maining in Wales; he farther adds, "But it will be to no purpose for a Man to seek out these venerable Remains, unless he be able to understand the Meaning of what he meets with; and therefore it is requisite that our Antiquary, if he be not a Native of Wales, should furnish himself with a competent Skill in the British, or Welsh Language."

The World in general, as well as our Island of Britain in particular, is greatly indebted to the Greeks and Romans for transmitting down to us those few, though imperfect, Fragments of ancient History. But when we reflect upon the Disadvantages they lay under in this respect, as being entire Strangers to the several Languages of those People they affected to call Barbarous; the high Opinion we may have entertained of the Accuracy and Credit of their Accounts, will be considerably abated.

Nor is this asserted without good Authority; for Humphrey Llwyd, who had the Reputation of being one of the best Antiquaries of this Kingdom, in a Book of his, intitled Commentarioli Britannica Descriptionis Fragmentum, plainly shews how imperfect all the Accounts of this Island are, which we have from the Roman Writers, and how dark, for want of Skill in the old British Language.

We have had indeed, in almost every Age since, a great number of learned and ingenious Persons, Natives of Britain, who have laudably laid out their Time and Pains in these Researches; but however well qualified they might otherwise have been for a Work of this Nature, yet for want of this Requisite, namely, an intimate acquaintance with the British, or Welsh, Tongue; they have been so far from contributing anything considerable towards illustrating our British Antiquities, that they have frequently committed the most gross and palpable Mistakes.

The diligent and ingenious Camden, with a few others, ought here to be excepted: He it was, of English Writers,

Cratylus, yn ein hyfforddio i olrhain gwreiddyn Enwau yn yr Teithioedd Barbaraidd, canys mai hwynt hwy yw'r hynaf: minnau gan hynny, pan fai raid dyfalu a bwrw amcan ar Dadogaeth geiriau, a arferais yn wastadol wneuthur deunydd o'r Frutaniaith neu (fal y gelwir hi weithion) yr Iaith Gymraeg, yr hon a siaredid gan y Cyntaf a'r hynaf o drigolion y wlad hon." Yr oedd efe yn gweled mor ammhosibl oedd dyfod i ddim sicrwydd yn yr ymofynion hyn, heb yn gyntaf fod yn gydnabyddus â'r Frutaniaith. Gwaith poenus yn ddiau oedd hwn, ond gan iddo ef ei ganfod yn llwyr angenrheidiol i ddwyn i ben yr hyn a gymmerasai yn llaw, fe a’i cymmerth arno'n ewyllysgar, ac a ddaeth o'r diwedd i ychydig o wybodaeth yn yr hen Iaith barchedig honno. Trwy'r Cynhorthwyon hyn, ynghyd â digymmar ddiwydrwydd a chraffder, fe a ddygodd fwy o oleuni ar hanes a Hynafiaeth yr Ynys hon nag a welsid erioed o'r blaen.

ry w

Ond er maint oedd buddiol ddatguddiadau y dichlyn a'r diwyd Hynafiaethydd hwn, ac eraill ar ei ol ef, yn y rhan yma o wybodaeth, ni ddatguddiwyd mo'r Cwbl etto: Y mae etto ddigon o waith i Gywraint olrheiniwr Hynafiaeth, a digon o Drysor os myn gymmeryd y boen i chwilio am dano, Ond os mynnir cael Tyciant ar y gwaith, rhaid yw ei gymmeryd yn llaw yn yr iawn ffordd; rhaid cael Cymmedrol wybodaeth o'r Iaith Gymraeg. Canys heb yr angenrheidiol barotoad hynny, ni fydd y gwaith onid ofer, y llafur ond difudd.

Rhaid yn wir gyfaddef nad yw gwybodaeth o Ieithioedd, trwy na byddant yn wafanaethgar i'n dwyn i wybodaeth o bethau eraill, ond peth gwag ac ofer; ond nid oes nac achos nac ystyr i haeru'r fath beth yn erbyn yr Iaith Gymraeg, fal y mae'r diddysg a'r diwybod yn rhy chwannog i wneuthur; o herwydd er maint y dirfawr golledion nad allai amgen nâ'u dioddef trwy Anrheithiau Rhyfel, Camwri amser, a damweiniau eraill, hi eill etto fostio llaweroedd o hen Ysgrifeniadau cywraint a gwerthfawr, mewn Barddoniaeth, Ystorïau, ac amryw Byngciau eraill o Wybodaeth.

who first took the right Method of studying Antiquities. "Plato, in his Cratylus, says he, directs us to trace the Original of Names to the Barbarous Tongues, as being the most antient; and accordingly, in all my Etymologies and Conjectures, I have constant recourse to the British, or (as it is now called) the Welsh Tongue, which was spoken by the first and most ancient Inhabitants of this Country." He saw the Impossibility of coming at any degree of certainty in these Researches, without being first acquainted with the British Language. This was indeed a laborious Task; but as he found it to be necessary to the Execution of his Plan, he cheerfully underwent it, and it seems acquired some Knowledge of that ancient and venerable Language. By these Helps, joined to an uncommon degree of Diligence and Penetration, he reflected more light upon the History and Antiquities of this Island than ever had been done before.

