Arovan, Bard to Selyv ab Cynan, Meigant, Bard to King Cadwallon ab Cadvan, about the year

Llevoed Wynebglawr, a Bard,

Golyddan, Bard to King Cadwaladr, John Erigina, or Patricius, born at St. David's, a very learned Latin Hiftorian, and chief Preceptor to King Alfred,

Affer Menevenfis, a British Historian, and Tutor to King Alfred, and to his children. He was the first Profeffor of Oxford, and Author of

A. D.)
640

A.D.

Y Llyvr Dú o Gaer-Vyrddin, i. e. The black Book of Caermarthen, which is in Hengwrt 660 Library, Meirionyddfhire, fuppofed to be one 660 of the oldest Welsh manuscript now extant: it is 670 a quarto fize, confifting of 108 pages, and contains the works of the Bards of the fixth century. The first part of it is very ancient ; the writer unknown; and the latter part of it is thought to be transcribed from other old manufcripts by Cynnddelw Brydydd mawr, i. e. Cynddelw the celebrated Bard, about A. D. 1150 Owain Cyveiliog, Prince of Powis, a Bard, 1160 Gwynvardd Brycheiniog, Bard to Prince Rhys ab Gruffydd,

860

874

880

880

Blegwryd, or Blegabredus, a British Historian, 914

the life of Alfred,

Geraint, y Bardd Glâs or Gadair,

Mab Crŷg, a Bard,

1160

1090

Y Bergam, o Vaelor, in Denbighshire, a Poet, about

Robert Duke of Normandy, brother to William Rufus; who, about the year 1106, was confined by King Henry the First 28 years in Cardiff Castle: during that period he is faid to have acquired a perfect knowledge of the Welsh language and poetry, and to have been admitted a Welsh Bard. This fingular circumstance is recorded in an old Welsh history of the Lords of Glamorgan, from Ieftin ab Gwrgant, down to Jasper Duke of Bedford.

Bishop Urban, writer of Liber Landavenfis, 1119 Gwrgant ab Rhŷs, a celebrated Bard, 1130 Caradoc of Llancarvan, à British Historian, 1130 Jeffery of Monmouth, a British Historian, and Bishop of St. Afaph,

Howel, the son of Owain Gwynedd, a Bard, and a Prince,

Peryv ab Cadivor, a Poet,

Elidir Sais, an eminent Poet,

Gwalchmai, the fon of Meilir, Bard to Prince Owen Gwynedd,

Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr, Bard to Prince Owen Gwynedd; to Madog ab Meredydd, Prince of Powis; and to Prince Davydd ab Owen Gwynedd,

Morris Morgannwg, a Rhetorician and Poet, 1220 Einion, the fon of Gwalchmai of Treveilir, Bard to Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, or Prince Llewelyn the Great,

or

1230 Daniel ab Llofg wrn Mew, a Bard, T 1200 Hên Gyrys o Iâl, Bâch Buddugre ; Cwyddvarch Gyvarwydd: a celebrated collector of Welfh proverbs, about the year Meddygon Myddvai, who wrote a British book on Phyfic and Surgery, by order of Prince Rhys Grŷ g, about the year

--

1216

1230

Gyda'i feirdd yn cyfeddach."

16

CHRONOLOGY OF THE ANCIENT BRITISH BARDS.
A. D.

Edeyrn Davod Aur, a Bard and Grammarian, 1270 Llyvr-Cóch, (which is ftill in Jefus College Li-
Minwyn, a Grammarian and Poet,

brary, Oxford,) from a very ancient manuscript, 1270 called Llyor Hergeft*.

A. D.

Llygad Gwr, a Bard,

Ednyved Vychan, a Bard,

1270

Einion Offeiriad, o Wynedd ; a Rhetorician

Davydd ab Edmwnd, yr Awdur ariandlyfog, or chief Bard,

1450

Llywelyn Vardd ab Cywryd,

Y Prydydd Bychan, o Ddeheubarth,
Cadwgan ab Cynvrig, a Poet,

1280

Guttyn Owain, a Herald Bard, and Historian 1280 refided chiefly at Yftrad Fflur Monaftery in 1280 Cardiganíhire,

1340

Gwilym ddû o Arvon, Bard to Pr. Llywelyn 1320 Dr. Davydd Ddû, o Hiraddug, in Flintshire; a Bard and Grammarian: from his knowledge in Chemistry and natural philofophy, he got the name of a magician; he lived about the year Trahaearn Brydydd Mawr, or Trahaearn the noted Bard, Davydd ab Gwilym, or Davydd Morganwg; Bard to Ivor Hael, (Lord of Maefaleg, in Monmouthshire,) and to the monastery of Strata Florida

