though feminines are now no more used than the masculine tyg. What do you imagine gave a little island, or rather rock, not far from your Holy Head, the name of Ynys Wellt? What! because it was a straw island? or abounding in straw? Nothing more unlikely. Was it not rather, because it was a barren and wild island? What if we do not understand some words in this age? Must we therefore banish them from the works of those that did understand them? and foist others out of our own noddles in their place? It is cruel. I wish people were once so far in their right minds as to think they could not mend Dafydd ap Gwilym's work; then they would certainly never mar them. Dafydd ap Gwilym, it is true, had his foibles, as well as other mortals. He was extravagantly fond of filching an English word now and then, and inserting them in his works, which makes me wonder what should induce the judicious Dr. Davies to pitch upon him as the standard of pure Welsh. Whereas he, of all others of that age, seems least deserving of the honour. I know that that babbler, Theophilus Evans, author of Drych y Prif Oesoedd, pretends to say that 'Davy' understood never a word of English; but the way he goes about to prove his barefaced assertion, is a sufficient confutation of it, and enough to make the bold assertor ridiculous to boot. How many English words are there to be met with, in those fragments of his only, that are quoted by Dr. Davies? Mutlai is one of them; and what is that else but the English word 'mottley'? Is lifrai a pure Welsh word? And what can you make of habrsiwn, mên, and threbl, and a great many more? I think 'livery,' 'habergeon,' 'mean', and 'trebble', are but indifferent Welsh words for purity. But, all that notwithstanding, I think it would be a notable piece of service to our language, to have his works printed; though it would give to the English a pleasure they have long wanted; I mean of making it appear that we borrow as many words at least from them, as they did from us, which yet would be true of no one else but Dafydd ap Gwilym himself; for I do not think he made many proselytes to his fond way of blending Welsh and English together; else our language had long before now been a most horrid gibberish.
Digon yw hyn ynghylch Dafydd. Ond ni ddarfu mi a
