an extract of a declaration made by thofe refident near the capital, in conjunction with fome of the greater gentry, about two months before the return of the king* There are many other particulars which we had marked for obfervation in thefe tracts, but were obliged to pafs over, that we might bestow an attention upon the greater parts of the fubject, fomewhat lefs difproportioned to its confequence. These were-The inequality of old modes of defence, to a new fyftem of attack unprecedented in kind and force-the practicable means to improve the unity of action, of an alliance of many powers-the additional vigilance now necellary to every government, and the additional powers to be confided to fuch as are limited-the attempts which France may be expected to make to diffolve the coalition, by concluding a peace with fome, to fupport her anarchy with the plunder of others, until their turn thall come.-Much that is faid on each of these, and on fome other heads, we read with an approbation which our limits will not allow us fully to exprefs. To one or two points ou aflent was fufpended; but, as the main argument is totally independent of them, a particular difcuffion of these appeared unneceffarv. On the whole, these are the works of a man, who poffeffes a varied and extensive knowledge of the fubject, and its collateral branches; who reasons with force, and who knows how to rife, from the eafy level of a clear philofophical ftyle, when the fubject naturally calls for it, into energy and rapidity; or to vary it, fometimes, with images which illuftrate while they ornament his train of reafoning. The paffages occafionally transcribed from him will how this: though many other inftances, at leaft as appofite, might have been selected. It will be but a fmall draw-back from what is here faid, if we note one or two faults in the language of thefe pamphlets: the regicides of kings," is a phrafe, which could only through hafte have escaped the correction of a man who And becaufe the enemies of the public peace, have endeavoured to reprefent thofe of the king's party, as men implacable, and fuch as would facrifice the common good to their own private paffions; We do fincerely profefs, that we do reflect upon our paft-fufferings as from the hands of God, and therefore do not cherish any violent thoughts or inclinations, against thofe who have been any way's inftrumental in them; and if the indifpofition of any hot-fpirited perfons, tranfports them to expreffions contrary to this our fenfe, we utterly difclaim them; and defire, that the imputation may extend no further, than the folly of the offenders." Signed Peers 20. Knights 28, &c. writes to well: nor can we admit of profanity for profanehefs. A third remark of the fame kind was made, but has efcaped us, and is not of confequence enough for a long fearch. ART. IV. Mufical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards: preferved by tradition and authentic Manufcripts, from very remote antiquity; never before published. To the Bardic tunes are added variations for the Harp, Harpfichord, Violin, er Flute with a felect collection of the Pennillion and Englynion, or Epigrammatic Stanzas, poetical Blossoms, and pastoral Songs, of Wales, with English translations. Likewife a general hiftory of the Bards and Druids, from the earliest period to the preJent time; with an account of their Mufic and Poetry. To which is prefixed, a copious Differtation on the Musical Inftruments of the aboriginal Britons. Dedicated, by Permiffion, to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, by Edward Jones, Bard to the Prince. Native of Henblas, Llanddervel, Merionethshire. A new edition, doubly augmented and improved. Folio. pp. 123, Letter-prefs; the reft Mufic. l. 11s. 6d. For the Author, 122, Mount-street, Berkeley-fquare. 1794: THIS tribute of honour to the Bards of Wales reflects no little fhare upon its author; being executed with much spirit of research, and containing abundance of curious information. It appears alfo at prefent fo much augmented that we cannot omit producing fome fpecimens from it. As to its laft 60 pages, this publication is a book of Mufic, containing a collection of Welch tunes fet for the harpsichord, and, in many inftances, with the original words; not only exhibiting a larger number than that published by Mr. Parry, but in feveral refpects preferable. Even among the mufic we find valuable annotations interfperfed. At p. 128, for inftance, we meet with the very unexpected intelligence that "Hey down derry down," that popular burden to arious old fongs, which is generally fuppofed to be without meaning, is a genuine remnant of British language, and fignifies "Let us haften to the oaken grove," "Haidown ir deri danno," which was itself a common burden to Druidical fongs. The etymologift will alfo be pleafed, fhould he not have met with it before, with the derivation of Armorica, the Roman name for Britanny, which is faid to be British alfo, as certainly is most probable, and defcriptive of its fituation; Ar-y-mér-ucha (pronounced I 2 now now icha) "On the upper Sea." This derivation is at the opening of the historical part of the work; which, in its account of the Bards, their verfification, and their musical inftruments," is very interesting to the student in antiquity. The Bards were properly only the fecond clafs of Druids, who were divided into three orders. 