‘I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were’: Charles Edwards, exile, and persecution

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The aim of this paper is to analyse the life and works of Charles Edwards (1628-1691?) in light of discussions on exile, specifically D’Addario’s concept of the ‘internal exile’ (2007). I will argue that Charles Edwards’ life and works are characterised by a sense of exile. I will analyse how it appears as an important theme in Y Ffydd Ddi-ffuant (1677) and An Afflicted Man’s Testimony (1691). One way we see this is by his experiences of persecution following the Restoration in 1660 due to the Cavalier Parliament’s policies. Because of his sense of exile, he turns to the past for comfort and identifies with the martyrs of the Christian faith of previous centuries. This results in Charles Edwards claiming that a sense of exile is a feature of the life of every Christian, in every period, and in every country. 

This seminar will be delivered over Zoom in Welsh with simultaneous English translation available.

Dewi Alter is a PhD student in the School of Welsh. He first came to the School as a Welsh and History BA student before completing an MA in Celtic Studies, focusing on early modern literature. His research interests include early modern Welsh literature, Cultural Memory, and in particular, the relationship between the past, memory, and identity in literary texts.