The following is a Lift of Poets and Hiftorians, who have written Rules of British Poetry, Rhetoric; and Grammar, and who compiled Dictionaries. Tudain Tad Awen; or Tudain, the father of the Mufe. Talbaiarn Tad Awen, of Llanvair Talhaiarn, in Denbighshire, who flourished about A. D. 540. Minfyn, or Minwyn, who wrote a British grammar; Mr. Ed. Llwyd, in his Archæologia Britannica, fays he could not find out at what time he lived. 1210. Geraint, the blue-robed Bard of the Chair, and Harper to King Edeyrn Dafod-Aur, wrote a Tract on British Profody about A. D. 1280. Cyfrinach y Beirdd, (Poetarum Arcana ;) or the Secrets of the Bards; the Author of which is unknown. Dr. Davydd-Ddú, of Hiraddig, in Flintshire, wrote a Welsh Grammar; and his verfion of the Te Deum is a curious fpecimen of his poetic art. He flourished about A. D. 1340. Davydd ab Gwilym wrote a Grammar, about A. D. 1370. Gutyn Owain wrote Dunad Cymraeg; or a Welsh Poetical Grammar; about A. D. 1480. Wiliam Salfbri, of Llanrwft, wrote a Welsh Rhetoric, about A. D. 1500. Julian Maunour wrote an Armoric Grammar, and Dictionary: Englished by Mofes Williams, fays Ed. Llwyd. Ivon Quillivere published an Armoric Vocabulary, octavo, in 1521. Dr. Griffith Roberts was the first who published a Welsh Grammar, and dedicated it to the Earl of Pembroke, in the time of Henry the Eighth; which was printed at Milan, in A. D. 1530. Wiliam Salisbury, of Cae Dû, in Llanfannan, Denbighshire, published his Grammatical Introduction to the British Tongue, in 1567; and his English and Welsh Dictionary in 1547. Harry Perri, published his Welsh Rhetoric in 1580. William Lleyn, Siminwnt Vychan, and Llywelyn Sion, of Llan- Henry Salisbury, of Dol Belidr, published his Latin and Welsh William Middleton published his Proodia, of Grammatical Dr. I. David Rhys published a Welth and Latin Poetical Gram- Nicolas Lloyd, of Flintshire, published his Dictionarium Hiftori- Edward Davydd, of Margam, wrote a Grammar, about A. D. Edward Phillips published his Theatrum Poetarum in A. D. 1675. Shen Rhydderch published a Welsh Grammar about A. D. 1740. William Pryce, M. D. published his Cornish Grammar in 1790. Mr. Whiliam Owen publifhed his elaborate Welsh and English MEMORIALS of the TOMBS of the WARRIORS. "And Jeremiah lamented for Jofiah: and all the finging men, and the finging women fpake of Jofiah in their lamentations to this day; * and made them an ordinance in Ifrael: and behold, they are written in the Lamentations." II Chronicles, chap. xxxv, v. 25. The following ancient fepulchral verfes commemorate the Heroes of Britain, who had fignalized themfelves prior to the middle of the feventh century: they are written in the ancient Metre, called Englyn Milwr, or the Warrior's Song of triplet ftanzas, and are attributed to Taliefin; but fome of them evidently appear to be much older, as they record fome Chiefs who flourished in the third century; and seem to have been compofed by different Bards, and at different periods. They give an account of about two hundred Heroes, and a few diftinguished Bards, &c. who are often mentioned in fragments of our hiftory: therefore, I have selected several stanzas of them, and given a literal tranflation in English, as a fpecimen of one of the many valuable, and authentic documents ftill preserved in the Welsh language, which would have greatly tended to elucidate Camden's Britannia, had he been more acquainted with our Welsh antiquities. These oracular memorials appear to have been a part of those Oral Traditions which anciently were recitad by the Bards, at the public Gorfeddau, Tribunals, or provincial Congreffes: "But heed, ye Bards, that for the fign of onfet Mafan's Carattacus. D Which Which cuftom, of celebrating the worthieft heroes, &c. has been handed down to us from the remotest time; and when writing became more general, thefe traditional verfes were committed to writing by the fucceeding Bards, and others. Englynion y Beddau. Bedd