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ancient poets; they have neither, for instance, the regular sublimity of Homer, nor the uniform and majestic elegance of the Mantuan bard. But they possess what is of far more value to the purpose of our present inquiry,-an adherence to that unstudied fidelity of narration which is the very characteristic of such primitive poetry. Without refinement, without art, without method, they attend only to the natural association of the ideas which they wish to express. Themselves, for the most part, the witnesses of what they describe, they are content, where they allude to historical events, with " plain unvarnished tale," and resort not, like the poets of other countries, to the ornaments or disguises of poetical imagery. In a word, to adopt the language of their able" Vindicator," already quoted, "their compositions are just such as such bards, in such an age, would be expected to write. Many traits of glowing beauty abound, much of the inspired bard will be seen; but no contrivance, no taste, no delicacy, no art, no polish."

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If, however, it should, after all, be objected that the obscurity of our ancient poems is an impediment to our acquaintance with them, I would observe that this objection has its source rather in imagination than in reality. The obstacle is, by no means, insurmountable, but, on the contrary, may, with a little pains, be readily overcome. For it is not, as some pretend, from any corruption of language that this partial obscurity has arisen: it has been the natural result of the various accidents and revolutions of time. Allusions to events, elsewhere unrecorded, obsolete manners, antiquated modes of expression, and fluctuating schemes of orthography, have been the chief causes of this presumed perplexity in the character of our ancient poetry; but the language, it cannot be denied, has, in all its essential attributes, its structure and genius, remained the same and immutable. Partial difficulties may, indeed, be acknowledged to exist, and on this point I have great pleasure in citing (because I thus appeal to the best authority) the following passage from the Preface to the first volume of the Archaiology of Wales :-" In many of the allusions, indeed, they are dark,-mutilations, occasionally met with, out of the question, which equally confuse in every age, the present as well as the past, and are matters, not of language, but of accident. Yet, with all these difficulties, a little close application to them will make pleasing discoveries; for, besides frequent instances of beautiful poetry, it will be found that, from our old bards, new and great lights on history are obtained. They exhibit lively pictures of primitive manners, afford curious anecdotes of our ancient knowledge, especially of the very beautiful ethics of our remote ancestors, who seem to have penetrated farther into the knowledge of human nature than the world can readily be brought to believe; and, on these occasions, we see the Welsh piercing into depths that are almost unfathomable to other languages."

Because I have, in the foregoing argument, for reasons already stated, confined myself to our earliest bards, it must not, therefore, be inferred that the same remarks do not apply, with equal

force, to the poets of succeeding times. On the contrary, the bardic productions, for several centuries afterwards, abound in the qualities I have noticed, and are peculiarly valuable as illustrative records. This may, in a particular manner, be averred respecting the bards of the twelfth century, when the Welsh muse appears to have shone with a lustre never afterwards rivalled. And, among the luminaries that adorned this period, Gwalchmai, the elder Meilyr, Cynddelw, Owain Cyveiliog, Llywarch ab Llywelyn, Davydd Benvras, and Hywel, son of Owain Gwynedd, deserve pre-eminent notice, as forming a constellation of cotemporary poetical genius, which it would be difficult to equal in any other country ancient or modern. The works of all these abound, more or less, in allusions to the events of that age, and are, therefore, I may say, indispensable to the due illustration of our annals, during an epoch particularly distinguished by the valorous resistance of our ancestors to the ambitious encroachments of England.

Nor is it our bards alone that confer a value on our national literature, and, especially, the more ancient. It possesses various other remains of peculiar interest; and, amongst these, I may enumerate, as having a paramount value, the Triads of the Isle of Britain, a series of historical notices, from the earliest times, down to the twelfth century,-the Mabinogion, or Romantic Tales, perhaps, the most curious of all our ancient relics,-a large body of moral and ethical lore, under different forms, and some of it as ancient as the sixth century,-the celebrated Laws of Hywel, compiled in the tenth century, of the first utility in illustrating the manners and customs of the age to which they have reference, and,' finally, the singular maxims and regulations of the Bardic Institution, as formerly established in Wales. It would be extremely difficult, if, indeed, possible, to particularize, in the literature of any other country, remains equally ancient with these, and, at the same time, embracing matter of so interesting a variety. And, had we no other literary treasures to present to the world, I should not hesitate to pronounce them as affording, of themselves, a sufficient inducement to the cultivation of the Welsh tongue. Nor must we forget that these remains form only the wreck of the science, learning, and genius of our ancestors, which has fortunately escaped the invidious ravages of time; and who, that contemplates the precious store, will not be disposed to exclaim, with the Roman fabulist,

"O suavis anima, qualem te dicam bonam
Antehac fuisse, tales cum sint reliquiæ !"

