Eiddyn's Caftle, blue-towered, familiar in alarms. Precious is thy ruddy gem, to which the flowing panegyric, mead, or stately steeds, are but difgraceful things.-The humble furze-bush, shall ic not be obscured by the ftately tree? The guardian spell of Cynvelyn, on the plains of Gododin, fhall it not prevail over Odyn! Satiated with enterprize, his heavy fpear, with gold adorned, he bestowed on me-Be it for a benefit to his foul! His fon Tegvan fhall be honoured at numbering and at partitioning, the nephew of the fiery Calvan. When weapons were flung over the hoftile field by wolves, quick he ran to the call of the day of neceffity. Three, and three fcore, and three hundred heroes flocked to the variegated banners of Cattracth; but of those who haftened from the flowing mead-goblets, fave three, they returned not: Cynon and Cattraeth with hymns they commemorate; and me for my blood they mutually lament. To the fon of the funeral fire they made my compenfation of pure gold, fteel, and filver; but from the heavenly power they found no refuge. With the fuperior protecting-fong of Cynvelyn they would have glided fafely together. The above poem is a faithful translation, by Mr. Owain, of Meirion. OF A BATTLE, BY TALIESIN. The following poem is a literal tranflation, and line for line, which may weaken the force of expreffion a little; but the inducement was, to render it easier to those who may be inclined to compare it with the original. The ode has no title in the MS. from whence it was copied; but I have given it that which is prefixed, from a fuppofition that it was compofed on account of a battle fought in the vale of Garant. Py ddyddug llyw gauaf, O Ynyr wyftlon: Se fyberw feon; Neu'r dierfeis i rin, Ym mordai Uffin, Ys geirfrith cyfrenin Eirian eirioes Ynyr ai briwys; Gwelais wyr gorfawr, A ddygyrchynt awr: Glefynt efgyll gwawr in winter's ftormy feason, when the chief appears, they commence the voice of melody. In ftriving for the pre-eminence the fortunate will run with speed, The fleeper will awake. the bluftering Meneivians, who offers the precious price? Is it Maelgwn of Môn? by having hostages from Ynyr: but their poetic charms difarmed not the chiefs, as in the water-dwellings of Uffin, on the Gododinian feas. If true, the boding words of myfterious lore, foretold from the morning raven, I am a captive in the bands of age, I am a treasure of joy, and the appeafer of wrath; 'tis mine to proclaim Urien's praise. the battle in Harddnenwys: it was Ynyr who scattered it; who, to a hundred festivals welcomes a hundred friends paffing round the carousing cup. I saw the ground ftrewed with blood, they tinged with blue the wings of the morning, when they poured forth their afhen meffengers of pain. In three hundred feftivals will be fung the high fame of Ynyr, whofe feats are seen on the crimson-tinted earth. The above poem was compofed by Taliefin, feemingly when he was under the patronage of Urien Reged, prince of Cumbria; but as it is not immediately addreffed to his patron, it appears probable that the hero of the poem was Ynyr, king of Gwent. I believe this is the fame Ynyr as we find mentioned in the Triads, to be king of Gwent, which was a diftrict that comprehended parts of the present counties of Glamorgan, Monmouth, and Gloucefter. The Triads fay that the Severn was difcoloured with blood, from the great flaughter made in a battle, in which Maelg-wn Gwynedd bore a part against Iddon, the son of Ynyr; and perhaps that might have been on account of the difpute fpoken of in this poem: Tranflated by Mr. Owain of Meirion. 7 Worcester. Ymddiddan 16 THE SALUTATION BETWEEN TALIESIN AND UGNACH. Ymddiddan rhwng UGNACH ab Mydno, o Gaer- The SALUTATION between UGNACH, the fon of Seon; a THALIESIN, o Gaer-Deganwy. Taliefin. Marchawg, a gyrch y Dinas, A'i gwn gwynion a'i gyrn bras; Ni'th adwaen niw ryth welas! Ugnach. Marchawg a gyrch i'r Aber, Sy ar march cadarn cád-ffer; Dabre genbyf ni'm gwater? Taliefin. Mi nid af yna yn awr, Goddef gwaith y godricawr; Elid bendith Néf a llawr. Ugnach. Ygur ni'm gwelas beunydd, Talielin. Ban deuaf o Gaer-Seon Y daw i Gaer-Llew a Gwydion. Ugnach, Dabre di genbyf i'r Ddinas, Athwyd medd a ry-phellas, Ac aur coeth ar dy wanas Taliefin. Mi nid adwaen y gŵr bý, A meddu tan a gwely; Teg a chweg y dywedi Hats or Salutation originated in the days of Chivalry, from the Knights taking off their helmets before the ladies. The hood of the cloak, or cowl, was then most commonly worn. bonnets were first worn in England in the time of Henry the Eighth and high-crowned hats first worn by the men, in Élizabeth's reign. a Sion was an ancient British fort, on the top of a mountain, north of Conwy town, called Caer-Siion; or, in the English orthography, Seeon: which was the feat of Gwalch Gorfedd, where King Maelgun (or, as others fay, his father Caswallon,) went to judge between the poets, and the musicians, in the fixth century. He lived at Diganwy, in Creuthyn; and he caused the poets and harpers to fwim the river Conwy. The harpers' and crwthers' inftruments were spoiled; therefore, the poets, whofe tools could not be damaged, carried the day. See a poem which gives an account of this circumftance, by Jorwerth Beli, to the Bishop of Bangor, and written about A. D. 1240. Query whether this Mydno, of Caer-Sëon; and TALIESIN, of CaerDeganwy, in Caernarvonshire; about A. D. 540. (Both celebrated Bards.) Taliefin. Thou