May I find grace, my sovereign Liege, Grace for my loyal men and rie? For my name it is Johnie Armstrang, And subject of your's, my Liege,' said he. Away, away, thou traitor strang!

Out of my sight sune may'st thou be! 1 grantit never a traitor's life,

And now I'll not begin wi' thee.'— Grant me my life, my Liege, my King! And a bonny gift I'll gie to theeFull four and twenty milk-white steids, Were a' foaled in a year to me.

I'll gie thee a' these milk-white steids, That prance and nicker at a speir; And as mickle gude Inglish gilt,†

As four of their braid backs dow‡ bear.'Away, away, thou traitor strang!

Out of my sight soon may'st thou be! I grantit nevir a traitor's life,

And now I'll not begin wi' thee!'
Grant me my life, my Liege, my King!
And a bonny gift I'll gie to thee-
Gude four and twenty ganging§ mills,
That gang thro' a' the year to me.
These four and twenty mills complete,
Shall gang for thee thro' a' the yeir;
And as meikle of gude reid wheit,

As a' thair happers down to bear.-
Away, away, thou traitor strang!
Out of my sight sune may'st thou be!
I grantit nevir a traitor's life,

4

And now I'll not begin wi' thee.”— Grant me my life, my Liege, my King! And a great gift I'll gie to theeBauld four and twenty sister's sons,

Shall for thee ficht, tho' all should flee!

Away, away, thou traitor strang! Out of my sight sune may'st thou be! I grantit nevir a traitor's life,

And now I'll not begin wi' thee.Grant me my life, my Liege, my King! And a brave gift I'll gie to theeAll between heir and Newcastle town, Shall pay their yeirly rent to thee.'Away, away, thou traitor strang! Out of my sight sune may'st thou be! I grantit nevir a traitor's life,

And now I'll not begin wi' thee'Ye leid, || ye leid, now King,' he says, Altho' a King and Prince be!

ye

For I've luved naething in my life,

I weel dare say it, but honesty

"Save a fat horse, and a fair woman,

Twa bonny dogs to kill a deir;

⚫ Sche suld have found me meil and mault,
And beif and mutton in all plentie;
But nevir a Scot's wyfe could have said,
That e'er I skaithed her a pure flee.

To seik het water beneith cauld ice,
Surely it is a greit folie-

I have asked grace at a graceless face,
But there is nane for my men and me!

But, had I kenn'd ere I cam frae hame,
How thou unkind wadst been to me!
I wad have keepit the border side,
In spite of all thy force and thee.
Wist England's King that I was ta'en,
O gin a blythe man he wad be!
For anes I slew his sister's son,

And on his breist bane brake a trie.'

John wore a girdle about his middle,
Imbroidered ower wi' burning gold;
Bespangled wi' the same metal,
Maist beautiful was to behold.

There hang nine targats at Johnie's hat,

And ilk ane worth three hundred poundWhat wants that knave that a King suld have,

But the sword of honour, and the crown? 'O whair gat thou these targats, Johnie, That blink** sae brawly abune thy brie?' I gat them in the field fetching,

Where, cruel King, thou durst not be.

• Had I my horse, and harness gude,
And riding as I wont to be,

It suld have been tald this hundred veir,
The meeting of my King and me!

• God be with thee, Kirsty, ++ my brother,
Lang live thou Laird of Mangertoun;
Lang may'st thou live on the border syde,
Ere thou see thy brother ride up and down!
And God be with thee, Kirsty, my son!
Where thou sits on thy nurse's knee;
But an thou live this hundred yeir,
Thy father's better thou'lt never be.
Farewell! my bonny Gilnock-hall,
Where on Eske side thou standest stout!
Gif I had lived but seven years mair,
I wad hae gilt thee round about.'
John murdered was at Carlinrigg,

And all his gallant cumpanie;
But Scotland's heart was near sae wae,
To see sae mony brave men die-

Because they saved their country deir,
Frae Englishmen! Nane were sae bauld,

mault,

Gif I had lived this hundred year!

Nane of them durst cum near his hauld.

Dow-Able to.

Ganging-Going.

Nicker-Neigh. + Glt-Gold.

ANN. REV. VOL. I.

Tt

by the laborious dissertation on fairies, of which we are about to speak. Our learned editor has wandered from northern Lapland to eastern Persia, to detect the birth-place of the elfine race, which he has traced, with much ingenious industry, through all its spreading branches and varying appellations, down to modern days. Numerous wild stories are narrated, and fanciful superstitions explained, in the course of his design, on which the imagination of a Southey might revel with delight: but when the bloody triumphs of presbyterian zeal over pretended witchcraft come to be unfolded in their native horrors, philosophy frowns over the disgraceful record of infernal cruelty and human folly; and revolting nature would "drop a tear, and blot it out for ever." The mortifying truth, that superstition is immortal, here glares upon the mind with full demonstration; but while we lament the ignorance that has handed down the dreams of folly from generation to gene ration of unlettered rustics, it is with

some mixture of indignation that we observe learning and genius employed in the thankless task of embalming, with their precious stores, what would be better committed to dust and corruption. The ballad of "Thomas the Rhymer," gives occasion to some curious observations on prophecy, interesting to the historian and the philosopher, for whem, and whom alone, the antiquarian ought to labour. The modern imitations of the ancient ballad, with which the volume concludes, and some of which are the editor's own, far excel the originals, as is usually the case; but we confess we should have wished, that the historical, rather than the romantic ballad, had been the prototype.

Mr. Scot's prose style is correct and lively, though somewhat tinged, perhaps, with legal and scholastic peculiarities. On the whole, we sincerely congratulate him on a work so honourable to his taste and erudition, and await with impatience his promised third volume.

THE reader will probably be disappointed to find, after the above pompous title-page, that his curiosity is only to be gratified with a thin folio volume, containing eighty folio pages of letterpress and fifty-two pages of music, price one pound five shillings; and he will be a little surprized on recognizing many of the articles, among those "never be fore published," from having seen them in former publications. It will also be felt as a cause of regret, that in a work which professes to give the ancient documents of the Welsh, concerning their institution of poetry and music, there should have been incongruously jumbled together all the silly tales of the writers of romance with the venerable remains of national history, without the least discrimination. The subject cer

tainly deserved to be differently treated; and we expected it from one who announces himself as a native of the principality; but we perhaps looked for too much; and, that we ought not to shew any signs of disapprobation for his stepping beyond his profession, when he has acquitted himself so well as the indefatigabie collector of the music of the ancient Britons.

The author attempts, in the introduction, to bring the reader acquainted with the mysteries of druidism, which he divides into the three orders of bards, ovates, and druids; and in so doing he falls into some contradictions, in endea vouring to make the druidical the prin cipal order; at the same time he informs us, that the bards "were the fathers of sciences; the national instructors, mu

sicians, legislators, priests, prophets, and princes." And in the next paragraph he says, that "the bards were afterwards a branch of the druidical institution in Britain, and in ancient Gaul;" and in a "The bards are justly esteemed a note, the most ancient order of people in Britain, and these were before the druids, although in time the latter got the upper hand of the others in great esteem." Again, in treating of the peculiar functions of the three orders, they are made to invade the provinces of each other for the bards are represented as "the national preceptors, poets, and musicians: the ovates composed and performed sacred and prophetic hymns, and were also natural philosophers, astronomers, and magicians: the druids were the priests, moral philosophers, and physiologists."

In the next place, the author proceeds with stating, as others have often detail ed before, all the notices given of the druids by ancient writers, but without throwing any new light upon the subject. And here we cannot help noticing as remarkable, that he seems to have been ignorant of one or two books, which would have assisted him most materially; these are, Poems lyric and pas toral, in two volumes octavo, by Ed ward Williams; and the Heroic Elegies of Llywarch Hen, in one volume octavo, by William Owen. The former work, in particular, gives a most interesting and curious account of the bardic system, as it is therein called, because the bards were the principal order of the three; and the particular functions of each are very distinctly marked out; and in addition to which we obtain a clear view of the economy of the system and a picture of a most beautiful and sublime theology, in its doctrine of transmigration.

But, to proceed with our author to the period when the bards were deprived of their sacerdotal character, he becomes a little more interesting. The extracts given from the ancient laws of Wales are valuable and curious; as from them we learn what were then the precise functions of the bards, whom we still find to possess a considerable degree of political importance in the state.

"The Bardd Teulu, or bard of the palace, was, in rank, the eighth officer of the king's household; he was also one of the royal guests,

and sat at his table, next to the heir appa rent. Or his appointment, the bard received a harp from the king, and a golden ring from the queen: (he obtained that pre-eminence by his superior merit in the science of music and poetry, at the British Olympics) the king found him his woollen apparel, and a horse; and the queen found him linen apparel. His lodging was in the house of the heir apparent, who was the controller of the household; and on the three great festivals in the year, it was the office of that prince to deliver the harp into the hands of tire bard, when he was going to perform; and for which service, he was entitled to a song (or a tune) from the bard, whenever he chose. When the royal family desired a song in the great hall, the chaired Bard was to sing first, a hymn in praise of God, and another in honour of the king, and of the most worthy of his ancestors, and their exploits. When those were over, the bard of the palace was to sing next, upon some other subthe queen desired to have music, after she ject, in the lower part of the hall. And, if retired from the table to her apartment, he was then to perform three tender and eloquent songs, or pathetic tunes, different from those which he had played in the hall. The bard accompanied the army when they marched on a warlike expedition, into an "enemy's country; and when they were preparing for battle, he recited and performed to them dain, or the monarchy of Britain; (which the animating song, called Unbeniaeth Pryprobably was to remind them of their ancient right, in praise of their brave ancestors, and to inspire them with heroism,) and for which service he was rewarded with one of the most valuable things of the plunder. If he went with other bards, upon a musical peregrination, he was entitled to a double portion for his share. He held his land free. If the bard desired any favour of the king, he was to perform to him one of his own compositions; if of a nobleman, he was to perform to him three; and if of a plebeian, he was to set him to sleep. Whoever slightly injured the bard, was fined six cows, and a hundred and twenty pence: and whoever slew a bard, was fined a hundred and twenty six cows."