Tydain Tád Awen, Bedd Dylan yn Llan-beuno. Bedd Gwydion ab Dón Yn Morfa Dinllaen dan faen dyfeillion Garanawe y Gerifyl meinnon. Piau y Bedd yn y Maes-mawr, Balch ei law ar ei lafnawr ; Bedd Beli, ab Benlli Gawr. Piau y bedd pedryfal, Gwedi gwrwm, a choch, a chain, A gorwyddawr mawr min-rbain, Yn Llanheledd bedd Owain. Bedd Alun Dyfed yn y Drefred; Mab Meigen, mad pan aned. a Bryn Aren, I believe, is at the bafe of Aran Benllyn, near Bala, in Meirionydd: there is alfo Arrennig Vawr, which is not far from the other, whofe height is 740 yards above Llyn Tegid. The palace of Maelgwn Gwynedd, in Creuddyn, Caernarvonshire, was alfo called Bryn Euryn, about the year 560. There was one Dylan ail-ton; probably, of Orielton, in Shropshire; or that in Herefordshire. • St. Beuno's tomb ftill remains at Clynnog Church, in Caernarvonshire, where he founded a Monaftery, and was Abbot thereof, about the year 616. He also built cells, the one at Trefdraeth, and the other at Aberffraw, in Anglesey. The churches of Berriw; Bettws, and Gwyddelwern, are dedicated to St. Beuno. It is mentioned in Buchedd Beuno, or the Life of Beuno, that the King of Aberffraw (probably Cadwallon) gave Beuno his palace of Aberffraw, where he afterwards lived, and called it Beuno. St. Beuno is faid to have presented King Cadvan (at his palace of Caer Segont, near Caernarvon,) with a little golden fceptre, for his affiftance to build cloifters; and fome of thofe cells are now our churches in Wales. One notable privilege of Beuno, was, that all calves, or lambs, that were brought forth with a split ear, were the inheritance, or right of that Saint; which were offered to him at his church; and this was called Nôd Beuno, or Beuno's mark. Celtic Remains, MS. Gwydion was a Prince of Ar-gonwy, and famous Magician of the fifth century. See the previous note, 41, in page 7. Dinas Dinlleu is in Caernarvonshire, Dinlle-Vrecon, is mentioned in Llywarch Hên's Elegy on Cynddylan. Maes-mawr, in Denbighshire, is now the domain of Mr. Lloyd; and near which is a great mount of earth, (fuch as were anciently heaped up in memory of the dead; which, in latter times, were fubftituted for watch-places, or beacons, to convey fignals in times of war.) Likewife, there is a tumules, near Wyddgrug, Memorials of the Tombs of the Warriors. The Tomb of TUDAIN, FATHER OF THE MUSE, On the fummit of BRYN AREN. The wave breaks on the territory of IoLo; The grave of GWYDION, the fon of Dôn, He whofe grave is in MAES-MAWR, Proud was his hand in grafping the wrathful blade ; It is the Tomb of BELI, fon of BENLLI, the PRINCE. To whom belongs the fquare grave, With the four stately ftones on its corners? It is the grave of MADOC, the fierce knight. After the murky flowing of gore, after exultation, And great triumphs with the sharp-edged fpears; In LLANHELEDD, is OWAIN's grave. The grave of ALUN of DEMETIA, is at TREVRED; called Bryn y Beili. Taliefin makes mention of fome Chief, whofe name was Beli, in the following words: " Eryr Beli bann ei lef;" The eagle Beli, loud is his voice. There was one Belyn of Lleyn, who fought a battle with the Saxons, at Bryn Ceneu'n Rhôs, about A. D. 620 ; where the fight was fo obftinate, that Belyn's men fettered themselves two and two, being refolved to die, or to conquer. Triad 49. On the mountain, between Ial and Ystrad Alun, just over the ford, called Rhyd y Gyfarthfa, in Denbighshire, there was a terrible battle fought, between Meirion, and Beli, the son of Benlli the Great; in which Beli was killed: and Meirion afterwards erected two ftone pillars, one at each end of his grave, to commemorate the event. One Edward ab Llywelyn, of Iâl, who was owner of the ground feveral years ago, removed the pillars, broke them to pieces, and put them on a lime-kiln, where they were burnt to make lime. What a pity it was to remove fuch a monument, which had stood fo many hundreds of years: and my author farther fays, that the man came to a bad end, who committed