u for your friend's preface; though he is not much master of
English style, the particulars he produces are curious. I have turned to
my learned friend Mr. Lye's edition of _Junii Etymologicon Anglicanum_
for the etymology of such words as your friend mentions, and I find
nothing, that does not confirm his derivations; I have not time now to
descend to particulars, but shall be glad to hear from you as soon as
agreeable. One so much master, as you are, of British antiquities,
whether historic or poetical, can never want means of entertaining,

Dear Sir, your very affectionate servant,
THOMAS PERCY.

_Easton Maudit_, _April_ 10, 1764.

P.S. Pray, are the Welsh romances, you have described, in prose or
verse? If they are in prose, then let me ask if you have ever seen any
in verse? I take it, these subjects were treated in verse before they
came to plain prose in most nations. This, at least, I find to be the
case in the old Erse and Islandic languages, as well as in the more
modern Italian, French, Spanish, and English tongues. I have got curious
specimens in the last I mentioned. Pray is the word St. _Great_, or
_St._ _Greal_, in the first article of your curious letter?

WELSH PROVERBS.

It appears that the Rev. E. Evans (_Ieuan Prydydd Hir_), had prepared for
publication a Collection of our Ancient Welsh Proverbs; for a writer in
the second volume of the "CAMBRO BRITON," gives the following translation
of the Latin Preface preffixed to the MSS., which we here reprint.

Having discovered Dr. Davies of Mallwyd's Latin Translation of our Welsh
Proverbs among many other ancient MSS. in the library at Llanvorda, and
soon after having found, also the original, from which his was
transcribed, among the same valuable collection, I thought I could not
undertake a more useful work to my country, than to publish the same, and
dedicate it, as the first fruits of my labours, to my munificent patron,
Sir W. W. Wynn. The exact time when that ancient bard and philosopher,
called by the Welsh _Hen Gyrys o Ial_, flourished, cannot be accurately
ascertained. Two collections of Proverbs, made by him, and written on
parchment, are now extant in the above library, and, at the end of the
said book, a fair copy of Hywel Dda's laws; and from the best judgment,
which can be formed from the appearance of the said MSS. and the mode o