The old Tower, or Castle, called Dolbadern, must at one time have been considerably larger, as the remains of other Towers, Walls, and Buildings are still visible.—It is supposed to have been erected about the beginning of the eleventh Century, or perhaps earlier, by one of the Welsh Princes, {126} for the defence of this strong Pass, and to be used occasionally as a hunting and fishing seat; for it is mentioned in the Welsh Histories, or Chronicles, considerably earlier than Edward the 1st. and there are some Welsh Poems still extant, which were addressed to Owen Goch (Rufus) during the time of his imprisonment in this Fortress by his Brother Llewelyn ap Griffith, last Prince of Wales, of the British line, which was from the year 1254 to 1277, being 23 years: The following is a part of an Ode, (Awdl) composed by Howel Voel ap Griffri ap Pwyll Gwyddel, lamenting the confinement of that Prince: Duw mawr amerawdwr dyniadon, Dillwng dy walch, terwyn-walch tirion, Dewr Owain, den-rudd liw ffion, Dur-goch Bâr, llachar, llawch Deon, &c. “Great God, the supreme Governor of the World, release from captivity, the mild, the brave, the Lion-hearted Owen; with the ruddy Cheeks, and his bright-gleaming steel Lance, tinged with the blood of his enemies; the defender of all those who come to seek his protection;—he never dismissed the injured suppliant unredressed,—the reliever of the oppressed—the generous distributor of costly gifts. The Earth appears desolate, since he has been in confinement,—the hopes of his dependants are fled, and grief and disappointment will convey his friends and adherents to the gloomy mansions of the dead.—Daring, enterprising, successful, conquering General! He disdained to hoard up useless treasures.—He was the Idol and Delight of his Countrymen,” &c. See the remainder in the Myvyrian Archaiology already mentioned. Another Poem, by the same Bard, begins thus: Gwr sydd yn y twr yn hir westi, Gwreidd, Teyrneidd, Teyrn-walch Ri, Gwr a’m dothyw, gwall o’i golli,—o fyw Gwreidd-liw, a glyw ei glodfori, &c. The following attempt at a versification of the commencement, though, very far inferior to the original, may, nevertheless, give the English reader some idea of the strength and spirit of the composition: