Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Cambrian Register is in Prehistory.
From a Manuscript of George Owen, Esq. Of Henllys, Lord Of Kemes, With Additions1 and Observations by John Lewis, Esq. Of Manarnawan, the same that is referred to and cited In Gibson's Edition of Camden, and now first published from the original, by his great grandson, Richard Fenton; Esq. 1603.
Note 1. As the vast mass of supplementary matter collected by my ancestor, was never meant to meet the public eye in the slate I found it, having undergone very little arrangement, and as it was very richly interlarded with perfonal invective and private anecdotes of families, which, from respect to their descendants, men of high honour and character, I could not with any degree of delicacy suffer to go abroad, I have been able to make use of but a very small portion of his collection, which, if ever I have leisure thoroughly to garble and methodize, may serve not only to elucidate the history of Pembrokeshire in particular, but to enrich the general flock of antiquarian knowledge.
Another1 thing worth the noting, is the stone called Maen y Gromlech [Map], upon Pentre Jevan Lande. It is a huge and massie stone, mounted on high, and set on the topps of 3 other high stones, pitched, standing upright in the ground, which far passeth for bignes and hight, Arthur's Stone [Map], in the way betweene Hereford and the Haye, or Leck yr Aft, neere Blaen Porth, in Cardiganshire; or any other that ever I sawe, saving some in Stonehenge, upon. Salisburie Plaine; called Chorca Gigantum, being one of the chiefe wonders of England. The stones whereon this is layd are soe high, that a man on horseback may, well ryde under it without stowping. The stone that is thus mounted is 18 foote long, and 9 foote brodey and 8 foote thicke at one end, but thinner at the other; and fram it, asit is apparent since: his placing there, is broken a piece of & foote brode, and 10 foote long, lieing yet in the place, more than 20 oxen would draw. Doubtlesse this stone was mounted of some great vicotry, or the burial of some notable person, which was the ancient rite, for that it hath pitched stones standing one against the other round about and close to the huge stone, which is mounted high to be seene afarr off, much like to that which is written, Libs 1mo, Machab: cap. 13. of the buriall of the patriarch Jacob, (Et edificavit Simon fuper fepulchrum patris fui & fratrum fuorum edificium altum vifu, Lapide polito retro & ante; & statuit feptem Piramides unam contra unam, patri & matri & quatuor fratribus 8 hies circumpofunt - Columnus magnas & fuper Columnas arma ad memoriam æternum & juxta arma naves fculptas quae videfentur ab hominibus navigantibus mare)-or, such notable thing, but there: is; no reporte or memorie, or other matter to be found, of the cause of the erecting of this trophea. They'call the stone Gromlech, but I thinke the true etymologie is Grymlech, the ftone of firength, for that great strength: was used in the setting of it, to lye in forte as it doth.
Note 1. This account, Mr. Edward Llwyd; of the Ashmolean Museum, acknowledges to have received from my ancestor, John Lewis, Esq. of Manarnavon, which he has introduced into his additions to Camden's Account of Wales; as published by Gibson, but by a marginal memorandum of Mr. Lewis's, prior to his having received any information respecting those ancient monuments from a gentleman of Glamorganshire that served to influence his opinion concerning theitr origin.