the facrilege on the tomb of the renowned warrior. Aurelius Ambrofius, who flourished about the year 480, is recorded in the British History to have defeated the Saxons at a place called Macs Beli, or the field of Beli. There is also another place, called Rhyd y Bidd, (or the Ford of the Grave,) on the River Alwen, between Llyn'r Oror, and Llyn Alwen, in the parish of Llanfannan, Denbighshire. Benlli Gawr, or the Champion, was a Lord of great power, whose territory was in Ial, a district of Denbighshire. He flourifhed about the year 450. Hence, probably, Moel Enlli, or Moel Benlli, which is not far from the Vale of Clwyd. Chieftains of the above names are mentioned in the Gododin, (an heroic Poem,) to have been flain at the battle of Cattraeth. in the fifth century. Demetia, is Pembrokeshire, in South Wales. X Tri MEMORIALS OF THE TOMBS OF THE WARRIORS. Y Tri bedd y' Nghefn Celfi, Gwedi gweli a gwaedlan, A gwifgo feirch a meirch can, Neud ef bwn bedd Cynddylan. Bedd milwr mirain, gnawd celain O'i law cyn bu taw o dan fain Llechau mab Rhún y' Nglyn Cain. Piau y bedd yn yr Allt draw, Piau y bedd yn Llethr y Bryn; Llawer ni's gwyr, ai gofyn; Bedd i Coel mab Cynfelyn. Bedd gwr gwawd urddyn Yn Uchel Tyddyn ; Yn ifel gwelyddyn ; Bedd Cynon mab Clydno Eiddyn. Cynddylan was a Prince of Powis, which included the prefent county of Salbp, Montgomery fhire, and a part of Denbighshire, about the close of the fixth century. There is an Elegy on this Prince, by Llywarch Hên, now extant. The Vale of Cain is probably at the end of Bala Lake, in Meirionydd. n Tarw Trin is an epithet given to a warrior; his real name is uncertain. It is probable that he was flain in the overthrow the Britons received in oppofing the landing of Ida, King of Northumberland, as he is often mentioned in the Gododin. Cynnon was flain at Cattraeth. See the first Volume, page 16. P Clydno Eiddyn, means Clydno of Edinburgh; who was one of the principal Chieftains in the battle of Cattraeth, where he and all his followers were flain. See the firft Volume of the Bards, p. 17. The most remarkable ftone monuments are thofe of Beddau Gwÿr Ardudwy, which are on a mountain called Micneint, near Rhyd yr Halen, within a quarter of a mile of Sarn Elen, in the county of Meirionydd. [Micneint isthe name of a river, and alfo the name of one of the three commots of Penllyn, near Bala.] Those monuments are about 30 in number; every grave is about two yards long, and has a fquare ftone pillar in each of its four corners, which are about three feet high, and nine inches broad. Mr. Llwyd, in his Notes on Camden, fays, "The tradition is, that they are fepulchral monuments of fome perfons of note flain here, in a battle between the men of Dyffryn Ardudwy, and fome men of Denbighshire; but when, or by what perfons flain, is wholly uncertain.” This custom appears to be extremely ancient; for we find, in Genefis, c. xxxv. v. 20, that Jacob set a pillar upon Rachel's grave. From a Welsh manufcript of British history I have transcribed the following, which probably may give fome light refpecting the above Tombs. "King Gwrtheyrn (or Vortigern, who reigned in the beginning of the fifth century,) had twelve principal Bards; and on fore occafion he thought they had deceived him, refpecting fome prophecies: confequently, he ordered them to be put to death; and the history farther fays, that their graves are to be seen to this day, and are called Beddeu y Dewiniaid;" or the Tombs of the Prophets. Wel Manufcript Chronicle. Y Meini Hirion, or the lofty pillars, which are about a mile from the top of Penmaenmawr, in the parish of Dwy-gyfylchi Caernarvonshire, ftand the most remarkable monuments in all Snowdon. A circular entrenchment, of about 26 yards diameter, with about ten pillars above eight feet high, and those encompaffed with a stone wall. Not far from them, there are feveral carneddau and graves; and the tradition is, that there was a battle fought there between the Romans