It is not, however, so easy to determine the exact year when all this happened. Neither Arthur nor Urien are mentioned as being present, and though the stanzas containing their names may have been lost, it must be admitted that in the case of such distinguished warriors reason will not warrant the supposition: the fair inference would be that they were dead at the time. This view is, moreover, supported by readings of the Gododin, where certain heroes are compared to the said chiefs respectively, “of Arthur,” “un Urien,” which would hardly have been done had these latter been alive. The death of Arthur is placed in the year 542; Owain, who died at Cattraeth, slew Ida, A.D. 560, and Urien is said to have been assassinated about 567; the battle under consideration must have happened subsequently, probably about the year usually assigned it, viz., 570. This was in the reign of Rhun, a descendant in the 4th degree of Cunedda Wledig, King of Gododin! The vulgar opinion is that the Britons lost the battle in consequence of having marched to the field in a state of intoxication; and it must be admitted that there are many passages in the Poem, which, simply considered, would seem to favour that view. Nevertheless, granting that the 363 chieftains had indulged too freely in their favourite beverage, it is hardly credible that the bulk of the army, on which mainly depended the destiny of the battle, had the same opportunity of rendering themselves equally incapacitated, or, if we suppose that all had become so, that they did not recover their sobriety in seven days! The fact appears to be, that Aneurin in the instances alluded to, intends merely to contrast the social and festive habits of his countrymen at home with their lives of toil and privation in war, after a practise common to the Bards, not only of that age, but subsequently. Or it may be that the banquet, at which the British leaders were undoubtedly entertained in the hall of Eiddin, was looked upon as the sure prelude to war, and that in that sense the mead and wine were to them as poison. Y GODODIN I. Gredyf gwr oed gwas Gwrhyt am dias Meirch mwth myngvras A dan vordwyt megyrwas Ysgwyt ysgauyn lledan Ar bedrein mein vuan Kledyuawr glas glan Ethy eur aphan Ny bi ef a vi Cas e rof a thi Gwell gwneif a thi Ar wawt dy uoli Kynt y waet elawr Nogyt y neithyawr Kynt y vwyt y vrein Noc y argyurein Ku kyueillt ewein Kwl y uot a dan vrein Marth ym pa vro Llad un mab marro II. Kayawc kynhorawc men y delhei Diffun ymlaen bun med a dalhei Twll tal y rodawr ene klywei Awr ny rodei nawd meint dilynei Ni chilyei o gamhawn eny verei Waet mal brwyn gomynei gwyr nyt echei Nys adrawd gododin ar llawr mordei Rac pebyll madawc pan atcoryei Namen un gwr o gant eny delhei III.