[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]

[Footnote aaa:  Tacitus annal.  Lib.  XII.  This Author lived in the reign of Claudius.  Caractacus, in Welsh, Caradoc, appeared before the Emperor in 52.  His address to Claudius made a great impression upon all the audience, so that his Fetters were immediately taken off.  It is possible that Tacitus was himself one of the Audience.  As the Romans had been in Britain then about 100 Years, Caractacus might understand and perhaps speak some