and Britons. The Britons getting the day, buried their dead under thofe heaps of flones, to fecure them from the wild boars, and partly as a memorial to pofterity. Edward Llwyd's Notes on Camden. Alfo Buarth Arthur, or Meini Gwyr; (the Circle of Arthur, or Monuments of Men,) is on the top of Cil y maen Llwyd, where there are several stone monuments arranged in a circular form. The Tomb of Ffrymden, is in Llan Nefydd, Denbighshire, and an yew-tree grows upon it, within about ten yards of the Church. yard. The Sepulchre of Brachan, is in the island called Ynys Brachan, which is near the Ifle of Man. Cedrych, the fon of Brachan, lieth in Towyn Meirionydd. The Grave of Rein, the fon of Brachan, is in Llandevailog. The Tomb of Cynauc, is at Merther, in Brecknockshire. The Tomb of Anlauch, is before the church door, in Llanyfpythyd. Brachan had three wives, that is to fay, Prauft, Ribraust, and Proiftri.- Gwawr, or Gwawr-ddydd, who was honored at Towyn, was the daughter of Brachan,wife to Llydan-win, and mother to Prince Llywarch bên. St. Berwin, the fon of Brychan, lies in Cornwall. Bedd Elen, ar Mynydd Mihangel; the Grave of Elen, is on the mountain of Mihangel, in Armorica, or Britany. Maes Carnedd, where Prince Owain Gwynedd was buried. Bedd Petrual, a wnaed i Fronwen ferch Llyr, ar lan Alaw, ac yno claddwyd hi. See in Richard's Dictionary, Petrual. Maen y Chwyfan, a carved monumental pillar, on Moftyn mountain, in Denbighshire, fuppofed to be the tomb of the Saint of that name, to whom the church of Llan-Gwyfan is dedicated. King Uther Pendragon, and Aurelius Ambrofius, were interred in the grave of the Barons: another copy expreffes it, within the circle of Stonehenge. The latter, probably, was buried at Mount Ambri, or Ambréfbury. Y Bedd Y Bedd yn y gorfynydd, A liwiaffau luoffydd, Bedd Hyrmail bael fab Hywlydd. Bedd Elidir Mwynfawr ynglan Mawr rineweddus fawt brydus briodawr Bedd Owain ab Urien yn mhedryael bid Yn Abererch Rhydderch Hael. Bedd y March; bedd y Gwythur: Bedd Gwalchmai yn Mheryddon, En Llan Badarn bedd Cynon Kielleu don drom dra thywawd, Bedd An ap Llian yn Euas Hengift, the Saxon king, was buried by order of Aurelius, and a heap of earth raised over his body, according to the custom of the Pagans. Afan Buellt, (who was Coufin German to St. David, the first Arch-Bishop of Menevia,) was buried at Llan-afan, where his tomb-ftone ftill remains with the infcription. 4 Owain was a prince of Reged, in the fixth century; he was alfo one of King Arthur's generals, and famous for his exploits. in war. Triad 3. Rhydderch Hael was king of the Isle of Man. Gwgan Gleddyfrudd is called, in the Triads, One of the Three Stubborn Ones of Battle. When King Arthur was purfuing his wars in Gaul, when it was invaded by the Romans, under Lucius Hiberus, Modred was left Governor of Britain during his abfence, and he ufurped the Yonder grave, on the mountain's brow, Is his who led the armies to glory: The Tomb of Hyrmael the generous, fon of Hywlydd. The grave of Elidyr, the courteous, Of Gwenever, with glory crowned, the mighty hero of the fhout. The Tomb of Owain, the fonof Urien, is girted with And in Abererch lies Rhydderch the Generous*. The grave of the horse; and that the Hero's grave: The grave of Gwalchmai, in Peryddon, Hear, yon wave of heavy murmur, dafhing on The Tomb of An ap Llian, in the mountain of Euas. Crown. Arthur, on being informed of it, returned with a part of his army to Britain; and in landing at Richborough, near Sandwich, in Kent, he was oppofed by the traitor, Modred, with a confiderable army of confederates; in which conflict, the above Gwalchmai ab Gwyar was flain, whose body, King Arthur caused to be honourably interred. Lewis's Hiftory of Britain, p. 191. and 188; and William of Malmbury. "Dyfgyrnin was a Deirian, or a Bernician, who flourished about A. D. 540. Supposed to be a mistake for Anhap y Lleian, or the mischance of the Nun; as Merddin is faid to have been the fon of