56 THE BRITISH ISLES. 



education. Their principality, together with the neighbouring county of 

 Lancashire, exhibits the bhickost tint on a map showing the state of illiteracy.* 



"Welsh, though a guttural language, is nevertheless full of harmony. Its chief 

 feature consists in the mutation of certain consonants at the beginning of words, 

 and it bears a greater resemblance to the Breton of Armorica and ancient Cornish 

 than to the Gaelic spoken in Scotland and Ireland.! The language is in a better 

 state of preservation than Breton, and boasts of a literature incomparably richer. 

 Theological works occupy a prominent place, and it is probably owing to the zeal 

 of preachers bent upon the saving of souls that Welsh has not fallen into 

 disuse.* The first Welsh book was printed in 1546. This was merely an 

 almanac, but it was succeeded, in the following year, by the first English- AVelsh 

 dictionary. During the present century Welsh literature has been enriched with 

 periodical publications, journals, and reviews, besides numerous popular songs and 

 tales discovered in the libraries of the country. But many other precious documents, 

 still hidden away in libraries, ought to be published, for it was from Wales that 

 mediaîval Europe received the traditions and poems of Arthur's Round Table. 

 The study of ancient Welsh is now pursued by many savants, and not only brings 

 to light literary fragments of high value, but also exercises an important influence 

 upon the studv of other Celtic languages, including even those which survive 

 only in the names of places. As "to the Welsh themselves, they have an abiding 

 love for their ancient language, and cling to it with great tenacity. The 

 eistechlfodau, or musical and literary meetings, which have taken the place of 

 the ancient gorsedd, or court of justice, held by the Druids, are highly popular. 

 Tradition names King Arthur — magician, priest, and king — as having instituted 

 these meeting, and awarded prizes to the best players on the telyn, or Welsh 

 harp. Even now the victorious bards, musicians, and singers are frequently 

 crowned in his name, and the president, standing upon a cromlech, still opens 

 the proceedings by pronouncing the time-honoured and noble formula of " The 

 Truth against the World." § So great is the love which the Welshman bears his 

 mother tongue, that these eisteddfodau are held not in Wales only, where the 

 language is spoken by over 900,000 persons, II but also at Birkenhead, in the 



* Lord Aberdare, at the Eisteddfod of Birkenhead, in 1878. 



t Latham, "Ethnology of the British Islands." 



X H. Gaidoz, Revue des Deux-Mondes, May 1st, 1876. 



§ Alfred Emy et Henri Martin, " Tour du monde," t. xv. 1867. 



Il Geoguaphical Distribution of the Welsh-speaking Population of "Wales. 



Persons 



Districts in which Welsh is spoken by 

 a majority ..... 



Districts in which it ia spoken by 25 

 to 50 per cent. .... 



Districts in which it is spoken by less 

 than 25 per cent, of the in- 

 habitants .... 



Total 



(E. G. Ravenstein, Journal Statistical Society, 1879.) 



