the Poems on Elphin-and his His rical Elegies.

In selecting the above, I do not mean insinuate that some others, which are ribed to these authors, may not be genulikewise. I am satisfied that some are genuine, and that some have been interated. There are several others, however, ecially of Taliesin, which may be gene. But I conceive that the question ich presses is, not whether this or that em is to be accredited, because a simpler estigation of its evidences might determe that, if a given number had been ally admitted, but whether there are any ich ought to be placed in an age so early. prevailing scepticism denies that there any genuine poems of the sixth century ant. It asserts, that every Welch poem, erred by Welchmen to this ancient period, 1 factitious composition of the twelfth or cceeding century. My duty, therefore, if attempt to impugn this scepticism, is to w that there are genuine works of the h century now in existence. I adduce poems above selected as such. If my iments are successful as to these poems, a any others may be added to the accred number, which judicious and learned icism shall allow to be genuine, after due sideration.

Now of the Godolin, I have mentioned, 1, until very lately, a MS. of it was in Hengurt library, which seemed to be of hand-writing of the twelfth century. I informed that it was in hand-writing I appearance very similar to the book of liesin, which is yet in the library, and y be seen by any one. A complete transt of the Godolin was made by Mr. aghan, in the time of Charles the first, Imany copies of it, of various dates, exist Welch collections.

The poems of Llywareh-Hên, above ntioned, are in the black book of Caerathen, and in the red book of Hergest. ey are a part of Mr. Vaughan's transcript, d of others.

"The Avallenau of Merdhin is in the ek book of Caermarthen, with others that 1 ascribed to him. It is in sir Hugh Penat's transcript, made in the time of Henry eighth, in the Kutta Kyvaruydh, and in her transcripts.

"Of Taliesin, the dialogue with Merdhin, graves of the warriors, and a few others, in the black book of Caermarthen. Most those, which I have mentioned to be his, e with others in the MS. called the book Taliesin, in the Hengurt library, which placed in the twelfth century, or nearly Some are in the red book of Hergest, d all are in Mr. Vaughan's transcript, and any in y Kutta Kyvaruydk.

"What other ancient MSS. of any of the works of these bards, are in the Maccleseid, or other collections, I cannot state, ecause I am not informed. But I conceive, ANN. REV. VOL. II.

that from the above statement, I am authorized to affirm, that there are MSS. of poems of these four bards now extant, which were written in or before the twelfth century. I will confirm this assertion by shewing, 2ndly, That these poems, or some of them, and their authors, have been mentioned or alluded to by a series of bards, whose works still exist undisputed, from before the twelfth century to a recent period."

fence in great detail, and with great Mr. Turner proceeds through his dethe language of the poems, we cannot success. Of those proofs deducible from judge; the persons mentioned, and the ideas brought forward, may well have been familiar at the time in question; the talent necessary to forge poems so probable, would have secured poems superior; the inexplicability of many allusions, especially in Taliesin, throw back the compositions to a period which it must be highly interesting to illustrate and to decypher. Let us suppose that to Llywarch are ascribed poems, too remote in their chronology to have been written by one man, unless a patriarchal longevity be attributed to him; this would only render the existence of two fession of bard, in the case of Taliesin, or three Llywarchs probable. The prowas also hereditary. The ode to the cuckoo has a something not antique about it: so has the ode to the rose in Anacreon. Yet who disputes the ge nuineness of the earlier simpler songs, because a polished, finished, elaborate, exquisite one happens to be attached.

bards call the English, both Eingl, that It has been objected that these Welsh is Angles, Sarson, that is Saxons, and Allmyn, that is Alemanni, at a time when the Anglo-Saxons were so newly imported, that they could not yet have imposed their name on the nations at Alemanni were restricted to the neighwar with the Welch, and when the bourhood of Switzerland. It is, however, by no means clear that these denominations were first introduced with Hengist and Horsa, who indeed were leaders of the Jutes. There must have been an extensive gothic population in the country, long before this pretended importation of the gothic race; and it is not unlikely that Angles and Saxons were resorted to as defenders against the Picts, because Angies and Saxons were the tribes to be defended. Nor is it unlikely that any and every army, indiscrinately recruited among the gothic na

L 1

"We cannot avoid recollecting here, that the great druidical temples of Stone and Avebury, the smaller remains in Cornwall, that formerly in Jersey, now remo Lord Conway's park, and others, exhibit circles of stones, as the essential formu

+Cythraul is the British name for the devil; it means the destroying princi may have been derived from the ancient mythology of the nation: I have thereto

"Obryn literally means, "something nearly equivalent." It therefore implie graded transmigration adequate to the fault committed.

