'HESE have been tranfmitted to us by oral tradition from time immemorial, and ftill are the domestic and colloquial Poetry of the natives of Wales; a people uncommonly awake to all the impreffions of "Love, Hope, and Joy, fair Pleafure's fmiling train;

"Hate, Fear, and Grief, the family of Pain."

8

Pope.

The memorial verfes, which in the time of Cæfar were never committed to writing, and which the Druidical Difciples employed fo many years in learning, were Pennillion, conveyed in that most ancient metre called Englyn Milwr.

When the Bards had brought to a very artificial fyftem their numerous and favourite metres, thofe which they rejected were left for the dress of the Ruftic Mufe, the Awen of the multitude. When Wales became an English province, Poetry had been generally diffused among the lower claffes of the people. From that period they forgot their former favourite fubjects of war and terror, and were confined to love, and the paffions which are nearly allied to it, of pity and of forrow; fo thefe fort of Pennillion were naturally retained, and admired, on account of the tender beauties contained in them.

At length, towards the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the conftitutional fyftem of the Bards became almost extinct in Wales 10; and the only Poetry that furvived was poured forth in unpremeditated Pennillion around the hearths of husbandmen, and in the cots of shepherds. What contributed to keep alive, under every difcouragement of foreign oppreffion, the poetical vein of the Welsh peafantry, was their primitive fpirit of hofpitality " and focial mirth; which affembled them to drink mead, and fing, and dance, around the harmony of the Harp, Crwth, and Pipes; and what has preferved from very diftant times many of

7 The word Pennill is derived from Pen, a Head: becaufe thefe ftanzas flowed extempore from, and were reafured in, the Head, without being committed to paper. Pennill may allo fignify a brief head, or little fubject.

See Cæfar's Commentaries: De Bello Gallico, lib. VI. cap. 13. 9" rhai hynny fy i roddi teftun i'r Beirdd i ganu arno, naill ai mewn Englynion, Unodl union, Cywydd, neu ryw un o'r pedwar Mefur ar hugain, ac nid mewn Dyri', Carol, neu ryw wael gerddi, y rhai ni vu wiw gan y priv veirdd gynt gymmaint a'i crybwyll; o herwydd nad oes Rheolau perthynafol iddynt." Statud Gruffudd ab Cynan, ynghylch cadw Eifteddvod. And fee pp. 28. and 32. This proves that Pennillion were then frequently compofed and admired.

19 There have been meetings of the Bards held in different parts of Wales, fince the reign of Elizabeth, although, perhaps, not by royal proclamation. One Eifteddvod was held at Caermarthen about the year 1460. Another Lifeddvodd was held in 1575, under the aufpices of William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke. Another was held at Pea re Caftle, in South Wales, in 1681, under the authority of Sir Richard Baffet. Another was held at Machynllaith, in Montgomeryhire, about the year 1700; and an account of it was writica y logo ab Dewi. Another meeting was held at Trad Fwain, in Glamorganjkire, about the year 1730, under he fanction of the late Lord Chancellor Talbot, And, about fix years

ago, I revived this ancient cuftom of the congrefs of the Bards: gave a medal to the bett Poet; a medal to the best Singer with the Harp; and another for the best collection of Pennillion; which meeting was held at Corwen, in Meirionethfaire. Since that time it has been continued annually at different towns in North Wales: viz. at Bala, Dolgelley, St. Afaph, Lanrwft, and at Denbigh. Thefe meetings have ince been judiciously patronized by the Gwyneddigion Society; and by fome few of the gentry of Wales. Likewife, we held a Gorfedd, Tribunal-meeting, or Supreme Congrefs of the Bards of the Ile of Britain, according to the ancient form of a Druidical Affembly, for the fake of recovering Drui dical Mythology, and Dardic Learning. This meeting was held on Primrofe-hill, near London, September 22, 1792. And the chief Druid, Bards, and Orydd, were Mr. Edward Williams, Mr. D. Samwell, Mr. William Owen, and myself. The meeting is to be continued. See fome account of it in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. LXII. p. 956. See alfo pp. 38. 46. of this

work.

N

་།

thefe little fonnets, is their fingular merit, and the affection with which they are remembered. Some of the old English fongs, which have been a thousand times repeated, ftill continue to pleafe; while the lullaby of the day is echoed for a time, and is then configned to everlasting oblivion. The metres of these stanzas are various; a ftanza containing from three to nine verfes; and a verfe confifting of a certain number of fyllables, from two to eight. One of thefe metres is the Triban, or Triplet; another the Awdl Gywydd, or Hen ganiad, The memorial Ode of the ancient ftrain; another, what in English Poetry would be called the Anapaftic. There are feveral kinds of Pennill metres, that may be adapted and fung to most of the following tunes; and fome part of a tune being occafionally converted into a symphony. One set of words is not, like an English fong, confined to one tune, but commonly fung to feveral.

