the patron of Taliesin and Llywarch Hen. A memoir of Aneurin was given in vol. i. of the CAMBRO-BRITON, p. 91.] LII. The three Atrocious Axe-strokes of the Isle of Britain: the axe-stroke of Eiddyn, the son of Einygan, on the head of Aneurin Gwawdrydd; and the axe-stroke given by Cadavael the Wild, on the head of lago, the son of Beli; and the axe-stroke given on the head of Golyddan the bard, because of the slap given by him to Cadwaladr the Blessed. [The second series, in p. 13, gives the substance of this Triad thus,-" The three outrageous men of the Isle of Britain, who committed the three atrocious assassinations: Llovan Llawddifro, who slew Urien the son of Cynvarch; Llawgad Grwm Vargod Eidyn, who slew Avon (Avaon) the son of Taliesin; and Heiden, the son of Euengad, who slew Aneurin Gwawdrydd, the supreme of bards. The man, who put a 100 kine every Saturday in a medicinal bath at .... Talhairn, struck him with a felling axe on the head, and that was a third axe stroke; and the second was by a woodman of Aberfraw, who struck Golyddan on his head with an axe; and the third was by the liegeman of... (Iago) the the son of Beli, who struck him on the head with an axe." Iago ab Beli lived about the middle of the seventh century, his father being the son of Rhun ab Maelgwn Gwynedd.-Cadwaladr has been already commemorated in this work. See vol. i. p. 248.] LIII. The three Fatal Slaps with the Hand of the Isle of Britain: the Slap of the Matholwch the Gwyddelian on Bronwen, the daughter of Llyr; and the Slap given by Gwenhwyvach to Gwenhwyvar, which occasioned the battle of Camlan; and the Slap given by Golyddan the Bard to Cadwaladr, the Blessed. [One of the tales of the Mabinogion is founded upon the Box given to Bronwen. Triad 51 of the first series, p. 13. differs as to the other two Blows; for it is therein thus: "And the Slap of Arthur to Medrawd; and the Slap of Gwenhywar to Gwenhwyvach;" but the second series agrees with the above.] LIV. The three Frivolous Battles of the Isle of Britain: the first was the battle of Goddeu, and which was on account of a bitch, a hind, and a lapwing, and in that battle 71,000 men were slain; the second was the action of Arderydd, and a lark's nest was the cause of it, where 80,000 men were slain of the nation of the Cymry; the third was the battle of Camlan, between Arthur and Medrawd, where Arthur was slain, and with him 100,000 of the choice men of the nation of the Cymry. And by reason of the three frivolous battles it was that the Saxons gained the country of Loegria from the nation of the Cymry, because there was not of men of war a force, that could withstand the Saxons, with the treason of Gwrgi Garwlwyd, and the illusion of Eiddilig the Dwarf. [This Triad is only in the first of the two other series. And therein nothing is said as to the number of men slain; neither is the conclnding reason mentioned; but only that they were called frivolous battles from their having taken place from causes so trivial. There is an account of the battle of Goddeu in the Archaiology of Wales, vol. i. p. 167. and in which it is described to have taken place on account of a white roe-buck and a whelp, which were brought from the lower regions by Amathaon the son of Don. There is also, in the same volume, a long poem by Taliesin on the same subject. A translation of the former account is given in the Celtic Researches, p. 259, where the learned author expresses his opinion, that it is "ænigmatical."-For some account of the battle of Camlan see the CAMBRO-Briton, vol. i. p. 204. and of the battle of Arderydd, p. 442.] TRIADS OF WISDOM*. LXXXI. Three things that will vanish by embracing them overmuch easy life, fame, and worldly wealth. LXXXII. Three things that God will not love such as love to see them: the seeing of fighting, the seeing a monster, and the seeing the pomp of pride. LXXXIII. There are three things, and with the third the two first cannot be dispensed: namely, that can, that ought, and that would. LXXXIV. Three things that ought to be considered before some things shall be spoken: the manner, the place, and the time. LXXXV. Three things, which persons loving, love what they ought the whistling of the wind, the dashing of the waves, and the violence of the thunder. LXXXVI. Three things let no one love such as shall dislike them the scent of trefoils, the taste of milk, and the song of birds. LXXXVII. The three similitudes of a man to a devil: in frightening a child, obstructing the way, and laughing at mischief, LXXXVIII. Three persons on whom every body ought to look * Arch. of Wales, vol. iii. p. 211. with delight namely, such as look with delight on the face and appearance of the earth, and on little children, and on scientific excellence. LXXXIX. Three persons who love not their country: that loves his belly, that loves riches, and that loves bodily indulgence. xc. Three things which it is not prudent to praise or dispraise : food, country, and kindred. THE WISDOM OF CATWG. HIS CHARACTERISTIC INDUCTIONS*. 1. If a crown were worn by every fool, we should all of us be kings. 