This literally means a corresponding animal,' or a transmigration into seni "The book of bardism, containing these tenets, has not yet been printed. 1. it will appear in the fourth volume of the Welch Archaiology. But copious extras

"He may visit again the scenes of humanity for his pleasure, but cannot incur any moral depravity.

Such is the bardic doctrine of transmigration, as it appears in the book of bardism, How far it transmits the tenets of the druids on this subject, or what modifications christianity introduced, cannot now be ascertained. By recollecting this doctrine of transmigrations, we may understand many passages of Taliesin. His Hanes Taliesin is recital of his pretended transmigrations; and when we read in his other poems, that he has been in various shapes, as a serpent, a wild sow, a buck, or a crane, and such like, we must call to mind, that those scenes of existence in Abred, which were between Annwn and humanity, were the changes of being in the bodies of different animals. One great privilege of the being, who was far advanced in his progression to the circle of felicity, was to remember all the states through which he had passed. Taliesin seems have been eager to establish his claims to uch a successful probation. He is perpeaally telling us what he has been. Oblivion as one of the courses of Abred; the recotry of memory was a proof that Drwg and ythraul began to be overcome. Taliesin erefore as profusely boasts of his recovered miniscerce, as any modern sectary can do his grace and election.

"There is so much of Taliesin's poetry hich no one can understand, that I cannot place him, in point of intrinsic merit, low the other bards, although, in the esnation of his countrymen, he seems to ve been ranked in a superior class."

We can not but wish that this book d been accompanied with an appendix, ntaining a complete copy of the poems dicated. It is natural to expect in ales the reliques of a high degree of ture and information. In imitation Eritain, and in concert with it, Arnca, the north-west corner of Gaul, cared, about the year 410, the revolt

of Constantine against the Roman emperor Honorius; but it did not resume on the death of the rebel its ancient allegiance. Under a constitution, in which the clergy, the nobility, and the citycorporations had all a formal influence, it continued in a state of independence until Charlemayne. The titular sovereignty of Clovis, who, by an opportune conversion to christianity, obtained the voluntary submission of the Armoricans, encroached so little on the real franchises of the burghers, that neither he nor his royal successors rivalled in power the metropolitan mayors, The conduct of the independent British was similar. First they hired the protection of the gothic stragglers; next they conferred a limited and local sovereignty; and finally they submitted wholly to the sway of the barbarian intruders: a re volution which may be considered as completed throughout this island, with the exception of a few Welsh mountains, under-Offa, the correspondent of Charlemayne. During this interval of Armorican independence, and by the users of the Welch language, was laid the in the civilization of modern Europe. ground-work of all that is most peculiar A curious dissertation on this topic occurs in the Monthly Magazine (vol ix. p. 4), but the author has omitted to enquire whether heraldry, and the architecture called gothic, are not as unques. tionably of Armorican or Cimmerian origin, as romance, rime, and chivalry. Let us hope the Welch antiquaries will not neglect the illustration of all these topics; and that the Mabinogi, or ro mances, will especially be communicated without abbreviation of any kind, and with all their instructive imperfections on their head.

1. II. Ancient English Romances, selected and published by JOSEPH RITSON. 8vo. 3 vols.

THE age of Pope has been called the stan age of English literature, with propriety indeed than they who wed upon it the appellation were re; for as the age of Augustus was :that of Lucretius and Catullus, and st and Cicero, so had the great men gland passed away before a French

school was established in the country, of Shakespere, and Spenser, and Milton. One remarkable characteristic of this school is, their total want of all due sense and feeling of their predecessors' excellence. When Spenser and Milton mention the great poets of their own country, it is delightful to observe with what love

be found at the end of the second volume of Mr. Edward Williams's poems, with tions. I cannot speak of this gentleman, without mentioning his talents with high , nor without recommending him earnestly to the attention of his wealthy co1. lis age enforces the claims of his genius.