The skill of the pennill-fingers in this is admirable. According to the metres of their penillion, they ftrike into the tune in the proper place, and conduct it with wonderful exactness to the fymphony, or the close. While the Harp to which they fing is perhaps wandering in little variations and embellifhments, their finging is not embarraffed, but true to the fundamental tune. This account explains the state of our Mufic and Poetry, defcribed by Giraldus as they exifted in his time; when the Welsh were a nation of Musicians and Poets; when Cor's, or Mufical Bands, were frequent among them; and when their children learnt from their infancy to fing in concert'.

In his time it was ufual for companies of young men, who knew no profeffion but that of arms, to enter without diftinction every houfe they came to. There they enjoyed the free converfation of the young women, joined their voices to the harmony of the Harp, and confumed the day in the most animated festivity 2: "Even at this day fome vein of the ancient minstrelsy survives amongst our mountains. Numbers of perfons of both fexes affemble and fit around the Harp, finging alternately Pennillion, or ftanzas, of ancient or modern compofitions."

"With charming fymphony they introduce

"Their pleafing fong, and waken raptures high;

"No voice exempt, no voice but well can join
"Melodious part."

"The young people usually begin the night with dancing; and, when they are tired, affume this species of relaxation. They alternately fing, dance, and drink, not by hours, but by days and weeks; and meafure time only by the continuance of their mirth and pleasure. Often, like the modern Improvisatori of Italy, they fing extempore verses; and a perfon, converfant in this art, readily produces a Pennill oppofite to the last that was fung." Many have their memories ftored with feveral hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Pennillion 3, fome of which they have always ready for answers to every fubject that can be proposed; or, if their recollection should ever fail them, they have invention to compose something pertinent and proper for the occafion. The fubjects afford a great deal of mirth: fome of these are jocular, others fatirical, but most of them amorous, which, from the nature of the subject, are best preserved. They continue finging without intermiffion, never repeating the fame ftanza, (for, that would forfeit the honour of being held firft of the fong,) and, like nightingales, fupport the conteft through the night. The audience usually call for the tune: fometimes a few only fing to it, and fometimes the whole company. But, when a party of capital fingers affemble, they rarely call for the tune; for, it is indifferent to them what tune the Harper plays. Parishes are often opposed to parifhes; even counties contend with counties; and every hill is vocal with the chorus 4." In these rural ufages, which are beft preferved in the mountainous counties of Meirionydh and Caernarvon, we have a distant pleafing glimpse of ancient innocence, and the manners of a golden age, enjoying themfelves with Metre, Mufic, and Mead.

Mannau mwyn am win a mêdd,

"See golden days, fruitful of golden deeds,
"With joy and love triumphing, and fair truth."

Tannau miwfig tôn mafwedd! Whoever confiders the unaffected fenfe and unadulterated paffions conveyed in these fine little pieces of antiquity-fentiments which all would hope, but few are able, to imitate-together with the fweet and foothing air of our mufical compofitions, which are mostly in the Lydian measure, will not wonder that,

Cambria Defcriptio, cap. 12, and 13. See also pp. 29. and

35. of this work.

2 See Lord Lyttelton's Hiftory of Henry II. vol. II. p. 69.

3 This custom appears to have been very early; for Sacred

History informs us, that "Solomon's wisdom excelled all the wifdom of the East, &c. he fpake 3000 Proverbs; and his Songs were a 05." Firft Book of Kings, chap. 4.

+ See Pennant's Journey to Snowdon.

PENNILLION.

like our national proverbs, they have been so long preserved by tradition, that the same stanzas are remembered in all the counties of Wales, and that the natives are fo enamoured with them as to be constantly chanting them whenever they meet with a Harp, or a Cruth. Nor will he blame my prefumption, when, for an effusion of tender fimplicity, I place them in competition with the affecting tales of the Scots Ballads, and the delicate apeλea of the Greek Epigrams.

"From words fo fweet new grace the notes receive;
"And Mufic borrows help, the us'd to give."

* Every language has peculiar beauties. The thoughts and words of thefe Pennillion are fo uncommonly fimple and expreffive, that I do not prefume to offer the annexed English ftanzas as an adequate tranflation, but merely (for the fake of the Engiifa reader) as an imperfect sketch and idea of them. At the fame time, I must not omit my grateful acknowledgements to the Rev. James Lambert, and the Rev. R. Williams, of Vron, for their poetical affiftance in feveral of the following English verfes. Few have been fo happy in the concife ftyle of writing as my countryman Mr. John Owen, of Plás Dú, Llanarmon, near Pwllheli, Caernarvonshire, the noted Epigrammatift, and Poet Laureat to Queen Elizabeth; who died A. D. 1622, and was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral, London: he wrote feveral books of Latin Epigrams, which are much admired for their brevity, and sterling wit.

"How does the little Epigram delight,
“And charm us with its miniature of wit!
"While tedious authors give the reader pain,
"Weary his thoughts, and make him toil in vain;
"When in lefs volumes we more pleasure find;
"And what diverts, still best informs the mind."

Yalden.

Tro

1

PENNILLION.