The author's propensity for giving his notes upon every occasion is of course not repressed on the above passage. Among others, we are treated with a genuine threatening letter from the allconquering king Arthur to the senate of Rome, in good old English too; and thus introduced:

"The following curious relique of our honoured British hero, the father of chivalry, I think worthy of a place here; he was the son of Igren, dutchess of Cornwall, by her

husband Uther Pendragon, king of Britain, a descendant of Constantine: this is a letter from the said king Arthur, (who was crowned king of Britain, about A. D. 516) to the senate of Rome, in which he claimed his descent as follows: Understand among you of Rome, that I am king Arthur of Britain, and freely it hold, and shall hold; and at Rome hastily will I be not to give you truage, but to have truage of you; for Constantine that was Helen's son, and other of mine ancestors, conquered Rome, and there of were emperors; and that they had and held; I shall have yours, Goddis grace."

:

In the continuation of the same note, we find, while there are many people who scarcely allow the existence of this same Arthur, that Mr. Jones is able, by the aid of some very profound heralds; to give us even his armorial bearings; not however without some slight disagreement as to particulars: for one says that he bore for his arms, "our Lady standing by the cross ;" but another tells us that he bore "Vert, a cross or in the first quarter, a Madona and child in the second."

"The Pencerdd, head of song, or chairedbard, was one who had atchieved his pre-eminence in a musical and poetical contest, in an Eisteddfod or session of the bards, which was held triennially in the royal palace; (or in the hall of the lord;) this solemnity was decided by the venerable judge of the palace; and as a reward, he received from the victorious bard a bugle-horn, a gold-ring, and a cushion for his chair of dignity. But if the judge pronounced an unjust sentence, and the acen6ation was proved; he was then forever deprived of his office, and condemned to lose his tongue; or to pay a considerable ransom for that member. This chaired-bard, according to king Howel's laws, was the bard of a district, or county, and chief president of music and poetry within that precinct? and in him was vested the controul of all the other bards within that jurisdiction; he was also a teacher, and at stated periods he prepared the undergraduates to take their degrees; which were ratified by the sessions of the bards every third year; and he also regulated and assigned to each of the bards their Clera circuits within his district. This Pencerdd Gwlad, or head bard of the district, had his lands free; his perquisites arose from his scholars, and he was also entitled to a fee from every bride, and the Amobr, or marriage fine of the daughters of all the inferior bards within his district. He was fol numbered among the regular officers of the palace; but whenever he attended the king, he sat in the tenth place in the royal hall, next to the judge of the palace. His privilege of protection lasted from the beginning

of his first song in the hall of the palace to the conclusion of the last.

Every Pencerdd, or chief bard, that the lord assigned privileges to, he was to find with musical instruments; such as, a harp to one; a cruth to another; and pipes to the third: and when the bards died, those in struments were to revert to the lord."

We have introduced the foregoing passages as examples of the general character of the introductory part of the work, which contains some valuable information, but foiled by puerile nonsense, which it is a pity that the writer had not a little discrimination to reject.

Having given a very short sketch of the ancient bards and the different classes into which they were successively divided at various times, Mr. Jones endeavours to derive from them, and with some probability, the different degrees of heralds, the offices of poet-laureat, master of the band, and the jesters at the English court. He then proceeds to fulfil a task, on account of which we feel the more interested, and expect satisfaction from its being within the sphere of his own profession: let us attend to him.

"Something now remains to be said respecting the national music of the aboriginal Britons, or Welsh, which has been transmitted down to us by tradition from time immemorial, and is still the favourite amusement of the natives. Some few of these tunes have been taken from manuscripts; but all the original Welsh poems are transcribed and translated from ancient manuscripts. (He should have added, by various hands, for many of them we have seen be fore elsewhere.) The following tunes, songs, poems, and history, are the result of some years research and labour, collected, and adjusted at intervals. The greatest part of thes melodies I have committed to writing from hearing them sung by the old people, and from their being played by the most venerable harpers in North Wales; and it is very fortunate that I did so, because most of them are since dead. Being a native of Meirionydd, where our national customs are best retained, and where I generally used to pass my summers; being also well acquaint ed with most of the popular Welsh airs, from my infancy, from having been brought up in the musical profession, and having always had a predilection for native customs; I may, perhaps, have the advantage of my cotemporaries on this subject, or at least I hope I shall be found adequate to the task which I have undertaken, in rescuing some of the bardic lore from being irretrievably lost.