Wyf sarph, p. 27-bum hwch-bum banwch-bum garan, p. 44.

66

But the publication of the Reliques of Antient Poetry, must be regarded as the great poetical epoch of the present reign. That Percy has been an unfaithful editor is certain; it is equally certain, that a crupulous fidelity would have prevented he popularity of his book, and the excelent effects which it has produced. There sisted no taste for such antiquities in be country at that time; and to him, as he founder or reviver of that taste, we Jay apply, with little wresting of its purort, the delightful praise designed for he ideal character of the poet, by Sir hilip Sidney; " for he doth not only hew the way, but giveth so sweet a prosect into the way, as will entice any man > enter into it; nay, he doth, as if your urney should be through a fair vineard, at the first give you a cluster of rapes, that full of that taste you may ng to pass further. He beginneth not th obscure definitions, which must arre the margent with interpretations, d load the memory with doubtfuls; but he cometh to you with words in delightful proportion, either acnpanied with, or prepared for the well hanting skill of music, and with a tale rsooth) he cometh unto you, with a which holdeth children from play, Hold men from the chimney corner. Old English poetry now became a fawrite branch of literature. The numof imitations which were contained Evans's collection of ballads, evinced ✓ deep an interest had been excited by Reliques. Several of our middle poets were now published by Daa useful and respectable bookseller, se name deserves this honourable tion; and poor Headley made his tions, even in his last sickness: tent to rescue some neglected rime, e blooming from the mournful waste of time;

tull each scattered sweet, that seemed to

smile

flowers upon some long forsaken pile." Bowles.

more important task was undera by Thomas Warton; but like Jorthough he loved literature well enough elight in collecting materials, he loved dence too well to take the trouble of aging them. He prosecuted his hisas a dog takes a journey, starting e to pursue chance game, and runhimself out of breath without ad

It is perhaps scarcely necessary to remark the death of Mr. Ritson. Edit.

vancing, till he tired himself, and lay down to sleep upon the way. He is of ten inaccurate, sometimes hypothetical" in his opinions, and sometimes capricious in his taste; yet his book contains much amusing information, and will be read with interest, and consulted with advantage.

Mr. Ellis has prefixed to his specimens of the early English poets, a history in every respect better, except in its brevity. In this he earnestly recommended the publication of some of our metrical romances, and such a work has now been executed by Mr. Ritson, of all men living the best qualified for the task, and the most trust-worthy.*

"This collection, then, of Ancient Engleish Metrical Romancees consists of such pieces as, from a pretty general acquaintance, have been selected for the best. Every article is derive'd from some ancient manuscript, or old printed copy, of the authenticity of which the reader has all possible satisfaction; and is printed with an accuracy, and adhe rence to the original, of which the publick has had very few examples. The utmost care hath been observe'd in the glossary, and every necessary or useful information (to the best of the editours judgement) is giveën in the

notes.

Brought to an end with much industry and more attention, in a continue'd state of il-health, and low spirits, the editour abandons it to general cenure, with cold indifference, expecting little favour, and less profit; but certain, at any rate, to be insulted by the malignant and calumnious personalitys of a base and prostitute gang of lurking assassins, who stab in the dark, and whose poisone'd daggers he has allready experience'd.

Mr. Ritson can feel, and confess that he feels, the malignity of others. The lot of Ishmael may be hard; but if he will lift his hand against every man, he must expect that every man's hand will be against him. The laudable and conscientious accuracy of this editor is well known; his Antient Songs, his edition of Laurence Minot, and his Robin Hood, with his other publications of a like nature have sufficiently evinced it. The unhappy infirmity of his temper is also known. The offensive virulence with which he insults those from whom he piffers in opinion, and the more offensive fanaticism with which he has obtruded upon the public his hideous and hateful blasphemies. We speak thus of Mr. Rit son with more pity than indignation; la menting that a man of such patient rethat this article was received by the editor be

13