and gubernator, the helm and the pilot of a ship; and there is no doubt that these were so called from the cabin, an inclosed place of the vessel, where so important a personage would undoubtedly be stationed of old! (p. 110.)

In the same zealous spirit of etymology and system, the author will not allow that copper (a vessel for boiling) could possibly have received its name from the metal of which it was made, but affirms that it was so called on account of its capacity, because the element c. p. signifies to contain! (p. 19.) A broom (for sweeping), he is equally certain, has no connection with the plant of which it may be constructed, but is derived from some oriental word signifying the earth (p. 401.); egg is derived from Exe, to have, on account of the proverbial greatness of its having, or contents, (p. 180.); and breeches from barracks or barricade! (p. 72.)—The derivatives from the name of man are, if possible, still more fantastical. Vir is the same with fear, because man is very liable to terror; and it is also the same with war, because that is one of the most remarkable of human occupations! Jeopardy too signifies nothing but the state or condition of man, because Gevar in chaldaic is 1 name for man, and because man is very apt to be in danger! (p. 352.)

It is easy, then, to estimate at its just value that multitude of instances by which the author has endeavoured to support his theory. By far the greater part of the words which are quoted as identical in composition, and analogous in meaning, will be found to have no resemblance either in sound or in signification: cabin, for instance, we apprehend, has no sort of affinity to sleep, because both the vowels and the consonants are radically different; and even if they resembled each other entirely in construction, it would be difficult for us to conceive that words so little connected in meaning could possibly have proceeded from one common origin.

If the reader has any curiosity to try with what facility he may connect together the most repugnant senses by means of Mr. W.'s metaphysical system of genealogy, he may make the erperiment on any word or any idea that happens to suggest itself: we shall be responsible for the success of the operation, and shall not even require any singular degree of address in the conduct of it.-Let us take the idea of breaking, for instance, as a counterpart to the author's element of containing: it will conduct us in its first ramification to the ideas of force, violence, and success: then it will extend itself to the notion of destruc tion, deselation, ruin, and misfortune, in general. By a more peculiar reference to the state of the object, it will next come to signify resistance, valor, strength, and afterward weakness,

yielding,

yielding, defeat. With a view to the cause and the agent, it will furnish us with the ideas of anger, vengeance, oppression, and connect itself with the hand and all weapons of offence. It will also, by a succession of easy metaphors, be found at the bottom of all our conceptions of diminution, division, multiplication, &c. besides giving name to all the elements, animals, and objects, that are in the way of breaking or being broken.-This is only one half of its progeny; for, as the negation of an idea is, according to Mr. W. (and the etymologists of lucus) one of the strongest bonds of affinity to it, the reverse of all those notions 'may for that very reason be fairly traced to the same common radical. The names of man and God may be deduced with equal propriety from either of the two branches: either as breakers or preservers, as the sources of multiplication or the causes of holding together, these elevated beings may be conceiv ed and denominated with the same exactness and probability! When the disciple of the author has arrived thus far in the explication of his theory, and secured a sufficient number of words to exhibit in support of it, he needs not suffer any sort of anxiety concerning their fitness for the service for which they were collected, nor the completeness of the proof which he is by their means to establish. He may take any two or three consonants that he may choose, and, after having made himself full master of the mysteries of their cognation, he will be delighted to find that there is no word in any language which they are not able to express, although there should be a letter or two more in some of them than his element will easily admit. No uneasiness is necessary on that account: he has only to take no notice of them whatever, and to plead the authority of his master; who, in more than half of his examples, has argued on words of this description, and brought forwards, as proofs of the exclusive significancy of his biliteral element, combinations of three, four, and five different consonants. By the help of patience and perseverance alone, he may compose a volume as large as the Etymologicon Magnum; and if he have the genius and the erudition of Mr. Whiter, he will make ingenious conjectures and discover interesting analogies. In support of an untenable theory, he will offer many just remarks and profound reflections; and will expend much judgment and acuteness, much zeal, labour, and discrimination, in the pursuit of an imaginary object, and the execution of an impracticable scheme.-Genius and industry have a rank and a value of which it is impossible to deprive them; but they lose their lustre and their currency when they are overstrained or misapplied disjoined from that utility and success with which they are naturally united, they forfeit their highest claim to

our homage and approbation :-we may admire the artist, but we cannot applaud the performance. If the task were enjoined by necessity, we feel for him compassion and regret; if it were undertaken of his own accord, we lower our estimate of his judgment, and lament the infirmity of our nature.

Since we have chosen to consider the present work as a theory rather than as a lexicon, we have confined our attention in a great measure to the principle on which the author has proceeded, and to the systematical defects of the proof into which he has entered :-we have said little of the particular words which he has attempted to explain or trace; and we find that it would greatly exceed our limits to engage in an examination of them. The reader, however, will discover in this part of the work much originality, and great variety of information. Many words, we think, are happily interpreted, and the errors of our vulgar etymologists are still more often successfully exposed.The author's theory, we conceive, will scarcely be able to maintain itself: but his book will stand high independently of it, and can hardly fail to become an object of attention with the literary world.-We have expressed our sentiments freely, but we hope without any degree of acrimony or ill temper: for the abilities of Mr. W. we have certainly felt the greatest respect; and we should have expressed that feeling more fully, if we had not considered the length of our observations as the most unequivocal proof of its sincerity.