2. If a bell were put about the neck of every simpleton, there would be none found in a church but parsons and clerks. 6. If every indiscreet person should die, nobody would be buried for want of a man alive to open the grave. 4. If there were horns on the head of every fool, a good sum of money might be had for showing a bald man. 5. If the shame of every one should be written on his forehead, the materials for masks would be very dear. 6. If a woman were as quick on her feet as with her tongue, she would catch enough of lightning to kindle the fire in the morning. 7. If no tongue were to tell other than truth and wisdom, the number of the mutes would be surprising. 8. If the talkative were to see the nonsense of his chattering, he would save his breath to cool his broth. 9. If the buffoon were to see the vanity of his feat, he would leave it off for shame. 10. If a miser were to have a sense of the bad scent of his heart, he would die by the stench. 11. If the slothful were to see the evil that awaits him, he would crawl from his weakness through fear and shame. 12. If love were to see his weakness, he would come to an end through fear. 13. If the proud were to see his own heart, he would lose all his senses through dread. Arch. of Wales, vol. iii. p. 51. 14. If every one were to see the heart of the other, it would be full time for all to flee from devils. 15. If envy were to see her blackness, she would hang herself from the contempt of God and man. 16. If discretion were to see his indiscretion, he would hide his face for shame. 17. If drunkenness were to see his odiousness, he would hide himself in the dunghill. 18. If falsehood were to see his viciousness, he would lose himself through distraction. 19. If deceit were to have a taste of his filth, he would spue his bowels out. 20. If ambition were to have a view of his ugliness, familiar would be to him the form and aspect of a dæmon. 21. If scandal were to see what comes of his work, he would see the whole coming finally upon his own head. 22. If cunning were to see his dirtiness, he would use cunning with himself to escape from it. 23. If wrath were to see his furiousness, he would be furiously wroth with himself for it. 24. If revenge were to see his devilishness, he would go to the devil rather than give himself up to it. 25. If the rapacious man were to see the condition of his conscience, he would scream out, Woe me! I have seen a demon from the extremities of hell. 26. If hypocrisy were to see his uncleanness, he would frighten himself out of his senses. 27. If adultery were to see his pollution, he would abhor the ground he trod upon. 28. If the lover of war were to see his cruelty, he would fear that every atom in the sun-beam might stab him with a sword. 29. If ignorance were to see his unsightliness, he would be envious at seeing how sightly the toad was compared to him. 30. If the obstinate were to see how silly he is, he would writhe through distraction for being more foolish than every body. 31. If ungodliness were to see his end, he would die through horror. COLLECTANEA. As there exist several productions of some of our most eminent Welsh scholars, comparatively of a modern date, that have not been printed, as well as other literary remains of a miscellaneous character, and not precisely belonging to any of the heads already adopted in the CAMBRO-BRITON, it is proposed to insert such, as may be procured, under the title prefixed to this article. The following Latin translation by the celebrated Dr. John Davies will partly exemplify what is above meant: it is inserted precisely as he left it, and without an English version, which may be given hereafter. WELSH GAMES. To the EDITOR of the CAMBRO-BRITON. Sir, I send you for insertion in your next Number the four and twenty Welsh or British games, with a Latin translation by Dr. John Davies of Mallwyd, author of the Latin-Welsh Grammar and Dictionary, who was an excellent classic, judicious critic, and well skilled in various languages, and I hope they will be acceptable to many of your readers. Yours, &c. P. B. W. Apud Græcos et postea apud Romanos, aliasque gentes, varia olim celebrabantur certamina et Ludi Gymnastici; cujusmodi fuerunt olim apud Britannos Ludi Agonistici et certamina athletica, quæ ad nostra usque tempora pervenerunt, et nostrâ memoriâ desuescere cœperunt, compotationibus in eorum loco succedentibus. Ea linguâ nostrâ appellamus Campau—certamina athletica, artes, facultates, virtutes, qualitates, ludos publicos, cujus vocis singulare, Camp, qualitatem, virtutem, facultatem, artem, unumquemque ludorum istorum; item ludi publici præmium, et bravium significat [ut et Græcè Asa, aethla]: sunt et certamina ipsa, et certaminum præmia. Hæc viginti quatuor nostri enumerant sic Y pedair camp ar hugain Viginti quatuor ludi, certamina, aywves, abña, ludi, ludicra. O'r pedair ar hugain hyn deg gwrolgamp sydd, a deg mabolgamp, a phedair o'r gogampau. Ex his viginti quatuor decem sunt ludi viriles, et decem juveniles, et quatuor qualitates, virtutes, facultates, artes, scientiæ, minores, minus principales, triviales, et vulgares. |