Part 13

And they are represented as exciting war and tumult on the borders of this fair isle, and its beautiful towns and cities; and it appears evidently from this poem, that the first inhabitants were _Gwyddyl_ or Celts, which circumstance Mr. Llwyd and others have proved most satisfactorily, from the names of mountains, rivers, &c. But by the word _Gwyddyl_ Taliesin must, by no means, be understood to mean the modern Irish; for their language at present contains a very considerable mixture of Cantabrian and Spanish, and differs very materially from the ancient genuine Celtic and British, which clearly appears from the writings of the old bards, and the ancient British Proverbs. For, if any person were vain enough to suppose, that he could discover the meaning of some of our obsolete British words, by consulting an Irish Dictionary, he would soon find himself woefully disappointed, and I am clearly of opinion, that the ancient genuine Celtic dialect had a very near affinity to the old Welsh or British. I believe, that the persons, denominated _Gwyddyl_ by Taliesin, were genuine Celtae, and inhabited this island previous to the arrival of the Britons, and probably soon after the general deluge, and that these Celtae were the progeny of the Titans; for the Curetes and Corybantes, who were their princes and nobles, are clearly identified with the _Cowri_ of the British history, written by Tyssilio (the bishop), which Geoffrey of Monmouth has very improperly translated _Giants_. And this blunder of his has been the source of endless mistakes; for the word _Cowri_ evidently means princes, generals, nobles, or persons of great eminence. The Curetes are therefore our _Cowri_; and the Corybantes (i.e. _Cowri-Bann_) were princes or persons of great eminence, as the expression denotes; and, what is still more to our purpose, the word gwyddyl also implies any thing conspicuous, and is nearly synonymous with _Cowri_, which is the usual term, even to the present day, to designate persons of uncommon stature or great bodily strength. The Curetes, therefore, were evidently our Cowri, and the Corybantes (i.e. _Cowri-Bann_) imply princes or leaders, or persons of the most eminent rank and consequence: and, in order to corroborate this assertion, it may be observed here, that there is a very high mountain near Towyn, in the county of Merioneth, which, to this day, bears the name of _Gwyddyl Fynydd_; and the highest peak or summit of Snowdon, is denominated _Yr Wyddfa_, (i.e. the highest eminence or the most conspicuous,) and by the common people, even at this time, is known by no other name. And _Gwydd Grug_ means a high hill, or eminence; _Gwydd Fryniau_, high banks; and _Trum Gwydd_, the ridge of a mountain; and many others, which it would be tedious and useless to enumerate. And it may also be observed here, that the [Greek text] and [Greek text] of the Greeks, and the _Celtae _and _Galli_, of the Latins, appear to me to bear no other import. For _Gallt_ and _Allt_ are clearly synonymous with _Gwyddel_, and denote any thing high or eminent, though the word _Gallt_ is, at present, restricted to designate the steep ascent of a hill, or a declivity; but, that the word Gallt was anciently used to denominate high mountains may be justly inferred from the word _Alps_, which is evidently composed of two Celtic words, Gallt-ban, or pen, i.e. Allt-ban, Al-pen, or Alpine, which commutation or change of initial letters will appear easy to any person acquainted with the British language, and perfectly justified by the rules of grammar, as the mutations of radical letters in Welsh are well known to be nearly endless. It would not be difficult to prove, that the ancient Britons are descendants of the Celtae, and a close connection and affinity may be traced between their language not with the ancient Celtic only but also with the Greek; and, it is at the same time very evident, that their dialect differed materially from that of the aboriginal inhabitants of this island, and whom on that account they denominated _Gaillt_ and _Gwyddyl_. The British language retains to this day many words purely Greek, such as _Haul_, [Greek text], the sun, _Dwfr_, [Greek text], water, and many others, which have been pointed out some time by the learned _Pezron_. But, that the Britons had other words of the same import purely Celtic may be proved from the works of the ancient bards; for _huan_ is made use of by Iorwerth Vychan, and many other bards, to signify the _sun_,--

Llewyrch ebyr myr, morfeydd dylan; Pan lewych _huan_ ar fann fynydd.

