,
at present exists, it is certainly of immense antiquity, indeed almost
entitled in that respect to dispute the palm with the grand tongue of
India, on which in some respects it flings nearly as much elucidation as
it itself receives in others. Amongst the words quoted in the chapter
alluded to I wish particularly to direct the reader's attention to gwr, a
man, and gwres, heat; to which may be added gwreichionen, a spark. Does
not the striking similarity between these words warrant the supposition
that the ancient Cumry entertained the idea that man and fire were one
and the same, even like the ancient Hindus, who believed that man sprang
from fire, and whose word vira, {1} which signifies a strong man, a hero,
signifies also fire?

There are of course faults and inaccuracies in the work; but I have
reason to believe that they are neither numerous nor important: I may
have occasionally given a wrong name to a hill or a brook; or may have
overstated or understated, by a furlong, the distance between one hamlet
and another; or even committed the blunder of saying that Mr Jones Ap
Jenkins lived in this or that homestead, whereas in reality Mr Jenkins Ap
Jones honoured it with his residence: I may be chargeable with such
inaccuracies; in which case I beg to express due sorrow for them, and at
the same time a hope that I have afforded information about matters
relating to Wales which more than atones for them. It would be as well
if those who exhibit eagerness to expose the faults of a book would
occasionally have the candour to say a word or two about its merits; such
a wish, however, is not likely to be gratified, unless indeed they wisely
take a hint from the following lines, translated from a cywydd of the
last of the great poets of Wales:

"All can perceive a fault, where there is one--
A dirty scamp will find one, where there's none." {2}

[Picture: Map of Wales showing Borrow's route]

CHAPTER I

Proposed Excursion--Knowledge of Welsh--Singular Groom--Harmonious
Distich--Welsh Pronunciation--Dafydd Ab Gwilym.

In the summer of the year 1854 myself, wife, and daughter determined upon
going into Wales, to pass a few months there. We are country people of a
corner of East Anglia, and, at the time of which I am speaking, had been
residing so long on our own little estate, that we had become tired of
the objects around us, and conceived that we should be all the better for
changing