History.— Previous to the Roman occupa tion, Wales was chiefly inhabited by three Brit ish tribes, called the Silures, Dimetz and Ordo vices. During the later period of the Roman oc cupation, perhaps from the reign of Diocletian, the subject part of the island was divided into four provinces, of whic.h one, including the country from the Dee to the Severn, was called Britannia Secunda. It was after the invasion of the Saxons that the country acquired a distinc tive national character, as the refuge of the van quished Britons who were gradually driven to die west, and many of whom migrated to Brit tatky (q.v.), France, whence the name, and sim ilanty of the Breton language to the Welsh. From this period till the final conquest of the country by Edward I there was a succession of petty wars between the rival chiefs or kings into which both countries during a great part of the Saxon period were divided, and some more systematic efforts of the larger mon archy to absorb the smaller. Among the great est of the Welsh heroes of the early period was Cadwallon. After being defeated by Edwin of Deira, or Northumbria, and compelled to flee to Ireland, he returned and defeated the Saxons in numerous battles, but was at last defeated and slain by Oswald of Northumbria in 635. While the border territories continued to be contested in incessant warfare between the ti‘o races, Offa of Maria built the celebrated dyke (see OFFA'S DYKE) ty his name to guard the marshes which he had conquered. In the mid dle of the 9th century Roderick, or Rhodi Mawr, succeeded in uniting the whole of Wales into one principality, but he divided it among his sons into three principalities, called respec tively Gwynedd (or North Wales), Ceredigion and Dyved (or South Wales), and Powys (com posed of parts of the counties of Montgomery, Salop and Radnor). Soon after this the Danes began to invade Wales. The country was again reunited in the 10th century under Howel, sur named Da, the Good; but as the English mon archy also acquired unity it gradually prevailed over the smaller principality, and Athelstane re ceived tribute as the sovereign of Wales, al though his sway in the country Ni,as cull. nomi
nal. The claim of the conqueror being resisted, William invaded the country and compelled the Welsh princes to do homage, but they continued in virtual independence and became troublesome to the succeeding Norman monarchs by allying themselves with their disaffected subjects. Wil liam and his successors tried to break their spirit by granting fiefs in Wales to Normans and English on condition of conquest, and Henry I mtroduced into the country a colony of Flenungs. Henry I, Henry II, John and Henry III, all made with various success a series of efforts to reduce the Welsh princes to submis sion. Llewellr and David, princes of North Wales, successively did homage for that domin ion to Henry III. On the death of David, Lle wellyn revolted against Edward I, but was de feated by Henry, and in a subsequent revolt was again defeated and slain by the Earl of Mor timer, 1284. His brother David, who followed his example, was taken and executed. Edward I created his eldest son Prince of Wales, and from this time Wales was united with England.
Wales shows a steady growth in population, gaining nearly 200,000 between 1901 and 1911, when the total was 1,647,290. The estimate for 1918 is 1,805,000.
Bibliography.—Arnold, 'Studies of Celtic Literature' (1867) ; Borrow, (Wild Wales: its People, Language and Scenery' (1901) ; Bund, (The Celtic Church of Wales) (1901); Edwards, (Wales) (1901) ; Rhys and Jones, 'The Welsh People) (1900) ; Stephens, 'Literature of the Kyrnry) (1876) ; Watt, 'Sketch of Welsh Literature) (1863) ; Lloyd, J. E., 'History of Wales' (2 vols., New York 1911); Evans, H. T., 'Wales and the Wars of the Roses) (ib. 1915) Bumpus, T. F., (Cathedrals of England arid Wales) (3 vols., ib. 1906) • Stone, Gilbert, 'Wales: Her Origins, Struggles, and Later History, Institutions, and Manners) (London 1915).