1. The Derwydd or Druid. 2. The Bardd. 3. The Ovydd, or, as generally called by English writers, Ovade. Thefe are mentioned by Ammianus Marcellinus, xv. 9. under the name of "Bardos, Euhages, et Druidas." Their names are properly deduced by Mr. Jones from the British language. "Derwydd means the body of the Oak, and, by implication, the Man of the Oak; formed from Derw oak, and ydd, a termination of nouns; as Llywydd and Darllenydd; anfwering to the English terminations in Governor, Reader, and the like. "Bardd fignifies the Branching, or what fprings from; derived from Bár a branch, or the top; &c. 66 Ovydd implies the fapling, or unformed Plant; from ov raw, pure, and ydd above explained; but when applied to a perfon, Ovydd means a noviciate, (properly novice) or a holy one fet apart. "Thence it appears evident that Derwydd, Bardd, and Owydd were emblematical names of the three orders in the fystem of Druidifm, very fignificant of the particular function of each. The Derwydd was the trunk or fupport of the whole, whofe prerogative it was to form and prefide over rites and myfteries. The Bardd was the ramification from the trunk, arrayed in foliage, which made it confpicuous; whofe office was to record, and fing to the multitude the precepts of their religion. And the Ovydd was the young shoot growing up, enfuring a profpect of permanency to the facred Grove; he was confidered as a difciple, and confequently conducted the lightest and most trivial duties appertaining to the fpreading temple of the Oak. P..2. Mr. Jones rightly points out that Mafon, in Caractacus, has adopted this ancient diftinction of the three orders. Hav ing fpoken of the Arch-druid, he fays, Refide the fage Ovades :-3. Yonder grots But he places the Ovades before the Bards; and, indeed, by the epithet fage, feems to refer to the account of Marcellinus, who fays of them, "Euhages vero fcrutantes feriem et sublimia naturæ pandere conabantur." It appears that rhyme, in the British language, is as old as Poetry itself*, confequently, all the fpecimens here inferted are in rhyme. The first, which is a curious one, is in triplets: : every stanza ending with a fort of proverbial admonition, fuch as, Babblers from thy truft remove?" Nature beyond learning goes:" "Anger dwells not with the wife ;" but these precepts are in general fo little connected with the lines that introduce them, that we cannot much commend the art of the bard by whom they were formed. At page 13 Mr. Jones gives a chronological lift of the most celebrated British bards, and then fubjoins fome other fpecimens from their works. The first of thefe is from the Godedin, an heroic Poem of Aneurin, who flourished about the year 510. The imitation of Gray is given with it. The fecond is from Taliefin, imitated by the late Mr. Whitehead. Two other fpecimens from the works of this bard (who flourished about 540) are fubjoined; and then we come to Prince Llywarch Hên, or Llywarch the aged, which title he well deferved, if we may believe that he lived to the extraordinary age of near 150. He died about 634. A verfion of fome ftanzas from his Lamentations being now first inserted, we shall give a part of them to our readers. They are full of poetical fire and imagery. "Hark! the cuckow's plaintive note, And there with mournful founds and low, To roufe the brethren of the war : Monarch of an hundred isles, And Snowdon from his awful height, His hoar head waves propitious to the fight. * P. 23. Whether the Poet Laureat or his brother is not faid. But But I no more in youthful pride, Hark! how the fongfters of the vale And the hollow midnight blast, In the adamantine chain Of terror?-hark! it howls again. Thefe folemn exclamations introduce the lamentations of Llywarch for the lofs of twenty-four fons flain in battle; but the poem being longer than we can conveniently infert, we muft refer our readers to the book for the remainder. This fpirited imitation is by a Mr. Francis Percival Eliot, of Shenftone Mofs, near Litchfield, who fent it to the Editor. We learn from a note on this part, that all the works now extant of Prince Llywarch Hên will foon appear, with a literal tranflation and notes, in the fecond volume of this work. They were to have been published by the late Rev. Mr. J. Walters, of Jefus College, Oxon, a friend and able affistant of Mr. Jones, As we cannot attempt to give a full account of the various matter here prefented to the public, we must now conclude by recommending the work to the lovers of Poetry, Mufic, and the ancient British language. ART. |