_Iorwerth Vychan_.

Coruscatio portuum aquarum, et paludum marinarum; Cum sol splendet ab excelso monte.

And the old bard, _Avan Verddig_, in his elegy on the death of Cadwallon, the son of Cadvan, makes use of _ber_ for water, instead of _dwr_ or _dwfr_.

"Goluchav glew, hael, hilig Nav Ner, Aded gynt, ettiynt, hyd yn _irfer_ hallt."

_Avan Verddig_.

Exorabo potentem et liberalem Dominum Creatorem, Iverunt ad madidam aquam salsam.

And from hence it is manifest, that _huan_ and _ber_ are two ancient Celtic words; but, if any one were to consult an Irish lexicon in hopes of finding the expressions, he would be disappointed; yet he may discover _bir_ among the obsolete words in that language. The names of moors, meadows, and rivers, in different parts of Wales, may also be produced as an additional evidence that _ber_ and _mer_ originally signified water,--for instance, _Bereu Derwenydd_, near Snowdon, _Castell y Berau_, in Llanfihangel y Pennant, in Merionethshire, where many mountain torrents meet. _Aber_, a confluence, seems also to justify this opinion, and _inver_, in the Erse dialect.

A TRANSLATION OF CYWYDD MARWNAD LLEUCU LLWYD, BY LLEWELYN GOCH AT MEIRIG HEN. (A BARD OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.)

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AN ELEGY, TO THE MEMORY OF LLEUCU LLWYD, THE FAIR NYMPH OF PENNAL.

_Lleucu Llwyd_, _a great beauty_, _was a native of Pennal_, _in Comit. Meirion_; _she was greatly beloved by Llewelyn Goch ap Meirig Hen o Nannau_, _and died when he was gone on a journey to South Wales_; _upon his return_, _he composed this Elegy_; _which is a master-piece in its kind_.

"_Llyma haf llwm i hoew-fardd_, _A llyma fyd llwm i fardd_;" &c.

Lo, to the jocund Bard, here's a barren summer; to the Bard the world is desolate.

How is Venedotia bereft of its bright luminary? How its heaven is enveloped with darkness, ever since the full moon of beauty has been laid in the silent tomb! Mournful deed! a lovely Fair, in the oaken chest; my speech can find no utterance since thou art gone, O thou of shape divine! Lamp of Venedotia; how long hast thou been confined in the gloomy grave! Arise, thou that art dearer to me than life; open the dismal door of thine earthly cell! Leave, O fair one, thy sandy bed; shine upon the face of thy lover. Here by the tomb, generous maid of noble descent, stands one whose mirthful days are past, whose countenance is pale with the loss of thee; even Llewelyn Goch, the celebrater of thy praise, pining for the love of thee, helpless and forlorn, unequal to the task of song.

I heard, O thou that art confined in the deep and dismal grave, nought out of thy lips but truth, my speechless Fair! Nought, O thou of stately growth, fairest of virgins fair! But thou hadst promised, now unfeeling to the pangs of love, to stay till I came from South Wales; lovely silk-shrouded maid! The false Destinies snatched thee out of my sight; it nought concerns me to be exposed to the stormy winds, since the agreement between thee and pensive me is void! Thou! thou! lovely maid, wert true; I, even I was false; and now fruitlessly bemoan! From henceforth I will bid adieu to fair Venedotia. It concerns me not whither I go. I must forego my native soil for a virtuous maid, where it were my happiness to live, were she alive! O thou whose angelic face was become a proverb; thy beauty is laid low in the lonesome tomb! The whole world without thee is nothing, such anguish do I suffer! I, thy pensive Bard, ramble in distress, bewailing the loss of thee, illustrious maid! Where, O where shall I see thee, thou of form divine, bright as the full moon! Is it on the Mount of Olives, loveliest of women? Ovid's love was nothing in comparison of mine, lovely Lleucu; thy form was worthy of heaven, and my voice hath failed in invoking thy name. Alas! woe is me, fair maid of Pennal. It sounded as a dream to me, to hear that thy charms were laid in the dust; and those lips which I oft have praised, excelled the utmost efforts of my Muse. O my soul, whiter than the foam of the rapid streams, my love, I have now the heavy task of composing thy Elegy.

