Some Specimens of the Poetry of the Ancient Welsh Bards Part 12

Oni roi, Gwen ir ei gwedd, Yn gywrain, ryw drugaredd.

But I do not like _ir ei gwedd_.

Af i graig fwyaf o gred Y mor, i gael ymwared, Ag o'r graig fawr i'r eigion Dygaf gyrch i dyrch y dn-

An excellent expression-

Ag o'r dn egr hyd annwfn Af ar y dafl i for dwfn.

Here is a charming opening for you, to describe the country you go to, and the wonders of the deep; and something like the following lines might be inserted:

Lle mae'r morfil friwfil fron, A'r enwog _forforwynian_,

To proceed:

A fynno Gwen ysplennydd Yn ddiau o'm rhwymau 'n rhydd, Ni chaf gur, ni chaf garu Na phoen gwn, na hoffi 'n gu; Ni roddaf gam i dramwy, I gred i'th ymweled mwy: Dyna'r modd dan wir i mi, A dyr unwaith drueni.

The expression _Dan_ _wir_, is too local, and is not understood all over Wales. Local expressions must be avoided as much as possible. Suppose you said then,

Oni chaf heb warafun Dy fodd fyth difeiwedd fun.

After all these corrections, which are not very material, you have this comfort, (and I mention it that you may not be discouraged,) that I do not know a man in our country who can write a poem which shall want as few corrections. So make poetry and antiquity (when you can come at materials) branches of your study; and, depend upon it, you will make a figure in the world. There are flights and turns in this poem, which even David ab Gwilym would not have been ashamed of.

I would have you write to my brother, and let him know the reason of your not going to London, and that you are alive. If you send him this poem, he will be pleased with it.

Is there any hopes of your seeing the Llyfr Coch o Hergest? Who is keeper, or under-keeper, of Jesus-College Library? And who is princ.i.p.al; and who are the fellows? perhaps I may know some of them; or can make interest some way or other for you to get the use of those MSS.

But it ought to be considered, that you are to mind the main chance of reading the cla.s.sics, in order to come to a tolerable being, before you launch too far into any other studies; and you must only take a s.n.a.t.c.h by the bye, which will serve to whet your genius; _oblegid mae newid gwaith cystal a gorphwyso_.

When you can come at Llyfr Coch o Hergest, or any other ancient MSS., I will send you directions to read it, and understand it: the chief difficulty being in the orthography: the language of all Britain (even Scotland) was the same as it is now in Wales, 1200 years ago.

I wrote to you lately, which I suppose you had not received when you sent your dateless letter. I desire your answer when convenient.

Yours sincerely, LEWIS MORRIS.

_Galltvadog_, _July_ 14, 1751.

The same to the same.

DEAR EVAN,

Your letter of the second instant, I received this day; and I was very glad to hear that you had procured leave to go to the private library in Jesus College. It is charming to get into conversation with _Llywarch Hen_, _Aneurin_, _Merddin_, &c. They are most pleasing old companions.

I understand that my copy of _Brut y Brenhinoedd_ is not the same with that in _Llyfr Coch o Hergest_. Mine was copied out of five MSS. three of them upon vellum, very ancient; but the transcriber, not understanding the occasion of the difference between the copies, stuffed all into this, that he could find in all the MSS. Had he known that some of those MSS.

were from Walter the Archdeacon's original translation of the history, out of the Armoric; and some again from his second translation from Galfrid's Latin, he would have kept the copies separate. The transcriber of my copy mentions sometimes-"thus in such a MS. and thus in such a MS.," but it is impossible to find which is which.

_Brut y Tywysogion_ is only the history of Caradoc of Llancarvan, which was Englished by Humphrey Lloyd, and published by Dr. Powell; and afterwards a very bad edition by Mr. W. Wynne. I would not have you take the trouble upon you to transcribe that; for there are many copies of it.

What is most worth your care is the works of the poets; especially that part of them that is historical, as some of Taliesin, Merddin, Llywarch Hen's are. Merddin mentions the war in Scotland, between Rhydderch Hael, Aeddan ab Gafran, Gwenddolau ab Ceidio, &c., and Taliesin mentions several battles, that none of our historians ever so much as heard of.

These are matters of great curiosity-Llywarch Hen in one of his Elegies, mentions _Eglwysau Ba.s.sa_, that was destroyed by the Saxons. Nennius says, that one of the twelve battles fought by Arthur against the Saxons, was upon the river _Ba.s.sas_. Who is that great Apollo among our historians who knows anything of these affairs?-Is there ever a MS. of Nennius, which you can come at? I wish that book was translated into English: it is but small. However, since you are now about the Llyfr Coch, I would have you first to write an index of the contents of it, and send it me, sheet by sheet, and I will give you my opinion what is best to transcribe, and is most uncommon or curious. I do not remember whether the book is paged; let it be as it will, you cannot be long in making such an index, with the first line of each piece. There are some other curious MSS. there; some _Bucheddau_ (Lives) as far as I recollect.

But the silly copy of _Brut y Brenhinoedd_, in a modern hand there, is not worth talking of.-How do you know it is the same with the Bodleian?

