1891-92] CELTIC PROSODY. 219 
Welsh poetry had not the slightest resemblance to that of Rome. The 
essentials of Roman metrical composition consist in quantity, those of 
the Welsh are Rhyme and Alliteration. The Latin classic prosody does 
not recognize the two last named requisites, nor does the Welsh know 
anything of classic quantity, neither is there any resemblance in the 
structure of the poems of the two races, further than what is the result of 
mere coincidence in all metrical compositions.” 
Alliteration, proper and improper concord, is of continual occurrence in 
Welsh poetry. 
In Aneurin’s famous poem Gododin, there is a variety of metres’ 
“It is strictly a Lyric composition, a succession of comparatively uncon- 
nected strophes.” 
Ardyledawce cann cyman o fri 
Twrf tan a tharan a rhyuerthi 
Gwrhyt arderchawe marchawc mysgi, 
Rudd fedel rhyfel a eidduni. 
In these verses cann and cyman form an improper concord ; twrf, tan, 
tharan also form an improper concord; marchawce mysgt, form a proper 
concord ; Rudd and rhyfel form another improper concord. Alliteration 
is thus largely present in those verses, each of which ends in the same 
vowel, 2. 
A Triad, which is said to have been composed by Arthur, is faithful to 
the peculiarities of Celtic verse, 
Sed ynt fy nhri chadfarchawg 
Mael hir a Llyr Lluyddawg 
A cholofon Cymru caradawg. 
Two examples of proper concord occur here. Alliteration obtains be- 
tween three of the last words in the last verse. The verses terminate in 
the same syllable; seven syllables frequently form one verse, a number 
which, whatever the explanation of its prevalence in Celtic poetry may 
be, is of common occurrence. Stephens mentions no less than twenty- 
four metres whieh were in use prior to the times of Meilir, one of the 
Welsh bards. He states that “the miserable affection of writing verses 
in all the metres has now been abandoned, and the poet is very properly 
allowed to use such of the metres as suits his taste.” 
Zeuss maintains, that if the older Cornish and Armorican poems were 
extant, they would doubtless exhibit a structure similar to that of the 
ancient Cambrian poems. Alliteration is wanting in the more modern 
Cornish and Armorican poems. The ancient Cornish drama containing 