-

Mabclâv ap Llywarch, a Bard,

Howel Yftoryn, a Poet,

Yr Ytus Llwyd, a Poet,

1480

1370

1370

Sir John Gower, a native of Gwŷr, or Gowerland, in Glomorganfhire; the first English Poet, and Laureat to King Richard II. to whom he dedicated his works, about the year Dr. Johnson, in his Hiftory of our English Language, fays, "The first of our authors, who can be properly faid to have written English, was Sir John Gower; who, in his Confeffion of a Lover, calls Chaucer His difciple, and may therefore be confidered as the Father of English Poetry."

Llywelyn Moel y Pantri, a Bard,

Rhys Nanmor, Bard to King Henry VII. 1480 Tudur Aled, of Dyffryn Aled, in Denbighfhire, a celebrated Bard,

Lewis Morganwg, pencerdd y tair talaith, or chief Bard of the Principality of Wales; and domeftic Bard to Neath Abbey

1490

1510

1510

Syr Huw Pennant, Offeiriad, and Bard, Gruffydd of Hiraethog, (in Denbighshire) an excellent Bard, that flourished about the year, 1530 He was the preceptor of four eminent poets at one time; and being asked, which of his pupils had the brightest genius; he returned the following answer: "Dyfgedig Sion Tudur. The learning of Shôn Tudur; Govalus Symwnt Vychan. The diligence of Simwnt Vychan;

1400 Avenyddawl William Cynwal. The prolific genius of

1400

Ond, nid oes dim cuddiedig
rhag William Llŷn."

1420

Llywelyn, or Lewis Glyn-Cothi; a Bard, and
an officer under Jasper, Earl of Pembroke, 1450
This Bard transcribed most of the old Welsh
poems and records, in a folio volume, called

William Cynwal;

But nothing is unknown to William Llŷn.

For the lift of the fucceeding Bards, I must refer my readers to the end of Dr. John Davies's Antiquæ Lingua Britannica. And to Mr. Edward Lhuyd's Catalogue of ancient British Manuscripts, and Welfh writers, in his Archæologia Britannica, p. 225, 258, &c. Aneurin

The MS. Record of Llandaff is ftill extant, commonly called the Book of St. Teilo, or Eliud, the fecond Bishop of that fee, who flourished in the reign of King Arthur; and of which, I have a Tranfcript.

A Monumental Inscription of an Archdruid, found at Zwickau in Voightland,

a province of upper Saxony. Δυςβαλεις Δρυίδων Μεγίσιος. Durbaleis, Greatest of the Druids.

HIC JACET DAVID FILIUS HOWELI FILII MADOCI

Moses Griffith delin 1808. & JaBarire sculp The Tomb of DAVYDD DDÛ, of HIRADDUG. Archdeacon of Diserth, and Vicar of Tremeirchion, in Flintshire; who was a learned Bard, and flourished between the years 1310, and 1380. He wrote a British Grammar; CYWYDD DYSGEDIG, or the learned Ode: and invented three of the metres in Welsh Poetry; see page 8, and 9, of the 2nd Volume of this work..He was likewise Author of a Pious Ode; and has given an elegant poetical translation of the TE DEUM, and several of the Psalms; which are preserved in the 1 Volume of the Archaiology of Wales, page 536, & 55g. He pofsefsed great knowledge in natural Philosophy. Chymistry, and Mathematicks; which got him the name of a Conjurer, among the vulgar: and there are many strange stories told of him in Wales to this day.

Published as the Act direct ter Ed Jone Jame Palace 1808

OF ANEURIN, KING OF BARDS.

Aneurin Gwawdrydd, mychdeyrn Beirdd', that is, Aneurin with the flowing Mufe, King of the Berds; (brother to Gildas Albanius, the British historian,) who lived under the patronage of Mynyddawg of Edinburgh, a prince of the North; whofe Eurdorchogion, or warriors wearing the golden Torques; 363 in number, were all flain, except Aneurin and two others, in a battle with the Saxons at Cattraeth, on the eastern coaft of Yorkshire. His Gododin, an Heroic Poem, written on that event, is perhaps the oldeft, and nobleft production of that age. Being compofed in a northern dialect, that of the men of Deira, and Bernicia † ; it is at prefent in many places difficult and obfcure §. The following paffage, verfified by Mr. Gray, from Mr. Evan's fpecimens, will, though a fragment, give an ample proof of the genius of Aneurin *.

ODE

Selected from the Gododin.