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CHAP. XXIV. 



Essay on the Origin and Character of 

 THE Welsh Language *. 



The CharaSer of the Language- — Gf the Poetry. — Other Languages 

 D'takEls of the We[fl:>. — Analogy betwixt the Hebrew and IVelJl:. 

 Betwixt the Greeh and JVeljl. — The JVelJJo Letters, and their 

 Force. — Li/l and Explanation of federal of the primitive IFords. 

 — LU} of JVclfi Words in common Ufe. — The Saxon Alphabet 

 mojl probably-belonging to the IVelJh. — Prefent State of the Weljk 

 Language. 



The Welfh is a rich and copious language, which 

 (however harfti and unpleafant it may found to fo- 

 reign ears) has numerous elegancies, and many beau- 

 tiful forms of expreffion. Its copioufnefs is without 

 rival, principally arifing from the various combina- 



» 



For the principal part of this eHay, (which is intended only 

 for the inllruftion of the Englidi traveller,) I am indebted to the 

 following works: — Commentarioli Eritanni^e defcriptionis frag- 

 mentum, aufiore HumfredoL.hwyd; — Powel's Hiilory of Wales; 

 — Edward Lhwyd's Nctes in Gibfon's Camden ; — Rowland's 

 Monu Antiqua relVaurata ; —Owen's Tranflation of the Elegies, 

 of Llywarch Hen; — Owen's Welfn Dicxionary ; — Jones's Re- 

 lics of the Wehh Bards; — the Monthly Magazine ; — and the 

 Cambrian Regifter, vols. i. and ii. I have alfo to acknowledge, 

 in addition to the above authorities, the correfpondence and 

 correAions of my valuable friend, the reverend Feter "Williams 

 of Llanrug, in Caernarvondrire. 



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