GRUFYDD'S FEAST. ["Grafydd ab Rhys ab Tewdwr, having resisted the English successfully in the time of Stephen, and at last obtained from them an honourable peace, made a great feast at his palace in Ystrad Tyvi to celebrate this event. To this feast, which was continued for forty days, he invited all who would come in peace from Gwynedd, Powys, the Deheubarth, Glamorgan, and the marches. Against the appointed time he prepared all kinds of delicious viands and liquors; with every entertainment of vocal and instrumental song; thus patronising the poets and musicians. He encouraged, too, all sorts of representations and manly games, and afterwards sent away all those who had excelled in them with honourable gifts."-Cambrian Biography.] LET the yellow mead shine for the sons of the brave, That those may rejoice who have fear'd not to die! When winds amidst the palms are sighing, And fragrance breathes from every pine:4 When stars through cypress-boughs are gleaming, And fire-flies wander bright and free, Still of thy harps, thy mountains dreaming, My thoughts, wild Cambria! dwell with thee! Alone o'er green savannas roving, Where some broad stream in silence flows, Or through th' eternal forests moving, One only home my spirit knows! But happier could the weary-hearted TALIESIN'S PROPHECY. 1 The year 1402 was ushered in with a comet or blazing star, which the bards interpreted as an omen favourable to the cause of Glendwr. It served to infuse spirit into the minds of a superstitious people, the first success of their chieftain confirmed this belief, and gave new vigour to their actions.-PENNANT. 2 Owen Glendwr styled himself the Dragon; a name he assumed in imitation of Uthyr, whose victories over the Saxons were foretold by the appearances of a star with a dragon beneath, which Uthyr used as his badge; and on that account it became a favourite one with the Welsh.-PENNANT. 3"Bring the horn to Tudwrou, the Eagle of Battles."See the Hirlas Horn of OwAIN CYFEILIOG. The eagle is a very favourite image with the ancient Welsh poets. 4 Gwynedd, (pronounced Gwyneth,) North Wales. 5 Merlin, or Merddin Emrys, is said to have composed his prophecies on the future lot of the Britons, amongst the mountains of Snowdon. Many of these, and other ancient prophecies, were applied by Glyndwr to his own cause, and assisted him greatly in animating the spirit of his followers. My course to the winds, to the stars, I resign; But my soul's quenchless fire, O my country! is thine. CASWALLON'S TRIUMPH. [Caswallon (or Cassivelaunus) was elected to the supreme command of the Britons, (as recorded in the Triads,) for the purpose of opposing Cæsar, under the title of Elected Chief of Battle. Whatever impression the disciplined legions of Rome might have made on the Britons in the first instance, the subsequent departure of Cæsar they considered as a cause of triumph; and it is stated that Caswallon proclaimed an assembly of the various states of the island, for the purpose of celebrating that event by feasting and public rejoicing.Cambrian Biography.] FROM the glowing southern regions, Where the sun-god makes his dwelling, Came the Roman's crested legions O'er the deep, round Britain swelling. The wave grew dazzling as he pass'd, With light from spear and helmet cast; And sounds in every rushing blast Of a conqueror's march were telling. But his eagle's royal pinion, Bowing earth beneath its glory, Could not shadow with dominion Our wild seas and mountains hoary! Back from their cloudy realm it flies, To float in light through softer skies; Oh! chainless winds of heaven arise! Bear a vanquish'd world the story! Lords of earth! to Rome returning, When the storm of battle rages! As a torch to stream through ages! 1 "I have rode hard, mounted on a fine high-bred steed, upon thy account, O thou with the countenance of cherryflower bloom. The speed was with eagerness, and the strong long-hamm'd steed of Alban reached the summit of the high land of Brân." "My loving heart sinks with grief without thy support, O thou that hast the whiteness of the curling waves! I know that this pain will avail me nothing towards obtaining thy love, O thou whose countenance is bright as the flowers of the hawthorn!"