Knight, that goeft towards the city, With white dogs, and large hunting horns : I know not thee, nor ever faw thee! Ugnach. Thou knight, that goest towards the harbour on the ftrong horfe of war; Come with me, I will not be denied! Taliefin, I will not now come; the loiterer will suffer: The bleffing of heaven and earth attend thee! Ugnach. Of a stranger, whom I have not usually feen; Taliefin. When I come to Caer-Seon, from fighting with Jews; I fhall go to Caer-Llew with Gwydion *! Ugnach. CANIAD pan aeth y Môr dros y CANTREF GWAELOD; The Song of the Inundation of CANTREV GWAELOD; allan o'r Llyfr Dú o GAERFYRDDIN. out of the Black Book of Caermarthen; a Manufcript. [A Fragment tranflated from the Welsh.] The original Welfh of this Poem is supposed to have been written by Taliefin above 12 hundred years ago but the ftyle rather refenibles that of the Bard, Lly-warch Hen, who flourished near the fame period. Seitbenin, to whom the Poem is addreffed, and whofe fate it portends, feems to have been a prince of a despicable difpofition. Cantrev Gwaelod, or the Lowland Canton, now covered by the fea, extended from the fouth-eaft borders of Caernarvonshire, along the coafts of Meirion, and Cardiganshire. The ruins of the several embankments, mounds, and fences, which once fecured the extenfive champaign country from the havoc of a wide-wasting Ocean, are now called by the feveral names of Sarn-Badrig, Sarny Büch, &c. Seithenin Frenin o Faes Gwyddno, a orefgynodd môr ei dîr". Achau Saint. That is, Seithenin the king, from the land of Gwyddno, which was overflowed by the fea. Lives of the Saints. • "Uchenaid Gwyddno Goronhir, Where Cantref Gwaelod was, is now the great Bay, between Lleyn and Aberystwyth; called, by failors, Cardigan Bay. And according to tradition, there were feveral towns and villages which were all inundated by the fea; fuch as Caer Gwyddno, or the Caftle of Gwyddno; which was between Sarn Badrig, and “Pan droes y donn dros ei dîr.”—G. Glyn. That is, Aberystwyth, &c. Caer Cenedir, or the fortrefs of Cenedir, it is The groans of Gwyddno, with the high crown, Which is fuppofed to have happened about the year 500. Ac- not now known where it was. There is a tomb-ftone in Abergeley church-yard, which lies very near the fea; that has the following infcription, which alludes to a great tract of country having been overflowed by the fea : F & G Boed f Sarn Badrig is the most wonderful work of the fort, perhaps, in Britain; yet hardly noticed hitherto. It is a wall built of Rone, about eight yards thick, found to reach 21 miles into the fea, from Mochras into Cardigan Bay; fome of which is difcernible at low water. The other wall, called Sarny Buch, runs from Trwyn Celynin, in a north-west direction, and joins the point of the former. It appears that the flood-gates were left open in confequence of drunkenness. The chair of Cedarwl was probably near Cors y Gedol, in Merioneth fhire; (or, perhaps, the very domain that is still called Cors y Gedol; which now belongs to Sir Thomas Moftyn). There was alfo a Saint, called Cedol. Cadeir Cedawl, or the Chair of Cedol, is fuppofed to have been an elevated mount, or tribunal feat, where the Lord of the district, or his principal magiftrate, promulgated the law. There are feveral elevated places of that kind in Wales, &c. which are diftinguished by fuch names as Cader Sidi; Cader Idris ; Cader Arthur; Cader Berwyn; Cader Dinmael; and Mynydd Cader. Malvern Hill, in Worcestershire, alfo derives its name from a fimilar cir Curfed be Morfin, Who, after wine, let in the well of Gwener; The boundary of the feaf. Curfed be Machtaith, Who, after the battle, let in the well of Gweneftr; A wild bursting ocean. The forrowful cry of Mererid from the brow of Caer, Is raised to God: oppreffion is generally followed. The forrowful cry of Mererid from the brow of Caer, Is this day raised to God, in votive prayer: The progrefs of oppreffion is generally checked. The forrowful cry of Mererid is raifed from Gwinan: The forrowful cry of Mererid overcomes me this night: The lamentable cry of Mererid compels me This night to go from my chamber: Oppreffion is generally fucceeded by a boundless deftruction. The following stanza is taken from the Record of the The grave of Seithenin" of feeble wit, cumftance; that is, Moel'varn, or the Hill of Judgment. And, according to the Triads, there was a Bard whofe name was Cadeir, in the fifth century. Likewise, there was one Howel y Gadair, or Howel of the Chair. "Formerly there were three privileged tribunals: The tribunal of a King; the tribunal of a Bishop; and the tribunal of an Abbot for each of them had a right of holding a particular tribunal of his own." King Howel's Laws, page 303; and in the prefaces. In Dyfneint, the deep vallies, or Devonshire,, there are fome remains of the primitive mode of the ancient British Parliament; that is, "There are four stannaries, or jurifdictions, with as many ftannary-courts, and towns of coinage; viz. Plympton, Tavistock, Afhburton, and Chegford. By thefe are chofen, from time to time, at the direction of the Lord-warden, certain Jurates to meet in general feffion of Parliament, at Crockern-Torr, a high hill in the midst of Dartmore." Gibson's Camden, Vol. I. p. 30. and 35. See also note 38, in page 6, of this work. King Seitbenin was the father of Tudno, the founder of the village called Llandudno, in Creuthyn, Caernarvonshire. SOME |