ページの画像
PDF
ePub

From the golden cup they drink
Nectar that the bees produce,
Or the grape's exalted juice.

Flushed with mirth and hope they burn,
But none to Cattraeth's vale return,
Save Aëron brave, and Conan strong,
Bursting through the bloody throng,
And I, the meanest of them all,

That live to weep, and sing their fall."

The works of Taliesin, whom Tennyson terms "our fullest throat of song," are of much more questionable authenticity. There is a story of the adventures of Taliesin so strongly marked with mythical traits as to cast suspicion on the writings attributed to him. This story will be found in the subsequent pages.

The Triads.

The Triads are a peculiar species of poetical composition, of which the Welsh bards have left numerous examples. They are enumerations of a triad of persons, or events, or observations, strung together in one short sentence. This form of composition, originally invented, in all likelihood, to assist the memory, has been raised by the Welsh to a degree of elegance of which it hardly at first sight appears susceptible. The Triads are of all ages, some of them probably as old as anything in the language. Short as they are individually, the collection in the Myvyrian Archæology occupies more than one hundred and seventy pages of double columns. We will give some specimens, beginning with personal triads, and giving the first place to one of King Arthur's own composition:

"I have three heroes in battle:

Mael the tall, and Llyr, with his army,

And Caradoc, the pillar of Wales."

The three principal bards of the island of Britain are given as

"Merlin Ambrose

Merlin the son of Morfyn, called also Merlin the Wild,

And Taliesin, the chief of the bards."

The three golden-tongued knights of King Arthur's court are said to have been

"Gawain, son of Gwyar,

Drydvas, son of Tryphin,

And Eliwlod, son of Madag, ap Uther."

The three great feasts of the isle of Britain fall under this same rule of three:

"The feast of Caswallaun, after repelling Julius Cæsar from this isle ; The feast of Aurelius Ambrosius, after he had conquered the Saxons; And the feast of King Arthur, at Caerleon upon Usk."

Some of this composition is not only highly poetic, but, considering the age, remarkably philosophic:

"Hast thou heard what Dremhidydd sung,

An ancient watchman on the castle walls?
A refusal is better than a promise unperformed."

"Hast thou heard what Llenleawg sung,
The noble chief wearing the golden torques?
The grave is better than a life of want."

"Hast thou heard what Garselit sung,
The Irishman whom it is safe to follow?
Sin is bad, if long pursued."

"Hast thou heard what Avaon sung ?

The son of Taliesin, of the recording verse?

The cheek will not conceal the anguish of the heart."

"Didst thou hear what Llywarch sung,

The intrepid and brave old man?

Greet kindly, though there be no acquaintance.”

As

The number three had a peculiar fascination for our Celtic ancestors. They bound up their ideas in sheaves of three. poets they have exerted but little influence upon the world, although much that they said is worthy a lasting place in any language. The following could not well be improved upon, either for conciseness or keenness of observation :

"The three foundations of genius: The gift of God, human exertion, and the results of life."

"The three pillars of judgment: Bold design, frequent practice, and frequent mistakes."

"The three first requisites of genius: An eye to see nature, a heart to feel it, and a resolution that dares to follow."

"The three pillars of learning: Seeing much, suffering much, and studying much."

"The three qualifications of poetry: Endowment of genius, judgment from experience, and felicity of thought."-LLYWARCH HEN.

[graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small]

KING ARTHUR was at Caerleon upon Usk; and one day he sat in his chamber, and with him were Owain the son of Urien, and Kynon the son of Clydno, and Kay the son of Kyner, and Guinevere and her handmaidens at needlework by the window. In the centre of the chamber King Arthur sat upon a seat of green rushes,' over which was spread a covering of flame-colored satin, and a cushion of red satin was under his elbow.

"I too will have the

Then Arthur spoke. "If I thought you would not disparage me," said he, "I would sleep while I wait for my repast; and you can entertain one another with relating tales, and can obtain a flagon of mead and some meat from Kay." And the king went to sleep. And Kynon the son of Clydno asked Kay for that which Arthur had promised them. good tale which he promised me," said Kay. Kynon; "fairer will it be for thee to fulfil the first place, and then we will tell thee the best tale that we know." "Now," said Kay, "it is time for you to give me my story." "Kynon," said Owain, "do thou pay to Kay the tale that is his due." "I will do so," answered Kynon.

"Nay," answered Arthur's behest in

"I was the only son of my mother and father, and I was exceedingly aspiring, and my daring was very great. I thought

1 The custom of strewing the floor with rushes is well known to have existed in England during the Middle Ages, and also in France.

there was no enterprise in the world too mighty for me, and after I had achieved all the adventures that were in my own country, I equipped myself, and set forth to journey through deserts and distant regions. And at length it chanced that I came to the fairest valley in the world, wherein were trees all of equal growth; and a river ran through the valley, and a path was by the side of the river. And I followed the path until midday, and continued my journey along the remainder of the valley until the evening; and at the extremity of a plain I came to a large and lustrous castle, at the foot of which was a torrent. And I approached the castle, and there I beheld two youths with yellow curling hair, each with a frontlet of gold upon his head, and clad in a garment of yellow satin, and they had gold clasps upon their insteps. In the hand of each of them was an ivory bow, strung with the sinews of the stag, and their arrows and their shafts were of the bone of the whale, and were winged with peacock's feathers.

"A shefe of peacock arrows bright and kene
Under his belt he bare ful thriftily."-CHAUCER.

And

The shafts also had golden heads. And they had daggers with blades of gold, and with hilts of the bone of the whale. they were shooting at a mark.

"And a little away from them I saw a man in the prime of life, with his beard newly shorn, clad in a robe and mantle of yellow satin, and round the top of his mantle was a band of gold lace. On his feet were shoes of variegated leather, fastened by two bosses of gold. When I saw him I went towards him and saluted him; and such was his courtesy, that he no sooner received my greeting than he returned it. And he went with me towards the castle. Now there were no dwellers in the castle, except those who were in one hall And there I saw four and twenty damsels, embroidering satin at a window. And this I tell thee, Kay, that the least fair of them was fairer than the fairest maid thou didst ever behold in the island of Britain; and the least lovely of them was more lovely than Guinevere, the wife of Arthur, when she appeared loveliest, at the feast of Easter. They rose up at my coming, and six of them took my horse, and divested me of my armor, and six others took my arms, and washed them in a vessel till they were perfectly bright.

« 前へ次へ »