Baz Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
(Born 1580; and died, 1616. Barddas, I. lxxy.). On the other 
hand, the Welsh MSS. Society has followed the example of the 
author of the ‘‘ Hanes Cymru,” and have affixed the triradial group 
to their publications as a symbol of authentic significance ; and, 
indeed, if we are not to regard the late Edward Williams (Iolo 
Morganwg), either as a forger or as the dupe of forgers of an earlier 
date, there cannot be a doubt that the symbol was regarded as a 
primary feature of the old Bardic system at a much earlier period than 
that of Llewelyn Sion. Inthe collections of Mr. Williams, published 
by the Society under the title of the Jo/o SS. (Llandovery, 1848, 
text, p. 45; translation, p. 424), there is a piece purporting to have 
been copied by Williams from a MS. of Llewelyn Sion, purporting 
again to have been copied from Meyrick Davydd’s transcript of an old 
MS. in the library of Raglan Castle. The library of Raglan Castle 
was formed by William Earl of Pembroke, in 1590, and destroyed by 
fire in the time of Oliver Cromwell (Skene’s ‘‘ Four Books,” vol. i., 
p- 2). We must, therefore, take the tract on its own representation, 
which, to a mind unsuspicious of fraud, and averse from the facile but 
ignominious method of reconciling literary difficulties by gratuitous 
suggestions of forgery, bears the impress of an origin in ideas that were 
current at a very much earlier period than it will be necessary for us 
to explore in this investigation. The tract is entitled, ‘‘The Roll 
of Tradition and Chronology here,”’ evidently grounded on the doctrine 
of the Jogos, and commences by stating ‘‘ The announcement of the 
divine Name is the first event traditionally preserved ; and it occurred 
as follows: God, in vocalising His Name, said ye, and with the word 
all worlds and animations sprang co-instantaneously to being and life 
from their non-existence, shouting in ecstasy of joy, 7, and thus 
repeating the name of the Deity.’’ It proceeds to state that this name 
is not to be divulged orally, and goes on to give an account of the first 
institutions of Society, of the Bardic Order, and of the early progresses 
of the Cymri, where it breaks off abruptly, leaving no internal evidence 
beyond that of style and orthography from which to determine the 
date of its composition. 
We may now with advantage consider what further statements 
have been made respecting the method of symbolising the name of 
God, and whether anything else observable in the associated groups 
before us may be regarded as of significance in that connexion. I am 
now about to cite from another collection of further materials left 
by the late Edward Williams, published by the Welsh MSS. Society 
(Llandovery, 1862), and edited by the Rev. James Williams (ab Jthel), 
author of ‘ Ecclesiastical Antiquities of the Cymri.” It is entitled 
‘‘ Barddas,” and is stated by the Editor to consist almost wholly of com- 
positions of Llewelyn Sion, but the date or authorship will presently be 
seen to be of littlemoment. The principal tractate takes its commence- 
ment from the same primary group of three rays which we have been 
considering. It adds, however, a statement which cannot fail to excite a 
lively interest in connexion with the appearance of the vowel groups 
