excellence in succeeding periods, and fancies that he beholds a second Goronwy, among the groves on the borders of the Tivi, holding converse with the Muses. The poem on The Winter,' in blank verse, and another on The Spring,' in a different metre, are delightful pieces. His 'Praise to Jesus' is excellent. He has also pleaded the cause of ' Dumb Creatures,' in a manner which does credit to his principles and talents.

Mr. Owen Williams, Waen Vawr, near Carnarvon, (Eryri Vychan) whose occupation is that of a cooper, is a succesful disciple of the Muse. He obtained the chair at an Eisteddvod held at Carnarvon in 1824, for the best Elegy on the Death of Baron Richards.' He is deeply versed in the antiquities of the Cymry, and is quite enthusiastic in his patriotic feelings.

Mr. W. E. Jones of Dolgelley, (Cawrdav,) now sojourns in South Wales. He is, by occupation, a printer, and has distinguished himself as a poet. The only composition of his, of any length, in my possession, is on the Longing of a Welshman for his Native Country,' &c. The close of this poem is beautiful and affecting. The poor broken-hearted Welshman is supposed to die in a distant part of the earth, an Englyn, prepared by himself, is put on his tombstone, and, in the course of time, an old acquaintance happens to visit his grave and reads the inscription! Reader, conceive the effect! This poet won the bardic chair of Gwent, at the Brecon Eisteddvod, in the year 1822, for the best poem on The memorable period during which His Majesty King George the Fourth exercised, as Regent, the powers of government over the United Kingdom,' The adjudicators in giving their opinion on the merits of the production said, "The plan of the poem is good, and displays poetic fancy in the conception of it. There is not, perhaps, in the Welsh language, any poem extant that displays greater genius in various respects." Nevertheless Cawrdav is not a first rate poet, but is generally successful for second prizes.

The Rev. John Jones, B.D., Precentor of Christ Church,

Oxford, (Tegid), is a native of Bala in Merionethshire, and sustains a high rank among the scholars and poets of the present age. He has carried on a warfare, for years, against a system of Welsh Orthography, which encumbers the language with unnecessary consonants, which, in some instances, involve in obscurity the etymology of words, and in all tend to disfigure the language to the eye of strangers. Mr. Jones pleads not for a new system, but, in regard to the matter in dispute, advocates the mode of spelling adopted in the first edition of the book of Common Prayer, printed in the year 1586. And though he and others have, to a very great extent, succeeded in effecting a reformation, and in bringing to their views a great part of the nation, yet the unhappy perverseness of many of our countrymen, disposes them to adhere to a plan which has not the shadow of reason for its support, except the authority of few great names. Mr. Jones is also an excellent Hebrew scholar. His translation of different parts of the Scriptures, the Hebrew parallelisms being preserved, are executed with exquisite skill, and are allowed to be very correct. The fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, as rendered by him into Welsh, is so plain that no commentary upon it is required, and so beautiful that the writer has been induced to give it repeated perusals.

The Rev. Evan Evans of Chester, (Ieuan Glan Geirionydd,) claims a place among the first order of poets, as well as writers in prose, of the present age. He was the first editor of, and the principal contributor to, the 'Patriot Magazine,' (Gwladgarwr,) one of the best conducted periodicals in the Welsh language. An edition of the Bible, with numerous plates and extensive critical and explanatory notes, is now in course of publication, under his editorial care. His poem on The longing of a Welshman for his country,' &c., obtained the silver medal awarded by the Eisteddvod held at Wrexham, in the year 1820. This production brought him into notice, and obtained for him the patronage of the Clergy and Gentry.

After a course of preparation at St. Bees, he obtained orders in the Church. His stanzas, on the Slaughter on Rhuddlan Marsh,' are beautiful and affecting. The 'Lowland Hundred,' (Cantrev y Gwaelod,) is a poem of considerable merit. But Mr. Evans's best production, and one of the best things in the Welsh language, is his poem on 'Belshazzar's Feast,' which obtained for him the bardic chair of Gwynedd at the great Eisteddvod held at Denbigh in the year 1828. This poem is distinguished for the excellency of its plan, and the correctness of its versification. Every thing is natural. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end, which cannot be said of many things that go by the name of poems. The imagery is beautiful and arranged with taste, the characters are well sustained, and the feelings and passions of human nature make their appearance in an impressive manner. Daniel is represented as a calm and dignified character, but proud Belshazzar, as a terrible wretch. O, how he trembles! and dies!!

