a

readeth it Gwaethaf i'r Yd Rhyfel Teisban: Pessimum segeti bellum Narium, hoc est Oris Jumentorum. Teisban est Cartilago quæ nares dividit unde hic pro naribus synecdochicé, et pro Jumentis sumendam existimo. Teisbantyle, I alwayes thought was either an anchorite confessor, or some kinde of religious man, but I am not certaine what it is; and, for the word Diebryd, it is force or violence, or something tending to that purpose. Conferre the Latine copie with the Welsh, and it may be you shall have some light there; you shall find, in the noats that I send you now, under the title of Pedwar rhwym dadl, something belong. ing to that word, where this marke is in the margine. Teir mefylwriaeth y sydd y fechni. Gwadu, ac ef yn fach, ac addef ei fechni ac nas cymhello neu na allo cymmell, a diebryt mach gwedy rodder. This is agreeable with Tri gærtheb y sydd. 1. Gwad. 2. Addef. 3. Diebryd, tros y tri, &c. &c.-I remember you wrote to me about three yeares ago, to knowe what mared signified. I doe not remember that ever I read it: you say it is in Marwnad M. ap Bleddyn "Maredu Meredydd" in my booke, but I can find none such to M. ap Bleddyn. As for the proverb,

"Gwell mared gwr nac ungwraig," Doctor Davies doth reade it Gwell mawredd gwr nac un gwraig. Melior majestas Viri quam ea (que est) fæminæ, quia moderatior.

ROBERT VAUGHAN. July 24th, 1655.

167. Hen Hen Gasgl Barddoniaidd o waith Taliesin: Argoet Llwyfan, a Jonas Athro: ar Femrwn prin a ellir ei ddarlain rhag henaint.

This is, undoubtedly, one of the most ancient British manuscripts now in being, and carries about it every mark of its being as old as it is supposed, though it is plain that Robert Vaughan grounded his belief of the genuineness of its antiquity on something more than presumptive evidence, from the following letter to Mr. Meredydd Lloyd.

some

some use of your knowledge in the British tongue, and partly to trie how neere the interpretation will be to myne; for, seeing I cannot enjoy any conference with you, I must expresse my doubts and defects, and crave your assistance by my letters. The verses are these following: - Ysci ymodrydaf, mir ythiolaf buddic Beli amhanogan ri rygeidw y teithi-Ynys Vel Veli teithiawe oedd iddi. This, letter by letter, I wrote out of a booke, which had been written four

hundred yeares agoe. Mr. Dr. Davies, out of the same book, writeth them thus. I will add the next verse before them, for your better understanding.Llad yn eurgyrn, eurgyn ynllaw, llaw yn ysci, ysci y modrydaf, fur ithiolaf buddic

Beli amhanogan rhi rygeidw ei deithi Ynys Vel Veli teithiawc oedd iddi. I doe not know what ysci doth signifie. These verses next following the former may happily give some light. Pymp Pennaeth, Dimbi, o Wyddyl Fydhic bechadau kadeithi. I pray you, when you have considered fully upon them, let me heare from you. What is left of *Argoet Llwyfan and Jonas Athro, I shall send you a copy of in my next. I wrote a letter unto you the last weeke, on the behalfe of my niece, Bessey Morgan, of Sarn y pwll llydan, which I hope you have received. I have not heard from you this great while. I feare me I am too troublesome unto you. Ni ddiolch angen ei borthi.God keepe you!

ROBERT VAUGHAN.

THE

BELOVED CYMRO,

THIS book is the production of Cadog the Wise, who was also styled Saint Cadog, It has long continued in high estimation in our country, for the wisdom which it contains. You will find many wise sayings in it, which were greatly esteemed in former times by the bards and other ancient writers; whence the author acquired the honourable appellation of Cadog the Wise. We have the following account of him in the ancient books of pedigree:-Saint Cadog, Abbot of Lancarvan, son of Gwynlliw, Lord of Gwynllwg, ap Glywis, ap Tegid, ap Cadell Deyrnllwg. Gwynllwg was one of the principalities of ancient Glamorgan, and extended from the Tâv to the Usk. Cadog

