, a
Bard who flourished A.D. 1400) I can find extant of my ancestors
since the reign of Edward the first, who caused our Bards all to be
hanged by martial law, as stirrers of the people to sedition; whose
example being followed by the governors of Wales until Henry the
Fourth's time, was the utter destruction of that sort of men; and
since then that kind of people were at some further liberty to sing,
and to keep pedigrees, as in ancient time they were wont; since which
time we have some light of antiquity by their songs and writings,"
&c.

The following is taken from an old British grammar, written in English,
by William Salesbury, printed at London, 1567. I have transcribed it
faithfully according to the old orthography. "Howbeit when the whole
Isle was commonlye called Brytayne, the dwellers Brytons, and accordingly
their language Brytishe, I will not refell nor greatly deny; neither can
I justly gainsaye, but their tongue then was as copious of syt woordes,
and all manner of proper vocables, and as well adornated with woorshipful
sciences and honourable knowledge as any other of the barbarous tongues
were. And so still continued (though their sceptre declined, and their
kingdom decayed, and they also by God's hand were driven into the most
unfertyl region, barenest country, and most desart province of all the
isle) untyll the conquest of Wales. For then, as they say, the nobles
and the greatest men beyng captives and brought prysoners to the tower of
London, there to remayne during their lyves, desired of a common request,
that they might have with them all such bokes of their tongue, as they
most delited in, and so their petition was heard, and for the lightness
soon granted, and thus brought with them all the principallest and
chiefest books, as well of their own as of other their friends, of whom
they could obtain anye to serve for their purpose. Whose mind was none
other but to pass the time, and their predestinate perpetual captivitie
in the amenous varietie of over reading and revoluting many volumes and
sundry books of divers sciences and strange matters.

"And that is the common answer of the Welshe Bardes (for so they call
their country poets) when a man shall object or cast in their teeth the
foolysh uncertainty and the phantasticall vanities of their prophecies
(which they call BRUTS) or the doubtful race and kinde of their
uncanonized saynctes: whom that notwiths