210 
I should profit by my first leisure to 
endeavour to gain you over to my 
cause, even if the particular promise 
J made had not rendered it in some 
measure a point of duty. And what 
heightens my anxiety, indeed J may 
say my impatience, in this matter, is 
the unwarranted prejudice which most 
of you Englishmen have so blindly 
adopted with respect to every thing 
Welsh. Is Walesthen another Galilee, 
that it should be proverbially famed 
for yielding nothing of excellence? 
Surely, my good friend, you can never 
wish to harbour a sentiment so illibe- 
ral, so unjust. We do not, it is true, 
pretend to the celebrity of Greek or 
Roman fame: we offer no rivals to 
Homer or Virgil, to Demosthenes or 
Tully, to Alexander or Cesar. But, 
you will admit it possible, that a coun- 
try may have many claims on our re- 
gard, nay, even on our admiration, 
without aspiring to the highest emi- 
nences of popular renown. Atleast, I 
hope to be able to convince you, in the 
course of our correspondence, that the 
pretensions, set up in this respect by 
the Welsh, have enough in them to in- 
terest the curiosity of the learned, if 
not also to overcome the obstinacy of 
the incredulous. 
Since this epistle, my dear Frank, 
is to be regarded as no more than in- 
troductory to such as may follow it, I 
will merely, in the sequel, supply you 
with an outline of my proposed plan, if 
indeed I may call that a plan, the chief 
characteristics of which will be the re- 
jection of every thing like formality. 
For, however indispensable the /uci- 
dus ordo of the poet may be to an epie 
poem or drama, I do not hold it by any 
means essential to a series of familiar 
Jetters, wherein the writer may be 
allowed to take up his topics as they 
are suggested by accident or inclina- 
tion. Besides, [ am satisfied that my 
letters will not be the less welcome to 
you, because they do not make their 
appearance in chains and trammels. 
The ancient literature of Wales (for 
it is that, without reference to mere 
modern productions, which I have so 
often endeavoured to recommend to 
your attention,) cannot be said, I ac- 
knowledge, to embrace all the varie- 
ties that distinguish the literature of 
other countries. It is, at all events, 
singularly deficientin productions of a 
philosophical, a dramatic, or a hu- 
mourous character, and can boast of 
but few works that_are not to be re- 
Mr. Tudor’s Letters on Wales. 
[Oct. “a 
ferred to the two grand distinctions of 
historical and poetical. In thesetwo 
branches, however, there are some re- 
mains of considerable antiquity, as 
well as many others of a more modern 
date, and most of them extremely in- 
teresting, and well worthy of a minute 
investigation, These, then, it is my 
intention occasionally to introduce to 
you, without regard to any chronolo- 
gical or other ceremonious arrange- 
ment that might be required, in a 
more regular treatise. By this means 
Lhope, if not to secure your suflrages 
to my cause, at least not to weary 
your patience by the monotony of the 
subject. 
Next to such speculations as are ofa 
more literary character, I would men- 
tion the notices, whether general 
or individual, relating to the an- 
cient history of this country, which 
have been transmitted to us by the 
early Welsh writers, and in common, 
in many instances, with the authors of 
other countries. It must, indeed, ap- 
pear almost incredible to sueh as are 
ignorant of our ancient remains, in 
how many cases they confirm the 
Greek and Roman histories, which 
have any reference to this island, and 
that too without the possibility of any. 
unfair collusion. I trust, therefore, 
my dear Frank, knowing, as I do, 
your attachment to historical re- 
searches, to be able to engage your cu- 
riosity on this point, at least ; since it 
cannot but be interesting to you to 
trace the degree of authenticity which 
your classical historians, and our 
mountain chroniclers, thus reflect on 
each other, if I may so speak without 
offence to your college partialities. 
The third and last general division 
which I would make of the subject, is 
the Welsh language, of which I think 
I have more than once heard you ex- 
press a favourable opinion, on account 
of some particular quality, though, 
without a critical knowledge of it, it 
must be impossible for any one to give 
itits duemerit. Even to those who are 
deeply versed in the most renowned 
tongues of antiquity, the varied facul- 
ties of the Welsh are scarcely con- 
ceivable, and are such, indeed, as 
would make me scrupulous of enu- 
* The Welsh Laws of Howell the Good, 
and the Mubinogion, or Juvenile Romances, 
are the two chief exceptions to this remark, 
and will be noticed in the progress of these 
Letters, 
merating 
