Tudor s Letters on Wales. 



411 



IS23.] 



I tnist, in cliaiity to liis ncij^libonrs, that I, in my turn, liad become an 

 before til cy are compelled lo alter object of spceiilatioii to the parly with- 

 their coppers, he will liiul tliem a bet- in the cotlasie. So, iinwillin.2," to in- 

 ter model to go by than tiie one he trude upon their hilarity on so parti- 



mentions ; and, as a stimulus to their 

 altering them, I beg to observe, they 

 will (if properly done) soon save the 

 expense in fuel. 



Hertford; James Gilbertson. 

 Jan. 0, 1823. 



For the Blonthhj Magazine. 



LETTERS ON WALES, 



From Griffith Tiidnr, at Festbnos;, to his 



friend Frank ll'ilmot at Oxford. 



LETTER IV. 



The Welsli Harp-Pennillion. 



MY DEAR WiLMOT, — I liave oftcn, 

 I think, heard you mention our 

 national music in terms of approba- 

 tion, if not of rapture. I allude more 

 particularly to the Welsh liarp, — if, 

 indeed, that may not be said to em- 

 brace all that is exclusively ciiaracte- 

 risticofthe minstrelsy of Wales. Had 

 you been wilh me the other day, you 

 would have found an opportunity of 

 enjoying this instrument in all its 

 mountain purity. In one of my ram- 

 bles through the adjacent country — 

 Nescio quid meditans nugarum et totus in 

 illis, — 



1 was suddenly roused from my reverie 

 by its " slill small voice," as it issued 

 from a neighbouring cottage, in which 

 I thought I could also distinguish the ac- 

 eompunjing notes of festivity and good 

 humour. As I always rejoice in an 

 opportunity of cultivating the society 

 of the "goddess fair and free," — as she 

 is called by the great English poet, — 

 I approaclied the scene of this mirth, 

 and found, ujjon enquiry, that it was 



cular an occasion, I returned hastily, 

 contrary to my first intention, to the 

 path 1 had quitted, 'i'lie tranquil 

 sounds of the harp continued for a 

 time to tlirow their echoes upon my 

 ear, until at length they were lost in 

 the distance, and I was once more l«ft 

 to my meditations. 



My original reverie was, however, 

 by this time efleetually dissipated, 

 and in its stead came a variety of re- 

 flections on the peculiar character of 

 the Welsh iiarp, and, more espeeiall)', 

 upon the plaintive nature of most of 

 the airs which are usually associated 

 with it. 1 attempted also to retrace 

 in my mind the history of our national 

 instruments, as far as we have any 

 notices of it; and, upon my return 

 home, I committed to paper tlie result 

 of my ruminations, which you will per- 

 haps permit me to make the subject of 

 my present epistle. But you will con- 

 clude, of course, that I do not profess 

 to offer you a complete dissertation : 

 the bounds within which I am confined 

 will admit of little more than an 

 outline. 



Of the high antiquity of the harp I 

 need not remind you, nor of its parti- 

 cular estimation amongst the Jews in 

 the time of David. Nor can you bo 

 ignorant that it claims an origin even 

 more ancient than this ; for wo learn 

 from the sacred history, that it Mas 

 known as early as the days of Jubal, 

 the seventh in descent from Adam, and 

 who is styled " the father of all such 

 as handle the harp and organ."* To 

 trace the use of this instrument from 



occasioned by a hymeneal union that the time of David to its introduction 



had just taken place, between two 

 young cottagers. 1 was now near 

 enough to distinguish the various na- 

 tional airs, as they were played in 

 succession by the blind and venerable 

 musician, wliosi; iierson, through tlie 

 bulf-open door, J had also an ojiportu- 

 nity of observing, lie was an into- 

 r( sling (igurc ; and, as 1 gazed upon 

 him and all .his rustic equipments, I 

 *;onld not avoid being hurried back in 

 idea to the times, when the strains of 



amongst the Cymry is Ix^yond my pre- 

 sent purpose ; so \ hasten to give you 

 my promised outline of its history, as 

 allied with that of the principality. 



'I'hc first notice that we have of the 

 liarp, in connexion with my present 

 subject, is probably that of Aminiiinus 

 Marecllinus, who appears to allude to 

 it as in tise amongst the ancient bards, 

 who, as I intimated in a former letter, 

 had their origin with the Cymry. Tho 

 word indeed, used by Ammianus, is 



the Idyiwr were heard in the halls of /,^,.a^ ^i,;,.],^ however, has been under- 



our princes. JJut those limes are lied, ,,,„,d to „H;an the harr). J'or the latter 



ll,oughtI;and, asl wasaboutto i)ur. instrument, belonging to the same 



i.ie this current ol medilation, 1 lound ..jji^s as the lyre, may easily have been 



A harper. 



* Oencsis, ch. iv. verse I'i. 



confounded 



