OF THE WELSH LANGUAGE* 307 



©thers of Manogan, about a hundred and thirty 

 years before Chrift; of Cynvelyn, or Cunobelin, 

 king of the CalTivellaum, at the commencement of 

 the Chriflian asra, &c. 



In the reign of Henry VIII., a table of metal, 

 apparently of lead and tin mixed, was difcovered at 

 Ambrefbury in Wiltfhire, infcribed with many let- 

 ters, but in a character fo uncommon, that neither 

 fir Thomas Eliot, nor Mr. Lily, the mafler of St. 

 Paul's fchool, were able to underftand them. It 

 was in confequence neglected ; it might otherwife 

 have led to fome important difcovery. 



Previoufly to the arrival of the Romans into thefe 

 iflands, the Welfh, then the Britifh language, was 

 the only language in ufe. From the Romans fpme 

 new words were added to its didionary. After the 

 cxpulfion of the inhabitants by the Saxons, it fled 

 with them to the mountains, receiving, however, a 

 few additions from this people. In the Highlands 

 of Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Cornwall, it con- 

 tinued to be ufed for many centuries, in exclufion 

 of every other language. In many parts of North 

 Wales it continues yet to be fpoken in its original 

 purity. The Englifh have, indeed, for a few cen- 

 turies, been fo much encroaching upon this country, 

 as to have rendered their own the fafliionable lan- 

 guage, and in general the only language fpoken by 

 the hrgher orders of the people. Attempts have 



X 3 ' alfo 



