Corybantes, who were their princes and nobles, are clearly identified
with the _Cowri_ of the British history, written by Tyssilio (the
bishop), which Geoffrey of Monmouth has very improperly translated
_Giants_. And this blunder of his has been the source of endless
mistakes; for the word _Cowri_ evidently means princes, generals, nobles,
or persons of great eminence. The Curetes are therefore our _Cowri_; and
the Corybantes (i.e. _Cowri-Bann_) were princes or persons of great
eminence, as the expression denotes; and, what is still more to our
purpose, the word gwyddyl also implies any thing conspicuous, and is
nearly synonymous with _Cowri_, which is the usual term, even to the
present day, to designate persons of uncommon stature or great bodily
strength. The Curetes, therefore, were evidently our Cowri, and the
Corybantes (i.e. _Cowri-Bann_) imply princes or leaders, or persons of
the most eminent rank and consequence: and, in order to corroborate this
assertion, it may be observed here, that there is a very high mountain
near Towyn, in the county of Merioneth, which, to this day, bears the
name of _Gwyddyl Fynydd_; and the highest peak or summit of Snowdon, is
denominated _Yr Wyddfa_, (i.e. the highest eminence or the most
conspicuous,) and by the common people, even at this time, is known by no
other name. And _Gwydd Grug_ means a high hill, or eminence; _Gwydd
Fryniau_, high banks; and _Trum Gwydd_, the ridge of a mountain; and many
others, which it would be tedious and useless to enumerate. And it may
also be observed here, that the [Greek text] and [Greek text] of the
Greeks, and the _Celtae _and _Galli_, of the Latins, appear to me to bear
no other import. For _Gallt_ and _Allt_ are clearly synonymous with
_Gwyddel_, and denote any thing high or eminent, though the word _Gallt_
is, at present, restricted to designate the steep ascent of a hill, or a
declivity; but, that the word Gallt was anciently used to denominate high
mountains may be justly inferred from the word _Alps_, which is evidently
composed of two Celtic words, Gallt-ban, or pen, i.e. Allt-ban, Al-pen,
or Alpine, which commutation or change of initial letters will appear
easy to any person acquainted with the British language, and perfectly
justified by the rules of grammar, as the mutations of radical letters in
Welsh are well known to be nearly endless. It would not be difficult to
prove, that the ancient Britons are descendants of the Celt