morate an event; and by a cromlech, a huge, broad, flat stone, raised high on other stones, where the antient Britons, like the Hebrews, made sacrifices or paid religious adoration.

Those nice distinctions that have been formed of the Druids, the Bards, and the Vates, subsisted only, I think, in particular societies; the Druids in general composed and recited hymns, as worship to their deities; the Bards* certainly composed hymns likewise, but it was in the hour of battle that their labours were chiefly celebrated, by singing the exploits of deceased heroes; while the Vates were principally engaged in the rites of sacrifice, or the arts of divination.

The Welsh have always laid claim to the discovery of America, in preference to the great Columbus; but this claim has hitherto been sup

* The bards, who were inferior Druids, wore an ecclesiastical ornament during the celebration of their rites, called by the Latins caputium, or cucullus, which is still retained in our universities. The Gauls, who borrowed this custom from the British Druids, wore the cucullus remarkably long, whence it obtained, on its being made use of at Rome, the name of Bardo Cucullus, or Bard's Hood. It was in allusion to the shape of this hood, that Martial feared lest a sheet of his book should be rolled up to put pepper or frankincense in:

Ne thuris piperisve sit cucullus.—Lib. 111. ep. 2.

For further particulars of the caputium or cucullus, consult Dr. Nicholls's "Comment on the Book of Common Prayer."

+ In Owen's "British Remains, or a Collection of Antiquities relating to the Britons, &c." 8vo. 1777, is "An Account of the Discovery of America, by Madoc ap Owen Gwynedd, in the year

ported with little more than bare conjecture. In the twelfth century, according to Powell, there was a war in Wales for the succession, upon the death of Owen Gwinnedd; and a bastard having carried it from the lawful heirs, one of the latter, called Madoc, put to sea, and sailing West from Spain, discovered a new world of wonderful fertility. To prove that a country was thus discovered, the Welsh have recourse to the authority of Meridith ap Rhees, who composed an ode in honour of Prince Madoc and his new-found land; and that this country was America they have alleged on the credit of Peter Martyr, that the natives of Virginia celebrated the memory of one Madoc, as a great and antient hero; and always supposed their ancestors to have come thither at first from some very distant countries on the other side the great water, at the time that has been asserted, and from the same point of the compass. The affinity of language has since been frequently urged by modern travellers, and Bishop Nicolson,

1170, more than 300 years before the voyage of Columbus." It consists of a statement, attested by one Morgan Jones, who preached to the Doeg Indians in the Welsh language three times a week, and was perfectly understood by them in the year 1669; a letter from Charles Lloyd, detailing some more proofs of the great similarity of the language; and some confirmatory observations, collected by Dr. Plott, from the narratives of the Spaniards, and the traditions of the country; to which I would particularly invite the attention of the reader.-EDIT.

in particular, speaks confidently that the British makes a considerable part of several of the American tongues. In answer to these assertions, the ingenious Dr. Robertson has declared, that he conceives the skill of the Welsh in the twelfth century, not to have been equal to such a voyage; and that the instances given of the affinity of language are so obscure and fanciful, that no conclusion can be drawn from them. To these remarks he adds, that if the Welsh, towards the close of the twelfth century, had settled in any part of America, some remains of the Christian doctrine must have been afterwards found among their descendants, when they were discovered three hundred years after their migration. Here I must entirely disagree with the learned author; three hundred years cannot in this case be called a "short period;" one century would probably have been sufficient to have obliterated every mark of a religion, that had to combat with the prejudices of an unlettered people; that did not address itself immediately to their interests, and through a mode of civilization, teach them at first only, as Warburton well expresses it, "the emollient arts of life."*

* "The Gospel, plain and simple as it is, and fitted in its nature for what it was ordained to effect, requires an intellect something above that of a savage to apprehend. Nor is it at all to the dishonour of our holy faith, that such an one must be taught a

Christianity seems to have been introduced into Britain as early as the first century; but of this great event our accounts must necessarily be very imperfect, as the Saxons destroyed almost all the writings in which it was recorded. Mona, we read, had certainly a school of Christian learning many years before 182, when there was an Archbishop of Caerleon, and Suffragans under him; but the clergy had no distinct parishes either in Anglesea or any other part of the kingdom, till many years afterwards. About the year 600, Pope Gregory I. afterwards canonized, sent Augustin with about forty monks to preach the Gospel in England to the heathen Saxons, whose King Ethelbert received them with civilities. Augustine being admitted to explain the doctrine and mysteries of his religion, so well succeeded, that he converted great numbers, and at length the King himself. Thus the Christian Religion came to be established in England under the rites and authority of the Romish Church, by which Augustin was instituted chief Bishop, and seated by the Saxon King at Canterbury. His jurisdiction, though admitted in all the Saxon territories, was not received by the British priests or people in Wales, who very justly asserted their own independence by refusing to ac

previous lesson; and first of all instructed in the emollient arts of life." See the Bishop of Gloucester's Sermon on the Propagation of the Gospel.

knowledge the supremacy of the Pope, or to alter their forms of baptism, or the time of observing Easter, &c.

In the reign of Elizabeth the Bible and Common Prayer were first translated into the Welsh tongue; and, at that time, the people are said to have adhered to the rubric and constitution of the church with a scrupulous exactness. How far the doctrines and worship of Christianity may have deviated from their original purity, or how far the Welsh may have been affected by the refined tenets of their English neighbours, I shall not presume to determine: at present I think there is every where much to be feared from the growth of enthusiasm, the subtleties of infidelity, and the necessity as well as danger of innovation.

Many popish customs are still retained in Wales, particularly offerings to the priests at funerals to say masses or prayers for the souls of the dead, which custom has been encouraged by way of augmentation of poor livings. It now rather loses ground, as the livings are much improved of late years by the encouragement of agriculture. These offerings must of course vary, according to the rank of the persons deceased, as well as the affection that is borne to their memories. I was at a pauper's funeral where the donations amounted to half a crown, and I met with a clergyman afterwards who had once received ninety guineas.

Great complaints are made in many parts of this