f
writing, or form of the hand, it may with safety be pronounced to be
about five hundred years old. To the former of these two collections is
annexed the following note respecting the author: "Mabieith Hen Gyrys o
Ial, yr hwn a elwit Bach Buddugre a Gado Gyfarwydd, a Gwynfarch
Gyfarwydd, a'r hen wyrda a ddyvawt y Diarhebion o Ddoethineb, hyd pan
veint gadwedig, gwedy hwynt, i roddi dysg i'r neb a synio arnynt; canys
crynodeb parablan llawer a synwyreu y cynghoreu doethbrud a ddangosir ar
vyrder, i'r neb a'u dyallo yn y diarhebion." Ial, where this celebrated
old Cyrys resided, is a mountainous district, containing five parishes,
situated towards the north-east corner of the county of Denbigh; and
Buddigre, where he lived, is near, if not within, the limits of the
parish of Bryn Eglwys. It is evident, that this collection of Proverbs
was made from various works of a great number of old bards, living in
different ages; for many of them are taken from the compositions of
Llywarch Hen (Llywarch the Aged), and from the poems of Aneurin and
Taliesin, and several from those of other bards much more ancient, whose
effusions have unfortunately perished.

It is more than probable, that many of these pithy sentences and
proverbial sayings, these aphorisms of wisdom and axioms of prudence,
were the productions of the venerable Druids; and they exhibit, in the
present imperfect form, in which they have been delivered to us, no
despicable specimens of those verses mentioned by Caesar, in the
seemingly enigmatical mysteries of which their pupils were initiated, and
spent many years in acquiring and committing them to memory. And he
farther informs us, that, notwithstanding these learned sages made use of
Greek characters in transacting both their public and private affairs,
yet their disciples were not permitted to _write_ these verses,
principally, (as it appeared to him,) for two reasons; in the first
place, because, if they were allowed to do so, the mysteries of their
profession would soon be divulged: and, secondly, if these aphorisms were
committed to writing, the noviciates, confiding in such artificial aids,
would no longer be at the pains of sufficiently exercising their
memories. Many of these poetical proverbs are composed in that peculiar
kind of metre, which is distinguished by the name of _Englyn Milwr_, and
these verses are possessed of such strong internal marks of antiquity,
that I may with safety pronounce them