks and Mountains. Acordingly, having prevailed with considerable Numbers to accompany him to that Country, he sailed back with Ten Ships and bid adieu to his Native Land.[e]
[Footnote e: When our Author says that the Country was void of Inhabitants, he can mean only that it was thinly peopled, for he had just said that Madog saw most things there, new and uncustomary, very different from what he had seen in Europe: Of consequence the Country was inhabited before he landed there. (See Hornius's Observations below). Let it be observed that the account above given of Madog's Emigration appears to have been written, by Humphry Llwyd, the Translator of Caradoc, for he is said to have continued the History to the Death of Prince Llewelyn in 1270.
See the Preface to Caradoc's History.]
It is very certain that this account of Madog's Emigration was not written by Caradoc, for his History comes no lower than the year 1157; and he seems to have died about the time when this Event took place. However, it is said by Humphry Llwyd, the Translator of Caradoc into English, that this part of the History was compiled from Collections made from time to time, and kept in the Abbies of Conway in Carnarvonshire North Wales, and Strat Flur. (Strata Florida, Cardiganshire, South Wales.) The most remarkable occurencies in the Principality, being registered in these Abbies, were generally compared together every third year, when the Beirdd or Bards, belonging to these two Houses, went their ordinary Visitations, which were called Clera. This custom prevailed till the year 1270, a little before the death of Llewelyn the last Prince of Wales, and who was killed near Built in Brecknockshire.
The best copy of these registers was taken by Guttun Owen, a Bard, in the Reign of Edward the IVth. King of England, about the year 1480; before the first Voyage of Columbus; but that the continuation, though not Caradoc's, is a true History, we have no just reason to question.
Cynfrig ab Gronow, about the same time with Guttun Owen, mentioned this Event. Those Bards lived between two and three Hundred Years after Madog's Emigration; and before them it is alluded to by Sir Meredyth ab Rhy's about the year 1477. Humphry Llwyd the Translator of Caradoc flourished in the reign of Henry the VIIIth, King of England, about 50 or 60 years after Guttun Owen,[f] and Dr. Powel published Llwyd's Translation, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, about 40 Years after the death of Humphry Llwyd, whose death prevented its earlier publication.
[Footnote f: Guttun Owen was a Person of Note in the Reign of Henry the VIIth. of England; for he was the second Person named in a Commission issued by that Prince to search the pedigree of Owen Tudor, that King's Grandfather. Caradoc's History. p. 325. and Appendix, p. 334. Edit. 1697. This Commission, probably was issued about the Year 1500, when Henry sent his Son Arthur into Wales.]
There can be little doubt, but that the writings of Guttun Owen, Cynfrig ab Gronow, and of Sir Meredyth ab Rhys, were extant in the Days of Llwyd and Powel, and known to many persons who lived in the principality, as Powel did.