I presume, that the _Brut y Brenhinoedd_, in _Llyfr Coch_, is not the original translation from the Bretonic copy; for I think it mentions Galfrid's translation in the conclusion of it.-But it is many years since I saw it. I shall ask some questions about certain pa.s.sages in it, when I have leisure to look into my own copy. I have written abundance of notes, in defence of mine, since you saw it; and the more I examine into it, the better I like it. I had at first but a poor opinion of it; being prepossessed with the character given if by English writers; but when I find the poets, and our genealogies, and ancient inscriptions and coins agree with it; and some foreign writers, I do not wonder that the inveteracy of the old Saxons should still remain against it, as long as Bede is in being. I shall only ask you now,-whether the son of Ascanius is called _Silius_ or _Silvius_, in Llyfr Coch? It is in the beginning of my copy, which begins-Eneas gwedi ymladd Troya, &c. Mine is not divided into chapters or books. I have time to write no more, but that

I am, Yours sincerely, LEWIS MORRIS.

_Galltvadog_, _Oct._ 13, 1751.

The same to the same.

SIR,

I happened to come upon business to this place; and being so near you, and having an hour's leisure, I could not help sending this to remind you that there is such a one alive, who wishes you well, and who is really glad you have got into such a worthy family. I hope that you will make the best use of your time; you will not be able to see how precious it is till most part of it is gone. This world (or this age) is so full of people that take no time to think at all, that a young fellow is in the greatest danger as can be to launch out among them. The terrestrial part of men being predominant, is as apt as a monkey to imitate everything that is bad. So that the little good which is to be done, must be done in spite of nature.

I expected a line from you upon your being settled, and that you had time to look about you; and when you have leisure, I shall be glad to hear of your doing well. I make no doubt but you will follow your British studies, as well as other languages: for I suppose it will hardly leave you, whether you will or no. Therefore to whet your parts, and in order to improve yourself that way, I propose to you a correspondent, a friend of mine, an Anglesea man; who will be glad of your acquaintance, and I daresay _you_ of _his_; especially when you have seen some of his performances. His name is Gronw Owen; and you may direct to him at Donnington, near Salop; he keeps a school there, and is curate of a place hard by. He is but lately commenced a Welsh poet; and the first ode he ever wrote, was an imitation of your ode on melancholy. His _Cowydd y Farn_ is the best thing I ever read in Welsh. You will be more surprised with his language and poetry than with anything you ever saw. His ode is styled _The Wish_, or Gofuned Gronw Ddu o Fon; and is certainly equal, if not superior, to anything I ever read of the ancients.

I have shared the dominion of poetry in Wales among you. He shall have the north, and you the south. But he has more subjects, a hundred to one, than you have, unless Glamorgan affords some.

Mr. Gronw Owen has been for some years laying a foundation for a Welsh rational Grammar, not upon the Latin and Greek plan, but upon the plan that the language will bear. It would be unreasonable to expect an old archbishop to dance a jig and rigadoon with boys and girls; it is certain that the Greek and Latin are such when compared with the Celtic. He has desired of me to bring you acquainted together; and here I do it, unless it is your own faults. He does not know how to write to you, nor I neither; but direct this at a venture.

I am, Your a.s.sured friend, And servant, LEWIS MORRIS.

_Llandeilo Vawr_, _April_ 23, 1752.

The same to the same.

DEAR SIR,

My brother gave me yours of the third, with an excellent ode to the King of Prussia. The faults in it I take to be owing to your careless writing of it; for they are such as cannot be from want of knowledge, as the ode itself shows. However, as you desire my corrections (which seems to be a sort of menial office, like a plaisterer, who daubs mortar on a grand piece of building, designed by a great architect) I give you my labour for nothing, and choose whether you follow my opinion or no; for I am no oracle. In my last alterations, in Cowydd Teifi, your line-

Dy lif y loywaf afon-

is certainly best. I only wrote something that came uppermost, to egg you on to do better. Your notion of _Maelienydd_ is wrong. You have been imposed upon by Camden, Selden, or perhaps, by Girald. Cambrensis; or by some of those strangers that knew nothing of the matter.

_Maelienydd_ was the country to the south and east of those mountains.

But this is besides my purpose. Well, as you think the unity of design, scene, and action of your poem was about _Llyn Teifi_, I shall not urge the description of _Teifi_ as low as the sea (for there it goes.) And I could have wished you had done it; for n.o.body else in Cardigans.h.i.+re is able to do poor _Teifi_ that kindness. As for your sheltering under Horace's adage, I mind it as nothing. He was a stranger to our methods, handed down to us by his masters, the druidical bards; who knew how to sing before Rome had a name. So never, hereafter, mention such moderns as Horace and Virgil, when you talk of British poetry. Llywarch Hen, Aneurin, and followers of the Druids, are our men; and nature our rule.

With respect to your borrowing Gronw's ma.n.u.script, you may make yourself easy about it. I dare say he would sooner part with his wife, and, for aught I know, children too; but his wife I am sure. Your sentiments of Gronw's capacity as a poet, are I believe just; for he has had greater opportunities than any poet since the Norman Conquest. But, if you take my word, you will not be behind him, if you stick to it. And, that you may not complain for want of the necessary requisites, as soon as ever I have any leisure, I will send you an ode or two of the ancients, which are not in Gronw's book, to whet your Awen with. I have a fine collection of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, which I value more than their weight in fine gold.