a Nun, by an unknown father. Aurelius Ambrofius was interred at Stonehenge; or, more probably, at Ambrefbury. * See the firit Volume of this work, page 23. CUNOBELINE'S INCANTATION. The following Ode is a fpecimen of the poetical Incantations fung by the Bards, to infure fuccefs to their heroes in the day of battle. Though it be the production of the fixth century, it conveys, moft probably, a juft idea of the nature of fuch compofitions in the druidical ages; and is a proof that the Britons, at that period, had not been fo thoroughly renovated by the Chriftian Revelation, but that they fill retained many of their ancient notions; and particularly that they relied on the myftic efficacy of the Gorchanau, which was the name given to their poetical charms; implying, as they were meant to be-Songs of Inspiration, and Protection. Taliefin compofed this, and two other pieces of the fame kind; being excited by an emulation to excel the Gododin, on which Aneurin, his rival for fame, principally rested his merit. He accomplished his defign, in the opinion of the fubfequent Bards, by condenfing the prolixity, without lofing the ideas of his opponent; that is, by celebrating and recording the number of warriors flain at Cattraeth; to accomplish which, the Gododin has fo many ftanzas of various conftructions, as there were heroes to celebrate, who were in number, "three and three fcore and three hundred, whofe necks were adorned with the Aur Dorchau, or golden chains." We We find, from a curious note affixed to this Incantation, in the old MS., that the plan of the Gorchanan was confidered, by the Order of the Bards, as the only perfect one to adhere to in their contentions for the chair of fame: from the fame note, we learn the pecuniary value of these poems One penny was the price of each stanza of the Gododin, confidering its merit merely in the light of a poetical ftrife; fo that each of the Gorchanau equalled the whole in value," being three hundred and fixty-three pence; which was a confi-' derable fum, confidering the rate of money at that early period. Poffibly the perfon for whom this charm was compofed, might have been the fame as is in the Triads called Cynfelyn Drwfgl, or Cynvelyn the weighty, one of the three pillars of battle of the isle of Britain, a prince of a diftrict in the fouthern parts of Scotland at that time. Gwrhyd gofurthiach ; Rhag canhwynawl cán, Difgynial allel I bob dewr dyfel, Trwy boel, trwy boenen, Ei wynafedd felyn Ei grau oï gylchyn, Celedig ewyn Gorchawn cyrdd ceinmyn Edwyn gwr gwnedd Gwynedd ei wlad, The Charm of Cunobeline. Should I, enrapt, in myftic numbers fing, the potent buds of magic fpells would fpring; like thofe produced by the circle and wand of Twrch Trwyth: we should have had a kine brought us, furpaffing his rarities: Carn Gaphan would burst through the hoofy ranks of Rhiw-Rhon, of the breed of Eiwogion, with fhort legs, and shorter riders: Gylvach would burst through the teazer of exulting manhood;-fury in a torrent shall flow against the Angles-flaughter is juft-our heaps of flain are the ravens' due. Before him who is naturally endowed with fong, light unfolds the mystery of the power of defcending to every bold enterprize, through bolt, through fnare, through trap-covered cleft, and gold-beftrewed path; and bearing woe he fhall return, his glittering yellow cup befmeared with gore, hiding the froth of the yellow mead: alike fhall it be encircled with gore from the battles of Cynvelyn. Cynvelyn, the anger-bearing chief, the uplifted pillar of wrath, by whom the birds are beglutted with prey, and the enricher of the divining magician, whose spell fhall be as powerful as the form of Morion-Under the thighs of the generous ones, in equal pace, fhall run the fprites of the gloom, fkimming along the pleafant hills. The king of the land of harmony, mine is the lot to lament him: till the day of filence came fought he the haunt of the foe with the ample-grasped fpear. |