Cylchgronau Cymru

Chwiliwch trwy dros 450 o deitlau a 1.2 miliwn o dudalennau

JHE gRIDGEND JLLUSTRATED J^AGAZINE. TSSo 5. MAY, 1883. Two Pence. AN ODE IN THE OLD STYLE TO THE REV. JOHN WALTERS, M.A. By the Rev. Evan Evans (leuan Brydydd Hir). The Rev. J. Walters was incumbent of Llandough, in Glamorganshire ; a celebrated philologist and a marked divine. He wrote a most valuable "English-Welsh Dictionary," which went through three different editions. The first edition appeared in 1770, and the last in 1794 He also published a very learned essay on " The Welsh Language," and some Sermons as well. He died 1st June, 1794. The Eev. Evan Evans (leuan Brydydd Hir), a native of Cardiganshire, was born May 30th, 1731. He commenced his education at the eminent school of Ystrad Meurig, under the tuition of Edward Richards, and in 1751 he went to Merton College, Oxford. He was a profound Welsh scholar ; and a small volume of his poems have been lately published, edited by the Eev. D. S. Evans, B.D. Mr E- Evans died August. 1789, and was buried in the graveyard of his native parish ; but no kind of monument is to be seen to mark his grave—to the disgrace of his countrymen. This is not an exceptional disregard to the memory of Welsh literati. Hanbych well ! Wallter, o hil Brython, Awdwr Geiriadur gwiw arodion ; Gwnaethost g-u orchwyl a gorchestion ; Hanbid well ein can o'th amcanion, A'n gwlad, a'n hiaith fad, o Fon—mam Cymru, I Fymvy, a'i theulu, fan etholion. Ceinmygir dy waith lie rhed yr Ieithon,* Ac o gwr 1 iywel f i Gaerlleon, Ac o hen Fangor J a'i Maelorion, I gaerau Mynyw a'i gwyr mwynion ; Fob gwlad yn siarad a son—am Wallter A'i wiw orober hyd Ehiwabon. Gwae ni weis ysig, gan y Saeson, Yn dwyn anobeithiau, bleiddiau, blinion ; Cyrchant i'r Llanau, fegys lladron, Ddiffydd, gas, gybydd, gan Esgobion : Mae'n defaid giraid gwirion—yn trengu A meddu eu cnu mae y cenawon. Yn rhwymau Anghrist yr ym dristion; A chaeth, ysgwaeth, ydyw Sion ; Wylo a chwyno, o'ch wae weinion ! Dan goegni barus astrus estron ; Gwae nyni! tewi mae ton—telynau A'u miwsig danau yn mysg dynion. Mae cledd dialedd, medd duwiolion, I rai anwir, gan Farnwr union ; Holltodd, ymrwygodd y mor eigion, Er rhoddi Israel oil yn rhyddion ; Saethau, taranau, terwynion—saethau A drwy galonau drwg elynion. Ieehyd i Wallter a'i arferion, Un a fu beraidd iawn fab Aron ; Nid fal gormesiaid mall anffyddlon, Own gwancus, diog, tonog tynion ; Llafuriodd, rhoddodd yn rhwyddion—i'n gwlad O'i ffraeth gyweiriad ffrwyth ac aeron. * A river in Radnorshire, f A parish in Breenockshire. % Bangor-is-y-Coed, on the River Dee, in Flint. LOST CITIES. - Scattered throughout this and foreign countries, we find extensive traditions respecting cities buried beneath the land ®r water, which although occasionally grounded on fact, have in most cases a purely legendary origin. It is true that in years gone by the ravages of Nature, caused either by earthquakes or encroachments of the sea, have ruthlessly swept away many a smiling village; yet this explanation does not satisfactorily account for the popular notion of lost cities, which, like so many other subjects of a kindred nature, is involved in uncer¬ tainty. It has been suggested that it may have sprung from the well-known myth of the "Happy Isles," a tradition which is found amongst nearly every nation of the globe, and which formed an object of belief amongst the Greeks and Romans of old, and still enters into the folk-lore of the Irishman, the Welshman, the Hindu, and the Red Indian of to-day. Indeed, one may still occa¬ sionally hear, in Wales, sailors speak of the green meadows of enchantment lying in the Irish Channel to the west of Pembrokeshire, which, they say, are at certain times discernible, although very quickly lost to sight. There are even traditions of sailors who, in the early part of the present century, went ashore on these fairy islands, unaware that they were such until they returned to their boats, when they were amazed at seeing the islands disappear from sight. The fairies who inhabited these islands are reported, says Mr. West Sikes, in his "British Goblins," "to have regularly attended the markets at Milford Haven, making their purchases without speaking, and occasionally rendering themselves invisible. The peasantry of Milford Haven, too, firmly believed that these islands were densely peopled by fairies, who went to and fro between the islands and the shore through a subterranean way under the bottom of the sea." ' Some antiquaries have con¬ jectured that the tradition relating to these Happy Isles is a relic of a primeval legend associated with Eden; but the question is one involved in much obscurity, and upon which there is a wide diversity of opinion. With¬ out further discussing the origin of this class of legen¬ dary lore, we would give a brief outline of some of the principal instances recorded in well-known localities.— Chambers' Journal. NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS. Contributions to this Magazine on matters of local and district history will be thamkfully received by the editor. Such contributions should not reach the publishing office later than the 15th of each month to secure atten¬ tion for the ensuing issue of the Magazine.