-HOWEL's Ode to Myfanwy HOWEL'S SONG. [HOWEL ab Einion Llygliw was a distinguished bard of the fourteenth century. A beautiful poem, addressed by him to Myfanwy Vychan, a celebrated beauty of those times, is still preserved amongst the remains of the Welsh bards. The ruins of Myfanwy's residence, Castle Dinas Brân, may yet be traced on a high hill near Llangollen.] PRESS on, my steed! I hear the swell1 O'er woods and waters round. Perchance the maid I love, e'en now, From Dinas Brân's majestic brow, Looks o'er the fairy world below, And listens to the sound! I feel her presence on the scene! O fair as ocean's curling foam ! 2 Haste! on each mountain's darkening crest Gleams tremulously bright; Than live in rayless night! THE MOUNTAIN FIRES. ["The custom retained in Wales of lighting fires (Coclcerthi) on November eve, is said to be a traditional memorial of the massacre of the British chiefs by Hengist, on Salisbury plain. The practice is, however, of older date, and had reference originally to the Alban Elved, or new-year."Cambro-Briton. When these fires are kindled on the mountains, and seen through the darkness of a stormy night, casting a red and fitful glare over heath and rock, their effect is strikingly picturesque.] LIGHT the hills! till heaven is glowing As with some red meteor's rays! Winds of night, though rudely blowing, Shall but fan the beacon-blaze. 1 Yr Wyddfa, the Welsh name of Snowdon, said to mean the conspicuous place, or object. 2 Dinas Emrys, (the fortress of Ambrose,) a celebrated rock amongst the mountains of Snowdon, is said to be so called from having been the residence of Merddin Emrys, called by the Latins Merlinus Ambrosius, the celebrated prophet and magician: and there, tradition says, he wrote his prophecies concerning the future state of the Britons. There is another curious tradition respecting a large stone, on the ascent of Snowdon, called Maen du yr Arddu, the black stone of Arddu. It is said, that if two persons were to sleep a night on this stone, in the morning one would find CHANT OF THE BARDS BEFORE THEIR RAISE ye the sword! let the death-stroke be given; Have ye not trampled our country's bright crest? Rest, ye brave dead! midst the hills of your sires, Oh! who would not slumber when freedom expires? Lonely and voiceless your halls must remain— The children of song may not breathe in the chain ! himself endowed with the gift of poetry, and the other would become insane.-WILLIAMS's Observations on the Snowdon Mountains. * It is believed amongst the inhabitants of these mountains, that eagles have heretofore bred in the lofty clefts of their rocks. Some wandering ones are still seen at times, though very rarely, amongst the precipices.-WILLIAMS's Observations on the Snowdon Mountains. 4 This sanguinary deed is not attested by any historian of credit. And it deserves to be also noticed, that none of the bardic productions since the time of Edward make any allu sion to such an event.-Cambro-Briton, vol. i., p. 195. THE FAIR ISLE. FOR THE MELODY CALLED THE "WELSH GROUND." [The Bard of the Palace, under the ancient Welsh princes, always accompanied the army when it marched into an enemy's country; and, while it was preparing for battle or dividing the spoils, he performed an ancient song, called Unbennaeth Prydain, the Monarchy of Britain. It has been conjectured that this poem referred to the tradition of the Welsh, that the whole island had once been possessed by their ancestors, who were driven into a corner of it by their Saxon invaders. When the prince had received his share of the spoils, the bard, for the performance of this song, was rewarded with the most valuable beast that remained.-JONES's Historical Account of the Welsh Bards.] I. SONS of the Fair Isle ! forget not the time Unquench'd is the spirit for monarchy born. CHORUS. Darkly though clouds may hang o'er us awhile, The crown shall not pass from the Beautiful Isle. II. Ages may roll ere your children regain CHORUS. Then shall their spirits rejoice in her smile, Who died for the crown of the Beautiful Isle. THE ROCK OF CADER IDRIS. [It is an old tradition of the Welsh bards, that on the summit of the mountain Cader Idris, is an excavation resembling a couch; and that whoever should pass a night in that hollow, would be found in the morning either dead, in a a frenzy, or endowed with the highest poetical inspiration.] I LAY on that rock where the storms have their dwelling, cloud; The birthplace of phantoms, the home of the 3 Ynys Prydain was the ancient Welsh name of Britain, and signifies fair or beautiful isle. |