Lovely virgin! How are thy bright shining eyes closed in everlasting sleep in the stony tomb! Arise to thy pensive Bard, who can smile no more, were he possessed of a kingdom; arise in thy silken vest, lift up thy countenance from the dismal grave!

I tell no untruth, my feet are benumbed by walking around thy dwelling place, O Lleucu Llwyd, where heretofore, bright lamp of Venedotia, I was wont to celebrate thy beauty in fine flowing verse, where I was wont to be merry in praising thy delicate hand and tapering fingers, ornamented with rings of gold, lovely Lleucu, delicate sweet-tempered Lleucu! Thou wert far more precious than reliques to me! The soul of the darling of Meirionydd is gone up to God, its original Author, and her fair corpse is deposited in the sanctuary of holy ground, far, far from me in the silent tomb! The treasure of the world is left in the custody of a haughty black man. Longing and melancholy dirges are the portion of my lot. I lament with faltering accents over the lovely Lleucu! whiter than the flakes of riven snow. Yesterday I poured down my cheeks showers of tears over thy tomb. The fountains of my head are dry, my eyes are strangers to sleep, since thou art gone; thou fair-formed speechless maid hast not deigned to answer thy weeping Bard. How I lament, alas, that earth and stones should cover thy lovely face; alas that the tomb should be made so fast, that dust should ever cover the paragon of beauty, that stony walls and coffin should separate thee and me, that the earth should lock thee fast in her bosom, that a shroud should enclose a beauty that rivalled the dawn of the morn; alas that strong doors, bolts, and stately locks should divide us for ever!

EVAN EVANS, alias IEUAN PRYDYDD HIR.

CWYDD MARWNAD LLEUCU LLWYD.

Lleucu Llwyd ydoedd rian rinweddol, nodedig am ei glendid a'i phrydferthwch, yn byw yn Mhennal, ar lan yr afon Dyfi, oddeutu pedair milltir o Aberdyfi, ar ffordd Machynlleth, yn y 14eg canrif. Cerid hi a chariad pur gan LLEWELYN GOCH AP MEIRIG HEN, o'r Nannan, gerllaw Dolgellau. Ond nid oedd ei thad mewn un modd yn foddlawn i'r garwriaeth, ac achubai bob cyfle i yru annghariad rhwng Lleueu a Llewelyn. Un tro, dygwyddodd i Lewelyn Goch fyned ar daith i'r Deheubarth, a daeth ei thad at Lleucu, adywedodd wrthi, er mwyn diddyfnu ei serch oddiar y bardd, fod Llewelyn wedi ymbriodi yno a merch arall. Pan glywodd Leucu yr ymadrodd byn, hi a syrtbiodd mewn llewyg, ac a drengodd yn y fan! Dychwelodd Llewelyn adref; ac ofer ceisio darlunio ei deimladau pan ddeallodd fod hyfrydwch ei lygaid wedi huno yn yr angau; a than ei deimladau cyffrous ar yr achlysur, efe a gyfansoddod yr alarnad ganlynol, am yr hon, er holl gloffrwymau'r gynghanedd gaeth, y gellir dywedyd, megys y dywedodd Daniel Ddu am alargwyn Burns ar farwolaeth ei _Highland Mary_, mai cerdd ydyw a fydd byw nes bo i holl dyrau, dawn syrthio i lynclya annghof tragwyddol.

