n degree of obscurity in the very words and
language of Taliesin; and the same may be observed of the compositions of
Aneurin Gwawdrydd and other bards of the same age, a catalogue of whose
works may be found in the learned Edward Llwyd's Archaeology, collected
from the notes of William Maurice, Esq., of Cefn y Braich. But Mr. E.
Llwyd never saw any of the poetical compositions of Taliesin, Aneurin,
and other early bards, except those of Llywarch Hen, which he found in
_Llyfr Coch o Hergest_: and the works of these ancient authors will
afford us very material assistance, not only in the investigation of our
ancient British language, but also in examining historical facts, and in
tracing the origin of the various tribes, who inhabited this island
during that early period. Taliesin, in a poem, of which the following is
the title, "_Cerdd am Feibion Llyr ap Brychwel Powys_," mentions three
separate nations, who had taken possession of different parts of Britain,
previous to his time, viz., _Gwyddyl_ (Celts or Gauls,) _Brython_, and
_Romani_, (Romans.)

Gwyddyl, a Brython, a Romani,
A wna hon dyhedd, a dyfysci;
Ac am derfyn Prydein, cain ei threfi.

And they are represented as exciting war and tumult on the borders of
this fair isle, and its beautiful towns and cities; and it appears
evidently from this poem, that the first inhabitants were _Gwyddyl_ or
Celts, which circumstance Mr. Llwyd and others have proved most
satisfactorily, from the names of mountains, rivers, &c. But by the word
_Gwyddyl_ Taliesin must, by no means, be understood to mean the modern
Irish; for their language at present contains a very considerable mixture
of Cantabrian and Spanish, and differs very materially from the ancient
genuine Celtic and British, which clearly appears from the writings of
the old bards, and the ancient British Proverbs. For, if any person were
vain enough to suppose, that he could discover the meaning of some of our
obsolete British words, by consulting an Irish Dictionary, he would soon
find himself woefully disappointed, and I am clearly of opinion, that the
ancient genuine Celtic dialect had a very near affinity to the old Welsh
or British. I believe, that the persons, denominated _Gwyddyl_ by
Taliesin, were genuine Celtae, and inhabited this island previous to the
arrival of the Britons, and probably soon after the general deluge, and
that these Celtae were the progeny of the Titans; for the Curetes and