Celtic dialects; the second to British Antiquities, and
the third to the natural history of the British Isles. He only lived to
complete the first part. It contains various Celtic grammars and
vocabularies, to each of which there is a preface written by Lhuyd in the
particular dialect to which the vocabulary or grammar is devoted. Of all
these prefaces the one to the Irish is the most curious and remarkable.
The first part of the Archaeologia was published at Oxford in 1707, two
years before the death of the author. Of his correspondence, which was
very extensive, several letters have been published, all of them relating
to philology, antiquities, and natural history.

CHAPTER XC

An Adventure--Spytty Ystwyth--Wormwood.

Shortly after leaving the grounds of Hafod I came to a bridge over the
Ystwyth. I crossed it, and was advancing along the road which led
apparently to the south-east, when I came to a company of people who
seemed to be loitering about. It consisted entirely of young men and
women, the former with crimson favours, the latter in the garb of old
Wales, blue tunics and sharp crowned hats. Going up to one of the young
women, I said, "Petti yw? what's the matter!"

"Priodas (a marriage)," she replied, after looking at me attentively. I
then asked her the name of the bridge, whereupon she gave a broad grin,
and after some, little time replied: "Pont y Groes (the bridge of the
cross)." I was about to ask her some other question when she turned away
with a loud chuckle, and said something to another wench near her, who,
grinning yet more uncouthly, said something to a third, who grinned too,
and lifting up her hands and spreading her fingers wide, said: "Dyn oddi
dir y Gogledd--a man from the north country, hee, hee!" Forthwith there
was a general shout, the wenches crying: "A man from the north country,
hee, hee!" and the fellows crying: "A man from the north country, hoo,
hoo!"

"Is this the way you treat strangers in the south?" said I. But I had
scarcely uttered the words when with redoubled shouts the company
exclaimed: "There's Cumraeg! there's pretty Cumraeg. Go back, David, to
shire Fon! That Cumraeg won't pass here."

Finding they disliked my Welsh I had recourse to my own language.
"Really," said I in English, "such conduct is unaccountable. What do you
mean?" But this only made matters worse, for the shouts grew louder
still, and every one cried: "There's pretty English!