Yr oedd yr anffodus Lewelyn Goch yn fardd penigamp yn ei ddydd; a chyfrifir ei fod yn ei flodau o'r flwyddyn 1330 i 1370. Argraffwyd chwech o'i gyfansoddiadau yn y gyfrol gyntaf o'r _Myfyrian Archaiology of Wales_; ac y mae amryw o bonynt yn aros hyd yn hyn mewn llawysgrifen heb weled goleuni dydd. Nid ydys yn gwybod fod yr alarnad a ganlyn wedi ei bargraffu erioed o'r blaen. Y mae yn ein meddiant gyfieithiad Saesonig o honi mewn rhyddiaeth, o waith Ieuan Brydydd Hir; ac efelychiad o fesur cerdd, yn yr un iaith, o waith y diweddar Risiart Llwyd, Bardd Eryri. Ysgrifenwyd marwnad Llewelyn Goch ei hun gan Iolo Goch.

Y mae, neu o leiaf yr oedd, caead arch un Lleucu Llwyd, yr hon a fu farw yn y flwyddyn 1402, i'w weled yn Eglwys Llaneurgain, yn ar Fflint; ond nid ymddengys mai Lleucu Llwyd o Bennal yw y rhian a goffeir yno. Yr oedd Lleucu Llwyd Llaneurgain yn ferch i Rys ab Rhobert, o'r Cinmael, ac yn wraig i Hywel ab Tudur, o'r Llys, ynmhlwyf Llaneurgain, ac yn nith i'r bardd Dafydd Ddu o Hiraddug. Hywel ab Tudur ydoedd un o henafiaid y teuluoedd presenol sy'n dwyn yr enw _Mostyn_.

Y mae _Llewelyn a Lleucu_, yn gystal testyn cerdd a _Romeo and Juliet_; ond, pa le mae'r Shacspear Cymraeg i ysgrifenu trychwawd arno?--_Y Brython_.