But notwithstanding the many useful Discoveries this accurate and industrious Antiquary, and others after him, have made in this Field of Knowledge, the Subject is far from being exhausted. There is still Employment enough for the curious Inquirer into Antiquity, and abundant Treasure, if he will be at the Pains to search for it. But to prosecute it with Success, a right Method must be pursued; a competent Knowledge of the British Language must be attained: Without this necessary and previous Preparation, the Attempt will be vain, the Labour will be fruitless.

It is indeed readily granted that the Knowledge of Languages, where they serve not to convey the Knowledge of Things, is a mean and trifling Accomplishment: But this Objection, so commonly urged by the Ignorant and Unlearned, against the Study of the British Language, is without Foundation: For, notwithstanding the Losses it must have sustained by the Devastations of War, the Injuries of Time, and other Casualties, it can still boast of many curious and valuable Manuscripts in Poetry, History, Mythology, &c.

Y mae'r dysgedig a'r celfyddgar Dr. Wotton, yr hwn yn ddiddadl oedd ddifai barnwr ar y peth, wrth gyflwyno llyfr o'i waith i'r Gymdeithas o HEN FRUTANIAID, yn tystiolaethu'r peth a ddywedpwyd uchod yn y modd tra hynod hyn. Genych chwi (medd ef) y mae arferion ac ordinhadau eich Hynafiaid yn gadwedig hyd heddyw, yn Iaith eich Mammau; mae'n arwydd o wir gariad at eich gwlad ddarfod i chwi gadw'r fath Goffadwriaeth cyhyd heb ei ddifrodi. Nid oes gan Ffrainge ddangosiad yn y byd o'i Chyssefin Iaith cyn amser Jul Caesar; os mynnai'r Ffrancod wybod pa'r Iaith a siaradai'r hen Geiltiaid, rhaid iddynt ymofyn â chwi. Nid oes gan Yspaen ond yr ychydigyn lleiaf o'i Hiaith ddechreuol i frolio o honaw: nid yw gweddillion tlodaidd hen Iaith y Cantabriaid mewn un modd yn gymmwys i'w cyffelybu i'ch hen Drysorau chwi." Ac nid ei chymwysder i'r dibenion uchod yw unig ganmoliaeth y Frutaniaith; mae hi agatfydd ynddi ei hun, cymmaint ei Godidowgrwydd ag un Iaith arferedig arall dan haul: ym Mhybyrwch ei hymadroddion nid ydyw hi islaw yr un: Yng nghysondeb ei chynghaneddau, yr hyn sydd yn ei chymwyso yn arbennig at Brydyddiaeth, mae hi uwch law y rhan fwyaf: ac y mae'n brawf nid bychan o'i chyflawndra, a lleied y mae'n rhwymedig i leithioedd eraill, ei bod, heb gymmorth dim geiriau dieithr, yn adrodd yn gyflawn holl ddychymygiadau'r meddwl: a'r hyn fydd ragorgamp arbennig yn perthyn yn neillduol iddi ei hun, er nad ydys yn gyffredin yn craffu arno, ydyw, hawfed gwneuthur o honi eiriau Cyssylltedig, y rhai a wasanaethant nid yn unig i arwyddocau y pethau a grybwyllir, ond hesyd i bennodi'n bendant eu prif ansawdd a'u hanianawl Gynneddfau.

Ac er i'r rhan fwyaf o Ieithioedd eraill gael eu newid a’u llygru fal nad ellid mewn amser ond rhy brin eu deall, mae genym ni brofiadau sier a diammeu fod y Frutaniaith wedi ymgadw agos yn yr un cyflwr er ys deuddeg cant o flynyddoedd o'r lleiaf; gan fod prydyddiaeth yr ardderchog fardd Taliesin, y ddau Fyrddin, Aneurin Wawdrydd, a'r Tywysog

The learned and ingenious Dr. Wotton, whose critical Knowledge of this kind cannot be called in question, in a Dedication of a Work of his to the Society of ANCIENT BRITONS, gives this remarkable Attestation to what has been advanced: "You (says he) have the Usages and Constitutions of your Ancestors still extant in your Mother-Tongue. It argued a true Love for your Country to preserve such a Record so long entire. France has no Monuments left of its primitive Language before Julius Caesar's Time; the French must apply themselves to you, if they would know what Tongue the old Gauls conversed in. Spain has little or nothing of their original Tongue to boast of: The poor Remains of the old Cantabric Language, are by no means comparable to your antient Stores." Nor are these relative Uses of the British Language its only Recommendation; it has perhaps as much intrinsic merit as any living Language whatsoever. In the Strength of its Expressions, it is inferior to none; in the Harmony of its Numbers, which admirably fits it for Poetry, it is superior to most; nor is it an inconsiderable Proof of its Copiousness and Independency, that, without the Assistance of any foreign Words, it fully expresses all the Conceptions of the Mind: And, which is a remarkable Excellency peculiar to it, not commonly taken notice of, it is easily formed into Compounds, which not only serve for Signs of Things, but are likewise expressive of their principal Modes and essential Properties.

And whereas most other Languages have been changed and corrupted, so as in length of Time to become in a great Measure unintelligible; we have undoubted Proofs that the British has continued very near the same, at least for twelve hundred Years past; the Compositions of the famous Poet Taliesin, the two Merddins, Aneurin Wawdrydd, and Prince Llywarch hen, who all flourished in the fifth Century, being, at this Day, perfectly intelligible in this Language.