to be the genuine productions of
the Druids. And, as they are by no means unworthy of being considered as
the real effusions of those learned sages and philosophers, it will not,
I hope, be deemed a digression, or by any means irrelevant to the object
of this introduction, to gratify the reader with a specimen of one of
these oracular compositions, together with a close literal Latin version.
The first two lines of these poetical triplets seem to contain some of
the privileges of the Druids, and the third generally exhibits some maxim
of wisdom or axiom of prudence. The following were transcribed from the
Red Book of Hergest, in the library of Jesus College, Oxford:--

1. 1.
Marchwiail bedw briglas, Virgulta betulae viridis
A dyn fy nhroed o wanas; Meum pedem e compede solvent;
Nac addef dy rin i was. Secretum tuum juveni ne
reveles.
2. 2.
Marchwiail derw mewn llwyn, Virgulta quercus de luco
A dyn fy nhroed o gadwyn: Solvent pedem meum e catena:
Nac addef dy rin i forwyn. Ne reveles secretum tuum
virgini.
3. 3.
Marchwiail derw deiliar, Virgulta quercus frondosae
A dyn fy nhroed o garchar: Pedem meum e carcere
Nac addef dy rin i lafar. liberabunt:
Ne reveles secretum tuum
homini loquaci.

The foregoing stanzas, as well as many others of the same description,
are still extant is the above mentioned book, called Llyfr Coch o
Hergest, and likewise in several MSS. in the libraries of Llanvorda near
Oswestry, and Hengwrt near Dolgellau; and, on account of their having
accidentally been discovered among the compositions of that ancient bard
Llywarch Hen, Dr. Davies and Edw. Llwyd have hastily and inconsiderately
pronounced them to be some of his productions; but the frequent
recurrence of the oak, their favourite tree, and the dark allusions to
the druidical rites and privileges, most evidently and convincingly, (in
my opinion,) denote their origin to be from that source. But here it may
be objected, that the Druids could not, (as Caesar declares it was not
their usual practice,) have committed these verses