Llyma haf llwm i hoew-fardd, A llyma fyd llwm i fardd! Nid oes yng Ngwynedd heddiw, Na lloer, na llewyrch, na lliw, Er pan rodded--trwydded trwch-- Dan lawr dygn dyn loer degwch. Y ferch wen o'r dderw brenol, Arfaeth ddig yw'r fau o'th ol! Cain ei llun, canwyll Wynedd, Cyd bych o fewn caead bedd! F' enaid! cyfod i fynu, Agor y ddaiar-ddor ddu! Gwrthod wely tyfod hir, A gwrtheb f' wyneb, feinir! Mae yma, hoewdra hydraul, Uwch dy fedd, hoew annedd haul, Wr llwm ei wyneb hebod, Llewelyn Goch, gloch dy glod; Yn cynnal, hyd tra canwyf, Cariad amddifad ydd wyf;-- Ud-fardd yn rhodio adfyd O Dduw gwyn! hyd hyn o hyd. Myfi, fun fwyfwy fonedd, Echdoe a fum uwch dy fedd, Yn gollwng deigr lled eigr-braff Ar hyd fy wyneb yn rhaff: Tithau, harddlun y fun fud, O'r tew-bwll ni'm hatebud! Tawedawg ddwysawg ddiserch, Ti addawsud, y fud ferch, Fwyn dy sud fando sidan, Fy aros, ddyn loew-dlos lan, Oni ddelwn, gwn y gwir, Er dy hud, o'r Deheudir, Ni chigle, sythle saeth-lud, Air na bai wir, feinir fud, Iawn-dwf rhianaidd Indeg, Onid hyn o'th eneu teg. Trais mawr! ac ni'm tawr i ti! Toraiat ammod, trist imi, Tydi sydd yn y gwydd gwan Ar y gwir, ddyn deg eirian! Minnau sydd uthrydd athrist Ar y celwydd--tramgwydd trist! Celwyddawg iawn, cul weddi, Celwydd lais a soniais i. Mi af o Wynedd heddyw, Ni'm dawr ba faenawr i fyw: Fy myn foneddig ddigawn, Duw'n fach, petid iach nid awn! P'le caf, ni'm doraf dioer, Dy weled, wendw' wiw-loer? Ar fynydd--sathr Ofydd serch-- Olifer, yn oleu-ferch. F' enaid yno a'n fynych, O'th wela', ddyn wiwdda wych. Lleucu deg waneg wiwnef! Llwyr y dyhaeraist fy llef; A genais, llygorn Gwynedd! Eiriau gwawd i eiry 'i gwedd, O'r geneu yn organawl, A ganaf, tra fyddaf, fawl. F' enaid hoen geirw afonydd! Fy nghaniad dy farwnad fydd. Lliw-galch rian oleugain, Rhy gysgadur o'r mur main! Rhiain fain, rhy anfynych Y'th wela'; ddyn wiwdda wych. Cyfod i orphen cyfedd, I edrych a fynych fedd; At dy fardd ni chwardd ychwaith, Erot, dal euraid dalaith! Dyred, ffion ei deurudd, I fyny o'r pridd-dy prudd! Anial yw f' ol, canmoleg, Nid twym yw fy neudroed teg, Yn bwhwman gan annwyd Cylch drws dy dy, Lleucu Llwyd! A genais, lygorn Gwynedd, O eiriau gwawd i eiry 'i gwedd, Llef dri-och, llaw fodrwy-aur, Lleucu! llawenu lliw aur. Cymhenaidd, groew, loew Leucu! Ei chymmyn, f' anwyl-fun, fu Ei henaid, grair gwlad Feiriawn, I Dduw Dad--addewid iawn; A'i mein-gorff, eiliw'r mangant, Meinir, i gyssegr-dir sant: Dyn pell-gwyn doniau peill-galch, A da byd i'r gwr du balch; A'r hiraeth, cywyddiaeth cawdd, I minnau a'i cymmynawdd. Lleddf ddeddf ddeuddaint ogyfuwch, Lleucu Llwyd, lliw cawod lluwch! Pridd a main, glain galar chwerw, A gudd ei deurudd, a derw. Gwae fi drymder y gweryd A'r pridd ar feistres y pryd! Gwae fi fod arch yn gwarchae, A thy main rhof a thi mae! Gwae fi, ferch wen o Bennal, Brudded yw briddo dy dal! Clo du derw--galar chwerw gael-- A daiar, deg ei dwyael! A throm-goed ddor, a thrym-gae, A llawer maes, rhof a'i lliw mae; A chlyd fur, a chlo dur du, A chlicied--yn iach, LEUCU!

LLEWELYN GOCH AP MEIRIG HEN.

THE FEUDAL SYSTEM. BY JOHN JENKINS, ESQ.

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[As much of the proceeding Work relates to Feudal times and usages, the following able Paper from the pen of a modern writer cannot be otherwise than acceptable to the reader.--ED.]

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A clear idea of the Feudal System is in the highest degree interesting to the inhabitants of modern Europe, as it was the first form of society which succeeded ancient civilization, and is the foundation of most of our modern laws, systems, and institutions. Without a definite idea of this system, much or most of the present regulations of civilized life would be unintelligible.

But I have spoken of ancient civilization. What did this term mean? What does it comprise? I believe, it means that progressive or advancing state of human society, which existed among the various nations and empires of the world previous to the dissolution of the Roman Empire. The countries where this civilization reached its highest stage are well-known. History presents them in bold relief on its pages. They were Persia, Assyria, Chaldea, Egypt, Greece, and Rome; and, in an inferior degree, China and Hindoostan. In these countries the inhabitants had substituted a stationary for a wandering life, had acquired the notions and defined the limits and rights of property, had entered the bonds and enjoyed the benefits of society, had extended their ideas beyond supplying the rude necessities of life, had acquired a taste for the comforts and even luxuries of social life, had begun to cultivate the arts and sciences, had built vessels whereby they could traffic by sea, and had erected towns and cities (some of costly magnificence) on land. The bulk of the people had forsaken the sword for the plough, and exchanged the spear for the pruning-hook. They dwelt peaceably and securely in their villages, towns, and rural homes. They divided their employments. The land was cultivated, the stock of living animals was fed, and commerce carried on. A parliament or congress of the chief inhabitants assembled, and deliberated on the affairs of State. Laws were enacted, and justice administered in the public courts. The spiritual interests of the people were also provided for, and magnificent temples, churches, and cathedrals were built and adorned the land. A regular gradation of nobles or chiefs was established, to whom the people at large looked up, while a King, Sovereign, or Emperor governed the whole. These are the leading ideas connected with ancient civilization. These elements flourished largely in the last of the old empires, or that of Rome, which before its fall had transcended all that went before in commerce, civilization, learning, refinement, science, art, as well as in grandeur and extent of territory.

