206 
they have not met with any thing fimilar 
in certain languages familiar to themfelves, 
until a particular period, when the monks 
began to write their Latin rhymes.. I 
accidentally met with fome curious argu- 
ments on this point, by Malcolm Laing, 
efq. He fays, concerning rhyme, ‘* In 
Welfh poetry it was unknown to Gir. 
Cambrenjis in the twelfth century, a fuff- 
cient proof that the rhymes of Taliefin 
and the Welfh bards are a more recent 
forgery.” Hift. of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 436. 
This wonderful argument is fo conclufive, 
that it feems that the antiquity of our poetry 
is no longer to be credited, whatever evi- 
demce the manufcripts may afford to the 
contrary. What an ufelefs expence mutt 
the prefent undertaking of printing of 
them be, and what a pity the argument of 
Malcolm Laing, efq. was not known to 
the editors before they had begun fuch a 
publication ! 
This gentleman is a promifing difciple 
of Mr. Pinkerton, and feems intuitively 
to poffefs a complete knowledge of Welfh 
literature: for, fays he, ‘* there is no 
fpecies of verfification in the Welfh fimilar 
to the Earfe Offian of Macpherfon.”’ It 
would be curious to find out the means 
by which he came to know Girald. Cam- 
brenfis was ignorant of what was more 
prevalent then in Welfh poetry probably 
than in any other period, as may be 
fhewn even from MSS written in that 
time; and how he has become acquainted 
likewife with every fpecies of Welth ver- 
fification, fo as to have been enabled to pafs 
the fentence quoted above. But to re- 
turn 
In the hiftory of Welfh poetry, we find 
it very ftrongly marked with different 
charaéteriftics under various periods, with 
refpeé&t to ftyle and manner; but the 
greateft_ change by far took place towards 
the conclufion of the thirteenth century, 
owing to the altered ftate of our political 
condition: . for, after the event of our 
congueft, the patronage, under which for- 
merly the Bards flourifhed, gradually va- 
nifhed, and, confequently, the Mufe 
fought for new themes for the fong. From 
that epoch likewife the Welth language, 
then fo majefic and wonderfully copious, 
became neglected, and confequeutly all the 
compofitions, which were written in it 
afterwards, difcover a gradual decay of 
its powers and of its copioufnefs. 
I fhall now proceed to give a few ex- 
amples of various lengths of verfe, which 
will at the fame time afford fome idea of 
the language: 

. 4 Sketch of the Laws of Wel Verfification. [O&ober 1, 
The foort metricity. 
Minia mwynwen 
Jaith bér o’th ben! A.D. 16co. 
* Tender maid, exprefs {weet language 
from thy lips !” 
Am dy laned 
Barz tucanedy 
A grizvaned ' 
Gwrz ovynion ! 1420. 
‘That thou art fo beauteous,let the bard 
complain and let him figh his anxious 
wifhes !” 
The confined metricity. 
Ei deuruz dirion 
A gar y gwirion, 
A lla coed irion, 
Lie cadciriant. 1450. 
‘ Her charming countenance, the inno- 
cent doth love, and the inhabitants of the 
green woods, where they fpread them- 
{elves.” 
The unpliant metricity. 
Gwanwyn, ar dwyn ir do, 
Dien yw'n blodeuo. . 1580. 
‘ Spring, a green covering over the 
grove, how beautifully it blooms !” 
The fmooth metricity. 
Gwiail meinion a gyfonai, 
Hael Morvuz, merg vedyz Mai. 1340. 
‘ The tender plants fhe would entwine, 
generous Morvuz, the adopted daughter 
of May.” 
O galon a haelioni, 
O blaid, dos a’r bél i ti. 1430. 
‘Of heart. and of generofity, from the 
multitude, for thyfelf bear away the bell.” 
i 
Thisis one ofour heroic metres, and has 
been by far the moft popular of any, for 
thefe four centuries pait.. There have 
been two epic poems, of great merit, com- 
pofed in it lately: one of them is longer’ 
than the Paradife Loft. 
The even metricity: an heroic metre. 
Pan wnel Duw dangos ei varan, 
Dyzwyre dy daered arnan, 
Dycryn twrv torvoz yn eban, 
Dycyr¢e hynt, dycre gwynt gwaezvany 
Dycymmriw ton amliw am lan, 
Dycymmer uveliar bar ban 
Dycrys gwrys gwreés tanze allan. 31320. 
‘When God fhall reveal his prefence, the 
houfe of earth will be uplifted over us, 
the difmay of the uproar of contending 
multitudes will urge on the courfe, the 
flirill-voiced wind will be howling, the 
I wave 
