An angelic hand From the high Father, Brought seed for growing That Eve might sow; But she then did hide Of the gift a tenth, And all did not sow Of what was dug. Black rye then was found, And not pure wheat grain, To show the mischief Thus of thieving. For this thievish act, It is requisite, That all men should pay Tithe unto God. Of the ruddy wine, Planted on sunny days, And on new-moon nights; And the white wine. The wheat rich in grain And red flowing wine Christ’s pure body make, Son of Alpha. The wafer is flesh, The wine is spilt blood, The Trinity’s words Sanctify them. The concealed books From Emmanuel’s hand Were brought by Raphael As Adam’s gift, When in his old age, To his chin immersed In Jordan’s water, Keeping a fast, Moses did obtain In Jordan’s water, The aid of the three Most special rods. Solomon did obtain In Babel’s tower, All the sciences In Asia land. So did I obtain, In my bardic books, All the sciences Of Europe and Africa. Their course, their bearing, Their permitted way, And their fate I know, Unto the end. Oh! what misery, Through extreme of woe, Prophecy will show On Troia’s race! A coiling serpent Proud and merciless, On her golden wings, From Germany. She will overrun England and Scotland, From Lychlyn sea-shore To the Severn. Then will the Brython Be as prisoners, By strangers swayed, From Saxony. Their Lord they will praise, Their speech they will keep, Their land they will lose, Except wild Walia. Till some change shall come, After long penance, When equally rife The two crimes come. Britons then shall have Their land and their crown, And the stranger swarm Shall disappear. All the angel’s words, As to peace and war, Will be fulfilled To Britain’s race.” He further told the king various prophecies of things that should be in the world, in songs, as follows. * * * * * FOOTNOTES {1} It is also stated, that there is in the Hengwrt Library, a MS. containing the Graal in Welsh, as early as the time of Henry I. I had hoped to have added this to the present collection; but the death of Col. Vaughan, to whom I applied, and other subsequent circumstances, have prevented me from obtaining access to it. {2} Hades. {3} The word “Pryder” or “Pryderi” means anxiety. {4} The version in the Greal adds, “And their coin was fairy money;” literally, dwarf’s money: that is, money which, when received, appeared to be good coin, but which, if kept, turned into pieces of fungus, &c. {5} This dialogue consists of a series of repartees with a play upon words, which it is impossible to follow in the translation. {6} Taliesin.