THE CORNISH LANGUAGE. 
233 
As to the irregular verbs, Mr. Norris worked out a long list of 
them, which students may consider at leisure. 
Of the indeclinable parts of speech I shall confine myself to a 
few remarks. 
(1) The one is the adverb bras = very, still used in brave, or 
bravish. 
(2) The conjugation hag seems to linger in pedn-ha-meam, the 
game of heads and tails. This ha or liag is from the same origin. 
(3) The interjection Avec for Eafana Ea Maria, m becoming v 
by mutation. It originally was a mediaeval oath — " By Mary." 
The question will naturally arise, " How can you venture to give 
such details of the minute grammatical inflexions of an extinct 
barbarous tongue, utterly despised while it lived, and which died 
from the sheer contempt with which it was treated?" Had there 
been no literature in Cornish this would have been impossible ; but 
as a matter of fact a small literature does exist, not quite devoid, to 
my mind, of intrinsic merit, though peculiar in character. 
The Cornish literature with which we are familiar is for the 
most part (i.e. three-quarters at least of it) composed of that which 
is at present the most despised form of literature in the county ; 
i.e. dramatic poetry. 
The ancient dramas were — 
A. The Scriptural Dramas : 1. " The Origo Mundi." 2. " The 
Passion" (seemingly the most popular). 3. " The Resurrection." 
4. " Death of Pilate." 5. " Ascension." 
B. The " Berinans Meriasek," the last discovered Cornish drama, 
relates to a local subject; i.e. to the legend of St. Meriasek and 
Constantine, and the last struggle between Christianity and 
heathenism. The only MS. extant was discovered in 1869 among 
the Hengwrt MSS. in Wales, and has been published by Mr. W. 
Stokes. 
C. "The Creacon of Jordan," the last drama of Old Cornish, 
adapted from the mediaeval dramas, but with an evident post- 
Reformation tone, written by Jordan in 1611 • i.e. under James I. 
In addition to these we have — 
1. "Mount Calvary," the national epic. 
2. A Cornish Latin vocabulary, apparently to teach Cornish 
boys Latin, possibly the oldest remains in the language. 
3. A Song. 
4. The story of John of St. Levan, given by Pryce. 
