BARDIC MUSEUM,

OF

PRIMITIVE BRITISH LITERATURE;
·AND OTHER ADMIRABLE RARITIES;

FORMING THE SECOND VOLUME OF THE

Musical, Poetical, and Historical Relicks

OF

The Welsh Bards and Druids:

DRAWN FROM AUTHENTIC DOCUMENTS OF REMOTE ANTIQUITY;
(WITH GREAT PAINS NOW RESCUED FROM OBLIVION,)
AND NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED:

CONTAINING,

THE BARDIC TRIADS; HISTORIC ODES; EULOGIES; SONGS; ELEGIES; MEMORIALS OF
THE TOMBS OF THE WARRIORS; OF KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS; REGALIAS;
THE WONDERS OF WALES, ET CÆTERA:

WITH

ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS AND HISTORIC ILLUSTRATIONS:

LIKEWISE,

THE ANCIENT WAR-TUNES OF THE BARDS; Viz.
The Tribanau; Erddiganau; Blodau; Lalaɲdonau; Doffeddau; Tlyrau; Mpyneddau; Hymns
Paftorals; Jigs; and Delights:

TO THESE NATIONAL MELODIES ARE ADDED

NEW BASSES;

WITH VARIATIONS,

FOR

THE HARP, OR HARPSICHORD ;

VIOLIN, OR FLUTE;

(DEDICATED вr PERMISSION TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES,)
BY EDWARD JONES,

BARD TO THE PRINCE.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Let us now praise famous men.

The Lord hath wrought great glory by them, through his great power from the beginning.

Such as did bear rule in their kingdoms, men renowned for their power, giving counfel by their
understanding, and declaring prophecies:

Leaders of the people by their counfels, and by their knowledge of learning meet for the people, wife,
and eloquent in their inftructions.

Such as found out Musical Tunes, and recited Verses in writing.

All thefe were honoured in their generations, and were the glory of their times.

ECCLESIASTICUS, Chap. xliv. ver. 1, &c.

"Pofteri dies teftes funt Sapientia Antiquorum:
"Inquirens, invenies non Rubum, fed Rofam."

#0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000 ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈00000

LONDON: Printed by A. Strahan, Printer-Street,
For the Author; 1802:

And Sold at N° 3, in GREEN STREET, near Grosvenor Square.

(Price il 55.)

Entered & Stationers' Hali.

2891. c.2

INTRODUCTION

то

The Bardic Relicks.

THE

HE primitive British Bards conftituted one of the most respected order of men in the ancient British ftates they were the Fathers of Sciences; the national inftructors, musicians, legiflators, priefts, prophets, and often princes. They affuaged favage men to knowledge, with their oratory, and polished human nature by their Mufic and Poetry'.

These Beirdd, or Bards, were afterwards a branch of the Druidical institution in Britain, and in ancient Gaul; and were called Derwyddveirdd, or Druid-Bards: they alfo kept an account of the defcent of families, and compofed Songs to commemorate the actions of the worthy and the brave; which they fang and accompanied on the Harp, and on the Crwth; consequently they were the national chroniclers; and from their fongs our ancient Annals have been collected; and not only ours, but all ancient hiftories of all nations were gathered from a fimilar kind of materials *.

According to the teftimony of Cafar, the inland parts of Britain were inhabited by those whom fame reports to be natives of the foil: and the inftitution of the Druids is fuppofed to have originated in Britain, whence it paffed into Gaul; and such as were defirous of being perfect in it, travelled thither for instruction. He further fays, that the Britons had two orders of men, that were held in high degree of honour and esteem, and with whom all authority and diftinctions were lodged, thefe were the Druids, and the nobles: and that the Druids prefided in all matters of religion, decided controverfies, and had the direction and education of the youth, who were taught to repeat a great number of verfes by heart, and often spent twenty years upon that inftitution'. The Druids were divided into three different claffes, who applied to different branches of learning, and performed feparate parts in the offices of religion.

These

The Bardi are justly esteemed the most ancient order of people in Britain, and thefe were before the Druids, although in time the latter got the upper hand of the others in great esteem.” Samme's Britannia, pages 99 and 100. See alfo the Bardic Triads, in the following work.

2" Per bac loca bominibus paullatim exultis, viguere ftudia laudabilium do&rinarum, inchoata per Bardos, et Eubages, et Druidas." i. e. In thefe places, among the rude unpolished people grew up the knowledge of Arts and Sciences, begun and fet up by Bards, Euvates, and Druids. Ammianus Marcellinus, lib. xv. c. 9. Strabo, lib. iv. P. 197. 3 Cæfar's Commentaries, bcok vi. c. 13. Pomponius Mela, lib. iii. c. z. Dr. Brown's Differtation on Poetry and Mufic, p. 157. and Leges Wallicæ, Lib. i. c. 10. 12.

Athenæus, iib. vi. c. 12.

"And you, old Bards, who made it all your care,

To fing of war, and men renown'd in war;
"When peace returning rais'd your joyful tongué,
*Secure continu'd your immortal fong."

LUCAN.

Tacitus, lib. xii. c. 34, 7.

+ Diodorus Siculus, by Booth, book v. c. 2. p. 189.-Book ii. c. 3. p. 77, &c. Venantius Fortunatus, lib. vii, carm. 8. Leges Wallice, or King Howel's Laws, lib. i. c. 19; 45. and the Preface. Ammianus Marcellinus, lib. xv. c. 9.

* Origin of Law, &c.by Prefident de Goguet, vol. i. book 2, p. 28, &c.

The Druids (or Priesthood) never go to war, they are exempted from taxes and military fervice, and enjoy all manner of "immunities. Thefe mighty encouragements induce multitudes of their own accord to follow that profeffion; and many are fent "by their parents and relations. They are taught to repeat a great number of verses by heart, and often spend twenty years upon

"this