I have thus completed the review I proposed to take of the particular characteristics of the Welsh language, and of the literary treasures it comprehends, as presenting the strongest grounds for its cultivation, and, accordingly, for the institution of those societies that are so laudably formed for the purpose. I might now point out its advantages as a vehicle of oral communication, not-.

withstanding the circumscribed limits within which it is spoken, were they not already sufficiently obvious to all who have resided, for any time, in the Principality. Without some knowledge of his native tongue, it is impossible that a Welsh gentleman, of whatever rank or condition, can hold that intercourse with his inferiors, which is essential to the interests of all. For it is a fact, which none will attempt to controvert, that Welsh is the only language in use amongst a large majority of the lower orders in Wales. They revere it as their mother tongue, and as the speech of their ancestors, endeared by all those fostering recollections that have their root in the love of country which has ever bound them to their native hills with an insuperable attachment. Nor is it at all probable, as some have idly imagined, that the lapse of ages will make any material change in this respect: the experience of the past justifies us in looking, with full confidence, to the future. Our posterity, surely, with the examples of other times before them, and, let me hope, with that of the present splendid era, in particular, can never become apostates to their country's renown. The prophetic lines of Taliesin*, as they have roused us, will animate them, to make new exertions in the cause of patriotism; and the shield of genius and learning will still be reared to protect the honoured remains of all that was once the delight and pride of the Cymry.

I might here condescend to notice the objections, that have been rather wantonly made against the encouragement of that patriotic spirit which has, of late, so happily sprung up in our country. But the ground has been so ably pre-occupied by a reverend gentleman, in his interesting Address, delivered on the formation of the Cambrian Institution, at Brecon, that my humble labours, in this respect, are rendered superfluoust. Yet, indeed, were it otherwise, I should scarcely feel myself bound to notice those cavils, that appear to have their source either in ignorance or apostacy. For it can only be those, who are uninformed of the extent of our literary stores, on the one hand, or who, on the other, are aliens to the true interests of their country, that can desire the extinction of a language, presenting so many claims, both ancient and modern, to the protection of its natural guardians. And I am proud to

* The following are the well-known lines here alluded to:

Eu Ner a volant,

Eu hiaith a gadwant,
Eu tir a gollant,
Ond gwyllt Walia.
Translation.

Still shall they chaunt their Maker's praise,
Still keep their language and their lays,
But nought of all their old domain,

Save Wallia's rude and mountain reign.

+ This Address, which does great credit to the patriotic talents of the Rev. W.J. Rees, of Cascob, near Presteign, may be seen in the third volume of the CAMBROBRITON, p. 224.

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think that such appears to be, at length, the general feeling amongst our countrymen, and especially amongst those on whom rank or fortune has bestowed the means of giving new energy to the spirit I have alluded to. "Let there be but Mæcenases," says a Latin author, "and Horaces and Virgils will not be wanting.' In the same manner may we say, let us but have again our Uriens and Ivors, and we shall not be long without other Taliesins and other Gwilyms. In conclusion, let me be permitted to hope, that the present age will prove the Augustan era of Welsh literature, as well by the encouragement of living genius, as by treasuring the remains of that which has long passed away. There have been times, and those not distant, when a disgraceful apathy, in this respect, hung over our native hills; but, I hope, that the cloud has at length been dispersed, and that the light of other days will again illumine the land. Then may we exclaim, in the glowing language of the first English poet*,

"So sinks the day-star in the ocean-bed,

And yet anon repairs his drooping head,

And tricks his beams, and, with new spangled ore,
Flames in the forehead of the morning sky."

* Milton, in his "Lycidas."

J. H. PARRY.

CAER TROIA U.

TO JAMES EVANS, ESQ. SECRETARY of the CYMMRODORION.

DEAR SIR,-It being among the leading objects of the Institution to record the memorials of the ancient customs of Wales, or whatever may tend to their illustration, permit me to trouble you to present to its consideration the following facts and remarks

ON THE

CAER TROIAU AND TROY WALLS.

THE forming of the maze called Caer Troiau is a very common amusement in Wales. On the fine mountain-turf a level spot is selected, whereon the boys cut this figure with their knives, and sometimes it is made sufficiently spacious to admit their walking along its intricate windings. The manner of planning it is traditionally preserved among them; and which is, first, by marking out a central square, with a semicircle in each angle, and a point in the middle of every semicircle, and, lastly, by drawing lines round, beginning at any point of the cross, and proceeding to the nearest point of the adjoining semicircle, and then connecting all the other points by similar lines in succession.

The same figure is, also, familiarly known to school-boys over England generally, under the appellation of Troy Walls; and we find it among the various labyrinths which adorn old books of gardening, but with its revolutions changed from circles into squares. What renders the operation here described, as practised in Wales, deserving of more particular attention is the name given to it, which is-Tori llun Caer Troiau. The meaning of every word in this phrase is perfectly understood by all persons speaking the Welsh tongue; nevertheless, the impression upon my mind, as upon the minds of those with whom I used to co-operate, when a boy, was that the Walls of Troy were thus represented; and the literal import of the words "Tori llun Caer Troiau,"-Cutting the form of the Citadel of Turnings,-was not at all thought of.

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At what period this amusement originated in Wales, and whether it was from thence introduced among the English, or the contrary, would be, perhaps, difficult to determine. It might have

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