ART. X. The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales, collected out of Ancient Manuscripts. Vol. I. Poetry. Vol. II. Prose. Large 8vo. pp. 600 in each Vol. 21. 2s. Boards. Longman and

Rees, &c. 1801.

ORIG

RIGINAL compositions, said to be the productions of the sixth, seventh, and eighth centuries of the Christian æra, in a language that is still vernacular on a part of the Western shore of this island, mixed with others more modern, constitute the volumes which are now presented to the public. In the introductory pages, it is maintained that, in those early times, the Welsh language was in as perfect a state as at this day; a state which places it, at least, on an equality with the languages which at present prevail in Europe. The claims advanced in favour of the poems, which extend to more than one hundred and fifty pages of the first volume, are certainly bold it may be sufficient for us to state them, but we own that we labour under doubts which the reasonings of the ingenious and zealous editors have not removed. We will not, however, anticipate discussions to which the publication of them will

most

most probably give rise; nor hazard our own conjectures, lest they should bias our future judgments when the subject shall come more properly before us: for it is a subject which will, no doubt, attract the attention of critics and antiquaries.

According to the editors, Aneurin, Taliesin, and LlywarchHen, illumine the earlier periods above stated. During the latter part of the seventh and the whole of the eighth centuries, the Welsh Muse is very silent; and from that time till about the middle of the twelfth, her voice is not at all heard. Were our worthy fellow-subjects contented to date the culture of their vernacular tongue from the period last mentioned, which appears in their account as a second era in their literary history, it would correspond, in regard to time, with similar events. among the other nations of Europe: but, whatever doubts we may entertain respecting some of the opinions stated by the editors of these volumes, we have no hesitation in saying that we deem their labours intitled to encouragement and support. They are calculated to direct the attention of the curious to a language which was spoken from the banks of the Po to the Hebrides, and which probably, at an earlier period, had as wide a range as the Teutonic. It is a language which possesses remarkable peculiarities and undoubted excellencies; and we are persuaded that letters must gain from researches into them. In a national view, also, these curious remains present strong interest; since they tend to elucidate our civil, ecclesiastical, military, and domestic history.

The following is the account which the editors give of their undertaking:

The volumes of the Welsh Archaiology may possibly come into the possession of persons who are unacquainted with the language of the materials that are contained in them. With a view of preventing the Welsh Archaiology from being depreciated, the Editors are anxi ous of giving a brief and a general account of the collection, which is now added in this form to the scanty store of archaiological lite

rature.

There still happily remains a great number of ancient manuscripts in the Welsh tongue; some of them brought together into the valuable depositories of public-spirited gentlemen, who are liberally solicitous of preserving such treasures for posterity; and many manuscripts are fortunately saved by attentive individuals.

These books are venerable monuments of enlightened periods of literature amongst the Britons, while scenes of barbarity were acted over Europe, and darkened the light of our island: a literature whose origin was not borrowed, but matured at home, under that extraordi nary system, the Bardic Institution: concerning which, under the name of Druidism, much has been written, much misunderstood, and of which the world yet knows but very little.

• From

• From a consciousness that time was rapidly diminishing the number of our most curious manuscripts, the conductors of the present undertaking were induced to take the necessary measures for preserving the contents of those remaining, by printing a few copies to supply the demand of the collectors of British History and Antiquities. Towards accomplishing such a design, they lately increased a collection, which they had been several years accumulating for themselves, by purchasing many manuscripts, and by procuring transcripts of others; and the editors made application also to gentlemen possessed of rich treasures of this kind, for the use of their writings.

The materials being arranged, from the above-mentioned sources, it was found that the plan naturally divided itself into two parts; one having poetry for its object; the other prose; and that it was eligible to pursue the following order in the execution of it:

The first volume is appropriated for so much of the ancient Poetry of the Britons as fate has bequeathed to us; and comprehending all the remaining compositions, from the earliest times to the beginning of the fourteenth century. To those who are tolerably well versed in Welsh literature, this will appear a very proper point for the conclusion of the volume; as it forms a remarkable epoch in the character of our poetical compositions in particular; resulting from the loss of patronage, occasioned by the great change in our political condition.

The second volume of Poetry includes the most select perform ances of the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries. However charming all the effusions of the Cambrian Muse, during those periods, may appear to the few, who are acquainted with them, the Editors must content themselves with giving such pieces only, as seem most deserving of notice, from their intrinsic merit; or as they may tend to elucidate our history, or to display our national manners and customs: for, by publishing the whole, which would extend to many volumes, there would be great expence incurred, without adequate gratification to the public.

These volumes will form a thesaurus of ancient British verse, through the space of about twelve hundred years; and they will display various characteristics, with respect to style and manner.

The first volume of Prose Archaiology is dedicated to history. It will embrace about the same extensive period as the first volume of poetry; that is, from the fifth to the beginning of the fourteenth century. Therein the reader may perceive, that the Welsh have some records of their origin, and of ancient events, the preservation of which must obtain to them fair cause of exultation, in the presence of the nations of Europe.

The succeeding volume of Prose contains monuments of various parts of learning and science: amongst other matters, maxims of social economy and morality; a splendid collection of proverbs; institutes of grammar and of poetry. These, as they become known, will shine unexpectedly and with brilliant lustre before the world.

With respect to the nature and character of a collection of miscel laneous ancient writings, to such as do not understand the language