The Rev. Wm. Williams of Carnarvon, (Gwilym Caledvryn,) is another of our most successful poets. He has been rewarded with medals and premiums at many of the Eisteddvodau. Some years ago, he published a small volume of Odes, Englynion, Carols, &c., which he titled Grawn Awen,' the meaning of which is, either the Berries or the Grapes of the Muse. The taste of the fruit disposes me to consider them to be grapes; and indeed they are not of a sour quality. Since this volume was published, Mr. Williams obtained the bardic chair of Gwynedd, at the Royal Eisteddvod held at Beaumaris, in the year 1832, for the best poem on the 'Wreck of the Rothsay Castle,' on the Dutchman's bank near Conway. This production was very highly commended by the judges, and is deservedly ranked among the finest pieces in the Welsh language. This author published, last year, a small volume which he calls A Mirror of Poetry,' or a treatise on the nature of poetry. He discusses, very briefly, the various.

kinds of poetry, such as the Pastoral, Lyrical, Heroic, &c. The hints which he has given on these subjects are taken from some of the best English writers. On the poetry of Scripture he has treated rather largely. His principal design, however, was to explain Welsh poetry, and this task he has ably executed. He has done considerable service to Welsh literature, by distinguishing between poetry and the language of poetry, a distinction of which many rhymsters and alliterators, in this country, are profoundly ignorant. He exposes bad compositions with due severity, but does justice to those which possess merit. This production has been severely criticised in the pages of the Protestant. Time will show whether it have sufficient intrinsic merit to recover the blow inflicted upon it by the hand of Amphion. Mr. Williams is frequently called upon to judge of the relative merits of poetical compositions that are sent to Eisteddvodau, and deserves commendation, not only for distinguishing the best from the better, and the better from those in the lowest degree of comparison, but for refusing to reward even the best when they happen to be bad.

Mr. Ebenezer Thomas of Clynog, in Carnarvonshire, (Eben Vardd,) is a poet of true genius and correct taste. He has of late carried away the best laurels of the Eisteddvodau. He obtained the bardic chair of Powys, at the Welshpool Eisteddvod in the year 1824, for the best poem on the 'Destruction of Jerusalem.' This poem is rich in thought, beautiful in expression, and full of poetic fire. What a pity

that such a genius, aye, a gentleman and Christian too, should be suffered to remain a mere schoolmaster! O Cambria blush!

[Since writing the above, this man of genius has been promoted to the bardic chair a second time, an event of which we have no other instance in modern times. And what confers additional lustre on his fame is the fact that he was the first to be installed in the new 'Chair of Gordovic,' lately

erected under the auspices of Prince Albert in the town of Liverpool. The subject of the poem was the Afflictions, Patience, and Restoration of Job.' Respecting the merits of this production the judges have spoken in the strongest terms of commendation.]

The Rev. D. James, of St. Mary's Kirkdale near Liverpool, (Dewi o Ddyvel,) a native of Pembrokeshire, is a poet of sound judgment and correct taste. His profession, however, is the Christian ministry. As a preacher and public orator, he has a claim to a very high place indeed. Having carefully studied the English and Welsh languages, he speaks with fluency and correctness in both, an attainment of very difficult acquisition, and in which very few excel. When at Cardigan school he obtained a silver medal from the Cymmrodorion Society of London, for the best Essay on Patriotism;' and a second the following year from the same society for the best Essay on 'The cultivation of the Welsh language.' He has published several sermons, in the English language: one on Confirmation,' and another on 'The Conduct of the Romish Church with regard to the Bible.' His Lecture on The Doctrine of the Trinity, proved as a consequence from the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ,' is very profound in thought and powerful in argument. He is, likewise, the author of a treatise on Ancient British Druidism,' or the Patriarchal Religion of Britain, which displays great research, and if the sources of his information be genuine, he has made out a very strong case in favour of our ancestors. It would be well for those who describe the Ancient Britons as a horde of uncivilized savages, observing cruel and superstitious rites, and destitute of knowledge and art, to give this pamphlet a perusal.

The Rev. Wm. Rees of Denbigh, (Gwilym Hiraethawg,) is a good poet and an excellent preacher. He was rewarded at the Denbigh Eisteddvod, in the year 1828, with a medal, for the best poem on The Lowland Hundred.'

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