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Article EEVIEWS OF UEW BOOKS ← Page 4 of 6 →
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Eeviews Of Uew Books
reputation , —for the author seems at a loss to discover the grounds for the latter having become attached to his name , to the extent it had done when at its height in popular estimation , as early as the middle of the twelfth century . In proof of the view the author takes , and the grounds on which he founds that view , he gives a variety of legends bearing the stamp of authority , and points to various evidences of a stable character , from which he draws his deductions through the
medium of comparison . Indeed , many of the theories propounded even by Welsh scholars of admitted repute and character , the author sets aside by antagonistic arguments , which will exceedingly compensate for any time spent in their analysis . We need scarcely admit that we are not egotistical enough to suppose that any views of our own ( although arrived at through a close reading of the work ) will at all aid in settling any of the moot points which are so frequently raised ;
but , injustice to the clever disputant , Bro . Nash , we must needs say that he has decidedly the best of it . The " Historical Poems " next engage a large share of the author ' s attention , and , consequently , occupy a considerable portion of the volume , although these poems are comparatively few in number . We must again notice that , while these poetic effusions in the Welsh language are indeed a sealed book to almost all save Welshmen themselves , they are accompanied , as we have hinted , by English translations ; and howevei' these translations into our own
tongue may in some measure deprive them of some of the original beauty , yet they will be found abounding in the richest imagery and clothed in the most exquisite language . ¦ 'Without entering ourselves into the mxata quoestio , whether any of these , or which of them , may with truth be ascribed to the great Taliesin , certain it is that some of them are of marvellous beauty . Again , others there are which , on translation , disclose proverbs . These our language quaintly renders thus ¦ '• :-
—" No one is a hero when naked among thistles . " " Every one who swears strongly fails [ to perform ] . " " Do not love to be foremost in conversation . " < e Jewels are the dainties of the feeble-minded , " " There is always a way for him who seeks it . "
The latter quotation bears so striking a resemblance to our saying , " Where there ' s a will there ' s a way , " that there would seem to be no doubt as to its origin . Supposing it to have been derived as above , how few of the thousands who use it are acquainted with its origin ! We further find from our indefatigably-searching author , that the "Myvyrian Archaeology" contains an extensive collection of proverbs arranged in a variety of forms ; and that from such and like works appertaining to these " wise saws , " it is gathered that no
literature can boast of a greater collection of proverbs than the Welsh , and that this ¦ " concise and sententious form of presenting the wisdom of their ancestors ' appears to have been particularly congenial to the genius of the Welsh people . " Passing over many illustrations of these proverbs in the book whose merits we are discussing , we proceed to transfer to our pages an occasional passage from these singular Welsh songs . How much there is of comprehensive beauty of expression in the
lines—I have seen the various-coloured net-work of flowers ; I have seen the leaves gradually appearing of the yellow waterdily ; I have seen the branch with its blossoms of equal shape . " In the " Mythological Poems , " whose translation the learned author next dissects , —with , in our opinion , the skill of the practised literary anatomist , —wc find passages whose felicitous expression amply justify our here adding them to
the extracts quoted above—without the slightest reference on our part to the correctness or incorrectness of the translation . Whether Mr . Da vies , or Dr . Owen be right , or whether our author he correct in deeming either or both of these somewhat celebrated interpreters wrong , is not our business . Whether , too , the Welsh language , in which these poems were originally written , be—as the ancient Welshmen seem to have believed—" so heavenly , that all other languages are imperfect , ignoble , and half-witted ; and neither song nor poetry can be composed in them ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Eeviews Of Uew Books
reputation , —for the author seems at a loss to discover the grounds for the latter having become attached to his name , to the extent it had done when at its height in popular estimation , as early as the middle of the twelfth century . In proof of the view the author takes , and the grounds on which he founds that view , he gives a variety of legends bearing the stamp of authority , and points to various evidences of a stable character , from which he draws his deductions through the
medium of comparison . Indeed , many of the theories propounded even by Welsh scholars of admitted repute and character , the author sets aside by antagonistic arguments , which will exceedingly compensate for any time spent in their analysis . We need scarcely admit that we are not egotistical enough to suppose that any views of our own ( although arrived at through a close reading of the work ) will at all aid in settling any of the moot points which are so frequently raised ;
but , injustice to the clever disputant , Bro . Nash , we must needs say that he has decidedly the best of it . The " Historical Poems " next engage a large share of the author ' s attention , and , consequently , occupy a considerable portion of the volume , although these poems are comparatively few in number . We must again notice that , while these poetic effusions in the Welsh language are indeed a sealed book to almost all save Welshmen themselves , they are accompanied , as we have hinted , by English translations ; and howevei' these translations into our own
tongue may in some measure deprive them of some of the original beauty , yet they will be found abounding in the richest imagery and clothed in the most exquisite language . ¦ 'Without entering ourselves into the mxata quoestio , whether any of these , or which of them , may with truth be ascribed to the great Taliesin , certain it is that some of them are of marvellous beauty . Again , others there are which , on translation , disclose proverbs . These our language quaintly renders thus ¦ '• :-
—" No one is a hero when naked among thistles . " " Every one who swears strongly fails [ to perform ] . " " Do not love to be foremost in conversation . " < e Jewels are the dainties of the feeble-minded , " " There is always a way for him who seeks it . "
The latter quotation bears so striking a resemblance to our saying , " Where there ' s a will there ' s a way , " that there would seem to be no doubt as to its origin . Supposing it to have been derived as above , how few of the thousands who use it are acquainted with its origin ! We further find from our indefatigably-searching author , that the "Myvyrian Archaeology" contains an extensive collection of proverbs arranged in a variety of forms ; and that from such and like works appertaining to these " wise saws , " it is gathered that no
literature can boast of a greater collection of proverbs than the Welsh , and that this ¦ " concise and sententious form of presenting the wisdom of their ancestors ' appears to have been particularly congenial to the genius of the Welsh people . " Passing over many illustrations of these proverbs in the book whose merits we are discussing , we proceed to transfer to our pages an occasional passage from these singular Welsh songs . How much there is of comprehensive beauty of expression in the
lines—I have seen the various-coloured net-work of flowers ; I have seen the leaves gradually appearing of the yellow waterdily ; I have seen the branch with its blossoms of equal shape . " In the " Mythological Poems , " whose translation the learned author next dissects , —with , in our opinion , the skill of the practised literary anatomist , —wc find passages whose felicitous expression amply justify our here adding them to
the extracts quoted above—without the slightest reference on our part to the correctness or incorrectness of the translation . Whether Mr . Da vies , or Dr . Owen be right , or whether our author he correct in deeming either or both of these somewhat celebrated interpreters wrong , is not our business . Whether , too , the Welsh language , in which these poems were originally written , be—as the ancient Welshmen seem to have believed—" so heavenly , that all other languages are imperfect , ignoble , and half-witted ; and neither song nor poetry can be composed in them ,