was the eldest son, but would not accept of the government, which was his inheritance, because he chose rather to devote himself to the pursuits of knowledge and religion. In those times great errors had crept into the religion of our island, from the misapprehensions of a countryman of our own, whose name, in the British tongue, was Morganin, and in the Latin Pelagius. This was the reason why some of the few who had not embraced his erroneous opinions invited Saint German, a foreigner of great piety and learning, into this country, who immediately on his arrival, preached the Gospel to the inhabitants in its original purity, and established schools in divers places, that others also besides

his own congregation might be instructed in every thing that was necessary to make them disciples of the truth. The principal schools were those of Caerllion upon the Usk, Llancarvan, and great Llanilltud. The name of the first master appointed by Saint German, to preside over Llancarvan school, was Dyvrig, in Latin Dubricius. It is said that he resided at Carnlloyd to the day of his death; where there is a well still called Dyvrig's Well. Dyvrig was afterwards made Bishop of Llandâv by his patron Saint German; and Cadog, upon that event, placed at the head of the monastery of Llancarvan. The name of the monastery of Llancarvan was Llanveithin; which still continues to be the name of the place. Cadog is said to have died at Llancarvan, in the hundred and twentieth year of his age; where he had been always highly respected for his learning, wisdom, and piety. It was in his monastery that most of the learned men of the age received their education. Dyvrig, Bishop of Llandâv, had so high an opinion of Saint Cadog's judgment, that he took him for his companion to every place, and consulted him upon every occasion where advice was necessary. was the reason why Dyvrig

This

would never quit his residence at Carnlloyd. Cadog was one of the best poets of the age he lived in; and so much celebrated for wisdom, that his proverbs, counsels, and wise sayings, came at last to be fixed in the memories and upon the tongues of the whole country, far and near; insomuch, that every discourse, and every saying or proverb, in the British language, was, at last, ascribed to Saint Cadog, till his reputation swallowed up every other. For this reason, it must be very uncertain, at this distance of time, whether many of those things which are contained in this volume, under Cadog's name, be really his or not. Besides the contents of my own copy of Cadog, I have inserted in this book whatever I found dispersed here and there under his name, in other ancient manuscripts.

There are many particulars transmitted down to us by ancient authors, concerning Saint Cadog; such as, that King Arthur appointed him one of his twenty-four knights. He is mentioned thus:-The three upright knights of Arthur's court were his principal judges. The first, Saint Cadog, son of Gwynlliw the Warrior, Lord of Gwynllwg, in Glamorgan. The se

cond,

cond, Blâs, Earl of Llychlyn. The third, Padrogl Baladyrddellt, Earl of Cornwall. And such was the humanity, wisdom, and probity of these men, that they never did a single act that was unfeeling or unjust, but always exerted themselves to redress the grievances of every man that suffered any injustice or wrong; and to protect the fatherless and the widow, the weak, the helpless, and the stranger, against oppression and violence ;-Blâs, by the law of the land; Padrogl, by the law of arms; and Cadog, by the law of religion and the church.

Cadog was one of Arthur's three principal counsellors. He is mentioned thus:-The three wise men who were Arthur's principal counsellors :--The first, Cadog, Abbot of Llancarvan, son of Gwynlliw the Warrior. The second, Arawn, son of Cynvarch. The third, Cynon, son of Cludno, of Eiddin. These men possessed such excellent natural talents, so much judgment and foresight, that every enterprise succeeded where their advice was accepted, and miscarried where it was rejected.

The following entry also is found in the same old manu

script:-The three wise bards of Arthur's court: Saint Cadog, son of Gwynlliw the Warrior;Taliesin, the chief of the bards;

and Llywarch Hên, son of Elidir Lydanwyn. These were men of such excellent principles, that they never admitted any thing into their poems that was not dictated by wisdom and virtue.

Towards the latter end of Cadog's life, many of the religious wished to remove to the Isle of Bardsey, that they might avoid the troubles which afflicted our country at that time, from the treachery and encroachment of the Saxons. Upon this occasion they applied to Cadog for his advice, which he gave them in metre. It follows here, translated into prose :

When the holy convent of Brevi had heard Dewi's excellent sermon, and were hastening to the Isle of Bardsey, by the command of the ancient prophets, that they might avoid all future trouble and molestation; Cybi desired them to inform him, how they could live in the sea? and what sustenance they expected to find amidst the briny waves?

Cadog told Dewi, as the prophet Eli would have done ;

God