We have spoken of the fall of the Roman Empire. This occurred in the beginning of the fifth century. We will just glance at the state of Europe immediately before the dissolution of that vast empire. The Roman Empire (which comprised Italy and the adjacent territories) was at that time and had been for centuries the only kingdom in Europe where the arts of peace and civilization reigned. All the vast countries north of the Alps, west of the Mediterranean, and east and north of the Adriatic seas, were in a state of comparative, if not complete barbarism. Among the people who inhabited these countries we may name the Franks, who occupied Gallia or modern France; the Goths, Vandals, and Germanic tribes, who occupied modern Germany; the Scythians and other Sclavonic races who occupied modern Russia; the Visigoths, who occupied Spain; the Celts, who dwelt in Great Britain and Ireland; and the Scandinavians, who occupied the north of Europe, or Lapland, Sweden, and Norway. These various populations were, during the zenith, and down to the fall of the Roman Empire, in a state of semi if not perfect barbarism. A great portion of them were nomadic or roving tribes, and had in their career of devastation and conquest traversed the vast plains of Asia and eastern Europe, before taking up a more settled though not permanent abode in the broad plains and forests of Germany, Spain, and Russia. The Goths, Scythians, and Sclavonic tribes who thus poured into Europe, were emigrants from Asia. The native races who inhabited eastern Europe were unequal to repel the savage invasions of these formidable marauders, who inundated Europe with their fierce and unsettled bands. If we may credit the account given of these tribes by the Roman writers of the period, their manners were savage, their habits of life simple, but of a roving and predatory character. By the Roman historians they are invariably styled--the Barbarians. They cultivated not commerce, they built not cities, they dwelt not in luxurious towns. Their abode was the vast forest or plain, their occupation hunting and war, their food the produce of the chase or the plunder of war, their dress the skins of beasts and articles of the rudest manufacture. Yet in their spirit was energy, in their hearts a love of conquest and aggrandisement. After having for ages in vain withstood the conquering arms of Julius Caesar and other Roman commanders, they in turn became the assailants. After the reign of Augustus Caesar the military spirit of the Romans decayed their energy declined, their ambition was lost. The chief people surrendered themselves to all the enervating effects of pleasure and luxury. No valorous chief led the army in the field, no Cato or Tully thundered alarm in the Capitol, to summon the inhabitants to glory or even defence:--they were rather found revelling in riot and debauchery at home. No Pompey governed in Spain; no Sallust was Praetor in Numidia. The race of the wise and mighty had departed. The infection had reached the common people, who were equally given up to indolence, license, riot, debauchery, and sloth. In this state was Rome and the Romans, when the barbarians rose in the north under Alaric, King or Chief of the Goths, descended the Alps with the rapidity and force of the avalanche, overthrew the empire, and possessed Rome. Then was presented a scene the most unexampled the world ever beheld. The chief or warrior who a few months before held his counsels in a hut or wigwam on the banks of the Danube or Rhine, was seated on the throne of the Caesars--the herdsman of the forest inhabited the palaces of Rome. The savage hid himself in the fine linen of the Roman citizen--the barbarian covered himself with patrician gold. The effeminate luxury of the Empire had yielded all to the insatiate energy and ambition of the North.